What do Rafting and Blogging Have in Common?
Posted Friday, August 8, 2008 by Ali Sales
A lot if you're an employee at Compendium Blogware. A few weeks ago we took the entire company on a whitewater rafting trip to Pennsylvania. The event was planned by our very own Kaila Woodside, who was a whitewater rafting guide for several years in Ohiopyle. Not only is she a fantastic part of our sales organization, Kaila can steer you through a drop the size of Niagra Falls.

Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad, but as someone who's never rafted below, that's just about what it felt like for me.

What did the company get out of our whitewater rafting event? Of course we got team building, bonding, and all sorts of great stories (and pictures), but we also got a lot of great blogging content. And that content helps visitors that show up at our business blogs understand that yes, we are a company that provides blogging software, but we're also an organization full of smart, fun, and hard working individuals who aren't afraid to roll up our sleeves, dig in, and kick some butt.

A big part of any company blogging program -- regardless what industry you're in -- is showing your human side. That's why I'll leave you with this great picture of me and my raft mates on the Yougheny River!


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Compendium Welcomes the Eugene Chamber of Commerce
Posted Friday, August 8, 2008 by Kristen Hanschu
Compendium Blogware is happy to announce that our newest client, Eugene Chamber of Commerce, is blogging.  Not only are the blogging, but they are already seeing results!  In just one month of posting content they have seen all but one of their keywords ranking in Google. 

How have they accomplished this in such a short time?  The answer is, and will always be, content.  The way to get better rankings in the search engines is by adding updated and relevant content on a regular business.

Blogging for SEO is a growing business trend that companies are continuing to see the benefit of.  Our blogging platform is easy to use and makes blogging fun.  The Client Success Team at Compendium will help you get your blogs off the ground and provide you with continuing support for the life of your blog.  We are here for questions, consulting, and getting your company the results that you are trying to achieve.  What other blog software can say that? Well, none to be exact. 

If you would like to view Eugene Chamber's Blog click here.  Leave them a comment while you are at it!
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Google ramping up YouTube ads
Posted Thursday, August 7, 2008 by Eric Romer

I came across an blog post from Saul Hansell in the New York Times' Bits blog that highlights what most of us regular YouTube users have noticed lately: an increase in ad-supported videos.

The author points out that the ads are more reminiscent of "the gaudiness of MySpace than the sterility of Google," and describes how the Kings of Search are trying to get a return on their $1.65 billion investment when they purchased YouTube last year. 


Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of behavioral targeting when done properly, and not intrusively like Facebook's Beacon nightmare.  For example, the image above has a text ad in the top right corner for Obama's book, which is probably relevant to a person watching a video about the man.  But, like Saul said, it's a little harder to justify "enhancing user experience" with a Nissan ad that pops up on the bottom.

As online video grows (which it will), I'm sure this model will be tweaked and improved.  However, right now, it's very much a "shouting" method of marketing.  The first time an ad has no relevance to me, I stop paying attention.  This only needs to happen once or twice (Myspace is a prime example), and then I tune out.

For businesses trying to reach their target audience, corporate blogging software allows you to create very relevant, personal content for those in the market to buy.  The best "behavioral targeting" is to deliver highly relevant, recent information to those seeking it.  As the digital shift continues, every organization will have a company blog in the next 3-5 years.
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Startup Weekend - Indianapolis Sept 12-14
Posted Tuesday, August 5, 2008 by Eric Romer


Through an interaction with a potential client today, I was introduced to an intriguing event: Startup Weekend.  The basic premise is a group of highly motivated developers, marketers, entrepreneurs, and business-minded people gather for a weekend to pump out ideas for companies and projects - and they actually develop them from start to finish.  Wow. 

This immediately made me think about the 48 Hour Film Project which was recently in Indianapolis.  I've had a couple of friends who've participated in the past years, and I always thought, "what a cool concept!"  You have a set period of time to start from scratch, and end up with a finished film project.  Well, now there's something similar for those with entrepreneurial minds (by the way, I just spelled entrepreneurial without the red-underlined AutoCorrect feature popping up - I was very proud of that)

So, this is event is coming to Indianapolis September 12-14, and I'm planning to participate.  It's been an incredible experience transitioning from a global corporation with thousands of employees to working for a small startup software company of 25 people.  And I love it.  The startup atmosphere is contagious, and our blogging software company in Indianapolis is no exception.  Being on the front lines of an ever-evolving and rapidly growing company is like nothing I've experienced before.

