This morning I was reading an interesting article on business sustainability and how it relates to blogging. It took a refreshing look at why a corporate blog is important to the sustainability of a company, as a communication tool.
A key paragraph stuck out to me, where the author describes how a blog ultimately holds a company and its employees responsible for the message they are delivering and the work they are producing. Which is something that happens internally in a company everyday, but with a blog - it holds you accountable to your customers as well.
"Simply having a company blog open to comments from readers gives a key message on the importance and acceptance of differing viewpoints to that company. When truly an expression of the views of an individual business executive, blogging provides a strong foundation for individual accountability. And through opening him or herself up to a more personal connection with readers I believe the executive blogger creates an environment in which the views of their external stakeholders [potential customers] are front of mind..."
A blog is a simple and effective way to engage with those outside of your company, and allows a business the ability to have a conversation with those interested in their products and services. It allows the company to share its knowledge and show why they are a reliable partner to their clients and customers, in a cost effective and environmentally friendly communication tool.
Have you ever stumbled across a blog and thought, wow, that is an amazing looking blog? But as you navigate the page, you get lost because there is so much going on? Here are some great examples of incredible blogs that will inspire any digital artist out there. There is no argument that these blogs are beautiful and creative. But if you're a business, and the goal of your corporate blog is to drive visibility through better organic search marketing, is MORE always a good thing?
I think not. What is great about Compendium Clients, is that their blogging has a true purpose. As you can see from that link, we have some great looking templates as well. But everything is focused at the ROI of business blogging. It's simple:
Write useful content
Get found in search by the right people
Convert that traffic to a lead with a clear Call-To-Action
Make more money
Now of course I understand that interaction, engagement, subscriptions, etc. are all wonderful as well. But for a business, what is most important? Therefore, next time you find a company blog, take a hard look at all the widgets and gadgets that consume the page. Are they really helping? Take a note from unrelated businesses on simplicity. Simple can be better!
Firefly180 is pleased with the work that Compendium's employees have put into Firefly180's blog. Firefly180's president and creative director, Lisa Proctor, is "so thrilled that [Compendium] is working so diligently to ensure my blogging program success." She is appreciative of the time Compendium's client success team spent to explain how the new linking program works. Lisa was very satisfied with the time and attention that was dedicated to ensuring the success of her company's blog.
Name: Stephanie West Company: Compendium Blogware BlogURL:
What's the main focus of your company's blog marketing program and search marketing program?
Recently Matt Cutts, a Google Sofware Engineer, posted a youtube video disucssing ranking, and he challenged companies that they should be more focused on converting better instead of getting obsessed with ranking.
In the Client Success department at Compendium, we do focus a lot of time on helping our clients receive great search results on numerous keywords related to their business. However, we believe that the success of a blog program is looking at tangible ROI results, i.e. online leads developed and then ultimately conversion.
To learn more about the success of our clients' blog programs, check out some of their case studies by clicking here.
I've always been one of those people that abolutely loves birthdays. My friends' birthdays, my parents' birthdays, but especially my OWN birthday! And wouldn't you know it, my birthday is very soon! This upcoming Tuesday, November 3rd, I will be turning yet another year older.
As I began thinking about what I want for my birthday, my mind automatically drifted to something that I've wanted since I was a small child - a dog. Unfortunately I was never able to have any pets growing up because my mother was so allergic. Now that I am a grown adult and living on my own, I really want to get my own dog! Since I've never had a dog before, I have no idea what breed I would even begin to want, so every day I spend some time on Google searching for dogs. I would really like to get one from somewhere local, so I tend to search for "Indianapolis dogs" or something of the sort. Amazingly enough, there are not many local places that rise to the top of the search results.
This has left me thinking. Why are there not more humane societies, etc. out there using Compendium's blog software? With our simple blogging software, companies can choose to focus on geographically targeted keywords. Therefore, when someone would search "Indianapolis dogs", the company's Compendium blog would rise to the top! And why stop there? If you're located in Indianapolis, you might also want to target "Greenfield dogs", "Carmel dogs", "Fishers dogs"... The possibilites are endless!
Give Compendium a call today to learn more about our afforadable blogging software and how your company could benefit from focusing on geographical keywords.
I have to share this video I ran across today while preparing for a presentation to college juniors & seniors next week in which I am talking about opportunities in technology.
