When I began reading Naked Conversations, I dreaded yet another in a long line of class assignments, which confront every student, from grade school to grad school, and beyond! Not knowing what to expect from a book entitled “Naked Conversations,” I was pleasantly surprised. Although skeptical at first, I found myself becoming more intrigued by blogging. As Shel Israel and Robert Scoble discusses in their book, blogging seems like a valid tool to improve customer and employee relations, increase sales volumes, enhance in-house corporate communications, build authority in a particular field, and create global markets for products. As Israel and Scoble explain, these accomplishments are possible because blogs foster communications and build relationships between bloggers and their audiences because they provide an opportunity for two-way conversation. Effective blogs promotes transparency between the blogger and his or her audience. In addition, the blogs which are authentic and personal and as such do not possess a structured “corporate” feel are the ones which are the most successful. Finally, and perhaps of utmost importance, the hallmark of an effective blog, is passion. One has the ability to express their thoughts in a demonstrative and uninterrupted way, which is often lacking in traditional corporate communications. In addition, as Israel and Scoble point out, blogs are an efficient method of promoting a product, and can be more cost effective than expensive multi-media marketing campaigns. Audiences reach out to others who share an interest in the topic or product being discussed in a blog and a grassroots mechanism relays information virally throughout the blogosphere. According to Israel and Scoble, national cultures influence the frequency of blogging use. According to the authors, blogs have been used more in the French and American cultures than in the German culture. The reason for this, according to the authors, is that in France and in the United States discussing one’s thoughts and emotions are more accepted than in Germany. The above notwithstanding, as a former marketing and public relations executive, I take exception to Israel and Scoble’s less than subtle description of marketing professionals as untrustworthy and dishonest “spinmeisters.” In the marketing and PR courses that I’ve taken over the past few years, as part of the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, openness and honesty with clients is always stressed. Personally, I agree with Richard Edelman’s assessment that blogging can promote an important transparency between an organization and its constituents. Thus, I feel that blogs can and should be part of a comprehensive marketing strategy, with an emphasis on “part.” Blogs have to fit into a strategy. They are not the “end all and be all” of a well developed communications program. Moreover, blogs are only as good as the content written by their authors. As Israel and Scoble indicate, traditional marketing tools such as video and print press releases can be limited in credibility and reach. Part of the appeal of blogging is that a two-way conversation can occur, thus providing an opportunity for feedback and adjustment of the message. As said, this relatively quick “fine tuning” of the message is not something which can result from more traditional methods of communication. Finally, although the use of blogs appears to be growing, the question that one must ponder is: Who is likely to read blogs?Among my friends, colleagues, and students with whom I interact, I was not able to readily identify anyone who reads blogs on a regular basis. Furthermore, as Dan Gillmor pointed out, credibility is an issue. The true litmus test came when I “googled” a search to identify blog demographics. I scanned three pages of information, before I arrived at any source I recognized. Thus, blogs have a long way to go before they reach their true potential. More people have to experiment with them in order to judge their value. The bottom line seems to be that blogging can improve relationships… relationships between buyers and sellers, executives and employees, executives and corporations, and corporations and investors. The key seems to be that other means of communications may be needed in order to reach all demographic segments.
