the holy trinity of blogging
By Pat Law™ • May 11th, 2008 • Category: The Digital Strategist
On a typical Monday morning on your way to work, you find yourself on a train, with 20 other sedated worker bees. You bury yourself under your dog-eared Esquire, wondering why Keith Richards, with his obscene wealth, did not bother investing in moisturizing. The teasing sunrays shining through the glass bring your attention to the Lolita seated opposite you cross-legged in her Mary Janes. A little too sugary for your diet of foie gras and whiskey, you notice the magazine in her accessorized-to-death hands – People Magazine. Little Miss Lollipop loves gossip, doesn’t she?
You attract who you are. It applies to magazines and it applies to your blog. Hell, it also applies to you as a person. So if you start attracting balding short farts thinking they stand a chance of getting lucky with you, better be hitting the gym immediately.
Bloggers of today, some 14.4 million active ones amongst the 70 something millions Technorati tracks (source: Heather Green, Business Week, April 2007), are growing by the millions with each minute ticking by. For every decent blog I stumble upon, I see 10 others that make me want to throw up on my keyboard. There are a few of factors from a blog that may make me nauseous. They include:
1. Blogs plastered with so much advertisements, you can’t find the content.
2. Blogs that blind you with their distasteful color schemes.
3. Blogs using white trash English that would put even Jay-Z to shame.
4. Again, blogs plastered with more advertisements than content.
The above-mentioned statements will make me leave your blog before your logo finishes loading and never return again. That doesn’t mean your blog suck. That just means I’m not your target audience. You don’t cater to my needs, and Marketers will note that diligently.
I appreciate the power nestled in the hands of a blogger. I embrace the exponential times we live in today, and how Social Media has changed the speech, “We tell you” from a Marketer to “Let me share this with you” from a blogger. The blogger is the maven Marketers are eager to befriend. He or she is also the whatever.wordpress.com person your readers trust. That said, there is no better time to make a quick buck or two, is there? Is it possible? Yes, most definitely. Is it guaranteed? No, unless you understand the basics of marketing.
And hence the birth of this article. May I present to you, your free guide to the Holy Trinity of Blogging.
Value Exchange
The most crucial factor for your blog’s success which you should never belittle. With increasing competition from the endless ocean of media channels ranging from Television to Magazines to Blogs, how do you fight to capture one’s attention? With value. I visit Popagandhi’s blog because it feels like NatGeo locally cooked. I visit Cowboy Caleb and Mr. Miyagi’s blogs because their news is juicier than BBC. I don’t bother with that particular famous blogger who won’t stop talking about her hair and boyfriend, because I don’t understand what value I get from her at all. So, what are you offering your consumers in exchange for their time?
60/40
In any self-respecting magazine, you will have a healthy balance of 60% content and 40% advertisements. If your blog has 90% advertisements and merely 10% content, then it’s no better than a free (but annoying) furniture catalog forced into the mailbox. Don’t forget, people come to your blog because of the content, not the advertisements.
Nature of Content
Write as you may, for you cannot please everyone and well, you shouldn’t. That said, it is good for you to know that the nature of your content attracts a certain demographic profile of consumers. Let me put it into perspective for you. If your blog were a magazine, what would it be? Would it be an Esquire? A Vogue? A Time? A Sports Illustrated? Or perhaps, a cheap tabloid everyone loves like People Magazine?
Continuity of Content
Too many posts within a day may cause brand fatigue and decrease the quality of your entries. Don’t blog for the sake of blogging. Blog because you have something of value to share. At the same time, if you are to blog as frequently as a Japanese having sex (Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey 2007/2008, Durex), you can count on your consumers not coming that often. Yes, pun intended.
Moderation
Here’s the Law in a nutshell: if you impose moderation on the comments contributed by consumers to your blog, you’re legally responsible for any potential cases of defamation and other possible law suits that might come your way. If you don’t impose moderation, you’re not responsible for anything but your own words. blankanvas is moderated for a number of issues. Firstly, any insult on my mum will be promptly removed. Secondly, I don’t support racism in any context. And lastly, I don’t fancy having a spam bot inviting my readers to try a penis enlargement pill on an entry about lesbianism. It’s up to you whether you’d like to impose moderation or not, but NEVER, EVER, reject criticism. As I’ve mentioned before, that cheesed off fella will take his or her comment somewhere else and rat you out for being a wimp. Credibility is important to a blogger. If you lose that credibility, you lose your consumers.
Interact
The beauty of the Internet is such that you can have a two-way communication, often lacking in mass media (do you talk to your TV?). It cannot get any easier than this, really. If your consumers bother to take the time to offer their feedback, damn right you should respond. You’re increasing their level of engagement and building brand affinity with your blog in the long run.
Relative to the nature of your content, your consumers’ demographic profile helps determine what sort of advertisers you would get advertising on your blog. While you may engage advertising agents specializing in blogs such as Advertlets or NuffNang to choose your advertisers for you, it is still useful for you to understand your consumers better. You’d never know if you’d prefer to manage your own advertisements one day.
