Although it might sound like something out of a classic Aldous Huxley novel, the concept of social blogging is perhaps something best described as a blurry world between social media and conventional blogs. In a day and age where everything has a name, a buzz word and is set within clearly defined parameters, social blogging is breaking through barriers that presented obstacles to marketing in the past. If you are looking to create a new blog as a means of earning an income, you just might want to consider the huge possibilities open to you in social blogging.
It All Started with Millennials
One of the biggest challenges that faced marketers just a few short years ago was how to break down the barriers imposed by Millennials. Traditional marketing wasn’t reaching this group of consumers so something had to be done. After several rounds of research conducted by some of the global leaders in data analysis, it became evident that Millennials wanted to get up-close and personal with the brands they were dealing with. They wanted to engage with real people behind the company name and out of this need, direct marketing took off like wildflower – but with a whole new twist.
What Is the Real Difference between Blogging and Social Media?
In order to understand the brave new world in which social blogging exists, it is first necessary to understand the line of demarcation between blogging and social media. While blogging can, and does, have some ‘social’ features, a blog is more about offering useful information while social media is just what it says, a social outlet for like-minded people to engage. Blogging does engage the reader and the reader can comment on the blog, but that is just one level of engagement. Social media goes beyond in that a digital conversation can lead to the development of a relationship. It is this social relationship that Millennials crave from the brands they buy from and that’s why in the hazy area between blogging and social media, social blogging, could very well fill the void.
How Would Social Blogging Work?
The question which will probably be answered in the very near future is in terms of the mechanics of a social blogging site. Instead of having ‘follow me’ buttons for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social sites, the blog itself might be followed and opened up more like a social site. How this would work is anyone’s guess but probably a blogger would impart some important knowledge or useful information in article (blog) form and then a social conversion would result from that blog post. It is possible that WordPress themes are already in the works for this new concept in social blogging which would result in a blog having features from both conventional blog sites and social media sites as well. Would it look like a message board? Perhaps, but maybe RSS feeds would alert followers when new info is added and that their response is desired. This starts a whole new dialogue and on it goes.
Blogging, together with social media, opens whole new doors for marketers so it will be interesting to watch this transition as it takes place. With more information being provided to consumers through a social outlet, businesses will have a much easier time growing their market share. It will be time consuming perhaps, but lucrative enough to compensate for time spent engaging that audience. You’ll see it as it unfolds, so keep your eyes open to changes as they come your way.
