If a blog falls in the forest and there's...oh nevermind.
If a creative director blogs in the forest and no one comments, does it make any noise?
According to Technorati data, there are 900,000 blog posts made and over 175,000 new blogs created each day. That’s a lot of noise, but does anyone hear it? For companies launching full-force into the blogosphere wilderness, the lack of comments to initial posts can be discouraging and even lead to internal comments about lack of ROI and cutting the budget. Don’t fire up the chainsaw yet.
As with any advertising or public relations campaign, consistency and frequency are critical. Each post is a pebble dropped into the proverbial pond. Even if you don’t see an immediate impact, over time the effects are felt. Social media is about a connecting, and you can’t expect readers to instantly connect with your brand, products or company culture. Remember, the best conversations aren’t forced, but happen naturally.
Looking to make your blog more like that perfect party where everyone is talking and no one wants to leave? Keep the content fresh, relevant and short. Have more than one blogger and let their personalities shine through. Ask questions and encourage interaction. Give readers a reason to come back on a regular basis. Use your traditional and digital marketing efforts to invite people to the party.
And remember, once someone hears you and starts talking, you have to listen as well. Listening to readers and responding to their comments is what distinguishes successful corporate blogs from the noise. Empower people to impact your company’s products and services and you will grow your audience. So keep the conversation going. And since it’s paperless, think of the trees you’ll save.
(Photo from Keephills Library)
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Most bloggers have been at it an average of three years and are collectively creating close to one million posts every day. I have seen that 77% of active Internet users read blogs and blogs receive more unique visitors than Facebook or MySpace. Another known fact is a high percentage of bloggers are college graduates and have household incomes greater than $75K/yr.
Did you know that most bloggers are male ranging from 57% in the USA to 73% in Europe and Asia.. Once again they forget about women out there… suffice it to say I have no idea what the %’s are.
We mange eight blogs four of which are mine, call me a domain addict. The thing with me is, I use every one of them. I don’t let them sit there collecting dust like many (domain 4Sale) out there. But that’s another discussion.
Last point I wanted to make … Success is not a question of attracting more traffíc, especially if your message is weak, unfocused, and lacking in emotional context. Success is a question of how many people you connect with both directly and indirectly. Get the connections the rest will follow. Thanks for writing this great topic.
Gabriella-
Thanks for your comment. Somehow I feel validated. I am a rookie blogger trying to work his way up to the big leagues, and I view your response and comments as stepping stones to that end.
Being a Creative Director at an ad agency has conditioned me to expect an immediate response to what I write. We are a results-oriented lot. I understand that attracting more traffic is not the soul purpose of the blog, but our meaningful dialogues such as this one have to begin somewhere.
I’d like to hear more about why more males blog vs. women. Frankly, I was surprised by that stat. I intend to look into it with my colleagues. We love unraveling the meaning behind stats and using that information to further our corporate ends. So look for more here on the subject of men and women bloggers. A new battle of the sexes rages in the blogosphere. Thanks again for your comment.