Travolution@WTM--Blogging is not for Weirdos

Blogging is not for weird guys sat alone in the dark pounding out Kafkaesque ravings, you'll be pleased to know.

Rather, “Blogging is a crucial part of online strategy,” Martin Dinham, business development manager, Neutralize, told Travolution conference delegates during World Travel Market.

Ed Whiting, product director, Comtec Europe, who also participated in the conference, agreed, “Chat rooms and blogs are not for sleazy people with no friends.”

Well, thank goodness for that. I was beginning to worry about me.

The point Dinham and Whiting were making, of course, is that online companies need to pay better attention to the new way consumers are searching for products and services, and what ultimately drives their buying decisions.

It is also increasingly important to observe how today’s youth are interacting online.

“Social search is now a crucial part of natural search,” observed Dinham. Sites like MySpace and YouTube are not just for kids (or losers). They now represent an integral part of an online business strategy.

Take Ryanair as an example, said Dinham. “All of their traffic comes from natural search.”

Apparently a popular hazing for new Yahoo! salespeople involves cold calling Ryanair and trying to sell them advertising, according to Dinham. “Obviously, that’s a very short conversation.”

Tricia Holly Davis
Freelance Journalist