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The Economist has joined the bandwagon of other mainstream media outlets who are talking about blogging. In its article from November 6th, 2008 titled “Oh, grow up” they mention “blogging is no longer what it was, because it has entered the mainstream.”
I love how mainstream media is now claiming blogging has entered the mainstream. The problem with mainstream is they don’t get it. With all due respect to those who are saying mainstream is getting it, they still don’t get it. Blogging is not just now entering mainstream. Mainstream is finally entering blogging and doing so because they know blogging is kicking their collective butts.
There are those outside of the “mainstream” who have been getting blogging for sometime. And these same “outsiders” have been doing it right. From making actual money from focusing a blog on a particular niche selling a product on their blog. And of course those who monetize a blog and make money from ads and other income streams.
Mainstream is also missing the fact there are those who have been using a blog for a number of years to market and promote their business or professional service firms. Mainstream once again fails to realize it is those bloggers who have their fingers on the pulse of what is going on in their states, countries and in the world. The problem is mainstream was caught with their pants down around their ankles and now they are playing catch up with the “little guy” who know first hand that it is not the changing world of blogging. It is in fact blogging is changing the world.
Take for example just for a moment how our recent presidential election in the United States will be changed forever with the use of blogging and other social media tools. Mainstream had better open their eyes and ears and watch and listen to what is going on around them before they are trying to play catch up even more then they are.
It is not until the end of the article when it finally appears The Economist may actually get it.
Simultaneously, companies far outside the media industry have embraced blogging as just another business tool. They are using blogs both to get corporate messages to the public and as an internal medium for staff. Companies like Six Apart, which provides Movable Type, TypePad and other blogging tools, see firms as their most promising market.
Gone, in other words, is any sense that blogging as a technology is revolutionary, subversive or otherwise exalted, and this upsets some of its pioneers. Confirmed, however, is the idea that blogging is useful and versatile. In essence, it is a straightforward content-management system that posts updates in reverse-chronological order and allows comments and other social interactions. Viewed as such, blogging may “die” in much the same way that personal-digital assistants (PDAs) have died. A decade ago, PDAs were the preserve of digerati who liked using electronic address books and calendars. Now they are gone, but they are also ubiquitous, as features of almost every mobile phone.
Is blogging going to go the way of the PDA? No, and let me explain. Blogging has been called the business end of your business marketing. Blogging can even be called your business too. Instead of looking at blogging as the dying PDA, mainstream had better be looking at blogging as an iPhone or Blackberry. Blogging is more. Used as one of your main online marketing tools, in connection with using other social media tools like twitter, blogging will not die on the vine like a PDA. Blogging is the smartphone of the Internet.
I am Grant Griffiths and I blog and co-own a blog consulting and design firm.
I started my first blog February of 2005. My first blog was a blog I used to market and promote my family law practice. And blogging soon became my only form of written advertising. What I also discovered was that blogging is one of the most effective marketing tools available for the small business, home business and professional service firm. In fact, I was am so sold on the effectiveness of blogging, that I am co-founder of G²WebMedia.
Perhaps the “tool” of blogging has moved closer to mainstream, but the uses for that tool are far from it. There is still lots of room for imaginative uses of blogs, not the least of which is promotion of image, product or business.
I haven’t had a chance to read a new book by Dave Wallace called “One Nation Under Blog” but it sounds interesting. I read the review on Amazon and it appears he talks about our First Amendment rights in relation to blogging and brings up the “darker side” of blogging. He also talks about how it affects business, politics, and more. This book is on my list to purchase and I thought Grant’s readers might be interested.
I don’t know Dave Wallace personally but I feel like I know him. I used to live in Sugar Land, TX and we attended same church where he sang in the choir. While we still lived there Dave became the mayor of Sugar Land. He’s no longer the mayor but is still active in the community. I recently started following him on Twitter and learned that he had written this new book. If you want to follow him, his Twitter address is http://twitter.com/davidgwallace
Reba Collins´s last blog post..Can You Really Make Money Blogging?
Reba — Thanks for the heads up on Dave Wallace, his book, twitter and I am checking out his site too. I plan to go to Amazon and read up on “One Nation Under Blog”.
I would like to think of blogging as something that should never be compared to mainstream. My whole problem with this idea is the generalization of content. That is: condemning actual specific, in depth information to the history books.
The great thing about blogs is that you get some like Dosh Dosh and Design Observer that are willing to go in depth and service those of us that like to know a lot. Where as in mainstream, you often have to visit tons of sources to compile some statistics and a full story. Blogs are not always for general audiences. Sometimes blogs are for serious debates and involvement.
I don’t think blogging will die anymore than cell phones will die. I do think, however, it’s in danger of becoming so downsized that the evolution won’t particularly matter after a certain point.
Corey — Thank you so much for your great comment. Anytime you would like to guest post, the door is open.
Martha- Oh how right you are. There is still so much more growth from the aspect of how a blog can be used by those innovative types. Maybe there is a blog post in there somewhere. Thanks again for reading and especially for commenting and engaging in the conversation.