|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Introducing Blogging
Blogs are everywhere. Indeed, as of the middle of June, 2006, Technorati—the generally accepted authority on blogs—reported tracking 44.4 million of them.
Blogs—short for weblogs—can be most simplistically described as personal online journals, which began to spring up with frequency about five years ago. Think about a blog as an individual’s own running editorial column that allows (and encourages) feedback and interaction from readers. Given their numbers, it’s no surprise that blogs address every imaginable topic: politics, family vacations, celebrity gossip, wine, race cars, etc.
Getting a blog up-and-running is relatively easy, so millions of people with little or no technical skills have gotten into the action. For the individual, launching a blog can be done quickly and updated as frequently or infrequently as desired; for the corporation, however, blogging requires careful consideration, and, if deemed a sound business decision, the necessary planning and resources to succeed.
Commercial uses of blogs are many, but their genesis came in two primary forms: product / company zealots who wanted a platform to vent and subject matter experts who use blogs as pulpits to spread their ideas and opinions. In both cases, blogs provided a user-friendly platform for communication and virtual conversation—for both the blogger and the reader.
While blogs were initially considered an online phenomenon that only pertained to the geek community, they’ve since evolved into much more, and are now mainstream. According to a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, more than 50 million people in the U.S. are regular blog readers. While the majority of blogs are authored by hobbyists and proud parents who post pictures of their children and vacations, corporate applications have undoubtedly emerged, and include:
- Marketing and proselytizing
- Corporate communication
- Community-building
- Market research
Blogs can also serve as self-sustaining, revenue-generating entities, using an advertising-based, publishing-style model. The most successful blogs that consistently generate traffic are attractive to advertisers because of their targeted and dedicated readers. But these types of blogs represent only a small fraction of the entire “blogosphere".
But before you blog and occupy the virtual space it's always advised you must understand your responsibility to ensure a more clean and traffic free virtual sphere. Is a blog essential at all for you? If yes then plan and execute. Happy Blogging!
|
|
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 Comment(s)
