Alan Bechtold has released the latest issue of ‘E-Wealth Report’ Newsletter. The featured article is titled “Content is What?”. [Newsletter]


Alan Bechtold has released the latest issue of ‘E-Wealth Report’ Newsletter.

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Content is What?

A September 18 blog post, by Stoney deGeyter, titled “Content is Dead. Community is King Now,” really caught my attention. I’m sure, if you know me at all well, you understand why.

After all — I’m the KING of content and I’m now working with the Dynamic Duo of Content — Lori Steffen and Jeff Wark — in The Franklin Guild, dedicated to helping people easily create quality content.

I had to see what Stoney meant by that comment. And he was due for a HEAVY drumming from me if he didn’t cover his butt correctly, because we ALL know that Content is FAR from dead.

You can read his posting in its entirety here: http://www.searchengineguide.com/degeyter/010785.html

Here’s where Stoney redeemed himself: “Content has its role — and an important one at that, but it’s not the be-all, end-all of online marketing. Not even close.”

Unfortunately, Stoney goes on and on throughout the rest of his blog post trying to undermine content’s role, to support his original thesis that “Community is King Now.” The entire blog post goes on this way, with Stoney redeeming himself, then blowing it, then re-redeeming himself, then blowing it again.

I understand the need to capture attention in this day and age. Stoney’s title certainly accomplished its goal, much like my “Web 2.0 is CRAP!” teleseminar and the resulting report did. And, as it turns out, similar to my report, the title of Stoney’s blog post actually only hints at his REAL point by stretching the context completely out of proportion, before allowing it to contract to the basis of his post.

Again, this is sort of the same approach I took with “Web 2.0 is CRAP!”

Unfortunately, he’s still wrong. He’s right that content is in no way, shape or fashion, the “end-all” and the “be-all” of marketing. But — content IS still king.

Now, fortunately for all information publishers and marketers, community is now a member of the royal family. For the first time since the first dial-up computer bulletin boards sprang onto the scene and changed EVERYTHING, community is thriving on the Web. We can now INVOLVE the readers of our online textual information and consumers of our online audio and video information like never before. And those readers and consumers can now play a vital role in providing us with content that other readers and consumers want to receive.

Community’s role, then, cannot be undermined.

It’s important enough to be considered a very important prince — possibly even next in line for the throne. But, it’s definitely not king.

Look at it this way: what kind of community do you have without meaningful content? High-quality, relevent content provides an online community with grist for discussion and interaction. It attracts members to that community in the first place. The community itself is also content, defined by what the various members contribute to the discussion.

Stoney obviously got side-tracked after he let his enthusiasm for the “new” Web 2.0 overshadow his common sense. This probably created a bit of confusion in his mind about exactly what content is and isn’t.

Hey — I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt here!

And — here is what content is: Content is information we value, in whatever form, from whatever source, for whatever purpose. Period. When you post a comment to a blog posting, you’re providing content to the blog. Notice I said it’s information that we value. That’s key here. Comedy — if it’s funny — is valuable content. Fiction is content if it entertains. Non-fiction is content if it presents interesting, relevent facts.

Now, ask yourself … which blog comment is more valuable to you:

“Hey — nice posting!” — Alan

Or:

“I find it interesting that you quote Benjamin Franklin as a publisher, but neglected completely to point out that he was also an accomplished inventor, diplomat and political advisor. Check out “When Benjamin Lived,” by Benjamin Worshipper (this book is fake — please don’t look this up on Amazon … you won’t find it) for an amazing list, in detail, of all of this great man’s accomplishments.” — Alan

Which posting do you think is more useful in a discussion about the life of Benjamin Franklin? Compliments are nice, but they aren’t useful. Except for inflating the original poster’s ego, compliments provide nothing beneficial to anyone else.

The second post makes an additional point and even references another work that readers can turn to, for more details about the subject that’s being discussed.

I’d vote for number two, hands-down, wouldn’t you?

It’s interesting to note that the first comment still fits the defnition of community. And it’s content. But it has virtually no power to build or improve the community in which it appears, principally because it’s not content.

Fill up a blog with some nice articles and comments like #1, and you’ll have … a blog with some nice articles, but NO community. Add comments like #2 to those blog articles and — BOOM! — you’ll have people arguing points and swapping ideas and resources back and forth for DAYS.

That’s what community is all about.

