Fake Blogs: New Marketing Channel or Really Bad Idea?
Posted by Administrator on September 19th, 2005
By Dave Taylor, Intuitive Systems, Inc. | weblog: The Intuitive Life Business Blog
If you’ve been reading weblogs for a while and sporadically following links and blogroll entries to explore new blogs, you’ve learned one of the dark truths of the blogosphere: most blogs are boring, written by bloggers with passion, but little creative spark and even less writing ability. This doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be blogging - after all, you and I are going to disagree on which blogs are good and bad anyway - but it does suggest that sprinkling the blogosphere with some creative ideas and innovative writing would benefit us all as this communications channel grows and evolves.
Chief among the many methods bloggers are using to explore how blogs can become more engaging are so-called “fake blogs” or “fictitious blogs”, and that’s what I’m going to talk about in this article, and show how they could be a great addition to the blogosphere, not a plague to be eradicated.
Purists immediately bridle at what I’m saying, I know, because for many people the cornerstones of a good weblog are credibility and authenticity, both of which are rather hard to establish if you’re pretending to be a moose, rabbit, cartoon character or comic book superhero in your weblog!
Cast our net more widely and it’s clear that storytelling has been an essential part of marketing and public relations for eons, from court jesters and actors to witch doctors and snake oil salesmen, to today’s mock reality shows. Ask any good storyteller whether they get into character when telling a story and they’ll all say “you bet I do” because pretending to be someone directly associated with the story makes the tale more compelling, exciting and engaging.
Weblogs can and should enjoy the same benefits. There’s no reason why a fake blog cannot be interesting, amusing and informative, while also having the desirous blog characteristics of credibility and authenticity within the context of the blog itself. Indeed, I don’t even like the pejorative “fake blog”, so let’s call it a “story blog instead, to emphasize that everything about the weblog, from its premise and entries to the very persona of the author, are part of the fiction, of the story being told.
Given that this isn’t really such a radical idea after all, why is it that there are so many terrible story blogs released, from the daft McDonald’s Lincoln Fry blog to the worthwhile but overly flashy Captain Morgan Rum blog or, the worst I’ve seen to date, Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Gum Blog?
I think that the real reason that story blogs aren’t better and therefore more popular is because it’s just darn hard to produce material week after week as a fictitious character. Now I think we’re getting to the root of the problem. I really believe that story blogs are indeed an interesting new marketing channel, but they’re still much more likely to be terrible abominations than anything cool or interesting.
Persistence is a tough obstacle: a weblog with a half-dozen entries that’s then ignored certainly won’t produce any useful results, but let’s consider pseudonyms or pen names in literature as an interesting comparison. It might be difficult to write under an assumed name, particularly if the name suggests a different gender or ethnicity, but writing a novel is still a finite project and when the manuscript is done, the character invented can be put back on the shelf. Actors do this every day too, actually. They call it “method acting”, when they become the character they’re portraying.
What if you can create a logical reason that the blog should have a finite lifespan, though? One of the great hurdles of story blogs can then neatly be overcome.
Two examples of how this might work: “JayBlob for Olympics mascot!” which runs until the mascot is announced. Or, much better, “Going to Harvard, come heck or high water” which goes through all the challenges of taking college entrance exams, visiting colleges,
exploring Harvard, quoting news stories, good and bad, about Harvard, and ends one day with “The letter arrived, and… I’m in!! Oh, happy day!!! I’m done blogging, but I sure hope to see you on campus one day too!”
I realize some bloggers are immediately turned off by both of these examples, and indeed by the very suggestion of legitimacy that I invite by calling these “story blogs”, not “fake blogs”, “faux blogs”, or any of the other frankly insulting terms that people use. But they’re mistaking their use of the medium for the medium itself.
Blogs, by themselves, have no constraints or requirements. They’re just communications tools waiting to be sculpted into something useful, interesting or entertaining. And in that vein, I continue to look forward to the day when creative writers really have that moment of inspiration and start to show how story blogs can become some of the best and most engaging content in the blogosphere.
