Blogs Bridge Business and Social Media: watch directly on YouTube.
This is me experimenting with unscripted blathering. I figured at some point I would say something useful, and I think I may have. I mercifully edited everything else out. 
Here’s the takeaway: blogs are bridges into social media for business.
I mean, let’s face it, a business doing social media is about as cool as a middle-aged white guy in a suit trying to rap.
BUT… let’s say your business blog has readers and THEY participate in social media.
Are you creating social media-worthy content for them to spread? How would you know?
Here’s a tip: don’t try.
Make useful content. Content that’s a resource. Content that’s bookmarkable: lists, tips, tutorials, hacks (yes, hacks! screw IP, it’s not worth the ill will). These juicy nuggets of knowledge get shared between people. Build loyalty. Earn trust. Make money.
6 Comments
You definitely have a good point. Imagine IBM doing it though? Nah… wouldn’t work as well.
@David - Actually, IBM has a TON of free ontent about open source software and many other things. But like, say you’re some giant food company. Unless you got great recipes or a funny video, you’re probably not going to have much luck. The idea is to have something that’s useful or entertaining, and that people want to share with others. What makes people want to share with others? That’s the magic question. But I think think the answer might have to do with tapping into people’s desires to shape how others see them.
First: Stick to Scripting.
Second: Lite content. Sorry. I apologize for my harsh tone; however, blogging on blogging is ok; however, social media content where anyone makes money from them has not seen a phase II yet. Please point to any business that is benefitting from social media outside of the media providers themselves. I’m talking about reach, not catering to an existing set of users or community. Sure, its a great vehicle; however, let’s talk reach. Net new non-IT, non media, non blog business sales. Let me know, I’m very interested!
@Jack - thanks for the feedback. I can take it just fine.
Measuring the reach of social media is very much in its infancy. Is it being used by the non-IT crowd? Definitely.
There is a lot of info out there about measuring social media marketing.
But let’s think more in terms of case studies. Microsoft has managed to humanize their company by allowing its workers to blog prolifically and going ga-ga over RSS in its web and SharePoint technologies. Robert Scoble started that, but M$ really picked it up and ran with it. I think it’s safe to say they got reach, whether they’re bother to measure it or not or how, I don’t know. Microsoftie posts make it on Digg (where they buy advertising, but that’s one way to do it I guess).
Say you’re a car manufacturer. Audi is all over the place on Digg with their new R8 supercar.
Here’s a more off-the-wall one: yougurt. These stories could be submitted under the direction of a yogurt company, but at the very least, if I were running a yogurt company, I’d want to be aware of (better yet, involved in) internet discussions involving yogurt.
I’m not sure if that’s what you’re really looking for as an answer. But it seems that, generally, business who participate in social media directly have to do it a certain way or they are viewed as shilling. They need to be true participants and almost forget about marketing, because the number one asset they can build is trust. Because of the difficulty of that, I’m suggesting that blogging allows others to do your dirty work for you. Hence the “bridge” analogy.
You talk about how blogs are more effective then social media, but you contradict that point saying that if you create a blog than people can stumble posts, digg posts, sphinn posts, etc. I think instead of saying that blogs are better than social media on a business level, you can emphasize that you must first create a blog to get a significant return on your investment of time into social media interactions.
Great post. I love the unscripted posts, despite what Jack has said above. Sometimes your best stuff comes out in rambles. Thanks!
@Erica - Yes, I led myself into a different realization than what I held when I began.
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