Category: Weblogs

Not that blogging, or community is new to IBM, but I was interested to see this landing page at the IBM site today. It is great to see the way that they are promoting the work of their internal bloggers.

It is also a quick way to get in touch with a recognised expert in a particular field.

It is interesting that some of these sites have been operating for some time, but have now captured the attention of IBM marketing. Of course, it is about community and building a blog to a point where there is a strength of numbers … so it will be interesting to see how many new blogs are added to the IBM repertoire over the following weeks and months.

S.

Ever wanted to comment on a blog, but felt a little shy? Ever wondered what the consequences might be of entering the conversation?

There has been a bit of debate around the 90-9-1 rule over the last week or so, and it is clear that there are plenty of "lurkers" — those that visit/read your blog but don’t actively contribute.

The first time you contribute to a blog can be nerve wracking as well as exciting. How will the author respond? What about the "regular" contributors? I remember the first time I submitted a comment to Russell Davies’ blog — I held my breath as I hit the submit button. It is particularly daunting where there is a strong community, where each contributor appears to know the others — and Russell definitely had a group of regulars. But entering the conversation is one of the most enjoyable things you can do … something that brands seem to miss (but that is a whole other post).

So if you are yet to start adding to the conversation at your favourite blog, it is time to step out of the shadows. Say hello, most of us wont bite.

S.

You may already know that there have been some sensational discussions happening over at MarketingProfs this week. It has been a hotbed of discussion.

I have been battling a little with jetlag so have not really commented as much as I had wanted, but there has been plenty to think about with great posts by Ann, CK (congratulations CK on a great first post) and the prolific Lewis Green.

Mack looks towards the challenging future of digital music here. There is plenty to chew on … and many of the points raised can be equally applied to other industries.

If you have not contributed to these discussions as yet, then head on over and do so … the community is stronger when there are more voices and views contributing. It truly is a case of more is MORE.

S.

Just in case you thought the blogosphere was getting a little quiet, Katie has finally decided to go public. She has come up with a great name for her blog — Get Shouty — and it perfectly matches her personality (as you will see) and capacity for insight.

Never one to take a back seat, it is going to be fun seeing what takes her fancy — post-by-post. When you stop by and visit you will find a number of posts that she has been squirrelling away over the last few months … plenty to read and enjoy from day 1.

Enjoy the noise!

S.

We all know about the dog whistles that resonate at a frequency so high that it is beyond human hearing,  but I never knew dogs could read. In English.

I guess this is what it means to really know your audience (see I am resisting the urge to pun).

But to all those dog readers out there (yes, I mean dog, not blog), I would like to remind them of the following:

woar, woar, woar, woar … grrrr, grrr, woof.

Loosely translated … I have had a couple of articles published on the excellent MarketingProfs site run by the charming Ann Handley. One is entirely original and the other is a better version of this. Hope you enjoy them … and while you are there, check out this article which is so cool it features The Fonz.

It is a milestone in anyone’s life … but moving from age two to age three is a significant step — and especially if you are a blog. They say that every one year is the equivalent of five in the life of a dog, but if this is the case, how old is Russell Davies’ blog?

If you add up all the wisdom, generosity and good fun, then many hundreds of years I would presume. The best thing of all, is that it always remains fresh … and Russell celebrates by spoiling us all again by giving a wrap up of the last three years. Don’t miss it.

Congratulations Russell!

S.

Ok … so it is finally done. A new design!

I was thinking about how my initial plans were to use this blog as a form of writing discipline … and an outlet for my "creative" writing "talents". Things have obviously moved on from there (which is also part of the fun). But something that is still at the core of what I am interested in is communication and the importance of words/storytelling.

So I started looking around on the web for inspiration. There were plenty of cool sites about the history of communication, about printing and publishing and about typography (something that I have always been interested in). And the banner seemed to start to flow from there.

Now that the design has been updated, perhaps Terry will leave me alone.

S.

                   

Are you good with names? Not me. I am good with faces. See them once, I will remember them forever … but names … not a chance.

If I am introduced to you in person I will happily greet you, shake your hand, be interested, observant. BUT will I remember your name?

It is nothing personal, but by the time you have walked away I will have forgotten your name. I understand that there is a medical term for this, but I can’t recall the specific information … and even worse … even when I TRY to remember, I fail. BUT online is different … we often don’t have the luxury of meeting face to face — so naming and reputation is paramount … and it all depends on text — on getting NAMES right.

I have had a lot of fun over the last 24 hours or so reading the banter between Adam "I will trade links for sex" Crowe and David "over the edge" Armano … but I must apologise for getting David’s name wrong. You have been a very gracious … and very funny. Now we are all waiting for Adam to start putting as much energy into his own blog as he does to others.

S.

Thanks as always to Spell with Flickr!

This question popped into my mind unexpectedly. Well, not entirely … I was reading one of the responses to David Armano’s decision to open his blog up to selected authors and realised that he had a really good point (Adam says):

I’m sorry. I really like your blog. I find its content useful and meaningful. But all this talk of opening up your ‘personal brand’ is making me reach for the bucket!

It is all well and good to open up your blog to others … but where is the responsibility to your audience? Not only that, why is that each of the 600 blogs that trackback to Seth Godin articles (including mine) basically recycle the same view? Why do I quote Seth Godin? Why do you?
Of course, on one level there is the flow-through traffic. But one of the key reasons is that Seth is an opinion shaper. His insights are his own, they are forceful and they are well articulated. They also reinforce his own story and position.
It is great to have ideas and innovations … but you do need a platform from which to speak. And while blogs allow us to do this on some level … you need an audience first. Otherwise you are just blogging in the wilderness … and brrrrr … it can be cold out here sometimes!
S.