Blogs...the new way to advertise and earn moneyWhether you are a seasoned business person or a novice entrepreneur you will find these articles both interesting and informative. A must read for those who want to learn successful blogging techniques and why this method is taking the Internet by a storm! Because the "Blog" has become a commonly used term & concept, this section is devoted to the Blog. By definition, a blog, AKA, web log or weblog, is a frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and Web links. It's a kind of hybrid diary/guide site.
The trend has gained momentum with the intro of automated published systems, most notably blogger.com. Visitors can add their comments on an ongoing basis. Just as a website became a "must have", blogs have become a "necessity" for businesses. Visit the Modern Biz Opportunity Blog Read one or all of these assorted vital articles covering all facets of blogging your business to success...
Read "Meet the B-Blog
› › › E-Newsletter Strategies"
by Kathleen Goodwin
Read "Putting B-Blogs Into Action"
by Kathleen Goodwin
Read "B-Blogs Cause a Stir"
by Kathleen Goodwin
Read "Weblogs: A History and Perspective" by Rebecca Blood
Read "Blogs Mean Business"
by Steve Rubel
Read "To Blog or Not to Blog: Are Blogs Becoming More Popular than Forums, Newsletters and E-zines?"
by Vishal P. Rao
Read "Avoid "Bad" Manners While Blogging" by Jim Edwards
Read How to Profit From a Blog by: Roger C. Parker
Read Your Blog as a Source of Income by Mark Nenadic
Read Corporate Blogging Guidelines by Wayne Hurlbert | Contributing Writer | 2005-03-24
Read Bottom Up Vs. Top Down Corporate Blogging by Steve Rubel | Contributing Writer | 2005-03-23
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Meet the B-Blog
› › › E-Newsletter Strategies
by Kathleen Goodwin | January 22, 2003
My last column had a small mention of Weblogs, which captured many readers' interest. Some asked for helped understanding the phenomenon, while others admitted to being active bloggers and wondered if blogs (short for Weblogs) have a place in marketing. Let's explore this new frontier and see what potential blogs might have in Internet marketing and the corporate world.
It's been said Trent Lott got blogged. A bunch of politically savvy people started discussing, in their personal blogs, Lott's remarks that initially seemed to go unnoticed by the media. As reported by a Boston Globe writer on Boston.com, "Mixing vocal opinion with historical fact and context, they [the group of bloggers] helped keep the Lott saga on simmer until a critical mass of people started paying attention."
So what's a blog? The definition might change. Back in 1999, Jorn Barger, sometimes credited for coining the term, defined a Weblog as "a webpage where a weblogger (sometimes called a blogger, or a pre-surfer) 'logs' all the other webpages she finds interesting." Today's definition is "a Web page that serves as a publicly-accessible personal journal for an individual. Typically updated daily, blogs often reflect the personality of the author."
What started as a log of interesting Web sites soon became a forum for self-expression. I bet you can find someone from nearly every walk of life with a Weblog -- authors, politicians, moms, dads, doctors, teachers. Even friends of a guy name Fred created one to discuss Fred.
Blogging is here to stay. Today, it's estimated millions of dedicated bloggers are conversing on over half a million blogs, with over 1,000 new ones cropping up daily. Though it might look as if bloggers are merely venting personal, sometimes highly opinionated, voices on cyberspace's new talk radio channel, there's more to blogs than mere ranting and raving.
My Own Definition: The B-Blogs Are Coming
Here's what I see happening, folks. A few savvy businesses have caught on to the fact blogs essentially present an opportunity to build communities where like-minded people gather to establish interactive dialogues on issues of their choice. And in the business world, large communities gather. "Business-blogs," or "b-blogs" (a term I coined here and now), are perfect for the corporate world.
B-blogs can offer organizations a platform where information, data, and opinion can be shared and traded among employees, customers, partners, and prospects in a way previously impossible: a two-way, open exchange. Companies can (and should) encourage self-publishing from all corners of the organization. Employees who want to post information should no longer have to go through the corporate site's marketing gatekeepers to post. Suddenly, the best thinkers in a company will have a digital voice they can manage and control themselves.
Enormous Marketing Potential
B-blogs are highly strategic, here-to-stay desktop tools that can strengthen relationships, share knowledge, increase collaboration, and improve branding. Think of the potential for your e-newsletter strategies:
Articles within newsletters can be linked to a blog, extending life and creating a massive conversation.
You can offer a bidirectional forum to customers to get true, personal opinions on your products and services.
Company experts can start a blog and become industry experts, helping your company edge out competition and, through this interactive forum, draw customers into another exchange of information and thoughts.
The beauty of this interplay is you can layer your blog with editorial controls!
Weblogs in Action
To provide an idea of how blogs work and might benefit your organization, here are some examples to peruse. Look them over, learn, have a few laughs, and start thinking about how to create your own:
News: The Drudge Report
"Where technology meets business": Doc Searle
Corporate learning: elearningpost
Company experts: Jupiter Research Analyst Weblogs (owned by ClickZ's corporate parent).
An author: Seth Godin, author of the bestsellers "Permission Marketing" and "Unleashing the Ideavirus"
More blogs than you'll ever want: 1,338, in fact, on Weblogs.com.
More questions on blogs? Contact me at kgoodwin@imakenews.com.
Kathleen Goodwin is the former CEO of IMN (formerly iMakeNews), specializing in customer acquisition and retention through permission-based e-newsletters. For nine years, she was vice president of marketing for Ziff-Davis' publishing division, where she oversaw the marketing of all print publications and their early online siblings. She also serves as an advisor to early-stage companies and has been responsible for several successful new-business launches.
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B-Blogs Cause a Stir
By Kathleen Goodwin,
February 5, 2003
Last week's column on b-blogs proved one sure thing: Blogging is of great interest to ClickZ readers. You want to know more! The feedback came in fast and furiously and from all corners of the U.S. and around the globe, including England, Australia, and New Zealand. I'll address several questions and share with you some examples of and resources for Weblogs to help clarify what the nature of this beast is all about.
