Megan Glover's Blogging With Purpose

Great tips for writing corporate blog posts.

Thursday, June 4, 2009 by Megan Glover

Mark Ivey over at the Marketing Profs shares some great blogging best practices in his post today: The 7 Habits of a "Just Good Enough" Marketer.

The gist of his post is this... you don't have to be an accomplished writer to contribute to your business blog. In fact, I would go so far to say that style of writing is the opposite of how your blog posts should be written.

Short, pithy, relevant posts are what your readers are looking for when they find your corporate blogs. They don't necessarily care about who you are and what your title is... more importantly; it's about what you have to say and your post being the answer to their initial question.

For more info here's a post I wrote a few months back about content creation.

Learn how easy it is to measure your business blogging strategy.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009 by Megan Glover

We recently did a survey with Compendium prospects and asked: What is the biggest obstacle to starting a business blogging strategy?

Hard to Measure was tied as the number one obstacle to starting a strategy. The reality is business blogs are no different to measure than your Website. Below is a snap shot of the template we use to measure the success of our blogs at Compendium.

The screen shot is a little muddy to decipher. but we use Google Analytics and Salesforce.com to capture all of the data we need. Any analytics or CRM package will suffice to capture the relevent data.

Here are the basic variables we capture on a weekly and month-end basis:

1. Unique Visitors (Search, Referral and Direct)

2. Call - To - Action performance (we use Salesforce.com campaigns and web-to-lead forms on every CTA landing page so that we can track indivicual performance).

3. Leads (someone who fills out a web-to-lead form and is funneled into Salesforce.com)

4. Click-through-Rate (the number of unique clicks on a CTA/total unique visitors)

5. Lead Conversion (the number of people who filled out a form/total unique visitors)

6. Bounce Rate

These six marketing metrics give us a great picture as to how we're fairing month over month and give us indicators as to what changes need to be made to increase conversion and ultimately the number of leads we are able to funnel into the sales pipeline.

Just curious, how many of your are measuring your blogs in a similar way and/or do you have additional metrics that you find really helpful?

Why should you care about this blog post?

Thursday, May 21, 2009 by Megan Glover

Chances are if you're reading this post, you fit in to one of two categories:

1. My mother (who might be my only RSS subscriber).

2. A New Visitor - who perhaps searched via a phrase like corporate blogging software or blogging best practices, purpose of blogging, etc.

Do I wish I had more subscribers, sure - but I'm happy to have the ones I have.

But as a marketer, responsible for demand generation, what I'm really interested in are the number of new visitors (we call them potential customers) that find our blogs for advice and solutions to their problems.

Our theory is that if you can provide your visitors simple, intelligent and honest answers to their problems they searched for, you have a better chance of earning their business. And, when you consider that over 84% of all visitors to our blog network are brand new, that's a lot of business to be earned.

We're in the business blog corporate blogging software. If that's what you're searching for, I invite you to take the next step and sign up for our Free Webinar: Top 5 Business Blogging Myths to learn more about how you can leverage your blogs to earn new business.

PS - Hi mom - see you on Monday!

Where's your online referral traffic coming from?

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 by Megan Glover

Yesterday I wrote about a recent article from eMarketer which builds the case for online marketing spend. We discussed there are two ways to allocate those marketing dollars: paid and organic. If you're still wondering to what proportion to allocate where consider this new information...

Today, Hitwise released study: Paid Search Traffic Share Down 26% The graph below

shows steady decline in the number of paid search clicks - while search traffic as a whole continues to increase. Thus, more clicks are going to the organic section of a results page.

It's important to note that the article does not mention the effectiveness of such PPC campaigns.

In fact, search engine marketing is about finding the precise blend of paid and organic efforts as both have benefits.

But -above all - when crafting your search marketing plan do not underestimate the power of organic search. That's where 90% of all of your prospects are searching and it's important to be found there. Doug Karr, VP Blogging Evangelism for Compendium, explains this well in a recent post: #1 Underutilized Marketing Strategy.