I encourage you to check out the event if you have an interest in this type of thing.  If it sounds boring, check out GiggleSeed, one of the companies born from Startup Weekend Columbus.
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Boating... and business blogs
Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 by Eric Romer
I had a great weekend at a friend's lake house, which consisted mostly of relaxing, boating and eating.  However, I managed to sneak in some talk about business blogging as well. 

One of my biggest struggles with being on the cutting edge of a new blog software is how to break it down to layman's terms.  In any form of communication, you have to speak the language of your audience.  If I'm talking to a business that is well-versed in SEO and Paid Search Advertising, my discussion will be more granular and technical.  However, some people don't want to know how the engine works, they just want the car to run.

Our host for the weekend, Harry, was intrigued by Compendium's solutions for business, but needed a quick explanation.  OK... so what's the best way for me to describe what we do, cocktail in hand on the boat, so it's relevant to Harry?  I got it... his hip replacement surgery next week.

Me: So, before your surgery, did you do any research?
Harry: Well, yeah, of course.
Me: Did you use a search engine?
Harry: Like Google?  Yeah, I'm pretty sure I did.
Me: Well, what we do is provide software to businesses, and in this case it would be a doctor/surgeon/health care provider, to tell relevant stories about hip surgery and recovery.  So, when you, the potential patient, goes to do research, you find a human being giving you up-to-date, relevant information.  It looks similar to a website, but with more of a conversational, personal communication.
Harry: Sounds like it makes sense...
Eric: (pulls out iphone) Here, let me show you...

Then I went on to do a Google search of a Compendium client.  If you want to hear how this process works from one of our clients, Tampa Bay Convention & Visitor's Association, click HERE to sign up for the Webinar Thursday, Aug. 14th.

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Using Corporte Blogs to Disclose Information to Investors
Posted Friday, August 1, 2008 by Megan Glover
The SEC (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) announced this week that corporate websites and other forms of online media such as blogs will be a permissible vehicle to disclose information for investors.

Here's a good article that gets to the heart of the ruling.

So why is this so important for enterprise blogging solutions, like Compendium? Couple reasons:

1. Need - the need for corporations to have blog software is only going to increase.

2. Legitimacy - occasionally we'll get the question, "is blogging a fad?" We know the         answer is "no" but now we have the federal government promoting blogging for             business as a "recognized channel for distribution."

And, for businesses - gosh what better time to embrace a blogging strategy, and save up a little cash that would otherwise go to releases! So now among other things business can blog to:
  • disclose information
  • get found in organic search
  • humanize their marketing
  • and, blog to acquire new business.
There couldn't be a more profitable and deserving time for businesses to start blogging.
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Video and Business Blogging: Fun and Profitable
Posted Thursday, July 31, 2008 by Chris Baggott
Big Corporatations try and make things so complicated.   I always say that innovation starts at the bottom...the so called Minor Leagues.   Think sports marketing, everything cool in sports marketing (bat night, concerts, fireworks...even frisbee dogs) started in Minor League Baseball.

This is especially true in business blogging.   With the advent of Affordable blogging software, some of our best bloggers turn out to be coming not from the ivory towers of the fortune 500, but from the SMB's.   Forget Jonathan Schwartz or Robert Scoble...

Root Beer Float Recipe from Business Blogger Lizan Brand of Greenfield LiquorsIf you want to emulate great Blogging Best Practices, pay attention to Lizan Brand.

Lizan is focused on Blogging for Search. She highlights high value and unusual products using all the best SEO tactics including the right keywords, geo targeting and blended search favorites like video.  Why?

So when someone is looking for a specific product or a drink recipe in Greenfield or any of the surrounding communities like the big city of Indianapolis, she's the number one choice.

As a result, she has been featured in the  Indianapolis paper which is over 20 miles from her store. This week she was featured in DMNews (trust me, she doesn't consider herself a direct marketer) and the things that she blogs about, she is now buying by the case.  This is the best thing about Business Blogging, telling a great story about things that move your business forward.  

Sure Greenfield Liquors sells 6 packs of cold Miller Lite, but her profits come from high end wine and Liquor.   Blogging on these topics rings the cash register.

Watch this video and see if you don't end up thirsting for a Root Beer Cocktail :-)
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Does the Thought of Corporate Blogging Make Your Head Explode?
Posted Wednesday, July 30, 2008 by Ali Sales
You're not alone. This article, 25 Tips for Marketing Your Blog, made me think of how daunting business blogging can be for any kind of organization.

There are some good tips in this article, don't get me wrong.