And did I mention that I’m actually a committee of people writing under a pseudonym? No? Well, what if I were? Would you value this article and my blogs any less?
About the author
Dave Taylor has been involved with the Internet since 1980 and is widely recognized as an expert on both technical and business issues. He has been published over a thousand times, launched four Internet-related startup companies, has written nineteen business and technical books and holds both an MBA and MS Ed. Dave maintains three weblogs, The Intuitive Life Business Blog, focused on business and industry analysis, the eponymously named Ask Dave Taylor devoted to tech and business Q&A and The Attachment Parenting Blog, discussing topics of interest to parents. Dave is a top-rated speaker, sought after conference and workshop facilitator and frequent guest on radio and podcast programs.
September 20th, 2005 at 12:09 pm
Interesting theory. I am inclined to agree that shaking up the blogosphere with a few “fake” blogs may be a good thing.
September 20th, 2005 at 2:17 pm
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If South Park’s Eric Cartman ever blogs, I’ll subscribe to the feed and read every post.
September 20th, 2005 at 3:09 pm
I think that “South Park,” or a whole host of other TV shows, could consider using story blogs as part of that show’s website.
For a weekly primetime TV show, for example, the characters from the show could continue the conversation from the end of one episode until the start of the next. Or, the blog could give us “news” on the characters that don’t make it into the shows themselves.
Maybe this is already being done somehwere?
September 20th, 2005 at 3:21 pm
Dave you are *so* spot on…you must wear spotted shirts
It appears to me that those who would impose standards in an absolute, non flexible manner, are doomed to cast themselves in a very tiny iron pot.
The world evolves…as obviously does the blogosphere. Which in another blog year might be referred to as something different yet.
Standards are important. I was a pioneering member of the first national ANSI standards committee for the XBase languages.
Such visionaries as Wayne Ratliff, Jeb Long, Mike Benson were there. Interested participants globally flew in to discuss their needs. Our first meeting was held at Jet Propulsion Labs where Wayne and Jeb first brought forth what was to be known as dBase.
The likes of Microsoft, Borland, and CA were there. Other than everyone being stymied by Robert’s Rules and the ANSI peoples propensity to out acronym the acronym prone xBasers…nothing really got done.
Microsoft did what they wanted…as did Borland and CA.
I guess my point is…there is room for everything in the blogosphere. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Standards shmanders…just do a good job on the blog…we’ll decide if it’s worth visiting.
Go diversity.
September 20th, 2005 at 6:15 pm
This statement is so off the mark ..
>> you’ve learned one of the dark truths of the blogosphere: most blogs are boring, written by bloggers with passion, but little creative spark and even less writing ability.
September 20th, 2005 at 7:16 pm
I don’t think that “fake blogs� are a bad thing. They are more like entertainment and like with any form of entertainment there are going to be the good and the bad ones. Some may provide the reader with some form of valuable information and some will just be bad. If it’s bad you don’t have to read it.
I wasn’t real familiar with any “fake blogs� until I read this article. I looked at the ones Dave mentioned and a few others. Most of them are being used as marketing tools. However, I would imagine reading a good “fake blogs� is like keeping up with someone’s live journal. My cousin has a live journal and for some reason I find myself checking in once or twice a week. I am sure a lot of people are the same way with “fake blogs.� I think by human nature we are nosey and curious to what’s going to happen next. It’s like the sitcoms we watch on TV. We can’t wait till next week to see what happens.
September 20th, 2005 at 7:50 pm
KOB, interested to know what you mean by “off the mark”? How so? Don’t you think that there are a lot of bloggers that write about niche subjects that can be boring to the average reader, a.k.a. this blog?
Do you think most bloggers are good writers?
I am not arguing your point I am just interested to know what you think.
September 20th, 2005 at 8:33 pm
..I had written more to explain but for some reason it got cut off…(wasn’t being rude)
Without question, many blogs are poorly written, hastily authored and not creative.
