I am inspired to write this post today because of all of the misguided suggestions and over-the-top spam warnings I come across when webmasters, bloggers, experts and bashers discuss link building.

Links are merely the Web’s version of a relationship, a publicly announced relationship actually. Pretty much like a marriage. The wrong people get married all the time, but that usually doesn’t work out. When the RIGHT people get married, great things happen, a family grows and the community benefits. Quite the opposite when the wrong people get married.

When the right links are built, with the proper motivation, intention and execution. Great things happen.

Eric Ward knows its not about how much or how fast, its about how natural. He is referring to motivation and intention here, as he and other great link builders usually do. If your motivation is to identify popular, targeted websites with users who would appreciate yours or your clients website - you have the right foundation.

Ensuring there is content on yours or your clients website that those users will appreciate, however, is paramount.

Most of this is common sense, but there are many marketers out there trying to do whatever it takes to rank in search engines. They are willing to do things that might not be based on providing users with great content, or developing marketing strategies that form smart relationships with popular relevant websites. True, sometimes it is just about getting the damn link, but in a world full of noise and robots competing against spam, the Linker (or Linktress?) with the most relevant (topical), trusted (authority), natural (varied) and keyword focused (anchor text) links - wins.

Links are an outcome of successful relationship building with influential players in your industry. Your customers, vendors, peers, associations, industry journalists, bloggers, conferences, college professors, webmasters, forums… who is influential in your industry? Who is already linking to your competition? This is your list. Now you have to prioritize it. Who do you contact first? What do you do first? This is what separates the Amateurs from the Players.

1. Make sure the website you are promoting has content your users would consider valuable. You can think like your users right?

2. Make your list. (This is about 37 sub topics and requires an article for each. There are some great places to start, I’ll be providing more insight in future articles.)

3. Always ask yourself, who is going to help me build my audience? Who is going to have the most impact to my Audience Bottomline? Don’t ask yourself who has the highest Google Page Rank or Alexa Score. Sure these are signs of a popular website, but is that site going to contribute to your Audience Base or not? To determine this I assign a “relevancy” score to each Link Prospect. Then I use a formula that factors in aspects such as PageRank and Alexa Score, as well as # of posts in Techorati that mention the Link Prospects URL, how many websites link to your Link Prospect, and finally…. the “Hub Count.” This is a theory that Competitive Link Builders must know, and it is a simple one. Out of all of your Link Prospects, how many of them link to your competitors, and how many competitors does each link to? If the Link Prospect recevies the highest overall score (relevancy + popularity factors) and is linking to more of your competitors than any other prospect - this is the first to approach, and the list is sorted from there.

There are many sites where you have an oppurtunity to add content yourself, such as Article Directories, Forums and Wikis. These provide an engaged audience who hate spam. So long as you actually offer a useful contribution you are cool. Remember, even if the Wikipedia Spam Cops tell you you’re spamming - “as long as you can find an opportunity to add your site where it will make a useful contribution, do it.”

Link build carefully. Some do it for Traffic and others for Rankings. Don’t be tempted to buy links unless they are relevant advertisements you would otherwise purchase for the traffic (and you agree with Jim).

Balance your activities wisely between being a “Link Ninja & a Link Baiter.” Why the hell can’t we just call it Business Development and Public Relations? And is this actually the first time I have linked to Brian Provost in one of my posts?!? Sorry Brian, you are FAR too cool for this to have happened.

This month Infoworld reminded me of an experiment held by “Proctor and Gamble that provided 100 people with a box of Tide detergent and a video camera and asked them to film how they and their family clean their clothes. P&G believes this kind of advertising builds a personal relationship with the consumer and creates brand loyalty.”

Advertisers, especially today as the consumer gains more control over marketing, are trying to do anything to build loyalty in the consumer world. They are incorporating more authentic messaging, and allowing the consumer to create the marketing materials, as in the case of new social network socialDragon, where users can upload and tag videos of stuff, white water rafting for example, and advertisers can search this “real” content for parts to use in their advertising campaigns.

User generated content, while still being obviously in its infancy and therefore not matured, is rapidly increasing in value; whether this is an accurate representation of the value of socially created content is yet to be seen - I see a bright future for social media however, that’s for sure. And I also have to say I am quite pleased to hear all the emphasis placed on the consumer, authenticity and loyalty.

The reason band loyalty is important, the most widely coveted attribute by marketers and people everywhere, really, is because the purest form of brand loyalty, and the thing the most loyal people do, is make personal recommendations to others, to spread messages, stories and advertising, through word of mouth. Loyalty is what drives people to make recommendations. It can be easily argued that recommendations are what drive the success of virtually anything within the economy.

Loyalty is the life-force of the economy.

If the driving force of loyalty could be summed up in one word, I’d say that word would have to be satisfaction. Satisfaction really means that you got exactly, or more than, what you expected from something. When expectations are not met then you are obviously not satisfied, and when you not satisfied, well, why would you be loyal to that thing?

