Why Blogging Is Like the Persian War
April 30, 2008 by Brad Shorr
Filed under Marketing
The other day I wrote a kind of alternate history post in which the Spartans didn’t make it to Thermopylae to hold off the advancing Persian horde. As a result, Greece was conquered and Western civilization never got off the ground. What does this have to do with business blogging?
Taking action is risky, but not taking action can be even riskier. When Leonidas proposed leading a mere 300 men into battle against an army of 250,000, most folks would consider that risky. But the cost of inaction? Riskier still! Yes, marching forward with new marketing initiatives (such as blogs) may seem adventurous, but what are the consequences of turning a blind eye? Shunning new marketing approaches could mean losing your entire customer base.
Discussion is futile. Robert Hruzek zeroed in on this one immediately. Turning new ideas into action takes a champion. Blogs don’t start themselves, and it takes brave energy to pull an organization along. Will you be the Leonidas of your operation, the one willing to be bold … or will you send it to committee? We would do well to remember the words of author G.K. Chesterton –
I’ve searched all the parks in all the cities and found no statues of committees.
Timing is everything. Bold ideas are great, but jumping in too early or too late may destroy their value. Once the Persians got past Thermopylae, Leonidas could not have defeated them with his whole army. If a competitor gets the jump on you with a blog and capture your share of the market, will you be able to recover?
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Brad,
Love that G.K. Chesterton quote! It’s so true!
You make some excellent points. The consequences of inaction can sometimes be pretty unpleasant. And while it’s usually tough to take a risk, that’s generally the only way to accomplish anything really significant.
Thanks for those words of wisdom for business and life!
Jeanne
Hi Jeanne, yes, the GK quote comes in handy, especially when you’re in a committee meeting!
Brad, I’m going to be contributing to a section on ‘Conversations to Action’ in “Age of Conversation,” so I was very interested in your statement, “Turning new ideas into action takes a champion.” I know what Robert says will spark some ideas for me!
Love your C.K. Chesterton quote, as Jeannie points out, but C.K. failed to mention that most statues in parks feature men and neglect to include women in history.
Robyn, hope my post gives you some good direction. I’m sure you’ll come up with a fantastic contribution. In Chicago, I don’t know about statues, but in Chicago women have been very prominent in our rich history. We have Mayor Jane Byrne, Jane Addams (Hull House), the WCTU, for instance.
Brad, my mind is currently sizzling! Are you attending SOBCon 08 since you’re in Chicago? I know Joanna is there already.
Robyn, I’m attending SOBCon’s Friday event, but not the rest … as a matter of fact Joanna and I got together yesterday and it was a lot of fun. Your name came up several times!
Robyn - forgot to mention how much Joanna and I will miss you at SOBCon.