Author: Chris Heiler
So, you just wrote a new blog post. Now what? How do you share it with the world? Do you link to it on Facebook and Twitter? Do you "Digg" it or bookmark it on Delicous? So many choices...
What about your most recent status update on your Facebook Page? Do you also "tweet" that?
Creating and sharing of content can be confusing.
Let's talk about creating content for a second, and then I'll dive into sharing.
Let's converse as tech geeks for a moment and refer to all of the online content and media we create as "social objects"--videos on YouTube, pictures on Flickr, documents on Scribd, blog posts, comments on blog posts, events on Facebook, tweets, reviews on Yelp, check-ins on Foursquare. I could go on, but you get the picture. These are all considered social objects.
So, how do we best share these wonderful social objects we've created?
Content Syndication and Content Aggregation
Brian Solis is one of the original social media superstar ninjas--so I'll let him explain the concept of content syndication and aggregation:
Syndication symbolizes our ability to upload one object and have it simultaneously appear across multiple networks
- (picture your latest blog post automatically being tweeted and posted on Facebook).
A syndication network operates on the premise that people don't find and follow objects and the individuals who interest them in the same ways.
Its our job to serve as a bridge between the interesting content we create and those who are seeking it--in the networks where they're actively searching for meaningful content.
Below is an infographic I created illustrating content syndication:
Here's Brian Solis again:
If we pull our diverse content from the multiple networks where they're hosted into one place, we're aggregating data. We channel everything into a single branded presence
The idea is to give someone interested in yourself or business a single place online where they can view all of your activity. This single channel could be a highly active Twitter stream or even a company Facebook Page. You could also aggregate all of your content into a blog (Posterous and Tumblr are good options).
Here's my infographic illustrating content aggregation:
According to Solis, "Aggregation + Syndication = Extended presence for scattered social objects and improved organic SMO and SEO".
Look at it this way: Syndication is the "push", aggregation is the "pull". You should have a well-thought out strategy for each.
Since we're on this topic, why don't you help me syndicate my content by clicking that pretty little Facebook "Like" button below. Or share it using the social bookmarking buttons.
And, of course, I always appreciate it when you share your thoughts in the comments below.
