For Those About to Blog, We Salute You

Blogging is an interesting phenomenon. What started as diaries, op eds, reports, and commentaries, has now sparked a whirlwind of incredible proportions that can leave one spinning in place – dizzy from trying to figure out where to go, for what information, and why.

This is the first in a series of pieces that will explore blogging.

Having a blog these days is almost as mandatory as having a business card and a cell phone; especially if you’re in marketing or PR. I happen to be in the latter group, and almost everyone I talk to these days, publish daily blogs. In many cases, they’ll even post multiple entries per day, with links, tags, summaries, opinions, etc. all to prove that they are “in the know” and part of the elite group of influencers dictating and reporting on the next economic renaissance.

This piece questions the validity of marketing blogs, bloggers, and the frenzy they incite in order to give them an upper hand in their business. My bewilderment is this, with all of this blogging, strides to increase Technorati ranks, diggs, networking and self promotion, how is any work getting done?

First, let me say this, I subscribe to multiple blogs spanning several markets and topics. There are those people who should blog and there are those who should spend more time learning and doing, rather than run the race on a perpetual high tech treadmill with a wifi notebook mounted to the handrail. Sure they’re running, surfing, blogging, but are they getting anywhere?

I recently read that in order to hire the right marketing/PR person or agency, you should first read their blog to make sure that they’re actively entering posts, savvy, knowledgeable, and “in the know.”

Really?

What about experience and a proven track record for success?

There was a time when publishing contributed articles and interviews in trade PR, advertising and marketing trade mags and online pubs actually built a solid foundation for boosting professional credibility. I still believe this is a valid channel of demonstrating expertise and sharing knowledge, and it’s also a valuable learning exercise.

I believe that blogging is a powerful new medium that has incredible potential for impact and influence. Trade professionals who wish to share their insight with their peers to help them excel in their industry is noble, encouraging, and justified. It’s the trade pros who are pompous, just trying to get famous, and spending more time reading, commenting, and writing blogs over getting work done for either their employer or their clients that’s bewildering to me.

Here are some tips...

Do:
Read blogs
Read paper-based articles
Network w/peers
Look into writing your own blog, but think about what you want from it and what you want your visitors/readers to take away
Always strive to improve your craft
Succeed in everything you do

Don’t:
Read blogs, comment on blogs, write blogs during valuable company/client time (yes, it’s addicting I know. But, don’t worry, there’s a blogger patch available at Walgreens to help)
Start a blog just to have a blog
Lose sight of your career goals, it’s easy for blogging to become a distraction

This will be an ongoing discussion. Next up, journalists v. citizen bloggers.

Digg this article baby!

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