Category: Internet

Sean Johnson has an interesting post on how to get a successful blog up and running in six weeks. I don’t know whether the six-week timeframe is realistic; Technorati’s most recent state-of-the-blogosphere report outlined some differences between what it classifies as blogs with low, middle and high authority:

The Low Authority Group (3-9 blogs linking in the last 6 months)

The average blog age (the number of days that the blog has been in existence) is about 228 days, which shows a real commitment to blogging. However, bloggers of this type average only 12 posts per month, meaning that their posting habits are generally dedicated but infrequent.

The Middle Authority Group (10-99 blogs linking in the last 6 months)

This contrasts somewhat with the second group, which enjoys an average age not much older than the first at 260 days and which posts 50% more frequently than the first. There is a clear correlation between posting volume and Technorati authority ranking.

The High Authority Group (100-499 blogs linking in the last 6 months)

The third group represents a decided shift in blog age while not blogging much more frequently than the last. In keeping with the theme of the maturation of the blogosphere, it seems evident that many of these bloggers were previously in category two and have grown in authority organically over time. In other words, sheer dedication pays off over time.

Beyond that is the elite group with the highest authority. Interestingly 42 days, or six weeks, doesn’t seem to be a long enough time to even get to the “middle authority” group. I agree you can get a good start at six weeks, but as the Technorati report says, sheer dedication over time is what makes the difference between the middle and high authority blogs.

I’m not sure what Sean would define as “successful” but he does have a good list of potential blogging benefits. I guess you could be successful in achieving some of those goals without reaching a higher authority level, and within a relatively short time, but I see the six-week figure as helpful mainly because it’s long enough to create a blogging habit which, if continued, can lead to longer-term success. Steve Rubel’s list of tips says much the same; keep at it and bank on the Long Tail to get results over time.

Technorati: Blog, Marketing, Technorati, Long Tail

Chris Anderson is starting a writing project in Wired on the new trend in business away from the traditional mode of secrecy and limited disclosure, and toward what he calls “Radical Transparency.”

The default communications mode of companies has traditionally been top-down, with only executives and official spokespeople permitted to discuss company business in public. The standard rule, explicit or not, was “That which we choose not to announce is not to be spoken about.” Aside from some special exemptions, such as conferences where those employees trusted enough to go chatted guardedly with outsiders, employees were cautioned that what happened at work should stay at work. Loose lips sink ships, etc.

As Edelman has reported, “a person like me” is now the most trusted source of information, surpassing even doctors and academic experts. And thanks to the web it is now easier than ever to pick the brains of “people like me.”

I think this is one of those “it depends” situations, though. I agree that people generally trust the opinion of a rank-and-file employee more than a corporate spokesperson, but the credibility of a physician is still extremely high, especially a specialist speaking to an issue in which he or she has expertise.

In my work in media relations, we guard the credibility of both Mayo Clinic and our physicians by not putting them in a position to comment on something that isn’t in their area of special training. We also produce syndicated news content, which is reviewed not only by the subject expert being featured but also by a medical editor, so consumers aren’t just getting one person’s opinion, but a team consensus.

And, of course, we have federal patient privacy laws (which essentially codified what was our practice) that also limit what can be disclosed. Our policy always has been to protect patient privacy unless they choose to make their stories public. The real change now is the advent of blogging by patients and family members, with people telling the story of their health care experience directly to the world.

Word-of-mouth always has been an important way for people to learn about Mayo Clinic, either from patients or from physicians whose patients have come here. Patient blogs are, to borrow a phrase I found 659 times in a quick Google search:

“Word of Mouth on Steroids.”

And sites like CarePages and CaringBridge are specifically designed to make it easier for patients and their families to more efficiently stay in touch with concerned family and friends.

This is a trend that will only accelerate. Conversations that were formerly one-to-one will be taking place in a much more public arena, at least for some patients (or for businesses, customers) who choose to tell their stories. That makes it even more crucial for businesses and health care providers to at least be listening to what’s being said in blogs, and joining the conversation when appropriate.

Technorati: Blogging, Transparency, Word-of-Mouth, Chris Anderson, Wired Magazine