The Value of Blogging In Business Charleston Area Alliance CEO Roundtable April 4, 2007 Skip Lineberg – Maple Creative Matt Ballard – Charleston Area Alliance Robert L. Coffield – Flaherty, Sensabaugh & Bonasso

Audience Participation Are you a blogger? Do you have a corporate blog? Do you have an employee who blogs? Do you read blogs? How often? I haven’t raised my hand because I don’t know what a blog is.

Are you a blogger?

Do you have a corporate blog?

Do you have an employee who blogs?

Do you read blogs? How often?

I haven’t raised my hand because I don’t know what a blog is.

BLOGS AND BLOGGING User generated content (by non-tech public) Regularly updated journal (reverse chronological) Contains text, images, video, audio and links Permalinks for each post High search rankings and optimization Allows commenting and an open online conversation (electronic social networking and collaboration) Millions of people and businesses publishing content and sharing ideas Low cost and little maintenance

User generated content (by non-tech public)

Regularly updated journal (reverse chronological)

Contains text, images, video, audio and links

Permalinks for each post

High search rankings and optimization

Allows commenting and an open online conversation (electronic social networking and collaboration)

Millions of people and businesses publishing content and sharing ideas

Low cost and little maintenance

BLOGGING DEMO: 101

THE BLOGOSPHERE 1994 Justin Hall – recognized by Time Magazine as “founding father of blogging” Technorati: The pulse of the blogosphere 100,000 blogs created every day (Oct 2006). Number of new blogs doubling ever 5-7 months New blogs stats: October 2003 – 1 million blogs October 2004 – 4 million blogs October 2005 – 19.6 million blogs October 2006 – 57 million blogs January 2007 – 63.2 million blogs 1.3 M posts per day (54,000 posts per hour)

1994 Justin Hall – recognized by Time Magazine as “founding father of blogging”

Technorati: The pulse of the blogosphere

100,000 blogs created every day (Oct 2006). Number of new blogs doubling ever 5-7 months

New blogs stats:

October 2003 – 1 million blogs

October 2004 – 4 million blogs

October 2005 – 19.6 million blogs

October 2006 – 57 million blogs

January 2007 – 63.2 million blogs

1.3 M posts per day (54,000 posts per hour)

BLOGS AND BLOGGING Personal hobby that has become a powerful media, business and technology tool Broad readership vs. niche topics (long tail) New vocabulary: posting, tagging, blogroll, permalink, commenting, trackback, blawg, carnival, Instalanche Statistics from Pew Internet & American Life Project: 2004 – 44% Internet users were creating content online 2005 – 57% of teens now create content online Among 21 year olds, 61% of web content they view was created by someone they know

Personal hobby that has become a powerful media, business and technology tool

Broad readership vs. niche topics (long tail)

New vocabulary: posting, tagging, blogroll, permalink, commenting, trackback, blawg, carnival, Instalanche

Statistics from Pew Internet & American Life Project:

2004 – 44% Internet users were creating content online

2005 – 57% of teens now create content online

Among 21 year olds, 61% of web content they view was created by someone they know

Audience Participation Do you know what this means: How many websites do you visit per day to looking for new content? 2? 5? 10?

Do you know what this means:

How many websites do you visit per day to looking for new content? 2? 5? 10?

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Automated web surfing ( R eady for S ome S tories) Push technology or customized content delivery (replaces surfing, email and e-newsletters) Allows busy people to immediately receive updates to web based content of interest User subscribe to a “feed” using a “feed reader” Keyword searches using RSS (client/business) Readers: Bloglines, Google Reader, MyYahoo, Feedburner, NewsGator

Automated web surfing ( R eady for S ome S tories)

Push technology or customized content delivery (replaces surfing, email and e-newsletters)

Allows busy people to immediately receive updates to web based content of interest

User subscribe to a “feed” using a “feed reader”

Keyword searches using RSS (client/business)

Readers: Bloglines, Google Reader, MyYahoo, Feedburner, NewsGator

HOW TO RSS: 101 How do I find and subscribe to RSS Feeds? The new standard/universal RSS feed icon: Other RSS icons still in use:

How do I find and subscribe to RSS Feeds?