The key questions any advertiser will ask you are:
1. Gender
2. Age Group
3. Education
4. Occupation
5. Industry
6. Annual Personal Income
7. Children
8. Pets
9. Homeowners (own/ rent)
10. Leisure Activities (open-ended)
Knowing your consumers’ demographic profile is important to a discerning Marketer. If I am the Marketer of Singapore Airlines, I will pick Popagandhi’s blog to advertise on. If I am recruiting teenage boys for The Navy, Mr. Miyagi will be my top man. And if I’m promoting Durex, I’ll pick Cowboy Caleb. Heh.
I realise how painfully lengthy this article has been, and I do apologise should you have stained your keyboard with your drool. Nonetheless, I hope this has been useful and if you have any feedback or suggestions to share, please do so.
Pat Law™ is a Digital Strategist who, in her time in the Adland, has marketed a range of global brands including adidas, Cadbury Schweppes, Chrysler, Harley-Davidson, Hewlett-Packard, Johnnie Walker, L’Oréal, and Royal Salute. Pat also writes for iSh, LOTL International, and Singapore Architect.
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i never cared about who reads my blog, so i think i belong to the demograph of Boh-Chap(s). and so marketers will be more than happy to miss me. heh.
I don’t know that SQ would really pick Adri’s readers as their target market, especially considering that she generally likes to travel cheap and avoid flying where possible (unless it costs like $2 – and I think we all know that SQ doesn’t ever have $2 flights). I have a feeling that her blog would be a more comfortable advertising base for one of the budget airlines. Especially when releasing new flights to India.
Right, Poppy?
*facepalm*
Hamie, actually it all depends what sort of consumers you have as readers. Even if you dredge up and drown in narcissism, it doesn’t mean you won’t have a pool of readers suitable for a certain brand to advertise on.
Erm, what’s facepalm?
w., there is truth in that. All the more SQ should try to convert a resourceful person like her! If she can be convinced to spend twice as much on a SQ ticket, let alone the rest of us middle-income church mice. Haha.
*facepalm* = invention by Cowboy (or so i thought), it’s the reaction after hearing some remarks tat warrants a “duh!” or “d’oh!” = 1 hand smacking the forehead. oops, i may have made an enemy here……
Oh, the pressure. Of recruiting young Navy boys.
Loved the post. Sidepoint: Especially liked how your denied that certain blogger any linkjuice whatsoever! I think you’ve got the stuff spot on, especially about being transparent (ie not running from negative comments) and knowing who you attract. But above that, I appreciate the approach taken to get me to read this post. Looking forward to more! =)
The pleasure’s all mine, Daryl. Of course I’m not letting granting that obnoxious blogger any link juice… Just as TIME will never entertain a story about Bai Ling. Eew.
Wonderful article, kept me glued to my monitor. Am just wondering which category MY blog belongs to….
But anyhow, as much as I’d like to share my thoughts on life, I’ve come to realise you cannot please everyone. I’ve been called whiny, pathetic & some say I bring about a sense of appreciation for life for them. Whichever it is, I don’t seek to please because my blog simply has been therapeutic for me. Writing has helped me in some ways heal from a great loss.
So, I agree with you. Don’t seek to please.
Excellent entry that echoed with me. While I may not have analysed it some thoroughly, I share the same mantra where “Content Is King”. Something that I’ve learned during the dot-com/dot-gone days.
agree with w. AirAsia’s ads makes more sense than SIA on popagandhi. and if they did more homework, they’d notice that she doesn’t have any ads at all.
as for the blogger you’re denying linkjuice, it’s not like it’ll make a difference. naw if SHE give you linkjuice….
Mr. Miyagi, somehow, it sounds so queer when you said that. Heh heh heh.
Daphne, I have to agree, writing can be extremely therapeutic. Besides that, a hell lot cheaper than valium. Thanks for your kind words, and welcome to blankanvas.
JayWalk, why thank you, Mr Turtle-Eater
.
Yeah, the dot com dot gone days should have taught us a thing or two. But I see more bloggers selling out than ever. Oh well. We’ll learn.
tinkertailor , I consider the blogger’s lack of link juice for blankanvas a great, great honour.
I dunno. Adri seems to take pride in spending as little as possible on things like transport. Haha.
And I too count you lucky that you haven’t gotten any linklovin’ from our favourite blogger.
w., ok I concede… budget airline marketers, what the hell are you waiting for?! And oh yes, I don’t need our favourite blogger’s promotion.
Great post. Would you like to buy some arse enhancing cream? *kidding*
My blog is somewhat about cats, about my whiny personality, about how I hate public transport and how I wish I could be a slacker. No focus, no nothing, just ranting.
How like that
Oh gawd, why has blogging been reduced to mere cold mechanical technicalities? Some people blog for the sake of blogging.
