Naked Conversations: How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers

3 Comments

1. Chole says:

   November 24, 2009 at 2:42 pm

   Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

   People familiar with my reviews will know that I’m not much given to hyperbole, but on the occasion it is absolutely justified.

   I’ve been a late recruit to the Blogosphere, but I’m now lapping up everything that I can find. One of the most fascinating things to someone who’s taught neurology for years, is the way in which links are developing in almost exactly the same way as occurs in the developing brain, and the same principles apply in the Blogosphere, and in the brain of mature individuals as they learn new information.

   This book starts with a quick overview of why blogging is becoming such an important part of our lives, and then we’re off. We get straight into tons of practical advice.

   Although I’m an admitted newbie, I think that even experienced users will likely find a lot to interest them here.
   The book identifies eleven tips on how to Blog, with a nice section on each:
   1. Get found easily
   2. Read and comment on blogs before starting your own
   3. Keep if simple and focused
   4. Show passion
   5. Demonstrate authority
   6. Allow comments (Not everyone does, but the authors are quite right in saying that a good blog is a conversation)
   7. Be accessible
   8. Tell a compelling personal story
   9. “Be linky”
   10. Build real world relationships
   11. Use your referrer log

   All of this is sage advice, and the book contains loads more.

   By the way, it’s also a fun read: so naturally, it is highly recommended!
2. Bindi says:

   November 24, 2009 at 4:25 pm

   Blogging is all the rage these days and authors Scoble and Israel proclaim that “blogs are changing the way businesses talk with customers.” The claim is vastly overblown in the sense that most businesses do not and will not talk “with” their customers, but rather talk “to” them.

   While the authors enthusiasm for something they themselves do well can be understood, their perspective is limited. For example, they cite Apple and Google among companies that discourage employees from maintaining blogs. The author’s attitude is that “some cultures are open and others closed.” Frankly it appears Scoble and Israel have no conception of all the legal reasons why organizations may choose to discourage blogging. Trade secret, security, privacy, harassment, international laws all must be scrupulously observed to protect a company against potential liability and unless platoons of lawyers are to be employed merely to review proposed blog postings, many companies are well advised to discourage employees from posting.

   Thus, the authors threat that companies that discourage blogging “will be perceived in the public eye as less interesting or relevant than those that do” is humorous as well as misinformed.

   Claims such as “[b]logging is cheaper and more effective than most marketing programs in use today” are simply unsupportable, though the authors do cite a couple of examples. But exceptions do not make a rule.

   Scoble and Israel fully admit to their personal enthusiasm for blogging and they are indeed believers as every page makes clear. They do present a solid framework for business blogging with lots of solid tips for those sticking a toe in the blogging waters.

   But on the whole, blogs are simply one more tool for organizations to consider. For many companies (and, particularly, individuals), blogging may make a substantial difference – but, as with everything else, for most it won’t.

   Given all my reservations, I would still recommend that managers at least give this book a fast read, just to stay current with blogging and what the buzz is all about.

   Jerry
3. Rafe says:

   November 24, 2009 at 4:32 pm

   The short answer to that question is yes.

   Don’t miss this book even if you and/or your organization haven’t yet jumped into the blogosphere.

   Scoble and Israel hammer home the point that blogging and other forms of social media are transforming how businesses communicate with customers, suppliers, and all their constituencies.

   But this isn’t a one-sided, navel-gazing tome on the virtues of blogging. This book is full of hard-hitting advice from dozens of successful bloggers on what makes some blogs work and others flame out.

   The book itself is like a blog on steroids, but with a natural thread through the topics that leads the reader easily from one subject to the next. It’s more of a conversation than a traditional book.

   Throughout the case studies, the authors let the voices of the bloggers shine through, giving the reader a sense of the issues each company faced. When the authors agree or disagree with how a business handled a situation, they let you know-in a civilized way.

   Scoble and Israel boil down their research and experience to help businesses understand the nuts and bolts of blogging without going geeky on the reader. They’ve got eleven tips for a successful blog, how to blog your way through a crisis, and an update of Scoble’s Corporate Weblog Manifesto.

   Make no mistake-this is a business book. If you’re blogging now, read it for the hundreds of insights you’ll uncover. If your organization isn’t blogging, use this book as a discussion starter for deciding whether blogging is right for your company.