Performancing Reboot Redux – February 2009 Update

It took us a couple of months to get things kicked off, but we’re pleased to tell everyone that we’re getting into high gear with the reboot. Perhaps it’s best I referred to Ahmed’s outline in doing the first Performancing reboot a couple of years back, and let me quote:

Part 1: Performancing.com – what’s the point?
Part 2: Content is NOT King.
Part 3: If it Ain’t Broke, Break It.
Part 4: How can Performancing Make Money?
Part 5: 3 Keys to Blog Promotion
Part 6: Wrapping up the Performancing Reboot

And, of course, I cite my more basic (or generic) premise of getting rid of the bad stuff and focusing on the good.

Design

We’ve actually started with part #3, which is breaking it. In a way, it is broken. The current Perf infrastructure has made it difficult to produce content, and to establish lively discussions. And so that’s one reason we decided to go for a change in software.

In terms of visuals, we’ve commissioned Randa Clay to do a major design overhaul, and this is in the final stages. We’re trying to improve the site not only in terms of visual appeal, but also in terms of the user interface. What good is content when it’s not accessible, right? (This brings us to part #2, partly.)

Focus

What’s important to discuss and disclose, though, is part #1: what’s the point? I know Performancing has launched with stellar content, with a stellar cast and crew (if you can call it that), and with an excellent community. Somewhere along the way, things have changed. The energy has changed and the people have changed. But our focus has still remained faithful to our helping bloggers succeed motto.

But then this has made me think. Could it be time for a drastic shift in our focus, as well? It’s sure great to talk about blogging, and getting to help fellow bloggers along the way. But to some extent, blogging about blogging has become more and more difficult over the years, partly because the metablogging scene has become crowded, and partly because blogging has evolved, along with other new media. I think there is room to grow, and Performancing should not only cater to bloggers and blogging.

At least in practice, we’ve been catering to the rest of the social media crowd. We have been involved in non-blogging activities for some time, and this includes our various services, the Perfcast, social media push, dabbling in lifestreaming, and the like. It’s no longer confined to blogging. But the challenge here is being flexible but still knowing our limits, so we don’t spread ourselves too thin in the myriad of topics and niches that social media encompasses.

Community

I guess focusing on content, sharing information and ideas and all that has resulted in community taking a backseat. From what Jeff and I have been discussing, we feel that it’s best to let the Perf community take a more active role, to the point of leading the way, with us editors just acting as guides and moderators.

The community is a rich resource of knowledge and connections. Take for instance the Hive–it was originally envisioned as a closed set of movers and shakers in the blogging scene, and the place to be when you wanted to get into the minds of these thinkers and doers. Performancing.com as a whole should be a bigger community much like the Hive. It’s a bigger ship to steer, but that should make it all the more interesting.

What’s my point?

Performancing is one of our stronger brands at Splashpress Media. In some ways, though, the strength of its brand has been attributed to the people that have been involved. And this can sometimes be a brand’s weak point, particularly if different people take turns at the helm, so to speak. What of continuity? What of focus? What of the contacts?

The purpose of this reboot is to reestablish Performancing as a place–the place–where people go to to talk about social media as an empowering tool, and actually get to practice what is being talked about.

Now on to the details and the actual execution! We will keep you posted.