Blogs are important for marketers and communicators
Blogs represent one of the biggest challenges and opportunities
for those responsible for marketing or communications within
companies. Blogs show a relative importance in the promotion of
the business and helps in the promotion of the site.
1. All Blogs and Bloggers are different from each other.
Marketers and communicators need to appreciate there is a
hierarchy among blogs and bloggers. These range from the
influential 'commentators' to individuals who indulge their
passion or obsession. However, each has their own importance and
place in the communication channel. And, as with any marketing
or communications campaign, each has to be addressed separately.
2. Blogging follows the classic marketing life cycle.
At this point most bloggers would be classified as 'early
adopters'. They are comfortable with technology and normally
better educated than most. They also tend to be coherent and
(not surprisingly) prejudiced. As such they are important as
advocates, opinion formers and influencers, making them
difficult for marketers and communicators to ignore.
3. Blogs are often seen as more credible sources of
information. Bloggers publish individual opinions with none
of the constraints and need for balance that one expects from
traditional media - in fact the raison deter for many bloggers
is that they are neither fair nor balanced. Public values have
changed over the past decade or more. There is more distrust of
traditional media which are often perceived as peddling their
own agenda - often without being 'upfront' about it. Ironically
users of blogs actually trust blogs and bloggers more because
mostly they don't hide their bias and the site visitor feels
that it is up to them to make the choice as to accept what is
said or not.
4. Blogs are threat for the media - so they are embracing
them! For the reasons above, media are scared that a
skeptical and distrustful public will begin to desert them. So
they are getting into the Blogging business. Traditional media
want to control the relationship with their audiences. They
figure that if, as many US media are now doing, they also
include access to blogs on their website, and they will gain
credibility. One newspaper executive is quoted as saying
"anything that serves the reader with more information is good
for us".