Blog Client Software

Team building at Oliver

Posted Tuesday, August 19, 2008 by Sarah Sedberry

Those of us in the Client Success area at Compendium Blogware (as well as our entire organization) work hard and pride ourselves on our ability to work well together in order to ensure our clients are seeing ROI on their Corporate Blogs. Every now and then, we do break out of the office for some team building.

Last week the Client Success team took a team trip to Oliver Winery, located in Bloomington, Indiana. For those not familiar with the Indiana terrain, Bloomington is home to Indiana University, and is south of Indianapolis.

Client Success Team with Bill and Dennis in Oliver Vineyard

(Front Row: Dennis Dunham (Oliver), Chantelle Flannery, and Abby Brosmer-Rivera)
(Back Row: Loren Sandman (ICVA), Kristen Hanschu, Sarah Sedberry, Jeff Lefevere, and Bill Oliver (Oliver))

It was an experience none of us will soon forget, as we were taken on a personal tour of the Winery and Vineyard by Bill Oliver (Owner) and Dennis Durham (Winemaker), and treated to a fantastic dinner prepared by Oliver Winery's own Heidi, at the Oliver Farmhouse.

Our team was able to see how wine is made from start to finish at Oliver, complete with tours of their lab, tasting from the oak barrels, seeing them package the wine,

to sampling their new line of Skydog.

For those that are not familiar, there have been several commercials out recently promoting this new line of wines from Oliver. There are several new aspects to Skydog for Oliver, including a twist cap (instead of the traditional cork), and a economical price of $7.50 a bottle.

Most endearing about this line of wines, currently involving a red, white, and rose, is the mascot. To quote straight from the bottle...."Watch out…it's hard to resist a dog with a jet pack."

Dennis, Sarah, and Bill with the Skydog line

The day was a special one for all of us, and we could not be more appreciative to Bill and Dennis for their personalized attention and the patience to answer all our questions! We will not soon forget the experience and hope to plan a return trip soon.

Official Blogging Tournament Rules

Posted Tuesday, August 19, 2008 by Chantelle Flannery

The tournament began on August 11th and we are now moving into round two. Customers will compete to advance in a Compendium organized blogging tournament based on number of posts written by the client, week-by-week. The Blogging Tournament is designed to create some spirited competition amongst our customers in a battle of the ultimate team game—business blogging. You will be pitted randomly against another Compendium customer in the ultimate blogging championship.

Tournament Rules

You need do nothing to enter the tournament. To participate write blog posts as you normally would, or with a great deal more frequency to more effectively compete.
Winners in the tournament will advance from a field of over 100 on a weekly basis based on the amount of posts generated by each team.
If there is an equal number of posts between the two teams over the course of the week the previous week’s posts will be used to determine who will advance. We will review as many of the previous weeks as necessary in order to break the tie.
A week's worth of posts start on Monday and end on Sunday.
In order for a post to count it must be considered legitimate blog posts. This means that the post must be at least 5 sentences long and contain at least two keywords.
Remember that you’re writing on a corporate blog so talk about appropriate topics that relate to your industry and company.
Please note that sticky posts don’t count.

Tournament Prizes
The winner of the Championship earns a handsome trophy denoting blogging superiority and a bottle of Champaign. There will also be a $50 gas card for the account Administrator and a $50 gas card for the top blogger on the team. The other three final teams will receive a $50 gas card.

Tournament Contact Information
Please have fun with the tournament - use this as a tool internally to mobilize around content development. Keep an eye on Chantelle Flannery’s blog and the tournament bracket for updates.

Write content. Get found in search. Convert traffic. Demonstrate ROI. Crush the competition in business blogging, tournament style!

Ready, Set, Go!

Posted Friday, August 15, 2008 by Sarah Sedberry

Our implementation manager here at Compendium, Abby, has done an excellent job of graduating several clients this week and we are very excited to see what they can do.

