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.
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.
Comments
(0)
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)
(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)
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
"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)
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.
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).
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).
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.
Posted Wednesday, June 11, 2008 by
Eric Romer
I was at a seminar held by Mediasauce, a "connection company" also headquartered in Indianapolis, and they covered a wide range of social media. There was a lot of interesting topics that were discussed, but one theme surrounding business blogs jumped out to me.
You now have the power. Granted, you have the power to create a Facebook profile, or a Del.ico.us page, or a Youtube channel, etc., etc. But no one has quite figured out the science of how businesses can see tangible results from these outlets. When it comes to businesses and organizations, you no longer have to depend on the local paper/magazine to feature your organization. You don't need to call the local TV station begging for a story on your business. Blogging trends are allowing people within organizations to tell their story, get found through search engines, and have more engagement than a half-page article on page 4 of the newspaper.
Get out there and tell your story. People are searching everyday for things relevant to your business. You need to be delivering fresh, relevant content about who you are, and what value you bring to the table. The power is yours, and a stagnant website is not enough.
Start blogging for your business -- you will be amazed at the the leads you will generate.
Posted Wednesday, June 11, 2008 by
Eric Romer
So, I was flipping channels last week, and I stumbled upon CNBC's "The Business of Innovation" hosted by Maria Bartiromo. I only caught the last five minutes of the program, but it was focusing on the "Human Element" of business and innovation. There was an all-star panel weighing in on the topic, including Jack Welch, former CEO of GE.
What really jumped out to me, so much so that I scrambled for a pen and pad, was the statement from one of the panelists that "engaging your employees is the key to innovation". Wow. That is a really powerful statement and observation. And it really drives home the benefits of top corporate blogs -- they empower employees to contribute content.
At Compendium, a blogging company in Indianapolis, we often stress the importance of being "found". That first step in the customer acquisition cycle is "how are people finding you?". Professional blogs are very friendly with search engines, and with proper blogging techniques, companies can be "found" on a wide variety of search terms.
However, the power of the human voice, and how that affects both the internal and external reputation of a company is sometimes overlooked. People like to buy from people. People want to hear from the employees that make up a company, not just the top executives. Empower them to create relevant content about your business -- make it part of your company's culture!
But don't listen to me, listen to the Jack Welch's, Gil Cloyd's and Bob Johnson's of the world. They realize that to be a true innovator in business, you must engage employees and have a human element to your messaging.
Posted Thursday, April 24, 2008 by
Eric Romer
I've said it before, and I'll say it over and over again. People want relevant content. It's a simple concept. Think about customer service for a second. How annoying is it to listen to that recorded voice run down a list of 14 options and prompts that are not relevant to you? In an ideal world, you would have a specific number to call for each separate problem or question you have, and you'd speak to a person after the first ring.
This same concept applies to the Web 2.0 world. I was reading Seth Godin's blog today, and he made a great point about high traffic vs. focused, relevant content:
"This is a truth of the Internet: When traffic comes to your site without focused intent, it bounces... 75% of all unfocused visitors leave within three seconds."He sums up his point in one profound statement:
"Smart retailers work hard to get focused people to walk in the door and to keep the riff raff walking on down the sidewalk."
I love that statement, but I'll take it one step further. How about "smart retailers work smart to get focused people..." When someone types a specific need/want/interest into Google (especially if there's local intent or a longer tailed search), that is a "focused person" who wants answers. With a focused, topic-driven blog, your business is serving up relevant content, pleasing your potential customer. And instead of working hard to accomplish that feat, why not just empower your employees to blog?
High traffic is great for sitting around and discussing how many hits your site got this week, but I'm interested in results. A well-executed blogging solution not only allows you to cut that 75% bounce rate, but you do it by empowering your employees.
Now that's working smart.
Posted Friday, April 11, 2008 by
Eric Romer
The beauty of business blogging is that there are two important end-goals, each one satisfying a different (and important) objective. I've noticed that when I talk to friends, prospects and even current customers, there seems to be two distinct types of people: the people that see corporate blogging as a means to SEO and as a customer acquisition tool, and those that see blogs as a feel-good way to empower employees, give them a voice, and demonstrate that you value their input.
