Blogs as a marketing solution

Why Should Your Business Blog?

Hi, I'm Eric Romer, Business Development Manager at Compendium Blogware. Every day I talk to CEO's, business owners, and marketing directors about how to grow their business with new communication channels. Business blogs are the perfect way to start a conversation with potential customers.

People want relevant information based on specific needs. It's your job as a business (small, medium or enterprise) to provide solutions with fresh, engaging content.

I hope you join me in discovering how blogs will change your business.

Search Engine Optimization spending increases

Posted Friday, August 15, 2008 by Eric Romer

A new survey from the Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization (SEMPO) shows that both advertisers and agencies are ramping up their spending in Search Marketing, particularly organic SEO. This shouldn't be shocking news, as Search Marketing has steadily grown, and will continue to grow as less and less people use destination websites.

It's not rocket science. If I am looking for a particular brand of jeans, or a specific tea pot my mom was talking about, I search. I Google "cast iron asian tea pot", and start my research.

As the survey shows, advertisers are increasing their organic SEO by 28%, and agencies by 73% (the highest increase of all the categories!). So what does this mean? It means companies are trying to optimize a traditional website to be found on many different keywords. The only problem is a website will only be able to capture a handful of keywords. There are hundreds, thousands of different ways I can search for that tea pot. As a business who sells that product, I need to cast a wide net and be found on as many of those terms as possible.

Don't believe me? If you have 5 minutes, check out this Whitepaper that discusses how traditional SEO efforts pale in comparison to a corporate blogging solution when it comes to organic search.

MSNBC talks about Corporate blogging

Posted Friday, August 15, 2008 by Eric Romer

I saw this video over on Debbie Weil's blog, and it apparently aired a couple weeks back on MSNBC. They do a pretty good job highlighting the value of a "blogger-in-chief".

I like that Bill Marriot handwrites his blog posts -- there's something nostalgic about that in a technology-driven world. But at the same time, that can be limiting. Relying on an extremely busy CEO, and someone to transcribe his notes, is a bit tedious.

Free up the employees to create content. They're communicating everyday with potential customers on phone and email, why not a blog?

Corporate blogging is like gardening

Posted Wednesday, August 13, 2008 by Eric Romer

Or traveling to Florida for vacation.

Or throwing a party.

Or building a house.

OK, so my point is, you can fill in just about any analogy and it would work. The desired outcome is an award-winning garden, or arriving in Florida, or having a fun party everyone talks about, or seeing the house in its final stages. How you get there is by using the proper tools or tactics.

This is mostly inspired from reading a great post by Shel Holtz, co-author of "Blogging For Business", along with other communication-focused books. (Not to be confused with Shel Israel, co-author of "Naked Conversations", another book on corporate blogging)

Gardening Tools
I've talked about the issue of time in several posts on this blog, and you can count this as another. My biggest issue with that argument related to business blogs is that it's an excuse, not a valid reason.

If all of the sudden, there was a revolutionary new tool that could improve the way I garden, I'd probably want to know about it. I would never say "I have no time to use that tool." Take the picture above. There are a lot of different tools that a gardener can use to achieve his/her end goal - to make it the most healthy, attractive garden around. (if that's not the goal gardeners, speak up) The end game is the same, but the tools are up to each individual gardener.

It's the same thing with business. Any business has to communicate with it's shareholders, employees, existing customers, and most importantly potential customers. To drive business, you need leads. You need to introduce your business to a qualified prospect, build trust, prove value and convert them into a happy customer.

Blogging is just a tool. A simple, easy tool that scales content and allows you to communicate more effectively.

Shel writes:
Blogging is a new communication channel. Before blogs became widely available and accepted, executives made do with the channels available to them: one-on-one phone calls, conference calls, speeches, road shows, letters, email and so on. I have heard from a number of CEOs that blogs are more effective than any of these tools for a variety of communications. Therefore, they have replaced the use of such channels with blogging. In aggregate, though, they’re spending just as much time fulfilling their role as the company’s chief communicator.
And he's just highlighting an executive's reason to blog. We at Compendium preach to allow employees, not just C-level exec's, to blog for your business. As the Edelman Trust Barometer shows us, an employee blog is "five times more credible than a CEO blog." Shel also has some good tips on time management, group blogs and ROI. Read the rest of his post HERE.

