This morning’s post about “the live web” has had me stuck in thought all afternoon. Why? Because as I was writing it I got to thinking about how my live web is arranged and delivered. Between my business and personal feed readers, I subscribe to over 300 feeds. The amount of time it takes me to filter through all of that content each and every day leaves very little time for exploration outside of 1) those sources and 2) my source’s sources.

And that’s when it hit me: we place a lot of trust in the sites we subscribe to.

We trust them to alert us to breaking news. We trust them to use reliable, accurate sources of information. We trust them not to leave us out in the dark about things and we trust them to cover all of the bases.

That’s not only a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of those providing the feeds… it’s also a lot of trust on the part of the subscribers.

So my question then becomes: what can the Internet Marketing Monitor do to ensure your continued trust in us as a reliable, worthy source of information?

I truthfully believe the Internet Marketing Monitor to be more open, trustworthy, and honest than a lot of other blogs in the industry. Why? Because Matt created the Internet Marketing Monitor to be different than other industry sites:

Based on a firm set of principles, Matt’s examination of the Internet marketing world is unique in it’s honesty. No affiliations… no social circles. Just honest, unbiased commentary and examination. He’s not afraid to call his “best friends� out when they make a mistake. And he’s not afraid to praise competitors when they do something right. - About IMM

We operate outside of the social circles that dominate Internet marketing - and marketing in general. We’ll link to anyone with good information. We acknowledge any and all sources. And we’ll be the first ones to admit when we’ve done something wrong.

You may have noticed a gradual change in the format of the Internet Marketing Monitor over the past several months. We wanted to move away from being “just another SEO news blog”. Instead of covering every little blip on the Internet radar we began to slowly shift our attention to topics that we could add something to: a bit of news not found elsewhere… a different opinion… or simply a link to some great content by other members of the online community.

We still try to keep you informed of the important information going on in our industry. But instead of rehashing the same news that you can find at hundreds of other sites, we put those stories into our Headlines of Note at the end of each day. I even throw a little commentary into the mix with those as well.

So back to my original question. What can the Internet Marketing Monitor do to continue serving our readers in the best way possible? I’ve compiled a few simple questions. If you’ve got a spare minute or two I’d love to get your feedback on them. You don’t even have to address every one:

1. Which format do you prefer: the cover-it-all 10 post a day news version of a few months back… or the new version with fewer - but more substantial - posts?
2. Do you find the Headlines of Note post at the end of each day beneficial?
3. Are there any industries, companies, etc related to Internet marketing that you feel we’re neglecting?
4. Do you find the additional resources of the Internet Marketing Monitor useful? (The War Room, Report Cards, SEO Training resources, etc)
5. Would you prefer to see more hands-on application of Internet marketing theory or more news at the Internet Marketing Monitor?
6. What keeps you subscribed to the Internet Marketing Monitor?

I know that last one is a biggie. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. Feel free to drop us a line by email or leave a comment.

And thank you. Not only for your time today, but also for spending some of your valuable time here with us each day.