Branding has changed. Word of mouth is more powerful than ever before, and more information is being spread more easily via the Internet. 87% of consumers research products online before their purchase - and some of that research falls into the domain of blogs. [BIGresearch’s June 2006 Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey]

The first step of ‘blogging’ is listening to what’s being said about your blog. The second step is participating. Note the phrasing there. This does not just mean setting up your own blog, it means reaching out to places where people talk about you and participating in the conversation.

Brand Channel discusses some of the strategies to participating in the age of the blog. Like, what to do when you have a negative review. What voice to adopt. How to gain trust. And what to do (and not do) when you get a good review.

"it is of the utmost importance that brand owners and reps learn to respect consumer bloggers and board commenters. Many see these forums as the only place where they have a voice in an increasingly corporate-communication controlled world."