You know it never ceases to amaze me the attention deficit that infects the world of Web 2.0.
In 2003-2004 blogging was going to kill journalism and destroy traditional media because here was a way to publish information fast – and more importantly anyone with access to an Internet connection could publish their thoughts and opinions for everyone to read (they were simpler times).
Four years later the whispers about the decline of blogging have started. Seemingly Twitter, Facebook and Flickr are the way forward. Blogging is too slow and too much like hard work.
Sigh
This lack of stamina is a serious challenge for Web 2.0. It takes time for anything to get established into the mainstream. It takes even more time for behaviours to change so that habits form.
If you keep leaping from one widget to the next, then you’re probably going to struggle bringing the majority of the population with you. This may not effect many of the digital pioneers, but for those who want everyone to participate (which will never happen in my mind) this is a serious barrier.
Blogging may have lost the shiny quality of the new new thing, but it’s established and provides some great benefits. Many bloggers I talk to have admitted that since using Twitter they’ve found less time to blog. For me, Twitter is an interesting side show, but I still enjoy reading blogs, enjoy hearing people’s opinions and learning.
From a PR perspective the starting point in great communications is identifying and understanding your audience. Looking past the hype (unless your client is a web 2.0 widget producer) and having insight into where your audience is, how they’re finding information, and how they’re sharing information, is far more important than the new new thing.
Guess what, even in this difficult economic environment, traditional media is alive, and so is blogging.
What a surprise.
Thanks to Richard Bailey for dangling the bait in front of me…
Murphy's Law 