That's my mom. ------------------------------->Hopefully she doesn't take offense to the title of this post. I doubt she will. She'll be the first to tell you how often we discuss new media and technology.
My mom teaches advanced Performing Arts to high school students in Ohio. She has a unique perspective, hearing about Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other new media from her students.
I get frustrated sometimes because she sees the pitfalls associated with new technology (students gossiping on each other's walls, text messaging in class, etc.) I remember when I was starting to work at Compendium, and trying to explain what it is we do.
"Ma, we're an easy to use blogging software company. Get it?"
Of course she didn't... at first. Her initial connotation associated with a blog was the "talk-back" function of an online news article. Blogging, to her, meant disgruntled people sounding off their opinions, most of the time without regard for accuracy or truth. This simple observation is SO important to how we approach blogging for businesses and organizations. Most "normal people" don't have time, or care for that matter, about RSS feeds, Friend Requests, or how many comments are on your blog. They may not even know what it means to blog.
Why should my mom care about blogging?
Chris Brogan had a great post today titled "People in the Real World" that focuses specifically on this topic. Brogan is an internet celebrity and expert in social media. In today's post, he addresses tech-savvy readers: "Believe in how these technologies make the world different, but always seek ways to tie it all back to the current world."
There couldn't be a better explanation of why someone like my mom can benefit from Compendium's blogging software. She doesn't need to commit time to learning blogging secrets, or best practices in blogging, nor does she have the time. With Compendium's turn-key solution, she can focus on what she knows best: playwriting, choreography, stage blocking, dialect training, and a million other things I know very little about.
For her, the benefit is educating parents and students in central Ohio that are looking for the best training in performing arts. She can tell those stories, projecting them in a way that people can easily find them. They can read about projects that prepare students for professional careers in theater. They can see pictures from performances. They can hear from a set designer about what they learned from opening night. More in-depth, human, recent and frequent than a website.
Anyone can acheive blogging success - not just the Chris Brogans and Gary Vaynerchuks of the world. With the help of a Software-as-a-Service provider, assisting with design, keyword research, and ongoing consulting, normal people like my mom can focus on what they know and are passionate about. Let us worry about the rest.
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