It's just a lot to think about, and you're a busy person, right? I am a big fan of using subject matter experts (SMEs) as much as possible. I don't want to be an accounting pro or a legal pro -- I want to have a basic understanding and then pay and rely on people around me to help.

Okay, so you know where I'm heading with this:

  • Wouldn't it be great if you could do the same thing with a corporate blogging program?
  • Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a blogging partner who can worry about all the details so that you can focus on writing content for your company blogs?
  • Oh, and wouldn't it be great to use a blogging solution that lets you log in, type your content, and then the blogging software itself structures that content in a way that helps you get found in the search engines?
Well, stop the head explosion and accept that you don't have to know all the answers in order to get started. You just have to find the right partner, and by default, the right blogging tool.
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Blogging for Search: Text Book Example
Posted Wednesday, July 23, 2008 by Megan Glover
At Compendium Blogware, we drink the kool-aid. We blog to get found in organic search and our compending software helps us maximize the keywords we're targeting in search.Instant Chat

So -it's always fun to share some real-life examples of blogging success! We had a prospect (now potential client) find us through our blogs yesterday. Here's how it happened:

1. Prospect was looking for blogging software.
2. Prospects googled "Blogging Solution"
3. The Compendium Blog "Blogging Solution" appeared as the #1 search result.
4. Prospect browsed the blog to affirm the information was on point.
5. Prospect clicked on the Live Chat Call-to-Action, which triggered me!
6. Prospect and I chatted she was interested in a demo.
7. Prospect was forwarded on to Business Development
8. Prospect is now a Sales Ready Opportunity - and might close within the month!

Does this pattern of events sound familiar?

Personally, when I'm searching for something, my search starts and ends in the organic section of a search engine. That's why, as a marketer, it's your job to get found in organic search and blogging is a tool that will help you do so.

And, with the right calls- to- action on your blogs you will convert blog visitors into potential customers. In our case, a simple Live Chat feature appealed to this particular prospect. View it here.

Do you have Blogging ROI stories to share? If so, Compendium wants to know about them. Please send blogging ROI results to: megan@compendiumblogware.com.

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Two ears, one mouth
Posted Tuesday, July 22, 2008 by Eric Romer
Seth Godin has a great blog.. despite my disagreeing with his "Limits of Meta" post from last week.  He's published various books on marketing, and has an amazing knack for simplifying concepts.

His recent post titled "Are they ready to listen?" talks about the concept that most marketers forget:"is my audience ready to listen to what I'm telling them?"

I really like this concept, and totally agree that it's vital to a business's communication with potential customers. 

This can be related to all facets of life.  For example, I went to a concert on a Sunday night in Indianapolis recently.  The bands were all talented, and the promoter worked hard to flyer the city and get the word out.  But, people don't want to go out on a Sunday night... regardless of how good the act is.

The same thing applies to business, as Seth points out: "The tragic mistake of demographics and media planning is that they overlook the single most important issue: is the person you're talking to ready to listen?"

Guess what??  The web has changed marketing. Search engines give you (a company) the power to LISTEN, instead of shout at prospects with traditional forms of media... hoping they are ready to hear you.  Business blogs allow you to be found easier in Google, engage readers with relevant, conversational content, and convert them.  Simple as that.

Easy blogging software allows this process to happen with little effort.  Start creating content today, and spread those two ears out over the internet.  Now, you can sit back and listen... When people WANT you to talk to them, you'll be there. 

To see this in action, Google "blogging solution", and see what the top 1 or 2 result (out of 11 million) is in the organic results.
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Should You Allow Comments on Blogs
Posted Friday, July 18, 2008 by Kristen Hanschu
Individuals and organizations who are using some of our competitors (and for sake of being respectful, I will not name names) are running into problems with people commenting on their blogs.  A reader will leave a negative remark and the accused has no way of monitoring or deleting the comment. In fact, there have been some lawsuits over unlawful statements and comments that are made on blogs and websites. 

In a recent article by Wendy Davis, Roommates.com was sued for civil rights violations.  With this said, our prospective clients are usually nervous when it comes to the commenting portion of our business blogging software.

Our blogging platform allows the individual or company to view all comments before they go live.  Compendium's advanced system give them the power to approve and decline all comments that people leave. Therefore, nothing will be shown on your blog site that you did not approve.  To view what our comment section looks like, you can view my blog.  Additionally, our comment section requires that the reader fill out a captcha which does not allow for people to spam your site.

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If you don't blog, how do you tell stories?
Posted Monday, July 14, 2008 by Chris Baggott
Seth Godin has a quote at the beginning of "All Marketers are Liars".  

