Bob Bly the legendary copywriter sent me an advance copy of his new book to review "Blog Schmog". I don’t need to read it to endorse it – just buy the damn book (it’s out in January) and read it! It’s from Bob Bly! I’d trade ten Mark Fenske’s for one Bob Bly – that’s how good Bob is at generating revenue for his clients.
Here’s the deal. EVERY CEO should read this book. Every marketing manager should read this book. Every agency planner and marketing consultancy should read this book. Why? Because it delivers a practical and balanced look at the real opportunities and THREATS presented by blogs.
I’ll be reviewing excerpts of "Blog Schmog" over the next couple of months. For a taste of things to come, here is Bob’s "Warning" which appears at the beginning of the book:
This is a highly idiosyncratic, personal, and opinionated book, written by a marketing advisor with a quarter century of experience, about blogging and in particular about the value (or lack thereof) of blogging as a marketing tool. If you are a blogging evangelist or consultant, I guarantee you will hate this book and that it will make you angry. If you are a practical marketer concerned with results, this book can prevent you from wasting a lot of time and money, improve your marketing results, and create realistic expectations about what blogging can—and cannot—do for your business. As a side benefit, it may also save you a small fortune on consultant fees, not to mention a lot of wasted time, energy, and effort that would get you a better return on investment spent in other areas of your marketing.
(Small Disclaimer: Bob listed my blog as one of the "BUSINESS BLOGS EVERY BLOGGING NEWBIE SHOULD READ".)
Mike, I’ll wait til you review it completely, but I’ll probably have to disagree with you on this one.
Bob and I have already disagreed on this same book on my blog a long time back.
His views on blogging are not as tremendously valued like his marketing or copywriting skliils, which are legendary.
I’m sending you the links to the two posts, rather than sully up your blog with links back to mine.
Maybe we should both read it before we trash each others views, but I’ll not be giving in on mine after reading some of the archaic quotes that Bob wrote about blogging.
Now, will my view be distorted by the fact that I built, maintain and populate four different, soon to be six, corporate blogs that push products as well as educate the prospects out there about those particular products ? Sure it will.
But if you use a business blog like a constantly changing white paper, to educate, solve problems and publicize a business/service, they can be very powerful.
I’m not sure Bob knows this is possible, as some of the comments he makes about blogs and the way they operate seems to have come from some period of the Dark Ages.
Does he know marketing ? Without a doubt.
But until he’s posted well over thousands of posts and served up over 10,000,000 page views on blogs like we have, he needs to write about something else.
Hi Mike,
Good to hear from you – I think. We can debate without trashing each other – can’t we?
I missed your little dust-up with Bob Bly. Not sure I want to get quite that excited. I scanned the book today and there is a ton of good stuff in it both for and against blogging.
I do take exception with your comment:
“His views on blogging are not as tremendously valued like his marketing or copywriting skliils, which are legendary.”
Perhaps with some folks you’re right. But this is one marketer, salesman, blogger who places a tremendous amount of value in what Bob says about blogging.
And it seems to me that blogging is mostly about marketing and writing so pray tell why wouldn’t Bob’s input be valued? I’m not saying you have to agree with Bob – but to not solicit input from a veteran like this? Hmmmmmm…..
Hey Mike,
After having seen your way with words with those that got in your way, you can believe I don’t want no part of the smockster when he’s hot.
I may be big and mean, but i’m no match for you.
I think we can agree to disagree about Bob and do so amicably.
Bob’s views on blogs aren’t up to snuff, because he’s not immersed in the world of blogging.
To have him write the definitive guide would be like me writing the definitve guide to snooker, even though I’d never played, only read 5 books and watched a DVD.
There’s too many book being written by too many people who only read about a topic and then rehashed it poorly.
I surely wouldn’t mind Bob’s input on a marketing topic, but if you read his views on blogging, you’ll “almost” have to agree with me on this one. Almost.
Bob and I have settled our differences.
I quote him on my blog and he’s asked to use one of my posts on his ezine.
I value his opinion on everything but blogs and their use as a marketing tool.
If he and I can coincide in the same internet, I’m sure you and I will be olay.
That and the fact i read every post you write and just quoted you on the phone with onw of my business blogging clients.
