Blog = Call-In Radio Show

A couple of Brand Autopsy readers have e-mailed John and I with the clever subject line:

"Long Time Listener, First Time Caller"

That's the stereotypical line listeners use when they call into a radio show...

Thinking about this line for a few minutes made me realize, that's basically what a blog is... a special-topic radio program.

A program that anyone with an internet tuner can adjust their web dial to...

There are so many people who have heard the word BLOG, but don't know exactly what it means.

The call-in radio program is an easy to get metaphor that bridges the understanding-of-technology gap.

Folks understand that certain radio programs appeal to certain audiences and that you have the option to tune in or tune it out.

They get the concept of calling into a radio show.

They get that the opinions of the radio personality and the opinions of the callers are just that... their opinions.

From a business perspective, perhaps this is a good filter for determining whether your company should engage in blogging.

• How would your customers value from a call-in radio show?
• What would you say if you were the radio host? What would be your topics?
• What are the limitations of your own radio program?
• What would be the purpose and value of your company going on the air?

"Go ahead caller, the lines are open."

Comments

[Jeff]

Thank you for taking my call.

Long time, first time here..

I agree with the last caller. No screeners, no queue to wait behind to get on. Its on-demand feedback. Personally, I'm a reader of blogs rather than a creator though. I post comments. :) I'm still a message board junkie too. I guess that's my thing..

I'll hang up now and listen on the air..

[johnmoore (from brandautopsy)]

Paul has a good angle on this. Radio is a passion medium. People listen to certain radio formats because they appeal to their passions. Same goes for magazines. People seek out and read magazines that appeal to thier passions.

Blogging is another passion medium to add to the mix.

[Dustin]

Paul -aul -aul

That's a great metaphor -aphor -phor -or

Oh -oh -oh, just a second -econd -ond...

Sorry about that. Had to turn down my computer.

Thanks Paul. What a relief to have a viable way to explain blogs to friends and family. I get the most bewildered looks as I tell people, "So I was reading about this in a blog the other day..." or when I say, "I blogged on that last week." You'd think I was speaking a foreign language.

Love the show guys, but when are you going to give out free Brand Autopsy t-shirts and koozies? Got any remote broadcasts coming up?

[Brand Examiner Paul]

Yowza. Yowza! Yowza!!

Be the 9th reader to respond to this blog, type in the "phrase that pays" and you and a friend may win tickets to the Dave Matthews Band live in concert!

Log in each day and look for the phrase that pays... only on the John and Paul show.

And now... here's John with a look at traffic... How do the roads look out there?

[johnmoore (from brandautopsy)]

Thanks Paul, this Brand Autopsy Blog Traffic Report is brought to you by Pluckers Wing Bar.

Expect the usual delays today near Scoble’s blog and Seth Godin’s blog. We’re seeing heavier than normal traffic today at Micro Persuasion. Police are on the scene at Gaping Void clearing up a multi-blog pile-up so consider using Hello World as an alternate blog today. All roads feeding into the Church of the Customer blog and the 800-CEO-READ blog are moving smoothly.

Get your chicken wing fix at Pluckers Wing Bar. Pluckers has two convenient locations one near campus at Rio Grande and 23rd and one in North Austin at 183 and Burnet. Pluckers, Keeping Austin Fried since 1995.

That’s the Brand Autopsy Blog Traffic Report this morning. Paul, back to you.

[Paughnee]

This is wacky. Just a couple of days ago, I was listening to sports radio on my drive home and listening to some of the callers and thought, "this is what blogging is like!" The radio hosts discuss their views on a topic and invite listeners to call in with their opinions. Bloggers write their views on a topic and readers can (in most cases) add their comments, agreeing or disagreeing with the blogger.

I had forgotten about this until I read your post. Like Dustin said above, it gives me something familiar to compare blogging to when I'm trying to explain it to someone like my mother-in-law (who uses the computer for Solitaire and that's about it).

[Jane]

If you're successful enough, maybe your readers will start opening their comments with "Love you, love your show." ;)

[Dustin]

Paughnee,

It is also why podcasting on your blog can make sense. MONTHS AGO I tried to tell a local radio personality that he needed a blog. He'll figure it out eventually and jump on the wagon, but then he'll just be an also-ran.

I'm just afraid with all this call-in radio talk, that sooner or later the Brand Autopsy screener is going to stop taking my calls.

[Brand Examiner Paul]

Dustin - we have a 10-second delay we use to screen comments.

If we feel a reader crosses the line, we bleep out the offending phrases.

[leviramsey]

Right on...

I've been calling the likes of Slashdot, Kuro5hin, et al. "the Internet equivalent of talk radio" for so long; I'm glad someone else is picking up the torch and running with it.

[Koozies]

I really do agree with all of that, and as a long time talk radio listener, the term "ditto's" by Rush actually makes sense. Not much else does.