We just wrapped up the webinar on Business Strategies for Content Management. We had very good attendance, and some very insightful questions.

Over the next few days, I will be posting the answers so check back for updates. Or, if you're like me, you will want to Subscribe To This Blog.

If you didn't get a chance to ask a question during the webinar, or if anything new has come to mind, you can either comment on this post (scroll down), or use our simple contact form.

For anyone who wants to review or share this presentation, you can watch the replay or download the slides.

Thanks to all those who attended, and we hope to see you again next time!

We received a bunch of questions very similar to the one above, so I'm sure many of you are in the same boat. You are excited about this technology, but where to start? The key is to really take a look at your organization and see what you could benefit from. Though everyone has different needs, I will describe a common problem with websites today, and demonstrate a few ways to use social media to combat it.

Problem: Stale Content
Let's look at your homepage. Do you have a news or events box that reflects something recent? Has anything on your homepage been updated since the site was built? If not, then keep reading. If your site is to provide value to the user, it should be the definitive source for any news or events related to your organization. Without this type of frequently updated information, your website becomes an expensive brochure.

Solution: Content Management
In the last few years, one of the biggest buzzwords has been CMS (or Content Management System). These are essentially web-based applications that allow a non-technical users to make updates to site content. Simple versions are open-source and focus only on site content. More complex system can manage product lines, send email, search a customer database, etc... Regardless of what system you choose, you will have an easy way to update your content without having to shell out cash for a web developer.

Solution: Content Syndication
One of the biggest advances in Web 2.0 is the ability to push content quickly and easily to multiple locations. Using Web Feeds (either RSS or Atom), we can take existing content, and put it into a format that many different applications already understand. Let's say you have a blog where you publish all recent news. Once you publish your blog, your blog's Feed is automatically updated with that new article. Once your Feed is updated, any applications that are "subscribing" to that feed will automatically download the article as well. By creating a widget for your homepage and connecting it to your feed, updates to your blog will be automatically pushed to your homepage. Also, since many user are already familiar with Feeds, they may choose to subscribe to your news as a Feed instead of more traditional medium such as an e-newsletter.

By embracing this technology, you are showing an entire generation of users that you are up on the latest technology, and that your website is a valuable resource.