Coming to terms with blogs

I recall the early years of information sharing on the Internet.  Many teachers did not accept online resources as reliable sources of information for school work since little was known about who was sharing the information.  The only validated sources of information were found at web addresses ending in .org, .edu and .gov.  So when blogs gained popularity, I was skeptical of its legitimacy.  Even as David Merriman Scott states in his most recent edition of “The New Rules of Marketing and PR”, “Blogs are independent, web-based journals containing opinions about anything and everything.” (Scott, 2013) How could a consumer, like me, seeking information online find a blog to be a reliable source of information?  After all, it was just someone’s opinion.  To be honest, until reading chapter 5 of Scott’s book, “Blogs:  Tapping Millions of Evangelists to Tell Your Story”, did I truly understand the value of blogs in today’s world of communication and information sharing.  Blogs seem to be digital word of mouth.  Just like with real-life word of mouth, one must be mindful of where the information stems.  “Consider the source (don’t trust strangers), and find out if the information comes from the government, a newspaper, a big corporation, someone with an agenda…” (Scott, 2013) Blogs are just another source of information for consumers. 

Outside of understanding the strategy of a blog for the purposes of information sharing, the texts provide much instruction and advice in becoming a successful blogger.  The number one lesson I learned about blogging is:  content is king.  This concept is best described in the article “Blogging Tips for Enhancing Readership and Success” mentioned in “Google This” (p. 44), “Perhaps the most important thing for all bloggers to understand is the need for original, unique content. Whether you’re sharing a video, talking about a new product, posting an update about your company’s latest social endeavor or something else, make sure that you keep things original and real.”  If you write about interesting topics that people what to read, your blog will be on a path to success. 

I encourage you to visit my blog, Destination Detroit.  

Citations:

Scott, D. M. (2013). The new rules of marketing & pr. (Fourth ed., p. 81, 83). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

http://www.mastermindblogger.com/2013/blogging-tips-for-enhancing-readership-and-success/  (Google This:  The New Media Driver’s License. p. 44)

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