If there’s one thing I enjoy almost as much as blogging, it’s demystifying blogging to those who don’t quite understand – yet – the power of this self-publishing platform, so I can’t tell you how excited I am to announce that I’ll be moderating a panel discussion next month on “The Pros – and Pitfalls – of Blogging” for the New England Direct Marketing Association (NEDMA).

This discussion will take place at the association’s monthly dinner meeting (which begins at 5:30 PM with a networking reception) on Thursday, January 19, at the Hilton Garden Inn, in Waltham, MA.

Direct marketers should appreciate as much as any other communications professionals the importance of having an open, honest dialogue with their customers and prospects. There are many ways to carry on such a conversation, of course, but blogging is one of the newest.

A blog is a humanizing, engaging, social software tool with an incredibly high, built-in trust factor.

A blog involves its audience by providing the opportunity to respond almost instantly to any and all news, information and promotional messages.

A blog allows its author(s) to draw out invaluable feedback and establish potentially long-lasting, mutually-beneficial relationships with those who believe in his or her “brand,” increasing the potential for more successful business initiatives.

At this event, we’ll talk about the pros - and pitfalls - of blogging as well as how quickly, easily and inexpensively direct marketers can gain entry into the blogosphere.

As moderator, I already have plenty of questions ready to pose to an illustrious panel of experienced blogging experts. Such as…

What skill set does an organization need to have in-house in order to publish a blog?

What are the biggest reasons to – or not to – blog?

How can an agency provide blogging services to its clients?

How can a blog be used to sell products and services?

How can a blog help an organization with its search engine optimization strategy?

How will blogs be used in the future?

And so on and so forth.

Those whom will be taking my – and the audience’s – questions (in other words, the members of the panel) are as follows:

Stephen Turcotte, President and Founder of Backbone Media
Julie Woods, Vice President of Product Strategy at Cymfony
Ted Demopoulos, Principal of Demopoulos Associates
Steve Ustaris, Associate Media Director at Carat Fusion

To register to attend “The Pros — and Pitfalls — of Blogging,” visit the New England Direct Marketing Association’s Web site at www.nedma.com

“Love ‘em or hate ‘em, blogs are the real deal. Even if we deflate the hype and ignore the overly optimistic prognostications of the blog A-list evangelists, we still have an unmistakable, off-the-charts development with huge, ever-evolving implications,” writes Chief Marketing and Customer Satisfaction Officer of Cincinnati-based Intelliseek, Pete Blackshaw, in “The Pocket Guide to the 2005 Blogosphere” (ClickZ, December 13, 2005).

“2005 was a milestone year for the blogosphere, even more so than 2004,” adds Blackshaw.

To read why that was, according to Blackshaw (he lists a dozen reasons), click here.

Via B.L. Ochman’s What’s Next Blog

I haven’t finished reading it yet, but I’m enjoying Joseph Jaffe’s “Life After the 30-Second Spot” so much that I can’t wait any longer to post about it.

After all, I don’t have to read every single page to know I’m reading one of the year’s most important books on advertising and marketing.

It’s that good.

I may not be able to contain myself about this book, but my giddiness is nothing compared to the author’s, who said last month in his blog, Jaffe Juice, that he would issue free copies of it to any “business/marketing/advertising-related blogger” who would agree to review it, in a bold, enthusiastic attempt to prove “that new marketing works” and “that the blogosphere is profoundly good, powerful, effective and constructive.”

Joe believes that alternative media – as opposed to mainstream (MSM) media – can help push his book past the tipping point.

I believe he’s right.

I believe he’s right about a lot of things.

Like when he says, on page 203 of “Life After the 30-Second Spot,” that, “If there’s a common thread that ties together the changes on both the consumer and the marketing sides, it can be summed up in one word: control. Consumers have it; marketers don’t.”

Or, on page 57, when he says that, “Today’s consumers feel they are owed something of value and they should receive it pretty much on cue. They have a sense of media entitlement, and with that comes the instant gratification of content. The consumption of media is no longer viewed as a privilege (was it ever?) but as a right. And the process of controlling, customizing, and personalizing the inflow of content is seen very much as a mandatory, not an optional, extra.”

Or, on page 118, when he writes the following: “Any argument against the Internet is really just a short-sighted ploy to stave off the inevitable. The Web is an idea whose time has come and constitutes a sea change in terms of how brands are built, fortified, and preserved.”

And, finally, on page 3, when he proclaims that, “The real truth is that there couldn’t possibly be a better time to be working in this business. The opportunities are endless, and they’re there for the taking, but I stress that preconceptions, political alliances, and fiefdoms have to be summarily dismissed; resistance to change will be futile, and the ability to take risks will prove to be essential to navigate through a brave new world.”

