Entries Tagged 'book review' ↓
October 27th, 2008 — Buildify, book review
There are plenty of different books out there that are basic instructionals when it comes to corporate blogging, but it can be hard to find a book that goes a bit further. If you already have the basics down, it is quite frustrating to find information that will help you take your efforts to the next level. Whether you are interested in expanding your blog to include podcasting, or you just want some tips on how to get more out of your corporate blog, this latest book from Ted Dempolous has quite a bit to offer.
The first part is largely an introduction on blogging, but it does have some very interesting pointers on picking out the right blog platform and handling the day-to-day activities on your corporate blog. Although it is understandable that the author had to include some basics, we would have liked to have seen a little less focus on this, since the main audience for this book appears to be those that are already semi well versed in blogging.
Part two is where the book starts to get very interesting and much more helpful. This section includes various different uses for corporate blogs, beyond the typical “reach out to your customer” angle. We very much enjoyed the section on how to use your blog as a sales research tool as well as the section on local business blogs. Overall, this is an incredibly useful selection of tips and advice and is perfect for the business blogger that is looking to get more out of their current efforts.
The interesting concept with this book is that it contains actual case studies and comments from real business bloggers that have already made their mistakes, learned from them and implemented solutions. Common problems are addressed and handled in such a way that anyone can read this book and find out what they should not be doing and what they need to start doing with their corporate blog.
Parts 4 and 5 deal with making money on your blog as well as how to start promoting it. The chapter on blog evangelizing is simply fantastic and should be read by any corporate blogger that is looking to build up an audience. Part 6 will be of interest to those that are intrigued by the concept of podcasting and need to know more about how it works. Once again, the tips here will easily get you started off on the right path and give you the right expectations about what kind of success you can expect with a podcast.
That is probably this book’s strongest selling point – real world advice. There are no pie in the sky promises here, and it’s like a refreshing jolt of cold water. This is the ideal book for both beginners that are not quite sure of what they are getting into and established bloggers that need to get back on the right track to reach their blogging goals. We highly recommend this book to both.
Related Articles
October 3rd, 2008 — book review
As corporate blogging gets a bigger foothold in the business world, more niche instructional books are starting to pop up. One of these that is actually well worth the read no matter what niche you are in is Realty Blogging. Designed to assist realtors in taking advantage of the benefits of corporate blogging, it goes in depth into many topics that all corporate bloggers can appreciate.
The main focus of the book is how to use your blog to build your brand, increase consumer awareness and sales, and all three of these points are crucial for any blog. The first chapter covers how a blog can be used as a strategic tool for realtors, and offers many reasons why this medium can be incredibly powerful, if it is harnessed correctly. It also goes over the changes in how technology is affecting the realty world and how realtors can take advantage of this before everyone else does.
The next few chapters discuss search engine marketing and direct communication. The first goes into how to target keywords for your blog, researching techniques that can increase your effectiveness at reaching your target audience and how to build up your niche. Again, powerful advice for any blogger. We appreciated the chapter on communication since this is another area where many bloggers fall down. It’s one thing to write a blog, it’s another to use it to develop relationships. Many bloggers fall into the trap of not keeping up on their reader correspondence and this can be a death sentence for many blogs.
Chapter four should be read several times and covers how to use your blog to build your brand. Specific tips are given, such as how to handle word of mouth marketing via your blog, as well as how a corporate blog can also be used for recruiting – another rare topic that is covered only sparsely in other books.
Chapters six and seven discuss how to become a trusted expert and then how to parlay that into relationship marketing. This is absolutely an exhaustive resource on both topics and goes much further than average books on this subject do. Chapter ten was another highlight and offers some great tips on blogging for lead generation. Yet again, another topic that is woefully ignored by many authors. This chapter should be read by any blogger, or manager that is looking for new ways to acquire leads.
We recommend this book to anyone interested in corporate blogging, particularly if you are doing so to make money, generate leads and further increase your sales. Although the book is of course geared towards realtors, there are many tips on lead generation that will apply to any industry and can be put to good use by any blogger. By far the best book we’ve read in the realty niche, and incredibly useful for just about anyone. We have high praise for this book and look forward to reviewing other niche corporate blogging books.
Related Articles
September 26th, 2008 — book review
If you are completely new to blogging for small businesses, this is the book to read. While there are quite a few books dedicated to this subject, few are this easy to read, or this informative. We weren’t quite sure what to expect from this book, but we ended up being pleasantly surprised. Before we begin our review, it is important to note that this book is designed for the complete rank blogging amateur. If you are already well versed in the basics of blogging, there are a few things to learn, but it is really intended for those that need start up assistance and a push in the right direction.
