Today, eMarketer released a report called, “The Business of Blogging: A Review“, that “analyzes the contradictions behind why everyone is talking about blogs but so few business are actually posting them.”
James Belcher, a senior analyst with eMarketer says “Marketers and PR professionals who want to remain relevant in this environment will add blogging and blogosphere literacy to their skill sets, or risk falling behind their customers.”
I often tell clients that in order to be part of the blogosphere, an organization or individual doesn’t necessarily need to have a blog. There are three steps to integrating social media and blogs into your communication initiatives. I call it 3L.
- Listen - what’s being said in blogosphere about you?
- Learn - who’s contributing to the conversation and how can you connect with them?
- Lead - take a participatory or “lead” role in shaping a conversation
When it comes to leading a conversation, it’s easier to do if you have a blog or a destination site that you can point people to, but the ability to comment on an existing conversation and build a voice can be just as effective in the right places. The most important thing is to establish rapport and credibility. Often your PR agency, at least those that are savvy to the new communication climate, can help you navigate the conversation.
July 28th, 2006 at 4:11 pm
Excellent list David - not too disimilar to your neighbour, Dave Jones’ own “MAIL” philosophy (monitor, assess, interact, lead)!
Glad to see the cross pollination of ideas in FH…
Good luck in New York,
Ed