Sometimes (in a very dorky way) I get so excited to be a part of the future and be working within this world we call "new media" at a blogging software company. This video (produced by The Economist) does a great job of highlighting the increased focused on online advertising (SEM, SEO, PPC, etc.) versus traditional media - the real take away I have here for businesses is that you must adapt your business model and your marketing to this new economy and new technologies --- the statistics are startling!
How much does the weather affect your ability to be productive? Consider a dreary, rainy day (such as today in Indianapolis) - how much more lethargic does it make you? Many people will put off going out to lunch, or taking their dog for a nice long walk... Or their mood may just be affected. People just aren't as "chipper" when the weather is dreary.
So does dreary weather lead to peoples' negative moods? And in turn, do those negative moods lead to less productivity? I think that's the case in many circumstances.
But I'd like to bring up one circumstance when that isn't the case - when dreary weather doesn't lead to lower productivity. The case of: Blogging.
Today, it's dreary in Indianapolis. Instead of not being productive (or creative!), my mind is actually more creative today. I keep thinking of reasons why blogging isn't affected by the weather.
Dreary weather isn't going to affect your corporate blogging strategy. In general, blogging isn't affected by bad weather. Employees can continue to blog from anywhere.
Consider a "snow day" - your city is piled under in snow and there's no possible way for employees to make it to work. Not a problem with blogging - your company can continue to blog and generate leads and increase ROI from anywhere!
Schedule a demo with one of our blogging experts and see why your company should consider blogging with Compendium.
Chances of becoming a professional basketball player - 1 in 400,000
Chances of becoming an all-pro blogger - 1 in 1
If you want to be one of the 400+ NBA players suiting up every week, you can bet you have to be one of the best of the best to become successful. It takes years of practice, strength conditioning and pure athleticism to have a strong presence in the NBA.
But what about blogging? The odds couldn’t be more different. While you need to be a Kobe Bryant or a Lebron James to have the most “success” in the NBA, you don’t have to be a Pulitzer Prize winning writer to write “successful” blog posts.
Success in business blogging is for anyone who can talk about the things they know best: their business. As long as you use relevant keywords in describing your business and products, your blog will find success. Don't let the blogosphere intimidate you. When you're posting relevant content frequently, you will find success in blog software.
Looking for more tips on blogging? Check out some of our other company blogs and see what other Compendium bloggers have to say about the world of business blogging.
We are excited to announce that Compendium Blogware now offers blogger and administrator training for our clients! So if you're a new blogger or just need to brush up on some blog best practices, sign up to attend one of our weekly training sessions.
There are separate times depending on which access you have to the company's blog network, so be sure to contact your Client Success Manager to let them know which one you'll be attending, and they'll be able to send you the log in information (note - all times are Eastern).
Don't look at me, look at our CEO and Co-Founder, Chris Baggott. His upcoming webinar, "What every marketer should know about the future of Business Blogging" is this Thursday, October 22, 2009, from 2-3 est.
I've been working here for well over a year now, I've heard Chris talk about business blogging week after week, and it never gets old! If you've never tuned in to one of his webinars, I can honestly say it is well worth your time. Not only will he educate you, he will probably make you a believer. From the many case studies of real companies blogging successfully, to first hand encounters, Chris' stories and ideas are both entertaining and enlightening.
If you have a chance and are available Thursday, you should check it out!
As we like to consider ourselves partners rather than vendors of our clients, we frequently touch base with blog program owners to touch base, address questions, and provide guidance and feedback on their blog marketing strategy.
This past week I had the pleasure of speaking with Julie Urlaub from Taiga Company, who consults on business sustainability. Julie has seen not only great success from search traffic and click through rates, but also due to the blog, has been establishing herself as a thought leader in her industry.
During the recent meeting with Julie, she shared that a reporter from a well published news corporation had found her blog and is now interested in an interview. The interview will be re-purposed across LOTS of mediums and will drive "ungodly amounts of traffic and eyes to her company/blog" This interview would set them up for the entire year of 2010 by establishing them as credible and an authority in their field - which is a huge opportunity for for this small business!
This success story goes to show that no matter the size of your company, as any type of business it is always important to keep an eye on the return on your investments, whether they be monetary or other. Utilizing a simple blogging software such as Compendium, helps take the stress off of the you, and allow you to focus on the bigger picture - growing your company and bringing in leads.
If your interested in finding out more about our clients and their success stories, check out one of our case studies.
I haven't blogged for 3 months. Go ahead and slap my wrist, I'm aware of the irony given the fact that Compendium is a blogging software company, but I have nothing to be ashamed about.
