compendiumblogware.com

I'm a Blog Admin! Now What?!

Thursday, November 19, 2009 by Allison Bowen

As an employee for Compendium Blogware, my job every day is to help our clients with our blog software. This often means that I find myself updating calls-to-action, explaining how clients can add users and answering other various questions that our users and admins might have.

But recently, the tables have turned. I have now become a blog admin myself! Now what do I do?!

Both Amber Mohling and I are fellows with the Orr Fellowship program. The Orr Fellowship program provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students searching for their first salaried, full-time position following graduation. It's been a great opportunity for both of us!

Well wouldn't you know it, we recently were able to set up an Orr Fellowship blog. And I'm the new blog admin! Check it out -- http://blog.orrfellowship.org. I now find myself actually performing some of the duties that we discuss with clients each day. So as a new blog admin, what have I done? Followed Compendium's blogging best practice tips, of course!

Updated our calls-to-action
Added ShareThis to our blog (visit here and send the code to help@compendium.com)
Encouraged my bloggers to blog frequently and consistently
Made sure each blogger has a sticky post set up
Monitored my Google Analytics statistics (admins should get them each Monday by e-mail)

It has definitely been an adventure, but I'm really enjoying being a blog admin. When I saw the number of click-throughs from our blog and our most recent search results, I was thrilled. Compendium really does provide the best blogging software!

Know Your Audience - and the Difference Between an Oven and Range

Thursday, November 19, 2009 by Tyler Bender

This morning, while I was editing some blog content, I ran across something I had never seen before.

(preface: before you make any judgments on me or my lack of knowledge, please understand that I am a 26 year-old guy who isn't that far removed from dormlife in college and has never done the following:

bought a house
bought an oven
shopped for either a house or an oven
used an oven for anything more than a place to see what time it is in the kitchen.
been so intrigued by the names of various components on an oven that I felt the urge to ask the nearest person in my vicinity. )

This blog was about outfitting a new home with new appliances. Particularly a new oven. Only they didn't call it an oven anywhere in their text. Ever. They called it a "range." But I saw the picture in the post! It looks like an oven to me!

When I think "range," my mind immediately goes to golf or guns. Not ovens. Actually, there's only one oven-looking device on the first two google image search pages when you type in "range." So it's not at the top of other peoples' minds either.

I thought to myself, "ok maybe this writer isn't writing to me. Maybe they're writing to a different demographic. Maybe since I've never seen the backend of a kitchen, I should ask someone else if "range" was appropriate and common appliance-speak among regulars."

I asked the people around me (all female coworkers). They told me that "range" is part of an oven, and commonly referred to as "oven range," but most people probably don't exclusively call it a "range" without the "oven" preceeding it - and they certainly don't go tell a salesman "I'm in the market to buy a new range...show me what you got!"

(note: And after doing a little research, I learned that a range is the combination of an oven and a stove-top. Who knew?)

So if I'm not their target audience, and these women aren't their target audience, who IS their target audience? Are they even writing to their target audience at all? If I'm confused by the content in question, who else will be?

Point is - we need to know who our audience is when we're trying to blog for business. Sometimes when we're blogging we're so focused on hitting target keywords, learning blogging best practices, repeatedly having something to write about each day, it can be easy to lose what might be most important - the connection with our audience.

When you're blogging for search, put yourself in your audience's shoes. Use the most common language ("oven" or "oven range" - not "range") that anyone can understand. Don't expect people to know everything you know.

The great thing about blogs is that people can find you even when they don't exactly know what they're searching for. So don't lose them because your content is unclear and not directed toward an audience.

The upside of this morning: at least now I know what a range is. Just wish I didn't have to spend this long learning it.

Click here to learn more about Compendium Blogware and how blogging can help your business.

Closing the Gap Between Company and Stakeholders

Thursday, November 19, 2009 by Amber Mohling

Posted earlier today was an interesting article by Kevin Moss entitled Blogging Really Can Enhance Corporate Sustainability. In the article, he discusses the value of blogging to corporate responsibility.

This article got me thinking about the importance of companies not only using their blogs as a tool in stakeholder engagement but also using it as a tool in search marketing.... because you have to get people to find the blog before you can expect engagement to take place.

Compendium's blog software enables our clients to get found on a variety of keywords related to their business in organic search. Next, as discussed in Kevin Moss's article, the company can further use the blog as a tool in stakeholder engagement & communication.

To learn more, check out the Compendium website.

Context for Canadians?

