UMass Blogging Study: Overcoming the Fear is the Smartest Thing You Can Do for Your Business

My favorite line from Dr. Nora Barnes’ introduction to her long-anticipated new study is, “Those researchers who are veterans of blogger studies know what I have now learned; bloggers are generous, helpful, unselfish and friendly.”

It’s something we’ve been saying for a long time, “be not afraid.” Bloggers are really quite nice and welcoming to business, just as long as they take the time to understand the culture and the human players.

Here are some of my other favorite points from the study:

• “Define your audience and that will help in defining the voice and direction of your blog.” - This is a very helpful approach that will help you break out of the “CEO Box” mindset.
• “Keep in mind that conversations will happen outside your blog that relate to your products or industry. You need to be aware, current, and honest in dealing with those conversations too. One business blogger wrote, ‘Monitor the blogosphere closely, both for discussions about your brand, and for comments about your blog. Respond with comments to those outside blog posts. The blogosphere respects participation, so respond.’” - Steve posted about this back in June of last year as the first step to breaking through the fear of the blogosphere.
• “Blogs have not stolen the hearts and minds of consumers. Consumers have gone willingly in search of a more meaningful relationship.” - I found this to be the most compelling line in the entire study. I’ve always been a big believer that authenticity, warmth and humor will get you a lot further with your core constituencies (customers, clients or constituents) than just talking at them in jargon or condescending tones. In fact, Barnes goes on to write, “It is the humanity of the blogoshpere that makes it an enormous threat to business as usual.”

I know a lot of this stuff sounds like business as usual to you blogosphere pundits out there. But the early adopters of this medium tend to forget that the rest of the world is still catching up. We are way early in this game. Studies like this lend academic credibility and broader acceptance to what we’ve already known for a long time: the blogosphere is a human place, and it’s going to change the way that we do business.

I feel compelled to toot the BBS horn here a little bit. If you’re starting to see how your business fits into the blogosphere, then you should give us a holler. We can help.