1. The light blog is a new emerging service between a blog and a microblog.
We are now at a time of internet explosion with new social networking services being churned out by the dozens. While blogs were the stars of the past and microblogs are still hot, light blogs have already appeared on the scene. The light blog maintains the basic elements of the blog like a customised layout and a self-defined CSS, while using the fast and easy posting method of a microblog.
2. The light blogging has already witnessed fast expansion globally and locally.
The light blog came into play just one year after the micro blog, its representative outside China being Tumblr, with more than 20 million users. The light blog is starting to grow rapidly within the Chinese market. In April, China’s first light blog DianDian went online, followed by Tuita, Qing, and RenRen XiaoZhan.
3. The light blog combines the advantages of a blog and a microblog.
The traditional blog has existed for almost 15 years by now. It is a powerful platform to share and spread information, but its maintenance cost is high. It requires writing skills, basic art techniques and even website editing knowledge such as HTML and CSS, not to mention the large amount of time and energy invested. The blog also lacks sufficient interaction and conversations in the social space, with content mainly focused on the information distributor. These drawbacks led to the decline of the blog.
The microblog reduces maintenance costs but as it is limited to 140 characters, it is less organised with content easily submerged in a flood of excessive information.
Compared with the two formats above, the light blog has more space for growth in terms of becoming the next content centre.
4. The light blog will not replace the role of the microblog.
The microblog started with Twitter in 2006 and only took five years to spread all over the internet. With an exponential number of users, it has already become an irresistible social platform for marketers. However, the light blog is still more focused on content instead of social elements compared with the microblog. There is a saying that a traditional blog is like a book, a microblog is like a daily newspaper and a light blog is like a magazine. Therefore, the light blog will not replace the role a microblog plays in terms of social interaction.
5. The light blogging will be complementary to the microblog in the future.
The future of social networking belongs to the micro blog and light blog. They are not competitors as they have complementary advantages. The light blog will, however, replace the blog to become the “public square” of social networking. Marketers have been trying different ways to make optimal use of the light-blog, and they still have a long way to go in developing a win-win model for more efficient and effective communication using the light blog.