Thursday, November 19, 2009 by Clayton Stobbs

Given that I am a Canadian myself, I found the daily eMarketer newsletter somewhat interesting. Some of their most current research shows that Canadians have different trends in their online usage and goals. Furthermore, with a population only a fraction of that of the United States, Canadians enjoy far more connectivity and experience online. One quote I found particularly interesting was:

What can marketers take from this? Microsoft’s 2007 survey concluded that Web users’ receptivity to advertising could vary significantly with the time of day, their purpose in being online, access location and other factors. The 2009 data make the same point in more detail. When Canadians use the Web, they have clear aims in mind. Advertisers should be aware of consumers’ typical focus on tasks and goals, and use their knowledge of these behavior patterns to deliver their messages in appropriate contexts.

Nevertheless, despite all these changes one thing remains the same: search. No matter what the end goal, search marketing is still a hugely important aspect of reaching any audience. Whether for communication, entertainment, surfing etc. finding what you're looking for will still ultimately take place at the very basic search engine level.

For additional information about Compendium Blogware, check this out.

Put Your Blog on Steroids...

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 by Meghan Manning

That's right - you read my title correctly! If you aren't currently using business blogging as your search marketing startegy, now is the time to get started. If you are currently using blogs to help you get found in search, now is the time to step it up and put your blogs on steroids!

To learn how - attend the upcoming Webinar presented by Target Marketing featuring Chris Baggott CEO/CoFounder of Compendium Blogware.

During this informative Webinar, you'll learn:

Develop SEO-friendly content
Determine the optimal posting frequency
Measure the value of your investment
Engage customers and prospects

Be sure to register now to attend - the Webinar is getting close and you'll want to reserve your spot today!

Indiana's Top 50 Blogs - Congrats to the winners!

Thursday, November 12, 2009 by Sarah Sedberry

Congratulations to Compendium Blogware's own Marketing Guru - Megan Glover - for making the Indiana's Top 50 blog list!

Compendium also had a few clients make the list, as well as, our beloved Doug Karr!

MediaTile - congrats Chuck for taking the #1 spot!
Fuseworks - congrats guys!
Marketing Tech Blog - congrats Doug!
...............to see more, just click the badge above

We are excited to be working along side and with some very talented people who are contributing to the blogoshphere.

For more information on how to get started on your blog for business, schedule a demo today, and maybe we'll see you on next years list!

Calls to action drive the success of AirFlow's blog

Thursday, November 12, 2009 by Compendium Client Reviews

AirFlow's blogging success driven by its calls to action - which are great ways to drive traffic. Last month the company strove to develop stronger calls to action. By replacing their two original calls to action with three new specific calls to action, they saw a 987.5% increase in conversions by following Compendium's CTA best practices. Compendium is constantly providing feedback and insight on how to make your blog as successful as possible.

Name: Stephanie West
Company: Compendium Blogware
BlogURL:

BizSurvey is sold on the value of Compendium's blog platform

Thursday, November 12, 2009 by Compendium Client Reviews

BizSurvey wasn't sure of the benefits of blogging. After further research, they were sold on the benefits of blogging with Compendium blogging platform. An employee at BizSurvey, Matt Braun, made the following statement about Compendium's software: "Had to convince my boss of the value of blogging, but once I got him to look at Compendium's solution, he saw the light - and within weeks we saw the results in our SEO improvement." The results don't lie - SEO improvement is just one of the many benefits of blogging with Compendium.

Name: Stephanie West
Company: Compendium Blogware
BlogURL:

Firefly180 satisfied with Compendium's support

Thursday, November 12, 2009 by Compendium Client Reviews

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:

Whose success are you measuring?

Thursday, November 12, 2009 by Stephanie West

When it comes to stories of success, Compendium wants to make sure you know how its corporate blog software will fit into your daily routine.

There are numerous case studies available from various companies' success stories. They are all real stories from real companies that have seen success from Compendium's corporate blogging software.

For more of these success stories and more information on them, sign up for Compendium's free Webinar: Finding Business Blogging Success: Real-Life Stories. The Webinar will be hosted by marketer Chris Baggott, CEO and CoFounder of Compendium Blogware.

The Webinar will take place on November 18th, from 2-3pm EST and it will share the successes of several companies, including an eCommerce Gymnastics Apparel Company, SaaS Event Management and Web Survey Company, and Concrete and Services Company in Minneapolis.

In addition, the Webinar will cover:

Best Practices for ROI driven business blogging.
Real-life examples of successful blogging strategies.
How to set up a blogging strategy built for success.

Don't hesitate, sign up today!

