Entries Tagged 'public relations' ↓
November 21st, 2008 — audience, bloggers, public relations, reputation, writing style
The first two part of this series discussed a semi-recent post made by Matt Cutts, that covered a few things that corporate bloggers need to know. The last point that we’ll cover in this series is what Matt had to say about blogging angry. There is some very powerful information and insight in his post, and we felt it deserved to be expanded upon in greater detail.
Business owners and corporate bloggers are human, and as such, we are subject to emotions. It is easy to get angry and fire off a few heated blog posts. What is not easy is to undo the damage that has been done. While you may be able to delete a bad post off of your blog, you’ll never be able to delete it from your reader’s minds. Posting angry is something that many of us have been guilty of in the past, but few stop to think about how this can affect them in the future.
The urge to vent to your audience and receive a few pats on the back can be very strong, especially when you’ve had a bad day. Whether you feel you have been treated unfairly, or a competitor is giving you a hard time, it is all too easy to lash out on your blog. This rarely works out the way that you plan however, and unless you want your blog to be associated with your rants, there are a few things that you need to do first.
1. Think before hitting the publish button.
As Matt suggests, never fire off a post and hit publish right away. You need to walk away from the situation for a few minutes to get a better perspective. In fact, after you cool down, you may wonder why you got so upset in the first place. If you haven’t hit post, no one will be the wiser to your problem or your outburst.
2. Think about how your readers will react to your post now - and how future readers will react to it.
You’d be surprised at what gets indexed by search engines. Let’s say that you fire off an angry post, and then forget about it. Six months from now, someone searching for information about your company stumbles across this post in a search. The first thing they see about your company is an ugly rant - what impression do you think that will give? You’ve got to look at the big picture, which isn’t easy when you are upset. That’s where the first point comes in.
3. Will the post tarnish your image, or the image of your company.
It’s one thing if readers think you are a blowhard, but how will that trickle down to your company? You are representing the face of your company through your corporate blog. Do you really want the public to see that face when it’s angry? Think about the consequences before you post, and remember that you are responsible for how others view you in many cases.
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November 17th, 2008 — bloggers, content, news, public relations, reputation, web traffic
In part one of this series we discussed a post made by Matt Cutts on corporate blogging. We went over the first point he made in his post, regarding leaving yourself wiggle room on deadlines. Now, let’s go over the second point, about how to handle yourself when dealing with or talking about a competitor. As Matt put it, never trash talk a competitor - but what does that really mean?
Most corporate bloggers are savvy enough to understand that trash talk has no place in a blog. Even if you are riding high on success and you have the world at your feet, there is no need to even mention your competitors. Trash talking them will actually end up hurting you more than them and once you leave a bad taste in your audience’s mouth, getting rid of it is nearly impossible. Let’s illustrate this point with a scenario.
Let’s say that Business Owner A has a corporate blog that gets a good deal of traffic and covers company news, as well as a few other topics. On Monday, Business Owner B decides to start an ad campaign that will directly effect the revenue of Business Owner A. The first reaction for many is to lash out and belittle the efforts of Business Owner B.
So, that’s exactly what Business Owner A does. They devote several posts of their blog to trashing B, and their product or service. Instead of getting the attention away from B’s ad campaign, all that A has managed to accomplish is giving them more traffic from readers that want to see what all of the fuss is about.
The second effect is that Business Owner A now seems a bit whiny and definitely unprofessional. Competing ad campaigns are common and their readers are savvy enough to figure out that the posts are being fueled largely by sour grapes. The overall image of Business Owner A has now been tarnished, and readers leave the blog as a result.
Now, instead of circumventing the ad campaign launched by Business Owner B, all that A has managed to do was to hand them new visitors on a platter. They managed to hurt their own business and will forever be remembered as poor sports. All of this could have been avoided by simply never mentioning Business Owner B in the first place.
No matter if a competitor is trashing you, dragging your company through the mud, or competing aggressively against you - never trash them in the public eye. The only one that will end up wearing egg on their faces is you. Remember to take the High Road, no matter what - and you’ll end up reaping the benefits. Readers are not stupid, and they do understand more about your business than you think they do.
Don’t give your readers the chance to see you in a bad light. Remember that professionalism is key if you want to establish yourself as an authority. Whining, complaining and trash talk have no place on your corporate blog.
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October 22nd, 2008 — content, public relations
So many advice columns, tips and books focus on what you should talk about on your corporate blog, but few ever go into things that you should not talk about. While it is important to focus on the positive, you also need to be aware of some common mistakes that can derail your efforts. With the right approach, and saying the right things, your corporate blog can be successful. However, it only takes one bad post to sink all the work that you have done.
Let’s go over a few things that have no place on corporate blogs:
1. Company Rivalries –
If company X has stolen your customers/clients/ideas, your blog is not the place to air that dirty laundry. Company rivalries may be interesting, but at the end of the day, the participants just end up looking foolish, or downright nasty. It is best to take the high road when you are in the midst of a problem like this and keep the dirty laundry where it belongs. Your corporate blog should always present the best possible public face to the world, and that face should not look petty.
