Blogs: Changing the Communications Conversation

Blogs are the every-person’s publishing tool.  The simplest definition of a blog - or weblog - is a personal, topical web site that is frequently updated.  Corporate executives, journalists, marketers, freelancers, advertisers, politicians, and citizens of the world have taken to publishing blogs, moving them from personal journals to a modern influential media form.

Estimates of the current number of blogs might surprise you if you aren’t tuned into the blog-o-sphere. One hundred million worldwide and growing at a rate of about one new blog per second.  Creating a blog is fast, and is as easy as filling out a web form.  But what makes them so alluring – and powerful - is blogs’ social nature, their populist culture, and their immediacy.

In short, blogs are a channel that is totally remodeling the flow of information.

Blogs have a set of features that distinguish them from a traditional web page – but keep in mind these features are not about the technology.  These characteristics turn a simple web page into a social network, a lone voice into an influential one and a local conversation into a global one.

The four features, in particular, that distinguish blogs are:

Posts: A single blog entry is called a post.  Posts are often short, are conversational and time-stamped, displayed with the newest post on top. The time-stamps create a sense of proximity to the writer for the reader.

Syndication:   This is the “motion potion” of blogs.  Blogs are automatically syndicated through a feature called RSS - “Really Simple Syndication.” RSS is a tiny bit of code embedded in the blog that allows readers to subscribe to an automatic “feed” of all blog entries.  As soon as an author posts a blog entry, the post can be "pulled" by the subscriber.  Subscribers receive these posts through software integrated into their web browser or through a separate application called a “news reader.”  RSS also makes it possible for blog content to be distributed automatically onto other web sites or blogs.

Comments:  Each post invites readers to comment via a small web form immediately under the post.  Comments are published with the related blog post. Blog readers can read both the author’s posts and the comments of other readers.  The author is notified when a comment is posted to their blog.  Blog authors may comment back, or enter new posts.  Comments keep the conversation moving forward on that individual blog.

Trackbacks:  The conversation continues among blogs too.  Trackbacks interconnect blogs.  A trackback is a method for one blogger to publish a special type of post directly onto someone else’s blog. It works by entering a post on your own blog, then entering the URL of your post into the trackback feature of another blog.  Your trackback post, and the link to it, is published on that other blog.  Authors are notified when a trackback link is entered into their blog.   Trackbacks intertwine multiple blogs and conversations.

There are a few other common features that categorize and organize blog posts and link blogs or web pages together, but these are the four that have turned the flow of information from broadcast media to conversation commons.

What Does it Mean?

Blogs are at least as significant a development as the printing press was – and more so because of their interconnectedness and social network nature.  It means we – all of us – now hold the keys to the information kingdom.  We no longer rely on mass media for our news, information, or gossip.  It means anyone can publish a globally accessible channel in seconds. 

Blogs are disturbing every form of business communication. Blogs have already had a profound effect on mass media and consumer behaviors.  Traditional TV and print media outlets as well as individual journalists are creating blogs.  Consumers are blogging about everything from politics to mothering; using blogs as a complement to mass media and as a trusted source to check on mass media.  Even executives of Fortune 500 companies have started blogging to ensure their company’s story is told in the worldwide conversation and to personally engage constituents.

Blogs are a communications fact of life.  If you join in, the conversation is happening with you.  If you aren’t involved, it is happening without you and about you.   And, being in the dark is not a good competitive strategy.

What is it Good For?

Understanding the power of blogs requires that you blog.  It isn’t something to simply study.  Try Blogger, Typepad, Bloglines, Blogstream or one of the many other services, and have your blog up and running in less than 5 minutes for free or nearly free.      

In the meantime, here are just a few blogs selected from the 100 million or so.

• The writers of the hit TV show, Grey’s Anatomy, are blogging; talking directly to their fans and offering it as a gathering point for its fans.  It is a fascinating case study.

