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Exhibitionism driving internet marketing via blogs

Washington Post’s Robert J. Samuelson has an interesting op-ed piece entitled ‘A Web of Exhibitionists.’

His point that the Internet has unleashed the greatest outburst of mass exhibitionism in human history is well taken when it comes to Internet marketing. LexBlog’s success is the result of empowering people to tap into their passion so as to showcase their skill to their target audience and network with others.

Though Samuelson focuses on sensational examples of blogging, he raises some interesting points that apply to marketing via blogs:

  • People seem to crave popularity or celebrity more than they fear the loss of privacy.
  • Half of the 12 million American adult who blog (8 percent of Internet users) say they’re mainly interested in expressing themselves ‘creatively.’
  • Blogs and ‘social networking’ sites, to a point, represent new forms of electronic schmoozing.

In many cases, lawyers and other professionals chose their profession because of a passion to work in a particular field. This passion often goes untapped for years, in some cases decades. Given the opportunity to express themselves via blogs, professionals are going for it.

  • http://bagandbaggage.com Denise Howell

    I thought the article was overgeneralized and off-base. Sure, there’s plenty of exhibitionism on blogs and particularly in the user created video arena. But there’s a difference between exhibitionism and being seen and heard (and hearing and seeing, to boot). One is a bid for attention, the other is an attention economy. I suspect your clients and readers can readily grasp the difference (and largely fall into the latter category).

  • http://kevin.lexblog.com Kevin OKeefe

    Your point is well taken and almost did not blog it because of that.
    But as I read the op-ed, I felt that some of the same things driving amateurish exhibitionism on the net via myspace, youtube, and the like were driving professional bloggers.
    We may not be doing it for the same purpose (enhancing reputation vs. showing off) or with the same result (growing business vs. having fun) but an underlying passion may be driving all of us. That was my point anyway.