The advantages of real-time updates

I usually don’t like to blog about books.  I’d rather blog about a real-life occurrence that can draw interest from people.  But, I must say, David Meerman Scott’s book “Real-Time marketing & PR” is a very interesting read, especially to someone interested in the modern impact of social media.  In chapter two, Scott discusses the impact of speed vs. sloth.  In essence, how fast news is reported.  This may seem kind of trivial since getting the facts right is what people value (supposedly) but it has become essential, especially in the era of social media. 

TMZ, not considered one of the most reliable news agencies in the United States, is one of the fastest growing.  Scott attributes this rise to their real-time strategy of news reporting.  Rather than waiting for a structured time to post and report news, TMZ has begun a trend where publishing information as soon as you get ahold of it has become more effective than a typical, structured news report. 

Scott uses examples such as Michael Jackson’s death and Tiger Woods crashing his Cadillac Escalade in which TMZ outperformed the competition.  Keep in mind this was back in 2009, just as the company was starting up.  It didn’t have nearly the resources of CBS, FOX or ABC.  Yet, the first way people were made of aware of Jackson’s passing was through TMZ’s website.  As soon as the company heard the news, they snapped a photo and posted a story on their website.

                                

That was at 2:20 PM.  Most news stations don’t begin broadcasting national news until 6:30.  This is precisely why TMZ was a step ahead of the competition and why real-time updates are essential in today’s media environment to be successful.