quarta-feira, fevereiro 02, 2005: Embrace the Blogosphere

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Although most blogs are personal, many feature a new category of influencers: savvy consumers with feedback about large brands, ranging from expressions of brand love to rants on the latest product recall. Smart marketers, particularly those selling high-involvement products and services, are trying to figure out what to do about this new medium. Do they develop an early-mover strategy to proactively reach consumers? Or do they develop a defensive strategy, so they're prepared if the buzz takes a turn for the worse?

The danger is clear. If businesses don't create their own conversation forum, their brands, products, services, and reputations might be co-opted by others. By telling their side of the story, business can proactively shape preferences and preserve customer loyalty. In its absence, mayhem ensues. One of "The Cluetrain Manifesto's" quintessential rules is shaping a consumer's conversation is critical; if a brand doesn't meaningfully contribute, marketers lose control.
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In the meantime, as you start to explore the blogosphere as a marketing medium, here are three things to consider:

Monitor. It's a no-brainer, but monitor the blogosphere to stay on top of public opinion about your brand, product, service, and competition. Start with highly regarded (and trafficked) blogs like Engadget and Boing Boing.

Advertise: Consider advertising on blogs. BURST! Media recently announced it's selling ad space on several dozen blogs.

Author/sponsor: Consider creating a blog to help engage prospects in conversations about your brand or product, disseminate product information, and share customer service tips. You can author it yourself or sponsor a blogger who already covers the category. Remember to syndicate the blog to maximize visibility. If you secure a high level of readership, you can sell ad space and use the proceeds to fund the initiative.

The blogosphere is new and unproven in the marketing mix, but its influence is growing quickly. There are several hundred million highly opinionated, wired people around the world who want to share their thoughts. Now, they can. Some very confident marketers will embrace blogs as a way of engaging in, or enabling, a direct (and public) dialogue with customers and between customers. For many, this is too risky a proposition.
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