A Living Breathing Alliteration

Thursday, November 12, 2009 by mikey mioduski

My close colleague and good friend Meghan recently got married to a very cool dude named Ryan. I not only want to congratulate the happy couple, I would like to point out something we recently discovered.

Meghan Manning. Pretty nice name right? A couple M's, a couple AN's.

It get's better.

Meghan Manning recently got promoted from Marketing Coordinator to Marketing Manager. The former Meghan Peters Marketing Coordinator at Compendium Blogware is now Meghan Manning, Marketing Manager at Compendium Blogware.

I couldn't make this up.

But Meghan Manning Marketing Manager is not just a literary or rhetorical stylistic device, she is a smart and savvy search marketer. If you want to get schooled with great tips and ideas on how to motivate a company to blog better, stronger and more frequently, tune into Meghan Manning Marketing Manager's blog, "Why Blogging Matters."

Thanks for all your hard work MMMM and for having such an incredible name.

Post script.

I should also point out that Compendium's Marketing Team is called the M-team for a reason. We only hire people with first names beginning with the letter M. So if your name is Richard or Peggy or something, and you've been thinking about applying for a marketing position with Compendium, you might want to consider going by "Mick" or "Meggy" if you wish to be taken seriously.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

- MM

TCLogic happy with blogging results with Compendium

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 by Compendium Client Reviews

TCLogic is seeing results with Compendium's blogging software. The company is happy with its blogging results and it is particularly happy with its ranking on important keywords - which has been its main goal all along. Rich Murphy, from TCLogic, said that its "blog is outperforming its website with 327 visits in the last 30 days (48% from search). The blog also serves as a #2 referrer to the website (behind email campaign)."

Name: Stephanie West
Company: Compendium Blogware
BlogURL:

Improving a Call to Action

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 by Sarah Sedberry

One of the most important pieces of information to have when measuring the success of any marketing or SEO tools is the number of conversions, leads generated, or data captured to put into nurturing campaigns. All of this data will eventually lead to a larger pipeline and more sales!

A corporate blogging software, such as Compendium Blogware, allows a company to increase their online marketing efforts, as it is a platform built for search engine optimization. Our powerful blogging software takes on all of the heavy lifting and allows the user to focus solely on creating content.

Another piece that makes our our blogging solution so easy is that we incorporate CTA's (Calls To Action) on every blog network with us, to help track visitors that come to the blog then click through to the company wanting more information or to take that next step towards conversion.

Recently Compendium held a Client Only webinar focused on understanding and improving the calls to action (CTA's) on your corporate blogging network. This webinar allows you to get a better understanding of what makes a great CTA, and how to incorporate best practices to draw more leads into your sales pipeline.

For a replay of this webinar, contact your dedicated Client Success Manager or our Product Support Team at help@compendium.com.

Keyword Strength Meter: What it Does and What it Does not Do

Monday, November 9, 2009 by P.J. Hinton

Compendium Blogware's post editor features a small widget known as the Keyword Strength Meter (referred to by the development team simply as the "KSM"). It's a display that gives the author a quick indication of the current keyword usage in your post. Starting at a bright red, the appearance will transition to green as keyword phrases are added to the post.

I wrote an introductory post about the KSM soon after it went live in the summer of 2008, and since then it has gone through many changes.

There were revisions to make sure that it was able to compute the score on the fly without imposing too much overhead the host browser.
When we switched editor technologies at the beginning of 2009, we made the code more modular so that it wouldn't be as tightly coupled to the editor that it was monitoring.
Also during the editor revamp, we changed the display to emphasize that the meter is a qualitative measure.
This past summer, after introducing a new moderation dashboard for network administrators, we added a keyword strength meter to the post preview so that network administrators could view the value.

One thing that hasn't changed as our user base has grown is the intense affinity that users have had for the widget. From Sales and Client Success, I have heard stories of users who endured great frustration because they couldn't make their posts turn the right shade of green. I've also heard of network administrators who have rejected posts because they weren't green enough.

As the developer of the original implementation of the KSM and the designer of its scoring algorithm, I think it's important for content authors and network administrators to have an awareness of what the meter measures so that it can be used effectively. I'll also talk about what it can't do for you.

The meter looks at three things in determining its score:

Does the post contain any keyword phrases?
Are the same phrases being used over and over, or is there a variety of keywords being chosen?
Are too many keywords being used relative to the length of the post?

These measures are combined in a way that simultaneously rewards keyword usage and penalizes keyword stuffing, a practice that Compendium discourages because it runs counter to what we are trying to help our clients achieve.

