Direct marketing copywriter Robert Bly argues that blogs are a big waste of time:
Should marketers add blogging to their arsenal of tactics? Will it help sell more products and services? Or is it, as I suspect, a complete waste of time ‚Äî a pure vanity publication that won’t pay you back even one thin dime for your effort?
How quaint. Apparently quite the online marketing expert (his own brochureware site uses frames; hoot!), Bly writes:
I have yet to find a single marketer who says that a business blog has gotten him a positive return on investment. I know plenty of online marketers who make millions of dollars a year from their Web sites and e-zines, for instance. But I’ve not seen a blog whose creator says that the time and effort spent on it has directly put money into his pocket.
Blog ROI. He cracks me up. For starters, this is like arguing religion or politics to try to talk to an die-hard direct marketer about anything one click-through removed from a sale. Why not talk ROI about public relations or public speaking or customer service or brand advertising, for that matter. (No, it isn’t branding that sells Nike (a company that has seen the wisdom to invest in blogs, incidentally), it’s all that great telemarketing, direct mail and email newsletters, I’m sure.)
But I’ll take the bait.
Let’s be pedantic: ROI of course stands for “return on investment.” So, what is the investment in setting up a blog? Hmmm. Using Blogger.com software and Blogspot hosting, the cash investment is a big fat zero, of course, like many other blog softwares, but let’s assume you go all in and buy a multi-seat licence for Movable Type 3.x and you pay for hosting above and beyond your existing web site, plus an over-priced web developer, you’re talking an investment to get set up of $2,000 to maybe $10,000 if you’re a complete idiot and hire the most expensive blog designer on the planet. More likely, if you’re a largish company, you’ll get someone in IT to set it up for nothing in a few hours. Beyond that, the only other “investment” is 10 minutes here, an hour there, as you’re inspired to write. Or, maybe you hire someone, but most bloggers don’t know the value of a dollar and can be had cheap. (I know of what I speak: I run a web site call “Business Blog Consulting.”) Point is, it’s an extremely low-cost medium. Makes running an email newsletter look like an expensive proposition, not to mention a royal pain in the ass.
So, can blogging earn back the “investment” ranging from nothing to a few thousand bucks? Bob writes it “won’t pay you back even one thin dime” and he hasn’t “seen a blog whose creator says that the time and effort spent on it has directly put money into his pocket.” Sounds like his research was exhaustive.
Just to clear the palate, let’s give at least a nod to ad-supported blogs: I know that Rafat Ali, Tig Tillinghast and Steve Hall are making more or less full-time livings off of their business blogs, not to mention Nick Denton, Jason Calacanis and Henry Copeland who are betting on much bigger commerical ad-supported blog plays, so far with every sign of success.
But Bly is talking about marketing, so let’s stick to marketing. How about BizNetTravel, a travel agency (and former client of mine), who credits its blog (more than a year old) with driving a significant amount of business (I was paid regularly for more than a year for my blogging services; I can’t see this small business regularly flushing money down the toilet without seeing a return on that investment). Denton recently bought the rights to a film with an affinity to one of his blogs, as noted in a story in the New Yorker, and his director of business development (yes, he has a director of business development) told me the other day it’s selling like hotcakes. MightyGoods is taking an affiliate marketing spin on a blog; I don’t know details of how her business is doing, but I think it’s a great idea. T-shirtKing.com says its blog is the best direct marketing program it has in its arsenal, out-performing its email newsletter, which was burning out. Keiko Groves is making enough money selling her original clothing through her blog to put herself through college.
But these are all small businesses. Earlier today I noted that Jupiter Research claims that it has tracked several business leads to its blogs. I know something of Jupiter’s prices: one contract would be more than enough to justify all the development costs and hours of its analysts’ time. Or, if that’s not compelling enough, what about Sun Microsystems, whose president and COO, Jonathan Schwartz, writes a blog and told Business Week he “first suspected that his blog was a success when his salespeople began reporting that customers were reading his posts and sealing deals faster.” Not convinced? How about Bill Gates, a man who knows the value of a dollar, raving about how great blogs are. Oh, and let’s not forget Howard Dean who raised millions of dollars though his campaign’s blog and basically revolutionized politics forever in the process.
I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point. In fact, that’s exactly why I started this blog: to catalog all the evidence of this trend. I have to agree with Steve Hall’s reaction to Bly’s column: he doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about. One gets the sense he’s only read about blogs in magazines. What else explains why he’s still writing in that archaic dead-tree medium? (Yeah, blogs are a waste of time with no provable ROI, but writing a one-time opinion piece is a magazine, whose web page doesn’t even hyperlink to Bly’s crappy site, is ROI-riffic.)
Oh, and how did I discover Bly’s article in the first place? Through DMNews.com’s email newsletter? Har! Like I need to subscribe to another email newsletter (or that I’d trust my email address to a company with “direct marketing” in their name). No, through a blog — duh.
Hi Rick,
For the record, in his DMNews article Bob quotes me and my report on business blogs *out of context.* Thanks for a detailed and useful rebuttal. Bob Bly is an awfully sharp guy. I can’t figure out why he doesn’t “get it” re blogging. I’ve been evangelizing to him for months through my newsletter, WordBiz Report, but have been unable to persuade him that blogs are a useful business tool or that they have an ROI. Maybe this barrage of feedback to his article will make him think again…
Comment by Debbie Weil — November 3, 2004 @ 9:10 pm
The story of the copywriter who didn’t get it
Here’s a good example of someone involved in marketing who either just doesn’t get it or feels intimidated by a communication channel that he doesn’t understand. I’m talking about blogs, of course. There’s a bloke in the US called Robert
Trackback by NevOn — November 4, 2004 @ 3:35 am
More on Bob Bly and Blogs
Business Blog Consulting’s Rick Bruner wrote an extensive post in response to Bob Bly’s article in DM News dismissing business blogs as superfluous. While I don’t share Rick’s vitriol, I do feel he has something substantive to say. I do
Trackback by Radiant Marketing Group — November 4, 2004 @ 7:07 am
Can Blogging Help Market Your Product?