• General Motors’ Vice Chairman is blogging to engage customers, but also as a way not to leave the last word to mainstream media reports, according its author, Bob Lutz.

• PR agencies like Edelman, Ogilvy and Hill and Knowlton are blogging – mostly about the changing communications landscape.

• 101 Cookbooks, by Heidi Swanson, is a chronicle of a cookbook collection. She is a photographer and cookbook author whose website is a blog – a well-read one, with nearly 700 other sites linking to hers.  She has sponsors, markets her classes and her own recipes, and offers an opt-in newsletter.

• McDonalds' Open for Discussion blog focuses on the company's social responsibility initiatives.

• Charlene Lee, a Forrester Research analyst, blogs about how technology is affecting content delivery, media and advertising.

• Major broadcast and print media, like CBS, NBC, Business Week, and The Wall Street Journal to name a few are using blogs as a way to provide additional content. 

• Overheard in New York.  Two New Yorkers have gathered bits of overhead conversations and published them on a blog.  They now have thousands of submissions – and have just published a print book of selected conversations.

Find more at Google Blog Search or Technorati Blog Finder.

So, what are blogs good for?  Almost any type of communication.  The trick here is that this is two-way communication, not a controlled website.  Blogs are both the talking part and the listening part.  Blogs are good for taking part in the marketplace conversation, the political conversation or your industry conversation. 

Here are a few ideas to get you going:

• Publish your newsletter online as a blog.  The syndication feature will build readership, and provide your readers a way to join in.

• Establish your expertise by publishing a blog on a topic you are passionate about.

• Publish industry thought leadership articles to a blog.  Search engines like blogs and this is a way to increase search engine visibility and distribution.  You don’t have to wait for or pitch them to the industry rags.

• Use blogs internally to keep everyone apprised of ongoing projects.

• Create an “ideas” blog on which team members can create an archive of best practices or good ideas.

• Create a citizens blog around a community issue.

• Create a non-public blog to communicate with a client or contractor on the progress of a project – it is easier to organize than email and creates a chronological, time-stamped archive.

• Create a “blog event” by inviting guest experts to post on a specific topic during a particular week or month.

• Create a photo blog on which you publish pictures of a special event, for ongoing team building, an archival history of a project, or a  “behind-the-scenes” peek.

• Use a blog as a pointer to topical resources for your clients or internal teams.

• Market yourself!

From here, it is up to you.  The conversation about how to communicate with audiences has changed.  Audiences find you.  Be where they are - the blogosphere is one of those "places."

Mashups: Coming to a Brand Near You

PackageMapper.com is a mashup.  And so is Mobile ESPN.  A mashup is simply combining two or more unrelated (seemingly, anyway) products or services to create something entirely new.

PackageMapper “mashes” by overlaying the US Postal Service, FedEx and DHL tracking information with Google Maps, to visually display the entire route your package is taking.  Simple, but useful.  And something not offered by any of these delivery services. 

HousingMaps.com also uses the Google Maps data to show you exactly where homes are located that are listed for sale or rent on the extremely popular craigslist classifieds.  The map has popup balloons for each location with the listing information, including photos.

Mobile ESPN is a “mashup” of another kind – a brand mashup.  ESPN is promoting a Sanyo MVP mobile phone, branded with a bright red ESPN logo and loaded with a total “sports experience”: news, stats and scores;  text and video alerts; fantasy team updates, and your own personal five-teams-and-15-players updates.  The wireless service is provided by Sprint.

The term “mashup” may have been originated to describe the mixing of two or more songs, but today’s mashups are impacting branding, communications and marketing in ways you may not immediately suspect from these examples.

Mashups aren’t the playground of geeks – they are the everyday result of two trends:  consumer generated content and something Trendwatching.com calls “Branded Brands.”

What Does It Mean?

Mashups are consumers taking and shaping your brand, your data, your product into something they want or into something they admire.

Several forces are converging to make mashups possible:

• First, there is the availability of professional hardware and software for consumers to generate or mix content, easily accessible distribution channels, and our inherent creativity as humans. 