2. Bad News –
While there are some instances where full disclosure on a blog can benefit a company when there is bad news, if you are not versed in the art of communicating bad news and putting a good spin on it, it does not belong on your blog. Once again, we come to the public face of your company. Your blog is the place for positive news, not for “the sky is falling and we are all going to be homeless.” Keep the bad news out of your blog, unless there is absolutely no way that you can avoid addressing a problem.
3. Inappropriate Humor/Graphics/Videos/Sound Files –
Viral videos have exploded on to the scene and although many are truly funny and you may want to share them, they have no place on a corporate blog. Bottom line – if you wouldn’t tell a joke, show a video or graphic to your 98 year old grandmother, it doesn’t belong on your blog. You may think it’s funny, 99% of your readers may agree, but it’s that 1% that can tank your company. Always keep it clean, and avoid running the risk of tarnishing your company’s image through inappropriate content.
One thing that corporate bloggers need to be aware of before they write one word is that in the blogosphere, a post is forever. It’s not just about weathering the storm that a bad post can cause for a week. Thanks to search engines, caching, linking and copying, a bad blog post will live forever.
Before you write anything, think for a minute if you will be proud of that post in a month, a year, five years. Chances are, that’s how long that post will be around. If the answer is no, write something else. Always take the high road and your company will benefit.
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October 6th, 2008 — advertisment, content, public relations, web traffic
One of the most common mistakes that corporate blog owners make is turning their blog into a glorified sales letter. While there is a place for sales copy on a blog, it should only be used when absolutely necessary, and never as the main form of communication. No one really likes being “sold to,” and if you are noticing that there has been a drop off in your readership, you may be overselling your blog a bit. Here are some signs to watch out for to keep your blog from turning into a sales letter.
1. Product placement ratios go up.
There is nothing wrong with promoting your products in your corporate blog. In fact, that’s why many bloggers decide to get into this form of communication. However, if you are writing more about your products and worrying less about creating a relationship with your readers, you may end up in a bad spot. Try to keep your product placement ratio to one for every three to four posts. It’s best to use soft selling techniques, rather than blanket attempts to promote your products.
2. Your blog posts become impersonal.
Even the best copywriters have issues with overselling, and it’s all too easy for a corporate blog owner to fall into this trap. The harder you sell your products, the more removed you become from your audience. Again, try to find that balance between actual communication and selling your merchandise. In order to keep that relationship strong, consider posting more about how a product will benefit your readers, rather than throwing it in their face.
3. You start to get complaints.
If you have gotten one or two complaints that your blog is simply selling too much, this is an indication that you may need to think hard about your posting procedures. Those one or two people are only the ones that took the time to write and you have to consider just how many people walked away, instead of contacting you. You are writing your corporate blog for your audience first and foremost, to set up that relationship of trust – not to endlessly pitch your products at them.
4. You notice your page views declining.
This is a common sign that something is wrong with your blog. It could be a natural turn of events, or it could be a sign that you are drifting from your initial purpose. Once you start to develop that relationship with your readers, it’s tempting to try to monetize them by selling your products. However, it’s a fine line to cross over and it’s all too easy to end up losing readers as a result. Monitor your stats and see if you are noticing any drop-offs when you post promotional material.
While corporate blogs are a powerful medium for product placement, they should not be abused. Always keep your main focus in front of you and remember that the relationship with your customer and reader has to come first.
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September 18th, 2008 — content, customer trust, engaging ideas, post design, public relations, search engine, video
Although video content is lauded and championed as the future of the internet, there is still a lot of dissension over whether it has a place in corporate blogging. While there is no one clear answer to this, there are a few benefits that videos can bring, as well as a few downsides. Let’s look at each of these to help you determine whether or not your corporate blog can benefit from the addition of video.
Benefits
1. Increased interest.
If you have quality video content, this can only interest your readers and encourage them to keep coming back. Video content sometimes does a better job of getting your message across, and if you are producing your own videos, you’ll be getting the benefit of extra face time.
2. Increased consumer trust.
This really only applies if you are starring in your own videos. By putting a face with the posts, your audience will start to feel more connected with you. This is a double-edged sword however. If you are stiff in front of the camera, it won’t work well. If you’re a naturally engaging personality however, there are a lot of benefits to posting videos.
3. Taking advantage of viewer comprehension.
Text based comprehension is historically pretty low. That’s why advertisers usually rely on television or radio, since it takes advantage of visual and auditory senses. By providing your blog visitors with video postings, you will be able to take advantage of all three mediums, audio, visual and text based learning.
Downsides
1. Poor quality.
You should only post videos if they are high quality and enjoyable. If your videos have poor sound or the picture is distorted, it gives the impression that you are too cheap to get a good camera and sound system. This is not an impression that any company wants to give the public. If you’re going to do it – do it right.