If you're not being found in the organic search arena through your corporate blogs and website. Now is the time to join ranks. And, if you don't have a blog... then it's time to invest in corporate blogging software.

Blogging as a tool for SEO

Monday, May 18, 2009 by Megan Glover

eMarketer published a great article last week called: Search Spending Swells Worldwide.

The article essentially points out that while marketers have pretty much frozen certain budgets, search dollars are steadily increasing and 55% of all respondents say they plan to increase their SEO (Search Engine Optimization) budget in 2009.

Why are marketing dollars moving online? David Hallerman, Senior Analyst from eMarketer simply explains:

Search Marketing is the best customer acquisition tool in the online space.

So how do you get found there? There are two places you can appear in a search engine results page (SERP):

1. Pay Per Click - the top and right hand side bar of the page.

2. Organic Section - everything that's not paid in the middle of a page.

It's estimated by marketing researchers that 85-90% of all clicks happen in the organic section of the page, and so, there is true conversion benefit to being found organically.

Business blogging is the number one marketing tactic businesses are leveraging to increase search presence, generate leads and acquire new business. Take it from our client, Fairytale Brownies. Within six months of blogging they directed thousands of new visitors to their eCommerce site and yielded 100% ROI. You can read more about their story and others here.

Why Bourbon Street Distillery in Indianapolis needs a blog.

Friday, May 15, 2009 by Megan Glover

It's a tradition in the Marketing Department here at Compendium that every Friday we take a mid-day breather to a local restaurant around Indy. We've tried everything from Maxine's Chicken and Waffles to authentic Cuban fare at Tata's Cuban Cafe. You can read about all of our choices on the Indy Restaurant Blog.

Today we're going to Bourbon Street Distillery, located at the west end of the city near IUPUI. I haven't been there in a while so thought I'd scope out their menu head of time. To my surprise, I couldn't find a thing. Sure there were tons of reviews from various sites like Yelp, Trip Adviser, etc. But I couldn't find a single thing from the actual restaurant.

Bourbon Street... where are you!?!? I searched, and you left me hanging!

Starting a business blog is a simple for companies to establish web presence without investing an exorbitant amount of money into website development and upkeep. In addition, it's a fantastic way be a part of the conversation that's already taking place. (believe me there were lots of comments - good and bad - to be found on those review sites!)

It's simple really, people - your prospects and patrons, are searching online every day if not to buy your services, to research what you have to offer. And, if you don't have that web presence you're not fulfilling the searchers need and could be missing out on a new business.

Bourbon Street... I'll be in around noon today. Maybe we should chat how blogging as a tool for SEO can increase your online visibility to ensure other folks, like me, aren't wanting more.

5 Blogging Goals Every Marketer Should Consider

Wednesday, May 6, 2009 by Megan Glover

Before your first post, before your first RSS subscription it's important to establish clear, attainable and measurable blogging goals to sustain your strategy.

What you want to accomplish from your business blog may vary from company to company... but one thing must remain true, you must set benchmarks and goals to understand how your business blog is performing compared to other marketing investments. Below is a short list of blogging goals your company might use to measure the effectiveness of your blog strategy:

1. Increase organic search traffic.

2. Boost referral traffic to my website.

3. Generate more inbound leads.

4. Increase email and catalog subscriptions.

5. Sell more product.

For more information about blogging goals and and the importance of, check out our resources page for time saving tips and case studies.

What are your own blogging goals? Do they measure up to the above?Are there other metrics I might have missed?

Search Engines are the #1 Place People Turn Before Purchasing

Thursday, April 23, 2009 by Megan Glover

Above family and friends, beyond visiting a brick and mortar store consumers turn to search engines -first and foremost- before making any product purchases according to this chart by eMarketer.

What does that mean for business owners? Simply put, if your product isn't being found when people hit the web to search - chances are you're not acquiring that business.

