by Geoff Livingston
After four years and more than 800 blog posts published here on the Buzz Bin, it’s with some regret that next week’s post will be my last regular contribution to the blog. Though I may make a guest appearance here and there, this will be it.
Why, you ask? I have run out of things to say. I found last summer when I wrote the “for me, social media is dead” posts that I had run out of things to say. As we moved on to a group blog format again, Mondays were still a struggle to add something new to the conversation.
Two years ago, I ended the Now Is Gone blog for similar reasons. I feel like I am repeating myself. For example, while you may think FourSquare is a great new thing, I already blogged about it eight months ago! Yes, there’s room for continuing coverage, but… You get my point.
Though the pioneering phase is done or may be near done, it’s actually a robust time for social media. Widespread adoption is occurring and best practices within verticals continue. It’s just time for new voices here and abroad (YOU GUYS) to carry the social PR conversation.
In addition to the continuing efforts by my colleagues here, you can expect a blog post on Mondays from my able successor, Priya Ramesh. In addition to my personal efforts, I will continue to blog about nonprofit use of social media for Mashable, and on environmental issues for Live Earth.
So dear reader, though I may be a bit blue about ending such a long running personal project, let’s go out in style together next week. One more great post on social media coming your way!
Don’t Forget NewComm Forum
I would be remiss in failing to mention NewComm Forum is coming in two weeks from April 20-23. All of the best and brightest minds in PR 2.0 will be attending, including Priya, myself, Shel Israel, Shel Holtz, Beth Kanter, Kami Huyse, Neville Hobson, etc., etc. In all, 40 sessions in five comprehensive tracks including:
- Online Communications & Communities
- Social CRM
- Markets are Conversations: From Theory to Practice
- Understanding the New Media Landscape
- NewComm Essentials
Keynoters include: Jackie Huba, online marketing expert and author; Dave Carroll, singer/songwriter, “United Breaks Guitars;” Scott Monty, Ford; Jack Holt, US Dept. of Defense; Tim Westergren, Pandora; and Neville Hobson, WeissComm.
If you are thinking about it, make sure to use the “Friend of a Speaker” discount code of NCF500. That brings the full conference fee down to $995. Please use this for as many people. Additionally, there’s an offer for a One Day Pass option for just $395.
You are such an entrepreneur!! It’s just not has fun working on things that are “fully” mainstream – and I’m glad you are who you are and you have no interest in simply repeating what you’ve already said. Let others quote you and refer to your wonderful work. You’ve done fabulous work, raised to being one of the best and through it all remained pretty much the same person. I’m very proud to call you my friend.
Geoff – thanks for the great run! your post were/are always thought provoking adding a bit of spice to issues that may seem a yawn. all the best in your next set of adventures.
Four years and 800 posts is a good long run! It’s great that you know your sweet spot–in the bleeding edge, exploring space. You’re the Lewis and/or Clark of communications, man. That’s awesome.
Funny, but I think more of my own “sweet spot” as “pioneering”–the pioneers settled and developed the terrain that explorers opened up.
And as you’ve said, there’s plenty of work to be done there, too. Building great (sustainable!) things. Laying down the law of standards and practices. Sowing seeds and harvesting ROI.
Dangit Geoff! You’ve got me flashing back to 2nd grade Indiana History class. :)
Best of luck!!
Thank you, Ladies!
Geoff,
There is no replacing YOU and your honest voice on Buzz Bin but the @crttanaka bloggers are definitely pumped up to keep up the benchmark you have established. Look forward to starting my Mondays with a social media perspective that matters to our readers. We will miss you…
Priya
Hey Geoff: You’ve been providing some great insights for a number of years and I know you’ll provide more from elsewhere. Best of luck at Zoetica, and wherever else you pop up!
Paul
Geoff — there’s no harm in ending a blog.
They seem to be better when they are focused, and when you start writing about different things entirely, it’s a sign of respect to your audience that you mark that line.
Priya, Paul and Ike: Thank you for your considerable support over the years. Ike, you gave me a great birthday present a couple years ago with the last Now post. Thank you!
Geoff,
I totally understand your decision because I made the same one about a week ago.
It had become apparent to me that blogging (at least on that blog) was something I “should” do and not something I “wanted” to do, and that was a problem.
Still though, it’s tough to end something that you’ve put so much time and energy into, but I can appreciate that you just don’t want to add to the noise. Good luck with everything in the future.
Geoff, I get it. I really do. I still think you’re wrong, and that you’ll miss it. And I know the conversation around social business will be lessened without your contributions. See you on Twitter! Thanks for all that you do, and have done to move this industry (or whatever it is) forward.
Geoff –
I completely understand this. When I used to write journal articles for scientific audiences, you take ungodly amounts of time to write them to last for all eternity. Blogging has become, for most, exactly the opposite – write in real-time for an audience that spans a week at most (more like a day or two).
The former is not necessarily ideal at all, but the problem with the latter is that rarely does someone go back and research the archives of a blog. And unlike academia, there are not good databases for uncovering historical blog posts, nor truly unbiased ratings systems that interface with such a database for how influential a blog or a post is. Now we basically just Google a topic or a keyword and see what pops up. That’s not the same.
So what happens is either you write something good once and then never talk about it again, and if you’re really ahead of the curve no one really sees you write about it (your FourSquare example above) and they want you to write about it again. (I think the same is true of many, many social media talks and panels; I find myself saying the same things over and over, and getting the same questions over and over.)
What’s the solution? Well, one can call it a day on the blog, or one can go the “Mashable route” and continuously crank out material on the topic of the day, linking everything together in a faux-journalism search for the almighty eyeball. That’s fine but it’s not for everyone and it’s surely not for intellectuals. And very few people can be like (say) Clay Shirky and just have one great post every month or two that everyone pays attention to.
So, I don’t blame you Geoff. And it’s not great to have a blog and not be passionate about it. And when you’re not running the blog to make money, who cares about numbers of eyeballs? It about the passion of the audience, however large.
Thank you all. Very kind of you. I am humbled by the response here and elsewhere.
I can count on many fingers names of people who similar gave up their prolific blogging — and went gung-ho on Twitter. Will you be emulating them as well? Or with blogging goes tweeting?
See you around the blogopshere.
Though you’ll definitely be missed on this side of the e-world, I respect you for making this decision and focusing on your other efforts. All the best to you, Geoff – I know I’ll be seeing you around!
Jay and Ari: “In addition to my personal efforts, I will continue to blog about nonprofit use of social media for Mashable, and on environmental issues for Live Earth.” Not quite a complete black out.
Sonny: You know it!
Everyone: Thank you for your continued investment in the Buzz Bin. You are great readers!