The ever-increasing relevance of Blogs

"The ever-increasing relevance of Blogs" by Thomas Nardacci

New York Times advertising columnist Stuart Elliott reported last week (12/12/05) that MSNBC is launching a $1 million internet advertising blitz, its largest online effort ever. Their goal? To see if they can drive traffic from the ‘net to television for three shows: Keith Olbermann, Rita Cosby and Joe Scarborough.

In addition to pixel space buys on newsweek.com, slate.com and washingtonpost.com, and keyword search buys on Google.com, the campaign includes ads on 800 blogs.

What MSNBC is doing nationally and in New York City has direct relevance to business owners and organization executives locally. Your communications team should be familiar with local blogs and with blogs relevant to your industry. Posting articles and information on blogs can go a long way in spreading your message. And, inexpensive, targeted advertising opportunities exist.

The influence of blogs should be understood and integrated into your communications plan. (Local developers, for example, may want to consider adding themselves as commentators to community blogs, posting updates and responding to questions; Local realtors could easily create a blog that provides advice, announces lease agreements, etc). In addition to reaching targeted consumers, blogs are playing an increasingly important role for research. Many journalists are now reading blogs to help them understand differing viewpoints. If your message isn't out there, you may find yourself on the opposite side of a lopsided story.

Stuart also pointed out that Budget Rent A Car bought ads last month on 177 blogs, and Audi bought ads this summer on 286 blogs. The trend is alive and growing. The return-on-investment for MSNBC’s $1 million remains to be seen, but obviously the commitment is tremendous.