Blog Platform for "Loop-d-Loop"

Blog technology continues to be a game-changer in media relations, brand building, and professional networking.  But, in a growing number of unexpected ways.  In recent speaking engagements, my blog posting "Info Age Meets P.T. Barnum," and consultations with clients, I've been referring to these ways collectively as "loop-d-loop."

The word has been spreading and I've been asked to explain loop-d-loop.  Here's the very short version.

On a blog platform, professionals can create the links and then leverage the results to get awesome media coverage for clients, build a personal/organizational/product brandname rapidly and configure networks of power people they nevereverever dreamed of doing business with.

Sounds simple.  It is.

The problem is that this strategy of word-of-mouse or link & leverage is both so obvious and so relatively new that most haven't believed that results could be generated so easily and/or haven't taken the time to become adept in digital ways of communicating.  For example, too many of my communications colleagues, yikes, don't have a blog. 

Okay, if they finally cross that digital divide, here's how loop-d-loop can play out for the totally opportunistic.

Simulated Case Study:

Joe who owns/operates a small public relations boutique posts on his blog a provocative analysis of the sea change in communications post-Katrina, post-Delphi's bankruptcy, post-Bush's 40-percent approval rating. 

Given the convergence of these events, communications have, Joe demonstrates with examples, become candid (think CNN's newscasts from New Orleans), full of conviction about strong positions (think Delphi's Robert Miller), willing to take on controversy (think those commenting on the US auto industry), and derisive of anything less (think VANITY FAIR's Michael Wolff ). 

Astute about digital reach, Joe makes sure he has put in the kinds of links/trackbacks/keywords that are bound to multiply exponentially out there in the blogosphere.  (For Intro 101 on these fundamentals, consult Susannah Gardner's "Buzz Marketing with Blogs for Dummies." and/or Fredrik Wacka's "Corporate Blogging.")

Knowing he's on to something he'll be able to leverage, Joe monitors on TypePad's Control Panel Stats the number of clicks onto his posting, who is doing the visiting, how many comments/trackbacks come in and what they're saying, and who in mainstream media (MSM) is picking up on his thinking.   

Periodically (i.e. every hour), Joe'll make tactical decisions about how best to leverage all this.  They will include:

• Cutting/pasting/emailing the whole enchilada including comments/trackbacks to other influentials, ranging from US Senators to MSM.  In a separate email with a personalized transmittal note he will explain how much attention this issue is creating, why it might be important to this particular influential and how that person might leverage this momentum to advance an agenda.  The more specific the recommendations, the better since the influentials can immediately jump into action.  Essentially, in these recommendations Joe is creating angles for the influentials or putting things in a fresh framework for them to consider.  In "A Whole New Mind," Daniel Pink states that this ability to make breakthrough observations is the key to success in the 21st century.

• Continually creating new posts on his own blog describing the kind of feedback coming in, quoting some of it, and discussing its possible implications.  Brandname blogger Andrew Sullivan is a master of this, a tactic sometimes called "moving the conversation forward."

• Keeping up-dated those in the initial loop, e.g. the persons/organizations/products/causes which were mentioned/linked to in the post.  Clearly Joe will be perceived by these as an influential who knows how to generate buzz, rapidly.  The next promotional assignments which come up will likely go to him instead of his competitor or a larger agency.

• Creating and emailing (separate emails, separate personalized transmittal notes) a case study of what has been happening and the implications to diverse constituencies, such as communications trade publications,  communications trade associations in the market for keynote speakers, speaker placement agents who will later be sent a formal application and 10-minute video to become a client, book agent(s) who specialize in this topic.

• Notifying those who might have any interest, even if this might be a stretch, in this subject via separate emails and personalized notes.  For example, "Your recent article "Game-Changers" in X Publication made me think you might be interested in the startling response I am receiving to the blog post ...." This was how David Kline, the co-author of "Blog!" landed an assignment to write an article for the prestigious magazine WIRED.

• Explaining this momentum to a client and posting an interview with this client or ghostwriting a guest editorial for this client on his blog and/or another high-profile blog or in MSM.  Showing evidence of how word-of-mouse works like brush fire yet can be controlled makes believers of many anti-blog clients.

• Continuing all the above, with new angles and new folks to reach out to.

• Posting another provocative point-of-view when the buzz about this post starts to wind down.  Masters of loop-d-loop don't cannibalize their efforts.  Not every post will hit big.   When one does, feed that momentum rather than providing any possible distractions.

For the 14-something bucks professionals pay monthly for their top-of-the-line Typepad Blog subscription, they get to open and enter doors they couldn't even anticipate getting near.  For example, clients will receive unprecedented coverage. in highly diverse media.  Professionals' brandnames go high profile almost overnight.  Power-brokers out there will respond and stay in touch, as long as the provocative thinking and outreach continues.

Loop-d-Loop is a highly focused, opportunistic, fast-moving strategy of links and leverage.  The price of entry is a blog platform.  This is analogous to how a book is the price of entry in marketing whatever.  No book, no credibility.  In this game-changed world of word-of-mouse, no blog means, moi predicts, being out of business within five years, or less.