Content is King… Now Build the King’s Army

Note: I wrote and published this article one year ago today but I still believe so passionately in the concepts in it that I want to share it with you again.

I disagree with the spirit of the popular adage ‘Content is King.’ In fact, I’ve been writing about this recently here at Site Sketch 101. I believe that at one time content was all that was necessary but is no longer.

I do believe that you can build a strong following with nothing more than content.  It will, however, take you a very long time.  If you want to accelerate the growth of your site then you are going to have to back up your king with an army of design, marketing, influence, personal connections, war elephants…err…uh…and more.

What good is great content that never gets noticed?  It is no good.  It’s worthless.

Why not just print out your amazing articles and store them in the attic?  They’ll have the same impact on the world as publishing them and not promoting them or not making your site attractive and easy to navigate for your readers.

In the words of the ProBlogger:

Check out these words from Darren Rowse as found in ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income.

Yes, content is king, but who will notice without the traffic? Push the traffic any way you can…

The cry, “Content is king,” has echoed through the blogosphere for years; although I think the term ignores other aspects of what makes a blog successful, content is a key ingredient of a successful blog…

As I like to say, content might be king, but without posh clothes and an army to back him up, what is a king but an arrogant bloke in a funny shiny hat?

Now content is a mandatory part of the success formula but not all of it. I believe in the concept of a ‘total package.’ If you want to successfully brand yourself and your blog then you have to have great content…plus great design…plus great influence.

It’s not enough anymore just to have great content. It’s not enough just to have an outstanding design with excellent usability.  It’s not enough to just be a mover and shaker throughout the blogosphere.  If you really want results…you have to have all three.

A Case Study Proving that it takes the Total Package

In a recent article Your Guide to a Powerful & Profitable Blog, I had several people point out that Jacob Nielson at useit.com has built up a huge following by simply providing great content even thought the layout of his site is poor and the navigation is difficult.  This was my response to those comments and I firmly hold to them today.

You guys may look at him as an exception to the rule, but I would argue that he is an example proving this rule. According to his site, he’s been doing this since 1995.

I’ve been running this site, Site Sketch 101, since June of this year and according to Alexa.com, my site ranked higher on the daily rank for several times over the past few weeks. It has taken me 3 1/2 months to gain what it has taken him 14 years to gain.

If you want to follow his example then I invite you to do so… but I wouldn’t recommend it.

It’s all or none if you want to get your message out.

If you don’t have a great environment for your readers to view your content then some may choose not to stick around. If you don’t engage with people personally (as I’ve mentioned before I try to respond to every comment) then the content may not mean as much to some readers. Some visitors are looking for engagement or authority which adds to our influence.

When we successfully build the total package of content, design, and influence then we can really brand ourselves and our sites.  We must cater to every visitor: the ones looking for great design, the ones looking for connections, and the ones looking for information.

Why only take the time to please one of those three people when you can multiply your effectiveness by having all three?

I hope you understand that my disagreement with the adage ‘Content is King’ is a very minor one and in the greater sense I still agree with the spirit and determination to produce great content. It’s just that I think it’s mandatory as a part of something more than just that.

Group Discussion:

Can you think of a site that is strong in one or two of these areas but weak in others?  Can you think of a site that is strong in all three?  Do you agree that content is king or do you believe with me that content is one vital part of a greater picture?