Entries Tagged 'marketing' ↓
November 12th, 2008 — Buildify, advertisment, bloggers, marketing, product awareness, promotion
In a semi-recent post on his blog Matt Cutts discussed some very powerful information about corporate blogging. We got a lot out of this post and decided to expand a little more on the subject. Whether you are already a corporate blogger, or thinking about getting started, this information could drastically effect the way you run your blog and how the public perceives it.
The first point that Matt covered was about leaving yourself enough wiggle room when it comes to product launches, updates or other big events. Whenever you set a date that is hard and fast, you are opening yourself up to a lot of potential problems. Let’s look at a common scenario and how this type of issue could have a negative effect on your business.
Let’s say that you use your blog to announce that on Date X you will be releasing Product Y. You start the buzz, everyone gets excited and your readers can’t wait. The countdown to Date X begins and as the big day gets closer, you realize that you’re not going to be able to make that deadline.
So, you post that Date X is now Date Z and explain that there is a good reason for the delay. Your audience is disappointed, and they may start to wonder about how professional your company is. While everyone understands that product launches are a delicate matter, setting a hard and fast date does raise expectations. If you can’t meet them, your audience may start to wonder what’s going wrong.
Date Z rolls by and you’re still not ready. You have another post about the new Date A, and once again, your audience is disappointed. By now, things look pretty bad, and you’ve already delayed the launch of Product Y twice. More problems occur, and before you know it your actual launch date is now Date D.
By this point, the majority of people that were really interested in Product Y will have moved on. You’ve failed to deliver, you’ve shown that you can’t keep a project on schedule and your launch will fizzle out. While some delays can be strategic and may increase demand, waiting too long and having too many delays will spell disaster for any product launch.
What can you learn from this scenario? First and foremost, while you do need to give your audience a date for a launch, it does not need to be hard and fast. Give yourself more than enough wiggle room so that if something does go wrong, your company is not going to be cast in a bad light.
This same principle can also apply to other promises you make on your blog. Bottom line, if you are not 150% sure you can keep a promise - don’t make it. It’s just that simple. If you don’t put yourself in a corner, you won’t have to worry about getting out of one. By leaving yourself that wiggle room, you’ll be able to present a strong front to the public and keep them interested in your launch or event.
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November 5th, 2008 — goals, marketing, money, sales, web traffic
One of the biggest problems facing corporate bloggers is whether or not they can communicate effectively through their blog. There are a few steps that you can take to determine just how well you are reaching your audience, and it is not terribly difficult to come up with a plan on how to accomplish this. Let’s get started with the basics.
What do you hope to achieve through your corporate blog?
By focusing on the end result that you would like to have, you can better determine how to write your posts to reach that end. For example, let’s say that you want to increase consumer awareness of your company. This would mean that your posts would need to focus on community efforts that your company is hosting, more information about how your company operates as well as posts that give a more human side to your company.
If your goal is to sell products, you will need to work on a different approach. In order to effectively sell via a blog, you have to follow the basic tenets of copywriting, and find a way to incorporate them into a blog post. For example, you have to have a problem, discuss how that problem effects the consumer and then supply them with a resolution to that problem. This may sound difficult, but there is a way to work this into a blog post.
Let’s say that you sell auto parts and you are trying to increase your sales. One blog post that you could write could focus on the problems of dealing with salvage yards for parts. In this instance, it can be difficult to find parts that are in good condition. There is your problem. Now, you can elaborate on what bad auto parts can do to a vehicle, ie: discussing how this issue affects the consumer. Then, you can offer them a solution, ie: your auto parts that are in perfect working condition and come with a warranty.
This can easily be adapted to any industry, and as long as you are following the basic Problem/How it Affects Consumers/Solution formula, you should not have any problems writing effective blog posts that will sell product. But you can’t just stop there, you also need to focus on why a consumer should trust you. This can be accomplished through other means, such as testimonials, as well as by providing your readers with useful information, not too many sales pitches and a good rapport with you, the blogger.
If your goal is simply to get more visitors to your site and the blog will be used to feed them into your main site, you can take a different tactic. This will require finding interesting ways to induce people to visit your site, such as news that will integrate well with a specific division in your company. For example, let’s say that you run a sales training firm. You are trying to get new clients, and finding it difficult. Your blog could cover recent statistics about a drop in trained sales people, and that would feed into your training division. Again – problem and solution.
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November 2nd, 2008 — Buildify, content, google page rank, marketing, seo, social bookmarking sites, tools, web traffic, writing style
Happy All Saints Day, one day late, from Buildify. We hope your weekend has been productive and if it hasn’t been yet, well we have another list of links for you to read through for some blogging ideas to help you get started.
