Around two years ago there was a recurring theme in the blogosphere. Apparently PR was dead. That’s right, the whole PR profession as we know it was finished. Ended. No more. Communicators as professionals were holding on for their dear lives because of a new kind of communication platform. A platform that would eradicate the need for ALL PR tools including media relations, internal communications, lobbying, presentations, speeches, advertorial, whitepapers, you name it, it was finished. Why? Well because blogs were taking over that’s why. Please don’t get in their way either. Oh no!
Now, how ridiculous does that sound? Silly huh? Exactly. But (only!) two years on and I’m beginning to hear an almost identical theme, except this time it’s not the PR profession that’s dead (silly us) it’s blogs that are dying! Yep, you heard it right here folks. Let’s stop paying our hosting company; let’s cancel our TypePad accounts; send Google an email that your Blogger blog’s out the window and come and join us on Facebook.
I’m sorry but what a load of crap. Seriously, just because the A-listers aren’t getting as much traffic as they used to and you’ve got 1,200 ‘friends’ on Facebook, it doesn’t mean a well-written, well-thought out, insightful article (because that’s what blog posts are) with relevant links and SEO capabilities is no longer required. It also doesn’t mean:
* Businesses shouldn’t use a corporate blog to connect with and gain feedback from customers.
* Organisations that have had a bad rap in the traditional media shouldn’t use a blog to put their side of the story across.
* Charities and NGOs shouldn’t use blogs to connect with like-minds or to put the word out about their cause.
* Any other positive reason to blog should be dismissed.
Blogging isn’t the best thing since sliced bread. I know this. But let’s not dismiss it altogether because of a social networking site. In fact, I’ve been thinking lately about how useful Facebook is from a PR point of view and, in all honesty, I can’t see a lot to go at. MySpace is much better.
What Facebook is good for is keeping in touch with friends and reconnecting with old ones. I’ve never built new relationships with anyone in Facebook like I have with blogging. My friends’ status updates are great (sometimes hilarious) to read but I’ve never learned anything from them. Hell, I’ve joined many Facebook Groups but I’ve never really felt part of a community in any of them. Maybe it’s just me, I don’t know.
You have to find a happy medium. No, blogs aren’t that important and not all blogs matter either but I get the sense there’s a case of the Shiny and New Syndrome going around. It’s fairly epidemic and I believe it was started by a tribe known as the A-list. Take a couple of pills, lay off the Kool Aid and get a good night’s rest.
Meantime, I’ll be in the blogosphere and on Facebook. See you soon. 
Stephen is a communications consultant based out of the UK. You can connect with him on Twitter or check out his LinkedIn profile. | Email Stephen
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shel israel
Since you linked to my post, I assume you are saying that I am an A-Lister who is full of crap. The problem is that at no point did I say that blogging was dead. Nor did I talk about who or how many people were my facebook friends. I also never said that PR was dead, although I have been highly critical of how some people practice it. Your taking what I said and spinning it to create a pseudo polar position is an example of why some PR practitioners have serious credibility problems.
Jonny Rosemont
It is indeed foolish, you only have to see the uptake by media organisations such as the Telegraph and Guardian to realise it isn’t dead. The people that say blogging is dead are full-time bloggers who feel under pressure to continually say something. Blogging isn’t dead, but decent blogging might be if we continue to say such sill things.
Stephen
Hi Shel,
Nope, not insinuating anything about you. I’m particularly not saying you’re full of crap either but I linked to your blog post because it is relevant to my argument.
You did question if blogging was passé and did say that “once something about blogging is declared by Scoble and MacLeod, it is very likely to become conventional wisdom in a very short time” which I don’t necessarily agree with.
I do believe, however, that the whole notion of Facebook, Twitter, Pounce and whatever the next ‘big thing’ is, is going to destroy the whole blogging concept is a load of crap.
Which, by the way, I’m not saying that you have said.
Again, I didn’t say that you said PR was dead and I do not doubt your PR credentials. I merely referenced a theme that was fairly predominant a couple of years ago and compared it with what we’re hearing today.
Not really sure what you mean by a “pseudo polar position” but I’m not spinning anything. I’m just calling it how I see it.
Isn’t that one of the great things about blogs?
Nicky Davis
I agree with what you say here, Stephen. The “Keystone Cops” approach to emerging channels is probably not a strategy for long-term success.
Philip Young
If you look at the dates on the posts I think you will find PR has been dead for three years!
Alex
Are you rating Myspace above Facebook for PR purposes, or as an all-round communications tool?
Myspace is certainly more accessible from a PR perspective, but I personally feel the imitimate nature of Facebook means the right idea, however difficult to execute, achieves more significant results in Facebook. Good recent examples certainly include the Monopoly board competition.
I certainly agree with your reservations about A list pronouncements equalling definitive proof of fact. Equally, having thousands [literally] of friends doesn’t really constitute using Facebook as most people understand it.
Stephen
Hi Alex,
Simply for PR purposes. There have been considerably more campaigns that have ran on MySpace than Facebook because, as you say, it’s much easier and there’s a lot more scope for ideas.
I agree though, if anyone can produce some sort of campaign on Facebook then they’re onto a winner – as long as it’s done properly, of course. I haven’t heard of the Monopoly board campaign you mentioned. Just tried a quick Google search too but didn’t find anything. It was only quick though.
It’s just me chuckle actually. MySpace has campaigns involving music, cars, deodorant etc and Facebook has board games. ::lol::
jdid
I think that blogging has taken a hit in the face of these social network sites though, but maybe its a survival of the fitess, weaning out the sheep from the goats issue. Social networking and blogging are quite different on some levels.
I mean if you just want to post what happened to you today for your friends to read well maybe facebook is a better medium than using blogger. but if you’re really trying to express opinions or get across info I”ll take blogging every time.
Also you hit a great point about meeting new folk via blogging.
Giles
Facebook have put this on our feeds today!
“Your favorite bands, businesses, and products are coming to Facebook. Check out Dave Matthews Band, become a fan of (RED), or search for your favorite brands. You can also find out about what your friends like through the new “Fan of…” box on their profiles.
We’ve also updated our terms of use, including a new section about Facebook Pages. Learn more.”
Giles
Missed the head line bit off – Sorry
“Your favorite musicians and businesses are here.”