blogging strategy extending your voice to the world

Extending Your Voice To The World: A Blogging Strategy

Jeremiah OwyangAltimeter Group

Dec 12, 2009Doha, Qatar

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Theme

Simple Online Publishing Technology Has Revolutionized How Information Spreads

Around The Globe –The Power Has Shifted To The Participants.

So, Participate.

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Agenda

•How It All Began – Humans Are Social

•A Power Shift – To Participants

•Adoption Around The Globe

•Notable Examples: Who’s Doing It Right

•The Future of Online Voices

The ImpactHumans Are Social Animals

•From early days, man

has connected –and

communicated.

•Tribes passed

information, stories,

art, and print.

•Isolation is scary, and a

punishment.

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How It All Began•Before blogging, digital communities

▫UseNet, Bulletin Board Systems•Online diaries

▫Justin Hall, 1994, recognized as one of earliest

▫Dave Winer, Scripting News•From manual updating to publishing tools

▫OpenDiary (1998), LiveJournal and Blogger (1999)

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The Naming•1997: “Weblog,” coined by John Barger•1999: Peter Merholtz used term “We

blog”•1999: Evan Williams used blog as a noun

and verb, and co-founded Blogger which popularized the terms

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Scobleizer, Microsoft

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Hitachi Data Systems, blogs.hds.com

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Jonathan Schwartz, Sun Microsystems

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Her Majesty, Queen Rania of Jordan Reaches To the World

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Takeaways•Humans are social creatures.•Blog simply extend our behaviors.•Blogging = human.

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Agenda

•How It All Began, Humans Are Social





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People Trust Each Other

Source: http://www.edelman.com/trust/2009

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Agenda






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Global Blogging Highlights•72% are Hobbyists, 28% are Pros

▫Pros: Part-Timers, Self-Employed, or Corporate

•Rise of professional blogger continues▫70% of Pros are blogging more than before

•Blogging on an upward trajectory▫57% plan to blog more

•Motivations:▫71% to speak mind▫68% to share expertise▫37% to attract customers/clients

Source: http://technorati.com/blogging/feature/state-of-the-blogosphere-2009

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Many Don’t Have “Authority” 45% of Blogs Have Authority

Source: http://technorati.com/blogging/article/day-1-who-are-the-bloggers/page-2

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Social Network Adoption Increases

Source: Wave 4. Universal McCann, http://universalmccann.bitecp.com/wave4/Wave4.pdf

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Global Adoption

Source: http://technorati.com/blogging/article/day-1-who-are-the-bloggers/page-2

2009, 50 Countries

US (48%)EU (26%)APAC (10%)Other (16%)

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Map of the Arabic Blogosphere

Source: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/publications/2009/Mapping_the_Arabic_Blogosphere

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Arabic Blogosphere Focuses On News and Issues

• The study “coded” 4,000 blogs in Arabic to find information about political issues etc.

• 19% of bloggers are critical of terrorism

• Among general politics and public life: ▫ Domestic news (64%)▫ International news

(46%) ▫ Ethnic minority issues

(25%)▫ Economic issues (21%) Source: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/publications/2009/Mapping_the_Arabic_Blogosphere

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Takeaways•Adoption is happening around the world –

most major newspapers are indicator•Don’t expect everyone to blog –but many

will read.•Arabic blogosphere focused on news and

issues.

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Agenda




•Notable Examples: Who’s Doing It

Right


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By Vertical

UK Trade and Investment

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http://blog.ukti.gov.uk/authors/

http://blog.ukti.gov.uk/

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ArabCrunch Focuses on Startups

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The Next Web Tech Blog Focuses on Middle East

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Green Prophet Invites International Bloggers To Focus on Sustainability

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International Group Blog: Volunteers from the Peace Corp Share

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By Audience

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New Zealand’s Libraries Engages Kids

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Singapore Government Keeps an Eye On the Region

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To Engage

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Conservative US Transportation Security Administration Starts A Dialog

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US State Department Talks With Citizens

Primarily a one way channel but appropriate.

The videos provide good relevant information in ways that are easy to digest and helpful

Australian Victorian Government Asks For Ideas

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http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/share-your-ideas.html?view=category&layout=category

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Takeaways•Start your blog with a clear objective in

mind.▫Listening, Dialog, Supporting, Innovation

•Keep content focused on one topic –don’t deviate.

•Measure based on your objectives.


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Agenda







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Blogs Integrating Social

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Blogs Integrating Social

Blogs quickly

cascade to social

networks

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Facebook Connect allows

users to see what friends

read/comment on

Sharing What We Read

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Takeaways•Integrate your blog with other social

tools, encourage WOM.•Allow logins from other social networks to

help content to spread.•Social networks allow for ‘personalized

front pages’ in the context of your friends.

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Summary: Putting it All Together• A powerful global trend.

• Blogging empowers global voices –extending

beyond geography and borders.

• Develop a strategy, focus on your objectives,

and treat it like a media platform.

• Remember that the most effective blogs are

conversational –two way. Ask questions.

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Blogging Hacks: What I’ve Learned

• Read lots of blogs.• Treat your blog like it’s own company –and

brand.• Keep content focused on single topic.• If serious, invest in designers and developers.• Have an editorial calendar.• Integrate it into everything you do. Online.

Offline• ABR: Always Be Researching• Pay yourself first.• Have fun.

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Connect With Others•1) Go to web-strategist.com/blog•2) Leave a comment, and describe your

blog, and put URL.•3) Subscribe to others, learn, link, and

share.

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Thank You

Jeremiah OwyangAltimeter Group

[email protected]: @jowyang

Column for Forbes CMO Network

Copyright © 2009 Altimeter Group

Slide Production By Christine Tran, Researcher, Altimeter Group

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