http://www.newsome.org/2006/03/that-traffic-thing-again/ Kent Newsome on technology, music and life Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:43:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.newsome.org/2006/03/that-traffic-thing-again/comment-page-1/#comment-4827 Brian Fri, 03 Mar 2006 02:58:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/newsome/?p=2760#comment-4827 Hi Kent. I think some of the problem here is semantics. I don't like the term "link bait" (as I say in the report) because it sounds aggressive. But the actual common usage of the term these days is more of the fishy kind -- any content that simply *attracts* links. Also, from a promotional standpoint, that's the term people are looking for, unfortunately. So I used it, and then tried to diffuse it.It's certainly not about attacking people. In fact, I think attacking people is one of the most dangerous and unproductive strategies there is.Another thing that I tried to express is that gaining attention is in large part about showing up day after day, and putting your audience first. Your article is a much more straight forward way of expressing that, and you're absolutely right that all referenced are saying the same thing. Hi Kent. I think some of the problem here is semantics. I don’t like the term “link bait” (as I say in the report) because it sounds aggressive. But the actual common usage of the term these days is more of the fishy kind — any content that simply *attracts* links. Also, from a promotional standpoint, that’s the term people are looking for, unfortunately. So I used it, and then tried to diffuse it.It’s certainly not about attacking people. In fact, I think attacking people is one of the most dangerous and unproductive strategies there is.Another thing that I tried to express is that gaining attention is in large part about showing up day after day, and putting your audience first. Your article is a much more straight forward way of expressing that, and you’re absolutely right that all referenced are saying the same thing.

]]> http://www.newsome.org/2006/03/that-traffic-thing-again/comment-page-1/#comment-4828 Seth Finkelstein Fri, 03 Mar 2006 02:24:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/newsome/?p=2760#comment-4828 <I>"Rather than focus on links, the better approach is to focus on relationships. The blogosphere is a small place in a lot of ways, and if you add to the conversation, people will notice you."</I>That's a nicer way of putting it than "Rather than focus on links, the better approach is to focus on sucking-up to A-listers. The bogosphere is an incestuous, clubby network, and if you scratch their back, they'll scratch yours."Now - discounting the cynical tone - did I say anything so very different? I know, it's not quite the same. But c'mon, isn't it uncomfortably descriptive? “Rather than focus on links, the better approach is to focus on relationships. The blogosphere is a small place in a lot of ways, and if you add to the conversation, people will notice you.”That’s a nicer way of putting it than “Rather than focus on links, the better approach is to focus on sucking-up to A-listers. The bogosphere is an incestuous, clubby network, and if you scratch their back, they’ll scratch yours.”Now – discounting the cynical tone – did I say anything so very different? I know, it’s not quite the same. But c’mon, isn’t it uncomfortably descriptive?

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