Corporate
Google Page Rank
Affiliate Marketing
SEO | Traffic
Microblogging
Social Bookmarking/Networking
Writing Tools and Tips
Buildify is also running a weekly carnival. Blog owners with professional blogging posts should consider sending a submission into the Carnival of Corporate Blogging.
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October 30th, 2008 — Buildify, content, marketing, networking, social bookmarking sites, web traffic, writing style
In this day and age, if you want to get the most out of your blog, then you need to do more than simply write in it. Many bloggers are finding that they can get a lot more out of their corporate blogs if they choose to combine their blogging efforts with other means of advertisement or marketing. For example, combining social networking with blogging is becoming a popular way to get the word out about a blog. Is your corporate blog getting enough exposure? Are you using social networking enough for your corporate blog? Consider the following:
One of the first things that you will learn when joining the blogging world is that networking is absolutely vital.
Blogs generally cannot be successful without some semblance of a deliberate and well calculated formula to help them connect with customers. If you are maintaining a corporate blog, you probably are also already aware of what social networking websites like YouNoodle, Twitter, StartUpNation and LinkedIn can do for you and your business. Social network is a vital and invaluable tool than can help startups and existing businesses thrive in many ways.
Social networking sites can create a phenomenal amount of return on the investment of your talent, time and creativity, as well as anything else that you regularly pour into your corporate blog. If you want to get something real and tangible out of your hard work and the time you put into your corporate blog, then this is the way to do it.
If you join social networking sites that complement the purpose of your business, you will go far.
Find social networking sites that respond well to the products that you sell, or the information that you share. Target the right traffic and you will surely notice a steep increase in potential customers to your corporate blog and website.
If you want to drive traffic to your blog, you need to visit other blogs within your niche area and you need to participate in them. Read and comment on a daily basis, and you will surely drive new traffic to your blog as well.
Your content should be compelling and crafty.
This includes the content that you write for your website and for your blog. Readers are not just looking for content, but rather they are looking for content that has value to them in some way. Make sure to update your blog as often as possible, with at least three new entries per week.
Social networking is quickly becoming a vital element to corporate blogging. If you want to attract the right audiences in large numbers to your corporate blog, you need to implement techniques for social networking, which includes creating profiles on social networking sites like YouNoodle, Twitter, StartUpNation and LinkedIn. By implementing social networking techniques in your corporate blogging plan, you can attract the right traffic to your blog by networking in the most efficient and effective ways on the internet.
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October 20th, 2008 — advertisment, audience, marketing, statistics, web traffic
Listen to corporate blogging evangelists long enough and it’s easy to start thinking that success is going to fall out of the sky and bonk you on the head. However, spend a few weeks implementing all of their techniques and you may end up wondering whether or not all of this hard work is worth the effort. Before you fall into this trap, and give up, it is important to decide whether or not corporate blogging is worth the effort.
As with any good marketing plan, corporate blogging takes time to implement. It is vital to develop smart expectations, and realize that in order to achieve them, you will have to put in a measure of work. While there are a few success stories of corporate bloggers that were instantly successful, it takes the average blogger more than six months to start to see results. If you are not willing to wait that long, you may want to rethink your position.
Let’s look at this problem logically. First, you have a problem – you need to promote your company or products and you have heard that corporate blogging is a great way to do that. The solution is setting up that blog, working hard and being patient. The results can vary widely, based largely on your niche and how much effort you put into implementing the solution.
Corporate blogging is not for everyone and there are some businesses that are not well served by this type of marketing. Realizing that your results may not be nearly what you hoped for is a bitter pill to swallow, especially if you have just spent the last six months of your life slaving away at your blog.
So, is corporate blogging really worth it?
The answer varies on many factors, namely: How much time are you willing to put into the effort, How well you plan to promote your efforts and whether or not you can effectively reach your audience. If you understand this going into your corporate blog, it is easier to develop a solution that will ensure that all of the effort you are putting into this is worth it.
You can work for months on a blog, but if you are not promoting it, if you are not writing posts that readers care about, you are wasting your time. You can wait months to see results from heavy promotion, constant writing and tweaking of your efforts, but if it results in increased sales, it is definitely worth it.
Check the hype at the door and look at corporate blogging logically. It is a powerful tool – but only when implemented, used and promoted properly. Fail in any one of these three categories and you may just be wasting your time.