Check out the newest Corporate blogs to Compendium's platform:

Data Recovery Specialists: A company that focuses on data recovery and computer forensics. Their success rate for data recovery is one of the highest in the industry and they offer extremely competitive rates for their services.

MediaTile:MediaTile is one of the very few companies in the world that provides a comprehensive, all-in-one digital signage platform that integrates an LCD HD display, media player, network access, and a web-based control system.

Roberts Distributors: Roberts focus is on Photo, Video, Electronics, and Imaging. They offer comprehensive classes as well as all the equipment needed to make you a pro!

We look forward to great content and although they were not able to get into this month's Blogging Tournament - Content for the Crown, I'm sure they will give the next round of competition a run for their money!

But...how will I find the time?!

Posted Thursday, August 14, 2008 by Lindsey Young

Time is money. This statement just becomes more and more literal as families, businesses, and life get more demanding. Between juggling day to day duties of our positions within our companies, employers and employees alike are hesitate to add one more responsibility to the mix, such as blogging. A common misconception within the group of people I speak with is that investing in a corporate blog is going to eat up too much of their time. Erroneous! I like to negate this idea with the following information: the beauty of our compended blogs is that the responsibility is spread out among several people, the time needed to create a post is minimal...and here is the point I really want to stress to potential clients with the time constraint objection:

Each user should post 2-3 times per week
Approximately 250 word blog posts
Conversational in tone
10-15 minutes MAX to create

If you did the math there, that's about 30 minutes a week! Blogs shouldn't be rocket science, just engage your reader enough to take the next step. Finding relevant information through your company blog will point them in the right direction to becoming your client, customer, or consumer.

Google remains "top dog" in the search engine pack.

Posted Thursday, August 14, 2008 by Lindsey Young

We like to provide all of our clients and prospects with accurate, fresh data when it

comes to what search engines like . I often find myself referring to Google for search engines like I might refer to Kleenex for a facial tissue. Clients will often ask if we are just focused on Google. The answer is "not really". The algorithm is basically the same for all of the big players: Google, Yahoo, and MSN. However the market share is truly held by our "do no evil" friends at Google.

The latest data from www.searchenginewatch.com: "Google is pulling in 62% of the online searches, with Yahoo at a distant second with 20%". When it comes to blogging best practices when focusing on SEO, you truly have to consider where the majority of your organic results will lie. Good luck and keep blogging!

Real World ROI Webinar

Posted Thursday, August 14, 2008 by Kristen Hanschu

I am excited to announce that my client Visit Tampa Bay is a highlight in the webinar today. They have been an exemplary client of ours and we are pleased to "show them off" Congratulations Jeremy and the rest of the bloggers!

This webinar will cover what we call "Real World ROI". Basically this means that we are showing you how to cover the costs of the blog and then some. The "and them some" can mean more visits to your website, the visitors buying your products or services, or even starting your own community within the blog.

You can still sign up for the webinar by clicking here. It is not too late! Sign up now.

A Battle of the Greats

Posted Wednesday, August 13, 2008 by Kristen Hanschu

You might not be aware of this, but the greatest spectacle on earth is taking place right now. No, I am not talking about the Beijing Olympics. What I am talking about is the Compendium Blogware Blogging Tournament of Champions.

As it is also commonly referred to as "Content for the Crown", this tournament is an all out fight to the death. Well, not really. It is, however, a tournament to determine which of our clients is producing more content than all the others.

In round 1, we have two of our greats going up against one another. Roto-Rooter and Conclusive Marketing are two of our clients that constantly produce well organized and informative content. They continually follow "blogging best practices" by producing at least two blog posts per blogger each week. Their dedication to constantly updated content certainly pays off for them. Not only do they see their blogs ranking on the first page of Google, but they are both receiving more traffic. Coincidence, we know not.

Good luck to both teams. We look forward to reading your blog posts. To view the brackets, click here.

