Tim Bauer’s Running Thoughts

Semi-daily webcast summaries/insights

Blogs: Money, Marketing and/or Relationship

Now this is a dead horse if I have ever seen one – “What is the meaning of a blog”.

Surely there is a new insight in here I thought … well maybe not (here is the 39 million google results for “Why Blog”) … but Scoble is amusing to listen to … so I pushed play.

Webcast Details Notable Points
Title/Link:

Duration:

  • ~48 minutes

Speaker:

Recommend to Watch? No.

  • Their banter back and forth was entertaining to watch from the perspective of getting to know them a bit as people but the nuggets of wisdom were few and far between in the 48 minute discussion.
 1. It’s Not The Blog – It’s the relationship

  • Cashmore didn’t seem to ‘grok‘ much of Scoble’s point around blogs being about relationship (not suprising, he is in business for subscribers not interaction) but that is what Robert hammered. His view is that his blog is really just a souped up version of the BBS he participated in during the 80’s (now those were cool) … with the same goal … connecting to your network to ponder ’stuff’. I found that point interesting because you see a movement to value comments and interactions on blogs far more that the post itself. That is where the insight comes from — the reaction to your post (cataylst) from your readers.

2. The Daily Process – Marketing A Post

  • This was intriguing in that most people worry about (1) what you should blog about (2) how you write (3) how you monetize but less is said about how you drive traffic DAILY. Scoble hinted at it as he talked about his wife and marketing to his friends. How he does the same with his posts … he broadcasts to various networks (twitter, facebook, friendfeed, etc) to come read XYZ post he has done. Not so much to say ‘look at this’ but rather to get them to spend 1 minute posting their reaction to that thought. That process is relative to marketing, relationship or brand blogs I suspect. The question will then quickly become … do they (your network) value getting your ‘heads up’ daily ping? Guess it depends on the average value / poke (is there a formula for that?).

3. How To Read 3000 feeds – Matrix View

  • Well Scoble didn’t reference Neo but he should have. He described how he has Twitter just ‘flowing’ in the background of his desktop as he does whatever (email). Over time trends emerge that being to make him want to react. So its not conscious reading of each post but rather a building awareness. It is similar to what I do w/ my RSS feeds. I have about 70 i review the post titles daily (and drill from reaction) and then there are about 400 I review on the weekends at a even faster clip (a bit of serendipity there or, to Scoble’s point, assuming if its important it will bubble up).

In short, I think the daily process comment was the notable coupled with the realization that there are really categories of blogs (money, marketing, relationship is what I heard in this talk) and each has a unique dynamic and focus for its authors and readers.

What do you think … am I trying to market or build relationship or both here?

