Gary Andrews

The weblog is dead, long live the blog. Or, if you’re Paul Boutin, who wrote an obituary for blogging at Wired magazine the other day, blogging is just dead and we should bury it now:

“Thinking about starting your own blog? Here’s some friendly advice: Don’t. And if you’ve already got one, pull the plug.”

Blimey, that’s a cheerful start to the day, and the prognosis just gets worse:

“Writing a weblog today isn’t the bright idea it was four years ago. The blogosphere, once a freshwater oasis of folksy self-expression and clever thought, has been flooded by a tsunami of paid bilge. Cut-rate journalists and underground marketing campaigns now drown out the authentic voices of amateur wordsmiths. It’s almost impossible to get noticed, except by hecklers. And why bother? The time it takes to craft sharp, witty blog prose is better spent expressing yourself on Flickr, Facebook, or Twitter.”

The article has caused quite a stir both on and offline and it looks as if BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones will be doing a piece on this on Radio 4′s Today programme tomorrow, asking if blogging is dead.

But the question itself seems somewhat tautologous. A blog post about blogging has got other blogs and non-blogs talking about the death of blogging. For a medium that, last time I checked, definitely wasn’t six feet under, it’s doing a remarkably good job of still getting itself noticed.

As the old saying goes, the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about, and nobody’s stopped talking about it yet, so writing epitaphs seems a trifle premature.

The cynic in me suspects the post was written largely to get a reaction (and has succeeded), but rather than taking it to the extreme of death, it’s worth asking what’s different between blogging in 2008 than blogging, say, four years ago when citizen journalism was the new buzzword.

It’s certainly true that there are more professional blogs, corporate blogs and group blogs than there were back then. Indeed, it seems like you’re not a proper web 2.0-ed up company unless you’ve got yourself a company blog and are down with the proverbial kids.

Is this necessarily a bad thing? Far from it. In fact, I’d go as far as to say it’s a positively encouraging one, as it shows the evolution and maturing of blogging.

Brands, companies and traditional media are starting to move to the same level as bloggers – interacting, acknowledging and treating some of them as they would any other source. That news can be broken almost instantaneously via the web, and that spurious claims can be easily disproved, should continue to excite.

It also continues to highlight the power of the web or, more accurately, the power of Google. Get negative comments on your service and this will have a significant impact on your brand name’s Google juice – the last thing any company wants to see is the front page of results all criticising the product.

But get it right and a quick Google will produce pages of praise, which is as valuable to a brand’s reputation as any offline campaign. By placing blogging at the heart of this, it further increases the democratisation of the web. Again, this can only be a good thing.

I’ve said before that I see blogging as a medium that fits neatly into Habermas’ ideal of the public sphere. You have discussion about current events and those blogs that are the best informed, best written, or most entertaining will rise to the top. Those that sit ranting badly written rants will continue to attract just a small portion of readers. It is a free market in the currency of opinion.

A quick word about the negativity and vitriol Paul Boutin highlights in his article. This has been around since, really, day one of the internet and won’t change. Trolls won’t go away and there’ll always be that slightly odd group of people who take a perverse delight in sitting in the comments spewing hatred.

But we can live with that. What they most crave is attention, so by ignoring them they’re not getting the reaction they desire. And, if anything, the net seems to have increased in politeness.

Bloggers – and brands, companies and the like – are more willing to go into the comments and forums and politely put forward their point of view while there’s an informal online etiquette that is still evolving. People are getting more willing to engage, and the nuttier online element can be ignored.

Although the Technorati State of the Blogosphere 2008 noted a fall in the number of blogs, this doesn’t necessarily mean we’re seeing the death of blogging. There are, perhaps, a few explanations for this:

1. Many of the original bloggers are getting older, so are moving to more high-powered positions of responsibility in the real world and have less time to blog, but this doesn’t mean they’re any less committed or enthusiastic to using blogs outside of a personal setting.
2. A few of the really good bloggers – in whatever field – have been snapped up by bigger companies and have started blogging there instead, be it for traditional media sites, or overseeing company blogs.
3. Many of the niche bloggers have pooled resources. Why have five blogs about a topic when you can come together in a group blog, where there’s less chance of lack of posting time and content, and a greater range of debates. Ultimately, every blogger wants to be read and joining forces to improve the Google juice increases the likelihood of this.

