Blogging: Get on-board or be left at the station

While looking at a lot of the current and recent research connected to social media -- specifically blogging -- as a cutting edge communication tool, it has become pretty clear there are some simple truths to be noted:

1)      Internet use continues to increase around the globe, even in less technologically developed countries. While the access method may be changing (desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet, smartphone, etc.), more and more people are being “connected” to the Internet.

2)      Blogging continues to rise as a tool for information dissemination, whether it is being done by companies, public relations practitioners, journalists or “citizen journalists.”

3)      Those who are embracing the use of social media as a means of making more customized, meaningful connections (or relationships) with various audience segments are potentially able to strengthen their branding efforts.

Internet Use

As noted in a recent quarterly update for Internet service providers, Internet use/growth is expected to continue even in the United States by 3% annually through 2017. Growth will be much higher in less developed regions. While the method of access might continue to evolve, the bottom line remains the same: People continue to use the Internet more and more, whether it is via a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a smartphone or a tablet device. Being accessible via the Internet should remain a critical component of any company’s comprehensive strategic communication program.

As the Baby Boomer generation ages, use of the Internet by “older” groups continues to grow. Younger generations have grown up with the technology, so it is doubtful their use will diminish. Rather, the tech-savvy generations may become more discriminating in their sources of information.

Blogging

As a format for sharing information, connecting with customers, or demonstrating an area of expertise in a particular field, weblogs continue to grow. As noted in my previous blog entries, “citizen journalists” use blogs to drawn attention to issues not covered by mainstream media or from a slightly different perspective than the same stories that are covered by mainstream media.

Credibility continues to be an issue for bloggers. The ability to demonstrate support, proof and reasoned commentary through the use of blogs will be increasingly important to those who desire to be professional and successful bloggers. Journalists often maintain supplemental blogs in addition to their published works on either broadcast or print media, helping to solidify the overall credibility of blogs.

Journalists aren’t the only ones using blogs. Companies use social media like blogging to build their brands. According to Richard Honack, lecturer of executive programs at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management "social networks do not sell product, do not sell services, they sell brands, they are brand builders."

Even leading communication/journalism educators, helping prepare future practitioners to be well-rounded, diversified strategic communicators are incorporating ongoing blogs to be part of the student’s coursework.

Branding

Branding is not a new concept. Building and strengthening a brand via the Internet is becoming much more important. The basic building blocks of branding online are the same, essentially, as off. The Internet merely allows these traditional functions to happen at greater speed and with increased need for responsiveness by the companies looking to establish and build their brands.

As noted in a great introduction to using the Internet as a branding tool from 2007, to build a brand a company needs to understand its customers. What motivates them, what attracts them, what turns them off. A company needs to utilize a full spectrum of marketing communication channels and techniques to gain insight and have interaction with their current, past and future customers. And finally, the content supplied by these companies has to have value.

Information supplied and collected via use of the Internet moves at a much faster pace than branding efforts in a traditional marketing branding model. Social media like Facebook, Twitter and even blogging allows companies to establish direct connections with potential, current and former customers in nearly real time, allowing for a deeper, more personal connection between the consumer and the brand.

What does it all mean?

Simply put, the Internet and use of blogs will continue to grow as a highly targeted interactive communication vehicle, enabling communicators – regardless of their professional capacity – with an opportunity to establish and build brand awareness and loyalty for their business endeavors or clients. The savvy communicator needs to recognize this opportunity and get on-board with this developing technology in order to remain relevant in the marketplace. The alternative is that you will be left behind.

Sources:

Internet service providers - quarterly update 4/15/2013. (2013). (). Austin, United States, Austin: Hoover's Inc. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1341267270?accountid=38769

"Put yourself in the Spotlight; Evolving your brand means evolving your marketing. All signs point to social media as the way to go. Just ask broker-turned-marketing-guru Ryan Hanley." Employee Benefit Adviser 1 May 2013: 24. General OneFile. Web. 5 May 2013.

Simmons, G. J. (2007). "i-branding": Developing the internet as a branding tool. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 25(6), 544-562. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02634500710819932

Crowdsourcing: The new R&D

It is sort of funny when you have been participating in a particular activity for a long period of time, only to find out that there is an actual name for the activity and a whole field of study developing and devoted to it. I will discuss how I have already been using this method long before I knew it had a name at the end of this entry.

