The Adoption Curve of CGM and Blogging

This week I attended a few events that gave me the opportunity to talk with several marketers from different industries. What became clear to me is that there is a real difference in understanding of blogging and consumer generated media. While some of my collegues in the media analysis business may consider me a late comer, I have found I am representative of the next wave of adoption and still ahead of many marketers.

There were the early adoptors, mostly the technical community talking to one another, this seems to be the class of Robert Scoble. The word spread, creating a buzz about this new form of "consumer generated media" and thanks to companies such as Six Apart and Blogger, blogging tools were created for the common man (or woman). As critical mass formed on the Internet, marketers began to explore the opportunity of participating in and listening to this new media. Organizations such as Intelliseek (now BuzzMetrics) and Technorati began to show the world how consumer generated media can be searched, read and analyzed. The buzz amplified.

I'm part of the next wave. The wave of marketers that have been exposed to the opportunities presented by blogging and consumer generated media and facinated with the possiblities. Thanks to books such as Naked Conversations and conferences such as WOMMA, I have heard a number of case studies and learned much more about the world of consumer generated media.

As I talk with our clients (CMOs, VP of Marketing, and VP of Corporate Communications in the Global2000), many believe this is either a phase that will pass, or irrelevant to their business. This is especially true of B2B marketers. B2C marketers have the most to gain at this point and appear to be more serious about getting involved. Some want to figure out how to advertise in this new media, some want to participate and create buzz, and some want to mine blogs for consumer insight. There are several opportunities to participate and leverage this new space for competitive advantage.

One thing is clear, the majority of marketers are still trying to figure it all out or have yet to identify this as a priority. For those of us in the business of providing analytics on CGM, we must continue the education and push the adoption forward. Every talk I have heard on the subject recommends you listen first and then talk. We (Biz360, BuzzMetrics, Cymfony) provide tools to mine through 2 million + postings per day to collect the insight companies need on their brand perception, consumer trends, and competitive insight. This is a great way to "listen" when there is a great deal of content.

My company, Biz360, shares many examples of the type of analysis available on our site MarketIQ. This may appear like a self serving commercial message, but my intent is to demonstrate the power of analysis of this content and to move the adoption forward.

It's a new media landscape. One that will have profound impact on how we consume information. Everyone should be evaluating the landscape and deciding how it is relevant to your business. I suspect there are very few companies that will not find an opportunity to benefit from this information source. Use the Internet and you will find many stories and tips of how to get started. Good luck and please share your experiences with us along the way.