Flickr photo by feefee.

I advised a political candidate recently to follow up with a blogger who had contacted him.

“The blog probably doesn’t reach as many people as TV, radio, or direct mail.” I acknowledged. Then I explained, “But the people who read it are influencers. By engaging them with your message, you can hope to affect watercooler talk across the city.”

Seth makes the point much better than I did.

What if you’re not a politician? Should you care about watercooler talk?