Blogs

Is “Just” Blogging Going to be Enough?

By Mark Evans in Blogs 7 Comments Tags: , ,

As someone who spent nearly 15 years as an ink-stained newspaper reporter, my passion is writing, which explains why I produce lots of content for this blog, the Sysomos blog and my Globe & Mail “Start” column.

I pound out the words, find an interesting image, and hit “publish”. Done.

I’m starting to think, however, it might not be enough to simply write blog posts. In many ways, I’m starting to feel my content needs to have more variety to engage readers and deliver different types of stories.

It’s one of the reasons why I have been actively exploring the idea of video recently – a hat tip to Marcus Sheridan who contends the only way to get good at making videos is by doing them.

Truth be told, I haven’t done many videos because it’s not part of my “reporting DNA”. I’m a notetaker, not a video guy.But I think that is going to change for a few reasons: Video is sexy content. People like videos, Google likes videos, and it is a different way to tell stories. Video is also easy. I just got a iPhone 4S, dug up my Kodak Zi6, and started mucking around with iMovie.

My interest in exploring the world beyond words was captured by Trevor Young in a blog post for Edelman Australia. He talked about bloggers becoming “micro-publishers”, who deliver content in multiple ways: blogs, videos, newsletters, photos, etc.

Perhaps this represents the evolution of blogging as opposed to Young’s suggestion “it’s the end of blogging as we know it”. As blogging matures, it needs to become a richer, more compelling and engaging experience. Social media has changed how people consume content, while video has become ubiquitous and user-friendly for both consumers and creators.

The challenge for many bloggers is shifting editorial gears. Those of us happy behind the keyboard will have to adopt new tools, embrace the idea that video is as powerful a medium as words, and look to tell stories differently.

For some of us, it may not be an easy transition because we’re so used to creating content in a particular way. For others, having new ways to tell stories will be a positive thing. It will be a refreshing editorial challenge, it will force us to learn new tools, change how to “report”, and provide audiences with new insight and perspective.

Personally, I’m excited about becoming a multi-dimensional storyteller because change is good. While I will continue to be a hard-core  blogging advocate, blogs that stand out from the crowd will have different editorial angles. This is not to suggest people who stick to words will be left behind but I do think offering posts and other kinds of content is an attractive option for bloggers and blog readers.

What do you think? Is text enough for bloggers?

Do Canadian Startups Get Enough Attention?

By Mark Evans in Social Media, Startups 13 Comments Tags: , ,

During the meshwest conference earlier this week in Edmonton, a startup panel featuring Jevon MacDonald, Maura Rodgers and Dups Wijayawardhana spawned a discussion about whether Canadian startups get enough media and blogger attention.

At the risk of being assailed by newspapers, magazines, Web sites and blogs that do write about Canadian startups, I would suggest the answer to whether startups get enough attention is “No”.

Granted, I’m biased because I’m fairly immersed in the startup world. But the fact is there are a lot of great startup stories that go unreported or receive a smidgen of the coverage they deserve. It is a situation that frustrates entrepreneurs, investors and people within the startup community who believe the spotlight should be burning a lot hotter.

Where’s the Love?

So why aren’t Canadian startups getting more love and attention?

When it comes to traditional media, I would suggest startups aren’t that big of a deal for most business editors. Unless a startup raises a lot of money – let’s say more than $25-million – or gets acquired for a lot of money – let’s say $50-million – there’s not much appetite for stories about startups.

When I was a newspaper reporter, one of the most common questions I got from editors when pitching a startup story was “What’s their revenue?”.  As privately-owned companies, I didn’t know, which does little to get an editor excited. Another issue is smaller newsroom, which means there are few, if any, reporters devoted to technology.

Within the Canadian blogosphere, the situation is somewhat better, although not overwhelming.

There’s a solid group of blogs such as Startup North, TechVibes, Next Montreal, Maple Butter and Startup CFO writing about startups, but selfishly I’d like to see a lot more blogs writing about startups. (Note: If you’re a blogger who writes about Canadian startups, wave the flag in the comments!).

A Great Time for Startup Coverage to Flourish

If there was ever a time for startup coverage to flourish in Canada, it’s now. As I have mentioned several times before (let me know if I’m sounding like a broken record!), this is the most exciting time for Canadian startups in the past 15 years. There’s never been so many entrepreneurs doing so many interesting things.

