The great blog debate

Today’s Marketing Edge features a podcast debate about blogs. I, your host Albert Maruggi, am joined by Michael Keliher, PR practice manager for Provident Partners, to duke it out over whether businesses should get into blogging. The verbal sparring is moderated by John Havens, About.com’s guide to podcasting.

We hash out some of the pros and cons of blogs, from a business and marketing perspective. I take a “What will blogs get me?” approach. Mike highlights the social and interactive benefits of blogging.

Show notes:

• 1:00 - 3:00 The objectives of a blog
• 4:00 - 12:00 Who is using blogs? Why should a company care about what blogs are saying about their products or services? How can companies use a blog?
• 13:00 - 17:00 What influence will the legal department have in a company blog? Is it worth it for marketers to battle legal opposition for blogs.
• 18:00 - 26:00 Should institutions provide a forum for discussion? How do you determine whether a blog is serving its purpose? Is the number of comments a good criterion for determining whether a blog is successful?
• 27:00 - 33:00 What role does trust play in establishing a blog?

We invite your comments on these and other podcasts. There are a number of ways to comment:

1. Post a comment on our blog
2. Call 651-695-0174, then record your comment on the Marketing Edge comment line (line #3)
3. E-mail me at amaruggi@providentpartners.net
4. Send a letter to or bang on our door at: 790 Cleveland Avenue S., Suite 221, St. Paul, MN 55116

Interaction is critical to social media, and we want to drive valuable discussion on our blog. So for every comment we receive – whether it’s audio we play back in a podcast, written on this blog or yelled at us after banging on our door – Provident Partners will donate a can of food to a local food shelf. Our financial budget for this effort is $100 per month, so let us hear what you have to say!