Great Minds Think Alike
I found out I'm not the only one out there using the term b-blog, proving business blogs are truly coming into their own. XPLANE, for instance, uses the term to describe its Weblog that provides sales, marketing, and business links to articles on leadership, project management, finance, and more. It's an excellent example of how you can build a strong brand for your company by sharing knowledge.
A Blog Is What?
For people who had not heard of Weblogs before, there's still some confusion as to what Weblogs are and how they differ from chat rooms, bulletin boards, and other communication forums. Though Weblogs started out as merely logs of interesting Web sites (much like today's column), they have evolved into an exchange of communication and information. How does a b-blog differ from a bulletin board or chat room? A b-blog will typically have an individual who acts as monitor and uses the blog as a way to communicate knowledge to colleagues, customers, partners, and other interested parties. Think of bulletin boards and chat rooms as less information sharing and more an exchange of views. Educational Applications of Weblogs has a comparison between the two different forums.
The K-Log
Speaking of knowledge, John Robb of UserLand uses the term "k-log," short for knowledge Weblogs. John hosts "Radio Weblog," which has the great tagline, "No sense being pessimistic. It wouldn't work anyway." Apparently every employee at UserLand has a Weblog, as the Web site notes, with gives credit in this manner on the site: "People wonder how such a small company gets so much done. We use the [UserLand Weblog] tools, and refine them to make them work better in real world tasks." That, folks, is knowledge management in action!
Google and Blogs
Microcontent News Blog has an article entitled, "Google Loves Blogs: How Weblogs Influence A Billion Google Searches A Week." On this Weblog authored by John Hiler, there's an interesting discussion of how, because of Google's patented search engine algorithm, Weblogs and Google are "a match made in heaven! Google loves links, and Weblogs are all about links. Every time a blogger links to a website, its Google rank ratchets up ever so slightly." Create a blogging community. It may help your Google ranking.
Bloggers That Excite
John Lawlor, author of blogs4business, linked my article to his site and shared his thoughts on how "bloggers that excite and provide value to their readers get traffic." Lawlor cited Gizmodo, a blog about electronic gadgets that apparently is pulling 50,000-plus page views per week. Talk about getting people excited!
Read All About It
Chuck Frey also linked my article to his site, Innovation Weblog, and mentioned in his email the book, "We Blog: Publishing Online with Weblogs," by a group of people who were on the team that first developed Blogger, a blogging tool. There are several chapters online, including, "Using Blogs in Business."
Taking Customers Seriously
Darwinmag.com recently had an article on how the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies' Weblog of "open discussion" provided an example to "companies that want to take their customers seriously as world citizens and not just as potential revenue sources." The article points to The Shell Report, whose tagline is "protecting the environment and managing resources." There is an invitation to "email your comments & opinions or join our open forum." Kudos to Shell for empowering their customers!
Thanks to the readers here and everyone else who shared their thoughts with me. email: goodwin@imakenews.com
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Putting B-Blogs Into Action
by Kathleen Goodwin, February 19, 2003
Continuing the discussion of business blogs (b-blogs), today I'll provide concrete information on how to get your own b-blog going.
First, some thoughts as to where your b-blog fits into your overall e-newsletter strategy:
Complimentary. A b-blog is not intended to replace your newsletter. Its purpose is to extend and complement an e-newsletter strategy, serving customers and prospects in a way that extends your expertise and leadership in the marketplace.
Timely. Because today's business world doesn't operate in the highly controlled, scheduled way a newsletter does, there are times (perhaps daily) when you would like to communicate a development to the same audience that receives your newsletter, whether customers and prospects, partners, or even employees. It could be a new client win, news from salespeople, or an enhancement to employee benefits. You want to get the information out now, not three weeks from now when your next newsletter is published. B-blogs offer this capability. They can bridge the time gap of your regular newsletters.
Informative. A b-blog is not a place for carefully crafted corporate speak nor a place to rant and rave. It's a place to inform. A b-blog communication is four or five sentences of direct, informative content about a specific issue or bit of news. Think of b-blog content as marketing to inform and educate.
Flowing. Unlike a newsletter, which is often highly structured, a blog is ongoing. The flow of communication builds a knowledge-sharing platform among a community of like-minded people. Soon, an extensive base of information will develop that becomes important not only to your company but also to the faithful readers who contribute to it.
Archivable. B-blogs extend the concept of FAQs. They can serve the same purpose, but better. B-blogs can be automatically archived by age in days, weeks, or months. And they're searchable, allowing readers to easily retrieve the information they need, when they need it.
The "How-To" Part
With a good sense of where you want to end up, how do you get there? A few initial steps you can take:
Create a plan. Like all good communication vehicles, you want to establish goals and objectives. Define your audience, what its needs are, and how best to meet those needs.
Identify the editor. Find someone who can step into the role of pundit, who's willing to be the host. Keep in mind that over time, your b-blog will develop a personality. Look for a thought leader who's just waiting to be unleashed and empowered.
Find the right tools. Regardless of topic, I'm always asked about the tools needed to accomplish the task at hand. I recommend a thorough search of what's available and what's right for you. Search wisely -- there are great new tools announced every day. To get started, read this funny (yet somewhat old) tutorial on blog tools.
Develop standards. Because of b-blogs' free-flowing nature, establishing ground rules for your publishers is important. Include confidentiality policies, product disclosure guidelines, and basic suggestions as to what's politically correct (and what's not).
Facilitate discussion. Before you officially launch your b-blog, plan topics that will start the initial discussion. Your readers may be shy about being first to share, so ensure the publisher is prepared to post information as needed to get an exchange going. You'll want to include an easy way for readers to respond to the content on your b-blog.
Drive traffic. Use your newsletter to announce and promote the b-blog. Offer to email it to subscribers or provide the option, through an icon or link, to visit the b-blog directly.
