Newsletter #121
February 11, 2017
Chris Glushko just wrote a column for Marketing Land that does a good job of answering the question of how we arrived at the fake news crisis.
First there was long tail media. In other words, the internet allowed anyone with a viewpoint to create their own niche media platform. It also allowed people to get their news from whichever source matches their own views, even if it may not be one of the mainstream media brands.
Then there came filter bubbles. This is another word for the personalization of internet content that’s been driven by Google and social media brands. Their algorithms serve you content that fits your views and filter out content that doesn’t, to make you stay on their website for longer and click on more ads.
When people only see the views they want to see, that creates a perfect environment that sprouts fake news.
In other words, information that may be totally false and sometimes inflammatory, but still thrives among people who want to believe it.
Here’s what Chris suggests we do about the problem.
I don’t know about you, but I find it interesting to learn about how we arrived at the way things are now.
There are a lot of problems with internet marketing today and fake news is one of them. In any case, knowing the history is the first step to doing things better in the future.
When beginners ask me how to make a really good start with internet marketing, I tell them there are three pre-requisites:
- Know the benefits of internet marketing and its advantages over other strategies
- Recognize what internet marketing looks like and the forms it takes
- Know the history of internet marketing
That’s why those are the subjects of the first 3 steps inside of our 10-step course.
I’m going to be redoing all 10 steps in the near future, adding more and better content. If you get access now, you’ll be the first to get the new steps.
Right now, here’s where to get step 3 and educate yourself more about the history of internet marketing.
The Rolling Stones of internet marketing
Frank Kern is a veteran of internet marketing from California. He pioneered online video and deliberately turned himself into a celebrity with productions such as The Mysterious Stranger. Now, he’s got a loyal following and is considered part of the who’s who of the industry.
Kevin Rogers of Copy Chief recently interviewed Frank in a podcast. Frank says it’s only the third time he’s ever been interviewed in a podcast.
Frank explains his interesting history, including how he deliberately framed himself as a celebrity and positioned himself as ‘the Rolling Stones of internet marketing’.
He also explains why he chose to throw the celebrity all away and start from scratch!
Quotation of the Day
“I decided to become ‘The Rolling Stones of marketing’ and then went out and made it happen.”
– Frank Kern
That’s all for today. Keep an eye out for the next newsletter, and reach out if you need anything.
Thanks
Carlo