| in the web |
| Blogging |
| Victoria Gilbert |
Whether to comment on a new product, promote a new band, express political views, or just stay in the loop, the popularity of blogs is soaring as thousands of people participate in "blogging" everyday.
A blog is a website that is frequently updated and consists of items that are posted in order of most recent to oldest. Blogs can be personalized to represent the moods and personalities of individuals and organizations. The act of "blogging" refers to the posting of comments on a blog or the maintaining of a blog. People who contribute to blogs by blogging are considered "bloggers". While blogging has several social and entertainment implications, the idea of using blogs as a means of advertising is one that is becoming widely accepted.
By allowing consumers to participate in blogs, advertisers are able to promote their products for little or no cost. A company blog allows for consumer feedback about products and services. In addition to being read by consumers, blogs are read by thousands of journalists and critics daily. If these influential people reach mass audiences, the advertising efforts of the company are potentially effective. Moreover, bloggers and audiences function as advertising for companies through "word of mouth" communication.
In spite of the potential perks of advertising through blogging, there are several cons associated with the concept. First, there is always the possibility that controversy can ignite from the information posted on blogs. Secondly, it cannot be assumed that all bloggers will post positive comments or reviews about products and services. Also, there is a chance that this form of advertisement can reach the wrong audience. For instance, a prominent web-design company would probably not be interested in providing services for pornography companies. The downfall to web blogging that encompasses the aforementioned cons is the inability of companies to censor. If companies open blogs up to the public, they really have no control over what a person chooses to express on the site.
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