Analyze. Blog functionality should have the same analytical capabilities as a newsletter. So as with your newsletter, make sure you know who reads what, when, and where.
Monitor appropriately. You'll want to periodically check in on discussions and see if they flow the way you anticipated and if they meet your goals. If not, as with a newsletter strategy, you may need to refine your approach, depending on the feedback and analysis you receive.
These steps should get you started. Don't hesitate to fire off any question you might have on the topic.email: goodwin@imakenews.com
PS: I'll chair a two-day ClickZ conference on b-blogs in Boston this June. My hope is the seminar will be an industry forum that brings together blogging experts and business professionals to exchange ideas, strategies, and blogging stories. We'll emphasize topics dealing with secure blogging solutions designed specifically for all types of businesses and enterprises. It will approach blogging on several levels with both a real-world business and technical focus. If you're interested in participating or attending the seminar, please e-mail me: goodwin@imakenews.com
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"Weblogs: A History and Perspective" by Rebecca Blood
7 September 2000
In 1998 there were just a handful of sites of the type that are now identified as weblogs (so named by Jorn Barger in December 1997). Jesse James Garrett, editor of Infosift, began compiling a list of "other sites like his" as he found them in his travels around the web. In November of that year, he sent that list to Cameron Barrett. Cameron published the list on Camworld, and others maintaining similar sites began sending their URLs to him for inclusion on the list. Jesse's 'page of only weblogs' lists the 23 known to be in existence at the beginning of 1999.
Suddenly a community sprang up. It was easy to read all of the weblogs on Cameron's list, and most interested people did. Peter Merholz announced in early 1999 that he was going to pronounce it 'wee-blog' and inevitably this was shortened to 'blog' with the weblog editor referred to as a 'blogger.'
At this point, the bandwagon jumping began. More and more people began publishing their own weblogs. I began mine in April of 1999. Suddenly it became difficult to read every weblog every day, or even to keep track of all the new ones that were appearing. Cameron's list grew so large that he began including only weblogs he actually followed himself. Other webloggers did the same. In early 1999 Brigitte Eaton compiled a list of every weblog she knew about and created the Eatonweb Portal. Brig evaluated all submissions by a simple criterion: that the site consist of dated entries. Webloggers debated what was and what was not a weblog, but since the Eatonweb Portal was the most complete listing of weblogs available, Brig's inclusive definition prevailed.
This rapid growth continued steadily until July 1999 when Pitas, the first free build-your-own-weblog tool launched, and suddenly there were hundreds. In August, Pyra released Blogger, and Groksoup launched, and with the ease that these web-based tools provided, the bandwagon-jumping turned into an explosion. Late in 1999 software developer Dave Winer introduced Edit This Page, and Jeff A. Campbell launched Velocinews. All of these services are free, and all of them are designed to enable individuals to publish their own weblogs quickly and easily.
The original weblogs were link-driven sites. Each was a mixture in unique proportions of links, commentary, and personal thoughts and essays. Weblogs could only be created by people who already knew how to make a website. A weblog editor had either taught herself to code HTML for fun, or, after working all day creating commercial websites, spent several off-work hours every day surfing the web and posting to her site. These were web enthusiasts.
Many current weblogs follow this original style. Their editors present links both to little-known corners of the web and to current news articles they feel are worthy of note. Such links are nearly always accompanied by the editor's commentary. An editor with some expertise in a field might demonstrate the accuracy or inaccuracy of a highlighted article or certain facts therein; provide additional facts he feels are pertinent to the issue at hand; or simply add an opinion or differing viewpoint from the one in the piece he has linked. Typically this commentary is characterized by an irreverent, sometimes sarcastic tone. More skillful editors manage to convey all of these things in the sentence or two with which they introduce the link (making them, as Halcyon pointed out to me, pioneers in the art and craft of microcontent). Indeed, the format of the typical weblog, providing only a very short space in which to write an entry, encourages pithiness on the part of the writer; longer commentary is often given its own space as a separate essay.
These weblogs provide a valuable filtering function for their readers. The web has been, in effect, pre-surfed for them. Out of the myriad web pages slung through cyberspace, weblog editors pick out the most mind-boggling, the most stupid, the most compelling.
But this type of weblog is important for another reason, I think. In Douglas Rushkoff's Media Virus, Greg Ruggerio of the Immediast Underground is quoted as saying, "Media is a corporate possession...You cannot participate in the media. Bringing that into the foreground is the first step. The second step is to define the difference between public and audience. An audience is passive; a public is participatory. We need a definition of media that is public in its orientation."
By highlighting articles that may easily be passed over by the typical web user too busy to do more than scan corporate news sites, by searching out articles from lesser-known sources, and by providing additional facts, alternative views, and thoughtful commentary, weblog editors participate in the dissemination and interpretation of the news that is fed to us every day. Their sarcasm and fearless commentary reminds us to question the vested interests of our sources of information and the expertise of individual reporters as they file news stories about subjects they may not fully understand.
Weblog editors sometimes contextualize an article by juxtaposing it with an article on a related subject; each article, considered in the light of the other, may take on additional meaning, or even draw the reader to conclusions contrary to the implicit aim of each. It would be too much to call this type of weblog "independent media," but clearly their editors, engaged in seeking out and evaluating the "facts" that are presented to us each day, resemble the public that Ruggerio speaks of. By writing a few lines each day, weblog editors begin to redefine media as a public, participatory endeavor.
Now, during 1999 something else happened, and I believe it has to do with the introduction of Blogger itself.
