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The 15 Minute Case for B2B Blogging

The 15 Minute Case for B2B Blogging. ASBPE Annual Meeting July 21, 2006 David Shaw. Questions. Questions for you How many of you have a blog? Personal? Professional? Both? How many of you read blogs regularly/occasionally?. Agenda. Background information Why I blog

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The 15 Minute Case for B2B Blogging

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  1. The 15 Minute Case for B2B Blogging ASBPE Annual Meeting July 21, 2006 David Shaw

  2. Questions • Questions for you • How many of you have a blog? Personal? Professional? Both? • How many of you read blogs regularly/occasionally?

  3. Agenda • Background information • Why I blog • Why you and your magazine should blog • Why more editors/magazines don’t blog • Blogging best practices • Examples

  4. Background • I am not a blogger—but I am a B2B publisher who has a blog • Most bloggers have day jobs • Implications for time and commitment • B or Not 2B—A Business Media Blog • Founded January 2005 • http://www.gridmediallc.com/bornot2b.html • Bio: • President & Managing Partner, GRID Media • Former SVP, Phillips Business Information • Former Group VP, Advanstar Communications • 25 years in b2b media

  5. Why I Blog • Started as an experiment • I spend a lot of time thinking about B2B media • I think better through writing • I’ve built an audience, and a set of expectations

  6. B or Not 2B • Website averaged 600 visitors/month in January 2005 • Now averages between 18-20,000 visitors/month • Readership includes B2B media company CEOs, group publishers, publishers, editors, financial analysts • International readership

  7. What Blogs Do • Provide a platform for opinion/observation/news • Organize your thinking/force daily research • Build traffic and search engine rankings • #1 Business media blog • #1 Grid media • #2 B2B media • #5 trade magazine blog • Create a personal connection with audience/readers • Build personal “fame”—really

  8. The Quick Case for Blogging • Media interaction has moved from one-way (editor to reader) to two-way (editor to/from reader) or all-way (reader to/from reader). • Blogs provide a strong two-way mechanism that keeps you in the reader’s loop • Instantaneous Publishing • Deeper story telling • Context, sources, alternative views • Limitless editorial well • Your readers are reading blogs • They should be reading yours

  9. Unlikely Blog Readers Directors & Boards magazine • Audience: “Male, Pale & Stale” • Average age: 55 • Average revenues: $1.712 billion • 44.9% regularly or occasionally read blogs (only 29.1% never read blogs) • 73% regularly or only read their business media online (only 1.4% never read business media online) • 84.4% have attended a webcast Source: D&B Survey, May 2006

  10. Why Don’t More B2B Editors Blog? • No time • Another thing to do without pay • Blogs are seen a less than editorially sound • Bathrobe prophets • Averse to offering opinions • Worried about advertiser/reader reaction

  11. Time • Can/should be integrated into what you already do • Typical time burn • 20-40 minutes daily “research” • 15 minutes writing/editing per post (average) • Time can be shared • Group blogs pros and cons • Aggregate other blogs

  12. Pay • You’re being paid to: • Provide thought leadership • Shape industry conversation • Build readership/traffic • Blogging is one of a number of publishing tools that helps you do your job successfully

  13. Editorial “Soundness” • Bloggers reflect the editorial soundness they bring to any other form of publishing • Your readership forces editorial soundness, because they can comment and agree/disagree in nearly real time • Some content choices • Insider views (how we did a story), further story context and extended reporting, original reporting, commenting on stories in other media, show “daily,” etc.

  14. Opinions • Editors should have strong opinions about the businesses they cover • A blog can and should be like your magazine’s editorial page, only more frequent • Readers read your publication as much for its point of view as for its fact-based content • All content choices are an opinion

  15. Advertiser/Reader Reaction • Implication that blogs are for flaming/attacking • Mirror your magazine’s print editorial policy • A strong blog, like a strong magazine, can withstand criticism • Need management buy-in

  16. Blogging Best Practices • Voice • Personality, attitude, mix business/personal • Frequency • Making the time to blog—set a schedule • Avoiding blogger’s block—follow the schedule • Speed • Brevity • Shorter posts work better • Honesty/Transparency

  17. The “Rules” of Conversational Media • Have something to say • Give credit/link promiscuously • Provide comment function/Offer trackback to other blogs • Have a policy related to comments • Comment on other blogs • Be civil

  18. Blog ExamplesBlogs run by people with day jobs • A brief selection, not including our panelists: • Rex Hammockhttp://www.rexblog.com/ • Philadelphia City Paper’s Cloghttp://www.citypaper.net/clog/(Excellent group blog) • Sue Pelletier’s face2facehttp://blog.meetingsnet.com/face2face/ • Mark Cuban’s Blog Maverickhttp://www.blogmaverick.com/ • Robert Scoblehttp://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ • CJR Daily Audithttp://www.cjrdaily.org/the_audit/(Group blog) • Alan Mecklerhttp://weblogs.jupitermedia.com/meckler/

  19. Thank You

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