The activity is called “crowdsourcing.” As I have recently completed some research in this area, the most simplistic definition is this:

'Crowdsourcing' is an open call to a variety of sources to gather information, ideas and/or innovations.

But what does that mean? To the neophyte, it might sound like a new way to describe a focus group. And, in fact, it kind of is. The main difference is, in today's high-tech world, crowdsourcing utilizes the internet, social media and word of mouth.

Let talk about what crowdsourcing can do and that might help fill out the definition for those less acquainted with the emerging media and technology that is changing the business landscape almost daily. Let's pretend I make widgets. They are good, quality widgets and I have a fairly stable customer base that buys my widgets. But there is rumor floating in the trade press (online, of course) that my biggest rival is looking at ways to improve their widget and it will revolutionize the whole widget industry. What can I do? I call in my own Research and Development (R&D) team and ask them what improvements could be made to make the widgets better. They have nothing. So I turn to my Executive Vice President (EVP) of Strategic Communication (a product of Troy University, of course) and ask her how she can help.

My EVP suggests floating the issue out on a variety of social media sites, seeking input from users about how widgets could be improved. She also suggests finding user groups that are made of people similar (but not exact) in knowledge and background to our R&D team and create a challenge -- with a $10,000 prize to the winner -- for workable ideas to improve our standard widget.

Her suggestions are, in effect, outsourcing the R&D to people who might have a slightly different view of widgets (production, features, manufacture, etc.) with a sizable reward for the winning idea as well as outsourcing some marketing research through user-oriented focus group information gathering about what the end user would like to see different about widgets in general.

The cost? Ultimately, it’s just time spent online, connecting and collecting information from the various groups and then number-crunching (for the research) and verification of the improvement submissions (at least the R&D people can do something productive). If there are no submissions that warrant awarding a prize, there is no prize to award (money saved).

If there is a prize to be awarded, my EVP can use this unconventional method of product improvement/manufacture as a public relations tool to position our widget company as not only a leader in widget development but also a progressive leader in advanced communication technology to operate smarter and more effectively within our industry.

That is an example of crowdsourcing. A recent high-profile example of crowdsourcing was the use of private citizen videos and images collected from people attending the Boston Marathon earlier this month. The authorities used traditional media as well as social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) to alert private citizens that the authorities wanted copies of any images or video taken near the marathon's finish line where the bombs exploded and killed three people and wounded more than 150 others.

Using those images and video, the authorities were able to identify two suspects within days of the bombing and then they used those same media outlets -- traditional and social -- to distribute images of the suspects in an effort to locate the alleged bombers. Barely more than 24 hours elapsed from when they released those images and one bomber had been killed in a crossfire and the other was in custody.

While the situations are significantly different, utilizing crowdsourcing techniques has great potential to change the landscape of almost every arena: political, law enforcement, manufacturing, marketing, media and education.

But how have I been using this leading edge technology and techniques already? I'm glad you asked. In my spare time, I build patio/deck furniture out of recycled wooden pallets. I had noticed stacks of pallets alongside a major thoroughfare where I live and thought it was a waste of wood.

I did a little research online and saw that coffee tables could be made from recycled wooden pallets. At the time, my family and I had recently moved and my wife wanted a new coffee table. So I made one for her out of recycled pallets. She was thrilled and asked if I could make some shelves in the pantry for her, too. Then a chair for our deck. Then a night table for my son. The list began to grow and grow.

I knew there was a business opportunity because except for a little glue and deck screws, I had a "free" source of materials that could be turned into anything I was capable of building. But what to build? I floated a question of two among my friends on Facebook, asking what they would want for their deck or patio. I also joined a couple online woodworking groups and joined a few ongoing discussions about using pallet wood to build furniture.

I learned that a double Adirondack-styled settee, featuring two chairs connected by a little table was what people seemed most interested in having. I also learned about the different styles of pallets -- some that are heat-treated in a kiln to ensure no bugs are living in the wood, and some are sprayed or dipped in chemicals to do the same thing. As a result, I will only use pallets with the "HT" stamp to make furniture. And one of my biggest sellers is the double "Pallirondack" Settee -- I've made four so far.

And I used crowdsourcing to gather information to help steer my side business in terms of what products to build and which materials are the best to use. I am a successful pioneer in crowdsourcing technology and techniques.