While weblogs had always included a mix of links, commentary, and personal notes, in the post-Blogger explosion increasing numbers of weblogs eschewed this focus on the web-at-large in favor of a sort of short-form journal. These blogs, often updated several times a day, were instead a record of the blogger's thoughts: something noticed on the way to work, notes about the weekend, a quick reflection on some subject or another. Links took the reader to the site of another blogger with whom the first was having a public conversation or had met the previous evening, or to the site of a band he had seen the night before. Full-blown conversations were carried on between three or five blogs, each referencing the other in their agreement or rebuttal of the other's positions. Cults of personality sprung up as new blogs appeared, certain names appearing over and over in daily entries or listed in the obligatory sidebar of "other weblogs" (a holdover from Cam's original list). It was, and is, fascinating to see new bloggers position themselves in this community, referencing and reacting to those blogs they read most, their sidebar an affirmation of the tribe to which they wish to belong.
Why the change? Why so many? I have always suspected that some of the popularity of this form may be a simple desire to emulate the sites of head Pyra kids Ev and Meg. As the creators of Blogger, their charming, witty blogs are their company's foremost advertisement for its most popular product.
More than that, Blogger itself places no restrictions on the form of content being posted. Its web interface, accessible from any browser, consists of an empty form box into which the blogger can type...anything: a passing thought, an extended essay, or a childhood recollection. With a click, Blogger will post the...whatever...on the writer's website, archive it in the proper place, and present the writer with another empty box, just waiting to be filled.
Contrast this with the web interface of Metafilter, a popular community weblog. Here, the writer is presented with three form boxes: the first for the URL of the referenced site, the second for the title of the entry, and the third for whatever commentary the writer would like to add. The Metafilter interface instructs the writer to contribute a link and add commentary; Blogger makes no such demands. Blogger makes it so easy to type in a thought or reaction that many people are disinclined to hunt up a link and compose some text around it.
It is this free-form interface combined with absolute ease of use which has, in my opinion, done more to impel the shift from the filter-style weblog to journal-style blog than any other factor. And there has been a shift. Searching for a filter-style weblog by clicking through the thousands of weblogs listed at weblogs.com, the Eatonweb Portal, or Blogger Directory can be a Sisyphean task. Newcomers would appear to be most drawn to the blog rather than filter style of weblogging.
Certainly, both styles still exist; certainly the particular mixture of links, commentary, and personal observation unique to each individual site has always given each weblog its distinctive voice and personality; and certainly the weblog has always been an infinitely malleable format. But the influx of blogs has changed the definition of weblog from "a list of links with commentary and personal asides" to "a website that is updated frequently, with new material posted at the top of the page." I really wish there were another term to describe the filter-style weblog, one that would easily distinguish it from the blog. On the principle of truth in advertising, this would make it much easier for the adventuresome reader to find the type of weblog he most enjoys.
So, what of the weblog? Is it of interest or importance to anyone who does not produce one? Well, I think it should be.
A filter-style weblog provides many advantages to its readers. It reveals glimpses of an unimagined web to those who have no time to surf. An intelligent human being filters through the mass of information packaged daily for our consumption and picks out the interesting, the important, the overlooked, and the unexpected. This human being may provide additional information to that which corporate media provides, expose the fallacy of an argument, perhaps reveal an inaccurate detail. Because the weblog editor can comment freely on what she finds, one week of reading will reveal to you her personal biases, making her a predictable source. This further enables us to turn a critical eye to both the information and comments she provides. Her irreverent attitude challenges the veracity of the "facts" presented each day by authorities.
Shortly after I began producing Rebecca's Pocket I noticed two side effects I had not expected. First, I discovered my own interests. I thought I knew what I was interested in, but after linking stories for a few months I could see that I was much more interested in science, archaeology, and issues of injustice than I had realized. More importantly, I began to value more highly my own point of view. In composing my link text every day I carefully considered my own opinions and ideas, and I began to feel that my perspective was unique and important.
This profound experience may be most purely realized in the blog-style weblog. Lacking a focus on the outside world, the blogger is compelled to share his world with whomever is reading. He may engage other bloggers in conversation about the interests they share. He may reflect on a book he is reading, or the behavior of someone on the bus. He might describe a flower that he saw growing between the cracks of a sidewalk on his way to work. Or he may simply jot notes about his life: what work is like, what he had for dinner, what he thought of a recent movie. These fragments, pieced together over months, can provide an unexpectedly intimate view of what it is to be a particular individual in a particular place at a particular time.
The blogger, by virtue of simply writing down whatever is on his mind, will be confronted with his own thoughts and opinions. Blogging every day, he will become a more confident writer. A community of 100 or 20 or 3 people may spring up around the public record of his thoughts. Being met with friendly voices, he may gain more confidence in his view of the world; he may begin to experiment with longer forms of writing, to play with haiku, or to begin a creative project--one that he would have dismissed as being inconsequential or doubted he could complete only a few months before.
As he enunciates his opinions daily, this new awareness of his inner life may develop into a trust in his own perspective. His own reactions--to a poem, to other people, and, yes, to the media--will carry more weight with him. Accustomed to expressing his thoughts on his website, he will be able to more fully articulate his opinions to himself and others. He will become impatient with waiting to see what others think before he decides, and will begin to act in accordance with his inner voice instead. Ideally, he will become less reflexive and more reflective, and find his own opinions and ideas worthy of serious consideration.
His readers will remember an incident from their own childhood when the blogger relates a memory. They might look more closely at the other riders on the train after the blogger describes his impressions of a fellow commuter. They will click back and forth between blogs and analyze each blogger's point of view in a multi-blog conversation, and form their own conclusions on the matter at hand. Reading the views of other ordinary people, they will readily question and evaluate what is being said. Doing this, they may begin a similar journey of self-discovery and intellectual self-reliance.
The promise of the web was that everyone could publish, that a thousand voices could flourish, communicate, connect. The truth was that only those people who knew how to code a web page could make their voices heard. Blogger, Pitas, and all the rest have given people with little or no knowledge of HTML the ability to publish on the web: to pontificate, remember, dream, and argue in public, as easily as they send an instant message. We can't seriously compare the creation of the World Wide Web itself with the availability of free technology that allows anyone with a web browser to express their unique, irreproducible vision to the rest of the world...can we?