What Joe seems to be trying to tell readers on every page of his new book is this: meet the new marketing. It’s unequivocally not the same as the old marketing. Wake up and smell the coffee, or else….

Joseph Jaffe. I believe he’s right about almost everything he says in “Life After the 30-Second Spot” (at least what I’ve read of it so far). And I believe you will, too.

In yet another sign of the new marketing times, the Salvation Army is making it possible for anyone who wants to ring a bell in front of one of its traditional red kettles during the Christmas season to do almost the same thing online.

Businesses, groups and individuals are invited to create their own personal red kettle page – following the simple instructions found here.

The kettles have been a Salvation Army mainstay since 1891, but apparently last year was the first time that volunteers didn’t have to stand alone outdoors and endure the cold, winter weather in front of a mall to host one.

“The online campaign is based on the success of a western-state pilot program last year,” wrote Donna Goodison in the Boston Herald recently (November 24, 2005).

“While the Salvation Army has accepted online donations on its own site year-round for the past five years, it saw a 36 percent increase in donations by consumers who ‘clicked on the kettles’ last holiday season,” added Goodison. “Donations averaged $95 – much more than a drop of change in the kettle.”

I’ll say. The Salvation Army’s online red kettle campaign appears to be not just a potential boon for the organization, but also a perfect example of the kind of constituent-driven e-philanthropy that’s catching on quickly among nonprofit organizations and the charitable people who support them.

For an example of what a red kettle fundraising site looks like, click here and please donate to mine. Thanks.

Practicing what it preaches, The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) recently spread the word that it’s launched the very first Web site devoted to teaching marketers how to use ethical word of mouth marketing techniques.

Entitled Word of Mouth Basic Training (WOMBAT), the site features original content in a new blog, podcast series and companion newsletter. All of it can be found here.

WOMBAT showcases practical how-to’s and case studies from noted industry experts. In its first week, Ketchum’s Paul Rand and Intelliseek’s Pete Blackshaw shared tips and advice on word of mouth issues while author Jackie Huba inaugurated the site’s podcast series. Other top professionals, famous authors, respected analysts and leading academics have pledged content that will be forthcoming on a weekly basis.

“WOMBAT is the definitive resource for anyone ready to learn how to do word of mouth marketing the right way,” said WOMMA CEO Andy Sernovitz. “We have the industry’s top experts providing concise, easy to follow how-to lessons.”

In addition to the new WOMBAT site, WOMMA just announced the Word of Mouth Basic Training Conference to be held on January 19-20, 2006, at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida. More details can be found here.

Many nonprofit organizations are concerned about winning over the hearts of a new, younger generation of donors and instilling in them a sense of altruism and benevolence that will last a lifetime.

But not all of these organizations are doing what Children’s Hospital Boston is doing, going to great lengths to help parents introduce their children to the joy of giving and the satisfaction of making a difference with a brilliant, new family philanthropy program called 26 Steps.

Named in memory of Katie Lynch, a lifelong Children’s patient who undertook an enormous physical challenge - walking 26 feet at the 2001 Boston Marathon - to raise money for the hospital she loved, 26 Steps promises to provide tools for the next generation of philanthropists, helping young people develop habits of independence, kindness and responsibility.

According to the hospital’s Fall 2005 newsletter, “Children learn to love something when parents share their own pleasure in the activity, but many adults who give to charitable organizations don’t explain to their children why they give and how kids can, too.”

Frankly, this is one reason why I’m running the Boston Marathon for Children’s Hospital again. The experience gives me the opportunity to teach my two sons, Scott (9) and Ben (6), how important it is to “give back” as much as possible and to help those who are less fortunate. It may be entertaining for them to watch their father train for and participate in the marathon…but to know that I’m doing it to raise money, not just for my own pleasure, is educational. It’s a dramatic, long-running (no pun intended) lesson in philanthropy.

This is me and my Children’s Hospital Boston patient partner, Hailey, the day before I ran the Boston Marathon last spring.

For more information about 26 Steps (including age-appropriate children’s philanthropy stories, ideas, tips, book lists, games and more), click here.

To “sponsor” my participation in the 2006 Boston Marathon on behalf of Children’s Hospital Boston, go to www.chtrust.org/bostonmarathon; click on “Give Online” underneath “Sponsor a Runner” on the right-hand side of the screen; enter my name and/or my Profile ID (CB0022) in the “Search for a Runner to Sponsor” fields; click on my name (Bob Cargill) under Search Results and donate. It’s easy to do. And I’ll be grateful for your support.