"Either you are going to tell stories that spread, or you will become irrelevant."

Websites are for facts and figures.....blogs are for stories.  Every company has stories that come up every day.  Customer interactions, product innovations, problems solved.  An employee based blogging strategy empowers your people to tell these stories!  it's a business blogging best practice.  

Compendium Blogware is a perfect example.  As a blogging software company in Indianapolis we empower all of our employees to participate in our blog strategy....they blog, the software organizes the content around keywords and topics.

Not only do we drive a ton of organic traffic, we get to tell a lot of compelling stories.

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Great Ideas For Blog Writing - Thanks Chris Brogan
Posted Monday, July 14, 2008 by Jenni Edwards
I like Chris Brogan, I generally just think he seems like a nice guy and has a good blog; so I read it pretty regularly.  This is a side note, but I think one thing that might be left off of this post that I was inspired by today was just that "be a nice guy".   Compliment others, let others know when you find something cool or neat, share your knowledge, admit your faults in your blog...all just simply part of being nice.  You may not get a lot of people reading your corporate blog regularly like Chris does, but when people do find your blog through search they will like you, stick around, read more and ultimately 'convert' --- all based on them 'liking you'.

Anyways, what Chris did share is a comprehensive list of blog tips.  Below are a few favorites that apply to many of us business bloggers from the various compiled articles:
  • Don't over think it.  (It's a blog not a dissertation.)
  • Comment on other great blogs.
  • Mix it up.
  • Above all else, be human.
And my major rebuttle to all of this is "Platforms Aren't That Important"...really Chris?  Would you send out your e-newslettters from your personal account instead of an email service provider?  I think it is important that businesses at least consider a business blogging platform that is built with both their administrative needs and goals around organic search in mind, but as you said Chris --- to fully disclose all of your affiliaitions --- I do work for a blogging software company.


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Blogging about... Blogging?
Posted Thursday, July 10, 2008 by Eric Romer
So, I recently made a joke to someone that my blog was all about.... well, blogging.  Seems a bit redundant at times.  But I guess I'll ask the people reading to let me know if it's a complete bore.  Hopefully it sheds some light into your business, and how you can better communicate through multi user blog software.

But I do like Seth Godin's post today "The limits of meta", in which he uses the example of a website that makes money by teaching you... how to make money with a website. 

It reminds me of how I used to feel about teachers. You go to school for 15+ years, learning from teachers how to.... go to school and teach?  I always thought people should have some other life experience before leading a classroom.  But now I have friends that are great teachers, and started right out of college.

I digress....

The point is, our blog software is meant to help your business GET FOUND, engage people with relevant content, and convert them into a customer… or subscriber… or whatever it is you want them to do once they find your organization.

My blog, and other Compendium blogs are excellent examples of this.  Looking at keywords that have driven traffic to our website vs. our blogs over the past year -- our blogs drove 3x as many non-paid keywords than our website.  We're talking over 1,000 keywords we would have never captured from organic search without blogs!

So, sorry Seth, it may be redundant... but this stuff works.  And I'm going to continue to blog... about blogging.

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One Size Doesn't Fit All
Posted Wednesday, July 9, 2008 by Kristen Hanschu
Many people think that when it comes to blogging, one size fits all.  In other words, they think that one platform will work for every type of business out there.  This is not true in today's fast moving technological world.

To Order from Amazon-click here.In the book, Break From the Pack by Oren Harari, he explains why one size does not fit all.  When people are looking to blog and they come to Compendium for solutions, we get asked why we are better than the rest.  That is because we are different from every other blog creation software company out there. 

If you want to blog for your business then you need the right tools. This includes an affordable blogging software that you can customize to your website and business.  It also means that you are able to have many individual bloggers contributing to one site.  In return you are utilizing the blog site to gain new clients, sell more product, and market your product or service. 

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Fear of a Blog Planet
Posted Tuesday, July 8, 2008 by Eric Romer
I had a "mini-dinner party" with two friends last night from college.  It was a pretty good deal, as they provided the food & wine, and I just offered up my portable tailgate grill & kitchen.  I'll take that arrangement any day....

So, as we were talking, one of my friends said she loved company blogging at her old job because it allowed her to be more creative.  It wasn't formal press release writing, which can be a bit dry.

My other friend asked "do people really read blogs?", which was an honest perspective I think many people have.  I used to think the same thing, and I'm 93% sure it's just that word: BLOG.