In September of 2000 there are thousands of weblogs: topic-oriented weblogs, alternative viewpoints, astute examinations of the human condition as reflected by mainstream media, short-form journals, links to the weird, and free-form notebooks of ideas. Traditional weblogs perform a valuable filtering service and provide tools for more critical evaluation of the information available on the web. Free-style blogs are nothing less than an outbreak of self-expression. Each is evidence of a staggering shift from an age of carefully controlled information provided by sanctioned authorities (and artists), to an unprecedented opportunity for individual expression on a worldwide scale. Each kind of weblog empowers individuals on many levels.
So why doesn't every bookmark list contain five weblogs? In the beginning of 1999 it really seemed that by now every bookmark list would. There was a bit of media attention and new weblogs were being created every day. It was a small, quick-growing community and it seemed to be on the edge of a wider awareness. Perhaps the tsunami of new weblogs created in the wake of Pitas and Blogger crushed the movement before it could reach critical mass; the sudden exponential growth of the community rendered it unnavigable. Weblogs, once filters of the web, suddenly became so numerous they were as confusing as the web itself. A few more articles appeared touting weblogs as the next big thing. But the average reader, hopefully clicking through to the Eatonweb portal, found herself faced with an alphabetical list of a thousand weblogs. Not knowing where to begin, she quickly retreated back to ABCnews.com.
I don't have an answer. In our age the single page website of an obscure Turk named Mahir can sweep the web in days. But the unassailable truth is that corporate media and commercial and governmental entities own most of the real estate. Dell manages more webpages than all of the weblogs put together. Sprite's PR machine can point more man-hours to the promotion of one message--"Obey Your Thirst"--than the combined man-hours of every weblogger alive. Our strength--that each of us speaks in an individual voice of an individual vision--is, in the high-stakes world of carefully orchestrated messages designed to distract and manipulate, a liability. We are, very simply, outnumbered.
And what, really, will change if we get weblogs into every bookmark list? As we are increasingly bombarded with information from our computers, handhelds, in-store kiosks, and now our clothes, the need for reliable filters will become more pressing. As corporate interests exert tighter and tighter control over information and even art, critical evaluation is more essential than ever. As advertisements creep onto banana peels, attach themselves to paper cup sleeves, and interrupt our ATM transactions, we urgently need to cultivate forms of self-expression in order to counteract our self-defensive numbness and remember what it is to be human.
We are being pummeled by a deluge of data and unless we create time and spaces in which to reflect, we will be left with only our reactions. I strongly believe in the power of weblogs to transform both writers and readers from "audience" to "public" and from "consumer" to "creator." Weblogs are no panacea for the crippling effects of a media-saturated culture, but I believe they are one antidote.
citation: Blood, Rebecca. "Weblogs: A History and Perspective", Rebecca's Pocket. 07 September 2000. 17 February 2005. http://www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_history.html
read more about the culture, theory, and craft of weblogs:
the weblog handbook, practical advice on creating and maintaining your blog, by Rebecca Blood
Perseus Publishing, July 2002
ISBN: 073820756X
comments? questions? email me:
Copyright © 1999-2005 Rebecca Blood, All rights reserved
http://www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_history.html
http://www.rebeccablood.net/archive/index.html
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Blogs Mean Business
by Steve Rubel
Editors Note: Blogs are becoming essential for business. Steve Rubel is one of our publishing partners who is on the cutting edge of this marketing and communications revolution. Today's insider report includes comments and pointers by Steve that will help you use blogs to enhance your business success.
Blogs are here to stay. At least, that's the growing consensus. How can blogs help you promote your thoughts or business? Share your reactions and insights at WebProWorld.
Blogging as Easy as 1, 2, 3
Thinking about blogging? Here's a new site that makes this all as easy as 1, 2, 3 - it's called Ready, Set, Blog and it's from Mindsay, a blogging platform. They even have a blog on blogging.
JupiterResearch Blogs Reap Business
Jupitermedia CEO Alan Meckler writes that since the company's analysts started writing blogs two years ago, they have had gained several sales leads as because readers have been impressed by the analysts' comments.
Bloglines' Rapid Growth Gives It Great Power
Using publicly available data from Bloglines, Infoworld's John Udell analyzed the subscription trends of several major tech blogs (see chart at left). Udell says he's really not sure how to interpret this because the data suggests that while growth is constant, the rate of growth varies episodically. Despite the nuances, here's what I clearly gleaned - more folks are subscribing to blogs via RSS and they're reading them on Bloglines.
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As of this writing, more than one third of my 1200 FeedBurner feed readers (420 subscribers) are viewing my blog through Bloglines (see chart at right) - and this number is growing rapidly. As much as I would love to think this ascent is due to what I write on my blog, I actually believe it is because Bloglines is attracting users in droves and is growing like a beanstalk. I have heard from some subscribers that they are ditching their desktop RSS readersFb_1 in favor of Bloglines' simplicity. As much as I love FeedDemon, I too have switched exclusively to Bloglines.
However, with great growth often comes great power. Could Bloglines one day exert the kind of control that Google does? I bet in the near future they might. Especially if they need start monetizing their users or they get swallowed up by a bigger fish.
Frank Bajak to Big Media - Ignore Blogs at Your Peril
AP tech editor Frank Bajak: The sovereignty of Big Journalism is eroding.
Blogs Come of Age as a News Source
SF Chronicle: Weblogs come of age as a news source (via IWantMedia)
Unionized Blogging
Here's a novel idea, a union is blogging to get its message out. The L.A. Daily News reports that a major city union this week launched a blog featuring anonymous comments and rumors, many taking direct aim at Mayor James Hahn.
The Engineers and Architects Association, which has endorsed Hahn's challenger, took its campaign to the Internet via a new blog.
About the Author:
Steve Rubel is a PR strategist with more than 10 years of public relations, marketing, journalism and communications experience.
