There's a lot of chatter these days about what exactly a blogger is.
Some say they are reporters, others call them editors. There are those who, like Ross Mayfield, who call them Bloganalysts. Heck, Jane Curtain might even say they're a floor wax and a dessert toping rolled up in one.
This is somewhat irrelevant for PR and marketing pros. They're bloggers. (Why can't something that's new just stay new? Were buses once called "long cars?") Truth is, it doesn't matter what we call them. They're important. Why? Because there are millions of them clustered in micro mobs around the world. Webloggers play a pivotal role in swaying opinions, especially those of 18-34 year-old men who live online.
We have been seeing increasing interest from companies who want to supplement their PR programs with targeted, relevant online efforts that reach consumers and prospects (if they're BtoB clients). One knee-jerk strategy of course is to reach out and "pitch" influential bloggers to write about clients, which you can and should do... but gingerly.
However, another approach we have been experimenting with is what we call "Blogosphere Borging." The name comes from the Borg, a race of cyborgs (half human/half-machine) from Star Trek who assimilate alien life forms into their collective.
"Blogosphere Borging" entails carefully turning clients into Webloggers so they can assimilate into the community and engage in a direct, ongoing dialog with key audiences. We are supplementing traditional media relations programs (which will never go away) with this micro persuasion strategy to put clients at eye level with consumers and prospects and get them talking to each other... frequently.
Microsoft's Channel9, which Robert Scoble discussed here earlier this week, is a terrific example of "Blogosphere Borging." The Jupiter Research Analyst Weblogs are another.
That said, "Blogosphere Borging" must be done very carefully. The blogosphere has protocols that must be followed. Violate these and you risk damaging your brand, rather than enhancing it.