• Then there is the growing collaborative and sharing nature of online environments that has created a sense of a “creative commons” in which nothing is wholly owned by any one person or entity – and everything is a prototype and meant to be improved upon and shared. 

• Finally there is a rapidly blurring of lines between “cyberspace” and real space.

Put them all together and you’ve got consumers who want things their way, have easy ways to bend products or services or content, and have a growing sense of entitlement to your content or brand – making it a “my brand” experience.  And – it is mostly outside of your control.

This represents an enormous opportunity for listening to consumers about what they want from you.  It is inexpensive and valuable R&D.   But, it also means you need to rethink what your organization owns or needs to own.  And, it means you are being asked to redefine your relationships with your constituents, and to look at things you never would have considered as “media.”  Consumers are demanding that you “think modern” about what you offer and your brand.

What is it Good For?

Mashups scream innovations for your business, if you open your eyes to what consumers are showing you they want.  Give up the idea that products outside your industry or product class can’t add value for your customer or that your customer can’t add value to your product.

• After HousingMaps.com appeared, Google opened its mapping data to anyone to tap into; and they estimate 15 new mashups per day are being created using their data, mixed with someone else’s data or service.  They also hired the programmer who developed HousingMaps.com.

• The Washington Post launched Post Remix encouraging anyone to experiment with applications using its content (non-commercial only at this time).  Some of my favorite Post Remixes are the U.S. Congressional Vote Database and Amazon Light which list books associated with relevant content in the current edition of the Post.

• The BBC has opened its news archives to UK citizens, encouraging them to create something new from its news video clips in the hopes of learning from UK citizens about the nature and value of media in today’s modern world.

• Starbucks will soon be offering on-the-fly iPod fill-ups to get your caffine and MP3 fixes at the same time. (New York Daily News)

• Rollyo.com is a “roll your own” search engine.  You list up to 25 sites you trust or favor – they don’t have to be search engines, any web page or domain is okay.  Enter a search term and Rollyo searches through only your trusted sources to return Yahoo-style results.  Name your search roll to use again at any time, or use other people’s search rolls  Check out Diane von Furstenburg's or Adrianna Huffington’s personal search engines.

• Rand McNally created MapEngine which allows businesses to integrate maps, directions, and location search into their web sites.

To start you off, here are a few ideas for extremely simple “mashups” for your business communication or marketing:

• For a major product launch, consider providing your key media with iPods loaded with your press kit - images and videos of your product. GM did this for the launch of the Saturn Sky. (Adrants)

• Combine a blog and your online newsroom.  Blog software helps you update your newsroom quickly.  The automatic syndication feature (called RSS) built into blog software provides you improved search results.

• Try myGMaps.com to add an annotated map for your traveling events, pop-up retail, sales promotions or road show.   If you are more ambitious combine those pinpoints with photos, videos or location-based information or promotions. (note: free use of Google Maps is for non-commercial applications)

• If you are a writer, think about mapping the events of your story on an annotated map; or create a visual resume if you are a travel writer.

• Add an RSS feed to any web page using Nooked or FeedXs.

Open your mind to mashups by starting simple.  But think about where you can mash your product, service, experience, content or brands with things you consider unrelated – and let your customers lead the way.  Look around to see if they are doing it already.  Rethink what you own.

You may own your trademarks, patents and facilities - but the brand belongs to “us.”

Virtual Sticky Notes

Socialight is a virtual sticky notes service that allows you to mark a physical location with an electronic message.  People who enter into the area you’ve marked with sticky notes receive your messages as they travel in and through the area.  You may designate whether the note is available to just your friends or you may make it public so everyone is aware of it.

It works with your mobile phone.  Get close to a virtual sticky and your mobile phone notifies you.  Since the notes are multimedia, you may leave photo, text or even audio and video notes.

Socialight, and similar services, are built upon social networks - this one, enables people to connect with others using mobile phones.  It links virtual networks of people to the physical environment. It is a system of public authoring super-imposed over places and things.

