A good blog has a central focus that allows it to advance a conversation, both within the confines of the blog and the broader scope of the topic, and that gives its readers a predictable and satisfying experience.
As the audience for this blog has grown, I’ve been sensitive to the fact that I’m not adhering to the discipline that makes a good blog.
So, I want to take a second and explain to those of you who’ve become recent followers what I write about and why.
First, I focus a lot on the intersection of traditional and new media, with an emphasis on finding a path to migrate a media franchise into a new, sustainable operating model. This focus Is a by-product of my job and my background. I’ve worked in media for the past 25 years, and have been particularly fascinated by the way new technology has transformed the media marketplace. I’m not a technologist, though; I’m an analyst who became a business person, so I’m interested in the way market economics are transformed by the practical applications of technology.
I have a particular interest in how to transition media brands. Why? The people who have worked hard over time to gain expertise in a market deserve the opportunity to grow with the market. It probably all boils down to the fact that, at my core, I’m a rational humanist.
As a by-product of my interest in the intersection of traditional and new media, I focus a lot on social media. Social media is an area where the ability of people to create knowledgeable and engaging content presents a transitional path that has been difficult to effect in previous iterations of Internet media. Also, I have an emerging sense that social media is the advent of a post-digital media marketplace, where the focus on technologies is reduced and the focus on connecting quality content with audiences across multiple platforms is enhanced.
Because of my interest in media, I also write about the intersection of marketing and media, particularly as it relates to using new technologies to measure the impact of marketing spend. Understanding how different marketing channels work for marketers in real dollars and cents is the key to creating a viable business strategy.
These topics are applied most specifically to the housing, multi-family and remodeling markets. This bias is the result of the focus of my business, Network Communications, Inc.
And finally, I write about the economy. In particular, I track the broad characteristics of this recession and the Implications for reconstituting the national and global economy. The role of the consumer, and their emotional orientation, is of particular interest, because I believe the human element is always most interesting.
Within this interest in the economy, I write a lot about trends in the housing market. This focus is purely selfish: our business prospects are highly dependent on the direction of the housing market.
I’m a business person, not an intellectual, and have very little schooling in economics and theory. When I try to piece together patterns I sense, or theorize about one trend or another, my focus is on the pragmatic — what can I put into action?
I can’t say that everything is particularly clear to me, nor that I am frequently right. And, as I think through issues, I come at them with the bias of someone who is working within the constraints of a traditional media company.
When I set out with this blog, the goal was to have a place to tease through the things that I was puzzling over.
By virtue of our different business initiatives, I’ve attracted a significant audience. I’m sensitive that I’m not delivering a consistent experience to the reader, by virtue of the eclectic focus of my posts. I hope this post, if you’ve read through it, helps tie the pieces together. And, I hope that as a reader you occasionally find something useful or thought-provoking.
Last, I’m quite aware that the name of the blog and the focus of the blog aren’t neatly aligned. I’m admiring of bloggers like Fred Wilson, of A VC, or David Amaro, of Logic+Emotion, who have named their blogs in such a way that is clear, useful and descriptive. I didn’t do that, for sure.
I’m open to suggestions, though. Any ideas?
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