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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…

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.

Do you think most bloggers are good writers?

I am not arguing your point I am just interested to know what you think.