Starting a corporate blogging strategy is one of the best ways to increase your visibility in search engines. Why? Well, they love blogs because they contain a lot of relevant and frequently updated content that is related to specific keywords and phrases.

An added benefit to you, the business owner, is that blogging is easy on the pocket book. It's a very cost effective and easily measured marketing tool.

For more information about why blogging works for search. Check out this whitepaper: Simple Truths about Blogging and Search Marketing.

Compendium Proud to be a 2009 Mira Award Finalist

Thursday, April 16, 2009 by Megan Glover

Hooray!!- We received some great news yesterday, Compendium Blogware has been chosen as a 2009 Mira Award finalist in the category of Information Technology, Gazelle.

INDIANAPOLIS (April 15, 2009) — Now in its 10th year, the 2009 TechPoint Mira Awards presented by BKD represent the top technology businesses, business professionals and educators in the state of Indiana. Four independent panels of judges chose 63 finalists from a record number of nominations in 11 categories this year.

“To receive a record number of entries into the Mira Awards competition and to see so many technology-related companies thriving—particularly during the current national economic downturn—is a real testament to the strength of Indiana’s tech sector,” said Jim Jay, president and CEO of TechPoint. “The Mira Awards recognize the achievements of some outstanding performers and contributors, and it’s also a great way to focus attention on the broader issue of the important role technology plays in our state’s economy.”

According to the 2009 TechAmerica CyberStates report, Indiana's high-tech economy employs more than 71,000 technology professionals representing an annual payroll of $4.2 billion. CyberStates reports that these in-demand positions pay an average of $83,000 annually, more than double Indiana's latest reported per-capita income of $32,000.

The 2009 winners will be announced at an “Oscars-style” award ceremony being held Sat., May 16 at The Westin Indianapolis. TechPoint will also honor the past Mira Awards winners and finalists attending the ceremony. Visit http://www.techpoint.org/Mira/Pastwinners.htm for a complete list of previous Mira Awards winners and finalists.

The finalists for the 2009 TechPoint Mira Awards presented by BKD are as follows. The “gazelle” designation indicates that a company has been in business less than three years:

•    Information Technology Gazelle
o    BlueLock, LLC
o    Cantaloupe.tv, LLC
o    Compendium Blogware
o    FormSpring
o    Right On Interactive
o    Scale Computing
o    Sensory Ventures, LLC
o    The Basement Design + Motion, LLC
o    Vontoo

What a great acknowledgment to our company as we strive to build the best blogging solution for businesses and organizations. Congratulations to the Compendium team.

Video Increases Conversion

Wednesday, April 8, 2009 by Megan Glover

It's long been debated whether or not video has the potential to produce ROI. Given the fact it's often expensive, labor intensive and technical - many companies dismiss as an unnecessary tactic.

But - maybe we should reconsider. Here's an interesting article from the Search Engine Watch blog which talks about video testimonials and how they've shown direct lifts in conversion.

As a best blogging practice we encourage our clients to incorporate video into their blog posts - and we provide the necessary training on how to do so, and how to incorporate with out making video the crux of your strategy. And, it doesn't need to cost an arm and a leg.

Here's an example of how our blogging client, Greenfield Liquors, incorporated video using a simple Flip camera, which you can purchase for around $125. The truth is you blog visitors are looking for honest, human content that is relevant to what they are searching for. Don't be afraid to leverage your in house experts by putting them in front of a camera. Your visitors are much more concerned about the information you're providing opposed to how many bells and whistles your video contains.

Engaging Prospects through Blogging and Email

Monday, March 30, 2009 by Megan Glover

Join expert marketers - Jeffrey Rohrs, VP Marketing - ExactTarget and Chris Baggott, Co-Founder/CEO - Compendium Blogware as they host an upcoming Webinar: Using Business Blogs and E-Mail Strategy to Target Prospects and Win Customers. Register Here

This free webinar, sponsored by the Online Marketing Institute, is sure to close the loop on how blogging and email work together to create a cohesive and highly segmented demand generation campaign.