** START OF RAW SCRIBBLE TAKEN WHILE RUNNING **

Speakers
……….○ http://www.stickam.com/editMediaComment.do?method=load&mId=178620862
……….○ Pete Cashmore – Mashable.com
……….○ Robert Scobe – Fastcompany.TV
Running Scribble
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:27 AM
……….○ 1M – Overview
………………..§ Mashable – top 10 in world, top tech, biz week says most profitable, most valuable, 10 employees, 10 feature writers part time, pc mag most fav site
………………..§ Scoble – 1980’s BBS in garage. Blog start in 12/00. Interviewed 188 businesses on how using blog @ MSFT. Fastcompany tech innovators
……….○ Using Twitter to drive interview (audience to him)
……….○ Scobles start
………………..§ Scripting.com (Dave Weiner …) …
………………..§ Encouraged him to start
……….○ Cashmore – ran mashable for 1.5 years on his own. $ started rolling in
……….○ No moment of ah ha for Scoble … just happened
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:31 AM
……….○ Cashmore – Long form of blog outdated? Twitter?
………………..§ RS –> Lewis Gray (example) taking over
………………..§ RS –> blogs used to be like twitter … just recommendations
………………..§ RS –> Now you have to think more on post
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:34 AM
……….○ PC –> Are you brand building?
………………..§ RS –> No brand. Just surfing on stuff that interest him.
………………..§ RS –> Cussing
………………..§ RS –> Study interesting people and get them into his life
……….○ PC – - RS follows 16,000 twitters … how do you do it
………………..§ RS –> Uses google to get twitter vision … concept of ‘thought stream’ .. React to certain posts
………………..§ RS –> Multi-task … watch google talk, email, etc
………………..§ Jason Pontoon (sp?) mention
………………..§ Checks twitter in soft spots …
………………..§ Check in during day to see what is being talked about
………………..§ Mark Cuban mention – News comes to me if its important enough
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:38 AM
……….○ PC — Corporate blogging @ MSFT.
………………..§ RS book called “Naked Conversations”
………………..§ PC — Would you go back to MSFT?
………………..§ RS — Doesn’t care about personal atttacks …
………………..§ Theatre … don’t encourage … owen thomas @ Valleywag mention
………………..§ PC – Talks about it is personal brand …
………………..§ RS – Ran 100k person user group BBS … just to chat … bloggin is that … top level of blog is a person so brand is created but otherwise it is no different than a BBS
………………..§ [bauer thought -- … doh … lost it]
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:41 AM
……….○ PC – How decide on what to blog about
………………..§ RS -
………………..§ [bauer thought - they become a magazine as they strive to cover all to expand reach - lose focus]
………………..§ RS – talks about focus
………………..§ RS – reads 3000 feeds at one point … knows who covers what area and he picks his niche
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:43 AM
……….○ Pc – Effect BLOGGIN ON TRADITIONAL JOURNALISM
………………..§ [bauer comment - check chris anderson's post on this … it is only own 10% of market value]
………………..§ Rs – classified ads impact
………………..§ Rs – ran a camera store … $12k for full page ad in paper … now online .. Can target the ad $ more tightly online versus paper … that has nothing to do w/ blogging … its blamed but its really a [trend to targetted ads - bauer edit]
………………..§ Rs – doesn’t read newspaper
………………..§ Pc – doesn’t watch TV or read papers
………………..§ RS – old school jouranlism had connections to break stories .. Now bloggers begin to fill that void as it matures
……….○ [doh - have to slow down treadmill - old man]
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:48 AM
……….○ Pc – People don’t know what they want to read
………………..§ Appeals to gossip
………………..§ Point of sale (being the feeder online you use like usa today)
………………..§ RS – looking for audience looking for niche match … some entertainment spin but really his goal is a like group of minds
………………..§ RS – talks about some larger scale goals … getting into IBM
………………..§ [bauer thought - he is losing focus on what he does well … startups and unknown]
………………..§ Scoble survived with relationships from BLOG
………………..§ [bauer - again the point of the relationship … not the oration]
………………..§ RS – newspaper 15 years ago was a shrinking industry … so he couldn’t get hired
………………..§ [bauer - again check the long tail blog post today … he is misstating facts … high growth in news industry then per those stats]
……….○ Pc – what are blogs good for
………………..§ Good lifestyle … excuse to read and learn about new stuff (which is what he likes)
………………..§ Rs – uses blog to get relationships … twitters when in city … people twittered back
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:53 AM
……….○ Pc – mashable thinks about if its any good (submitted post)?
………………..§ Personal situation is not the key
………………..§ Rs – got on twitter when 20 some people asked him to get on twitter
………………..§ Rs – told him to get on friend feed … now he is addicted to it and its his homepage