This is the power of widespread business blogging...every single day, at least one Compendium employee writes a blog post. Some employees write more than others - you know that 80/20 rule? It's true here, too - but because every employee gets a blog and can personally contribute to our marketing objective of inbound leads, this means that no single individual has to carry our corporate blogging program on his or her back.
I know what you're thinking: If i let all of my employees blog, what in the world will they say? It's a valid concern, but here are two things to make you feel better:
1. You hired your employees for a reason, probably because they're smart, hard working, and passionate. Your trust them every day to deliver the appropriate message in their emails, over the phone, and in person with your prospects and customers...so why not give them another medium to share their knowledge and passion while at the same time letting them contribute to your inbound marketing initiatives?
2. Ok, if you're still not quite comfortable, the Compendium blogging tool has a built in admin layer so that every piece of content can be approved or declined prior to publishing.
If you'd like to see how easy Compendium makes widespread employee blogging, then it's a great idea to sign up for a demo today.
Who comes to mind first when you think of a good, clean comedian??
Ready to hear who I think of?
Bill Cosby.
He is simply classic.
But have you ever stopped to think why he is so classic... and timeless?!
Here's my theory (and feel free to disagree with me if you think necessary)...
Bill Cosby figured out:
Who his audience was;
What his audience wanted;
And what his strengths were (talking to kids!).
That's it.
And now I'm going to demonstrate how Bill Cosby sets me up for the second part of my blog post.
YOU can be just like Bill Cosby. Maybe not as classic, but definitely as effective - and these days, there's an easy way to get to that point.
Here's how: business blog software.
Who is your audience? By using the internet and blogging, your company will target your audience. You will blog using certain keywords that will help your blog get optimized in search. So that's how you'll target your audience by blogging.
What does your audience want? They want to know about you! Blog about your company because your audience wants to know more about you and what you can offer them. Blogging will humanize your company and what you have to offer.
And lastly, Bill Cosby knew what his strengths were. Do you know what your strengths are?! In case you were wondering, I know what your strength is. The internet. You have a perfect marketing tool right at your fingertips (literally!). That is your strength, but whether you use it to your advantage is up to you.
Compendium's blog software can help you use your strength (the availability of the internet) to target your audience. Your audience is already looking for you on the internet - but you have make yourself available to reach out to your audience.
Re-purposing is awesome for writing a quick post. I recently compiled a high level list of blogging best practices related to writing a great post. Here were my thoughts: Tips and tricks to writing a great blog post:
1. Use your keywords in the post title and in the first sentence of your post
2. Make sure you are covering timely and relevant topics in your post
3. Keep to a single, central theme that utilizes a few keywords that are relevant to the content
4. Use white space; people scan, they don't read. Write short paragraphs and bold important words Make sure you leave space around your images
5. Dress it up: pictures, data, and video all work great to differentiate your content
6. Numbered and ordered lists stand out and are simple to digest, use them often
7. Utilizing keywords effectively in your image descriptions will drive search results
8. Talk about new products and services
9. Keep your post engaging and creative; start with a great title
10. While we are not writing novels, keep your posts grammatically correct; blogs are casual, but they still need to be professional
11. Keep your posts to a couple of paragraphs in length
Corporate blogging isn't something that your company should just blindly start doing. It requires thought and clearly defined goals in order to receive the maximum benefits of blogging for business.
Before you begin blogging, set goals. What do you want to achieve? The only way to successfully blog is if you know exactly which aspects of your company you want to focus on.
Once you have outlined your blogging goals, you can build your foundation. Building a foundation on clearly defined goals is like building your foundation of stone. It is substantial. Your search marketing strategy can be best executed when you know exactly what you are trying to get accomplished.
In contrast, blogging for business before outlining your company's blog goals is like building your blogging foundation on sand. Your blog content may never be maximized in search engine optimization. And your blog may be a little skewed. A skewed blog will lead to having sporadic content throughout the internet - and what good is that?
Compendium's corporate blogging software is designed for your blog to be optimized in organic search. With relevant keywords, you are building a solid foundation. To keep building on that foundation, you have to continue generating content containing those keywords.
Schedule a demo with a Compendium blog expert today. They will determine if your goals are compatible with Compendium's corporate blog strategy!
In my opinion, one of the best games when I was younger was hide and seek. It had everything a 11 year old boy wanted in a game: fast running, creative hiding places, and plenty of guarding the "base" when no one was looking...
