May 7, 2007
Professional bloggers - nothing is impossible
I've only recently learned that Jon Udell is working now no longer as a blogger, InfoWorld columnist and freelance journalist, but already since December, when Microsoft permanently employed than a kind of professional blogger! The case is remarkable in several respects.
First, this case, what an infinity of possibilities seen for bloggers / blogging experts are now able to offer. While in this country in the relevant principle of navel-gazing blogs are still considerable debate about what könnte represent anything an immoral commercialization of blogs, or as limited / modest ways of making money with blogs but had to make the Americans have the next two steps.
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Also interesting are the conditions that apply to the hitherto known as an independent thinker and free spirit Udell:
I've proposed to Microsoft that I continue to function pretty much as I do now. That means blogging, podcasting, and screencasting on topics that I think are interesting and important ...
And even better is the following statement:
Q: Will you continue to use Firefox, Gmail, and OS X?
A: Sure. I'll also continue to use Microsoft technologies as I always have ...
I am curious when herantrauen with us the first company to reach a comparable model, because, unfortunately, we are indeed in this country in terms of communication is often very konservativ. To implement a model à la Udell, namely, you have to throw some rules and structures on the heap .
What will not work, for example, is the auch blogging with us diligently Shona prakizierte "PR-controlled". A man like Udell may initially receive basic training in matters Unternehenskommunikation but Ansonten does it all only if he can do as he wishes.
Secondly, I believe that the Udell approach of the credibility Perpektive ago brings much larger effects for a business than it can afford the many PR blogs known workmanship. Already, there are indeed numerous in the German Web Blog corpses that time (as an ambitious public relations campaign with paid writers and usually becheidenen fees) that were initiated and then eventually shut down for lack of measurable success, Budgeting, cogency again. Such retorts blogs will never work, because first of all here is missing the essential element of personal passion and Individualtät-along with many other aspects.
What conditions would need it to realize in Germany, this new kind of professional blogging about?
On the contract side an entrepreneur or marketing executive with vision and courage to experiment - and especially resistant to traditional communication wisdom. Candidates for the role as a blogger evangelists are unlikely to come from the environment of PR / Communications, but should probably already have experience as Jouralisten and bring in any case considerable enthusiasm for specialized topics related to the company concerned.
I am looking forward to the first German professional blogger described by this model.
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Oh yes - "PR-controlled" blogging is Blogger poison. I was allowed and this must itself already observed in me after one of my blog einfirmiert "" was. Since I am pondering around anymore, if I can write it or not, when I write something ....
this conflict lies in the hand and brings it to drum long remain so, to muddle through as a blogger. instead must focus on the client side communications change the mentality. Microsoft has indeed not Udell set in the expectation that it is now well follows a predetermined Communication Strategy. which are likely to expect in the first line to find belonging to a clientele that felt itself not been addressed by microsoft. whether Udell then on his mac with firefox also times writes about google, is in the framework of such a goal is irrelevant.
There are probably mainly continue to be journalists and PR professionals who take on such corporate blogs. The bloggers, especially in Germany find their way into companies, to professional blogger to be there, I think is unlikely. Especially since I was a blogger, which deals with how open space whatsoever, sold to a company think, hardly credible. Since I am a pure PR blog dear: that you at least know where you stand.
I can see that different: a berusblogger who says, with whom he is employed, as well as playing with open cards. except that in this model is the chance that such a blog is more authentic and therefore publikumsrelevanter than the typical pr-blogs can ever be. the whole stands or falls with the character about the personality of the bloggers.
I just want to interject short that I have my second career after studying in the last year as a "professional bloggers started" on sevenload ... that blogging, of course, not everything is of the scope of work, but represents only a (small) part, that is obvious, .
Professional blogger in Germany there is already far more than you think. Some managed to even the breakthrough on a corporate blog. This one for example:
http://blog.handelsblatt.de/indiskretion/
http://www.elektrischer-reporter.de/
Okay, that blogs are journalism offers, but IHT is also a business. That brings me to my second point: Those who believe that a business blog can still be an objective journalist is mistaken. Corporate blogs do not have to necessarily be PR, but can only ever be as much objective, as the employer allows it. Anyone who believes that is Jon Udell as a blogger from Microsoft only an uncritical mention of Macs or Ubuntu can write, which was to imitate his media license.
@ leidartikler: what the definition or the kassifizierung of the many different types of bloggers and blog is concerned, there is certainly still a number of discussion needed.
your two examples do not quite fit me into my image of professional blogger. both are journalists, who now operate a channel-new - blogs Knüwer less "secondary", ie in addition to his real job as an editor, and the electric reporter is offered by a publisher in order given, journalistic work.
I mean, with professional blogger a blogger who is employed company of one task with the sole running a blog.
and Udell: I do not know if you him for some time persecute, but the good has to lose a call to. maybe it's the way you presumed - indeed, I myself am curious to see how long he is proposing. But look at it at robert scoble - as long as was with Microsoft, he has everything but stomlinienförmig blogged.
As online editor, I am also a professional blogger - if one is to interpret it so that (we also) blogging paid by his company.
But in the case of a colleague and myself jointly operated blogs onliner live the curious result that we write very straight about our publishing house, very rare.
The blog is (besides the self-introspection for us) but the possibility exists to draw attention to our other online products, the people rüberzuführen on the youth magazine, the sailing side, the interesting local history.
I think 'that will prevail in Germany, first, this form of Profibloggertums: Not the application of a particular product, but a particular brand serving the development of a marketing platform. And there are, as I understand, already enough people on the way ...