But Paul’s certainly got a point when he alludes to Twitter, Facebook and Flickr being the future. However, it’s worth pointing out that these aren’t blogging and blogging isn’t Twitter, Flickr or Facebook. Blogging is well-established enough not to be a passing fad.

Yes, all three offer a more concise immediacy that blogging, perhaps, can’t offer. But while Flickr could be described as photoblogging, it’s still different from blogging with words. They’re too very difficult entities. Nobody said the rise of photography led to the death of journalism.

Facebook is, again, different from blogging in so many ways. Sure, you can publish your blog to Facebook, but it seems to have settled into a niche as a networking, email exchange and event organiser. If people blog in there, they’re doing it for a specific audience.

And, more importantly, they’re still engaging in blogging, even if it’s in a more locked-out audience specific environment. But then, you could argue, this is just a more grown up version of Live Journal.

Finally, Twitter, which is the closest thing to blogging. It’s even described as microblogging, to which it is. But it’s still fundamentally different.

Twitter has probably been responsible for a decline in brief, one line blog posts. But take a look at the links being shared on Twitter, and then look at how many of them are, in fact, sharing ideas via blogs. Blogging and Twitter is symbiotic.

All of the above contributes to the conversation, and blogging is still very much a part of it. So the early adopters may not blog. So there are more personal blogs than ever before, and it may well be difficult to get your voice heard. That still doesn’t mean it’s a dying medium. Far from it.

This final snapshot may not be entirely reflective of the health of the blogosphere, but it, I think, provides a decent enough conclusion: in both a work and personal environment, I estimate I must get about half a dozen queries a week about blogging – how to set up a blog, what’s best blog practice, how to pitch to a blog, how to write a blog, and the rest.

That, to me, shows a medium that’s in rude health.

written by Gary Andrews \\ tags: blogging, death of blogging, Paul Boutin, Twitter, Wired article on blogging

People sometimes ask me why I started blogging. There’s a variety of reasons, but in the end it largely comes down to one person. A person who is, really, long overdue a big thank you.

When I first started blogging at the now defunct blogger-hosted Coffee and PC in the late summer of 2003, it was largely down to my friend Jasmine.

Jasmine, or missiedith as she’s known on her online community and blog, had been blogging for a while. She was definitely an early adopter.

I can’t even remember why we got talking about blogging, or why she thought I’d be into blogging. It wasn’t the kind of thing I’d have asked about or even had much clue about. Maybe her girlfriend mentioned it once. I’m not sure.

I do remember she kept bugging me to start a blog though. She employed a gentle nagging by frequently asking me if I’d started up a blog, or that I was the kind of person who would enjoy blogging.

She was right.

It took a bit of gentle nagging to get me to start blogging, but I spent plenty of time browsing her well-designed blog and the blogs on her blogroll. And other blogs on those blogrolls. And so on. And I was hooked.

So, one quiet and slightly dull day in August, I signed up to blogger and created My First Blog. Otherwise known as Coffee and PC, and complete with a pretentious image of Jean-Paul Belmondo in A Bout de Souffle as my profile picture.

Jasmine was really the cause of that and, when after a couple of months I seemed to have exhausted everything I wanted to say, she simply shrugged and said: “Everybody gets that. You’ll find something to write about soon.” Or words to that effect.

Because she’d been blogging for a while, and had picked up a fair bit of Google juice, when she linked to me, my traffic, comments and Google ranking went up. And so did my confidence as a blogger.

It’s fair to say my style, and topics, have changed since the first few months. Back then it was a bit more ranty, with lots of swearing and focused mainly on either me or politics. I’m quite glad I don’t write so much about me or politics these days.

Blogging, I think, would have been something I’d have eventually fallen into, but probably much later. But my life may have taken a slightly different route.

