Review of Naked Conversations

A bit slow, but I’ve finally found time to finish Naked Conversations.

This is currently the best choice available to introduce blogging to an executive level audience that is either trying to figure out “what’s in it for us” or is curious about what you’ve been mumbling about under your breath recently. It won’t tell you much that’s new if you’re already actively blogging, but you’re not the target audience. The format, tone, structure, and emphasis on stories are all what you need to help key decision makers in your organization “get it.”

In Chapter 3 on blogs and word of mouth marketing, Scoble and Shel provide the following quote from Seth Godin about the connection between blogs and curiosity:

“Not only are bloggers suckers for the remarkable, so are the people who read blogs,” said Godin. “This is the most curious segment of the population, the people who are seeking out the new and the useful. This is the audience that doesn’t need to be interrupted because they are already listening. They are alert, on the lookout for the next big thing. No need to yell. If you’ve invested the time and the energy and the guts to make something remarkable, this audience can’t wait to hear about it.”

Scoble and Israel focus on the marketing/external relations aspects of blogging and consciously ignore the potential value of blogging within the organization. But curiosity functions everywhere. Their advice is generally sound and on point. Much of that advice does translate from external to internal applications.

If you’re trying to bring this technology into your organization, go buy a stack of copies and get them into the hands of your executive team.