Category: communication

Good news for blogslackers (like me)

I used to feel guilty about my infrequent postings at this blog. But then I read Eric Kintz‘s excellent post on Marketing Profs — “Why Blog Post Frequency Does Not Matter Anymore” — and the heavy burden of guilt was lifted.

No more scurrying around the blogosphere in search of salient links and quips to post over here. That’s not for me anymore. As Kintz points out, “Daily posts are a legacy of a Web 1.0 mindset and early Web 2.0 days (meaning 12 months ago!). The pressure around posting frequency will ultimately become a significant barrier to the maturity of blogging.”

He then offers 10 reasons why. Here are a few of them:

#1- Traffic is generated by participating in the community; not daily posting – The blogosphere doubles in size every 6 months and cutting through the clutter will become ever more difficult with a new blog emerging every second. Daily posting deals with the clutter by adding more clutter. …
#2 – Traffic is irrelevant to your blog’s success anyway– Unless you specifically target bloggers like Bruce, are a blogging consultant or blog about your latest book, traffic is irrelevant to you. What matters most is whether you are reaching your target audience (which may be narrow and focused), not necessarily how many people read your posts. Engaging with the audience you want to have a relationship with is a much smarter strategy than posting frequently

#3- Loyal readers coming back daily to check your posts is so Web 1.0 – As the blogosphere matures, the number of new readers and bloggers will decrease and loyal readers are going to matter more. I have heard many bloggers tell me that they will lose reader loyalty if these readers come back daily and do not see any new posts. This perception is still very strong although irrelevant. Loyal readers subscribe to your blog via RSS feeds and have new content pushed to them. They will remain loyal because they have subscribed, not because you post frequently.

Now, if only I had an RSS feed.

Recruiting the MySpace generation

Heather Hollingsworth of the Associated Press recently wrote about how schools like the University of Missouri-Columbia, North Dakota State University and Calvin College are using blogs and online journals to help them recruit prospective students. The story succinctly addresses why so many college administrators fear the power of the blog.

“Providing students a less edited view of campus life creates challenges for school officials worried that typos or inappropriate material might harm the school’s image.”

It’s all about the loss of control. And we marketers love to be in control, don’t we.

The story also quotes Michael Stoner, a consultant who works with colleges and universities to improve their electronic communications. Stoner says the risk is worth it. “Enrollment managers and admissions people have had to get used to the fact that they are going to give up some of the control and give it to 17- and 18-year-olds.”