So I'm actually stealing this idea from Doug Karr, who posed the question:
"Wouldn't it be nice to have a template to use for your first blog post?"
Yes,
it would, and the reason is because the very first post can often be
the hardest one to do. Once you've gotten that first post out of the
way, you're no longer a Blogging Newbie, and every post thereafter is
going to get easier and easier, until you get to the point that you can
write a post in about 10 minutes that makes the points you want (that's
how much time I've allotted for this one).
So back to that
conversation -- Here is an idea for your very first business blog post.
Just plug and play and consider it a gift from the Compendium team!
==========================
My First Blog Post About ______
Today
is a big day -- I'm writing my first blog post. For starters, here's a
little bit about what I do for <Company Name>. In my job, I'm
responsible for _______, _______, and _____. This pertains to you
because I'm going to be sharing all sorts of insight into <Company
Name> and my position.
On that note, you're probably
curious about what <Company Name> is all about, how we help
people, and how we might work with you. <Company Name> helps
people by _______, and if you want to be able to _______ or have the
problem of ________, we're the right people to talk to.
I'm
really excited to use this blog as a way to share <resources>,
<tips>, <common questions>, <best practices>,
<customer stories>, <special programs>, and more.
My
picture is available in this post because I want you to know the person
who's providing all of these great things to you! You'll also notice
that on my company blogs, there are several ways that you can contact
us. I'm sure you'll be compelled to take a step furthering in getting
to know <Company Name>.
=======================
I blogged on this topic a few weeks ago and couldn't resist expanding on measurement...
"How do you know whether or not your corporate blogging program is working?"
We get this question all the time. The answer is simple:
Business blogging can be measured the same way that all other marketing is measured.
The top line measurements are: Total traffic, quality of traffic, and clicks on your call-to-action.
Yes, that means that your blog template MUST incorporate something for your visitors to do. They need something to click on. That's no different than how you treat your website and email marketing campaigns (and if you're not treating them this way, now is the time to start).
The bottom line metrics are: Leads and dollars. That could be dollars generated or dollars saved.
My next few posts are going to feature Compendium's own blogging program and I'll also feature metrics/stats from some customers.
I'll also cover the key aspects of success in order to get the top line and bottom line metrics headed in the direction you want.
So I'm in the Atlanta airport right now, with a 3 hour lay over... I'm getting caught up on some work but can hardly think because of the BLARING overhead speaker notifying passenger Davis that he should report to the front desk. Oh, and passenger Walker, too. And now guess what? The flight to La Guardia is delayed. And passenger Walker, could you PLEASE report to the front desk?
The volume on the speaker is entirely too loud, the voice is nasal, and every single message that has been announced since I arrived has been completely irrelevant to me. I'm flying to Kansas, my name isn't Walker or Davis, and I'm being interrupted while trying to work.
In the world of marketing, interruptions are no less obnoxious and frustrating, and that includes online marketing.
The more that we are interrupted in marketing and life, the more we try to tune out the message. I now have my headphones on because I don't want to be bothered.
You should think about this as you are gearing up for your 2009 marketing initiatives. Starting business blogs should be part of your plan because a corporate blogging program will enable you to intercept prospects and customers online and with a relevant message.
The beauty of a corporate blogging strategy is that you will know exactly what is relevant to your audience because of the keywords that they plug into Google and other search engines.
Interruption marketing is becoming a thing of the past...now if I could just get the Atlanta airport to change their ways, too!
Last week I wrote about the comparison in effectiveness between organic search and PPC.
Compendium Blogware helps organizations win organic search by using business blogs. The funny thing about a corporate blogging strategy (with the intention of search engine optimization) is that is more easily compared to PPC than just about anything else.
Consider that the average marketer buys 1,000 keywords (at least) to win in the PPC area...and based on the effectiveness or winning those same terms organically (10 x more effective than PPC!), then of course any smart marketer wants to show up for those 1,000 keywords in the organic results.
There is a way to accomplish this (of course the answer is starting business blogs with Compendium). In fact, several of our customers have found that comparing the cost of their blogging program with Compendium against the cost of buying those same terms for PPC is the best way to prove the value of their company blogs.
I'll leave you with this graph from a customer that shows exactly what their blogging program costs per year (they are winning several thousand terms organically with it) vs. what those same terms would have cost to buy.
Compendium Blogware helps organizations win organic search by using business blogs. The funny thing about a corporate blogging strategy (with the intention of search engine optimization) is that is more easily compared to PPC than just about anything else.
Consider that the average marketer buys 1,000 keywords (at least) to win in the PPC area...and based on the effectiveness or winning those same terms organically (10 x more effective than PPC!), then of course any smart marketer wants to show up for those 1,000 keywords in the organic results.
