Blogs are so 2004!

Paul Boutin's article in Wired claims that blogging is yesterday's thing and that the www has moved on if you want to get noticed.

This may be true for those who see themselves at the cutting edge of social media; people at the cutting edge simply don't want to be seen where the rest of us hang out. That's up to them.

But blogs have an increasingly defined and important role for Internet marketers for 2 reasons.

The first, which is beyond debate, is that blogging has become a mainstream activity. From the BBC and Google to the likes of me, everyone can publish their thoughts and opinions very easily. And it is this ease of use that is one key factor in the development of blogging.

The other is the nature of the medium. A weblog is your place to put your own thoughts, like a diary, but one that's open to others to read. A blog does not require a formal structure, it doesn't even need to draw a conclusion. It should encourage thought and invite comment. It is where questions as often as answers are formulated.

This informality invites a dialogue with your readers. And dialogue is increasingly what marketing is about. Understand your customer's needs and wants and you will find success. Getting them involved at the earliest stage of your thought process will help you to build a customer centric business.

Blogs might not be the new thing any more, but they will be around for a long time to come.

And whether you agree or disagree, I'd appreciate your comments.

;-)