However, as much fun as it is when I was younger, I see it as the problem that most people in the business world are still having today- it's like they are caught in a never ending game of hide and seek. Potential customers hop onto Google with one goal: Find the product or service they're looking for.
It's not a difficult concept- if there are thousands of consumers searching for exactly what you provide, stop hiding! A customer can't buy from you if they never find you!
Search marketing is the perfect way to address this problem. When companies blog for business, it makes the process of customers finding your website so much easier. Check out this recent post about why you should be blogging.
Compendium Blogware is ready and willing to help you address this issue. We have developed a powerful software solution that makes it easy to maximize your power through search engines.
As much fun as it was to never be found when you were younger, it is not nearly as enjoyable now that customers are looking for you each day and finding competitors instead. If you're still searching for the best blogging system, you'll find just what you need in Compendium!
I just hopped off of Chris Baggott's webinar on "Third Generation Blogging" and as always learned valuable information. Chris mentioned that businesses need to stop using the word "blog" and start talking about "blogs"(plural). Seems silly but this is a really strong point. He is referring to the fact that with one "blog" a company can only target a handful of keywords on the search engines and therefore will be limited in the amount of targeted traffic it will drive. If inbound demand generation is the goal, which it should be, then this will not be effective. Thus, companies should have "blogs" which will allow them to target lots of keywords and see far greater results.
He used the example of email marketing... If you want to send one email to a few people then Outlook does the trick. BUT, if you want to send 100's and 1000's of emails then you need an email marketing software like Constant Conact or ExactTarget.
Come one everyone, let's move into the new age of blogging. It looks pretty bright over here.
I'm a fan of this phrase: Compending with Compendium.
Sounds catchy, right? But what exactly does it mean?
Your company compends on blog content. Compendium's blogging platform takes your blog content and automatically structures it for maximum search engine optimization. Everyone wants to be found in search, right? Compendium's platform is structured with that in mind - so the only thing you are left to do is generate blog content.
This is what is so unique about Compendium's blog software. This is also why Compendium is so useful for businesses. It serves as a great business-to-business marketing tool.
Using Compendium as your company's blog marketing tool will result in many benefits.
For more information on the benefits that your company can see from corporate blogging, click here to receive our free Webinar:Profit from Business Blogging. It will help outline the profits from blogging and the benefits you'll receive from blogging with Compendium.
Your blog will become a direct reflection of how your company is found on search engines. It's imperative that you write relevant content that centers around the keyword strategies we've developed for you.
Many company blogs fail because they don't answer the questions of the search engine visitor and; as a result, don't attract business. Utilize our 50 content strategies to develop your content that is relevant to the search engine traffic that will drive your business!
Blogs are not as formal as a marketing brochure site, so you do have opportunities to share insight on your company and your employees... just be sure to do it in such a way that it remains relevant to your audience. When you're thinking of a topic, think about whether or not you're going to leave the reader with additional insight to your company, products or services that will engage them.
Post Idea: Select a keyword that you've never written about before and write about it! Utilize the 50 content strategy post if you get stuck on what kind of approach to take.
Hosted by Richard Cunningham, VP Marketing of Right On Interactive and Chris Baggott Co-founder, CEO of Compendium Blogware. Thursday, December 3rd 2009. Sign up here »
This morning I was reading an interesting article on business sustainability and how it relates to blogging. It took a refreshing look at why a corporate blog is important to the sustainability of a company, as a communication tool.
ys, my parents' birthdays, but especially my OWN birthday! And wouldn't you know it, my birthday is very soon! This upcoming Tuesday, November 3rd, I will be turning yet another year older.
So does dreary weather lead to peoples' negative moods? And in turn, do those negative moods lead to less productivity? I think that's the case in many circumstances. 
There are separate times depending on which access you have to the company's blog network, so be sure to contact your Client Success Manager to let them know which one you'll be attending, and they'll be able to send you the log in information (note - all times are Eastern).
Bill Cosby figured out:
Once you have outlined your blogging goals, you can build your foundation. Building a foundation on clearly defined goals is like building your foundation of stone. It is substantial. Your search marketing strategy can be best executed when you know exactly what you are trying to get accomplished. 
Your company compends on blog content. Compendium's blogging platform takes your blog content and automatically structures it for maximum search engine optimization. Everyone wants to be found in search, right? Compendium's platform is structured with that in mind - so the only thing you are left to do is generate blog content. 
