Why Blogs Are
Beating Out Ezines ... And Matter So Much to Your Platform
I was all set this morning to
write about something totally different in this issue ...
but thanks to the power of blogs, I'm here to deliver a
totally different message. Namely the ascendance of blogs
over ezines.
First of all,
you may notice that you're not getting a whole lot of issues
of this ezine from me. Why? Because I've come to understand
that blogging is faster. It's more immediate. It's got a
wonderful airstream of energy that follows each post. And
because it's less formal, it's less work -- but still
communicates just as effectively as an ezine ... perhaps
even more so.
This point
was made wonderfully clear for me just this morning by Stacy
Brice, who runs the noteworthy VA training program, AssistU.
Stacy sent up a very thoughtful comment to my 'Painless Self
Promo' blog, under the header 'The Future of the Ezine'.
Which led to an email, which led to a lengthy phone call.
Stacy and I had a real heart to heart about this ezine vs.
blog thing... and here's what I've decided is the state of
things at the moment.
-
We're in a
transitional shift from ezines to blogs. This has mostly
to do with people being reluctant to give up old comfy
ways for a few minutes of learning new technology,
downloading RSS desktop applications, etc.. It was like
this just before we traded in vinyl for CD's, telepathy
for cell phones and to-do lists for Palm Pilots. And some
of us have nevër moved forward. Those of us who did are
pretty happy.
-
Blog
technology has finally leapt up to the plate. It's
happening; it's here; it's on the cover of Business Week.
Blogs can no longer be dismissed as fringe techie
territory. They've gotten so easy to use, and read, that
there is simply no denying them. Blog creation software du
jour is typepad and wordpress. Typepad blogs exist on
their website for a small monthly fee. Wordpress blogs
exist on your own site for free. Typepad's more elegant.
Wordpress is more basic and functional. I'm running a test
to see which will eventually work better for me.
-
It's no longer
all about the list. I am still an advocate of ezines, but
I believe the list/email connection is rapidly unraveling.
My own lists have declined in size as have those of every
Net marketer I know. Ezines have peaked and crested in
their usefulness and appeal. Meanwhile, blogs are hot. AND
you can capture names on them. (See my blog for details on
how to do that.)
-
We're no
longer happy with passive activities. Maybe as a culture
we've grown completely sick of sitting around doing
nothing ... all those hours of reality TV? We've nöw begun
to expect to participate in our entertainment, even when
it comes to reading websites. So blogs -- which allow
comments from readers -- are the perfect medium. (This is
also why my current theater project, at
serenityhawkfire.com, is an entirely interactive theater
piece.)
-
We've become a
less formal culture. These days, our world is all untucked;
clothing is big and slouchy, coffee is slurped in paper
cups on the run. Even TV has let down its defenses,
showing us as we 'really' are. So it makes sense that
blogs, which feature faster, less formal entries more in
the style of a diary, are becoming bigger than ezines.
Blogs are casual. Ezines take planning, layout, require
regular entries and take a lot more time.
-
Blogging is
faster. How long does it take to make an entry? Five to
ten minutes, I'd say. My ezine, meanwhile, takes 1-2
hours. Yes, you need to do more blog entries, but they're
hardly brain surgery. Instead, they are quick insights you
offer up from your life on the go. And so they are read in
the same spirit.
- Blogs
are beloved by the media. This is where a majority of
all media research on who's who and what they're up to
is now done. It used to be that your credibility as a
media subject was evaluated strictly by your site;
that's where the media looked first to get a beat on
you. Know they want to know what you're posting on
your blog -- even if it doesn't have a 'media room'
like your site (hopefully you'd have that linked
somehow in your margins.) And they want to know what
kinds of posts and comments your getting.
If you're
still working on building up your ezine list, I
recommend you beef it up by including a blog in your
offerings. It will energize your website, attract Google
and Yahoo ranking and generally create more buzz.
If you have
a blog but have not maximized it by setting up a name
capture tool, or do not post frequently, give that a
whirl, too. You'll be amazed at who stops by!
And if you
have thoughts on the tender blog-ezine dynamic, email
them to me -- or even better, drop by my blog and post
them on the most recent comment. Then we'll all be able
to see them and add comments of our own.
Here's to
the continuing discussion. May your blog bring your
platform, and set people talking!
Suzanne Falter-Barns' website at
getknownnow.com
offers tips and tools that help you build your platform and get
known as an expert in your field. Sign up for her fr.ee ezine,
Expert Status, and receive her frëe report, "25 Top Self Help
Literary Agents."
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