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.

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.

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.

Reach Retail Shoppers With a Company Blogging Solution

Posted Wednesday, July 30, 2008 by Eric Romer

A recent article in eMarketer, a leading source for Internet market trends, highlights retail shopping statistics that show consumers hit the web first... before talking to family & friends.

This is great data that really drives home the importance of a blogging solution for retailers.

I'd be interested to see the breakdown of how many people start with a search engine in that 58% . It's probably a conservative estimate to say it's at least half, which would be about the same amount that visit local stores. Think how much effort is dedicated to in-store displays and hiring smart, capable employees to service needs of shoppers. Based on this data, why would a retail business not provide that same experience online??

Blog for your business. Show consumers you are in tuned with your industry and the needs of your customers. You will be found in search engines more often... on a wider range of keywords. And, with a measurable blog strategy, you will convert those visitors into paying customers.

How to Track, Measure and Adjust Your Blog

Posted Thursday, July 24, 2008 by Eric Romer

Today at 5pm EST, co-founder and CEO of Compendium, Chris Baggott, will be answering questions about how to track, measure and adjust your company blog. Details below:

What: How to Track, Measure and Adjust Your Blog

Who: The Blog Squad: Patsi Krakoff, Psy.D., & Denise Wakeman, with guest Chris Baggott

Where: At your home or office: on the phone or on the web

When: Thursday, July 24 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Why: To learn how you can earn a good income from blogging.

Investment: Zero - It's free to attend. Register now to attend the live event.

Webinar from Compendium & Mid-Marketer

Posted Thursday, July 24, 2008 by Eric Romer

If you can't make the live event with Blog Squad today, make sure to sign up for Friday's Webinar.

Just click the banner above to sign up.

Hold all my calls, I'm blogging

Posted Wednesday, July 23, 2008 by Eric Romer

This video was sent to me from Mikey, the intern who "delivers crushing creative backhands for the team".

(Fyi.... although hilarious, you DO NOT have to hold all your calls to blog for your business. I promise. I just answered a call while typing this post)

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.

Blog Indiana Conference - Aug. 16 & 17

Posted Thursday, July 17, 2008 by Eric Romer

It's summer, which means wedding season. And a lot of my friends are getting married. In these past few weeks, I've accepted that I'm definitely the guy who sends a gift in the mail after the date of the wedding.

Come to think of it, I have also purchased more belated birthday cards than regular ones. But... in either scenario, the thought is still there, just delivered a few days late.

So, hopefully you will forgive me for being a day late on "Blog Post Day". As a clever way to promote the upcoming conference on blogging solutions and social media, Blog Indiana asked sponsors, participants and interested bloggers to post about the conference exactly 30 days out from Indiana's first blogging conference....

Well... here's your reminder 29 days out!

This will be an amazing event. Obviously, we at Compendium are advocates of corporate blogs and showing how blogs can change your business. But it's really encouraging to see the IU School of Informatics showcase this progressive community across all of Indiana.

Here's the basics on the conference, with links to the Blog Indiana website for more information. Make sure you don't miss our CEO, Chris Baggott, lead the session on Organizational Blogging.

Who Should Attend?
Students, hobbyists and professionals are encouraged to attend to network and learn. Experience with blogging or social media are not requirements to participate; anyone with an interest in technology and new media is welcome to attend.

Attendees
Seating is limited to 200 attendees.

Location
The IUPUI Campus Center on the IUPUI Campus in Indianapolis, IN

Cost
$49 for both days -- Register Today!

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.

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.

The Art of Stress-Free Blogging

Posted Tuesday, June 24, 2008 by Eric Romer

So, I'm stuck on the issue of time. I've been thinking about this a lot, and really
breaking down the natural human feeling of being stressed, overwhelmed, and ending each day with another "To Do" list that didn't get finished.

The last thing I have time to think about is to blog for SEO.

This made me think of a book that's been recommended to me several times, which I'm just now getting around to reading: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen.

