Blogs: A Fad Like Pet Rocks

Bill, that’s a bold prediction and a tall order…all companies will have to embrace blogging at some point. As long as I’ve been trumping the blog horn and as much as I’d welcome it, I just don’t see it.
And believe me, I in no way think it’s a fad. I’ve written before on my belief in its staying power and how it’s a powerful channel to complement any traditional communications efforts. The very idea of blogging–open, transparent conversation–has shifted perceptions and enabled the market to influence the information agenda.
But it’s just that…it’s not the blogs that will have to be embraced, but rather the idea of conversation and connecting with your publics in a circular bi-directional fashion, rather than linear push. This may happen through blogs or by other means.
I think many companies will embrace blogs because they’ll recognize the value the channel offers for them to converse with their publics. But there will be many who won’t for various reasons (i.e. they’re not tech adept so it’s not on their radar and never will be, they’re not willing to invest the time and we know it takes time, they fear legal implications, etc.).

Bill,
I’m glad you posted this because I have mentioned it before in one of my posts on my blog. Since many people don’t know what blogging is and how useful it can be I keep asking myself how long will blogging last. I hope that companies will catch on and use blogs to their advantage. If more and more companies do begin to use blogs I feel fortunate and at somewhat of an advantage to being introduced to blogging in college. I hope that when I graduate I will be able to use this tool that I have learned about. Your post brought up good points about how everday tools were once considered fads. It will be interesting to see how far blogs will come in the future.

Just another fad…Just another hurdle.
That is what it seems like keeps happening in the blogging world. Because it is so new, people are skeptical to its real power. I think that if people look at the blogging numbers and the continued growth, they will realize this is for real.
It is always okay to question new trends and things, and as you illustrated it will happen again and again. But atleast it keeps our jobs interesting. We will have to overcome these hurdles with every new trend, but doesn’t that makes things interesting in our field?

I can see blogging sticking around because people love to voice their opinion, especially those in PR. As long as people have a topic that sparks their interest, I think people will continue to blog. Because of today’s media and advancing technology, I doubt scrounging for a topic will be an issue. Buzz is everywhere. And people always want to be part of the newest thing!
Like ya’ll said, this is just another form of communication and it has great potential to increase relationships both on an internal and external level

Thank you for this perspective. I never really thought of it that way…never really thought of blogging as a fad. That’s interesting that some people think that. I guess I think of blogging as another step up in technology. I think of it as a useful tool…whether it be a blog for a business, or a blog for personal use. I definitely don’t see them fading out anytime soon. Thank you again for the fresh perspective.

I like this post. Blogging is a much-debated topic as far as its longevity or lack there of goes. I think that is definitely has potential to stick around though. It is a way for people to talk about whatever they want…and lots of people like that idea. It is also a great way for companies and businesses to communicate with their publics or simply with employees and I think that businesses that have not already caught on to that (and taken action) will in a lot of cases in the future. Since rumors about companies start so easily, why not prevent them from starting or respond to them through a blog on your company’s website? Now, I don’t know that all companies will embrace this idea…but they should.

I agree with Dianne. Since the beginning of time, people have LOVED to throw their two cents in, which is enough reason for blogs to stick around: it provides another outlet for them to do such. I think blogs are being mis-defined, though. All the livejournals and blogspots that my friends keep could probably be considered a fad. Those are just online journals in my opinion (”Today I went to class… I hate this weather”). But real blogs, like the ones we’ve been studying this semester, that discuss industry trends and scholarly topics, are just as valuable as trade journals and publications, and in everyone’s best interest, SHOULD be kept around. Robert is going to Birmingham to tell some PR practitioners about blogging, maybe he should embark on a world-wide blogging promotional tour to tell everyone about the good blogging can do!

This is an interesting post. I for one had never even considered blogging as just a fad. I think all blogs, even personal ones like livejournal, have a distinct purpose and are useful tools that a lot of people will soon start to embrace. Blogging is just another way to communicate, which is something that people will continue to do. I think that more and more businesses will start using bloggins as a tool and the only way blogging will fall by the wayside will be when something newer and better comes along to take its place.

I don’t think blogging is a fad. I think it is where technology is leading us. Companies can truly benefit from it as well as individuals. It will be interesting to see what the future holds.