I agree with that point but that doesn’t make it a dark truth.
The problem isn’t number of bad blogs; it’s finding the good the ones.
Many, many blogs are excellent reads; sharply written, cogent content and engaging but with modest readerships because their authors don’t try to promote them, don’t know how to promote their blog or have little interest in doing so. I can point to many in the DC area, which I track.
Search engines don’t help you find the best content.
Some bloggers have carefully assembled link list but even here it can be hit or miss.
Your question narrows this a little, that bloggers who “write about niche subjects that can be boring to the average reader, a.k.a. this blog” — (I don’t think your blog is boring
certainly, a niche blog, like any other, can be boring. There are lot of boring newspapers, trade pubs, etc., and blogs are no different.
I think my problem is with your assessment that there is a “dark truth” in regard to blogs. I can cite dozens of blogs in the DC area that are outstanding reads and dozens more that aren’t worth your time.
September 21st, 2005 at 8:17 pm
Coincidentally, I started my blog as I began studying to take a credentialing exam. I find your suggestion about the blog story “ending” intriguing. Now that I’ve passed, I continue blogging, and sometimes I wonder why. I have thought about ending the blog, but I haven’t done it yet. Maybe I just like the attention.
September 21st, 2005 at 8:30 pm
Who you gonna call? Ghost bloggers!
Meanwhile, at the Global PR Week site, there’s an interesting article by Dave Taylor about fake blogs. I have rather strong feelings about the topic — I think they’re a terrible idea and a corruption of an authentic communication vehicle. It seems D…
September 25th, 2005 at 7:05 pm
When I started reading this article, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the whole fake blog idea.
Taylor’s paragraph that said, “Purists immediately bridle at what I’m saying, I know, because for many people the cornerstones of a good weblog are credibility and authenticity, both of which are rather hard to establish if you’re pretending to be a moose, rabbit, cartoon character or comic book superhero in your weblog!” hit home to me. The first thing that came to my mind before I read the entire article was, “How can a good thing come out of it?”
I started to understand what Taylor meant the more I read and I especially enjoyed the part where he gave the description of the storyteller.
“Ask any good storyteller whether they get into character when telling a story and they’ll all say “you bet I do” because pretending to be someone directly associated with the story makes the tale more compelling, exciting and engaging.”
This is what helped me see where fake blogs can actually be a positive thing. When writing a post it is important for the author to be a storyteller so that the post will be more compelling, exciting and engaging. In this way I agree with Taylor and the fact that fake blogs aren’t always negative.
September 26th, 2005 at 11:52 pm
I have to admit the idea of a “Fake Blog”, or “Story Blog” as you called it, caught my attention immediately. As soon as I read your post I started thinking about ways that “Story Blogging” could be used in the Public Relations industry. True, many would question the validity of a post from say “Mighty Mouse” but if you were to use a potential clients product or Organization, and use it more as a way to reach the public and make them aware of what the organization does, well then you might be onto something.
Of course people are going to be more intrigued by a story that pulls them in and in turn leaves them wanting more. It’s morbid curiosity to know what’s going on in someone else’s world. Any organization could benefit from having a crafty writer who creates an altered world (not really fake but slightly varied from reality) that grabs readers attention and creates awareness of their product.
You might be surprised at what truthful and legitimate information could be passed along in such a manner. After all, I would be more inclined to read a fun posting from a fictional character than some long, dry and dull posting by a PR rep. (not to say they are all dry and boring, but you get the point.) In fact I would probably retain more information I received in a fictional story than I would the same information in a serious post.
Why? Well, merely because we retain information that intrigues us and captivates us. Most of the people I know can quote me lines from various TV shows they watch religiously, so why then couldn’t the same attention grabbing methods be used via blogs. I really think you are onto something, and I am sure as time passes this trend will rise. I can already see the future of story blogs and the new wave of followers it will create.
