We have just launched an interactive blog search tool to help our members find bloggers who are consistently posting good quality content for the data quality community.

In this article we also explore why some of the independent data quality bloggers have got it right and how many of the tool vendors have got a lot to learn.

Needle in a haystack

The first problem when trying to find data quality blogs is where to look.

Google Blogsearch is an obvious starting point and it does indeed pick out a few notable inclusions but a quicker route is to simply visit Beth Breidenbach's blog - Confessions of a Database Geek.

Beth has tracked most of the DQ blogs out there for some time and provides them in an RSS aggregated feed meaning you can get a daily update from across all of the blogs she includes in here list.

I took most of these (some had admittedly died of death some time ago) and then started exploring some more blogs from the list of vendors in our Data Quality Technology Vendors database.

There are more out there I know, I'll get to how you can tell us all about them at the end of this post so please be patient and read on...

Do or do not, there is no try...

Here is a shot across the bows of many a data quality tool vendor who have frankly wasted several valuable hours of my time today so I feel compelled to have a blast.

If you sell data quality technology and have created a blog then either support it or scrap it.

I found numerous occurrences of companies who were adept at...

• Starting a blog, getting bored of it and then letting it wither and die
  
• Making it virtually impossible to even find the blog on their website
• Hiding the RSS feed so successfully I couldn't add it to our list of bloggers
  
• Not responding to comments in their own blog thus limiting any chance of community development
  
• Posting bland, SEO focused posts that focus primarily on their product features
  

I certainly do not want to tar every company with the same brush however, several of the blogs are posting regularly and appear to be getting some good community comments.

Many of the blogs I came across will now feature in my RSS reader but alas, a number were poorly maintained and actually detracted from their otherwise strong brand.

So here are some quick recommendations for tool vendors who probably thought one sunny spring day: "I know, this is a great way to boost sales and connect with our customers, we'll start a blog!"...

• Look at the analysis tool we have created (details at end of article) and spend time comparing your blog to other blogs we have listed
• Are you posting good quality content as frequently as the top performers?
• Do you consistently get a reasonable level of comments from the wider community (ie. not your own employees or affiliates)
  
• Are you blogging mainly about your product and how wonderful it is? Not a good move.
  
• Are you providing anything of real value to the data quality community in terms of information, reviews, debate, links, advice, free materials?
• Do you make it easy for people to find and comment on your blog?
  
• Ask your organisation - "Are we really committed as a company to keeping this blog alive"?
  

Independent Bloggers Rule the Blogosphere

Percentage of comments received

That is the verdict I came too very quickly upon checking the stats from the AideRSS analysis tool I used to assess many of the blogs.

To carry out the analysis I looked at the last 10 blog entries and examined the number of comments posted per post.

The tool also shows you how many posts are received each month, another useful metric which we added to the tool.

What I discovered is that independent bloggers, ie. those that do not directly work for a data quality tool vendor are consistently getting more community feedback on their blogs.

Why is that you may ask?

Well, take a look at Vincent McBurney's blog and you'll probably get a good understanding why:

• Regular content, about 9 posts a month or higher so you know there will be something of value whenever you visit
  
• Links to others he values within the blogosphere to develop the community
  
• Opinionated - doesn't sit on the fence, takes a viewpoint and then forces the debate to get people involved
  
• Incredibly informative material, plus he often gets the news as (or before) it's broken elsewhere
  
• Extremely knowledgeable on his subject matter
• Writes honestly and with passion, absolutely no sign of PR speak whatsoever
• Responds quickly to those who comment on his posts
  

Now, I'm not saying that people like Vincent McBurney, Beth Breidenbach, Daragh O'Brien and Andy Brooks are any smarter than the authors of the corporate blogs out there but they're clearly doing something right to generate far more comments.

The chart below shows average comments per blog.

We can see that the top performing blogs are all independents until we get to Netrics.

Comments per blog post

Introducing the Data Quality Pro Blog Finder

Okay, here it is, the search tool for data quality bloggers: http://www.dataqualitypro.com/data-quality-blogs

You can also find it in our External Resources section to the left of the page in the menu bar under "Data Quality Blogs"

This is a work in progress so we'll continuously monitor and mention any blogs that we become aware of.

There is a simple form on that page to let us know about data quality related blogs you find on your travels.

  

Lessons for the future

If you're considering creating a data quality blog, which if you work in this industry is an absolute necessity, here are some things you may need to focus on, if you have other ideas please add them by posting a comment below.

• Select the right platform. This would appear to be an obvious point but many of the blogs I reviewed were poorly constructed and very hard to navigate. Many lacked search capabilities for example or any obvious link to the RSS feed. Next week we will be showing you how to create a data quality blog using popular formats such as Wordpress, stay tuned for more details.
• Decide whether it is really right for you/your company. Some people simply don't like to write regularly or may struggle with producing the volume and quality of content required to develop an interested community. Examine how much time you and other contributors can make available and if you're likely to create a sparse, poor quality blog simply for search engine optimisation alone, then postpone until the time is right.
  
• Learn the art of blogging. My main piece of advice is to frequent other blogs and get a feel for what works well. I've provided some useful links in the next section to help you learn more.
• Define and focus on your niche. If you really want to get noticed then it is important to develop a style that becomes your own. This can take time to develop but many blogs have focused on particular niches, if you go too broad you can lose your focus and appeal to readers (and customers!)
  

Some useful links

• Wordpress.com - One of the more professional free blogging platforms
  
• Copyblogger.com - An outstanding site that provides everything you need to know about writing compelling copy for your blog
• Problogger.net - If you want to make money from your blog or just sharpen your blogging skills this is a standout site
• Chrisg.com - Chris Garrett dispenses a vast amount of tips and techniques to help you create a high traffic, compelling blog
  

And don't forget, next week we will be taking one data quality professional through the journey of creating his data quality website and blog, stay tuned...

Have you created a successful data quality related blog? Are there blogs we have missed? Do you have any ideas or suggestions to add for members considering creating their own data quality blog?

Please add your comments below...