Am I allowed to say this?

Today I came across this article via Chris Brogan, talking about agencies shutting down blogs in favour of other social media like twitter & facebook.

Simply put, a social media presence is far less labor intensive than maintaining a blog. “To do a blog right takes a lot, and we don’t feel like it’s really worth the effort right now,” Weston said.

Brogan’s biggest message is to give Passion

…an agency (and YOU!!!!) should blog about those things you’re passionate about. My dad is passionate about poker. My mom is passionate about proving you can do it if you try.

But I’m not sure that’s entirely the reason.

The biggest question I get from my team is “Am I allowed to say [this]?”. Sometimes it’s because they think it’s racey, sometimes they want to know if it’s on target with messaging, but in most cases it’s because they’ve given a glimpse into who they are and what they are doing.

To share real Passion means to share Knowledge

Something with the longer format, with story telling, has people drawing on their daily lives to engage and connect. But in sharing, you show people what you do, you show people something about the business. You give them a gift.

And here – is where I think the fun begins.

Giving is hard for businesses where ideas are their bread and butter.

In industries outside advertising, I find it hard to explain the Gift Economy and get them onboard that sharing knowledge is a good thing and will help in the end.

With agencies that juggle trade secrets, NDA’s and highly competitive landscapes, I can see the logic that tweets & facebook posts safe – you can’t give away many secrets in 140 characters.

While some are shutting down blogs others are opening doors to camera’s?

I’ve been watching the Pitch. I am hooked. I’m captivated by how much they show to the camera. Is this counter intuitive to shutting down blogs?

If you can’t get a camera crew into your shop – why not turn the blog back on.

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