According to a direct marketing copywriter Robert Bly not really as blogs are a big waste of time. Oh good. I am glad that's sorted. Now I can go back to my boring job in the City instead of wasting time on this crazy blog stuff. Anyway, many have…
Trackback by the Big Blog Company — November 4, 2004 @ 10:57 am
Hi,
Interesting article.
We can add to this list the daily snkr blog, a blog supported by Nike France and launched by the agence blog Agency and heaven. Nike supports a current event in Paris via this collective blog (history of the Nike sneakers)…
And,
ici on Aime, a new french shopping blog which cares about gadgets, indie products, life style but not only…
In France too, La Fraise sells good geek wear, and supports his online shop with a TP blog…
Comment by stef / blog agency — November 4, 2004 @ 12:16 pm
Robert Bly On Shaky Ground
Copywriter and author, Robert Bly, wrote a piece for DM News about how blogs are little more than vanity publsihing with no real future for brands. Bloggers are, of course, hacking this man’s arguement to bits. See The Copywriter Who…
Trackback by AdPulp — November 5, 2004 @ 9:50 am
Bob Bly On Shaky Ground With Bloggers
Copywriter and author, Bob Bly, wrote a piece for DM News about how blogs are little more than vanity publishing with no real future for brands. Bloggers are, of course, hacking this man’s arguement to bits. See: The Copywriter Who…
Trackback by AdPulp — November 5, 2004 @ 10:04 am
Bob Bly has joined Yesterday’s Experts
It is a sad thing to see someone with obvious talent demonstrate to all and sundry that he does not understand what is happening in the world around him. Bob Bly, a direct marketing guru of considerable reputation, seems
Trackback by Ripples — November 5, 2004 @ 10:32 pm
Developing a conversation with Bob Bly
Last week, copywriter Bob Bly became the target for highly critical comment all over the blogosphere following an article he wrote in DM News that said blogging is a complete waste of time. As other bloggers did I posted commentary
Trackback by NevOn — November 9, 2004 @ 7:38 am
Developing a conversation with Bob Bly
Last week, copywriter Bob Bly became the target for highly critical comment all over the blogosphere following an article he wrote in DM News that said blogging is a complete waste of time. As other bloggers did I posted
Trackback by NevOn — November 9, 2004 @ 7:45 am
Can Blogging Help Market Your Product?
Business Blog Consulting is a site devoted to demonstrating how effective weblogs can be for communicating with customers and marketing to new customer prospects. You will find here lots of examples of business blogs, as well as resources to help…
Trackback by 1.800.Ahorre.com Hispanic Marketing — November 10, 2004 @ 8:40 pm
Developing a conversation with Bob Bly
Last week, copywriter Bob Bly became the target for highly critical comment all over the blogosphere following an article he wrote in DM News that said blogging is a complete waste of time. As other bloggers did I posted
Trackback by NevOn — November 12, 2004 @ 1:34 am
Bruner’s rant on why blogs make marketing sense
A couple of weeks ago, Rick Bruner, a well respected specialist in e-business strategy consulting and market research, posted to Business Blog Consulting reacting to an opinion piece in Direct Marketing News (DMNews) by direct marketing copy writer Rob…
Trackback by Real Lawyers :: Have Blogs — November 17, 2004 @ 5:27 pm
The Competitive Advantage of Blogs
Companies that lose touch of their customers stumble. And conversely, if you look at the success of WalMart a lot can be attributed to the fact that they are closer to the customer than their suppliers. They are eating these
Trackback by Crossroads Dispatches — December 1, 2004 @ 11:17 am
The Business Blogging Field Guide, Part 1: Intro
Think of this as our little safari into the wilds of the blogosphere. An expedition to create an initial taxonomy of business blogger species, if you will. There have been lots of folks who have done the “what is business
Trackback by The Social Customer Manifesto — January 13, 2005 @ 4:32 pm
Please remove the comment spam on this thread.
Now, ROI for blogs. Good point about a blog can be free, so if it brings in just $1,000 in trackable business or sales, the ROI is what?
Tell me one other marketing tool that you can spend ZERO on and get 1000% return?
Do an ROI analysis of a CEO and you’ll dump him and his bloated compensation and inflated golden parachute in a heartbeat.
Do an ROI analysis on business cards. Or like you said, on PR, charitable donations, fancy office suites, pretty receptionists, conference attendance, limousines, billboards…need I go on?
ROI is an accounting department superstition or trick that is called in when you’ve already decided not to commit to something.
Unbridled ROI analysis could lead to some disturbing changes in corporate culture.
How many track ROI on billboards, sponsorship of golf classics, or even Yellow Page ads? Hardly any or none.
I also worked in Direct Marketing most of my younger life, and I recognize Bob Bly as a DM expert. No criticism of him, just a rant on ROI as bogus assessment.
You can’t necessarily do ROI on good will, public opinion, thought leader influence, candid conversations with customers, word of mouth, media coverage. But the companies are not renouncing any of these any time soon.
What’s wrong with business is they want to turn blogs into vending machines and revenue streams. Dumb.
Comment by Steven Streight aka Vaspers the Grate — August 14, 2005 @ 2:06 pm
[…] P.S. Looks like Bob Bly is anti-blog a blogger as well. […]
Pingback by Anti-Business Cards » The Small Business Buzz — March 14, 2006 @ 7:46 pm