Just came across HBO’s site, HBOVoyeur.com. On content alone, it’s an amazing experience for users. Expect many to ask, “So what’s the point?” or “Is there a show attached to this?”

I’m hoping not.

More significant than the interface is the actual end-purpose of the site: imagine a site from HBO that exists only for itself. A site that IS the “show”, where the content only lives online. It would be a huge step for a major entertainment property to push into the online space in this way.

It will be interesting to see if this is a game-changer like BMW Films or Subservient Chicken, or one that passes quietly into the night.

If you have a moment, swing by beta.cnn.com to see their new, revamped site. Lots of smart user experience upgrades, including an enhanced video experience and more topic cross-referencing (Watch the guided tour).

I know their development team would love your feedback (link to a survey is at the bottom right side of the homepage).

As a marketer, if you still think User Generated Content (UGC) is the panacea for all future initiatives, guess again.

For every user-submitted idea Superbowl commercial produced (which was actually a large-scale promotion), there are countless more relevant and useful UGC moments that provide better day-to-day opportunities for consumers to engage with a brand.

While most people think of blogs, podcasting, and video submissions as the primary forms of UGC, it can also be defined as a two-way dialogue between a brand and its consumers. Wikipedia, a user-generated encyclopedia, has a nice summary (it’s their second definition):

User-generated content has also been characterised as ‘Conversational Media’, as opposed to ‘Packaged Goods Media’ (that is, traditional media). The former is a two-way process in contrast to the one-way distribution of the latter. Conversational or two-way media is a key characteristic of so-called Web 2.0 which encourages the publishing of one’s own content and commenting on other people’s.

Based on this definition, consider the last time you had an online “conversation” with a brand. My two primary UGC desitnations are Amazon.com and Citysearch.com, both appear to follow three core principles:

1. Make it Relevant
2. Make it Easy
3. Enhance the Experience

For both sites, I review products or services. My motivation: I want to share my opinions with other users so that they can share my experiences or avoid my mistakes. Notice how this dovetails nicely with each site’s content strategy.

Amazon continues to strike a healthy UGC balance in the retail space. It is a complete repository for users who want to share their opinions. I regularly use Amazon as my first-step information source for a product I’m considering purchasing.

The key to Amazon’s UGC strategy is making sharing easy. They integrate new technologies to enhance the dialogue experience. Unregistered users can instantly rate other user reviews (3-4) with minimal effort. Just browsing? We’re here to listen. Strategy: If you spend enough time with us, you’ll come to trust a brand that is yours to shape. For registered users, you have a wider litany of options, from star ratings (2) to building your own product lists to share or tagging (1).

So your consumers might not create your next commercial idea, but they can provide reactions on where your brand needs to go. In the case of Amazon, the brand has taken shopping and made it a community-based sharing experience.

If I just wanted the lowest prices, Buy.com usually beats them. But I’ve come to think of Amazon as the site where I know I can become a more educated shopper and help others in the process. Not a bad brand position for an online superstore.

UGC Part 2: Campaigns vs. Site Experiences