There is a way to accomplish this (of course the answer is starting business blogs with Compendium). In fact, several of our customers have found that comparing the cost of their blogging program with Compendium against the cost of buying those same terms for PPC is the best way to prove the value of their company blogs.
I'll leave you with this graph from a customer that shows exactly what their blogging program costs per year (they are winning several thousand terms organically with it) vs. what those same terms would have cost to buy.
There is a really interesting study out right now that compares PPC and Organic Search, including clicks, conversion, and avg. marketer spend.
The long and short of it is this:
Even though organic search is nearly 10x more effective on the click side, marketers are still pouring 10x the amount of cash into PPC (pay per click).
Why? Because PPC is immediate, trackable, and much easier to comprehend than organic search.
Traditionally, the problem with SEO has been that it requires professional services, and a lot of "magic dust sprinkling" if you will in order to get results.
So two things need to happen in order to make the spend on Organic Search correlate to the effectiveness of it:
1. Organic search optimization needs as many elements as possible "softwarized."
Oh wait...Compendium has already done this! At the end of the day, search engines want to present good, fresh, relevant content, and searchers want to find exactly that. Compendium's blogging tools make it possible to write great content once and get the SEO benefit of it across many keyword phrases. In fact, it's a corporate blogging strategy that's similar to PPC.
For point number 2, you'll have to check back tomorrow...
You can get more info about the study at SEOmoz's Rand Fishkin's blog.
The long and short of it is this:
Even though organic search is nearly 10x more effective on the click side, marketers are still pouring 10x the amount of cash into PPC (pay per click).
Why? Because PPC is immediate, trackable, and much easier to comprehend than organic search.
Traditionally, the problem with SEO has been that it requires professional services, and a lot of "magic dust sprinkling" if you will in order to get results.
So two things need to happen in order to make the spend on Organic Search correlate to the effectiveness of it:
1. Organic search optimization needs as many elements as possible "softwarized."
Oh wait...Compendium has already done this! At the end of the day, search engines want to present good, fresh, relevant content, and searchers want to find exactly that. Compendium's blogging tools make it possible to write great content once and get the SEO benefit of it across many keyword phrases. In fact, it's a corporate blogging strategy that's similar to PPC.
For point number 2, you'll have to check back tomorrow...
You can get more info about the study at SEOmoz's Rand Fishkin's blog.
Dear Mo's Deli,
I'm sort of at a loss here. Of course I've been the recipient of a never-ending stream of email spam and junk mail, but I have to say this is the first time I've ever been "fax spammed."
You see, my inbound faxes are sent to me as emails with attachments, and for the last three weeks, I've received your "fax spam" every single day. Your daily lunch menu is actually quite nice -- in fact, I may have even memorized all of the options at this point. However, I didn't ask to receive it, and never expressed interest in it.
To make matters worse, I often find myself thinking that your fax notification is actually a signed contract (for Compendium's blogging software) arriving in my inbox. Imagine my dissapointment when I realize that it is a notification for french onion soup.
You'll be glad to know that there is an easy way to fix this problem of interruption marketing (fax spamming), and it's called business blogging.
Starting a small business blog may seem like a strange idea, but you have to start with your end goal, and that's getting more customers in your door. My guess is that most of your targeted patrons aren't standing by their fax machines waiting to intercept your menu; Instead, they're searching online for things like "best onion soup Indianapolis" and "best lunch menu Indy."
That's why your best bet is being found when people search for these very things online! Blogs and business go hand-in-hand for this reason -- they are a way to help you get found in the search engines and get more people to take the next step with you.
I'd be happy to talk to you anytime about blogging tools and how they might help you. In the meantime, I'm going to hold off on that french onion soup...
I'm sort of at a loss here. Of course I've been the recipient of a never-ending stream of email spam and junk mail, but I have to say this is the first time I've ever been "fax spammed."
You see, my inbound faxes are sent to me as emails with attachments, and for the last three weeks, I've received your "fax spam" every single day. Your daily lunch menu is actually quite nice -- in fact, I may have even memorized all of the options at this point. However, I didn't ask to receive it, and never expressed interest in it.
To make matters worse, I often find myself thinking that your fax notification is actually a signed contract (for Compendium's blogging software) arriving in my inbox. Imagine my dissapointment when I realize that it is a notification for french onion soup.
You'll be glad to know that there is an easy way to fix this problem of interruption marketing (fax spamming), and it's called business blogging.
Starting a small business blog may seem like a strange idea, but you have to start with your end goal, and that's getting more customers in your door. My guess is that most of your targeted patrons aren't standing by their fax machines waiting to intercept your menu; Instead, they're searching online for things like "best onion soup Indianapolis" and "best lunch menu Indy."
That's why your best bet is being found when people search for these very things online! Blogs and business go hand-in-hand for this reason -- they are a way to help you get found in the search engines and get more people to take the next step with you.