At the same time, it appears Canada may finally be getting a solid enough investment ecosystem to support more of these entrepreneurs so they can turn ideas or bootstrapped businesses into something with real traction and customers.

What do you think? Do Canadian startups getting enough attention? Who are the traditional media or bloggers doing it?

Why Blogging Never Loses its Mojo

By Mark Evans in Blogs 2 Comments Tags: , ,

In the scheme of things, blogging is a labour of love. It takes a lot of time and effort to consistently generate posts that provide value.

So it was interesting to read Mitch Joel’s blog post about what blogging has offered him over the past eight years, which seems like an eternity in the scheme of things. It got me thinking about this blog, which I started on a whim in 2004 (originally using Blogware).

At first, the goal was to simply understand the buzz about blogging. But it quickly became more compelling and time-consuming. And while the focus on the blog has evolved from VoIP to Web 2.0 to social media and start-ups, it has never lost its appeal.

So what does blogging offer that keeps me going after more than 3,700 posts? Here’s a few ideas:

1. A love of writing. I’ve always enjoyed writing, and spent 15 years as a newspaper reporter, which meant writing articles on a regular basis. After leaving journalism for good in 2006, blogging has kept my hand in the game and provided the opportunity to write about things that interest me.

2. Content marketing: As a believer in the idea that content is king, I see content as a powerful marketing tool. A blog offers a platform to show existing and potential clients what you’re interested in and your insight. It gives people a good sense of how you think, which hopefully sets the stage for them to reach out for more information or a conversation.

3. The ability to participate in interesting conversations: The fascinating thing about the tech world is that change is constant. One day, the BlackBerry is the king of the world, the next it’s struggling to stay viable. HP is in the tablet game, then it’s out. Having a blog provides a great way to be engaged and involved as opposed to sitting on the sidelines.

4. Blogs are more rewarding intellectually than Twitter or Facebook. I’ve always contended that blogs are dinner, while Facebook and Twitter are dessert. Blogs are substantial and filling, while dessert is something you taste rather than get nutritional from.

5. Blogs are a body of work that can repurposed into a variety of things. The content can be used for a book, newsletters, magazine articles and presentations. Blogs generate a lot of editorial goodness.

It is difficult to sustain a blog, which explains why so many are abandoned. But they generate so many benefits that it has never dawned on me to walk about from MET. In many respects, a blog is part of your personal and professional journey, and it feels like there’s a long way left to go.

 

The Weekly Blogging Wrap

By Mark Evans in Social Media, Startups No Comments Tags: , , ,

I write a lot of content each week in a variety of places so I figured it might be valuable to provide a wrap-up:

Monday: 

Globe & Mail: Knowing when it’s time to move on – A look at how some entrepreneurs such as TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington have to decide to leave after their business has been acquired.

Sysomos: Is social media ROI that important yet? There’s lots of talk about ROI but some major companies don’t seem too concerned about it.

Mark Evans Tech: The downside of Canada’s start-up buying binge – Everyone is excited about a bunch of Canadian start-ups being acquired but there are some negatives.

Tuesday:

Sysomos: The perils of pissing off bloggers – ConAgra pranked a bunch of mommy and food bloggers, only to discover it was a dumb thing to do.

Wednesday:

Sysomos: Six tips to avoid social media overload – It’s easy to get overwhelmed by social media so it’s important to have a good management plan.

Mark Evans Tech: Should Canadian governments be funding start-ups? – Sadly, the federal and provincial governments in Canada are still in the business of financing start-ups.

Thursday:

Mark Evans Tech: For start-ups, it’s all about traction – Forget about raising venture capital to nurture an idea; go out and attract some users and money

Friday:

Globe & Mail: A best-kept secret no more – The story of WattPad, which recently raised $3.5-million in venture capital from a group of investors that included Union Square Ventures

Sysomos: How would social media impacted 9/11 – What if social media was around in 2001?

Mark Evans Tech: Did a Web browser that sucked kill the BlackBerry? – The BlackBerry has been plagued for years by a bad Web browser. Now, it’s coming back to haunt RIM.

