Blogging 101

The five most important points that I gained from reading Chapter 5: Blogs Tapping Millions of the Evangelists to Tell Your Story were helpful in getting my blog started this weekend.

The first point that I found useful was the need to understand how blogs operate and the purpose behind them. The first thing that came to my mind when I heard the word blog prior to this reading was TMZ. Prior to creating my personal blog I had the perception that blogs were used to bash people, companies, products, etc. Not until I started blogging I realized that it is a personal take on situations that are relevant to a subject you care about. After researching blogs I found several blogs that I like Mashable, TechCrunch and several others. Breaking this perception barrier is important when learning to blog as well as getting readers interested in your material.

The second thing I found beneficial was how to use it for marketing and public relations efforts. Companies can easily monitor what millions of people are saying about the company, the market they sell too, the organization, and its products. This is a huge asset when trying to determine the attitudes of consumers.

The third informative piece in this chapter stressed the importance to manage your blog and stay current. The unique opportunity that blogs offer is the ability to see what the readers like and to manage your own reputation.

The fourth important factor in this chapter is to comment on other blogs to get your viewpoint to the public. Most blogs have a feature that allows anyone participate in the on-going conversation by leaving comments. It makes a good point that when you contribute to blogs, people find out who you are.

The fifth element of blogging that is very important is working with bloggers who talk about what you talk. In the chapter it mentioned that organizations have “blogger days” where people who write blogs that are influential in the industry have a chance to be with the company with the day when they reveal products, etc.

There are several elements in this chapter that outline ways for companies and people to maximize their blogging experience. I found these five points to be useful for me in the future in my personal blogging as well as my professional lifestyle.