For more information about Blogging + Email, and how they work together check out Chris Baggott's whitepaper.

Hope to see you there!

Three Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting a Blogging Strategy

Friday, March 27, 2009 by Megan Glover

As a blogging software company we talk to hundreds of businesses and organizations every day starting their strategies. Some have done their research and know exactly why tthey want to blog... others need a little direction.

Stop and answer these three questions before starting a blogging strategy:

1. Why are we blogging?

2. How do we generate content?

3. What are our success metrics and how will we measure?

If you can't answer these three basic questions and relate them to the growth of your business i.e. tangible return, then it's time to take a second pass.

Rushing into a blogging strategy unprepared can be devastating. For more information about common business blogging mistakes and how they can be avoided check out our upcoming webinar: Top 5 Missed Opportunities of Business Blogging.

Business Blogging and the Time Commitment Involved

Friday, March 20, 2009 by Megan Glover

Inevitably when considering starting a blog it's natural to think about the time commitment involved. Honestly, I think this is some times an excuse people use to forget the project entirely.

Maybe you as the project owner can't find 20 minutes twice a week to blog but what about your co-worker sitting next to you, or the account manager down the hall or heck, what about your summer intern?

An employee-wide blogging strategy not only diversifies the content being created but also saves time. Here at Compendium, every single employee (35 total) has a blog. Personally, I try and blog twice a week, sometimes I make it, sometimes I don't, but on average as a company we generate 50 posts per week.

You see, even though the marketing department owns our blogging program, we rely heavily on our colleagues to post relevant content that feeds our entire strategy (and frankly takes a huge weight off our shoulders).

If you're considering blogging for business but can't justify the time commitment - consider asking your colleagues to blog. You might just be surprised where you find your talented bloggers!

Bobby Case gets business blogging...

Thursday, March 19, 2009 by Megan Glover

I had coffee this morning with a Compendium Blogware client, Bobby Case, who works for the Indianapolis Tennis Championships.

I wasn't really surprised to hear that they are the only Tennis Championship in the Country blogging. But, the thing is, their blog is working to generate interest and it's time other tournaments take notice.

The Tennis Championship decided to start a blog as a vehicle to talk to fans in a human- conversational tone, create buzz over the event, and to be found by sports fans who turn to the Internet for information. And, the success of their blogs show that over 60% of their traffic comes from search compared to direct or referral.

People are finding the Tennis blogs through search terms such as: professional tennis tournaments and how to become a pro tennis player.

These keyword terms are important because the more terms you rank for the bigger audience you have to purchase tickets, subscribe to newsletters, take some action that puts them in your marketing database... and in the last month they've had almost 1000 visits come to their blog via 600 keywords!

Bobby also mentioned they've seen a huge spike in Website traffic they can attribute as referral traffic from their blogs.

The Tennis Championships are July 18 - 26, 2009 in downtown Indianapolis and I highly encourage you to come out and enjoy the festivities. Tennis fan or not they put on a fantastic event and there's plenty of entertainment me for all.

What you missed on HGTV last night...

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 by Megan Glover

I must admit I'm a HGTV fanatic. The station is on at my house not matter if I'm paying attention or not. But, if you've read my blog post about TJMaxx/Home Goods and their corporate blog, I'm sure this revolution comes at no surprise.

I was watching some real estate show last night and an interesting statistic popped on the screen: 80% of all first time home buyers begin their search for a house on the Internet.

If first time home buyers are your demographic, and you know that 80% of those are turning to the Internet to find a solution, what are you doing to be found by them? Blogging for search just makes sense. And, here are three quick reasons why:

1. Search engines love blogs. They love the frequent and relevant content that blogs inherently create and thus,

2. Humans love blogs. People want to talk to "people like me" not sales speak. Blogs allow you to develop personal and timely content.

