Business Blogs: An Utter Waste of Time?

If you've been reading this business blog for a while, you know my answer is an unmitigated "no!"

However, that is the take by well-respected copywriter Bob Bly. Mike Sigers of Simplenomics (and a regular flyte blog commenter) takes Bob to task in a post entitled Bob Bly is Wrong About Blogs.

While not everybody agrees on the value of a business blog, I did find some of Bob's quotes surprising, such as:

I have yet to find a single marketer who says that a business blog has gotten him a positive ROI, or return on investment.

Let me start by raising my own hand, then.

Just like any business venture, not every blog is going to have a positive ROI. However, if you think back to the late '90's, how many Web sites were making money? Most were expenses, not investments.

Also, most of Bob's comments seem to be targeted at personal blogs, although I'm sure there are plenty of so-called business blogs that "are rambling, streams-of-consciousness musings about a particular topic of interest to the author."

Of course, Bob does have his own blog and is listed as a contributor on Business Blog Consulting, where I also blog. (However, I couldn't find any posts of his at BBC. Not sure if this is because he doesn't have any or because our search isn't working properly.)

However, if I made my living by crafting copy that makes people take a desired action, I'd probably be looking at the democratization of copy via blogging as the end of Western civilization as well. I wonder if classical painters had the same reaction when they saw the first modern art painting hanging in a gallery or museum.

Rich Brooks
Business Blogger

Tags: Bob Bly | Simplenomics

Comments

[Jim Turner]

I say we take him out back and flog him...or should we just blog him?

[Mike Sansone]

Wasn't it a few short months ago that Mr. Bly - on his own blog - wrote that most blogs are self-indulgent drivel?

[Patsi Krakoff]

Bob Bly is stirring things up...just before the big book marketing events here in Washington DC. Now, I would say he is wrong here but I would never accuse him of being stupid. And, I am wondering if this post isn't clever marketing. Think of all the buzz he is creating! Debbie is speaking at the event here as well...hmmmm! This is giving me great ideas! Anyway, thanks for your post, Rich, I also posted a rebuttal over at my blog.

[China Law Blog]

I am raising my hand. We have gotten a surprising amount of business directly from the blog, we have been able to use the blog to enhance our credibility and get business that way, and we have made all sorts of business contacts that we would not have made without the blog. I have absolutely no doubt that we have been getting a great ROI from our blog.

[Bob Bly]

Not sure how my name got on BBC, but there are no posts from me there because I don't as a rule spend any time reading and writing on blogs, with rare exceptions, like now. It just seems a very unproductive way to spend one's time, and I am shocked at the number of bright people who do it religiously, even fanatically.