The JaffeBLEND Blog

JaffeJuice #126 & Bob Garfield

Listening to JaffeJuice interview Bob Garfield on his podcast right now, and while I'm only half way through the podcast, I wanted to recommend this interview while it's fresh in my mind. Since many international (non Ad-Age) readers are not familiar with Bob, his views are refreshing and a good wake-up call for all marketers and folks in the advertising and media industries. I love the reference to the old yin and yang in marketing and media, where content was provided for free in exchange for advertising however this relied on content being limited in supply - which is NO LONGER the case. Furthermore, while our generation accepts the interruption model to receive free content, the younger generation simply finds it annoying and unacceptable. While many have held this point of view, I have also preached it in my keynotes and recent "Future of Digital" project for Microsoft, it's comforting to hear industry thought leaders like Bob and Joseph give greater insight on the "revolution" and sum it up so succintly. It's one thing to provide answers, but it's another to do it in a way that makes people listen. Thanks Bob and Joe for shaking things up! p.s. I obviously feel passionate about this topic, as I typed this post with one finger on my iPhone and now have a finger cramp...

First Post from my iPhone!

Well, determination is the name of the game and my spanking new toy is up and running in full force. The iPhone and Orange experiences cannot be separated so a full post will follow. This keyboard takes some getting used to, so I'll stick to my laptop for longer posts. Loving the Typepad iPhone app which I am using now. Over and out. PUBLISH.

To Blog or not to Blog

Since I often advise people not to blog for the sake of it, in the context of not using new media for the sake of it but always looking to integrate it in a relevant way. I also feel that I should dogfood what I preach with my own blog, hence not just blogging well … to blog.

And then I found myself having trouble kick-starting my own blog. I found myself very hesitant to write down my opinions and put them out there for everyone to see. What if people didn’t like what I had to say? What if they didn’t agree with me? And then I realized … THAT’S PART OF THE POINT. Blogging is about 2-way dialogue, a conversation, and the commentary is the chance for people to respond to what you’ve said, good or bad. I need to just take the plunge.

So what is blogging?

If traditional journalism is the part of the iceberg above sea-level, then blogging is the journalism for the masses and represents that large part of the iceberg under sea-level. Its accessible (anyone can set up a blog) and it allows many opinions to be accessible to people which ordinarily would have remained invisible and hidden. Blogging connects people, spanning subjects from personal to business, cultures and geography. See what Wikipedia has to say about blogging. 

Blogs are connections between people (an author and their audience) as well as platforms for conversations. The opinions readers have and the ability to respond via comments are what makes blogging a different phenomenon to traditional journalism when letters to the editor were handpicked and only 1 or 2 would ever make it to publishing.

The blogging writing style is a new kind of editorial journalism. In fact, I recently told I was missing the point when I mentioned that I wanted to “prepare” the content of my blog before-hand. This editorial style is a key characteristic of the instant “real-time” nature of blogging, just a few clicks from expression to publication. This has resulted in a free-form style of written “bites” that are a) very personal, b) more conversational, c) more frequent, d) shorter and e) more authentic and unedited. Blogging also has this “dear diary” style to it, allowing readers to really connect with the blogger in a personal way, by the very nature of the style that many bloggers write.

Why would anyone bother to blog then?

When blogging first came about, I must confess that I wondered “why would someone write down their intimate thoughts and share them in cyberspace with … the world”. So I started to try and understand why people blog.

On a personal level, people blog to tap into certain inner desires. I’ve always wondered why have people embraced blogging from a psychological perspective i.e. the sharing of thoughts, opinions, activities and personal information. Here’s what I think motivates people:

·         Self-expression: giving a voice to the inner journalist in some of us. Blogging is very similar to print “columns” offering opinions (and the commentary represents all the letters to the editor don’t mostly don’t make it to publication).

·         Relief: Getting something “off one’s chest” – good ‘ol Freudian catharsis

·         Ownership and fame: There’s a level of recognition associated with being a blogger (cool label) and having a blog (cool asset)

·         Connecting with others: getting and giving commentary allows people the chance to see if others share their thoughts or simply want to discuss topics they are passionate about. Blogging is a time-delayed discussion/debate form of conversation beyond the boundaries of a room with chairs in a circle.

·         Other? What do you think? (get it? I’m inviting conversation here if you missed it .. ;-) ).

While I feel I still have so much more to say on the topic, I will go ahead and not reread and re-edit this again and just post it, hoping to stimulate some conversation of my own.

Let me know what you think of this article, and feel free to post some commentary. I’d appreciate hearing from you.

PUBLISH NOW!