Always remember the importance of managing expectations, in life and in business.

It’s not about trying to give people what they want, it’s about making sure they know what they are going to get.

Digg wouldn’t let me submit this url, but you all have to read this story.

http://rudd-o.com/archives/2007/05/02/stickin-it-to-the-man-the-illustrated-report-of-an-epic-event/

It is just amazing.

More talk and background:
http://searchengineland.com/070502-071132.php
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/02/the_new_hddvdbl.html

Ok so they aren’t totally related. They both start with ‘J’ and are on my radar of things to play with though :).

Joost lets you watch your favorite tv shows where ever and when ever you want. They just opened the doors to the public, and its worth checking out. “Joost is a new way of watching TV on the internet. With Joost, you get all the things you love about TV, including a high-quality full-screen picture, hundreds of full-length shows and easy channel-flipping.”

Jotspot isn’t open yet (it was, for all those of you lucky enough to sign up early, now it being revamped by its new owner, Google), but its worth watching and waiting until it is. Basically Jotspot allows you to record a note using a phone and your voice, then it transcribes it and shoots the message to your cell and email. It can send messages to groups and will soon be able to send other forms of media… the possibilities are really phenomenal.

Keep both these ‘J’ companies on your radar.

The playgrounds and news hubs that exist today in the social media space exist because of a desire humans have to find, create and share information; to learn, to teach and to have meaningful, substantiative interactions. They exist because individuals are working to add value and substance to their social, personal, and professional lives and communities. They do not exist to allow a business to communicate to potential customers. It is important for business people who interacts with it to understand this difference.

Why do people publish?

People publish on the Web with a variety of motives. Of course businesses and individuals publish products and create stores on the Web in hopes to sell, but there are just as many other people, if not more, who are attempting to connect with like minds, absorb and share quality information, news and entertainment. People publish in the this space in hopes to share a message or information they believe to be valuable; or because they aspire to offer the most inspiring commentary on a particular topic. Some people do it to keep a live, globally accessible diary, filled with text, images, video and audio. Others publish simply to interact with their community of interest or to display their creative work.

There is one thing all participants of social media have in common.

Its a give and take situation. They absorb and consume information and media of all kinds, but they also interact with it, share it, comment on it, create it and otherwise give back to the space. In a lot of ways these creators are not much different than more traditional creators like journalists, writers, painters and musicians. They value what they do and they try to create value.

Social media is based on its authenticity and value.

One of the greatest things about social media, as many have agreed, is its authenticity. Its real-ness. People who are avid participants in social media expect this real-ness. As the space matures they are also growing to expect value. Sure humor, things with shock value and intrigue, really any kind of hook, can draw attention. But today people are all really after insight, edge, truth and meaningful commentary on the most current events of each day, and in each area that interests them.

Because of this media consumers have become hyper-sensitive super-critics, they expect so much more in terms of substance and value, or level and form of entertainment. They are desensitized to blatant advertising, and if you write with the sole purpose of selling a product or drawing an audience these harsh critics will smell it from a mile away.

And it’s good for everyone.

Now this is not to say that social media participants aren’t also shoppers, its simply that web users are growing more and more diverse and complex, more sophisiticated. This is a good thing for all of us. We are, as a result of this mass social media consumption era, creating better (and exposing those already existing) writers, journalists, thinkers, educators… and its all created through an authentic effort to particpate in the social media world. People blogging to teach something they know or share insight they have into a certain topic. Or experts hoping to add understanding and value to a certain industry by sharing his commentary and thoughts with the world.

Social media participants who create to share their views and insight, try to add substance to a particular channel through a well-created piece, and accomplish it - get my attention. I absorb it everyday. When I find them I add them to my RSS reader. When I see some blog thats obviously some PR or marketing campaign in disguise, that has little substance or value to it - I forget about it in a millisecond and usually never see it again.

I’m in marketing and even I understand this simple fact. I understand it because I participate, every day, and I’ve grown a keen eye for spotting crap, just like all the other social media participants out there. Our numbers are growing fast, and the media is continuing to be more controlled by the masses. As it should be.

I was watching c-span tonight (for some reason, the people talking about disease control and prevention were far more engaging and enjoyable to listen to than idiot sitcom characters - not to say that I don’t get a good laugh out of shows like family guy, and that hereos isn’t seriously a great show). Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director of the Research Center for Disease Control and Prevention, must have used the phrase “holistic approach” about three times. She was talking about integrating efforts of groups working in similar areas and connecting great minds to achieve maximum results. In response to a discusssion that was basically regarding “how to stand out in all the noise” she declared, “We have to somehow aggressively engage our public.”

Its funny how similar politics is to business and marketing.

Today, to keep up you have to be engaging, aggressive may be too strong of a word, but there’s no doubt you really have to put yourself in front of the right people, you have to work harder and smarter than the competition, you have to be efficient and you have to be great. You must stay up to speed with all the possible vehicles you can use to engage your public and never loose site of who they really are. Julie talked about keeping up with modern ways of engaging your audience, and she used one of my favorite words: “New Media.” She talked about podcasts and blogs, social networks and second life… and I just smiled.