Wibbels is well known for his EasyBakeBlog site where he teaches visitors how to easily set up their own blog. Much of this same advice made its way into this book and it is truly designed for thos that have absolutely no experience with HTML or the technical side of setting up a blog. He starts up with a brief history of blogs, and covers some very important terminology.
The reader can learn about trackbacks, an area which often confuses even the most intrepid bloggers. Also covered in this section are how to find blogs to read, how a blog is typically formatted as well as some basic tips on getting started. The ball gets rolling a little faster by Part Two when he shifts gears and starts to take a look at how blogging effects businesses.
We highly recommend reading part two very carefully, since there is a lot of insight here. Everything related to business blogging, making money and using your corporate blog effectively is covered in this section and anyone can learn a lot. We appreciated that the author continued to use his friendly prose in this section, making it a lot less threatening for newcomers.
Part Four is a little more advanced and goes into how to pick your blogging platform, how to handle posting and a lot of the technical issues that first time bloggers face. Our main issue with this section is that the author focused so heavily on TypePad as being the best solution. Given that WordPress has easily overtaken TypePad, readers may want to consider finding their best platform on their own.
TypePad certainly has its benefits, but for beginners, we definitely recommend WordPress first and foremost. Part Five of the book covers some specific TypePad promotional techniques, as well as general techniques that can be used to increase readership, handle RSS feeds and things like podcasting.
Overall, this was an engaging read that is well suited to beginners. We would have liked to have seen a few more platforms discussed and a little less reliance on TypePad. It ends up dating the book and making the content much less evergreen. That said, we still recommend this book to those that need a firm foundation in the basics of blogging, and learning how a corporate blog can benefit your business.
Related Articles
September 19th, 2008 — book review
Mention the names Robert Scoble or Shel Israel in the blogosphere and you’ll get a pretty instant reaction. Both are well known and while they have their share of detractors, both are well respected in their own rights. Putting the two of them together on this book project was genius and considering their experience, we were prepared for a great read.
This book really isn’t a how to, but more of a discussion on how corporate blogging is reshaping the way businesses do business. If you’re looking for a manual on how to get started, you’ll probably be pretty disappointed. However, the book has a lot of merit and it is one that every corporate blogger, especially those with larger companies, needs to read.
The main focus of the book is the Six Pillars of Corporate Blogging. Each one holds the key to your success or failure as a corporate blogger, and by mastering them, the authors hold that you will be able to enjoy a lot more success as a blogger, and you’ll learn new methods of treating your customers.
Our favorite part of the book was the discussion on Blogging Right and Wrong. The section on crisis blogging was fascinating and well worth any company owner’s time. The chapter on emerging technology was also very useful, but could use to be updated since the blogosphere does move quite fast.
Bottom line for this book – there is a ton of information to process, and you may want to read it a couple of times before dipping your toes into blogging. Even if you already have a blog, this book may help you take it to the next level and pinpoint areas that may need improvement. We appreciated how well written the book was and the time that went into putting everything together. It’s obvious by the finished product that the authors are passionate about corporate blogging and they did a great job of infusing that passion into their text.
Overall, this book was a fascinating read. We don’t agree with everything put forth, but it still managed to make a very solid case for corporate blogging as well as offering some great tips on how to go about it the right way. Even if you’re a seasoned blogging pro, there is still something to be learned by reading this book.
We highly recommend it to new and old bloggers since there is a lot of information that can be put to immediate use. The case studies and interviews with other corporate bloggers are well worth the cost of the book, and you can learn a lot from the mistakes and triumphs these blogs have experienced. It’s not a how-to manual, but in a way, it’s more important. It covers the nuts and bolts that so many people forget or fail to use, and by doing so, miss out on great opportunities.
Related Articles
September 12th, 2008 — book review
One of the most important keys to success as a corporate blogger is having the right mindset and the right expectations for your blog. If you go in thinking that it is going to change your entire company and you’ll be at the top of the list of the Fortune 500 within the next year, you’re most likely going to be disappointed. That’s why this week we decided to review a very important book titled: The E-Myth Revisited, Why Most Small Businesses Still Don’t Work And What You Can Do About Yours.
The author starts out discussing why businesses and their efforts fail. From those who can’t properly manage their time and resources, to business owners with skewed perceptions, everything is laid out in a very logical fashion. Even the best of us may be able to spot some trouble areas by reading this book. Even if you are already moderately successful, this book should help you take it to the next level.
