Google Wave - The Future of Online Communications Comes Together

From the desk of AWC member, Kendra Bonnett

Is Blogging Dead? How Blogging and Social Media Work Together.

I ask this question rather tongue in cheek because although I see articles proclaiming the death of blogging and how Twitter is the new blogging platform I know this not to be the case. Clearly a lot of people don't fully understand the division of labor between blogs and social media.

I decided to address the issue as I see it: With blogging as the author's central online platform for building a base of followers (readers) and social networking tools/sites as the means to get out to where the prospective readers might be milling about.

I posted the first article in two parts...because I blog on two sites--Story Circle Network's Telling HerStories and Women's Memoirs. I've received some good responses...enough to encourage me to keep writing about this topic. I'd like to share both links with my friends here on Linkedin. I'm listing the links in the order that I recommend you read the pieces. And as always, your insightful feedback is greatly appreciated.

Part 1: http://storycircle.typepad.com/scn/2009/08/blogging-is-deadin-case-you-hadnt-heard.html

Part 2: http://womensmemoirs.com/2009/08/is-blogging-dead-and-should-i-care/

Interesting Article from PR-Squared

It Doesn’t Matter if the Client is Ready for Social Media
Posted: 24 Jul 2009 04:30 PM PDT

Some of the most persistent reasons agency PR pros give for lagging on their Social Media knowledge?

“My clients aren’t ready for it … It’s not as big a deal in B2B … etc.”

Newsflash: it does not matter if your clients aren’t ready. The mainstream media are ready.

Forget (for a minute, if you must) the fact that the rest of the world is becoming increasingly engaged in Social Media. The fact is that the Mainstream Media are getting religion.

Yesterday one of my colleagues noted, “I was accustomed to ‘stalking’ the same set of reporters for years. I’d get press clips, sure, but the relationship was very controlled. Since I became friends with these guys on Facebook, we’ve become actual friends. When they visit SF, they ask me for hotel and restaurant recommendations, etc. And, I get a LOT more coverage for my clients.”

Please note that this team member’s clients are among the most techie, B2B, curmudgeonly folks on SHIFT’s roster. The use of Social Media to influence end-users on these clients’ behalf is relatively minor (if not non-existent). However, the use of Social Media to influence the beat reporters in their industries is now a priceless part of our approach.

Imagine if this SHIFTer had personally ignored “the whole Social Media thing” because her clients didn’t care about Twitter and Facebook and bloggers?

This blogger is moving to a new site...

Someday I'll put everything together on one site, but for now, please see my new blog at www.refinedharmony.tumblr.com.

It's Not Just a Live Journal

The old definition for a "blog" is simply a live journal. This is no longer the case. I bring this up because of the diversity of uses that blogs have developed and the substandard reputation that they still seem to hold among many circles.

Blogs are still used as live journals to some, but today they are used as domain sites to most bloggers. As I've said before, the new communications model consists of consumers telling marketers what they want to buy and what they care about. This is why blogs have emerged as great tools within every industry. Blogs not only reach consumers on a personal level by giving them a forum to discuss their issues known as the "comment" field. Blogs help marketers to personify their companies by creating a place for businesses as well as individuals to post live updates about their mission.

Blogs are simply a place to update the world on happenings as they occur. The most advanced blogging site that I have found is one that is still in the making, but develops applications and uses based on the needs of its users. Www.Tumblr.com allows its users to create the look and layout that they want whether they understand HTML/ CSS or not. Another great fact about tumblr is that it does not require users to promote the site, only to use it as a place to market themselves. One of the most creative tumblr sites is www.riecespieces.com.

RiecesPieces.com is written by a music producer who continues to update his readers on his career on a moment to moment basis whether the news is positive or negative. He understands that the new public is a public that logs on to Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox in search of the truth and is tired of spam and exaggerations regarding all topics that they enter into their search engines.

A File Transfering Phone App

This latest technology will help to make the new generation of all new media all the time a reality. Even those that can't stand the restraints of cell phones and are still only using the internet to do major projects with their partners and team, will be pleased to hear about the Nimbuzz technology.

Nimbuzz is a phone application that allows its users to see who´s online and where, participate in conference calls in chat rooms, transfer files such as photos/music/video and make their own ringtones. It also allows for international calling and voicemail. The best part, Nimbuzz is FREE!

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