Now, I'm only 30 pages into it, so I won't go acting like an expert on the subject. But I will be referencing it over the next couple weeks.

One of the themes in GTD is prioritizing. We make time for things that are a priority. The best athletes make time to get up two hours earlier to train. The best companies make time to be innovators, and set themselves apart from competition. Easy blog software empowers companies to tell their story. In a Web 2.0 world, business blogs are a priority for success.

I know I can find 45 minutes a week to communicate my company's story, from my perspective.... all while being stress-free.

The issue of TIME

Posted Thursday, June 19, 2008 by Eric Romer

There's a great song by an artist named Cody Chesnutt called "When I Find Time", and I often find it popping up in my head throughout the week. The chorus goes like this:

"It's so sad, and it's too bad
I only have time, to think about the time I don't have
What a day it's gonna be,... when I find time"

When approaching a blogging solution for your business, a big concern is TIME.

I get it, and I am a perfect case study. Day in and day out, I am on the phones with prospective clients, sending follow-up emails & press about Compendium, and analyzing client keywords and organic rankings. My days are usually packed with Demo's of our business blogging software, and managing my list of clients. My boss wants me driving new business, plain and simple.

But writing on a business blog is easy, helps drives leads for my business, and allows me to create a conversation with prospective customers. In the time that I've started this post, 7 minutes has passed. It took longer for me to walk down to Starbuck's for an afternoon coffee on the first floor of our building. Advanced business blogging is an oxymoron, because it is simple to do, yet drives advanced results for your business.

If you don't believe me, read Chris Baggott's recent post titled "You Think You Don't Have Time To Blog?". He's way smarter than me anyhow.... (and yes, that was me sucking up to the head honcho, another benefit of allowing employees to blog)

Honda Pilot commercial

Posted Wednesday, June 18, 2008 by Eric Romer

I was watching Fox59 Morning News today, and saw a commercial for the new Honda Pilot.

It was a few guys talking about the new Pilot and it's features. The commercial ended with one of the men saying "I heard about it on a blog".

I like to see this because it shows that blogs are becoming more of a mainstream word used in conversation. People have been blogging for a few years now, but the word "blog" can sometimes bring negative connotations, or just confusion on what a blog really is, let alone how you can blog for your business.

The less people think of a "blog" as only reserved for the tech-savvy elite, the more they will see how it can apply to business.

If you want to rethink blogging, and how it can be a tool for a business to drive new customers, take Chis Baggott's Blogging Challenge.

Always Be There

Posted Monday, June 16, 2008 by Eric Romer

I had a conversation with a prospective client today, and as we were talking about the importance of business blogs, he referenced an adage from his boss to "always be there." I really like this saying, and it relates directly to corporate blogging.

You may be thinking that is a simple, blanket statement. However, it is increasingly true in the Web 2.0 world that is constantly evolving. We are in an on-demand culture, where people become disengaged if your business is not providing new, valuable information. The days of stagnant websites are fading fast. And with blog software becoming more simplified for small businesses and large enterprises alike, blogs are the vehicle for consistent information flow.

To tackle a somewhat overwhelming world of technology, the best strategy is to

"always be there", presenting relevant solutions when people come searching. Remember how Superman was somehow "always there" when someone was in trouble? Consider business blogs your Superman-like power to be present when a problem arises (only people are typing into Google, not yelling your name for help).

Fresh, consistent blog content

Posted Wednesday, June 11, 2008 by Eric Romer

Ok, so I'm guilty too. And I spend 40+ hours a week talking to people about the importance of consistent blog posts on a business blog. But, we're all human. We all have busy days, to-do lists and sometimes overwhelming responsibility.

A successful business blog requires slight discipline, but just like anything else, with organization it becomes second nature.

I remember reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and it suggested setting appointments with yourself. This is a powerful exercise, and can be applied to all facets of life.

I have a goal to post 2-3 times per week, and am setting appointments in my Outlook calendar. When I see three 15-minute appointments throughout my week, all of the sudden my blog is no longer a burden. I know it's a quick process, and the benefits far outweigh the 45 minutes I dedicate per week.

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