Socialight plays on two of the essential trends for modern communications – social networking and mobile media.

What Does It Mean?

Anything that connects people to each other is modern communications.

Communications was once about carefully crafting clear and general messages and sending them down the pipeline. Networks are becoming more and more ubiquitous – which means the “pipeline” is no longer a straight line from a central source, but is a web of people (nodes) all talking to each other with narrow and personal messages.

Technology is accelerating our ability to connect to anyone and everyone; everywhere and conceivably, beyond our lifetime.  Keeping pace is our capability to both limit and expand which contacts and content reach us. 

Your opportunities lie not in trying to get around this, but in creating communications (or services) that adapt to, service, enhance, enable, respond to and/or use these social capabilities. 

What is it Good For?

These types of mobile services using GPS systems allow connections based on present location and what I call “frame of mind.”  It has enormous opportunities for everything from lifetime learning to historical recording and way-finding;  from fun interaction to significant information channels.

Here’s a few examples:

• Robert Pietri, a 37-year old filmmaker, used Socialight to mark where he was arrested in New York during the Republican National Convention.  He then moved on to marking where Malcolm X was killed and a long-gone shantytown that is the now Great Lawn in Central Park. (New York Times)

• Teletaxi is an art exhibition displaying the artwork of eleven artists on touchscreens in taxis.  The multimedia artwork changes depending upon where the taxi is in Montreal, Canada.

• Cutlass has created Touch Tone Tours – instant personal guides available on any wireless device.

• Murmur is an audio archival project that collects stories set in specific locations in Toronto and are played by dialing a special phone number on your mobile phone.

• Newt Games  created an “item hunt” game layered over the city of Tokyo.  As players move through the city they find items they can collect by checking maps on their mobile phones.  They also see other players they can meet or trade with.

Here's a few practical ideas of how to use virtual sticky notes in your business:

• Knowledge map a corporate building or campus for new employees
• Offer opt-in guides for readers of your travel, entertainment, food or photography publication
• Initiate a public “focus group” to improve space planning - gather information about how individuals use space (malls, museums, parking structure, entertainment venues, etc.)
• Create hyper-local promotions, services or permanent information tags for customers or members
• Augment your video program, podcast or web site with real world sticky-notes
• Create a volunteer way-finding program for new residents of your neighborhood or city (integrate Google Maps while you are at it)

And to those who dread jumping on the “new technology” communication bandwagon, or think it is a passing fad, let me say - this drive to connect to each other isn’t new because of mobile networks, technology or the Internet.  We’ve had it since the dawn of humankind – our methods are just evolving and more available.  You don’t think twice about having a telephone as part of your business, public relations or marketing.  Start thinking modern connections.  Trust me, you’ll find innovation.

The Modern Mediasphere Blog

There are lots of great blogs about new media technologies. Most of these give us pointers to new tools, but they lack context. There are lots of extremely valuable discussions going on about the big picture and shifting models, but most of those are focused on generalities.

I find what many professionals who are closest to the everyday media decisions and "transactions" need is solid examples of how modern media is being used, and specific ideas about how to put it to work for themselves.

So, I started this blog with the goal of helping people new to modern media (new media) find out what new and emerging media mean - practically - to them, their business, their practices, and the people who touch those businesses.  I want to help answer the question "what is [insert new media here] good for?"  It is the number one question we get from our own clients and the people we meet through our presentations and seminars. The immediate next question is, "so, what does it mean for me?"

I'm committing to answering these questions specifically via this blog.  I’ll be pointing to new models and new media technologies, examine how they are being put into use, what trends they express, and give ideas on how they fit into professional communications programs or strategies.

For the more new media "tuned-in" my hope is this helps you keep up on new media trends and technologies, but I also hope you will your add your comments and expertise  - and by doing so add to everyone's enlightenment.

And so we begin to explore the Modern Mediasphere.