3. Marketers love blogs: Blogs get found in search, people engage with the human content... marketers love blogs because they convert blog traffic into potential customers.

No matter what the industry, if the demographic you're target is online - by any fraction, you need a search presence. And a blogging strategy can be a tool to help you get there. Thanks HGTV!

eMarketer forecasts 25.7% increase in online spending...

Thursday, March 12, 2009 by Megan Glover

I just got back from the Seattle DMA's Market to the Max annual conference. Debra Aho Williamson, Senior Analyst from eMarketer was the morning keynote and did a knock out job.

Her presentation Seven Internet Marketing Tactics for Surviving the Recession was packed full of useful data. Once such stat, eMarketer is forecasting that marketers are going to spend 25.7% more on online advertising than they did the previous year. And, that trend will continue to grow.

I wrote about it month's ago when Century 21 announced their dollars moving from offline to online but simply put - dollars are moving where prospects reside. And, you need to be there too.

Business blogging is the most effective way to capture search traffic and convert those visitors into potential customers. For more information about where to start check out our upcoming free Webinar: Why Blogs are you #1 Search Marketing tool.

Don't call me, I'll search you.

Friday, March 6, 2009 by Megan Glover

I get a lot of marketing calls (and emails for that matter) during the day. And, frankly unless it's on my Outlook calendar those calls don't fit into my schedule; rather, it's interruption marketing.

Why business blogging works is because it's 100% permission based and driven by the searcher. For example... let's say I'm looking for marketing automation software.

I have lots of qualified folks calling and emailing regularly but before any decisions are made, I hit the web to search. And, you bet I want to see their name on the results when I search for "marketing automation software".

This is search marketing in its simpliest form... searcher has a problem, they go to Google for an answer, and your company had better be visable.

150 Word Blog Post Does the Job

Wednesday, March 4, 2009 by Megan Glover

Exactly how many words should my blog posts be? That is a common question Compendium receives during Webinars and amongst our Client Success Team.

The answer is length is not as important to your blogging success as frequency. More importantly and what will better your blogging program is if you write short post, often. Be Pithy as we like to say. Three or four times a week is what we recommend to our clients but if you have more than one person blogging within your organization, that shouldn’t be a problem.

But, pithy can be ambiguous, and we know that our bloggers appreciate as much direction as possible. So, a good rule of thumb when it comes to creating content, 150 words, which is roughly three short paragraphs does the job well.

And, if you’re looking for an example, look no further. This post measures in at 150 words exactly.

My mom reads blogs?

Tuesday, February 24, 2009 by Megan Glover

It's true. She just sent me a link to the Redbox movie blog as a follow up to a terrible movie we watched (eh hem, Blindness) while she was in town last weekend.

I shouldn't be so surprised. I've been stewing on this recent report here at eMarketer about the demographics of searchers. According to the research, over 50% of my parents generation (64-72) are online and of that group, 85% say search is their #1 activity.

The point to all this as it relates to business blogging is don't underestimate your audience. If you're answer to blogging and online marketing in general is... oh, I don't need to worry about that because my prospects don't search - are you sure about that?

Compendium Blogware Client Recognized by US Army

Friday, February 20, 2009 by Megan Glover

I had the pleasure of meeting one of our clients, Hilary Lee from Fairytale Brownies at the Email Evolution Conference a couple weeks ago. She was gracious enough to serve on a Blogging for Acquisition panel that our CoFounder/CEO of Compendium Blogware hosted.

1. If you haven't tasted a Fairytale Brownie. Do so immediately. You order here on their blog.

2. They just received Certificate of Appreciation from the US Army for the donations they've sent overseas.

Not only are the folks at Fairytale good people but they are good bloggers. Their content is pertinent, educational and they use customer testimonials in a really, really efficient way. Here's an example of how they re purpose this great content into blog posts.

I look forward to hearing more about this client and Hilary, if you're reading this... my door is always open if you need an extra taste tester. :)