Finding Time to Blog

Posted Wednesday, August 13, 2008 by Jim Hyslop

So I know that I have already blogged about this issue but it seems to come up a lot. In fact I just read a post by Shel Holtz where he also addresses the issue that I hear all the time, "my staff is already maxed...we just don't have time to blog" and it got me thinking again.

The truth is by saying you don't have time to blog you are really saying I don't have time to communicate. I know I would never hear the same answer in regard to email or phone calls. The idea of not communicating by phone would be unheard of! We need to re-tune our minds to look at the blog in this exact way....as another form of corporate communication with our clients and business prospects on a human level. The beauty of the blog is now our method of communication is serving multiple purposes. Engaging our prospects, optimizing your company in the search rankings, and turning visitors into customers by your ability to do both of the first two things. But to do so you need the tools that allow you to do this.You need to incorporate methods of advanced business blogging.

The real time issue with managing a corporate blog does not come from communicating...it comes from managing the blog for ROI. There is a lot of lifting that happens to leverage that communication for your maximum benefit. At the end of the day if your company uses the right blogging tools to do this for you, you will inevitably secure the many benefits of blogging you deserve while at the same time never allowing your clients and potential customers to rank below the number one spot on your lists of priorities.

Driving business comes from the ability to acquire new customers by communicating to them you have exactly what they need. So by saying you don't have time to blog you are really saying I don't have time to obtain new forms of revenue. From a business perspective that just doesn't make sense. Blog for SEO. Blog for engagement. Blog for ROI!!!!

Business growth = Good Stuff..........Happy Blogging!

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!

Corporate Team Building

Posted Thursday, August 7, 2008 by Kaila Woodside

A few weeks back Compendium took a weekend to do a little team building - via white water rafting. The trip was amazing and everyone came back with a new energy and feeling of real camaraderie. Wilderness Voyaguers, my rafting company of choice in Ohiopyle is actually one of Compendium's clients. So as opposed to blogging immediately after our trip on our blog - I made a guest post on the WV blog. You can check it out here.

Wilderness Voyaguers has taken to blogging for search and they keep their blog updated with fun happenings in Ohiopyle as well as infromation on the trips they offer. Following blogging best practices with the help of their Client Success Manager, Sarah Sedberry- they will surely be one of our next top corporate bloggers.

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.

Monon Coffee Company

Posted Tuesday, August 5, 2008 by Sarah Sedberry

On a day to day basis here at Compendium Blogware, I spend a lot of time with clients, working with them on template creation, content development for their individual blogs, question and answer periods, going over blogging metrics, etc.

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting with one of our original clients, Monon Coffee Company.

The Monon Coffee Company is located in Broad Ripple, IN, right off of Westfield Blvd. They are the ideal (non-commercial) coffee shop, offering a relaxing, inviting, and warm atmosphere. The barista's greet you when you walk in the door, there is ample comfortable seating - including stools right at the counter so that you can interact with the employees. They also feature artists often so stop by frequently to see whats new on display. For the technology obsessed, like myself, they do offer free wifi.

I was impressed with William Powell, who is the owner, as well as, the author of their company blog. He greeted every customer and took the time to chat with them. He remembered every one of them, along with what was going on in their lives. If you are looking for your modern day "Cheers" look no further. Monon Coffee Company is the place you need to go.

While I was there, it was a hard choice to decide on what to have. They offer everything from snacks, to treats, to smoothies, to (of course) coffee. I was persuaded by John to try the daily special - The Zebra Mint Mocha. A blend of crushed peppermint, white and dark mocha flavoring, milk, and coffee. I had mine iced and it was just the right accent to go with the sunny afternoon.

When you get a chance, stop by and say hello to William and the gang. Let them know if you've checked out their company blog, which you can do so here.

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.

Welcome aboard Bauer 360!

Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 by Sarah Sedberry

Our latest client to graduate from Implementation and Training with Abby is Bauer 360.