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To Blog or Not to Blog: Are Blogs Becoming More Popular than Forums, Newsletters and E-zines?
By Vishal P. Rao
Blogging is hot, and seems to be becoming hotter each month. Although blogging originally was dismissed, by many successful publishers and other online "gurus", the truth is that now, a few years after the "blogging trend" began, there are actually more blogs and more bloggers online than ever before. Blogging, obviously, is "here to stay"!
Actually first documented in 1997, Web logs initially used the abbreviated version: wee-blog, with a Web log editor referred to as a blogger. Since then, all types of Web logs (blogs) and blogging software have emerged, giving rise to this lucrative and dynamic market.
Now, everything from advertising blogs to zoology blogs exist, with every topic in between apparent online. Political blogs are rampant, and groups of bloggers across the globe post regularly on every topic imaginable.
What does a blog supply that an e-zine, newsletter, or forum might not? What has skyrocketed the popularity of the blog over the past several years?
The answers are really quite simple:
1. Blogs are more highly interactive. Posters get to see the results of a post immediately, as the post appears simultaneously after posting. Posters also don't have the usual moderation that appears in forums, where posts may be deleted without warning. Usually, in blogs, more freedom is given, and posts are usually accepted no matter what the content, or the topic.
E-zines and newsletters, with their one sided presentation of views, have decreased in popularity with the increase of the popularity of blogs.
2. Blogs are easy to maintain and easy to start. The sheer volume of choices is staggering! Everything from "blogging software" to "blogging services" are available, and even a novice blogger will find blogging quick and easy to do.
3. Blogs are "Search Engine Friendly Food". Search Engines love blogs, because of the constantly changing content that appears daily. Search Engines are constantly "searching" for new content, and blogs meet this requirement splendidly!
4. Blogs are actually a lot of fun! The entertainment aspects of a blog cannot be dismissed. A great deal of "voyeurism" exists on blogs, where other bloggers continually monitor discussions, both pro and con concerning an issue. Discussions on blogs can be "heated" and interesting, with much repartee occurring daily! Blogs are a rousing form of media, indeed, with many bloggers returning repeatedly throughout a day to view new posts.
For a view into popular blogs of many categories, just visit: http://www.blogit.com
5. Many blogs are capable of syndication. Syndication is a great way to ensure that your writing and your views are exposed to as much of the general public as possible. Syndication is many times included in blogging services now, and this has drawn individuals to the art of blogging continuously.
For an example of a blog service that features syndication, please visit: http://www.typepad.com
6. There are no lists to maintain, or spam filters to worry about with blogs. This is one reason why so many writers and publishers have turned to blogs. E-mail delivery of newsletters and e-zines has become difficult over the past few years, with the advent of spam filters. Blogs are not delivered, and therefore, no methods of defeating filters are needed, and no "non-deliverables" occur, which has been the bane of writers and publishers prior to this.
A good blogging software exists at: http://www.silkblogs.com
7. Blogs are economical. Since no lists are maintained, there are no list server costs. Blogging software and blogging services are also very reasonably priced, giving good value for the money spent monthly consistently. Some blogging services charge others to "read", while others charge writers to "write", but overall the monthly charges are rather minimal either way.
8. Blogs are educational. There are such a variety of informative and educational blogs available now, that a search for any subject usually turns up hundreds of offerings. Differing points of view on all subjects are offered routinely, giving a reader or poster an "insight" into the hearts and minds of other bloggers.
Blogs also, to be successful, however, need to contain the same elements of a popular newsletter or e-zine:
A. Compelling, well-written content. No one, either online or offline wants to read materials that are poorly written or difficult or boring to read.
B. Updated material. Just as in newsletters or e-zines, if material is not updated continually, then the audience eventually dies.
C. Rousing topics. Topics of interest to a wide range of readers succeed more than topics that appeal to very few, or are rather dull topics.
D. A nice layout and visual appeal. A blog is akin to a Web site for written materials, and just like in the design of a Web site, every care should be made to have the blog be visually appealing and friendly to visitors.
Newsletters, e-zines and forums, of course, will remain. But as you can clearly see, blogging, bloggers, and blogs themselves, have definitely added to the "online experience" and will possibly (and hopefully) be around for decades more!
About the Author:
Vishal P. Rao is the owner of http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com - One of Internet's leading website dedicated to starting, managing and marketing a home based business.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Avoid "Bad" Manners While Blogging by Jim Edwards
© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved http://www.IGottaTellYou.com/blog/
Blogging, the hottest trend in online publishing right now,
is currently spreading like wildfire across the Internet.
A cross between an online journal and a bulletin board,
everyone from rock starts, politicians, business leaders
and your average "Joe" or "Jane" can instantly become a
center of influence online using blogs.
But, as with any social interaction, certain rules apply
(my grandma calls them manners) in order to be viewed as
behaving "properly."
One of the things that gives blogging such strong appeal as
an online publishing method revolves around "comments."
Blogs that allow "comments" enable readers to respond and
elaborate on the information posted by the blog owner.
These comments and the free exchange of information,
opinions, links, and new ideas creates the dynamic and
growing content that makes blogging such a popular online
activity for both publishers and readers.
However, rules and unwritten customs about the proper use
of "comments" on a specific blog are also where most of the
problems and controversy will arise.
Since a successful blog eventually becomes a community of
people (albeit in cyberspace), proper social behavior is
critical to be an effective and accepted member of the
community.
Keep these basic rules in mind when approaching a new blog
that allows commenting by readers so you won't find
yourself on the wrong end of a scolding by people who
operate with a different set of rules than you.
As with any social circle, violating the group's rules and
customs will instantly cause a negative backlash.
** Keep It Relevant **
Stay on topic with the post you're commenting about in a
blog.
Nothing will earn you the wrath and disdain of your
fellow posters and the blog owner faster than posting an
off-topic comment.
