SEO marketing misnomer – Paris Hilton challenges Michelle Obama

Today I saw a lot of clutter, not buzz, about SEO on the “’net.”

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. That is Web 1.0 thinking, not 2.0. 2.0 is about delivering customers to your business not through “mass” marketing, but through boutique-ing.

Here’s an example. Michelle Obama got popular through mainstream media. Making the Barbara Walters specials, being on nightly news. That’s like Web 1.0, where you used the 20th Century mass media to deliver customers.

Paris Hilton commands $500,000 to appear somewhere. Her success came via Web 2.0, so to speak.

Name the top-selling movie or TV shows Paris Hilton has been on? You forgot! It was “Simple Life.”

No, Paris Hilton became popular through Web sites like TMZ and Perez Hilton – where do you think that name came from?

Paris Hilton = 21st Century marketing

Paris Hilton exemplifies marketing in the 21st Century. She didn’t take out billboards; she didn’t make the cover of New York Times (I don’t think) as Michelle Obama has. She used the Internet to build fans. Same with Peter Shankman and Seth Godin, two people who command almost as much as Paris Hilton to appear at trade shows and the like.

20th Century = publicity

On a blog today I saw “The REALITY of publicity - There is nothing better than free publicity.” Honestly, with blogs ruling the world, why are companies focusing on driving a marketing message via a local morning television show? It shows how antiquated public relations is. Marketing sociology is the next step in the field that started out as propagandists.

Today you need to be as pro-active with blogs as some PR practitioners are with their 20th Century view that press releases and publicity are still viable. They’re still stuck in the “paper mill” mentality. Transfer your energy to developing a blog following and you’ll do well. Make sure you use tools like RSS feeds. I like Friendfeed – it takes my blog updates, transfers them to Twitter, facebook, Digg and more. These are words of 21st Century marketing; not publicity and press releases.

Television kills movies and newspapers

Remember, in the 1950s, people were shouting how television was going to put an end to movies and newspapers. Well, Web 2.0 is killing televisions and newspapers. Where do you watch your shows? More than likely YouTube, Hulu and other sites.

Why the nation is in a “depression,”

I searched for a TV manufacturer with a Bluetooth unit. Couldn’t find one. I’d love to sit at my computer, type a blog and watch YouTube on a big screen. Traditional marketers aren’t looking to fill customers’ desires.

Today I had one of the worst customer service episodes with Wells Fargo, similar to my HP horror stories. Search online and you’ll find tons of similar customer service horror stories. In the 21st Century, customer service matters or you end up the butt of a YouTube thing.

Here’s another missed opportunity for billboards. As you approach a billboard, your phone (using Bluetooth technology) chirps out the audio message, making it a static television commercial. As you pass, a text message is sent, more than likely a coupon. Why aren’t billboard companies joining with cell phone manufacturers to utilize this technology? It’s out there and available.

Marketers need to switch to 21st Century

Here’s an example of today’s marketing. I replied to a question at Linkedin about how to market music in the 21st Century. That reply lead to a post on sister publication, Tween Marketing, and a whole new series, Building the Band Brand - becoming famous in the 21st Century.

That post was caught by some of the rising stars of tomorrow via myspace. Now myspace.com/greatimageltd, my myspace page, is becoming the Demi Moore or Shaq of Twitter for rising bands. Not bad for a guy who wrote for Billboard 30 years ago. That is 21st Century marketing.