Blogging – The Oldest Trick in the Book?

Old wisdom

Some things are timeless, aren’t they?

The “little black dress” is a brilliant example, ubiquitous, classic and eternally fashionable. A bit like blogging, really, when you think about it. I guess some people might raise their eyebrows at that statement; blogging? It’s only been around for a couple of years, hasn’t it?

Nothing is new, when you put it under a bit of scrutiny. Sometimes the format changes, but the underlying principles are no different. Blogging which, at least in name, has only been with us for the last decade or so, is not only a popular pastime for many people but is something of the ‘new black’ when it comes to online marketing.

To be successful using blogs for marketing, it’s worth looking at the roots of the act of blogging in order to understand just how powerful it can be.

Blogging without broadband – or even a phone line

Let’s forget the nice shiny new word “blogging” for a while. Way back in the 1930s a group of women in the UK set up a small, privately circulated magazine. It was known initially by the cumbersome name of “The Cooperative Correspondence Society”, which was quickly shortened to the CCC.

The women wrote an entry or so each; some were biographical, some gave advice, some sought advice. The magazine was then posted on to the next member via snail mail, they wrote using pen names such as ‘Accidia’ and ‘Elektra’. As the magazine circulated members added comments in pen, in the margins.

All sounds a bit familiar really, avatars, posting comments, user generated content? All without fibre optic cables or even phone lines, in many cases. Of course the 1930s is not that long ago.

Medicinal purposes

Roll back a century or so to the early 1800s. An anonymous pamphlet was published, ripping apart the nepotism and corruption that was rife in the British surgical establishment. The pamphlet spread like proverbial wild fire and ended up being responsible, indirectly, for huge changes in the world of surgery.

The original writers banded together and formed a little journal called the Lancet, which after 200 years is still going strong and even has a web site. Publishing your revolutionary opinions to wide audiences is not as new as it might seem.

Revolting matters

A lot has been made of the internet’s role in recent revolutions. Twitter, Facebook and Bloggers have all played their part in the Arab Spring, and prior to that in the “almost ran” Iranian uprising. One more historical comparison, if you’ll forgive me.

In 1641 as the English Civil War was gearing up, over 2000 pamphlets were printed as government censorship imploded. That may not sound much to those of us inundated with “printed” material today, but it amounted to more items than had been printed in any year inEnglandsince the introduction of printing technology. When governments lose control of the spread of information and people gain control, whatever the era or technology, change happens.

Persuasive copy

So, enough of the history lesson, already. Has any of this got anything to do with the power of blogging? I think that this long, vibrant and startling history of blog writing – or at least its origins – shows a couple of things. Blogs can overthrow governments and institutions; they are written from the heart, they are written for real people, by real people to fulfil a need, to inform and often to very subtly sell something.

In none of the ‘historical’ blogs I’ve mentioned was there any attempt to sell and yet in the case of the CCC, products got recommended by the women, and were bought by the others. In the cases of the Arab spring, people bought into an idea. In the case of the Lancet, honesty and passion combined to overthrow a corrupt and lethal establishment. In the case of the English Civil War, words started a revolution.

When a blog is used well it’s an opinion, a view, a belief. Above all it sounds ‘real’, and people respond. You don’t need advertising banners, or hype, or clever sales lines. Throw in some passion about your subject and express an opinion (sadly lacking in a lot of internet copy) and your blog can change the world.

A blog can make people trust you, and change their minds; if it makes you a fortune along the way, hey, no harm done.

image: Phil Dragash

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