No. For real. Why blog?

It's a question with much merit. And one I get asked a lot.

The thing is, blogging isn't for everybody. Yes, I just said that blogging isn't for everybody; just as I've said (and still say) that not every company must blog. What I believe is that every company should be listening. Because every company should have always been listening to their audiences (this is not 2.0, it's marketing 101).

And now they have a new-and-improved way of doing so. (Yippie)

Now, for some, writing and maintaining a blog is great for their business. For many others it's a terrific creative outlet or way to express themselves. And for others, it's a perfect way to analyze a particular subject or profession. Oh, and for others it's a way to do all of these things.

And then some.

So, "Why blog?" is a case-by-case, company-by-company and person-by-person answer if ever there was one. And there are no wrong answers.

Since I run a "business blog", in that I focus on marketing topics, I get asked this question by clients and prospects. While Web 2.0 may be old news to us, it's not to the majority...and it won't be for a long, long time. And while I'm pushing more companies to listen--and some to blog--I always want to be cognizant that there's a learning curve. Plus I do so cherish curiosity (psst: it many times leads to innovation).

Thus, one way that I can assist in the learning curve is to periodically re-run the collage I created in Fall 2006 where I asked the core question of: What is the single greatest point of value that you receive from blogging? (I asked it at this post). Because while many have seen it, many still have not.

It's a piece I share with my colleagues and clients a good deal, be it in presentations or through one-on-one conversations. And as I point out, there are two key things to understand about the piece. First, it was created from opinions across the marketing community--not just mine. And, second, the answers are very diverse. We may all be receiving value from this exchange, but the core value that we receive--spanning knowledge, connection, community, self-improvement and many, many more--differs for each person.

If you've not yet read it, take ten minutes and review the many answers; the first page of the collage gives short answers all on one page, and pages 2-5 give you the full comments. Perhaps it will help you, too, in explaining the myriad points of value from blogging to your curious clients and colleagues. And you might even find some new blogs in the process, as all answers are hyperlinked.

The piece is in PDF format here. And if you don't prefer downloading a PDF, a rich media version of the collage is right here. Enjoy ;-)

Comments

[Amber Naslund]

CK - this is great stuff and I really appreciate your sharing it! This is the kind of stuff we need to keep talking about, and I'm so grateful. Keep up the great stuff.

Amber

[Greg Verdino]

OMFG the collage is almost 2 years old? Wow! Time flies, but the smart ideas and even some of the not so smart ones (mine) are timeless. G