……….○ Pc – from audience – blogs for self promotion is US only?
………………..§ Rs – if you take the time to write a post … you want to read it
………………..§ Rs – wife posts and promotes to friends
………………..§ Pc – UK has emphasis on humility so that is the driver to US perception of pumping up
………………..§ Rs – never submitted to digg, and redit, wiki …. Does use twitter for friends
………………..§ Pc – ego is still there,
………………..§ RS – bbc and guardian isn’t a brand
………………..§ Pc – mashable was very humble for 2 yrs … getting good content … started using twitter and facebook
………………..§ [bauer comment - use of those networks for marketing spiked them]
………………..§ Rs – humility is the listening … writing on what you are hearing … ability to comment … NY time articles was false … he did it … journalism messes w/ people .. If valleywag gets stuff wrong … doesn’t get stuff right point it out
………………..§ Rs – Dave weinert … used to communicate directly
……….○ PC – trigger happy on getting story out
………………..§ Get double traffic quick
………………..§ Rs – google world rewards stuff for being 1st … a little impact on being wrong but not if you correct and listen when wrong
……….○ 3/30/2008, 8:02 AM
……….○ Audience ? – responsibility for blogsphere for approach to match journalism
………………..§ Rs – competition drives quality …
………………..§ Pc – did $ ruin blogging
…………………………□ Rs – removed techmeme off home page due to that
…………………………□ So it changes it … how you report
…………………………□ Worry about impact on employees, partners on what you say / do
………………..§ Pc – mashable did $10k or $100k at stake
………………..§ Honest – well researched
………………..§ Rs – didn’t cover friendfeed for 3-4 weeks … it continued to spread without him
……….○ 3/30/2008, 8:05 AM
……….§ RS – talks about QUICK (live video on cell phone)
……….○ Done (8 minutes left … but they were waxing on and its time for church) Speakers
……….○ http://www.stickam.com/editMediaComment.do?method=load&mId=178620862
……….○ Pete Cashmore – Mashable.com
……….○ Robert Scobe – Fastcompany.TV
Running Scribble
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:27 AM
……….○ 1M – Overview
………………..§ Mashable – top 10 in world, top tech, biz week says most profitable, most valuable, 10 employees, 10 feature writers part time, pc mag most fav site
………………..§ Scoble – 1980’s BBS in garage. Blog start in 12/00. Interviewed 188 businesses on how using blog @ MSFT. Fastcompany tech innovators
……….○ Using Twitter to drive interview (audience to him)
……….○ Scobles start
………………..§ Scripting.com (Dave Weiner …) …
………………..§ Encouraged him to start
……….○ Cashmore – ran mashable for 1.5 years on his own. $ started rolling in
……….○ No moment of ah ha for Scoble … just happened
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:31 AM
……….○ Cashmore – Long form of blog outdated? Twitter?
………………..§ RS –> Lewis Gray (example) taking over
………………..§ RS –> blogs used to be like twitter … just recommendations
………………..§ RS –> Now you have to think more on post
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:34 AM
……….○ PC –> Are you brand building?
………………..§ RS –> No brand. Just surfing on stuff that interest him.
………………..§ RS –> Cussing
………………..§ RS –> Study interesting people and get them into his life
……….○ PC – - RS follows 16,000 twitters … how do you do it
………………..§ RS –> Uses google to get twitter vision … concept of ‘thought stream’ .. React to certain posts
………………..§ RS –> Multi-task … watch google talk, email, etc
………………..§ Jason Pontoon (sp?) mention
………………..§ Checks twitter in soft spots …
………………..§ Check in during day to see what is being talked about
………………..§ Mark Cuban mention – News comes to me if its important enough
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:38 AM
……….○ PC — Corporate blogging @ MSFT.
………………..§ RS book called “Naked Conversations”
………………..§ PC — Would you go back to MSFT?
………………..§ RS — Doesn’t care about personal atttacks …
………………..§ Theatre … don’t encourage … owen thomas @ Valleywag mention
………………..§ PC – Talks about it is personal brand …
………………..§ RS – Ran 100k person user group BBS … just to chat … bloggin is that … top level of blog is a person so brand is created but otherwise it is no different than a BBS
………………..§ [bauer thought -- … doh … lost it]
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:41 AM
……….○ PC – How decide on what to blog about
………………..§ RS -
………………..§ [bauer thought - they become a magazine as they strive to cover all to expand reach - lose focus]
………………..§ RS – talks about focus
………………..§ RS – reads 3000 feeds at one point … knows who covers what area and he picks his niche
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:43 AM
……….○ Pc – Effect BLOGGIN ON TRADITIONAL JOURNALISM
………………..§ [bauer comment - check chris anderson's post on this … it is only own 10% of market value]
………………..§ Rs – classified ads impact
