As we say goodbye to editors, with the emergence of Digg and blogs, large companies are losing their control of influence. The usual gatekeepers have gone. So what's the answer?
Companies paid PR people thousands to build good relations with influential editors on magazines and newspapers hoping to get favourable coverage etc. But that's all gone now. Blogs are posting messages from anywhere and they can suddenly capture interest on the web and before you know it, companies are struggling to catch up.
What Digg and blogs tell us is that it is the quality of the content that matters. If it is worth reading it will get passed around and get the thumbs up from online readers. If your content is good you gain influence. Which is probably why the BBC gives all of its online readers the opportunity to bookmark and share its content. They know that increases the chances of it being passed around and so the influence of the BBC grows.
Companies therefore need to focus on creating relevant content for the sectors they are targetting but it cannot be the usual bland PR stuff otherwise it will not get passed on and shared.