Thanks for the mention
And yes, your comments are right… probably more AirAsia, or… Indian Railways, than Singapore Airlines. My readers, however, I doubt really share my aviation tastes… One reason why I don’t fly full service airlines: I always fly one way. In case I want to return by bus, boat, train, and I.. sometimes do. I mean, why the hell are airline tickets like… 30 days in validity (I travel for way more than 30 days at a stretch)? 70% of full fare when you buy a one way ticket (and so many restrictions)? Why do I have to pay so much more when all I get is… Nintendo, some movies, a little leg room, and supposedly hotter air stewardesses (I have my own entertainment: laptop, books and girlfriend)? Point to point travel makes so much sense. Only trains and budget airlines do that, right now. 
Haiyah. Maybe I just really don’t get flying. Funny how I do so much of it though.
“Mr. Miyagi, somehow, it sounds so queer when you said that. Heh heh heh.”
That’s exactly the idea. Now tell all and sundry that I appeal to pink dollars and cents!
Rachel, actually I disagree there. I don’t believe you do anything for the sake of doing, unless something deeper inside motivates you. My apologies for sounding so Freudian here, but without drive, there is no reason for living. Same thing with blogging. We blog to express ourselves. We blog to release our emotions. We blog to stroke our egos. We blog to flaunt our literary skills. Or perhaps we blog to impress that girl we’ve been dying to get laid by. However mediocre, we do blog for a reason. You don’t have children for the sake of having children, do you? Oh, no wait. Some people actually do.
Ok, I take that back.
popagandhi, the mention was my pleasure. Why haven’t you taken part in The Amazing Race? I smell a win-over. I’ll love to attempt to do what you do, but my tendency to travel with 2 extra suitcases advises me otherwise.
Mr. Miyagi… You die. I go tell newurbanmale they have a new underwear model.
I don’t get advertisement on my blog.
:)
I do this for fun and hobby!
Thanks Pat.
Yes, for you wiriting is cheaper than valium. For me, it’s cheaper than cigarettes…hahaha
I agree with your assessment that SIA should consider running an ad campaign in popagandhi’s blog. Even though popagandhi is a budget traveller, but her blog readers may not be. Her blog may actually invoke our wanderlust… but some of us are not cut out to travel like her. Any travel related companies should consider advertising in popagandhi’s blog for that matter.
I can’t speak for others, but of course I had children for the sake of having children lah! That is, the sheer joy and frustration of having kids.
Then what? Have kids as some form of insurance when you are old? Wipe your bottom when you shit involuntarily?
Oh, no wait. Some people actually do.
Ok, I take that back too.
“We blog to express ourselves. We blog to release our emotions. We blog to stroke our egos. We blog to flaunt our literary skills.”
Yes, I agree with you on this. When I said “people blog for the sake of blogging”, I suppose these are a few primary motivators if you should dig a little further beneath the surface of whatever spurs them on to blog.
Thanks for dropping by my blog.
I too pride myself for being commercial-free. The two links in there are on account of friendship, chilli crab and beer.
Besides, the revenue generated probably isn’t enough for me to make a living out off, so why bother to canvas for ads?
Yes, it will buy me a new supply of beer but I think I can manage that habit on my own. Thank you very much.
My only fear is that once I am on their payroll, I may be forced to write the complimentary kiss-ass advertorial. Like the recent Nuff-Nang ad that touts the benefits of Low Limit Credit Card targeted at students who aren’t even financially independent (http://jaywalk.blog-city.com/low_limit_credit_cards.htm).
Then what? Do I write against my conscience just because I am obligated?
I’m glad you’re a purist, JayWalk. You’d be the kind of magazine I would want to buy, if I’m not in Advertising in the first place. Quite a job hazard actually…. I actually “read” the advertisements in magazines more than I do with the content. You’d probably snort with disbelief if you see me get excited over a front cover gatefold Rolex ad on Time.
That said, I hear you about over-commericalisation with bloggers. I removed Nuff Nang from my blog for the same reason actually. While it’s always nice to have a little bit more money, I’m not about to sell out for a couple of cents. Surely we aren’t that cheap? Besides, those weekly newsletters about winning free movie tickets and having family outings are just plain annoying. Since when do we blog for movie tickets?!
Urgh. Such a pity.
Rachel, you know, my wife and I had a discussion over what you’ve said, and she made me realise that I cannot discount beyond reasonable doubt that it is possible to blog without any of the reason I’ve mentioned. Wife.. what do I do without her.
“Since when do we blog for movie tickets?!”
Aaaah, you’d be surprised.
“Wife.. what do I do without her.”
What can I say? Wives = the better half. LOL!
Great post
Just to add that the blogs that are tightly niche specific tend to report better results than more general blogs
[...] am reminded of the comment I left on Pat Law’s blog (incidentally, a very interesting read). People have kids for the sake of [...]
Came across this post over at god knows where, but I enjoyed reading this. Very nicely done, thank you Pat.
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