Ok, that’s perhaps a bit dramatic. But blogging opened up my eyes to the possibilities of journalism outside of traditional media. I started reading some brilliant writers who I’d have never have found.

Insofar as it’s possible to ‘get’ what blogging is about, I got a better idea of it, and started thinking how it could be used for journalism and PR. I kept close tabs on a lot of sites and ideas that now form the bedrock of social media thinking – and again was aware of how that could be used for journalism and PR.

And I’ve used blogging for journalism and PR. I’ve generated off-diary stories solely through the blogging community. I’ve worked on projects that have significantly boosted web traffic for assorted newsrooms because I was confident in how to work online and with bloggers and forums.

My blog wasn’t directly responsible for landing me my current job. But it helped, I think. And, more than that, I’ve embraced blogging and social media to a degree that it’s become much more of my job that I originally thought it would.

It’s driven me to write about a subject I love – football – and get paid work off the back of it.

Plus, I’ve met some fantastic people – some of whom are now very good friends – through blogging.

As media enters into an uncertain, digital age, I feel excited and undaunted by the online challenges that my industry faces. Whether I’m working in PR or journalism, I at least feel I have some grasp on the media and the web and can handle the transition, whatever and whenever that may be.

Granted, I’ve made a lot of decisions along the way that you’d be hard-pushed to trace back to Jasmine. But in the back of my mind, I know that a lot of my current work and interests owe one hell of a lot to her gentle nagging and belief that I’d enjoy blogging.

Sadly, I’ve completely lost touch with her. After I graduated, I slipped out of touch with several friends and she was one of them. I have no idea what she’s up to now, and until recently I assumed she’d packed up her blog completely.

And the funny thing is, I didn’t even know her that well before she started nagging me to blog. But I’m sure glad she did.

So this is just a small thank you. It’s the least I can do.

Well, that and return your Aladdin video I borrowed once and never gave back. Sorry about that.

written by Gary Andrews \\ tags: blogging, missiedith

Who says blogs can’t break news? In an age where most footballer-penned blogs are full of bland commentary and meticulously on-message, Dean Windass’s post for his weekly ITV.com blog about considering his future at Hull if he didn’t get picked came as somewhat of a surprise. But it was also a great story, and one a journalism would usually have to work hard to get out of a player.

Unsurprisingly, it was the blogs who picked up on it first, before the local newspaper, the Daily Mail, the Vital Football Hull fan site and ESPN,all done with just a couple of emails alerting people to the story. AFter that, things snowballed.

Yes, the blog may have been hosted by a major media company, but the story, which started life on a small part of the site, quickly found its way around the internet and onto the fans forums. Just from one blog post. And the majority of stories credited the blog.

There’s news in them blogs alright – and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

written by Gary Andrews \\ tags: blogging, breaking news, Dean Windass, news online

Chris from Two Footed Tackle and I had been talking about getting a bunch of football bloggers together at some point.

But rather than set up a blog meetup, Chris has gone one step further and created a Football Blogger social network using Ning (the same rather good platform Ben has used to created meandmybicycle.com).

If you’re a football blogger that occasionally swings by here, do check it out and join. Hopefully at some point we can organise a meetup down the pub, and maybe take in a game or two.

written by Gary Andrews \\ tags: blogging, Football Blogging, Ning, social networking

Adam Tinworth asks if blogs, like newspapers, have a silly season. I’d say definitely. Not just silly, but probably downright bonkers.

Firstly, a lot of the blogs, no matter what they’re about, feed off the news and if the news is in silly season, it follows blogs will to. I’m certainly noticing a few less posts in my RSS reader over the last couple of weeks, the exception being football blogs, which haven’t seem to have stopped.

Although if I see another piece anywhere speculating on Gareth Barry’s non-move to Liverpool and His move from Manchester United to Real Madrid, I won’t be held responsible for kidnapping said players for a year just to put us all out of our misery. Christ, can’t we focus on the cricke… oh. Point taken.

