The following is a series of reviews on web 2.0, web design, and social media books. It will be a 9 part series. Each review is structured to provide a brief summary of the books along with some application to current course assignments for a Web 2.0 Production course taught by Dr. Sorin Matei, Purdue University.) [Cross-posted on ConsumerMixx]
Series 5: Naked Conversations: What I Learned
If you are coming to the blogosphere from Madison Avenue, or with the heart of a traditional marketer, and you just cannot avoid the temptation to crank it up a wee bit now and then, our advice is: DON”T DO IT! (Scoble & Israel, 2006)
Summary
I’ve had the opportunity to read through Robert Scoble and Shel Israel’s book, Naked Conversations and I have to say it was a treat. It was an easy read, littered with story after story that the reader will undoubtedly find themselves giggling and shaking their head up and down in agreement. If you are new to the world of blogging, then of course, I recommend that you read the whole thing from cover to cover. If you are like me and have some experience with blogging, then skimming some chapters and take to heart others is more appropriate. Even though the book was written with the business/marketing world in mind, I still found it very applicable to personal blogs. In my review, I will attempt to discuss the five things that I learned from perusing through the book. These five are in no order and are by no means the only exceptional nuggets of advice. They just hit home with me. Enjoy!
- Be Real!
As the quote depicts at the beginning of this post, never, I mean never, try to be someone that you aren’t on your blog. Authenticity is cherished. Being yourself is the best thing to do. Even if you think you aren’t as interesting as some of the other blogs you have read. All content, personal references, stories about others should be true. If not, as the book says, the blogosphere will find out and you will regret it. (See Chapter 10) - WOM is your friend
Remember the time in high school when you heard the “rumor” going around about one of your friends? By the time lunch period rolled around, everyone in the cafeteria was talking about. That is a perfect example of word-of-mouth (WOM). The introduction of the Internet has made WOM even more powerful than when you were in high school. Now, instead of just your friends and their associates knowing something, the entire world can know in a matter of minutes, or better yet, clicks and link forwards. You can use WOM to your advantage. There’s no better way to increase traffic on your site than by spreading other interesting articles that you have read elsewhere. It provides traffic for you and for the original source. Also, remember to public acknowledge your blog site. Get the word out to others so that they can invite their friends, or their friends’ friends to visit your site. (See Chapter 3) - Do the Right Thing!(c) Spike Lee
Scoble & Israel provide an entire chapter on how to do the blogging thing right. Just to highlight what they said, keep your blog simple. Focus on one or two particular topics instead of a catch-all. Take time to think about your blog, the name, the URL, the layout. All of this plays into user-friendliness and repeat visitors. Always be accessible to your readers (even if you are scared of spam. There is a way to be accessible to only those that you want to be.). The blogosphere, if you’re lucky, will become your best friend. Your blog will bring readers from all over the world that will love (and sometime hate) what you have to say, and who will engage in this conversation for months to come. If you take the time upfront to prepare for a successful blogging experience, then it will pay off. (See Chapter 11) - Play Well With Others
This one goes hand-in-hand with #2. Play nice on your blog and others will play nice with you. There is a unwritten set of rules in the blogosphere. Once you get into the world, then you’ll see how others are treated. Never pick a fight, unless you can back it up. Share the links of others, and they will share yours too. Have respect for fellow bloggers. Blogging can be a difficult job at times. Some posts are extremely personal and can be a little too close to home for some authors. Remember this. This is also where authenticity comes into play. No matter what, there is a human connection out there in the blogosphere. (See Chapters 1 and 2) - Don’t Force It
There will come a time when it won’t be so easy to write a post. Several things could have happened: busy schedule, not inspired, lack of motivation, or over saturation. There’s no need to give up completely. Yes, if you have a blog that has attracted a considerable amount of traffic then your readers will be expecting a regular post. However, there’s no written ( or un-written) rule about taking a break, whether it be long or short. Your readers will still be around, as long as you take the time to let them know what happening with you. You’ll be joining the conversation and contributing to the network of bloggers. They are like your family. Be kind and let them know if you need a break. The worst thing you can do is force a post and publish mediocre content. As with anything, it will be easy and something you can do regularly as long as you are happy and not feeling too overwhelmed.I hope these 5 tips have helped you as much as they have helped me. This book has helped me with the development of my own site and given me ways to improve my writing and managing of posing regularly.
Reference
Scoble, R., & Israel, S. (2006). Naked Conversations. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.