Any monkey can do blogging! Really ?
So let’s connect; listen to my story, be amused by my life, share my moments or/and pump the air when I succeed. What / Why really? You would come and come again if I shared my thoughts, feelings or beliefs while blogging? O.K then, that sounds like the ticket to get my voice heard, after all, I always have something to say and I am willing to disclose pretty much anything. It is the internet after all! Social media is everywhere.
[1] “The Internet…has become the voice of the people in the first genuine experiment in democracy yet conducted in America. It stands ready to serve every facet, every faction.” Gerry Spence
I just bought a new XYZ vacuum cleaner, it was a big decision. I actually woke at night wondering which vacuum would fit all my requirements and imagined myself standing vacuuming the house with ease, at the time I seemed taller, I flicked my hair back and smiled uncontrollably as I moved that beautiful beast over every inch of my perfect household.
During the research phase I had spent some time looking online at various reviews on Amazon and searched Google with words like ‘ best vacuum’ and ‘vacuum reviews’. I was swayed by someone’s XYZ vacuum reviews saying how their vacuum had been replaced under warranty with ease. I was tempted because my last vacuum had only lasted two years and because my dog had chewed some of the attachments they would not cover it. I was sold but once I made my decision I hadn’t finished with the Internet yet! I went searching for ‘best pricing on XYZ vacuum’ I was so excited as I found a saving of $15 dollars. I was ready to bring that new baby home!
Time passed
It’s now been a month and my face is sad and my rage is high. I have told all of my Facebook friends and I won’t and can’t let the rest of the world spend their precious money on a vacuum that won’t pick up dog hair! I am taking to the internet and created a blog and I am going to change the direction of that company so that no one will buy their product. I AM BLOGGING someone will listen!
[2] DEFINITION
blog n, blogging Short for weblog.
A meandering, blatantly uninteresting online diary that gives the author the illusion that people are interested in their stupid, pathetic life. Consists of such riveting entries as “homework sucks” and “I slept until noon today.”
If only I could get more than 10 views on my blog I know I could a difference.
Then we turn the page
Figure 1: Regulate Speed (Source: Unknown, 2012)
Blogs are used and written by everyone from Monkey’s to even the President of the United States house!. They can push ideas, instill passion, build interest, provide education and change fashion. They have the power to destroy and create injustices or develop an army of worshipers.
March 2016 top three blogs, have a read:
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com – 110,000,000 estimated unique visitors. Their tagline is Inform. Inspire. Entertain. Empower. Running a wide range of news and information articles to keep you entertained (as stated) for hours.
- http://www.tmz.com – 30,000,000 estimated unique visitors. Fashion, entertainment, and celebrities they have all the dirt and scandals.
- http://www.businessinsider.com – 25,500,000 estimated unique visitors. Trending news topics, tech, finance, and industry. More for the guy on the street who wants to know more about what’s going on in the world.
Large business corporations jumped on the bandwagon and use the blogging medium to get their message across and attempt to dampen down the ‘monkeys’ of the world. Google also awards business with better search rankings if they include a blog. It’s an excellent way to increase brand image and bring the business down to the consumer level.
Starbucks use this medium to aid in new product development and consumer engagement: http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/apex/ideaHome
General Electric use their blog to increase brand awareness. Showing consumers that they are more than just one product manufacturer but care about the environment whilst being future focused. This is all things that consumers may have questioned when or if we are having a discussion about global warming and the use of power. GE are using the power of their blog to state that they are working towards the future of a clean company.
South West Airlines in the United States use humor to engage customers and bring brand awareness. They use vlogging to bring humor and to bring the blog visually alive.
We have started the new revolution of blogging called vloggers. Vlogs revitalised a Social Media channel that was declining into the second biggest search engine on the internet: www.youtube.com For a mental note, www.google.com is the biggest search engine. We (yes you and I) now search YouTube for:
- Vlogging Un-boxings
- ‘Rich Fellas’ from the Forbes list of highest paid YouTube Vloggers
- Pewdiepie – $25 million USD with 42,848,124 subscribers (and counting)
- Smosh – $8.5 million USD with 21,915,420 subscribers (and counting)
- Lindsey Stirling – $6 million USD with 7,788,460 subscribers (and counting)
Pure vloggers as I would call them, the people that spend their days recording their exact lives then uploading it so we can watch and drool, criticise, share or become inspired: Casey Neistat, Ben Brown, Roman Attwood, Fousey Tube, to name just a few.
vlog
noun: vlog; plural noun: vlogs a blog in which the postings are primarily in video form. “you can add travel vlogs to the growing list of travel-related material popping up on the Web”
It’s not just about cat videos anymore! it’s about MONEY!
References
[1] Gerry Spence Quote. (2005). Gerry Spence Quotes. Retrieved from http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quotes_by/gerry+spence
[2] Blog. (2003, February 06). Retrieved from http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=blog
[3] Vlog. (2011, August 31). Retrieved from http://techterms.com/definition/vlog
Image Sources
Regulate Speed. (2012). [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-internet-association