** Watch What Others Do **
Different blogs operate under different rules. What rates
acceptable in one blog would earn you a verbal thrashing in
another.
Before posting (especially if you have not posted to a
specific blog before), look to see the types and quality of
posts others make regularly.
Are they long or short?
Do they contain a link to the person's website?
Is there a "signature" under their name?
** Be Polite **
It's fine to disagree with people when making a comment,
whether it's the blog's author or a comment made by another
reader.
It is not, however, acceptable to launch a personal attack
on anyone or make nasty comments in someone else's blog.
If you feel the need to do so, do it in your own blog.
It's the same principle of you can say whatever you want in
your own house, but when you're in someone else's house,
you act right (and better than you do at home).
** You Can't Respond To Everyone **
If you operate a blog and someone asks a question, try to
respond, but both sides should understand that you can't
respond 100% of the time.
We all get busy and a blog, unless it maintains a paid
membership, is often supported as a labor of love.
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the
co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how
to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted
visitors to your website, affiliate links, or blogs...
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*** Business Blogs
Article, info and links to more info about business blogs.
*** Blogger.com
Get your own free blog.
Business Blogs
Article, info and links to more info about business blogs.
http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/ecommerce/a/bblogs.htm
Your Blog as a Source of Income by Mark Nenadic
Unless you've been offline for the past couple of years,
you've certainly heard of a Blog. Blogger.com is probably the
most well-known Blog site on the Net, but many sites use the same
technology.
Blogs increasing employing a process called RSS (really simple
syndication), and it's all the rage on the Internet these days.
It seems like everyone and their brother has a Blog somewhere,
sharing news, insights, stories, opinions, and more. But what
began as a way for anyone to have their voice online heard has
turned into a source of revenue for many.
So how does RSS work? Basically, publishers and webmasters
provide whatever content and news they want in an RSS feed. Users
search for and view this content in a RSS reader or news
aggregator. The aggregator or reader contains only the feeds that
are of interest to the user. As the RSS feed is updated by the
publisher, the content is updated with the new information.
At any point, users can remove a feed from their aggregator or
reader, and no longer receive information from that source. So,
people can pretty much choose what content they want--and don't
want--to see.
RSS as a form of revenue is a relatively new phenomenon online.
It's become quite popular as of late, prompting the release of
many courses that show people how to use their Blog or RSS to
make money. Unfortunately, most of these courses are written by
people who have little or no practical experience.
If you want to make money with your Blog or RSS, a course is a
good idea. However, you want to make sure you choose a course
that is written by people qualified to do so. The course should
give easy step-by-step instructions that show you how to get your
Blog or RSS indexed on the big search engines like Google, and it
should happen fast.
If you get the right course and follow it correctly, you'll have
a great source of continuous traffic to your RSS or Blog, which
is key to making money. At the very least, you'll have a lot
more readers.
Author Mark Nenadic is the creator of the RSS Master Class. This
course is the most comprehensive RSS & Blog course available, and
is put together by a team of experts with real experience in this
area. FREE BONUSES INCLUDED WITH DOWNLOAD. The course can be
downloaded at http://www.rss-masterclass.com .
By the way.....Best Blog Directory and RSS Submission Sites
This is a great site if you have a blog and you want to get
exposure for it. Over 100 places to register your blog.
http://www.masternewmedia.org/rss/top55/
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*** How to Profit From a Blog *** by: Roger C. Parker
Blogs permit you to quickly and easily communicate with your
market at very low cost. A blog is a low cost tool that permits
you to add, remove, and update online content without knowing
anything about web programming or html.
Blogs complement, rahter than replace, your website, e-mail,
and One-Page Newsletter. You can use your blog to promote your
other communications, and vice-versa.
Easy, fast and cheap.
Blogs are easy to update because you enter information in
forms. These are automatically formatted as you upload them,
saving time and effort. Since blogs are easy to update and new
information immediately appears, you don't have to wait until
your next e-mail or newsletter to update information or
announce new website content.
Hosting for blogs is often fr'ee, or you can pay less than
$15.00 a month for multiple blogs from a top provider.
Characteristics
A blog consists of numerous, short posts - or mini-articles -
each containing as few as two or three sentences, Each post
focuses on a single idea.
Links are an important part of blogs. Links permit readers to
quickly access other locations for more information.
Blogs are interactive; most encourage readers to submit
comments or alternate viewpoints on each post.
Readers can subscribe to RSS - Real Simple Syndication - which
notifies them each time you post new information.
Tips for developing content
Blogs permit you to promote your expertise by relating it to
current events and trends. This provides you with an
opportunity to promote your knowledge of your field without
"bragging".
Other ways to profit from blogs include:
* Drive web site traffic. Use blogs to point to updated web
content. Otherwise, new content might only be seen by
first-time visitors attracted by search engine marketing and
optimization.
* Promote existing content. Blogs permit you to comment on
current events from the perspective of previous books,
newsletters, or website content. This breathes new life into
existing content.
* Promote upcoming events. Blogs make it easy for those who
don't know html to easily update their event calendar.
* Frequent, non-intrusive updates. Blogs avoid many of the
problems associated with e-mail, such as filled in-boxes and
spam filters. Blogs make it possible to keep in touch with
wearing out your welcome.
* Learn from your market. Blogs invite reader comments. These
permit you to "test-market" new products or find out what your
market thinks about current products and services.
Getting started
The easiest way to get started is to visit www.blogger.com or
www.typepad.com. Both contain a simple "3 steps to success"
process that helps you publish your first blog within five or
ten minutes after you arrive at either site.
Costs are surprisingly inexpensive. Blogger, a part of
www.google.com, is a fr'ee service. Typepad is fr'ee for the
first 30 days, less than $15.00 a month thereafter. Best of
all, you usually don't have to pay a penny for design or
production costs. Both Blogger and Typepad offer dozens of
templates, which you can customize by changing colors, layout,
or type.