September 27th, 2005 at 2:42 am
I thoroughly enjoyed your post. The mere thought of “story blogs” intrigues me. What a fantastic marketing tool! Not only would it benefit the company or organization producing the blog, it would be exciting for the reader to be a part of. There would be no need for false information, quite the opposite actually. The writer could fill the blogs with accurate information depicting the company or organization in its most favorable light.
If written creatively and with the right audience in mind, these blogs could become a cult hit immediately. Your point about the writer looking at the blogs like a novelist would look at his books or an actor would look at his acting is right on the money. The job of a novelist or an actor is to pull the reader or viewer in. To grab their attention and not let go until they have said what they intended to say. To “sell” their story. That, in essence, is also the job of a blog.
One way to pull readers in to the blogs would be if the company or organization made the blog like a soap opera or comic strip. Ending the “story” with cliff-hangers that pull the reader back post after post. Creatively entagling the company or organization’s news, thoughts and goals into an intriguing plot. Everyone loves to be entertained. If a company could find a balance between entertainment and information, they would find immediate success.
Your idea for “story blogs” is fantastic. This seems like a trend that will not only catch on but will become the next step in blogging.
September 27th, 2005 at 3:44 pm
Fake blogs? I don’t know if there is such a thing. You are on the right track in assessing the value of these blogs. Captain Morgan’s blog and others you listed are based on fictitious characters, but who among bloggers are being entirely honest? Most blogs, especially those run by a company, have little personal information and lots of topics relating to what the company does and says.
Elizabeth Albrycht posted Sept. 21, on this site about the difference between transparency and truth. She sees truth and transparency as two sides of the same coin…but with truth being a crutch organizations lean on to disguise more unfavorable aspects of their operation. While I think it is important to be truthful, this is a great example of when not to be transparent. Creativity of a marketing or PR department should be allowed an avenue to have fun with the audience. With a character blog, they can get rapid feedback, and build relationships to strengthen the brand/organization. There is an audience for story blogs… Shel Holtz mentioned his affinity for South Park, and I would also contend that users who frequent websites like StrongBad Emails (my personal favorite) would be drawn in by interactive blogs with fictional characters.
Organizations should not shy away from using a spokes-character to communicate their image and ideas to the market. My point is that while the Captain Morgan may not really exist, the topics of the blog are true - topics created by the company and are what the company wants to communicate with its audience.
Great post, I would be disappointed if character blogs are eliminated! We should be able to use this new medium as both a serious tool to convey information and a creative outlet to interact with customers.
September 27th, 2005 at 4:53 pm
Thank you for seeing the value in creative blogging. In the future (when I’m not blogging for class), I’ll keep this kind of innovative blogging in mind.
One thing I notice when reading other people’s blogs is how seriously most people take themselves, which often leads to my disinterest in their blogs. I think it’s important that people realize that blogs don’t have to be entirely facts and figures. If they are, you’re only going to achieve a response from one type of public: the type that’s exactly like you. (yawn!) By the responses to your post, it’s obvious that there are people out there who appreciate more entertaining blogs and posts.
I think the story-telling blog has the potential to attract a wider audience to the blogosphere. There’s nothing wrong with a blog being entertaining, especially if it keeps the readers coming back day after day. I especially like the fake blog you mentioned about Harvard. It might be a fake blog, but it still holds real value for incoming freshman. I think this is something Auburn University could easily incorporate into their Camp War Eagle (three-day orientation for incoming freshman). Our school’s mascot, Aubie, makes the perfect candidate for the blog.
Very fresh ideas. I hope to be making one of these blogs in the near future.
September 28th, 2005 at 2:22 am
[…] I was amazed at some of the break-through ideas these pratitioners shared. One post, in particular, grabbed my attention and got me thinking. It was a post from Dave Taylor, a very experienced and accomplished business and technical public relations professional. The post was called “Fake Blogs: New Marketing Channel or Really Bad Idea?” Taylor commented that he thinks it would be beneficial for companies and organizations to create what he called “story blogs”. These “story blogs” are described as an accurate and credible source of information with added creativity that pulls readers in post after post. […]