Keyword usage is but one piece of a successful corporate blogging program. Other significant factors include:

Creating Content Steadily -- The primary axis of content organization within a single blog is time. Newer content appears on the lead pages. Older content takes more mouse clicks to reach via pagination. Assuming that search ranking algorithms place greater emphasis pages closer to the root of a URL hierarchy, the new content is what gets the greatest weight. A steady stream of new content ensures that indexers know you're alive and relevant.
Choosing Topics Relevant to the Customer -- If sales of your products fluctuate over time and change of season, you'll probably want to adjust the emphasis of your posts accordingly. Sometimes the keywords you chose initially for your blogging program don't take these topics into account. If you focus too narrowly on the original keywords, you'll wind up creating posts that miss opportunities to convert.
Being Real by Letting the Rank and File be Themselves -- Our application makes it easy for organizations to add new user accounts for blogging. We do this to encourage our clients to a wide variety of employees blogging. Packing the blogging team with people exclusively from the Public Relations team runs the risk of making blog content read like those newsletter inserts that come with utility bills. Do you read those things? I didn't think so. Overemphasis on using exact keyword phrases in every post also runs the danger of making their usage look forced, which can be spammy looking.

What's common to all of these points? They cannot be measured by the KSM.

The content creation time line graphs on the network administrator's dashboard can help keep an eye on frequency. The content ideas panel on the user dashboard can provide timely reading for new ideas. Producing real content requires human beings with inspiration and knowledge of the customer's needs. No computer can replace that.

The bottom line? Use the KSM as part of a comprehensive strategy to make sure that keywords are being used in reasonable measure. Treat it as a rough guide, not an all-knowing oracle.

Don't Be Scared of Keywords

Monday, November 2, 2009 by Tyler Bender

I've been writing for years. I have a background in Journalism and was beat over the head with APA format writing in college. I have written websites, press releases, brochures, video scripts. I thought I'd seen the in's and out's of this "web 2.0" movement. The basic principles for writing for the web: keep it simple, put yourself in the shoes of your audience, tell them what you want them to do. Don't screw up gramatically, and don't have typos.

Got it.

Now, I've only been a part of Compendium's team for about three weeks as an internal content writer, and one of the things I have seen multiple times in some of our client keyword lists look something like this: (I'll use Compendium as my example)

Compendium Blogware
Compendium
Blogging Software
Corporate Blogs
Compendiums
Comppendium
Compendiam
Compendium Blog Ware

Notice something odd? The name of the company is misspelled. more than once.

And I'm expected to throw those keywords into my content like that? Whhhhattt? This concept takes some catching on. And for someone who has spent the greater part of his life trying to edit and perfect his writing so that it never has a typo, learning how to include typos into content on purpose is like telling Peyton Manning that it's ok to throw passes to the other team. At first, it was like nails on a chalkboard, only the nails were buckets of acid and the chalkboard was my eyes.

But it makes sense.

People don't check Webster's Dictionary or the phonebook before they visit search engines to search for your company's keywords. Sometimes they're going to misspell their searches and you want to win those searches - even if they're "wrong." Right?

When you're bloging for search, you should always account for the searches that aren't perfect. It's okay. Wouldn't you rather have someone find your blog even though they mistakenly typed in "Acmes Solution" instead of "Acme Solutions," than someone completely miss your content because you weren't comfortable including the misspelling in your content?

Part of the beauty of blogging is that it's not perfect. Actually, I think some imperfections in corporate blogs make the writers more "relatable" to their audience. If I saw a typo in a brochure, I'd think that the company was lazy, didn't care enough to edit their material and all-around not very professional. If I see a typo in a blog, it's easier to remind myself that an actual human being is on the other end of the blog, constantly updating their content, and it was probably a simple oversight.

So don't be scared of your keywords just because they're mispelled. They'll still work, and strategically, it makes sense to use them. The goal is to reach your audience - even if they're not sure how to spell your company name.

Too soon to think about Christmas? Think again.

Thursday, October 29, 2009 by Michael Burton

With 57 days until Christmas, it may be too early for hanging the lights, putting up the tree or playing that same Christmas CD on repeat between now and Dec. 25th, but it is not too late to think about how your company plans to reach its customers in the upcoming shopping season.

Countdown to your blogging solution present

You could always resort to trying to get a flier in the newspaper on Thanksgiving with 200 other businesses fighting for attention... Or you could compete for insanely expensive TV ad space... Or stand outside your business with a sign that says "PLEASE COME IN!"

OR...