What about content?
Start by taking an inventory of currently available
newsletters, special reports, and web site content. Look for
content you can use to create an information archive blog, like
www.rcpmarketing.info.
Can you extract tips from previous content, so you can create
a tips blog, like www.rcpdesign.info or www.rcpwebblog.info?
If you often speak at events, conduct workshops, or host
teleseminars, create a calendar blog like www.rcpevents.info.
Why not create a commentary blog focusing on a single aspect of
your expertise, like www.rcpnewsletters.info, or a book review
blog?
Because they are so easy and inexpensive, you may want to
consider multiple blogs for different markets you serve - or
want to serve.
Roger C. Parker knows the secrets to promoting your
business one page at a time. Let Roger help you create
and promote your blog. Visit: www.OnePageNewsletters.com
for your three fr'ee reports.
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Corporate Blogging Guidelines by Wayne Hurlbert | Contributing Writer | 2005-03-24
Corporate blogging guidelines are fast becoming a staple (pun intended) of many company employee handbooks.
We keep hearing of more bloggers who have been fired for their on the job blogging activities. As work related blogs become more common, that number of terminated blogging employees is expected to grow.
As a result of those blogging related dismissals, it's important for business management to develop some company blogging rules for employees.
As a proponent of business blogs, and of employees maintaining job related blogs, I think the concept of employee blogging guidelines is a good one.
Of course, that endorsement arrives with a huge caveat, that the blogging rules and regulations be fair and reasonable. The last thing that employee bloggers need is a blanket ban, or very close to it, on their business blogging activities.
Banning work related blogging activity, by members of the organization, actually hurts the business. By failing to take advantage of the blog benefits, including transparency, conversation and community building, and relationship development, a company blogging ban does more harm than good.
Think in terms of being reasonable, and trusting employees to act in the company's best interest, and the blogging regulations and guidelines can help everyone involved.
The organization must keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of company bloggers are helping the business to succeed and achieve its goals.
The employee is able to write relatively freely about the company. The business benefits from the relationships built with current and future customers and clients.
My friend Toby Bloomberg, of the highly informative Diva Marketing, has compiled a comprehensive list of company blogging guidelines.
By reading the various corporate blogging recommendations, from the list that Toby provides, your business can formulate blogging guidelines that help both the company and the employees.
Check out Toby Bloomberg's list of corporate blogging guidelines, http://bloombergmarketing.blogs.com/bloomberg_marketing/2005/03/thomas_nelson_p.html
and develop your own set of business blogging rules.
The business and the employees will both benefit from the removal of any misunderstandings. When everyone knows what is acceptable to print in the blog, and what areas of business are off limits, problems can be more easily avoided.
I agree with Toby Bloomberg. Bloggers must form part of the team that drafts the company blogging guidelines. The rules simply can't be imposed from above, as top down regulations will only meet with resistance and resentment.
By enabling to the bloggers themselves to be part of the guideline development process, the resulting regulations are much more likely to be followed. The potential problem of employee clandestine blogs will be removed almost entirely as well.
Knowing the rules of the company, regarding work related blogs, helps everyone in the organization.
Don't let the fear of blogging employees keep a company from receiving the benefits of a business blog.
View All Articles by Wayne Hurlbert
About the Author:
Wayne Hurlbert provides insigtful information about marketing, promotions, search engine optimization and public relations for websites and business blogs on the popular Blog Business World. http://www.blogbusinessworld.blogspot.com/
Check out Blog Business World for yourself.
More news_ebusiness_news Articles
Source: http://www.webpronews.com/txt/cbg.html
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Bottom Up Vs. Top Down Corporate Blogging by Steve Rubel | Contributing Writer | 2005-03-23
As business blogging becomes more widespread, two main approaches have emerged. There are bottom up bloggers and top-down bloggers ...
... and then there are a scant few companies who are in between. Each approach is vastly different.
Bottom-up blogging can either start organically or with an edict or blessing of the corporation. Famous bottom-up blogging corporations include Microsoft and Sun. Basically, this is blogging at its best. It's real employees dishing out the straight dope from the bowels of a corporation. It's unfiltered, fun and, for many, incredibly risky. However, when done right, bottom-up blogging can change a corporation.
The majority of blogging companies, however, fall into the top-down camp. They devise a blogging strategy with input from execs, communicators, marketers, HR, etc. They deliberately determine who will blog for the company on what subjects at what time and in what place. Famous top-down blogging companies include most major media companies, GM and Cisco.
In the middle are the blogging equivalent of hybrid cars - companies that take a top-down approach but yet also already have or plan to encourage bottom-up blogging. The most notable example here is Yahoo! They have a terrific corporate blog that clearly is a strategic communications tool developed with guidance from Voce Communications. At the same time, however, they have a well-known bottom-up blogger in Jeremy Zawodny .
This week I have been on the road quite a bit pitching several big companies on blogging programs. As I think about what I am working on, most of it is top-down blogging. Ideally, I would love to get to a place where I am working on hybrid projects where we coach a select group of individuals to blog as part of a strategy but also figure out how to leverage individuals in the company who are already using the blogosphere to express their voice.
Given that very few companies are blogging, there probably are not that many firms who can be hybrids. Still, I do think hybrid blogging has perhaps the greatest PR potential. However, there's an art to it. Advisers need to carefully mix organic blogging with stimulated blogging into a powerful communications cocktail without over mixing the drink. Still, I think all of these strategies have a place. What's your view?
View All Articles by Steve Rubel
About the Author:
micropersuasion.com Steve Rubel is a PR strategist with nearly 15 years of public relations, marketing, journalism and communications experience. He currently serves as Vice President, Client Services at CooperKatz & Company, a mid-size PR firm in midtown New York City. Rubel evangelizes the application of Weblogs and RSS in traditional public relations campaigns. He authors the Micro Persuasion weblog, which tracks how blogs and participatory journalism are changing the public relations practice.
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