Using Marketing Blogs for Agenda Setting and Business Development – Experience from Lithuania Giedrius C iupaila Marketing Communications Consultant EuroBlog International Research Symposium 2007 , Ghent, Belgium 17 March 2007

Contents Internet and blogging in Lithuania Media blogging Politics = business Corporate blogging From a blog to a business start-up

Internet and blogging in Lithuania

Media blogging

Politics = business

Corporate blogging

From a blog to a business start-up

Internet and blogging in Lithuania Internet penetration in Lithuania is 35% (out of 3.4 million total population), the EU25 average is 51%. The new media – news portals, social networks, etc. – are growing but: Blogs are still a novelty in Lithuania Blogging is at its infancy but growing fast. 14 March 2007 – the first bloggers’ conference in Lithuania, a “ B2B” event: bloggers talking to bloggers and not to a wider audience.

Internet penetration in Lithuania is 35% (out of 3.4 million total population), the EU25 average is 51%.

The new media – news portals, social networks, etc. – are growing but:

Blogs are still a novelty in Lithuania

Blogging is at its infancy but growing fast.

14 March 2007 – the first bloggers’ conference in Lithuania,

a “ B2B” event: bloggers talking to bloggers and not to a wider audience.

Media blogging Media outlets, especially news portals, pay attention to blogs most: The most popular news portal in Lithuania, www.delfi.lt , has a blog: http://blog.delfi.lt/ The business daily Verslo Zinios [ Business News ] has recently revamped its website, which now looks more like a blog http://vz.lt/ Other news media also review their web presence to make it more interactive and engaging for the visitors. A clear trend towards web 2.0 media!

Media outlets, especially news portals, pay attention to blogs most:

The most popular news portal in Lithuania, www.delfi.lt , has a blog: http://blog.delfi.lt/

The business daily Verslo Zinios [ Business News ] has recently revamped its website, which now looks more like a blog http://vz.lt/

Other news media also review their web presence to make it more interactive and engaging for the visitors.

A clear trend towards web 2.0 media!

Politics = business Politicians discover blogs as an effective channel to reach their electorates: ex-mayor of Vilnius, formerly a businessman, has had his personal blog for a couple of years: www.zuokas.lt local municipality election candidate used a blog to get more votes They employed blogs to: Create the image of a more accessible official Attract the younger generation, which is an active and powerful audience Politics means business 

Politicians discover blogs as an effective channel to reach their electorates:

ex-mayor of Vilnius, formerly a businessman, has had his personal blog for a couple of years: www.zuokas.lt

local municipality election candidate used a blog to get more votes

They employed blogs to:

Create the image of a more accessible official

Attract the younger generation, which is an active and powerful audience

Politics means business 

Coporate blogging Examples of corporate blogging in Lithuania are scarce: MTV – an international brand Monton – an Estonian apparel retailer Vilnius Conference Centre ( www.vcc.lt ) Businesses (just like the general public) have not yet discovered social software, including blogs.

Examples of corporate blogging in Lithuania are scarce:

MTV – an international brand

Monton – an Estonian apparel retailer

Vilnius Conference Centre ( www.vcc.lt )

Businesses (just like the general public) have not yet discovered social software, including blogs.

From a blog to a business start-up Before starting a business venture, a “personal” blog, Blogging Out , http ://giedriuscp.blogspot.com was set up to: Keep closer relations with a network of contacts: colleagues in PR, marketing, media, etc. Get ready for the launch of the business venture Engage the audience that included both colleagues and propective clients The blog was used as a marketing teaser.

Before starting a business venture, a “personal” blog, Blogging Out , http ://giedriuscp.blogspot.com was set up to:

Keep closer relations with a network of contacts: colleagues in PR, marketing, media, etc.

Get ready for the launch of the business venture

Engage the audience that included both colleagues and propective clients

The blog was used as a marketing teaser.

From a blog to a business start-up ( 2) Key practical findings of the short period of “personal” blogging : Blogs are a novelty ( terra incognita ) in Lithuania, even among people working in media, marketing and PR (~10% awareness) Blogs attract positive interest from the target audience (curiosity) Bloggers may be viewed as experts in their field (they seem to know what others do not)

Key practical findings of the short period of “personal” blogging :

Blogs are a novelty ( terra incognita ) in Lithuania, even among people working in media, marketing and PR (~10% awareness)

Blogs attract positive interest from the target audience (curiosity)

Bloggers may be viewed as experts in their field (they seem to know what others do not)

From a blog to a business start-up ( 3) Therefore, blogging enables a new market player to : Differentiate itself in a highly competitive information environment Communicate the desired messages more easily Build credibility and trust , which is vital Awareness was the ultimate goal of blogging as a communications tool which has proved to be efficient and cost-effective!

Therefore, blogging enables a new market player to :

Differentiate itself in a highly competitive information environment

Communicate the desired messages more easily

Build credibility and trust , which is vital

Awareness was the ultimate goal of blogging as a communications tool which has proved to be efficient and cost-effective!

To blog or not to blog? The decision to start a blog depends on: Overall business and marketing/PR strategy Type of business Client base Marketing is all common sense combined with a bit of creativity.

The decision to start a blog depends on:

Overall business and marketing/PR strategy

Type of business

Client base

Marketing is all common sense combined with a bit of creativity.

Contact s Giedrius Č iupaila Ma rketing Communications Consultant Email: gciupaila@vcc.lt Skype: giedriuscp http://giedriuscp.blogspot.com www.vcc.lt

Giedrius Č iupaila

Ma rketing Communications Consultant

Email: gciupaila@vcc.lt

Skype: giedriuscp

http://giedriuscp.blogspot.com

www.vcc.lt