Do You Need to "GET" Blogging to Benefit?

Military Officers Association of America is a useful and smart site with blog like functions. Take a look at their stories about Afghanistan: honest and insightful (www.MOAA.org)

Trying to sell blogging services is not easy. Specially in a down corporate economy. Seems like corporate managers want ROI, re-branding to beat Microsoft or simply do not understand blogging. The first year I sold blogging writing and design I tried to explain the whole phenomena of blogging. Then I tried to explain how businesses can use blogging to communicate better. Then I tried to explain the international implication of blogging (it really does not matter where you write, edit or manage a blog.) Looking back, most people even after politely listening did not "GET IT". Actually some well meaning (very smart) managers even said that they do not "get it". Some of them understand that "getting it" is not a crucial element in their decision making process. They either bough a blog and had one or did not. As managers concerned with both detail and generality they realize how some new trends are crucial to the future success of a company even while the management does not understand the details. These are the more successful managers that realize change does not wait for anyone. If you make the change you may have a chance to learn and profit. If you do not make the change you will be left behind. It's an old story, but one some people learn only after they go through it themselves.

What does it mean to "GET IT"? The answer lies in a few parts, so let's break it to the bigger elements:

• Overall understanding of blogging as a shift in communication: simpler format, emphasis on content (not design, e-Commerce), group interaction.
• Seeing specific examples of working blogging in your own domain (seeing is understanding.)
• Trusting and testing a blog for a specific business goal (JUST DO IT).
• Success or continuation of a blog for business purposes (knowledge base, news repository.)
• Using a blog as a simple communication media format: news, press releases, articles, interviews, etc.
• Integrating a blog into a business strategy and operation (strategic communication.)

Understanding the overall concept of blogging is probably the most useful single "element". But to some the connections between ideas, stories, facts, discussions, search and getting to the information, tagging and social networking ... it all becomes one big jumble. This reaction is natural with any new complex technology. By now, blogging is no longer a simple form of communication. There are many elements and once they are used, blogs become complex. Start with a goal or someone with experience. Get help in design and operation (databases can become slow after many edits and commenting). Editors and writers can make all the difference, after all a blog has the attributes of a newspaper column or a small magazine. But most of all, get going. There is no substitute to your own experience. Writing and editing a story from beginning to end, getting it on a blog and getting feedback is more valuable than any training course or a consultant's report. Learning skills before and during a blog launch is also extremely helpful. I have seen a few people learn how to write 40 years after leaving their last writing class in college. I have seen people with fear of technology run WordPress and Type Pad like it was an old version Microsoft Word on DOS. There are lessons to learn about SEO and advertising. There are business issues in terms of the time spent versus productivity yielded. But overall, at their core, blogs are a simple communication format. Once you understand how to get a message out, the rest is amplification and refinement. Don't fear the technology behind the blog, don't let people get you tangled up in the details. Focus on the writing, the message, the business goal of informing and helping customers. Good luck and let me know how your blog launch goes.