Aug04

Blogging Conversation-Dialogue

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Mike Sansone at Converstations has been exploring the conversation that is blogging. He was questioned by a colleaque as to how blogging could be considered a conversation for the following three reasons:

  1. Blogging is not done in real-time.
  2. Blogging is not face-to-face.
  3. Blogging is without voice inflection.

The colleague’s point was that companies looking to start blogging might find the term “conversation” as off-putting because companies might not feel ready to be in conversation with their customers. The colleague thought the term might be “too big, too bold.” Mike, of course, disagreed with that idea, as do I.

I find it interesting as with my earlier discussion of negative comments. The online model of marketing, in this case having conversation, isn’t different from what organizations are already doing. Sales reps, customer service people, marketing folks, CEOs, all members of an organization should be having conversations with customers on a daily basis. Some of those conversations are voice recorded. Some are via email and could be passed on to infinite numbers of other people.

The perceived fear must be one of scale or stage fright, or of someone looking over their shoulder. The only differences I can see are that in this conversation the hoped for audience is larger and for certain will include other members of the blogger’s organization, whereas those two conditions are limited in what is currently happening.

It comes down to a fear of flying. Fixing that is easy.

Don’t fly without a net until you’re ready. Learn about blogging from a blogger. Go in knowing what you’re doing. Let a coach be your safety net until you know that you won’t fall.

Liz Strauss

 

  • http://www.cblohm.com CB

    The fear of flying analogy makes perfect sense. Conversations shouldn’t be that difficult – great way to look at this issue – THANKS.

  • http://www.cblohm.com CB

    The fear of flying analogy makes perfect sense. Conversations shouldn’t be that difficult – great way to look at this issue – THANKS.

  • http://www.lettingmebe.blogspot.com Liz Strauss

    Hi CB,
    It’s all a matter of perspective and what we’ve gotten used to. Once we were afraid to use a credit card online, now we pay bills and do our banking here.

  • http://www.lettingmebe.blogspot.com Liz Strauss

    Hi CB,
    It’s all a matter of perspective and what we’ve gotten used to. Once we were afraid to use a credit card online, now we pay bills and do our banking here.

  • http://www.resonancepartnership.com Marianne Richmond

    Agree…like everything new, it takes some getting use to. Having a coach to help jump the learning curve helps a lot.

    Re: “too big, too bold”
    Like so much of social media, this is a “yes, but.” it depends on what the conversation is about…in a sense a blog conversation with a customer is business casual; can be more formal than a voice call with more time for thinking but less formal than an email or a letter so maybe easier to be more straightforward.

    Marianne

  • http://www.resonancepartnership.com Marianne Richmond

    Agree…like everything new, it takes some getting use to. Having a coach to help jump the learning curve helps a lot.

    Re: “too big, too bold”
    Like so much of social media, this is a “yes, but.” it depends on what the conversation is about…in a sense a blog conversation with a customer is business casual; can be more formal than a voice call with more time for thinking but less formal than an email or a letter so maybe easier to be more straightforward.

    Marianne

  • http://www.lettingmebe.blogspot.com Liz Strauss

    Marianne,
    You’ve said that all so well. It shows that you’ve been working with companies to get them past the curve.

    I think that the “time for thinking” is one of the genuine benefits of a blog. You can actually edit your thoughts before you share them. Everyone has the potential to look smarter.

    It’s a shame that some folks don’t take more advantage of that. :P

  • http://www.lettingmebe.blogspot.com Liz Strauss

    Marianne,
    You’ve said that all so well. It shows that you’ve been working with companies to get them past the curve.

    I think that the “time for thinking” is one of the genuine benefits of a blog. You can actually edit your thoughts before you share them. Everyone has the potential to look smarter.

    It’s a shame that some folks don’t take more advantage of that. :P

  • http://www.resonancepartnership.com Marianne Richmond

    Liz,

    Well, as you said, fear of flying….and then one day you wake up and realize you actually think in blog.

    Marianne

  • http://www.resonancepartnership.com Marianne Richmond

    Liz,

    Well, as you said, fear of flying….and then one day you wake up and realize you actually think in blog.

    Marianne

  • http://www.lettingmebe.blogspot.com Liz Strauss

    Exactly put, Marianne

    One day you are actually thinking in blog.

    I’m going to be laughing about that one all day long.

    Thanks for adding to my thoughts!

  • http://www.lettingmebe.blogspot.com Liz Strauss

    Exactly put, Marianne

    One day you are actually thinking in blog.

    I’m going to be laughing about that one all day long.

    Thanks for adding to my thoughts!

  • http://www.resonancepartnership.com marianne richmond

    “laughing about that one all day long”….or in blogthink, LOL.

  • http://www.resonancepartnership.com marianne richmond

    “laughing about that one all day long”….or in blogthink, LOL.

  • http://www.lettingmebe.blogspot.com Liz Strauss

    Marianne,
    It’s no wonder corporations have a fear of blogging. :)

  • http://www.lettingmebe.blogspot.com Liz Strauss

    Marianne,
    It’s no wonder corporations have a fear of blogging. :)

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