Why Blogging is Social Media’s VIP

By Mark Evans in Blogs, Social Media 3 Comments Tags: , , ,

BlogAs an enthusiastic blogger, it is somewhat discouraging to see blogs lose some of their lustre amid the fascination (obsession?) with Facebook and Twitter.

As someone who has been consistently blogging here and other places for the past seven years, I have always argued that blogs are the most powerful social media medium because they offer a way for people to provide insight, perspective and information. In a fast-paced, multi-tasking world, it takes time to create and read blog posts but they offer tremendous value for bloggers and readers.

That said, I’m probably biased because I’m a writer by profession, having spent more than 10 years as a newspaper reporter. As a result, writing a blog seems natural and the posts tend to flow. For many people, however, writing can be time-consuming and laborious, making it challenging to consistently write blog posts.

Nevertheless, I believe the ROI of blogs makes them compelling. They provide an opportunity to build a personal or corporate brand, establish domain expertise, showcase insight and thoughts, participate in the conversations of the day, and boost your SEO.

In the wake of my blog bullishness, it was heartening to see Hugh MacLeod declare in a recent blog post that he was giving up Facebook and Twitter to “reclaim” blogging. Here’s how Hugh explained his decision:

“Because Facebook and Twitter are too easy. Keeping up a decent blog that people actually want to take the time to read, that’s much harder. And it’s the hard stuff that pays off in the end. Besides, even if they’re very good at hiding the fact, over on Twitter and Facebook, it’s not your content, it’s their content.”

MacLeod is making a fairly radical move given how Facebook and Twitter have become integral parts of our digital activity, particularly for an entrepreneur such as MacLeod who could benefit by having a presence in the biggest social markets. But I think MacLeod’s motivations have much to do with the fact that blogs are an opportunity to stand out from the crowd given it’s so easy for post an update or tweet. Sure, blogs take more work but for anyone willing to commit themselves to blogging, there are a variety of benefits.

My belief in the value and power of blogging makes writing posts a joy – at least most of the time. It’s an investment and it takes time but it is also tremendously rewarding. Unlike MacLeod, I’m not going to give up Twitter or Facebook, although blogging is where most of my social energy goes. At the end of the day, it’s the most satisfying and fun, and it’s the perfect vehicle to show potential clients what and how I think.

Looking for Blog Post Inspiration?

By Mark Evans in Blogs, Social Media 1 Comment Tags: , ,

IdeasIn writing two blogs and an online column, I create more than 40 items a month. It may not be the volume generated by writers working for big-time blogs such as TechCrunch or GigaOm but it’s, nevertheless, a lot of content.

The challenge is coming up with ideas for blog posts that provide some kind of value and insight. At times, it can be a struggle when the creative juices aren’t flowing. At other times, it can be easy when the ideas just come rumbling down the pipe.

There are a variety of techniques I use to trawl for and generate ideas for blog posts. What I’m seeking is sparks, tidbits or food for thought.

1. Twitter: I don’t follow a lot of people (about 350) but I try to focus on people who tweet about things I find interesting and relevant to my professional world. I try not to spend too much time on Twitter because it’s a productivity-killer but I scan my stream on a fairly regular basis looking for ideas. I often “favorite” tweets that have the potential to become blog posts.

2. Newspapers: Yes, it’s old school but newspapers are an efficient way to scan through a lot of information. I’m mostly focused on the business section but often find good material in the news, life or entertainment sections. I use the “rip and read” technique by ripping out interesting stories to look at later.

3. Conversations: In talking with other people, you’re tapping into a new world of potential ideas, even if they aren’t involved in the Web and social media. When I’m having lunch with someone, for example, I’m often taking mental notes about potential blog posts. In an ideal world, I’d attend more conferences because that’s when the ideas for blogs can come in waves.

4. Reading: I consume a lot of content – both off-line and online – with different goals. Sometimes, it’s for information, sometimes it’s search related to a client, and sometimes, it’s just for ideas. Sometimes, I’ll read a good blog post, and then provide my own take (while, of course, providing credit and a link to the original blog).

5. Clients: When I’m working with clients, it pretty common for blog post ideas to pop up that have to do with different issues being tackled. The trick is writing a blog post without referring to what a client is doing so they tend to be about high-level issues or trends that are relevant to many companies.

What techniques or approaches do you use to come up with blog post ideas?

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8