What’s Going on With Blogging?
As big advocates of blogging, some of the latest stories about blogging were downright troubling:
- Forrester’s report that most corporate blogs are “unimaginative failures”
- Original A-list blogger, Jason Calcanis, announcing he’s quitting blogging in favor of developing an email list
- Even Problogger recently an a series about “letting your blog go”
So, what’s going on? ContentRobot believes that blogging is merely going through some growing pains and is within a transformational period.
Rise of Microblogging
Microblogging tools and techniques, such as Twitter and FriendFeed, have garnered a lot attention and caused some bloggers to shift toward these mediums. It’s easy to see why - some conversations there are quite compelling. However, we still see a place for the corporate/personal blog because you have more room (140 characters can be too limiting) to tell your story.
The Democratization of Bloggers
When blogs started to enter the scene, there were a few prominent bloggers who set the mark for what it meant “to blog.” We understand the burning out of these early adopters, but are pleased that many more are ready and willing to take the reins to report, entertain, and inform us.
Ban the Boring Blogs
The trend toward multi-author blogs and (hopefully) a dedication toward better content should do much to thwart the boring blog syndrome. Mostly, companies should really decide why they want to start (or keep on) blogging and be dedicated to it.
Blogging Has a Future
We must remember that even tho some bloggers have been at it for 5 or more years, there are plenty of folks who’ve just stumbled upon the medium. Let their newfound drive and passion take us through this time of transition. Blog.on.
Blogging is like everything else.
1. Not everyone has anything useful to say
2. Corporate blogging can be an oxymoron - depends on who the corporate voice is. Many corp blogs are dis-embodied pr speak with no soul. In the blog universe it is more obvious that they will fail.
3. There is room for everyone. Forget the comparisons do your thing with integrity and the results will follow.