2. User generated content.
If you are considered putting up user generated content, such as YouTube videos, you run a lot of risks. They may not be professional and they may provide yet again, the wrong impression of your company. Even if a video is the most viral creation ever made, that doesn’t mean it belongs on your site.
3. Not as discoverable.
Video posts will not be indexed by search engines the same way as text posts, so you are losing out on the opportunity to take advantage of more keywords. The key to beating this is to have more than just a video in your post. Write an introduction with keywords and commentate on the video. If necessary, provide a transcript to get more keywords into the post.
With the right approach, video is a great thing for a corporate blog. You just need to take the time and money to produce high quality videos and utilize the right posting structure to make sure that they get indexed. If you’re not ready to do this, it is best to wait and make the most of your blog the way it is.
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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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September 1st, 2008 — blog design, content, goals, money, networking, public relations
Every week, new corporate blogs spring into existence, but many are doomed to fail from the start. How can you be assured that your blog is going to be a success? Follow in the footsteps of the leaders and learn from their mistakes! There are three main secrets to successful corporate blogging, that any business owner can implement. They are easy to follow and you’ll be able to start seeing the benefits right away.
1. Be Original.
This can be broken down into three main sub categories: Design, Content and Promotion. Let’s look at the first one, design. There are thousands upon thousands of free themes out there for most blogging platforms. That doesn’t mean that you should be using one. When you’re running a corporate blog, you don’t want to have the same theme as some crazy teenager that’s a little bit emo and a whole lot desperate. It gives the wrong impression. Spend the money to have a theme designed for you that is original.
Next, let’s look at content. Sure, it’s easy to lift content or use snippets of other articles that have already been published. But why would anyone want to read that? You’ve got to put yourself in your reader’s shoes. You may be busy and a blog post may be the last thing on your mind, but you’ve got to take that time to write an original post. It will pay off. Lastly, promotion. You’ve got to find an original way to get your site noticed. This means using social networking, PPC ads and having a great campaign that will get the attention of readers.
2. Be Prolific.
The best blogs are the ones that publish every day, and in many cases, more than once a day. Frequent publishing has many benefits. First, you’re giving your readers an excuse to come back more than once and to visit every single day. Second, you’re building more opportunities for search engine indexing. The best corporate bloggers take the time to really knuckle down and commit to producing lots of original content every single day. It does pay off.
3. Be social.
Today’s online world is social and if you’re not taking part, you’re missing out. Encourage comments on your blog, talk to your readers, not at them. There are many little ways that you can be social on your blog. We’re not saying drop that veneer of professionalism, but you’ve got to find a way to reach out to them. Remember their names, use social networking sites, leave comments on other blogs. These are just a few ways that you can be social and increase your readership.
If you’re not comfortable commenting on another blog, mention one of their more interesting posts. Chances are they’ll be thankful for the publicity and they’ll return the favor. This is an easy way to build up your blog’s readership and make some great contacts in the blogging world. Corporate blogging is a great tool, especially when it is utilized the right way.
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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 19th, 2008 — Buildify, comments, public relations, reputation
If you have decided to allow comments on your corporate blog, it is a good idea to start mapping out how you will handle certain situations now, before they actually happen. Sooner or later, something will come up with your readers and it is very helpful to have a planned response all ready to go. Let’s look at how you can steer any comments into the right direction.
First, let’s cover what would happen if you are dealing with an event in the media that is not particularly flattering to your company. It’s a good idea to craft an official response to any comments that may come up on this issue. You may also want to do the same in a blog post, addressing the issue and finding a way to spin it in a positive direction. There is always a way to turn something bad into something good, and your honest efforts will be appreciated by your readers. In fact, you may even find that they are behind you instead of against you.
It is also a good idea to work on responding to incendiary comments with a level head. This is a trap that can ruin many a corporate reputation. There are people out there that live to leave nasty comments on blogs and some will just keep going back. Instead of ignoring those comments, or engaging the person in a heated discussion, craft one simple response that addresses the main points and leave it at that.
At times, it can be difficult to deal with comments and often, many people wonder why they allowed them in the first place. However, it is never a good idea to suddenly remove the ability to leave a comment on your corporate blog, especially if you are going through a public issue. This gives a very bad impression of your company and makes it look as though you have something to hide.
It may not be the easiest thing in the world, but if you are allowing comments, you’re going to have to stick with it and weather the storms. You do have some options when it comes to handling those who consistently leave negative comments or those that bring absolutely nothing to the discussion but flamewars.
Most blogging applications have a feature that will allow you to block certain IP’s from being able to leave a comment. This can be a real lifesaver when you are trying to steer comments in a positive direction. Find out which person is responsible for the nasty comments, ban their IP and go about your business.
Alternatively, you can require registration on your site before someone can leave a comment. Most people who live to start flamewars and irritate others will not go to the trouble of setting up an account. If they do, you’ll have their email address and more information about them, which is very useful in this situation.
When handled professionally, comments can add a lot to your blog, but always remember to be positive and cool under pressure.
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