The Premise

As businesses continue to discover the blogosphere and the benefits and repercussions that come along with it, too many marketing managers are simply applying the principals and practices learned in Advertising 101 and/or sales training seminars to construct their blogging strategies. In other words, I have noticed several blogs on corporate Web sites that have been written in a manner similar to what one would find on a product description page. This is in fact a significant blunder in blog creation because it dilutes the true purpose of a blog; which is to organically engage with people in meaningful and purpose driven dialog. The fact is, consumers don’t read blogs because they’re interested in hearing a sales pitch, but rather they desire to scratch beneath the surface so as to discover the degree of actual value a product, service, or brand may provide to them personally.

How to Write a Blog

In actuality, there is no set formula or templated prescription for writing a successful blog other than to keep the content real and relevant for the reader. The content should be structured so as to capture the emotions of the reader/consumer and in a manner to solicit feedback. In many cases, this strategy goes beyond product-centric content and taps into the lifestyle of the audience; creating a customer-centric forum that harnesses emotions and develops a level of interest with significant impact for the reader.

In summarizing the elements required to produce a successful blog, remember to:

• Develop content that is beyond the scope of your product
• Emotionally engage the target audience by talking about values, lifestyles, and subjects that keep people awake at night
• Ask for honest feedback
• Develop a mechanism to pass the blog along to other readers

How to Promote a Blog

Truth be told, successful blogs really don’t require a major media blitz to create a following if they are constructed around relevant content, as mentioned above, and if they incorporate a technological infrastructure to support a loyal following. For instance, RSS integration is a tool that is designed to build traffic to a blog site while encouraging repeat visits through a syndication method that is non-intrusive. In other words, RSS doesn’t clog up email and it helps the audience discriminate relevant information from spam through keywords and descriptions.

The Benefits of Blogging

Cutting through all the complex definitions of blogging, the most direct description is that of an online forum for authors to post comments and/or questions so as to solicit feedback. For businesses, blogging should not be viewed as an extension of an advertising campaign, but rather a medium to connect with customers and stakeholders. Companies that utilize blogs effectively will discover that their audience is more than willing to provide constructive feedback, in some cases eliminating the need for focus group style market research.

Additionally, blogs provide consumers with content they can search out for themselves, without having to rely solely on corporate-generated commentary. As a consumer, I appreciate the chance to view reader responses to corporate-generated content since it allows me the opportunity to experience the product/service from a peer’s perspective. For instance, if I’m preparing to make a purchasing decision, I as a consumer want to be well informed of the value that I would possibly receive from others that have bought before me. This is a great lead in for some common objections companies hold toward blogging.

The Objections

In my experience as a consultant, the two most common blogging objections that I run into include 1) the risk of negative feedback and 2) the lack of time. Starting with the negative feedback dilemma, companies must come to grips with the fact that not everyone can be overwhelmingly satisfied; and whether marketing managers like to hear it or not, the conversation about their company’s products and services is already taking place amongst consumers. Blogging simply provides an avenue for sellers to participate in the discussion.

To overcome this first objection, any company of worth will have loyal customer evangelists who are willing to extol the company’s virtues and provide testimonials via an online forum if provided the opportunity to do so. For companies wondering how to accomplish this feat, the key is in identifying those customer evangelists and inviting them to participate in the online discussion. Although almost any company will have its share of detractors, it also has a large network of customers who will willingly go to bat for the company so as to defend it from critics. If a company is unable to identify any customer evangelists, that organization is in serious need of evaluating their customer service program because they probably won’t be doing business 5 years from now.

To address the second objection, time is always a factor in business operations, one of the critical resources that is severely limited and often leads to the downfall of organizations that are unable to manage it wisely. However, blogging shouldn’t be viewed along the same lines as a company picnic or corporate birthday celebration, but as a critical component of customer relations. Without a doubt, blogging requires a significant commitment, however the burden of blog management can be mitigated through a smart and comprehensive strategy involving multi-blogger participation, strategic content parameters, and scheduled posting dates.

The Conclusion

In all, blogging is merely a tool that companies should leverage to envelop customers into brand loyalty and evangelism. If thought of as an extension of traditional advertising, the blog will ultimately fail because there will be a disconnect between the corporate message and the expectations of the reader. To succeed, keep the content real and customer-centric, and remember to implement technical mechanisms such as RSS or pass along links to broaden participation via social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

YOUR FEEDBACK is appreciated, please reply to this blog with any questions or comments.

As you may be aware from the myriad of past SEO posts we’ve made, the holy grail for getting more customers from Web searches is getting more backlinks (or linkbacks if you prefer). Specifically, multiple high quality link backs from other Websites in the same or related industry to yours. These are the “votes” Google uses to decide how high up on the search results page your site should be listed for a given keyword search. Google itself provides two incredibly powerful tools that have the potential to exponentially improve your return on blog writing time.

