Customer Plus-Delta is all about listening to customers... and blogging is the ultimate connection with customers (readers). Comments, emails and and track-backs tell me how well my content is connecting with people out in the blogosphere. It’s real-time feedback.
Ben & Jackie say: That's right, at least for weblogs that do allow comments. One-way blogs don't work as a Plus-Delta tool since you can't establish and facilitate conversations. Howard Dean's use of his blog as a feedback tool was amazing. The guys who ran his campaign were always asking "What are the blogs saying?" Once they got 600 comments in 2 hours in response to a question. They actively solicited ideas and opinions.
How have you used the Plus-Delta tenet in your blogging (or blog reading)?
I've recently gone through a website of a book (you can check out the site at: www.theicecreammaker.com ) which shows various techniques of listening to customer. The name of the book is The Ice Cream Maker. The book has been written by world-renowned quality expert Mr. Subir Chowdhury. The main character of the book, Pete is a manager of an icecream factory and he's having a tough time there with low sales and other problems. With the help of a mentor, how he fights back, that has been depicted in the book. This book is going to be released worldwide on 4th October 2005.
Posted by: Abhijit Sukul | September 13, 2005 at 01:08 AM
I couldn't resist correcting my sloppiness above:
"As soon as I started blogging a reader told me to have the links open in separate windows - for the reader's benefit. I liked that too but didn't know how to do it. His suggestion prompted me to ask The Irish Eagle how to do it. And, voila, my links open in new windows."
Posted by: Canadian Headhunter | March 19, 2004 at 02:03 PM
As soon as I started blogging a reader told me to have the links open in separate windows - for the reader's benefits. I liked that too but didn't know how to do it. His suggestion prompted me to as The Irish Eagle, whom I didn't know personally but read, how to do it. And, voila, my links open in new windows.
In terms of feedback on content, I'm always suprised by what gets a reaction in terms of comments or links. The other day I posted an entry called Four Types of Candidates. I didn't expect any particular interest but people were inclined to use it to categorize themselves.
Posted by: Canadian Headhunter | March 19, 2004 at 11:23 AM
Ben and Jackie's point about one-way blogs is spot on. In fact, I find myself frustrated when I can't let a blogger know what I think about what s/he has to say.
I know that the comments and feedback I get from my readers is an invaluable tool in improving my blog as a product/service. The commentary from other bloggers who link or trackback to my posts serves the same purpose in a meta fashion (unlike some blogs, my audience is not necessarily just other bloggers).
The blogosphere is just another free market - one for ideas. The way you treat your customers (readers) has everything to do with how willing they'll be to evangelize your blog. Listen to them, respond, and engage them and they'll spread the word.
Posted by: Marc Orchant | March 19, 2004 at 08:39 AM