You could go a more cost effective, time efficient, convenient form of marketing and simply look into a powerful blogging software solution like Compendium Blogware.

Compendium knows that this could be your biggest money making time of the year IF you are equipped with the right tools to reach your customers. If you are timid about trying something new just before the holiday season gets underway, why not talk with one of our Compendium employees who would be happy to walk you through a demo of the software and let you know how blogging fits perfectly into your business!

What scares you the most this Halloween?

Thursday, October 29, 2009 by Michael Burton

Only days away from Halloween and it's a time when people start thinking about all the things that scare them the most. You know, like zombies, vampires, and ghosts, right?... Wrong.

Tame your fear with our blogging solution

Yes, when we were 8 years old those may be the things that kept us up at night...checking under the bed, hoping they would not enter our dreams, but what about our fears today?

My guess is that most business owners and employees are way more scared about the status of their business than any giant werewolf. Ghosts aren't keeping us up at night; the latest news reports on the economy and the upcoming holiday season are keeping us awake.

Well, just as a stake takes care of a vampire and a silver bullet will silent any werewolf, Compendium Blogware's business blog software can take care of your business anxieties and fears. Rest assured that when your company signs on with Compendium, you are in good hands and have no reason to fear.

With the holiday season just around the corner, this is the time to start making changes to the ways you are reaching your customers. Blog software takes the stress out of marketing and allows you to focus what you want to market.

Indianapolis Gyms Need Blog Software... Part 2

Thursday, October 29, 2009 by Amber Mohling

In my previous post, I discussed my experiences of researching online to find possible gyms I could join in the Indianapolis area. My frustration came when I wasn't finding relevant search results, and I was able to determine that these gyms probably aren't using effective SEO tools to help market themselves online. My suggestion was that these gyms should use blog software.

Today, I continued my online research because I'm determined to find a gym with all the qualities I'm seeking out. After digging and digging online, I finally found a gym that really interests me. They even have a blog that discusses many of the qualities I'm looking for when google searching: Indianapolis personal trainer, sport fitness training in Indianapolis, etc. However, this gym was not present in the search engine results for any of these keyword phrases.

Compendium's blogging solution is different from all others out there and is helping our clients get found on numerous keywords related to their business... whether that be a gym, an ecommerce site, a brownie company, or anything inbetween.

Check out the Compendium website to learn more and request a demostration of our software today!

Top 10 Google Analytics Resources for Corporate Bloggers

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 by Compendium Client Marketing

You can leverage your corporate blog analytics to gain insight into your blog including:

Where your business blog traffic is coming from
What visitors are most engaged with
The search keywords your traffic is finding you for
Guiding your visitors to take the next step

It is important that you listen to your analytics closely when your blogging for search. Don't worry everyone has questions about Google Analytics.

Here are the top ten resources I use to find answers to my Google Analytics questions.

Official Google Analytics Blog

Google Analytics Official YouTube Channel

Google Analytics Support Page

Occam’s Razor by Avinash Kaushik

A Guide to Google Analytics and Useful Tools

50 Resources for Getting the Most Out of Google Analytics

AnalyticsSearch: Search dozens of Google Analytics support websites with 1 click

EpikOne: Analytics Talk

Follow & Tweet with @Google Analytics on Twitter

Software as a Service Compendium Blogware's Product Support Team

I hope that these resources help you with your analytics questions. Do you use a resource not listed here? Please just add it to my list via comments.

Communicating with Your Blog

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 by Stephanie West

Corporate blogging is a great way to update your clients (or perspective clients) on what is going on within your company.

Corporate blogging is a great search marketing tool. It also helps businesses get found in search. Blogging is also a great way to generate leads. And it humanizes your business.

But another great aspect of blogging is communication.

Simply communicating what is going on within your company is equally as important as getting found in search or generating leads.

So as the marketing intern, I'm here to tell you what's going on within the marketing department at Compendium.

This month, the Marketing department is hosting a blogging competition amongst the 5 departments at Compendium. Our Marketing Manager, Meghan, assigned each department weekly blogging goals to reach. The Client Success department won two weeks in a row. No one has caught them yet!
The Marketing department hosted a successful Webinar last week! Look for the replay on Compendium's website soon.
We're preparing for another Webinar and follow-up this Thursday, Sept. 17 from 2-3PM, Third Generation Business Blogging. Click on the link to sign up for this FREE webinar!

These are just a few of the fun things going on at Compendium - particularly within the Marketing department. From now on, look for more regular updates from me on what's going on at Compendium in the Marketing department!