The strategy is simple:

1. Research current hot topics and searches on Google using Google Trends and Google Wonder Wheel.
2. Find a keyword that fits within the realm of a hot topic, applies to your area of knowledge, and appeals to your target customers.
3. Post a quality blog focused on the hot topic keywords for your target customers.

Here are the tools:

• Google Trends Find out what search terms and topics are currently high traffic. Self explanatory and intuitive to use: http://www.google.com/trends
• Google Wonder Wheel Expand keyword options and refine a topic to find a keyword topic that fits you and your client base best. To utilize Google Wonder Wheel simply perform a Google search, then expand the “Search Tools” in the left hand column of the result page and click Wonder Wheel.

If you use these tools I would love to hear about your experience.

Here’s a good article on the potential relationship between blogging and increased sales. A lot of basic information provided here and some interesting references like the South African wine producer Stormhoeks’s who doubled sales in less than twelve months through a blogging campaign. >>Read the full article

Looking through the headlines today, I ran across an article that reminded me how blessed those of us who live in Western democracies are to have systems of government that allow citizens to share information. Whether it be instructional, humorous, entertaining, critical, or complimentary, the right to create and disseminate thought and opinion is a blessing we, or at least I, take for granted.

Conversely, citizens of China would not be able to have blog sites like Michelle Malkin’s or Michael Moore’s. Even for blogs of a non-political nature, China has tight restrictions on the content and distribution of blogs within its borders. Among other things, it is unlawful for Chinese bloggers to maintain anonymity, which has created international backlash from some of the world’s most prominent technology firms and media watchdogs.

Regardless of the various opinions on the effectiveness of blogging, most of us can agree that we’ve been blessed with systems of government that allow businesses, organizations, and individuals to collaborate and communicate without the fear of authoritative reprisal. To that end, I’m more thankful upon reflection as I exercise my freedom by publishing this message. You should be too.

Thank you Idaho Statesman for your informative article on blogging that was featured on the front page of the March 2 edition.

I was in agreement with almost all the insight and advice provided in the article other than one notable exception: “Most companies can start blogging for between $25,000 and $45,000.” As principle with a marketing company focused on providing blogging solutions this statement strikes me as absurd, even laughable.

The fact is, any business that has a truly unique message and a passion to share it can be successful at blogging regardless of their budget or lack thereof. For those who have no budget at all, companies like Google and FeedBurner provide advanced blogging, podcasting, and RSS services at no charge whatsoever.

Sincerely,

Douglas Case
CEO
RisingLine New Media Marketing

We’re tweaking the focus of our blog. While it’s been great to have our blog posts mentioned by the likes of Ford Motor Company and feedback from by companies such as Hitachi, Dell, and Fiskars, we want to turn our focus back to a less heady style that puts us more in the real day-to-day world of our typical client, who coincidentally isn’t any of the companies I just mentioned.

What the heck am I talking about? Well, for example while my commentary on Fiskars contained insight on their great strategy for growing business through utilizing technology, it was something that took a bit to actually read and distill. We are finding our typical client may like to read such posts, but reality is they are often too busy. The goal of our new blog direction is to present more concise post with immediate and clear communication of the topic, strategy and benefit and then when applicable provide our readers a segue for expanded reading.

Stay tuned and let us know what you think.

Despite all the negative publicity from some pundits on the effectiveness of blogging, the current trend of corporate blogging is gaining momentum. For instance, there are twice as many Fortune 500 companies blogging today as there was a year ago, and I would estimate that number to grow substantially as the need for dynamic Web applications grows.

So why is it that corporations are starting to buy into the blogging trend? I would narrow it down to these basic factors:

- The necessity to edit and update information on the Web instantaneously

- The need to reach out to and engage customers rather than passively addressing them through advertising

- The reality that consumers are more savvy today than a few years ago; and they demand relevant and up-to-date content via the Web

As the blogging phenomenon continues to evolve and progress, the realization that a blog is far more than a rant platform or a personal Web page will bring more companies into the fold. A blog is not simply a tool in which to share personal opinions, but rather a communications device that allows businesses like to reach out to and communicate with targeted audiences.

Articles of Reference:

CEO’s Blogging

Fortune 500 Business Blogging Wiki

Blogging Myths

As I continue to peruse the Internet for great blogs, I came across one today which in my opinion epitomizes a successful blogging strategy. Annie’s Homegrown products is promoted by Bernie’s Blog, a social advocate Web site that is specifically targeted toward an emotionally engaged audience of progressive liberal folks. As a fairly conservative guy, I may not agree with the content on the site, but I can certainly appreciate the way this organization has used a polarizing approach in order to appeal to folks that are interested in their products.