The best solution for many budding corporate bloggers is to read through case studies of other companies and their blogging efforts. You can learn from their mistakes, develop a more reasonable expectation of results and work to implement the necessary ingredients for your success.
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October 12th, 2008 — Buildify, advertisment, audience, blog design, bloggers, blogosphere, engaging ideas, marketing, money, networking, promotion, seo
Good morning Sunday readers! Are you looking for some blogging tips to help out your blog or thinking of starting one? Check out our quick guide below to some great places for ideas and resources.
General:
Blogging Tips:
Promotion and Advertising:
SEO | Optimization:
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September 16th, 2008 — advertisment, goals, marketing, money, networking, planning, platform, promotion, public relations, social bookmarking sites, web traffic
If you are completely new to blogging, you may find that you have a lot of questions and at times, it can be hard to find the answers. We’ve compiled the most common issues facing new corporate bloggers and supplied the answers to these problems below.
1. Is this going to make my company more profitable?
Yes and no. It is important that you go into corporate blogging with the right mindset. Yes, it can be a very powerful means of promotion, but it’s going to take a lot of time and success will not happen overnight. The main reason that most companies get into corporate blogging is not to increase sales directly, but to improve their search engine rankings. Often, the result of a better ranking is more sales, but you should not view your corporate blog as a mythical tool that will rake in millions of dollars in sales.
2. What blogging platform should I use?
This is a tougher question because the answer is a bit nebulous. Everyone is going to have their preference, but overall, the most powerful and customizable platform has to be Wordpress. You’ll have two main options with Wordpress. First, you can set up an account on Wordpress.com, where they will host and install your blog for you, or you can download a free copy at Wordpress.org and install it on your own server.
For those that don’t have a lot of experience, the hosted version works quite well, despite its limitations. For those that need more options with plugins and configuration, installing it at the server level is the best option.
3. How do I promote my blog?
Once again, there is no set answer to this question, but there are several techniques that can be used successfully. First, you’ve got to make your blog easy to find on your own corporate site. Next, you’ll need to start promoting it in two different ways, directly and indirectly.
Direct promotion involves submitting your blog posts to social bookmarking and networking sites. Indirect promotion involves leaving comments on other blogs and leaving a link to your own blog inside. This should be used in moderation and your comments should always be related to the post and not blatant promotional attempts.
4. Is corporate blogging worth the effort?
Absolutely, but only if you are willing to spend extra time promoting your blog. If not, then it is a waste of your time. A good corporate blog will take a few months to catch on and you’ve got to be willing to take the time to really work on creating great posts and promoting them. Success is not going to happen instantly, and it will take work. However, you can see a big difference in your main site’s traffic and in public opinion when you really work on your blog.
Corporate blogging is not for everyone. If you’re interested in getting started, it is best to remember that it will take a lot of time and effort. For those willing to make that sacrifice, success is just around the corner.
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August 27th, 2008 — bloggers, comments, content, goals, marketing, networking, public relations, publicity
A corporate blog can be an incredible promotional tool, but it can also be used for networking purposes. Nearly every company can benefit from networking and much of the current internet community has been built on the back of social networking. How can you take advantage of this trend and put it to work in your blog? Here are just a few tips to get you started.
1. Make a list of all the related blogs in your industry.
Let’s say that you manufacturer tools and you want to reach out to possible customers that could be using your tools. It’s a good idea to do some research and find all of the different blogs out there that are owned by companies that could benefit from your products. This is definitely time well spent. Create a list of all of their blogs and subscribe to their RSS feeds. Keep track of what they are posting about and start reaching out to them.
2. Leave comments on their blogs.
One of the best ways to get noticed is by leaving a comment on their blogs. Keep it complimentary and professional and make sure that you use your company name and the address of your company’s blog. This is an easy way to open up the lines of communication and it only takes a few seconds. You’ll be able to reach out to companies all over the world using this method and you’ll be building up relationships that could pay off in the future.
3. Schedule a blogging event.
One great way to get the attention of other companies is to host an event that could include them. Get creative and think of different types of events that would suit your industry. Invite other corporate bloggers to attend. If necessary, find a way to host a special expo or something that is somehow related both to blogging and to your business. You’ll be able to get a lot of press and the coverage will only help increase your business.
4. Reference their posts in your posts.
If you want to give someone a corporate shout out, don’t be shy. They’ll probably be honored that a) you read their blog, and b) you thought enough of their post to reference it. This is can be used by doing a trackback, or simply by including their URL and some quotes. However, this should only be done if your post is complimentary and serves to buttress their own point. They’ll feel like you are an ally and they will be much more likely to reach out to you as a result.
