Why Blogs Are Beating Out Ezines ... And Matter So Much to Your Platform!
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| by Suzanne Falter-Barns |
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 I was all
set this morning to write about something totally
different in this issue ... but thanks to the power of
blogs, I'm here to deliver a totally different message.
Namely the ascendance of blogs over ezines.
First of all, you may notice that you're not getting a
whole lot of issues of this ezine from me. Why? Because
I've come to understand that blogging is faster. It's more
immediate. It's got a wonderful airstream of energy that
follows each post. And because it's less formal, it's less
work -- but still communicates just as effectively as an
ezine ... perhaps even more so.
This point was made wonderfully clear for me just this
morning by Stacy Brice, who runs the noteworthy VA
training program, AssistU. Stacy sent up a very thoughtful
comment to my 'Painless Self Promo' blog, under the header
'The Future of the Ezine'. Which led to an email, which
led to a lengthy phone call. Stacy and I had a real heart
to heart about this ezine vs. blog thing ... and here's
what I've decided is the state of things at the moment.
1. We're in a transitional shift from ezines to blogs.
This has mostly to do with people being reluctant to give
up old comfy ways for a few minutes of learning new
technology, downloading RSS desktop applications, etc.. It
was like this just before we traded in vinyl for CD's,
telepathy for cell phones and to-do lists for Palm Pilots.
And some of us have never moved forward. Those of us who
did are pretty happy.
2. Blog technology has finally leapt up to the plate.
It's happening; it's here; it's on the cover of Business
Week. Blogs can no longer be dismissed as fringe techie
territory. They've gotten so easy to use, and read, that
there is simply no denying them. Blog creation software du
jour is typepad and wordpress. Typepad blogs exist on
their website for a small monthly fee. Wordpress blogs
exist on your own site for free. Typepad's more elegant.
Wordpress is more basic and functional. I'm running a test
to see which will eventually work better for me.
3. It's no longer all about the list. I am still an
advocate of ezines, but I believe the list/email
connection is rapidly unraveling. My own lists have
declined in size as have those of every Net marketer I
know. Ezines have peaked and crested in their usefulness
and appeal. Meanwhile, blogs are hot. AND you can capture
names on them. (See my blog for details on how to do
that.)
4. We're no longer happy with passive activities.
Maybe as a culture we've grown completely sick of sitting
around doing nothing ... all those hours of reality TV?
We've now begun to expect to participate in our
entertainment, even when it comes to reading websites. So
blogs -- which allow comments from readers -- are the
perfect medium. (This is also why my current theater
project, at serenityhawkfire.com,
is an entirely interactive theater piece.)
5. We've become a less formal culture. These days,
our world is all untucked; clothing is big and slouchy,
coffee is slurped in paper cups on the run. Even TV has
let down its defenses, showing us as we 'really' are. So
it makes sense that blogs, which feature faster, less
formal entries more in the style of a diary, are becoming
bigger than ezines. Blogs are casual. Ezines take
planning, layout, require regular entries and take a lot
more time.
6. Blogging is faster. How long does it take to
make an entry? Five to ten minutes, I'd say. My ezine,
meanwhile, takes 1-2 hours. Yes, you need to do more blog
entries, but they're hardly brain surgery. Instead, they
are quick insights you offer up from your life on the go.
And so they are read in the same spirit.
7. Blogs are beloved by the media. This is where a
majority of all media research on who's who and what
they're up to is now done. It used to be that your
credibility as a media subject was evaluated strictly by
your site; that's where the media looked first to get a
beat on you. Know they want to know what you're posting on
your blog -- even if it doesn't have a 'media room' like
your site (hopefully you'd have that linked somehow in
your margins.) And they want to know what kinds of posts
and comments your getting.
 If you're still working on building up your ezine list, I
recommend you beef it up by including a blog in your
offerings. It will energize your website, attract Google
and Yahoo ranking and generally create more buzz.
If you have a blog but have not maximized it by setting up
a name capture tool, or do not post frequently, give that
a whirl, too. You'll be amazed at who stops by!
And if you have thoughts on the tender blog-ezine dynamic,
email them to me -- or even better, drop by my blog and
post them on the most recent comment. Then we'll all be
able to see them and add comments of our own.
Here's to the continuing discussion. May your blog bring
your platform, and set people talking! |
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| About
the Author: Suzanne Falter-BarnsSuzanne Falter-Barns'
website at getknownnow.com
offers tips and tools that help you build your platform
and get known as an expert in your field. Sign up for her
fr.ee ezine, Expert Status, and receive her free report,
"25 Top Self Help Literary Agents." To reprint
this article, please use with this bio box in tact.
Thanks! ©2005 Suzanne Falter-Barns LLC. |
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