The Blogosphere as Media vs. Weblogs as a publishing tool
- Posted by Ephraim Cohen on February 28th, 2006 filed in B2B Blogging, Blogging, Blogroll, General, PR Tools, Public Relations, RSS
Perhaps there should be more discussion that differentials between blogs/blogosphere the conversational media, and the weblog publishing tool.Much of the public relations and marketing discussion around business blogs centers on using them as a conversational communications tool. If we take a step back and look at blogs as a Weblog publishing tool (easy to use, integrate and link) and editorial style (short, can be informal, regularly updated) we can find many more uses that address business communications needs. Here are two suggestions (both of which also work well with RSS):An information release system - Businesses’ default information release system is a news release. The problem here is that press releases are often an innapropriate format (too long, too formal to do it as often as needed), the information is not necessarily news, and the approval process is to long. A blog based information release section of a Web site would allow a company to put out a page of information, or one sentence - whatever is needed and no more. In addition, because a more informal style is acceptable in a blog format, the approval process can be cut short and updates or clarifications easily posted.
Product specific update blogs - This would be closer to the original intent of Web logs. Companies can keep a stream of information going about specific products. A product blog could include technical notices, suggestions (e.g., from other customers), information on new releases or simply informal notices the company wants to put out about a product (such as suggesting how to use a new feature).
Google’s press page does a good job of showing how to use the blog format information distribution.
http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/index.html
These suggestions are not necessarily about being part of the blogosphere, they are about developing better ways to distribute information (despite the more conversational era of communciations, companies still need good information distribution programs). Any other suggestions?Â
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February 28th, 2006 at 11:12 pm
Hi Ephraim
You wrote, “Perhaps there should be more discussion that differentials between blogs/blogosphere the conversational media, and the weblog publishing tool.”
Here’s how I look at it:
- A blog is a kind of web site that can be used for publishing or to support a public conversation.
- A blogging tool is content management software used to create and publish a blog (the site, and the database that supports it).
- Conversational media is using media tools or channels to publicly converse with a writer/speaker and each other. (Blogs are just one form of this.)
Note that none of these definitions touch on the form or style of content — for a good reason. You can use a blog to publish any kind of content you want.
It’s about as useful to talk about “blog style” (in general, rather than for a specific blog or blog genre) as it is to talk about “TV style” or “sidewalk chalk drawing style,” IMHO.
Not all blogs are informal, brief, or conversational, and that’s fine. It doesn’t invalidate them.
IMHO, of course
- Amy Gahran
RightConversation.com
Contentious.com
March 1st, 2006 at 8:16 am
[...] B2B Insight Blog: The Blogosphere as Media vs. Weblogs as a publishing tool It is quite possible - almost probable - that many of the blog consultants are missing the point of blogs: they are a great publishing tool that have tons more value than just blogs. [...]
March 1st, 2006 at 12:17 pm
Amy, you’ve laid it out nicely and make an important point at the end. WHile you can talk about broadcast TV style (e.g., some visual talents apply that don’t apply to print), it’s still to broad a generalization to be of use.
Right now, blogs are talked about mainly in the sense of an indivudal keeping a journal on behalf of themselves or a company, product etc. As blogs mature as a type of media (we are at a very, very early stage), this will change. In the meantime, the end-all-be-all of conversations about blogs - and the backlash against the hype that’s already started - will cause many to simply not take a blog strategy seriously.
March 1st, 2006 at 6:48 pm
Hi Ephraim.
You wrote, “Right now, blogs are talked about mainly in the sense of an indivudal keeping a journal on behalf of themselves or a company, product etc.”
That’s why I wrote this: “What’s a Blog? Bag the Stereotypes”
- http://snipurl.com/loza
Enjoy,
- Amy Gahran
RightConversation.com
Contentious.com