How Blogs and Forums are Different

• Open Publishing vs Structured Publishing
  Blogs usually do not require users to register to read or comment. Some forums may be restricted to write, or even read. Blogs are a pure publishing vehicle, whereas forums are often geared around knowledge management or networking. Of course there are varying degrees of forum control, from completely open, to invite only. 99% of the time there are guidelines, moderators and rules in forums, where a blog may often have none.

• Forums: Structured Conversation
  Typically there are social constructs with forums, content may be limited and moderated by a specific subject group (often, blogs are decentralized content, forums are centralized content) Forums often have moderators and referees, whereas blogs do not.

• Forums: Knowledge Management, Collaboration, Discussion, Networking
  Forums are more geared towards queries: asking, harvesting, and managing knowledge. In my experience with forums, many topics may be a stated opinion, or posed question requesting response and answers. Blogs may not always be question or collaborative in nature. Generally speaking, the content purpose of many blog posts is to inform or persuade, it may not be to ask or seek response.

• Blogs: Hello World!
  Blogs are a great way to initiate a conversation into a market, especially if that market does not consider you a trusted source. It’s more likely than not, that members of a forum are already part of a circle of knowledge or trust. Blogs may be the first footstep to entering that trusted network.

• Blogs are Persuasive and stand out in the noise
  Blog publishing is limited to a small group that may have a specific goal or intent for it’s intended audience. The author can more easily guide the blog conversation towards a common strategy and goal. Forums, although usually topic based may involve many opinions and thoughts versus a single opinion.

• Blogs: Pings and Trackbacks
  Most blogs automatically ping google/yahoo and other aggregators to notify sites of updates and editions, some forums may not have this feature, (however it’s rapidly coming around). The key difference is that blogs currently seek to be aggregated (found), and forums may or may not be seeking to be aggregated.

• Blogs: My Design, My control
  Bloggers can control their experience, templates, look and feel, topics, and moderation to provide a more personalized experience vs forums design is for the managing member(s). Blog authors can control the subject, categories, and content of the blog, this holistic control is not possible in a forum.

Are Blogs a better way to create a community than Forums?

• Each has unique features to build community, (one not better than the other) consider using both in tandem, ultimately it depends on your business and user needs.
• In general, blogs are great at connecting and bridging to a NEW community.
• In general, forums are great at harnessing and growing an EXISTING community.
• Blogs have strength to reach out build or associate with a community due to it’s ping and trackback features, and publication/persuasive style of writing.
• Forums have strength in harnessing an existing community.
• Blogs vs Forums may be more effective in different stages of a customer cycle.

Key Takeaways

• Each tool has a specific strength, with varying benefits depending on your situation.
• Consider using blogs to capture community and engage community: Evangelism and the “Official Stance” of any particular subject. Consider using Blogs as a guide, a recognized message, or even an “official” point of view.
• Use forums to build and grow communities: Knowledge Management and Networking.
• Unless you have a specific reason, why use one? there are many tools out there that can be used in combination, a forum and a blog together can be symbiotic. Keep in mind there are many other web tools to build community, such as wikis, tagging, and other tools.
• None of this will matter anyways, as in the future, information will be raked right off blogs and forums and consumed in user feedreaders and other aggregators. These two entities will be so closely tied that there will be a little or no visual difference.

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