An Intern's Guide to Better Blogging

Blogging the summer away...

Hello there! I'm Mitch Burk and I am currently working as a marketing intern here at Compendium Blogware!

Although I have got my feet wet in the world of blogging before, this is my first shot at "business blogging." The focus on blogging was the selling point with me when I considered applying to work here at Compendium. It has only taken me a couple days on the job to realize the potential that can be stored up within a blog. I see Compendium as a company that can work toward helping companies, both big and small, find that potential and learn how to capitalize on it!

I look forward to interacting with you this summer and providing a little insight into how blogging has played a role in my life and how it can begin to play a role in yours (even if you don't possibly see how)... I will also be maintaining a restaurant blog featuring some of the best restaurants Indianapolis has to offer!

Well, now that we're friends... I look forward to blogging with you this summer!

Summer Internship '09: The Finale

Friday, August 7, 2009 by Mitch Burk

Internships are weird. They are just so... temporary. You spend the beginning phases trying to figure everything out, from understanding the software, to fixing a paper jam, to mastering the coffee maker. Then once you get the hang of it, you start trying to master the trades you've been learning. And then, just about the time you get it all figured out, everything starts to click, and tasks that used to take an hour can be completed in about 5 minutes... Surprise! It's your last week and the stint is coming to a close... Where did the time go!?

Maybe that is not the feeling of every intern, but from talking to peers about their experiences, it seems like a pretty typical description of an internship. I have always been told that an internship is about learning, and in that sense, this position has been a great success. I have been able to learn about so many aspects of the business world and, most importantly the potential of "the blog."

In thirteen weeks, I have moved between three different offices, learning from three very different departments. Starting out in the Marketing office was perfect. I was able to see first hand how much thought and precision goes into the makings of a website, an email, or a marketing campaign. Moving into Product Support was helpful in such a different way... I was able to learn about the more technical side of our company from building a website to helping clients with troubleshooting. And then finishing up in the Client Success office enabled me to see what happens with our current clients. Seeing our Client Success Managers teach clients how to blog effectively drove home my feelings toward the company: Compendium cares about their clients.

The first blog I ever wrote for Compendium was about their willingness to help clients in the long haul. And experiencing three different departments first hand solidified this thought. I feel very lucky that I was able to get such a diversified look into the business world and especially lucky that it was with a company as passionate about their product and clients as Compendium.

Hard to believe it's now been 13 weeks since I first started here at Compendium. I came in nearly completely blind to the world of search marketing and couldn't have told you what a business blog was. Now, while I'm working through my last day of my summer internship, I am simply trying to process everything I have learned and experienced this summer.

This summer, I've have the pleasure of being a blogger, a trainee, a trainer, a proof reader, a researcher, a distributor, an envelope stuffer, a printer, a provider of a candy jar, a Starbucks addict, and a coffee maker. But most importantly: I'm lucky to have been a Compendium intern.

Thanks for reading...

What if Google had an infomercial?

Friday, July 31, 2009 by Mitch Burk

After finding out that they are making Snuggies for dogs, it inspired me to wonder... What if Google had a cheesy infomercial...?

Picture this:

(In black and white, with people struggling through the following tasks) Remember those days of picking up phone books if you needed to call and find a plumber? How about searching through dozens of volumes of encyclopedia's just to figure out a fact about the Great Barrier Reef? And who can forget the pain of wresting big, bulky maps if you needed directions?

TURN THIS...

INTO THIS!

Well you don't have to worry about any of those strenuous activities any more! Say hello to the Google Search Engine! (Shift to all color with happy people) With the Google machine, you can type with ease as you find all the information you could ever want to know! Simply type in your question or product you are looking for and BAM! It shows up instantly!

Let's face it... no one is looking for information in places besides the internet. Majority of people who are online use search to find the products and services they are looking for. It only makes sense that if you are trying to connect those people to your company, you want to show up at the top of Google searches. With Compendium's revolutionary blog software, it makes online marketing a stress-free way to reach your audience.

The days of relying on people finding your company through the Yellow Pages or other old school marking strategies are over... If you want to be found, insert yourself in the place where people are looking. Contact Compendium today and learn more about a business blog software that will help your company succeed!

Take a magnified look into your blogging strategy...

Friday, July 31, 2009 by Mitch Burk

Toys are so much better now than when I was a kid... My eight year old brother has a toy that is arguably the coolest form of entertainment ever created. It's called the Eyeclops. It looks like a mix between a webcam and a video game, but it is actually a microscope capable of magnifying images 200x's and projecting them on a television!

All of the sudden carpet becomes a giant bundle of yarn, hairs suddenly look more like trees, and a paper cut looks like the grand canyon. The "up close and personal" look can reveal so much not seen on the surface. Without magnification, we can only make certain assumptions and judgments based on the picture we create in our minds. However, upon a closer look, we can discover the complex design and intricate detail that goes into making everything we see work the way it does.

Blogging is no exception to this phenomenon. To most people who only see a blog from a normal, surface level view, it looks like nothing more than a journal. A blog appears to be a place where people post pictures and build networks with other bloggers. But what would happen if you used the Eyeclops to look deep into the intricate workings of a blog? What sorts of potential and complex design would be found?

Compendium Blogware is your "Blogging Eyeclops." When you use to blog as an online marketing tool, you instantly turn your blog into so much more than an online diary, and you pack your blog with the potential to fuel up your search marketing campaign.

Compendium also offers a more in depth look into how your blog is performing. Every week you get an detailed look into the effectiveness of your blog strategy, as well as tips on how to learn more about blog marketing.

In order to get a more detailed look into the blogosphere, why not sign up now for a free webinar or download a whitepaper here and let Compendium co-founder Chris Baggott explain the power locked inside a blog.