………………..§ Rs – ran a camera store … $12k for full page ad in paper … now online .. Can target the ad $ more tightly online versus paper … that has nothing to do w/ blogging … its blamed but its really a [trend to targetted ads - bauer edit]
………………..§ Rs – doesn’t read newspaper
………………..§ Pc – doesn’t watch TV or read papers
………………..§ RS – old school jouranlism had connections to break stories .. Now bloggers begin to fill that void as it matures
……….○ [doh - have to slow down treadmill - old man]
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:48 AM
……….○ Pc – People don’t know what they want to read
………………..§ Appeals to gossip
………………..§ Point of sale (being the feeder online you use like usa today)
………………..§ RS – looking for audience looking for niche match … some entertainment spin but really his goal is a like group of minds
………………..§ RS – talks about some larger scale goals … getting into IBM
………………..§ [bauer thought - he is losing focus on what he does well … startups and unknown]
………………..§ Scoble survived with relationships from BLOG
………………..§ [bauer - again the point of the relationship … not the oration]
………………..§ RS – newspaper 15 years ago was a shrinking industry … so he couldn’t get hired
………………..§ [bauer - again check the long tail blog post today … he is misstating facts … high growth in news industry then per those stats]
……….○ Pc – what are blogs good for
………………..§ Good lifestyle … excuse to read and learn about new stuff (which is what he likes)
………………..§ Rs – uses blog to get relationships … twitters when in city … people twittered back
……….○ 3/30/2008, 7:53 AM
……….○ Pc – mashable thinks about if its any good (submitted post)?
………………..§ Personal situation is not the key
………………..§ Rs – got on twitter when 20 some people asked him to get on twitter
………………..§ Rs – told him to get on friend feed … now he is addicted to it and its his homepage
……….○ Pc – from audience – blogs for self promotion is US only?
………………..§ Rs – if you take the time to write a post … you want to read it
………………..§ Rs – wife posts and promotes to friends
………………..§ Pc – UK has emphasis on humility so that is the driver to US perception of pumping up
………………..§ Rs – never submitted to digg, and redit, wiki …. Does use twitter for friends
………………..§ Pc – ego is still there,
………………..§ RS – bbc and guardian isn’t a brand
………………..§ Pc – mashable was very humble for 2 yrs … getting good content … started using twitter and facebook
………………..§ [bauer comment - use of those networks for marketing spiked them]
………………..§ Rs – humility is the listening … writing on what you are hearing … ability to comment … NY time articles was false … he did it … journalism messes w/ people .. If valleywag gets stuff wrong … doesn’t get stuff right point it out
………………..§ Rs – Dave weinert … used to communicate directly
……….○ PC – trigger happy on getting story out
………………..§ Get double traffic quick
………………..§ Rs – google world rewards stuff for being 1st … a little impact on being wrong but not if you correct and listen when wrong
……….○ 3/30/2008, 8:02 AM
……….○ Audience ? – responsibility for blogsphere for approach to match journalism
………………..§ Rs – competition drives quality …
………………..§ Pc – did $ ruin blogging
…………………………□ Rs – removed techmeme off home page due to that
…………………………□ So it changes it … how you report
…………………………□ Worry about impact on employees, partners on what you say / do
………………..§ Pc – mashable did $10k or $100k at stake
………………..§ Honest – well researched
………………..§ Rs – didn’t cover friendfeed for 3-4 weeks … it continued to spread without him
……….○ 3/30/2008, 8:05 AM
……….§ RS – talks about QUICK (live video on cell phone)
……….○ Done (8 minutes left … but they were waxing on and its time for church)

** END RAW SCRIBBLE TAKEN WHILE RUNNING **

March 30, 2008 - Posted by bauertim | 3-No Go (unless you are bored) | , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

2 Comments »

  1. I believe a blog is fundamentally a forum for a person to express opinion, commentary and their point of view to other people. If you’re a company and/or a marketer at a company, it is no different. The real opportunity for companies is to use a blog as a way to communicate there are real people “behind the curtain” (as they would have said in the Wizard of Oz). And those people behind the curtain have all of the above to offer. After all if marketing is now a conversation, should it happen any other way?

    Comment by Jeff Petry | March 31, 2008

  2. Thanks Jeff. The intriguing part I saw in Scoble’s push was that most people get the ‘expression’ aspect of a blog … and stop there. But his point was to focus a majority of time on the interaction OFF the expression. How to engage and evolve due to that interchange with your network (for personal blogs) or with your customer (for marketing blogs).

    Anyone can blog. Few can blog w/ an end result of interaction.

    Comment by bauertim | March 31, 2008


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