The use of weblogs

1

• The use of weblogs
• in public relations
• and communication management
• www.euroblog2006.org
• Vilnius, August 26 2006
• Philip Young, University of Sunderland, UK

2
Why should I listen?

• Markets are conversations
• We are seeing the end of command and control
  model of PR

3
Overview

• What are weblogs and social software?
• Results of EuroBlog2006
• Familiarity with Weblogs
• Monitoring of Weblogs / Usage of Weblogs
• Guidelines for Blogging
• Implementing Weblogs Limitations and
  Opportunities
• Implications for HE PROs
• Opportunities and challenges
• Internal and external

4
The impact of new media
5
What do new media users do?
6
What is social software?

• Weblogs (blogs)
• My Space, SkyBlogs etc
• Podcasting
• Download Mp3s/ soundfiles
• Wikis
• Collaborative working
• Picture sharing
• FlickR etc
• Video sharing
• YouTube, Google etc

7
How many bloggers are there?

• On July 31, 2006, Technorati tracked its 50
  millionth blog.

8
What is a blog?

• Two-dimensional
• Reverse chronological order
• Topical and Newsworthy
• Links comments
• Aggregation
• Networking (conversations)
• Search engine visibility
• RSS newsreaders
• Speed of messages

9
Weblogs a simple definition
1. reverse chronological order
2. expressive personal style
3. links to other blogs (trackback)
4. comments
10
Who is blogging?

• About me people who write about their daily
  lives for micro-audience of friends and family
  (online diaries)
• Focused interests (niche/ hobbyists) use blogs
  to communicate with fellow enthusiasts/ with
  shared experience. Amateurs and recreational
• Campaigning political blogs, pressure group,
  protests

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Who is blogging?

• Networking/ Education/ Development to debate
  professional subjects with fellow practitioners
• Personal marketing to promote expertise to
  clients, employers and others who can influence
  their careers or businesses.
• Commercial to promote goods and services can
  include employee blogs / blogs that encourage
  customer participation

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Characteristics

• Informal style
• Spontaneous
• Media rich
• Sound
• Pictures
• Videos

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Same technology - works worldwide
1. reverse chronological order
2. expressive personal style
3. links to other blogs (trackback)
4. comments
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What is RSS?

• RSS Really Simple Syndication
• Software checks RSS feeds and lets you read any
  new articles that have been added to them
• Many versions - some use a browser, and some of
  which are downloadable applications

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Rich Site Summary - Real Simple Syndication
2. automatic download of new articles without
visiting website
1. Subscribe feed
3. full article with text, links and comments
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Are you listening?

• Two types of conversation
• The messages that you want to put out

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Do you want to listen?

• The conversation that is happening around your
  university whether you like it or not!

18

• Results of the first European Survey onWeblogs
  in Public Relations and Communication Management
• www.euroblog2006.org
• Philip Young, University of Sunderland, UKAnsgar
  Zerfaß, University of Leipzig, GermanySwaran
  Sandhu, University of Lucerne, S witzerland

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Aim of the survey

• to understand the spread, implementation and
  usage of weblogs in public relations and
  communication management in Europe
• familiarity with weblogs
• usage/monitoring of weblogs
• guidelines for weblogs
• implementation of weblogs

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Euroblog 2006 Background Information

• Duration November 1st until December 16th 2005
• Participants 587 PR professionals from 33
  European countries
• Method self-recruiting online questionnaire with
  25 items
• Sampling national contact points across Europe
  for distribution/dissemination of survey,
  self-recruiting snowball
• Statistics SPSS analysis for univariate
  frequencies
• Financing none pro bono work by lead
  researchers and national research partners
• Support/Affiliation initiated and endorsed by
  Euprera

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Key Statistics / Demographics
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About the participants

• 587 PR professionals from 33 European countries
• 71 under 40 years old
• 52 male, 47 female
• 48 with academic degree in public
  relations/communication management
• 39 are in senior management position(CEO,
  Senior Manager with budget/personnel
  responsibility)
• 59 work in communication departments
  (profit/not-for-profit companies)
• 81 in departments with up to 10 persons

23
Familiarity with Weblogs
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Familiarity and usage of weblogs
How familiar are you with weblogs?
How often do you use weblogs?
in the media/no active part
reading/commenting of weblogs
writing/contributing regularly,running own weblog

• 2/3 of the respondents are familiar with weblogs
• 68 either write or read weblogs
• but only a third (36) uses them weekly

n 587
25
Monitoring of Weblogs
26
Monitoring and RSS Feeds
n 587
27
Monitoring and RSS Feeds
n 587
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What weblogs are monitored?
n 587 (all participants) n 122
(experts)multiple answers possible
29
What weblogs are monitored?
n 587 (all participants) n 122
(experts)multiple answers possible
30
Summary Usage and Monitoring

• Clear split between expert users / all
  participants
• Knowledge of medium weblog increases the
  willingness to monitor / engage in the
  blogosphere
• Expert users use tools provided by the
  blogosphere (RSS feeds) to monitor their
  environment, mostly weblogs in their own vicinity.

31
Usage of Weblogs /Guidelines for Blogging
32
Usage of weblogs in organizations
Do you have a weblog in your organization?
..what kind?
n 113
33
Authors of Weblogs / Guidelines
Who runs the Weblog?
Do you have guidelines for blogging?
n 113
34
Implementing WeblogsLimitations and
Opportunities
35
Plans to implement weblogs

• 42 of the respondents without a weblog are
  planning to implement a weblog within a year
• 32 do not plan to implement a weblog

n 428
36
Factors for not implementing weblogs
n 587, multiple answers possible
37
Factors limiting the use of weblogs
more limiting
index scale 1 most limiting, 5 least limiting
38
Factors limiting the use of weblogs
more limiting
index scale 1 most limiting, 5 least limiting
39
Greatest opportunities for weblogs
more important
index scale 1 greatest opportunity, 5 not
important
40
How does this affect you?
41
Implications for HE

• Potentially powerful promotional tool
• Internal as well as external
• Monitoring Conversations
• Good and Bad
• CONTROL
• You cant!
• INFLUENCE
• You should/ must

42
How do people find out about you?

• Search engines
• Reputation forged in stars
• Visibility
• Credibility

43
Should you blog?

• Be strategic
• What are you trying to achieve?
• Who should blog?

44
Engaging with the Blogosphere

• Guidelines for staff
• Guidelines for students
• Who can say what to whom?
• When?
• With what purpose?

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About EuroBlog 2006
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About Euroblog 2006 and Euprera

• Euroblog 2006 is the first pan-European survey to
  provide a comprehensive overview how
  communication professionals are using weblogs and
  for what purpose.
• The initiative is supported by EUPRERA, the
  European Public Relations Education and Research
  Association, a community of researchers from
  universities and institutions from more than 30
  countries.
• ? www.euroblog2006.org ? www.euprera.org

47
Lead Researchers / Contact Persons

• Philip Young, M.A.University of Sunderland,
  United Kingdomphilip.young_at_sunderland.ac.uk
• Prof. Dr. Ansgar Zerfass, Dipl.-Kfm., Dr. rer.
  pol. habil.University of Leipzig,
  Germanymail_at_zerfass.de
• Swaran Sandhu, Dipl. rer. com., M. Sc.
  University of Lucern, Switzerland (from
  09/2006)swaran.sandhu_at_gmx.net