The new standard/universal RSS feed icon:

Other RSS icons still in use:

HOW TO RSS: 101

BLOGGING AND WEB 2.0 Transforming the WWW to Live Web Reading and interacting with your neighbors (next door and across the globe) Everyone becomes a webmaster and controls content on the web RSS is the key to disseminating information, learning, following blogs and tracking information from Web 2.0 applications

Transforming the WWW to Live Web

Reading and interacting with your neighbors (next door and across the globe)

Everyone becomes a webmaster and controls content on the web

RSS is the key to disseminating information, learning, following blogs and tracking information from Web 2.0 applications

WEB 1.0 vs. WEB 2.0 Web 1.0 Hyperlinks Static Content Controlled message Read Webmaster Search Central data Example: Britannica Online Outlook Ofoto (Kodak) Web 2.0 Posts and comments Dynamic and user generated Mental chatter & wisdom of crowd Read, write and collaborate Everyone and anyone RSS/Subscribe Decentralized data Examples: Wikipedia GMail Flickr

Web 1.0

Hyperlinks

Static Content

Controlled message

Read

Webmaster

Search

Central data

Example:

Britannica Online

Outlook

Ofoto (Kodak)

Web 2.0

Posts and comments

Dynamic and user generated

Mental chatter & wisdom of crowd

Read, write and collaborate

Everyone and anyone

RSS/Subscribe

Decentralized data

Examples:

Wikipedia

GMail

Flickr

Example of Live Web At Work

Ten Reasons to Blog Thoughts on the Potential Benefits for Your Business Skip Lineberg - Maple Creative

Ten Reasons to Blog Provide a creative outlet.

Provide a

creative

outlet.

Ten Reasons to Blog Sharpen & improve your writing skills.

Sharpen & improve

your

writing

skills.

Ten Reasons to Blog Harness the power of publishing. Your message - Your timing

Harness the power of publishing.

Your message - Your timing

Ten Reasons to Blog Reach the world. Great blog and congratulations for winning that award. I too have a blog about Indian brands much in the same style as yours. keep the great work. June 26, 2006. 4:22 a.m.

Reach the world.

Ten Reasons to Blog 4a. Or reach across town – do either … do both! Thanks for the nice comments. I am also looking forward to the presentation for to CEOs from the Charleston area on blogging. Hopefully, together we can inspire them to learn more about the benefits of business blogging and not be frightened by the fact that an employee is blogging. March 26, 2007. 5:21 a.m.

4a. Or reach across town – do either … do both!

Thanks for the nice comments. I am also looking forward to the presentation for to CEOs from the Charleston area on blogging. Hopefully, together we can inspire them to learn more about the benefits of business blogging and not be frightened by the fact that an employee is blogging.

March 26, 2007. 5:21 a.m.

Our Solicitation Nation

Ten Reasons to Blog Pull instead of push. Subscriptions instead of spam More ethical, more user-focused Web 2.0 – we are driving

Pull instead of push.

Subscriptions instead of spam

More ethical, more user-focused

Web 2.0 – we are driving

Ten Reasons to Blog Create a powerful new touch point for your customers. Show your approach, philosophy Provide more information, advice, and value Demonstrate your credibility or expertise 247365

Create a powerful new touch point

for your customers.

Show your approach, philosophy

Provide more information, advice, and value

Demonstrate your credibility or expertise

247365

Ten Reasons to Blog Earn honors, awards & recognition. Positive publicity for your business!

Earn honors, awards & recognition.

Ten Reasons to Blog Improve your search engine visibility. Connections on the Web very important to search engines - hyperlinks in/out, blogroll Relevant, fresh content can boost your rankings with spiders, bots & Web-droids

Improve your search engine visibility.

Connections on the Web very important to search engines - hyperlinks in/out, blogroll

Relevant, fresh content can boost your rankings with spiders, bots & Web-droids

Ten Reasons to Blog Drive traffic to your Web site

Drive traffic to your Web site

Ten Reasons to Blog Networking - Make valuable business connections ! New vendor Helpful, supportive partner Your next hire Your next customer

Networking -

Make valuable business connections !

New vendor

Helpful, supportive partner

Your next hire

Your next customer

BLOGGER LAW Legal Guide for Bloggers (Electronic Frontier Foundation) covers: intellectual property rights defamation and freedom of speech Section 230 (permit hosting of content of others without being liable for defamation/libel) privacy and confidentiality bloggers rights as journalists labor law issues and employee blogs

Legal Guide for Bloggers (Electronic Frontier Foundation) covers:

intellectual property rights

defamation and freedom of speech

Section 230 (permit hosting of content of others without being liable for defamation/libel)

privacy and confidentiality

bloggers rights as journalists

labor law issues and employee blogs

BLOGGER LAW Corporate/HR approach to blogging at work should be treated similar to advent of email and internet usage policies Current trend toward creating corporate blogging policies (business sponsored blogs vs. personal blogs) Common characteristics of pro blogging policies: personal responsibility abide by existing corporate rules keep business secrets and protect privacy be nice

Corporate/HR approach to blogging at work should be treated similar to advent of email and internet usage policies

Current trend toward creating corporate blogging policies (business sponsored blogs vs. personal blogs)

Common characteristics of pro blogging policies:

personal responsibility

abide by existing corporate rules

keep business secrets and protect privacy

be nice

The Value of Blogging In Business Charleston Area Alliance CEO Roundtable April 4, 2007 Skip Lineberg – Maple Creative Matt Ballard – Charleston Area Alliance Robert L. Coffield – Flaherty, Sensabaugh & Bonasso