So — Web 2.0 is indeed all about community. But, without CONTENT — genuine, bonafide relevant and useful information, community will not happen.

Fortunately for Stoney, he never tried to back up his claim that content was truly dead. He’s kept his validity with me and I’ll keep reading what he has to say. He just needs to realize that content is more than articles and newsletters. Community itself, if it is going to grow organically the way it should, is also content.

Got it?

Now — I don’t know how to break this to you, but I gave away so many gifts last issue that I simply don’t have anything to hand you at no cost today.

But — I can offer you one last chance to get in on Jeff Wark, Lori Steffen and my brand new Franklin Guild and learn how to create content the REAL way, the way that works to build and foster online communities, to generate endless low-cost and no-cost leads, to create an unlimited number of original, powerful information products of your own — you name it.

There has never before been a group like this put together. I doubt that there will ever be one put together like it again. It’s HUGE. It will teach you the proper way to market online (with or without Web 2.0), it will help you churn out information products of your own. And it will connect you to the largest growing community of people and resources intent on content creation on the planet.

All without writing a word of your own — unless you WANT to.

If you act quickly — before October 1 — you can join this elite group for only $1 for 30 days. Sit in on our live call, listen to our past live calls, access the membership site. And invite some of your friends to join, because The Franklin Guild is open to new members by invitation only. Members earn 50% of membership fees paid by new members that they bring in so, conceiveably, two members would literally pay your own membership fees to belong.

It should be EASY to get two new members to join in the 30 days you’ll have for only $1. Get more than two, and you’ll be making a continuing residual income while you work with the group!

And there is no long-term commitment or contracts. You can cancel at any time and owe nothing more.

Visit this link NOW — before October 1 — and get in for $1. We’ll help you get more members with the tools we provide.

http://www.FranklinGuild.com

And you’ll do content the RIGHT way to build a business for a lifetime.

And — here’s something else for you. It’s unusual. It’s not even CLOSE to no-cost. But it’s definitely worth many times more than the price that’s being asked.

Pay careful attention:

Holly Cotter (affectionately known as the “Ultimate Mentor”) is opening the doors to a “tell-all” workshop in which she will reveal — step-by-step, using both audios and videos — EXACTLY how she turns any niche she chooses into a passive income stream.

How much money could YOU make if you knew:

-> How to create an Internet business that you could set up in your spare time and walk away from … knowing it would pull in a passive income for life.

-> How to create an unlimited number of Websites that will dominate any niche you choose … without ever owning your own product.

-> How to use the power of automation to create these new Websites for any niche you want to target in as little as ONE WEEKEND … from start to finish.

-> How to quickly and easily apply a few simple tactics to instantly make your sites MORE attractive to the search engines than 98% of the other Websites out there … giving you higher rankings, more traffic, and bigger profits.

-> How to make your Website so “sticky” that visitors stay longer … almost always find a handful of useful new information … and can’t wait to recommend you to their friends as the “go-to” source for your niche.

-> How to make money from every visitor that ever visits your site … regardless of whether they buy your advertised products or not!

-> How to automate the entire process of “lead-capture,” “follow-up,” and “E-mail marketing” … completely eliminating hours of frustrating work.

-> How to apply the advanced strategies currently being used by the Internet pros … without spending thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours trying to figure it out on your own.

-> How to go into any niche armed with a fully automated, relevant “content-rich” site … showcasing the most sought after products on the Internet for that niche and … all the training you need to efficiently sell those products over and over again!

… Plus a load of other techniques that practically 95% of all people online have no clue about.

How would you feel if you knew you could do it almost immediately . in as little as a single weekend . no matter where your skills are at right now? You’ll learn all of this and more in Holly Cotter’s “Passive Profits System Online Workshop!”

And you won’t even have to leave home to get it!

But, you’ll have to ACT FAST … the workshop begins this Saturday, September 29, and seats are filling fast (yes, this is a workshop — but you work through it at home).

Reserve your seat TODAY here: http://www.passiveprofitssystem.com/?a_aid=421d452d

… and (there is still a gift for you in here!) use the coupon on the Website to get a whopping $500 off the regular workshop price!

See you all next week!

Alan R. Bechtold

President/CEO

BBS Press Service, Inc.

‘E-Wealth Report’ Newsletter

*IMNewswatch would like to thank Alan Bechtold for granting permission to reprint the latest article.

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