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9 Responses to “The Value of the Blog”

1. Nick Schmidt Says:
   April 23rd, 2008 at 5:35 pm

   I agree with all the comments and the summary at the end of this blog post.
   I’m always up for seeing new creative new insights and ideas, plus I like the interaction between each other to brainstorm and expand the idea into something bigger.

   Interaction is a big key to blogs, however I have seen less interaction in blog posts. Meaning, I see less people replying to post because there are: 1. The blog has too many posts to keep up with your normal life. 2. You are subscribed (RSS) to, too many blogs and it is hard to keep up with all of them. 3. (I’m sure there are more reasons)

   With the expansion of video blogs (Vlogs) and podcasts, I see blogs more of entertainment. You can sit back and watch videos from multiple people and actually have a real reality TV show without all the big producers from the mainstream TV.

   So I would just like to add that blogs are used as “entertainment”. Just as you would buy a book, magazine, go to the movies, or rent a movie.

2. Adam Cohen Says:
   April 24th, 2008 at 7:55 am

   I also agree with all the comments and summary. As a learning tool, I find that my blog has become a “parking lot” - like a whiteboard in a brainstorming meeting. I can capture ideas that come up in conversations, and put them out there to share with colleagues and refine the thoughts. While I’m sure people who start blogs (myself included) would love to see an influx of business as a result, for me the primary motivation has been to learn, converse and share.

   I’m really enjoying seeing how people have found my blog too. Between the statistics and comments, it’s helpful for me to see what value people get out of what I post as well.

3. design mom Says:
   April 25th, 2008 at 8:32 pm

   Excellent article. I can add that blogs become a record, whether intended it to be or not, of what is happening in the author’s life. In my case, sometimes it’s only glimpses, but I can usually track patterns of what I’m finding interesting, what’s on my mind and the language I’m using over the course of the blog.

4. Rachel Says:
   April 29th, 2008 at 3:14 pm

   I find value in being able to discuss my ideas about public relations and sharing what I have learned so far, seeing as I am a student. I also enjoy being a part of a community and discussing what I love with other people.

5. Kristin Foster Says:
   May 1st, 2008 at 11:26 am

   Thanks for your feedback. All of you have brought up valid points and great insight.

   Adam, I agree with you and Rachel on the “whiteboard” phenomena - an outlet for online brainstorming, a place to capture, share and expand ideas.

   Nick, do you think there is a downfall to the decrease in interaction on blogs, or do you think blogs are just as valuable without the comments as they are with?

   DesignMom, you bring up an interesting point. Trendwatching is definitely a tactic that we use when we are monitoring social media - it’s interesting to hear that the bloggers themselves are using their own blogs to spot trends as well.

6. Mike Santoro Says:
   May 19th, 2008 at 8:46 am

   I agree with Adam above in that I use my blog as a space for ideas, articles, and other things I can’t immediately use, but know I’d like to come back to.

   I’ve found that if you are forced to teach something to people then you understand the concept much better than if you just digest it and move on. So every time I have to explain an article I found interesting, or dive into using social media for PR, or demonstrate the importance of SEO, I’m forced to really “get it” before writing about it. That makes me a better marketer.

   So in a way it’s a tool of greed for me so I can stay on top of the latest trends and know them well enough to employ them for our clients. Hopefully other people gain enjoyment from it as well.

7. Chris Leone Says:
   May 19th, 2008 at 11:35 am

   Blogs are great tools for all the reasons Kristin mentioned. If you are blogging and want an audience, then it starts to get tough. To attract a readership, you could look at it from a marketing perspective. You have a product and you want customers to buy that product (in this case, going to your blog and reading your posts). It’s free to everyone, so the value is derived mostly from the quality of the product (your posts). I’ve written about this in my blog interwebers. If you’re interested in blogs and expanding your own, it should a good read:
   http://interwebers.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/blogging-and-marketing-pt-1/

8. comfort Says:
   June 7th, 2008 at 2:54 am

   a good read.

9. vineet agarwal Says:
   July 13th, 2008 at 3:13 am

   I agree with all the comments and the summary at the end of this blog post.
   [/] Adam Cohen
   i agree with Adam Cohen , As a learning tool, I find that my blog has become a “parking lot” - like a whiteboard in a brainstorming meeting. I can capture ideas that come up in conversations, and put them out there to share with colleagues and refine the thoughts. While I’m sure people who start blogs (myself included) would love to see an influx of business as a result, for me the primary motivation has been to learn, converse and share.

   I’m really enjoying seeing how people have found my blog too. Between the statistics and comments, it’s helpful for me to see what value people get out of what I post as well.

   simply great views about the blogs. it really helps to ponder the points for a particular topics.