Search Engines || Information Architecture

In a previous post, I started pointing out a few tips that might help launching new web 2.0 online services. In this post you will learn why the blogosphere ( ) is important and how to get it on your side

Key element No.2: The Blogosphere

While planning to write this post I was thinking to use some numbers, but I found that even though you can find some up to date numbers, most articles consider them quite irrelevant. Because of this I want to point out the following:
When I say blogosphere in this context I am not referring to the basic understanding but I understand the few relevant blogs for your niche.

Why the blogosphere is important?

John Hiler points out a few things:

• Blogs can do a tremendous job breaking news, and journalists are wise to start their own to tap that power.
• Some rare bloggers become amateur journalists, a status which brings with it its own unique ethical challenges.
• Most bloggers are more like Columnists than capital-J Journalists.

Going a little further, the blogosphere it is important because:

• It can generate natural links so necessary for a Google ranking.
• A well targeted post about your service will generate a few dozen other satellite posts from the readers of the original article.
• It’s free advertising, sometimes much better than contextual advertising.
• News Services are starting to incorporate blogs in their sources

How to identify which part of the blogosphere to address?

As I was saying in the beginning, trying to target all the blogs will be a useless and impossible task. Going targeted it will be more efficient. Make a new Excel file and proceed with the following steps:

• Identify a few keywords describing your service (bookmarks for example) and a few buzzwords (ajax, web 2.0 for example). When you are done, go to a few blog services and have a look at their tag clouds; try to see if some of the bigger words can naturally be attached to your service. Make a new sheet in your Excel document for every keyword you have identified. To be focused try keeping your list under 10 keywords
• When you are done building your keyword list, go to technorati blog finder and identify a few prominent bloggers on each keyword. Write on every sheet the blog name, the URL, the name of the blogger and contact information.

How to get the blogosphere on your side

• Read the blogs you have identified in order to spot blogger’s likes and dislikes. Try identifying language patterns. Write down in your Excel file anything you identify, you will use it later.
• Build a template email in informal language in which:
  1. You describe your service
  2. Invite the blogger to a private beta
  3. Ask for their opinions about your service. Ask for constructive criticism.
  4. Encourage them to write about you and give them contact details (address, phone number) that they can use to obtain further details. If possible try establishing a conference call with them
• Write personalized messages for each blogger. Change words whenever possible to fit their language patterns. Send the personalized messages individually and NEVER EVER use CC or BCC. Sign your messages with your full name and position in the company.

After you have done this consolidate your work through:

• Always answer to the emails you are receiving from people you have written. Don’t use auto-responders.
• Make a new watch list in Technorati for the name of your service and monitor every post that appears, whenever possible try commenting on the post and engage in conversations. Use again your full name and position.
• Make accounts at social bookmarking services (del.icio.us for example) and bookmark all the posts about you. Tag them with the name of your service and the keywords you have identified.
• If possible try implementing in your service any feedback you receive from the blogosphere.

Used properly those 2 tips (Beta and blogosphere) in your marketing campaign, will bring a lot of visibility, targeted traffic and valuable feedback. But keep focused on developing a usefull service without that you will be forgetten pretty soon.

Good Luck

Bibliography

1. John Hiler – Blogosphere: the emerging Media Ecosystem
2. Steve Rubel -Behind The Blogosphere Numbers
3. Yahoo Blog – You the media
4. Wikipedia – Blogosphere

P.S.
Even though not necesarilly web products related, a must read it’s the new article from Kathy Sierra: How to spend your marketing and ad budget. Check the new marketing strategies suggested and you will see also the role of blogging