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world. Recent research indicates that they're using an average of seven pub-
lishing tools on their blogs and four distinct metrics for measuring success.
3. Bloggers are passionate about blogging and particularly about their choice
topic area. Their core motivation is the pleasure they derive from discuss-
ing their interest area and influencing millions of people in the process.
Their passion also gives them credibility as this is apparent to the readers.
After all, when people are in love, they most often don't need to say that
they're in love. It just shows.
4. Bloggers are champions of opinions and expressions. They want to be
heard and increasingly to be seen. At the outset of the social web, bloggers
were content only to be heard but with the evolution of social networks,
which broke the barriers of identity and recognition online, bloggers are
increasing sharing personal and even intimate details of their lives with the
entire world and exposing themselves to both praise and ridicule. Take a
look at Greek Tragedy (see Figure 3.9) and you'll understand what I mean.
5. Bloggers are devoted to their audience. They influence them but will also
protect them and fight for them if the need arises. They provide feedback,
opinions, advice, corrections and even act as counselors and, in the case
of fashion and luxury, as style connoisseurs. This emanates from the dedi-
cation they have for their chosen metier and the fact that they recognize
that their blogging activity has an incredible impact on people's lives.
6. Bloggers are ambitious multi-taskers that use the blogosphere to boost their
careers and self images. Many bloggers have climbed up the corporate ladder
or built a professional career as a result of their blogs. Many who acquire a
credible reputation go on to become public speakers and recognized authori-
ties in their fields. Others have written topics, appeared on TV shows and
even launched careers in music and cinema, while keeping their audiences
intrigued by their rise and sowing the seed of admiration and emulation in
their followers. Geraldine Dormoy (blogger of Café Mode) is now an anima-
tor for L'Express Styles Magazine, constantly visiting showrooms of fashion
designers to interview them, and Scott Sculman (blogger of The Sartorialist)
has not only contributed to magazines like Vogue and Esquire but is now also
the official photographer of the fashion advert shoots of major luxury brands
including Donna Karan as well as being the author of a recently published
topic. Mary Tomer, who writes the blog Mrs-O, is also on the author roll
with a recent topic version of the blog and its main subject, Mrs Obama.
7. Bloggers like to think that they're experts in their fields. While there are
several million blogs existing, only a handful of bloggers can claim true
expertise in their domains. The truth is also that several bloggers can be
as clueless as their readers, creating what can be referred to as the con-
fusion effect. However expert or non-expert, bloggers influence millions
of people around the world and this is both advantageous and disastrous,
especially for luxury brands whose appeal stems from the desire that their
propagators are able to arouse in the public.