The main focus of this book is finding the solution that will work for you. He relies heavily on the turn-key philosophy, and while that may not work for everyone, there is a lot of merit in his advice. By far the best section in this book is the one that deals with Finding a Small Business That Works. The author takes you through each step of building your objectives and implementing a strategy that will work. While it’s not specifically geared towards corporate bloggers, the advice contained herein is incredibly valuable and completely transferable to the blogging world.
While many have asserted that the American Dream is dead and gone, this book shows that it is still there, but we may need to rethink our perceptions of it. By focusing on ways to succeed logically, it is much easier to attain your goals. When you’re working for your company instead of against it, you can be assured of success. The author does a great job of inspiring the reader and relaying tips in such a way that you feel as though you can really put them to use right away. For those looking for a no-nonsense guide to succeeding at corporate blogging or improving their business, this is an incredibly valuable resource that should not be overlooked.
Overall, we highly recommend this book to anyone starting their own corporate blog, or struggling with their own home business. The tips and advice contained here in will make a difference in how you run your blog and how successful you can be. Everyone has the ability to run a successful business, but not everyone is able to achieve the success they dream about. This book does a great job in helping with perception as well as implementation of techniques that will work. If you are looking for the reasons why you may not be succeeding, and you want to change that, this book is well worth the time and money.
Related Articles
September 5th, 2008 — Buildify, book review, goals, planning
If you are on the fence about starting your own corporate blog, this is a great book to read to help you make your decision. The subtitle is “The Truth About Business Blogs” and that pretty much says it all. For those that don’t have time to go through stories that meander and they just want to get to the heart of the matter, this is the perfect book. It’s hard hitting, logical and presents a clear case as to why you should and why you shouldn’t have a corporate blog
The author did a great job of defining what a corporate blog can and cannot do. This is a great way to learn more about how high you should set your expectations for your blog. If you have pie in the sky ideals, they may be shot to pieces, but at least you won’t waste your time approaching your blog from the wrong angle. The book covers pretty much everything you could ever want to know about business blogging, from the tools you’ll need, to what you can really expect your blog to accomplish for your company.
Although the author uses a healthy dose of skepticism, he also provides some tips that you can really use. For example, he covers the fact that topical blogs are usually much more effective and popular than blogs that simply discuss company business. For those that are still unsure of what blogging is or why you should be doing it, the advice is very clear cut and easy to understand. You can go from a complete blog newbie to a pro just by reading this book.
The book covers what you will want to avoid with your blog as well, especially when it comes to presenting a professional appearance. There are plenty of tips contained within the pages of the book to get you started out on the right path. Although the title would indicate that the author is anti-business blogging, the opposite is actually true. He just seems to want to bring a dose of realism into the world of corporate blogging and help site owners achieve their goals the right way.
You can follow along as a blog is started from scratch, learning all the way about what you should and should not do. This was a great way to present the information that business owners really need to know and this section alone was worth the cost of the book.
Overall, we highly recommend this book to anyone that has considered starting their own corporate blog. You’ll be able to learn quite a bit about the entire process as well as learning some specific mistakes that you should not make with your own blog. We appreciated the way the author presented the information and found it to be a very quick read that was well targeted to the main audience for this book. If you don’t have a lot of time, this is the perfect book to read before you get started on your corporate blog.
Related Articles
August 29th, 2008 — book review, content, post design, writing style
If you have been thinking about jumping into the world of corporate blogging, but you’re not really sure if it’s right for you, this book may push you off the fence. This book does a fantastic job of explaining everything you could ever need to know about running your own blog, and running it well.
The book starts off with the author talking about how he was once pretty skeptical about the benefits of corporate blogging. However, his journey led him to believe that this is an incredibly effective means of communication. He then begins to lay the framework for anyone to start their own blog. We appreciated the brief history of blogging, but it did feel a bit like filler. However, for those that are completely new to the concept, this chapter will be pretty informative.
The chapters are very brief and easy to read. He makes his points well and doesn’t get too into any one point. It moves right along and covers the basics, or anything that a busy site owner will need to grasp to get started. We liked the fact that he spent a lot of time discussing the aspects of building a blog the right way and appreciated the section on blog hosting options. Again, for those completely new to blogging, this is essential information.
The chapters on blogging etiquette and how to write a great blog should be read more than once. They offer some really great tips that should not be ignored. Again, they are brief, but the author does a great job of getting his points across without skimming over the subject. The chapter on the relationship between your blog and your site is also very informative and covers all of the important points that you will need to know.