For those of you who have read my blogs on a regular basis, you probably have noticed that one of my pet peeves is a blog which has nothing to do with the customer or their interests. The quickest way to alienate a reader is to write about things that don’t interest them … things like your corporate picnic or your strategic initiative for the year. Please understand, the actual subject matter is irrelevant, but customer interest is key.

Going back to Bernie’s blog, pay attention to the content and it’s easy to see how the writer(s) has masterfully leveraged connecting the product to the emotional sensitivities of their target audience. I would venture to say that in 8 of 10 cases, the typical Annie’s shopper relates to this content and most likely visits the site on a regular basis.

Great question. I guess it depends on what goals you’re trying to achieve. As I continue to consult my stakeholders on the benefits of blogging, the perception seems to be that if the venture doesn’t bring about an immediate return, it’s not worth doing.

As a small business owner, I can definitely empathize with this mentality, since time and money are as valuable as tangible inventory. However, the mindset of blogging shouldn’t be regarded along the same lines as an advertising campaign. If every blogger took the approach of garnering an immediate ROI from a blog, they’d quickly run out of viewers because blog readers don’t want to be sold, they want to be entertained or educated.

So why would a business owner want to blog unless the effort translates into immediate sales? The answer lies in the fact that relationship building takes time, and becoming an effective blogger takes time as well. The whole point of blogging is to increase online interactivity, it’s about building relationships and exchanging information. In other words, blogging provides business owners the opportunity to educate and learn at the same time … basically for free. Smart business owners would jump at the opportunity to tell their story to a targeted audience while being presented with organic market research. However, blogging has become a buzzword with the get rich quick crowd, and unfortunately some negative perceptions have been developed as a result.

Therefore, what is the right approach to take with a blog. My advice would be to:

1) Build your blog through your existing customers first, ask them for feedback and find out what content is meaningful to them.

2) Don’t expect miracles overnight. Be patient, allow your readership time to participate and engage. Don’t be on the lookout for immediate sales results, it could effect your style and turn readers away.

3) Don’t blab on about your products. For a blog to succeed, you need to develop a community centered on relevant information exchange. No, you don’t need to blog about fishing or your favorite pizza, but talk about things in your industry or community that are relevant to your company and customers

In the end, blogging can be used effectively as a marketing tool because it can build intimacy with your brand through putting a face on your products. Just make sure you don’t confuse blogging with advertising.

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers,” said Thomas Watson president of IBM in 1943. Of course this turned out to be wishful thinking on the part of the few who controlled that technology in that era. In 2002 Gartner consulting reported that over 1 billion personal computers had shipped since the mid 70′s.

I was reminded of this quote when I read an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer today entitled

Americans are blogging a dead horse in which a journalist made a similar assertion about blogging. Her article, which reads more like the journal of a panic attack, says:

• People are sick of blogs (she backs this up with a reference to herself).
• Blogs are bad because anyone can utilize them.
• The average person is stupid and should not be allowed to convey their
  thoughts on blogs.
• Blogs are bad because the communication is too rich.
• People in general aren’t smart enough to discern good from bad information.
• She already knows blogs are finished and slams her 10-year-old son’s
  blog as proof.
• Don’t start a blog (because you’re an idiot).

One of the most bizarre statements in this article is:

When you read a blog, it’s easy to forget that it’s just one person in a little corner of the world. You get sucked into their universe, and the words on screen give their daily dramas a validity they might not deserve.

Hmmm. Well I can see how this is so bad…I would much rather be spoon fed refined information from the Philadelphia Inquirer instead of engaging in direct communication and having to think for myself!

The irrational comments of this journalist, many of which are completely opposite of the well documented massive growth in popularity of blogs are really not that difficult to understand. Old-school journalists and information brokers fear greatly the change that’s happening now. For obvious financial reasons they are in panicked denial that they no longer hold a monopoly in the world of communication. The last sentence of this article captures the true essence of this old-school journalist’s motive, “So, please, do me a favor, don’t start a blog.”

Now no one will dispute that there are some weird and wacko blogs out there…a lot of them. However, “bad blogs” are a small price to pay for little things like freedom of speech and freedom of choice. Focusing on the blogs that this person perceives as low value completely misses the point—the blog phenomenon is about the decline of mass communication and advertising and the rise of targeted niche communication. Who am I to say any particular blog is no good? If I’m not that blogger’s target audience, as small and insignificant as that might be, whether I like the blog or not is irrelevant. Individually we’re not supposed to relate to a majority of blogs.

The cultural revolution of blogging is shaking up the world of journalists especially. The fact is, we don’t need a few people to decide what information gets communicated and how. The author of this article might be better suited to take up writing for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea since they still fully subscribe to the philosophy of information control and dissemination and have been called the most censored country in the world.

Journalists of all professions should be embracing the change instead of fighting against the inevitable. The smart ones are.