Bauer 360 specializes in Consulting, Training and Research pertaining to Internet Marketing and Web Production needs of a company. They offer a wide range of services including Web Development, E-Mail Marketing, E-Newsletters, Cell Phone Marketing, Digital Video Production, Search Engine Optimization, Social Networking, Pay Per Click and Banner Ads. They will work with your business to build an E-plan, so that you are prepared and ready for success.

Compendium Blogware and Bauer 360 have similar goals in mind as we are both committed to listen to your desires, educating our clients on processes and metrics, creating and incorporate your goals in order for the customers to see increased productivity, drive down costs, and see improved results on ROI.

I look forward to working with Ross and the gang at Bauer 360. Check them out here, as they are already on the ball and are up and posting!

Full Disclosure on Blogs

Posted Sunday, August 3, 2008 by Kristen Hanschu

In a recent ruling, the SEC will recognize corporate blogs as public disclosure. IR Web Reports states that, "...companies can rely on their websites and blogs to meet the public disclosure requirements under Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure), according to new guidance unanimously approved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission today."

This means that more companies will be utilizing public forums such as blogs to relay their most critical company facts and issues to the public. Long gone are press releases, welcome to the new age. From now on organizations will be communicating by using blogging platforms such as Compendium Blogware.

Not only does online distribution meet these disclosures, the art of search engine optimized press releases have the unique ability to appear in search engines tied to the key words your blogging about. This is where Compendium can offer businesses the ability to distribute news with added SEO functionality. When paired with a well-written, SEO optimized press releases, blogs can more than satisfy disclosure, they can inform your customers, investors, and clients on exactly where your company stands.

Additionally, people will be utilizing their social networking sites such as Facebook and LInked In to share these blogs with their social groups. Not only do these sites socialize content and link conversations across the web, they also help bloggers and other journalists write more effective and media rich content.

Why We Should Host Your Blog

Posted Wednesday, July 30, 2008 by Kristen Hanschu

In an article from Duct Tape Marketing, by John Jantsch, he talks about the benefits of hosting a blog on your own server. This is a feature that Compendium Blogware provides for you. There are many benefits to NOT hosting your own software.

You do not have to learn how to apply the upgrades to your existing software.
We walk you through any questions that you might have so you fully understand the functionality of your software.
Any problems that you experience with "free" blogs, you are expected to fix. We take the guessing game out of it by fixing the issues for you.
Our company is open for suggestions that you have for product requests. Therefore, you get to use a software that you are comfortable with.

Our blog hosting software is always changing and improving to fit the needs of our clients. If you are considering utilizing an organizational blogging platform look no further than Compendium.

Obsession...

Posted Wednesday, July 30, 2008 by Sarah Sedberry

Alright, I admit it. I have completely given into to the iPhone craze (although, I still retain some pride as I did not stand in line for 5 hours to get the phone on the first day, I waited until day 2).

iPhone

This is my first Apple product so I am certainly no apple-head, but I can now understand the passion expressed by Apple users. However, this conversion of loyalty is not caused by what you would think. As Jon Fortt over at Fortune Magazine mentions in his article:

"The iPhone’s magic isn’t in the features – not the 2-megapixel camera, or the Safari web browser, or even the music and video capabilities. It’s in Apple’s knack for making all those features easier to locate and use." Not only is Apple making it easier for consumers to use, they are also reshaping the wireless game by making a move "from phone sales to software development".

The iPhone's impact on business is monumental as well. There are endless choices out there for the professional looking to be mobile; but with the iPhone's ease of use, larger screen, quicker web access and user-friendly internet tools make it an easy choice for me. Having access to the internet no matter where you (as long as you have a signal) without having to carry around a clunkly laptop/computer bag will only breed more and more users surfing the web.

The next time I'm standing in line, have a lay over in the airport, or waiting on my friends for a get together - guess what I'll be doing - that's right, checking in on all of my clients blog posts (ha ha).

In all seriousness though, with the focus on technology, it is important that a business get their name out there and be searchable. Corporate blogs are a perfect answer to this, as search engines love the fresh, relevant, and frequent content that blogs create. Our blogging platform keeps the process simple, as well as, delivers powerful results (like the iPhone). Not to mention, we also partner with our clients, and provide day to day support, and are available to answer any questions that may arise.

