Transcript The 15 Minute Case for B2B Blogging ASBPE Annual Meeting July 21, 2006 David Shaw.
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 Why you and your magazine should blog Why more editors/magazines don’t blog Blogging best practices Examples
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
Blog Examples
Blogs run by people with day jobs A brief selection, not including our panelists: – Rex Hammock http://www.rexblog.com/ – Philadelphia City Paper’s Clog http://www.citypaper.net/clog/ (Excellent group blog) – Sue Pelletier’s face2face http://blog.meetingsnet.com/face2face/ – Mark Cuban’s Blog Maverick http://www.blogmaverick.com/ – Robert Scoble http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ – CJR Daily Audit blog) – Alan Meckler http://www.cjrdaily.org/the_audit/ (Group http://weblogs.jupitermedia.com/meckler/