At least people in politics are keeping up with whats happenin’ - sometimes I feel like we all live in a dream-world or something.

To do business or advertise in today’s digital world you must live it. Just as Babs Rangaiah, director of media and entertainment at Unilever USA is trying to convey when he says, “Planners have got to have a better sense of the entire media landscape.” Via Advertising Age.

Not only must you loose the silos but you must live the way the digital world lives to advertise in it.

You must understand how the digital world thinks, where they spend their time. Or at least be able to really try and think like someone else. Where would you spend your time if you were their age, and in their shoes? Would you frequent myspace and spend all day downloading torrents or be reading blogs like lifehacker, techcrunch, adfreak, adage, searchengineland, clickz, stuntdubl, searchreturn, alistapart, marketingpilgrim, seomoz, seoblackhat, graywolf, copyblogger, nickwilson, shoemoney, seobook, mashable, micropersuasion, coolhunting, fecalface and (well just check out the blogroll on the side of this page, you get the idea), tagging and bookmarking links to your del.icio.us account as you read them through your normal day’s rss and link-surfing trip? Or would you spend all your time cruising sites like fark and digg? Or maybe you’d be reading work-at-home mom blogs and forums?

Where would you be?

Still, today marketing alone is not enough, knowing where your audience is isn’t going to cut it. Innovation and creativity are what make all the difference. Are you solving a problem in a better way than everyone else? Are you using your imagination in the best possible way to add value to your business, further satisfy your customers and even create new demands? Asking the right questions is usually the best way to start.

“Search marketing cannot live in a silo anymore,” Says Nasreen Madhany, Global CEO of Neo@Ogilvy. “It needs to be part of a 360 strategy for delivering marketing solutions. When managed holistically, search marketing can deliver branding as well as business results.” Via an Ogilvy Press Release pointed out by Marketing Pilgrim regarding Neo@Ogilvy’s purchase of search marketing firm Global Strategies.

Nasreen’s word ring true. I have always spoken in terms of holistic approaches to business and marketing. Today its imperative to understand and apply this philosophy. I call it Modern Business.

Today a businesses cannot live silo’s.

Business today requires a holistic approach to all aspects of functioning in order to succeed. No one can live in a silo. Management, Marketing, Technology, Sales, Business Development and Customer Service must understand each others needs and concerns. This approach includes coherence between functioning bodies. It includes integration of tools and automation of redundant tasks. It’s about knowing your strengths and weaknesses, using everything in your power, and in technology, to stay at the front of the pack. This means constant refinement, combined with a unique and cutting edge value proposition. After all, you have to be amazing.

To succeed today a businessman cannot live in a silo. Today a marketer or technologist cannot live in a silo. Today, in Modern Business, no one can.

A holistic approach must be used.

A holistic approach means all contributing parties must work together, taking everything they interact with into account while functioning. It means that internal technologies, such as CRM and ERP tools, must interact with one another and external technologies such as analytical tools. It must take into account historical and market data. It must be driven by team members that are connected to every part of the group. It means that what you do, the way you look, how you interact within your organization and with your customers, must all be in line.

I believe we will see a further reduction of silos and more emphasis placed on holistic approaches and integration of all functioning bodies. The businesses that do not do practice this approach will have a tough time keeping up.

To succeed, ask these questions before every action:

1. What will my planned action ultimately affect?
What will this impact? What technologies can I use to ensure its efficiency? Who internally in my group will this affect? Who externally? How can I ensure each entity affected is approached in the best possible way?

2. Now, really ask yourself again, what *really* will my action affect? How can I integrate my resources and approaches in the best possible way?
How will this idea work with Marketing, with Technology, with Sales and Customer Service?

3. Who is the best possible person or people to solve goal?
Am I? Is my current staff or team? Should I hire an outside expert?

4. Am I really thinking about the value I am bringing my customers in each choice?
After all if the customer isn’t happy they won’t come back, and in business today you win by increasing the lifetime value of each customer. You have to “Give The Lady What She Wants.”

5. Am I really thinking of all the places I should “announce” my action?
Internally - am I telling the right people in my team? Externally - do I really know where my audience is? How can I find them? How should I communicate with them?

6. Is this really the best possible action?
Now you’ve asked yourself all these questions, is this the best choice? Is there better? Who can help me figure this out?

7. How can I measure this so I can refine it as much as possible?
Do I know the answer to this question? If not who can I ask?

By asking yourself the right questions in every situation you quickly bridge the gap between any silos. Most issues that lack a holistic approach are quickly resolved with the right communication, with your team, with yourself and your customers.

Never forget you have to be great. You have to make the best possibly choices.

It takes analysis and passion. It takes a drive to know as much as possible. It takes creativity, and you always have to ask yourself if your action will engage the participants, your team, and most importantly, your customers.