But also, and it’s something noted by many bloggers, myself included, sunny weather makes such a difference. Why would you want to sit indoors blogging when it’s just too nice outside. Even with wifi in many green spaces, it still seems a shame to blog when there weather’s nice enough to chase around all over the place. If we’d had a wet summer so far, I bet blogging and comments would be a lot higher everywhere. Mostly complaining about the weather, most likely.

Also, we’re now in the school holidays and – pure speculation on my part here – having kids around means you’ve got less time for other stuff. Like blogging.

As for this blog, there’ll be spurts and slowdowns over the coming month and a half. Not only am I incredibly busy at work, especially next week, but I’m also out enjoying the sunshine. Plus everybody seems to have a birthday at this time of the year. I blame the Christmas holidays.

So if there’s a bit of a dip in posting (not, I’m sure, anybody will particularly care – and it’s a bit arrogant and egocentric of me to assume so. Sorry. I know I’m a bit of a tit) then it’s probably any of the above. Except children. Obviously.

written by Gary Andrews \\ tags: blogging, blogging lulls, silly season, Summer, sunshine

Following on from my rather lengthy thoughts on best PR / blogging practice, here’s a couple of excellent posts on the subject that should be a must read for any PR bod who’s remotely thinking of getting in touch with bloggers.

First up, Vero has an open letter to all PRs from a blogger’s perspective. And it’s a bit humbling to read, because I’m sure I’ve done a few of the don’ts in my time. But, again, a lot of this stuff isn’t rocket science – it’s just good PR that doesn’t differ wildly from how you’d work with journalists, other than a bit of tweaking and knowing the blogger or blog you’re pitching to.

I’m strongly tempted to print out the post and pin it to the water cooler at work.

Secondly, Catwalk Queen’s Gemma Cartwright follows up Vero’s post with a few of her own experiences and a very thoughtful tone. Again, it’s the kind of thing PR-folk should read and take note, and this paragraph is pins much of the debate spot on:

“By nature, bloggers write opinions, they’re honest and they don’t hold back. The freedom of blogging vs print media is what appealed to me in the first place. I know we’re a bit scary because we won’t pander to people quite so easily. We’re also a bit contradictory. We want to be treated with the same respect as press, but at the same time, we don’t want to be treated like press. We want to be recognised for what we are. A new breed of writers who bring together old skills and new ideas in order to deliver content in a new way.”

And any company that, in the words of Gemma, ‘doesn’t do online’ is on a hiding to nothing. If ignoring a huge swathe of people who are interested in your product is part of your PR strategy, fine. But don’t start complaining when you realise nobody is talking about your product.

Ok, so perhaps that’s a little harsh, but with consumers and audiences increasingly fragmenting and traditional media in the midst of a huge upheaval in working and communicating methods, then traditional companies need to be looking at experimenting (although, in all honesty, this is hardly experimenting) by contacting bloggers or engaging with people who want to talk about their brand.

It’s not scary, it’s not hard, and most people will realise – again, to quote Gemma – that you’re just doing your job. And if you do it well, they’ll respond accordingly.

written by Gary Andrews \\ tags: blogging, Catwalk Queen, Gemma Cartwright, pitching to bloggers, PR, Vero

Closing your eyes and diving into the unknown is a somewhat frightening prospect. It’s a little like how I feel pitching to bloggers.

The lines of communication between traditional media and PR are well established and any combustion is usually smoothed over. With bloggers it’s a bit different. Often there’s no existing relationship, and you have no idea how the blogger will react. Not everybody who blogs will appreciate PR bods butting in on the conversation and they’re under no obligation to write anything about whatever it is you’re pitching. Frankly, most of the time they don’t actually need whatever it is you’re pushing, and can happily carry on their conversation without you.

Worse still, get it wrong and the blogger’s got an immediate platform to (justifiably) complain about your cackhanded methods, which will do nothing for your Google juice. And, if you’re really bad, you could end up on a blacklist.

(And given that there appear to be some people out there who aren’t able to pitch to journalists properly, that’s not an unrealistic scenario.)

