Comments on: What Is a Blog and What Can It Do for Your Business http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/03/27/future-steel/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:11:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Marcia Hoeck http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/03/27/future-steel/#comment-4019 Marcia Hoeck Sat, 07 Apr 2007 03:31:09 +0000 http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/03/27/future-steel/#comment-4019 Mig, This is an interesting question you pose -- should the identity of the blogger be missing from a business blog? I'm not a real "warm fuzzy," revealing person in my personal or business life -- it's just not me. I'm a bit more reserved in my interactions with people, and I like to warm up slowly, so I don't have a lot of information about myself on my blogs. But don't get me wrong, I do want to be authentic, and I want to deal with authentic people. That said, I think an expertise blog needs to be written by one person, and I think it needs to show that person's personality through the writing. I want to know the author's name, and what they do, and what their opinions are. I don't need to know personal information about their family or what they do in their free time, but if it adds to the discussion, it can make the blog more interesting. If I go to an expertise blog that has opinion posts and no identification of the author, it doesn't feel "real" to me, and I can't believe or trust the information. A purely business blog with no personality from or identification with the author can only work, in my opinion, if it's used as a reporting device, such as a place to list news updates or product announcements. A blog that adds opinions and photos of the author without identifying him while trying to be a business blog, as the Future Steel blog does, is at cross purposes with itself, and not in a good way. I think a blog needs to be one, or the other. Mig,
This is an interesting question you pose — should the identity of the blogger be missing from a business blog? I’m not a real “warm fuzzy,” revealing person in my personal or business life — it’s just not me. I’m a bit more reserved in my interactions with people, and I like to warm up slowly, so I don’t have a lot of information about myself on my blogs. But don’t get me wrong, I do want to be authentic, and I want to deal with authentic people.

That said, I think an expertise blog needs to be written by one person, and I think it needs to show that person’s personality through the writing. I want to know the author’s name, and what they do, and what their opinions are. I don’t need to know personal information about their family or what they do in their free time, but if it adds to the discussion, it can make the blog more interesting. If I go to an expertise blog that has opinion posts and no identification of the author, it doesn’t feel “real” to me, and I can’t believe or trust the information.

A purely business blog with no personality from or identification with the author can only work, in my opinion, if it’s used as a reporting device, such as a place to list news updates or product announcements. A blog that adds opinions and photos of the author without identifying him while trying to be a business blog, as the Future Steel blog does, is at cross purposes with itself, and not in a good way. I think a blog needs to be one, or the other.

]]> By: Lillie Ammann http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/03/27/future-steel/#comment-3479 Lillie Ammann Sat, 31 Mar 2007 06:13:13 +0000 http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/03/27/future-steel/#comment-3479 Mig, I took your suggestion and created a meme on life balance. And, of course, I'm tagging you first! Here are the instructions on my blog: To participate, write a post about balance in life and link back to this post: http://lillieammann.com/blog/?p=133. Answer any or all of the following questions or simply share your thoughts about life balance. How do you achieve balance in your life? What is your biggest challenge in balancing your life? What are your priorities? How have your priorities changed over time and why? What advice can you share to help all of us balance our own lives? Thanks for the suggestion and thanks for participating. Mig, I took your suggestion and created a meme on life balance. And, of course, I’m tagging you first! Here are the instructions on my blog:

To participate, write a post about balance in life and link back to this post: http://lillieammann.com/blog/?p=133. Answer any or all of the following questions or simply share your thoughts about life balance.
How do you achieve balance in your life?
What is your biggest challenge in balancing your life?
What are your priorities?
How have your priorities changed over time and why?
What advice can you share to help all of us balance our own lives?

Thanks for the suggestion and thanks for participating.

]]> By: Maria & Stefano http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/03/27/future-steel/#comment-3328 Maria & Stefano Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:21:16 +0000 http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/03/27/future-steel/#comment-3328 I think I ended up on another blog of yours...but YES i would feel honored for the interview!!! Thank you so very much:) I think I ended up on another blog of yours…but YES i would feel honored for the interview!!!
Thank you so very much:)

]]> By: Mihaela Lica http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/03/27/future-steel/#comment-3284 Mihaela Lica Thu, 29 Mar 2007 01:37:29 +0000 http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/03/27/future-steel/#comment-3284 Very pertinent comments, Alina! Very pertinent comments, Alina!

]]> By: Alina Popescu http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/03/27/future-steel/#comment-3247 Alina Popescu Wed, 28 Mar 2007 12:56:32 +0000 http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/03/27/future-steel/#comment-3247 I believe stating who you are is really important. Yes, in the case of larger companies, there might be a team. But that's ok, you can add short bios of everyone writing. Otherwise, no matter how personal the blog is, it still looks like a trick a company uses. Just a site and a blog...Well, I know people in my company who would never think of doing business with such a company. Maybe they are really good, but trust that on what grounds? Who to contact? Who to respond to? To me, not saying who you are (not personal details, just name, position, expertise, things like that) is a way of avoiding responsibility. And seriously shakes credibility. No one would think of the invisible man as an authority in any field. Well, unless its espionage... :) I believe stating who you are is really important. Yes, in the case of larger companies, there might be a team. But that’s ok, you can add short bios of everyone writing. Otherwise, no matter how personal the blog is, it still looks like a trick a company uses. Just a site and a blog…Well, I know people in my company who would never think of doing business with such a company. Maybe they are really good, but trust that on what grounds? Who to contact? Who to respond to?
To me, not saying who you are (not personal details, just name, position, expertise, things like that) is a way of avoiding responsibility. And seriously shakes credibility. No one would think of the invisible man as an authority in any field. Well, unless its espionage… :)

]]> By: Mihaela Lica http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/03/27/future-steel/#comment-3240 Mihaela Lica Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:55:29 +0000 http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/03/27/future-steel/#comment-3240 This is a great observation. Great minds think alike. ;) To be frank I am always suspicious if I don't see the person behind the words. I don't mean just a picture. I mean a name, a personal statement, something to touch my heart and keep me returning to that blog. Thank you for your visit and for the comment. This led me to your blog and I am really grateful for the reading experience. This is a great observation. Great minds think alike. ;)
To be frank I am always suspicious if I don’t see the person behind the words. I don’t mean just a picture. I mean a name, a personal statement, something to touch my heart and keep me returning to that blog.
Thank you for your visit and for the comment. This led me to your blog and I am really grateful for the reading experience.

]]> By: Lillie Ammann http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/03/27/future-steel/#comment-3220 Lillie Ammann Wed, 28 Mar 2007 05:56:17 +0000 http://www.ewriting.pamil-visions.com/2007/03/27/future-steel/#comment-3220 I always read "about us" or "profile" and like the blogger to be upfront about who he/she is and what the blog is about. I've even left a comment on an "about us" page that had nothing but WordPress's "this is a page..." The blogger responded and added some information about himself, and I continue to read the blog. But I probably wouldn't have if he hadn't followed up. If I'm not suspicious, my curiosity distracts me from what the blog says. I always read “about us” or “profile” and like the blogger to be upfront about who he/she is and what the blog is about. I’ve even left a comment on an “about us” page that had nothing but WordPress’s “this is a page…” The blogger responded and added some information about himself, and I continue to read the blog. But I probably wouldn’t have if he hadn’t followed up. If I’m not suspicious, my curiosity distracts me from what the blog says.

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