It has a connotation that seems elite, or only for the tech-savvy.  That's simply not true.  The word "blog" comes from "web log".  With simple blog software, t's just an easy way to log/journal/document your life or business on the web. 

Don't fear blogs - they're here to make communication easier in a constantly evolving era of technology.  A corporate blog allows your business to easily communicate on a human level.
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Blogging Excuse #1
Posted Thursday, July 3, 2008 by Kristen Hanschu
The number one excuse that I get from people who are not blogging twice a week is...not enough time.  I really can't say that not having extra time is an "excuse" because I have found myself in the same boat.

How do I get around this?  I schedule it into my calendar.  I set aside two times a week, one hour total, for blogging.  The only way to be found on the web is to continually write new content.  This post for example is only 3 paragraphs, however, it will still be searched by Google and eventually ranked.  Blog best practices says that an individual post should be no more than 5 paragraphs long.   Readers tend to stay engaged with shorter posts. 

Some good examples of clients who are using our blogging software are BabyPlus, Estridge, Big League Tours, and Cutera.  You can view their blogs to get an idea of the type of posts people stay engaged with. 
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This Browser Best Surfed Before...
Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 by PJ Hinton
CMP trade publication Information Week ran an article today on a recently published paper which argues that web browsers should have an expiration date, just like perishable food.

The recommendation is based upon an estimate in the study that found over 45 percent of the internet population is using out-of-date browser software, leaving these users vulnerable to all kinds of known security threats.

The paper's authors make a provocative claim about the relative safety of different browsers:
Firefox 2 is considered to be the most secure Web browser because 83.3% of its users worldwide are running the most current version. Second, third, and fourth places go to Apple Safari 3 (65.3% of users running the most current version), Opera 9 (56.1%), and Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) Internet Explorer 7 (47.6%).

 "It is noteworthy that it has taken 19 months since the initial general availability of IE7 (public release October 2006) to reach 52.5% proliferation amongst users that navigate the Internet with Microsoft's Web browser," the paper says. "Meanwhile, 92.2% of Firefox users have migrated to FF2."
The reason this claim is prone to controversy is because one could make the plausible argument that the latest-and-greatest browsers aren't necessarily bug free. It's more likely that they, too, have security holes.  The only difference is that their security holes are still yet to be uncovered. Regardless of which side you fall on the never ending browser war, do yourself a favor by keeping your browser up-to-date. 

As someone who is responsible for developing a hosted blog software service that must work on several different browsers, I'll confess to having an ulterior motive for encouraging this.  Migration away from older browsers, like IE 6, reduces the need for web standard non-compliances workarounds, making the task of coding web pages a much simpler one.
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Find your 'ness' through Corporate Blogging
Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 by Chris Baggott
Dupree in Compendium Blogware Corporate Blogging SoftwareI recognize that not many people have seen "You, Me & Dupree", but I believe it's a movie destined for cult-like status in the future.

What does this have to do with Business Blogging Software or Corporate Blogging Strategy....well, there is an important lesson that Dupree is trying to teach us.



We all need to find our inner "ness"  -ness is a suffix that goes after your name, as in what is my "Chris-ness"   the unique thing that makes me...me...?  (ok, you really need to see the movie to get this)

The point I'm making poorly here is that organizations need to find and articulate their 'ness' too and blog creation software is the way to do it.

Use blogging and communicate your 'ness'.
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My Response to ZDNet's Mitch Ratcliffe.
Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2008 by Daren Tomey
I read a great post this morning from Mitch Radcliffe at ZDNet titled, "What is a company blogger good for?.  Mitch does a great job of outlining 5 goals or objectives that companies may consider prior to launching a corporate blog.  As a result of his post, I posted the following comment.

"Seems obvious but often overlooked
Mitch,

Thanks for the post on developing a clearly defined set of goals and objectives prior to launching a company blog. As a provider of corporate blogging software (www.compendiumblogware.com), we all to often encounter this challenge and attempt to take a more consultative approach with our prospects and clients. Sometimes this backfires as some of them simply want to subscribe and blog, however those that are either already focused on their goals or are willing to allow us to help them define what their goals and objectives are going to be related to blogging for a purpose, experience the greatest benefits and quantifiable results."
So, how did I find Mitch's post?  It is a simple process of setting up Google Alerts, something that we recommend to all of our clients.  These alerts, set up with keywords that are important to your business, industry, or interests, are great sources of inspiration and topics for which an author can write about on a daily basis. 

This and other blogging best practices can be found on our website at www.compendiumblogware.com.
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