Yeah, it’s been a while. I know, I know… Blogging isn’t going to get me anywhere when blogging isn’t consistent. Well just to give you all an update on what has been happening to Zion Eye Media.

Let’s start with the blog. I’ve posted on my main page that the blog has been canned until further notice. This was because I was trying to resolve my pretty permalinks issue with my blog that ended up being botched more than I could take at a single fix. The “almost-pretty” permalinks that my blog used (which basically has “index.php” in the URL before the actual blog post title) was not the way I wanted to continue my blogging with, and unfortunately, my current host setup was not in the position to change and modify the “index.php” issue. Thus, my own intuitions and research mindset took over and started scouring around the web, particularly in the WordPress.org site, to find better solutions and fixes to help my case. Needless to say, only a handful of sites were able to offer something substantial that didn’t produce too many side issues along the way. While these information did somewhat help, it didn’t really help me do what I really wanted to do, which was to get rid of the index.php verbiage.

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I read an article from Wired.com regarding the outdated use of blogging [see Twitter, Flickr, Facebook Make Blogs Look So 2004], and I really didn’t want to have to blog about this issue; but after contemplating it for a couple of days, I realized I had the duty to do so. So here it goes.

First off, let me summarize what the article is saying about blogs.

1) Blogs were a freshwater of great scenery for self-expression. Now it is nothing but “paid bilge.”
2) “Blogs are now too big, too impersonal, and lacks intimacy”
3) Blogs draw the lowest common denominator: the insult commentator
4) Multimedia sites are as easy and as idiot-free as blogs

Now let’s quantify that summary.

1. Blogs were a freshwater of great scenery for self-expression. Now it is nothing but “paid bilge. This I can agree with nowadays. Within 2002-2004, most of the bloggers were amateurs who wanted to express their opinions with little to no knowledge of online marketing. Content development were not as targeted and focused on marketing as it is now. In fact, “paid bilge” was not even a question when it comes to blogging at this time, as most people did not really have a clue on what to make out of the online marketing scene, let alone anything else. When blogging came out, Google’s search results were full of such blogs. And now, “professional bloggers” have replaced amateurs and newbies, and online marketers such as yours truly are seen more and more on search results than personal blogs. So this is nothing new.

2. “Blogs are now too big, too impersonal, and lacks intimacy.” Sure, blogs can be too big, but that also depends on the company/person/market creating the blog. “Little” blogs like mine and the thousands (if not millions) of blogs out there that are run by smaller companies rely on blogs that are personal, targeted, and more intimate than your “normal” corporate blog. The defining characteristic of a blog in today’s market (for any business) is to appeal to the audience of the writer, whether big or small, and in order to generate business, revenue, and customers, blogs have to be targeted, personal, and intimate. To see that someone is saying that blogs are “too big, too impersonal and lack[ing] intimacy” is not fully realizing that blogs are still worth their value, for both personal and more corporate-oriented blogs.

3. Blogs draw the lowest common denominator: the insult commentator. While it is true that some blogs get the insult commentator, again, it also depends on the blog. Blogs and newspapers are alike in its ability to aggregate wisecracks from people submitting their opinions, just as anybody is susceptible to garnering smart mouths when spoken to in normal conversations. And the insult commentator could be that awful spam that you get in every inbox you have. Just like with any technology, there are flaws associated with technological advancements, and blogs are no exception.

4. Multimedia sites are as easy and as idiot-free as blogs. Hmm… I beg to differ on that one. Are we talking about users who have VERY basic technology knowledge, users with SOME knowledge of technology, or POWER users? I know of people who don’t even have Facebook and Myspace accounts because they don’t know how to use them, let alone using Twitter, Flickr, or any other social media applications. Why should blogs be any different? I mean, I personally know and have seen bloggers who use blogs for marketing, and yet have NO IDEA on how to market their blogs EFFECTIVELY. None of them knew anything about search engine optimization or any marketing tactics, or even know how to write blogs in a manner that is worthy of online content development. So if blogs are supposed to be easy, would Twitter be any different to those who do not even know how to use blogs? Idiot-free indeed.

As an online marketer, I think that it is absurd to say that blogging is out and done. If blogging was out and done, the author of that blog wouldn’t have written that blog from the beginning. If anything, Wired.com’s blog was very tactful in its words, and not just because of conviction of the downfall of the blog, but the blog in and of itself will produce repercussions and consequences in search engines, Wired.com’s networks, and any technologically-based site that is connected to the subject. Those consequences, if that is all the proper word to say, are that tech blogs – small, medium or large – or even microblogs, will be chatting about the subject, driving traffic to Wired.com’s post whether in good terms or bad.

That is how blog works. That is how online marketing works.

Ingenius. :D

I recently read an article from WebProNews.com about how blogging success takes a few months (i.e. time and work) to generate links and traffic to that specific blog. “Content is king, but not always the case in blogs,” they say, “especially when someone with more experience and knowledge can do it bigger and better.” I guess you can say that this is old news to experienced bloggers and online marketers. But in reality, this is not necessarily common knowledge to the masses. Why? Because most bloggers blog to share what they have to say, regardless of any marketing intentions, agendas or lack thereof. Whatever opinions you have, you can voice it, and who cares what people think. Right?

So if other people [bloggers] can do it better than you, then you should care what people think, especially if those people happen to be the same audience that other people are addressing to. I love my pastor’s statement that words are very important because it means EVERYTHING. Making one mistake can alter a word’s meaning, which then alters the whole sentence and changes the meaning and direction of every statement you want to portray. And in online marketing, it is making words count that will generate your audience’s attention and ultimately links and traffics to your site. It boils down to market share, and what you have to say can affect how your site generates rankings and traffic. That, in turn, will affect the way your online brand value and overall online authority are projected to your audience. And THAT will affect your bottom line.

Whew… Too much to do and little time to do it.  Ever told that to yourself?  Well for me, it’s been like that ever since I started my freelance business.  And now that I have been doing this for a long time, it seems like I’ve had so much time devoted for other companies and businesses that I have somewhat neglected my own work.  There is always a new way and a new day to do business, and I believe that that time has come for me.

I’ve done a few things to change up my world and how I do things, and unfortunately, I should have done this sooner.  First, I’ve redesigned my web site my way, and am rededicating a good portion of my efforts to set aside the “business-as-usual” mentality and focus on the true business of my work: relationships.  Second, I’ve stopped my blogspot blog and restarted it within my own site for more productivity and value to my work, which I think is a great portion of owning a business and “retaining” a sense of authority in that industry.  And in this industry, I definitely need it LMAO!

So, off we go to a new adventure.  And thanks for the patience.  This is going to be one beautiful ride!