While the popular image of a blog is as a personal diary, the reality
is that the most popular and commercially influential blogs on the
Internet are topical. They offer a personal voice, but usually on an
issue that’s compelling to a number of people. They’re a new style of
publishing that emphasizes timeliness and opinion over
comprehensiveness.

Another truth with the blogosphere is that transparency is key to
working in this medium. This premium on transparency may be the single
greatest cultural shift that businesses will face as they engage with
social media.

In my interviews with influencers, I found surprisingly little
competitive drive. In fact, enthusiasts were more likely to compliment
their competitors than dismiss them. Contrast this to the intensively
competitive environment in which newsrooms operate. But enthusiasts
share one characteristic pretty universally: they know a lot.

To understand the influence in social media, you need to buy in to the
power of small markets. The audience is highly engaged and often
passionately interested. Often, it’s because the topic relates to their
work or a cause that concerns them. People are avid consumers of
information in small markets, much more so than in large ones. But
until recently, there were few cost-effective ways to address many
small-market needs.