If good ol’ Bob sends me a review copy, I’ll review it fairly on my blog.
If he’s right, I’ll be a 6’2″ 250 lb bundle of apologies.
I’d like for you to read his comments about blogs and do the same.
Deal ?
Mike, I did glance at your posts, Bob’s responses, and other comments this afternoon. I also participated in some of his early blog conversations. I’m not here to fight Bob’s battles, he takes care of himself quite nicely. I prefer Bob’s practical, seasoned viewpoint over Steve Rubel, Debbie Weil, etc. He resonates with my need to generate real results – they don’t.
In your first comment you wrote:
“But until he’s posted well over thousands of posts and served up over 10,000,000 page views on blogs like we have, he needs to write about something else.”
Who is this cabal of “we” who have thousands of posts and millions of page views who think they can determine who writes about what?
Uh, that would be me and my staff. I don’t speak for too many others, as they all did nicely for themselves in the comments on my posts. Not one person, til you, has defended Bob’s views. Not one.
If you can read Bob’s comments about business blogs and still stand behind him, blog-wise, you’re a better friend than most people will ever have. I’d want you on my side.
I’ll say this and let it be – Bob thinks damage can be done by someone saying something bad in your comments section … well guess what, they’re saying it somewhere anyway and it’s better for them to say it somewhere that you can closely monitor and try to fix the problem or at least respond professionally and turn the mob to your side.
You know that all a company has to do is respond like professionals and all those that were saying bad things will quit and switch sides. Happens every time.
Sticking you head in the sand and thinking in todays world that there isn’t someone saying bad things about you, LOUDLY, is foolish.
He also doesn’t have the foggiest idea of the mechnics behind a blog, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.
Suffice to say, we’ll not agree about this and probably neither of us is going to change their mind. I sure ain’t.
As for trying to determine who writes about what …. wouldn’t that be what marketing’s about ? Trying to influence a group to perform a certain action ?
It looks like exactly what you do in real life and on every post of this business oriented blog.
Bob said , ” But most blogs seem to be the private idiosyncratic musings of an individual, without censure or editing of any kind. And the result is like porridge: a gloppy mess, tasteless, and not very satisfying. Until that changes, I can’t see starting and maintaining a blog of your own, unless you are bored and looking for something to do, or require an outlet for self-expression. And if the latter is the case, well … why not just buy and keep a diary instead ? ”
According to Bob, whose view you defend, your blog is all the above.
I see more here than that. You know there’s more here than that.
You know blogs are, nowadays, an integral part of a marketing campaign for many business and the content management system behind them is going to be the way websites are done in the near future.
You might as well admit he’s wrong about most of what he thinks about blogs, because all his research was way too old to matter.
He read some reports from ’00 thru ’03 and missed the last 3 years completely.
Blogging’s changed so much from when he started his research that his views are almost comical, but more like patheticly sad.
Blogs and blogging is growing by the day. People want the interactivity.
Since we started this conversation, I’ve accepted a proposal from a golf equipment manufacturer to head their online activities in ’07. They want blogs anf the ability to add content that can be interacted with, chronologically and they see the viral nature of blogs and want to get on now, before the big boys all jump on 3 years later, as they always do.
As one who uses war in their marketing, Mike, you know how effective light cavalry and ground forces can be, because of their ability to change courses quickly. That’s what blogs can do that those who sit and plan major campaigns for months can’t do. They adapt.
In 2007 and beyond, you’re gonna have to adapt or get left behind.
Somebody, somewhere is saying something about you … control it and win, or ignore it and lose.
Interesting conversation, gentlemen. I have a somewhat different take on Bob’s book, over on my blog. For the most part, when I do my full review, you’ll see where I think Bob errors – and where he tells it like it is. The biggest problem with his book is that it’s written by someone who hasn’t the foggiest notion of how to make a blog work for you. Kind of like me writing a book about direct marketing.
Hey, maybe I should do that. And have the world flock to my blog to disagree with me!
Naw, I’m not interested. I think Bob knew what he was doing when he wrote this book… and I don’t mind helping promote it. Those of us in the business blogging space know he’s wrong about most of what he says – and our clients prove it.