It’s understandable than some people in all areas of the media are somewhat cautious, even reluctant at reaching out to bloggers. But it would be a mistake to avoid attempting to make contact with bloggers for fear of getting it wrong. If your content, and pitch, is good enough then hopefully you can work into the start of a good working relationship that can be beneficial to both sides.

Strangely, as I started doing some ‘cold’ pitching to bloggers last week I also got an excellent and unexpected example of a ‘cold’ pitch in my own inbox. An email that contains the phrase “And unfortunately I come with no offers of pies, nor biscuits,” in the opening paragraph will get my attention as it’s clearly that

1. It’s been written by a human.

2. They’ve actually made an effort to read a bit about me.

The pitch, from Hyperlaunch, was concise, explained why I’d been contacted, and was detailed on the product I was being pitched. If I’d received it as a journalist and not a blogger [1] I’d have mentally been sketching out a story or a feature in my head by the final paragraph. That’s a sign of excellent PR, even more so when you consider the product being pitched – music site Muzu – wasn’t something I’d normally have paid much attention to. It was professional, personal and an textbook example, if such a thing is possible, on how to make cold contact.

I’ll come to Muzu in another blog post, mainly because I don’t want to head off on a tangent (chance would be a fine thing).

Now contrast this with the only other two pitches I’ve had directed to me-as-blogger. One was a generic press release which was half interesting but I didn’t have time to write about it and there was no sign anybody had made any effort to engage with me. Frankly, if you’re emailing a blogger who runs a one-man site and blogs under his own name, I don’t think it’s asking too much to at least add a hello.

But it was the second pitch that was a classic example in how not to pitch to a blogger. Not only was it something I wasn’t overly interested in, the pitch (now-deleted) went something along the lines of (and I’m condensing and paraphrasing here): “Hello. You’re a blogger. Here’s something we want you to write about. Because you should be grateful we’re bothering with you, please blog this before next week and let us know when you’ve done this.”

This was followed up 18 hours later with a second email along the lines of: “Hello. You’ve not responded to our email. Please indicate if you’re going to blog about it and if you’re lucky we may send you other stuff that we want you to blog about.”

Ok, so I’m being a bit facetious here. But you get the idea. Needless to say, they got a curt ‘no thank you’.

Based on my own experiences, both as a pitcher and a pitchee, it doesn’t seem rocket science to find the correct way to engage with bloggers. To be honest, it’s no different from cold pitching a journalist, and if you can do that, you’re probably not going to hack off the person you want to engage with.

So, for what it’s worth – and these aren’t exhaustive or necessarily to be applied in every situation – a few tips:

1. Do your research. If you know a bit about the person or blog you’re pitching to it helps. No different from any publication, in that regard.
2. Don’t assume that because they’re bloggers, they’ll gratefully hoover up any old shite. Group blogs especially will probably exercise a fair bit of editorial control. Much like any newsroom.
3. Don’t assume that because they’re bloggers, they’re amateurs. Many bloggers are also journalists, or have some experience in these field. Others blog because they know the topic inside out. Or at least better than you do.
4. Make it relevant. Even if it’s perhaps a bit tenuous, you’ve got to give the blogger a reason why they should be interested in what you’re promoting. Like you would to a journalist.
5. Be prepared for an open and honest response. A lot of blogs will be happy to build links with PRs, but that doesn’t mean to say if they don’t like what you’re offering, they won’t criticise it. Like journalists should do.
6. Don’t get offended by an open and honest response. Because since when has screaming down the phone (or email) at anybody ever achieved anything than making you feel better?
7. Don’t abandon the blogger after they’ve blogged about whatever it is you’re publicising. If they’re favourable to your initial approach, it’s a good opportunity for a long relationship that could be mutually beneficial to both sides. Disappearing after getting what you want leaves the blogger feeling like they’ve just had a less-than-fun one-night stand.
8. Include a note at the end to say that if the pitch isn’t welcome, then you’re sorry and won’t contact the blogger again. It’s just a nice bit of courtesy at the end of an unsolicited pitch.

[1] And there’s no reason why these can’t be one and the same.

written by Gary Andrews \\ tags: blogging, Hyperlaunch, Muzu, PR, PR and blogging