Our favorite chapter however was on the legalities of blogging. So few actually cover these points and they are vital if you are planning a blog. From the decency code to questions on what you should and should not cover, this chapter is worth its weight in gold.
He wraps up the book with some great case studies that show the power of corporate blogging in action.
Overall, we really appreciated the author’s style and the way that he got his points across. This was an easy read and it did a great job of really breaking down not only the way to get blogging but why it is so important. It’s a great inspirational book that will most likely inspire readers to try their own hand at blogging and that is what it is also about. Blogging is an incredible medium and has much to offer, and this book did a great job of explaining how to make it work for you. We highly recommend this book to any company owner, and to those that may already have their own blog. You’ll undoubtedly pick up some great tips within.
Related Articles
August 22nd, 2008 — book review
When looking for a book on corporate blogging, it is always helpful to find one that is written by two of the most respected authorities on the subject. Holz and Demopoulos are internet superstars in their own regard and quite honestly, you couldn’t ask for two better people to get together to write a book. Corporate blogging is on a lot of company minds and this book does a great job of addressing pretty much everything you could ever need to know on the subject.
Shel Holz is the owner of Holz Communication + Technology and can count some of the biggest names in corporate America as his clients. This gives him a unique perspective on corporate blogging and you know you are dealing with a professional that is going to give you the right information. This is probably one of the reasons that this book has done so well and its success is well deserved. Holz is also a podcaster and offers some great tips on how businesses can take advantage of numerous types of technologies on their blogs, an area that many fail to cover.
Ted Demopoulos is an analyst that works with the top Fortune 500 companies across the world, and again, he is in a unique position to provide real world advice that really works. He began blogging very early on and has some unique insight on how to make blogging work for your company.
The book covers all of the basics, such as legal issues that you need to be aware of before you write a single word, how each business can benefit from having a blog, as well as how to get more out of your blog with monitoring. The prose is very no-nonsense and the book is very easy to read. It’s information is so good that it can be used as a resource book whenever you may have a question on how to do something or how to handle a situation. We especially liked the section on the future of corporate blogging, since it contained real information that can help businesses stay cutting edge and even become early adopters of some of the new techniques outlined in the book.
Overall, we found this to be a very engaging read that got to the heart of the matter quite quickly. Business owners don’t have a lot of free time on their hands and as such, they need a resource that will get to the point and supply the information they really need. This book wins on all points and should be purchased by anyone that needs more information on corporate blogging. The tips contained herein will help you avoid a lot of issues and get you started on the right track. We found it to be an engaging read that was well worth the money. If you are thinking about starting your own company blog, this is the book to get.
Related Articles
August 15th, 2008 — bloggers, book review, engaging ideas, writing style
This book claims to be the definitive guide to corporate blogging, so we were pretty interested to see what it had to offer. Right off the bat, the forward, which was written by Bob Lutz of GM (a corporate blogger) got our attention. It’s always nice to see books written by and for the intended audience, since this tends to produce a book that gets right to the point and manages to hit all the right notes.
Weil’s writing style is very conversational, which is very well suited for smaller companies that may not be all that up to date on the technical jargon or for those that are simply looking for a quick explanation that cuts through the hype. Readers expecting a highly technical tome would probably be disappointed, since the intended audience is really those who are not already into blogging, but looking for ways to help their company.
The author has been quite a celebrity in the corporate blogging world and has been credited with really explaining to the masses what this is all about. Her numerous television appearances and her own site have served as great education and the book really takes it to that next step. Inside, she answers all of the questions that a beginning corporate blogger may have, making it seem quite easy to get started.
By breaking down the entry barriers, Weil is making it much easier for anyone to start their own corporate blog. We appreciated the up-beat tone of the book and the way that she really presented her information without talking down to the reader. As the experts that got advance copies of the book stated, this can easily save you five to six months of heartache and get you started off on the right foot.
That is what really matters in the world of corporate blogging and for that, we give Weil high praise. She could have gone a little more in depth on a few topics, but overall, we found that the book was an easy read that got the job done. It isn’t probably a good book for those that already have a pretty good grasp of the technicalities of running their own blog, but it is very useful for those just starting out.
By getting through all of the stuff that can doom a corporate blog to failure and showing small and big companies how to go about corporate blogging the right way, Weil has performed a very important service. We highly recommend this book to anyone that is just starting out, especially if they are completely new to corporate blogging as a concept and as a means of reaching out to your customers. It was a quick read, and did exactly what it said it would. Anymore, that is a rare combination, especially when it comes to business advice books. It is well worth the time and is certainly a good reference book that you can go back to time and time again.
Related Articles
