#1 “buying space in someone else’s brain is far harder than buying space in someone else’s media”
#2 “If somebody looks like they’re trying to impress you with their “future of advertising” credentials, ask them if they they themselves have their own blog. If they don’t, they’re full of it. It’s a good acid test. Just my opinion.”
Gapingvoid‘s like green tea for the brain. As my new favourite anti-hero McNulty is wont to say, “That’ll work.”
I agree that first quote says it all. As for having a blog, I think there is more to just “being there”. I’m monitoring one particular PR agency blog which just doesn’t get it – no links, engagement in debate or otherwise adding value. But I get the impression they are using this “we’re bloggers” as part of their pitch to those who are even less informed on new/social media.
Spot on, Heather – I think that a connected blog is what we mean. A quick test of whether a blog is alive or not is to run it through socialmeter.com (you can put a bookmarklet in your firefox toolbar to speed this up).
Lifeless blogs don’t link out and don’t get links in. They aren’t part of any networks.
I’ve spoken to so many people who have said to me ‘What is a blog?’ ‘What can it bring to my company?’ and I stand there in amazement that in 2007, companies just haven’t moved on with the times, even though they portray themselves to be a dynamic forward moving companies.
I cringe when I see commercial blogs, especially in the travel industry, which are simply being used to syndicate the companies news and events, which are not going to be interesting to the reader.
It’s not that difficult to grasp.
You write unique content, that people can discuss, and that people will want to link to. Ask questions and for readers opinions, and give them the opportunity to leave comments.
This is the type of content that will build a companies brand, improve their ranking in the search engines and prove that the company is human and does like to communicate with its targeted audience.
Just my 2 cents from a travel blogger! :)
Hear hear, Darren – thanks…
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