But guess what? No matter which side of the fence you fall, the two have a cause and effect relationship. I had a call with a friend yesterday who has a deep understanding of organic search optimization and it's importance. His "ah-ha" moment wasn't when he say how Compendium's software helped clients win the organic search battle (that was clear to him in minutes), but rather the PR side of the coin.
Paraphrasing his words, it was something to the effect of:
"Wow - this would give a company such a great PR campaign, showing that they care enough about their people to give them an outlet to express their thoughts and expertise. If I were a Verizon or a large company like that, why wouldn't I do this?"
I obviously love to hear that, but he's right. Why wouldn't a company implement a blogging strategy with the ability to manage and approve content? And it's not just for the large enterprises that he used as an example. The majority of our clients are SMB's (small to medium-sized businesses) who leverage even 5-6 employees to consistently create content about their industry, product and/or service. (see Chris Baggott's post about Carmen Real Estate)
Whether you have 3,000+ employees, or an office with 10 people; you want to blog for SEO and conversion, or to strengthen employee relations, there's a solution for you through organizational blogging.
Posted Tuesday, April 8, 2008 by
Eric Romer
So, I saw a new feature for Facebook on a Wired blog this morning. Being an avid Facebook user, I was intrigued by this added element to the site. My first thought was, "Great, tack on another useless hour that I'm on Facebook." (which is exactly what they intended)
In the blog, Michael Calore writes:
"I like the idea of having instant, real time access to my Facebook friends, but I don't want to spend a lot of time on Facebook. Also, I may want to log into Facebook without having to deal with incoming chats -- or the threat of them -- at all. But it's not likely, since Facebook has been rather open about its intention to make the site the hub of our online social lives. The reason they launched chat is to keep people using Facebook for longer periods of time."
For me, this is the key. Most people, including myself, are already spending a LOT of time on Facebook. The last thing we want, is to spend more. From a business standpoint, Facebook wants users there longer, enriching their experience, making it more appealing for advertisers.
But at the end of the day, are people really engaging with advertiser messages on Facebook? I know I don't click on sponsored links, unless it is absolutely catered to a specific need/want that I have. Nine times out of ten, I'll see an ad on facebook that says "Travel in Switzerland? Click here for discounts", and I'll go to Google to compare travel sites.
I want to make my own decisions, not have someone tell me what is the best option. I have the tools to find out on my own. And when I go to Google, I'm going to trust the most relevant, topical and recent content I find.
If you want to enhance people's experience with your business or brand, you need to be standing there with relevant content when they come searching. Blogs will change your business.
Posted Friday, April 4, 2008 by
Eric Romer
So, this is my first week with Compendium, and I've learned an amazing amount in just a few days. It's an interesting perspective to have when, as of a few weeks ago, my knowledge of blogs was very basic. This is a great advantage in my eyes, however, because I can relate to organizations who are completely new to the world of blogging for business.It's a fairly safe bet that your average person has a false perception of how a blog can be used as a marketing strategy. In July 2006 the Pew & American Life Project conducted a national phone survey and found that "most [bloggers] are focused on describing their personal experiences to a relatively small audience of readers and that only a small proportion focus their coverage on politics, media, government, or technology." They went on to report that there are 12 million people in the US that keep an active blog, and 57 million adults read them. That being said, I would guess that those 12 million active blog users think of blogs like I used to - a successful blog has multiple reader comments for each post. WRONG.
This topic came up in a meeting I attended Wednesday with my co-worker Jenni. The potential client used a personal example of how he recently posted a comment on a political blog post, and his perception was that it was a successful blog based on the number of comments. Jenni did a great job of defining what "success" is. For organizational and corporate blogging, the goal is to generate new leads and convert blog readers into customers. At the end of the day, there needs to be a clear call-to-action. If you look to the right of this blog, our own call-to-action is to engage readers enough that they will click for more info and sign up for a software consultation.
My success on this blog will not be measured by the number of comments I receive, but rather engaging someone enough to take action and request more information about Compendium software.
| Previous |