Millions of searches are run every day, and we here at Compendium Blogware want to help ensure that it's your company that is showing up in those searches, for your targeted consumer. With our easy to use software, active support and customer service, your corporate blog will see success and perhaps you'll become "obsessed" as well...

Compendium clients are seeing success!

Posted Tuesday, July 29, 2008 by Lindsey Young

We've started something pretty cool here at Compendium. Our Client Success team has started sending out emails to the rest of us sharing statistics, and major successes of our clients. I have found this pretty helpful when talking to potential clients, especially trying to drive home the point that early adopters will prevail using our software. The sooner you start, the sooner your organization is going to see increased search engine traffic, engaged readers, and eventually more business!

I'm always amazed at how potential clients that are coming to us know they need to be blogging, they just don't know why. That's always my favorite part of our conversation when I get to inform them, and see the light bulb go off! I'd like to share an exerpt from NetSquared.org:

"Did you know that over 57 million Americans read blogs? U.S. blog readers average 23 hours online each week! An average of 64% of Canadians visited blogs in 2007. And 10% of online consumers in the U.K. read blogs at least once a month.”

For the complete article go here. Like our CEO Chris Baggott always says, "we're changing the world!".

Blogging and the Company Trip

Posted Tuesday, July 29, 2008 by Abby Rivera

Rafting in Ohiopyle

I was on the phone yesterday with a client, we were discussing content for their blog posts. Specifically, what is appropriate to talk about on your blog? I mentioned that while it is important to talk specifically about the topics we will be focusing on with our blog package(i.e. Keywords), it is very import to also relate to your readers. Let your readers know that you are a real person. Talk about what you are doing, different things that are going on within your organization, or the community in general.

One of the best examples of this, is Chris Baggott's Blog. He is always talking about both Compendium and what is going on in his world - an then ultimately pulling the two of these together. I am sure some of you have read Chris's recent blog post about our company trip to Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania or checked out Kaila's pictures on Flicker and seen this all work together.

In this fashion, here is my take on the weekend...
Absolutely amazingly ridiculous!!! Just some of the words I used to describe it in a text to my sister. We had a great weekend together as a team. For some of us, the weekend pushed us to the limits, others of us were olds pros, but not matter who we were, we had a blast!

We had the opportunity meet some of our clients! I also had an opportunity to try out one of our clients products, Gla Gla Shoes. (I'll be writing again very soon with my opinion about how great these shoes are!). Thank you Chris and Kaila for showing us around Ohiopyle. Check back a little later for some more fun stories:-)

Cuil Search Engine: An Outsider's Review

Posted Tuesday, July 29, 2008 by Jenni Edwards

Another search engine? Are we really in need? Maybe if it is drastically better, maybe if it makes my life easier; but in general I am not sitting there wanting a new search engine, but I also have to assume that most marketers aren't sitting wanting for a corporate blogging tool --- it's my job to show them that they need one. So has Cuil convinced me to switch from Google? Not quite. Although Cuil was founded by Google engineers and brags about the increased number of pages that are combed through and the ability to search the so called 'deep web'. In addition, the search results look more like a magazine than a list, as traditional web searches do. Not to mention the $33M in venture-capital money.

Interesting concept...but a bit confusing for my first try. Also, was a bit surprised with the results of a few test searches. Unfortunately, it looks like this evening that their servers were a bit overloaded and I wasn't able to get results for a few terms. I like the innovation, pushing every search engine to be better and better. However, this doesn't seem game changing for Compendium because at the end of the day --- a search engine's success will always be based on its ability to serve up the most relevant results based on the search terms in the quickest and most user friendly way.

What does this mean to our business? Not much --- we measure some of our client's success with Google and benchmark search standings there as well; but the topically driven corporate blogs that are created from the Compendium system are search engine neutral.

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