These are just a few simple means of utilizing the power of blogging to increase your networking reach. Give it a try and see how many new contacts you can come up with in a week. Don’t forget to keep cultivating and looking for new opportunities. New corporate blogs spring up every day and there is a world of opportunity out there just waiting for you.
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August 20th, 2008 — advertisment, content, marketing, public relations, reputation
Corporate blogging became so popular so quickly that many companies made the mistake of thinking that they could get away with thinly veiled advertorial blogs that served no real purpose for their readers. Some companies out and out lied about their blogs and the results permanently harmed their reputation. If you are thinking about using a corporate blog to increase your sales, there is a way to go about it and keep your blog real.
1. Always publish content that your readers can use.
Blogs that read like an informercial are not interesting and chances are, you will lose readership in a very short time. There is a way to sell a product with your blog without making it sound like an advertorial. For example:
The Wrong Way: Buy our sports shoes, they are on sale today!
The Right Way: Recent studies have shown that a lack of proper foot support can contribute to sport’s injuries. Experts recommend using a (insert link here) certain type of shoe that can limit the amount of stress put on your joints.
The first one is a blatant attempt at advertising that serves no real purpose, other than to attempt to sell shoes.
The second is an interesting post that focuses on news and subtly brings in a product mention without being blatant. You’re leaving it up to the reader to discover what type of shoe they need to have to prevent injury, increasing the likelihood that their curiosity will induce them to click the link, and you are providing them with something that they actually need, ie: something that will prevent injury.
That is the perfect way to sell something on a blog.
2. Never attempt to fool the public.
There have been classic cases of “personal” blogs that were in fact thinly veiled sales pitches from a corporate entity. You may think that you’ve done such a good job that no one will figure it out, but the internet is a very small place. It is full of people who love to bring down companies and gain the prestige of being the person that “outed them.”
Deception is a very bad business practice no matter what industry you’re in, and it can only backfire. If you need to sell products with your blog, be honest about it. Never attempt to pass of a blog as something that it is not. The blogs that provide useful information, such as the one detailed above, are far more interesting than a fake blog that can only serve to harm your company’s reputation. Bottom line, if you are lying, someone will find out and the results will not be pretty.
Corporate blogs are powerful tools, but like anything that is powerful, they must be managed correctly. Honesty is always the best policy and although it is tempting to try to cash in on a blog, you’ve got to do it the right way. They can and will increase your sales, but only if you do it properly.
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August 1st, 2008 — audience, goals, marketing, web traffic
If you are looking for a way to grow your business but you don’t have a lot of available resources at your disposal, a corporate blog is one of the easiest means of accomplishing this goal. The set up costs are minimal and with the right management, you can easily achieve the same results with a blog that you would with an expensive ad campaign. The key is patience when it comes to corporate blogging. You won’t achieve instant readership but over time, you’ll be laying that foundation that will help your business grow exponentially.
One of the best reasons to start a blog is that it provides your company with a face that the public can see. Usually, companies are perceived as not caring about the little guy and generally being faceless. When you have a blog, you are breaking through that stereotype and allowing your customers a chance to see the real people behind the company. This alone is worth the effort of setting up a corporate blog. By becoming a personality, you will be creating brand loyalty without even trying.
Next, corporate blogging is one of the easiest ways to increase your search engine rankings and as such your discoverability. You need to make it easy for new customers to find you, and while your static site may accomplish this to some degree, you will be limited if you don’t add new content on a regular basis. Many companies just don’t have a need to keep adding content, but a blog can provide a means of accomplishing this without taking away from your overall site plan.
As an example, let’s say that we have a company that sells sports equipment. They’ve made their site and they’ve added their shopping cart and now there is nothing left to do. If they don’t have a lot of new products, their cart isn’t going to change and customers will have nothing new to see and little reason to keep coming back.
If this same company adds a blog to their site, they are providing their customers with a reason to visit the site every single day. This blog could be used in this example to discuss sporting events, the latest news as well as company updates. By integrating this into the products that the company sells, they can reach yet another goal. For example, let’s say that the company blogs about the Super Bowl. They can mention items from their football line in the post to give readers a chance to purchase related merchandise.
This is perhaps the best example of how easy it can be to grow your business with a corporate blog. It has all of the items necessary for success – Frequent content, related merchandise and a personable approach.
To make sure that your blog succeeds and contains all of these elements, it is a good idea to work with a blog management company that specializes in guiding companies towards having the perfect corporate blog.
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