"How To Train A Blogger - Now In 3D"

I was reading a few different articles and having a few different conversation with different netizens online and I realize the understanding and the "warrior code" of different groups of netizens are very very different.

Take for example myself, I have been running this blog of mine for a few years and other than events which I attend on my own and happenings around me, I also blog about some of my thoughts and findings, gadget review and movie review and whatever not. I never consider myself "a blogger" as I have never attended any " invited only special events " for the longest time of my "career" only until very recently. ( don't ask me what happen, I've no idea.) It is also through such events that I have made a lot of "blogger" friends and observe that there are actually a lot of different kind of bloggers and there are a lot of myths about "a blogger".

Being in the marketing industry and having a blog ( I am saying I own a blog not saying I am a "blogger") myself and knowing a group of bloggers put me in a position where I could easily leverage on such tools and basically "hard sell" my own business and product but I am actually walking the opposite direction.

There are many debates about the difference between PR and Advertising for bloggers which I do see the result and positive part of it but to me I am still looking at a blog at it's purest form of a "hobby". I am not saying that a blog should be run in a manner of "I wake up this morning and go to school and I have lunch with dear dear at..." but I am saying that I do not like to commercialize a blog. I remember the days ( early 2000 ) where people ask you for your blog to read more about you but apparently nowadays we are exchanging social name cards not just to keep in contact but also to help each other gain more read count or more opportunity in local blogsphere from getting invited for the bloggers to inviting the correct type of bloggers for brand person. ( Hope I am not stereotyping or offending anyone.)

I do enjoy reading some of the blogs whereby they are invited down to a certain event and they blog it in a PR angle and cover the event but reading an Advertorial or a contest blogpost turns me off. It is like a mass swarm of blogs talking about the same product and trying to win something and that's it. I am sure it is good coverage for the client and win win for the blogger as well but as a reader, is that what I wish to read?

If at this stage you are asking yourself that " WTF is he talking about? Invite and Advertorial also same mahz, I still need to write good things and promote rite? Not like I have a choice and can write bad things about the person who invited me down." You should check out this article " What bloggers should know about PR and Advertising "

So I didn't really teach you "How to train a blogger" but it's the same idea as "How to train your dragon" ( Go catch it if you haven't) - There are too many uncertainty about a blogger that many half baked marketeer do not know and simply think that paying/inviting bloggers with high post count means successful marketing. We should really know what are bloggers all about before we approach them. And same thing goes for the bloggers - do not simply accept every offer or invitation, you DO have a choice.

And to sum this post up, I am quoting from one of Pat Law's article :

"Do note that I’m not saying that a blogger should not be paid. In fact, they should be, if brands are leveraging on their reach as a communication channel. But while the blogs may be monetized, the bloggers should never be selling their souls. Just remember one point, my dear bloggers, your readers read your blog because they believe in your words. Don’t lose their trust. Ever.

And to any brand marketeers reading this – you don’t buy love with money. Not true love anyway."

May Guan Yin Ma Bless The Blogsphere. = )