It goes without saying that no sooner do we beging to get our arms around one technology that another one emerges.

Most of us are just now getting a feel for blogs, how they work, their purpose, etc. Now, along comes another technology that has great promise. It's call Wiki, which is an Hawaiian (or polynesian) word for "quick."

Wikis are organized as topic-based Web pages that are editable by anyone. According to an article at ComputerWorld.com...

Because Wikis and blogs are often mentioned in the same breath, it's important to point out a key distinction: Blogs are an excellent tool for knowledge management, but in practice, blogs have shortcomings. One of the hallmarks of blog structure -- a reverse chronological listing of posts -- can actually be a drawback for certain types of information. In some contexts, instead of having the newest information at the top of a page, you might want the most important information at the top.

Due to the reverse chronological order in which blog posts appear, they can be a bit rigid in terms of how information is structured. 

If you'd like to venture into Wikiworld, let me suggest an easy-to-use application called Seedwiki. It's simple enough for the laymen to setup and make use of, but has all the ventures one would need to provide a robust collaborative environment.

I am not a geek. Well, maybe I am a little. If being interested in emerging technologies makes one a geek, then I qualify.

I wanted to give you a heads up on two technologies I am taking a hard look at: Wiki and Podcasting/Audioblogging.

I'm in the process of setting up a wiki to use for the purpose of discussing issues related to business blogging. I'll be posting more about that soon along with other posts on the topic.

My main interest is to see whether either of these technologies can help you market your small business. 

(Just as an aside: The now infamous Wikipedia was developed by a fellow "good old boy" Jimbo Wales, who was born and raised in Alabama. The one thing I've yet to figure out is why he would have attended BOTH Auburn and the University of Alabama. OK, you have to be from Alabama to understand that.)

We held our "business blogging chamber of commerce" conference call this afternoon and had 11 attendees. Before I talk about the call itself, let me thank those who participated.

Andy Wibbels of Easybakeweblogs.com

Anthony Casalena - CEO of SquareSpace.com

B. L. Ochman - President of What's Next Online

Bill Flitter - VP of Marketing for Pheedo

Donna Fledderer - Owner of Virtual Business Connection (A small business blogger)

Henry Copeland - President of Blogads

J. D. Iles - Owner of Lincoln Sign Company (A small business that blogs)

Toby Bloomberg - President of Bloomberg Marketing

Wayne Hurlbert of Blog Business World (The CofC was his idea in the first place.)

Zane Safrit - CEO of Conference Calls Unlimited (They underwrote a portion of the cost of the call, so I appreciate that very much.)

and, yours truly.

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There is a lot of buzz about RSS ads right now. It was one of the hot topics of conversation at the Atlanta IMA meeting the other night. Without commenting here are some links to several articles on the subject representing some varying points of view.

Overture Dipping Toe into RSS Advertising

Advertisers Muscle Into RSS

Why Advertising in RSS is Boring

For more on this topic check out Dave Winer's blog and the Pheedo website.

I just noticed the new book "Buzz Marketing with Blogs for Dummies" due to be released in March of 2005 (of which I am Technical Editor, whoo-hoo!) now has a companion blog set up by the book's author Susie Gardner. Way to go, Susie!

One of my newest favorite blogs to read is the Tinbasher blog by Paul Woodhouse, a chap from the UK.

The blog is about the sheet metal industry of all things, but Paul's humorous banter and outspoken candor makes it a fun read to be sure.

If I ran a small business and wanted to blog, I'd make sure I gleaned everything I could from Paul. (Nice name, too.)

In a recent email regarding a previous post I did about the blog, he said, "I just think that it's only fair that people should be able to read
resources such as this. If I can somehow whet their appetite, maybe people like yourself can satisfy their hunger."

I think that's a pretty good analogy, and if that's the case, I'll do my best to serve up a seven course meal complete with all the trimmings!

In case I hadn't mentioned it, I've set up a conference call with a true A-list of bloggers to discuss whether or not a business blog chamber of commerce, association, or alliance might be a good thing. I'll let you know how it goes. If we record the session, I'll probably post it.

This is the second post that comes as a result of my visit to Atlanta.

During the "meet-and-greet" hour preceeding the actual meeting, I had a chance to dialogue with a marketing exec who worked for a company that produced products to help allergy patients. (I'm sorry I don't recall the name of the outfit.)

As the conversation turned to blogging - something that often happens when I'm around - the gentleman asked somewhat wryly, "How could a company like ours use a blog?"

Not being that quick on the draw, I stumbled around for an answer. I don't think I satisfied him either. Having had some time to think about it, should I cross his path again I could reply with something brilliant!

I want to couch my "brilliant" response to him inside a series of five blog writing guidelines that apply to anyone using blogs in a business context. Here they are...

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Just got back from attending the November Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association meeting on business blogging. Not only did I get the opportunity to meet my newest blogging buddy Toby Bloomberg, but got to network with Blogads Henry Copeland and Worthwhile Magazine's Anita Sharp, among others. (Toby was the perfect host, I might add.)

Coming from a small town where little is known about blogging, I anticipated the Atlanta interactive marketing community to be much more adept in both their understanding and use of blogs for marketing and business purposes. Boy, was I ever surprised!

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When it comes to posting to your blog how much is too much and how much is not enough?

Jason Calacanis of Weblogs Inc. suggests 50 posts a month is necessary.

While I concur that frequency is important when it comes to blogging, I don't think 50 per month should be a golden rule. I would suggest minimally that you post 2 or 3 times per week if at all possible.

Keep in mind, these do not have to be full-length articles. If you have a long post in you, then by all means, let 'er rip. But, blog posts can be as little as a paragraph, even one sentence.

Don't feel pressure to make every post a Gettysburg Address either. Blogging, by its very nature, should be fun. Write what's on your mind and in your heart. Write about what you know and love. Doing so should provide you with enough fodder for several posts per month, maybe even 50!