I'd be happy to talk to you anytime about blogging tools and how they might help you. In the meantime, I'm going to hold off on that french onion soup...
If you are thinking about starting a corporate blogging program (or if you are already doing a business blogging program), here are 3 things you should be paying attention to:
1. Can you get people to your company blogs?
Well, duh. Of course that's important. Without people showing up, how will you get anyone to take the next step?
There are a couple key things to pay attention to here:
2. Can you keep people on your business blogs?
You'll have a really good idea by looking at these two metrics:
3. Can you move visitors onto the next step?
It's great to have people reading your blog -- but unless you're a publisher, you don't make any money based on people spending 60 minutes reading about you and your company. That's why you want to move online blog visitors onto the next step.
The metrics that will tell you whether or not you succeed are simple:
1. Can you get people to your company blogs?
Well, duh. Of course that's important. Without people showing up, how will you get anyone to take the next step?
There are a couple key things to pay attention to here:
- Search engine rankings (the higher the better typically)
- Number of unique visitors (and where are they coming from? Any basic analytics breakdown should show you).
2. Can you keep people on your business blogs?
You'll have a really good idea by looking at these two metrics:
- Average read time
- Average bounce rate
3. Can you move visitors onto the next step?
It's great to have people reading your blog -- but unless you're a publisher, you don't make any money based on people spending 60 minutes reading about you and your company. That's why you want to move online blog visitors onto the next step.
The metrics that will tell you whether or not you succeed are simple:
- Clicks on the CTA
- Leads generated from the blogs!
Today Compendium's marketing team (our blog program owners) put on our first ever Blog-a-Thon. As a company, we typically generate 60 or so posts per month for our corporate blogs. That means we collectively generate -- among nearly 30 contributors -- an average of 3 posts per business day.
The intent of our Blog-a-Thon was to crush this number. The marketing team notified us all by email last week the goals of the Blog-a-Thon and also let us know about a tasty breakfast that would be served to those who participated.
So, a key thing to point out here is that our blogging program owners gave us an incentive, and they work really well in motivating content contributors.
The next thing they did was block out 20 minutes on everyone's calendars around lunch time today. That's important because, let's face it, we're all busy people and sometimes blogging takes a backseat to other priorities if we don't have it scheduled.
And finally, they brought around a nice bucket of candy to everyone during the time that was slated as "Blog-a-Thon content generation" in order to give everyone some immediate satisfaction.
As of 4:45 today the Blog-a-Thon had generated an impressive 16 posts, with this post pushing the meter to 17 posts in one day.
For all of you math whizzes out there...the Blog-a-Thon gave us a 533% lift in content creation!
The immediate key takeaways here are that incentives, prizes, and scheduled time are all great blogging best practices.
The next step is for us to evaluate how all of that new content impacted our search results and traffic...more to come on that front, but all signs currently point to Blog-a-thon blogging success.
The intent of our Blog-a-Thon was to crush this number. The marketing team notified us all by email last week the goals of the Blog-a-Thon and also let us know about a tasty breakfast that would be served to those who participated.
So, a key thing to point out here is that our blogging program owners gave us an incentive, and they work really well in motivating content contributors.
The next thing they did was block out 20 minutes on everyone's calendars around lunch time today. That's important because, let's face it, we're all busy people and sometimes blogging takes a backseat to other priorities if we don't have it scheduled.
And finally, they brought around a nice bucket of candy to everyone during the time that was slated as "Blog-a-Thon content generation" in order to give everyone some immediate satisfaction.
As of 4:45 today the Blog-a-Thon had generated an impressive 16 posts, with this post pushing the meter to 17 posts in one day.
For all of you math whizzes out there...the Blog-a-Thon gave us a 533% lift in content creation!
The immediate key takeaways here are that incentives, prizes, and scheduled time are all great blogging best practices.
The next step is for us to evaluate how all of that new content impacted our search results and traffic...more to come on that front, but all signs currently point to Blog-a-thon blogging success.
We get this question a lot: As a corporate blogging program owner, or someone interested in starting a business blogging initiative..."How do I keep my blog content contributors engaged in writing content?"
Well, here are a few ideas that are working incredibly well for Compendium and hundreds of our clients:
1. Get several different people involved. The more people writing content, the less the pressure falls on one individual to write content every day. And you get lots of different perspectives this way.
2. Block out calendar time for your bloggers to write. So many of us are tied to our calendars -- this way they don't have to make time for content. You've made the time for them.
3. Give out prizes. Compendium has done a great job helping clients write content through a corporate blogging tournament (more on that later), but clients like Tampa Bay & Company made us realize how far internal recognition goes.
4. Along those lines, give prizes to the best and worst bloggers. At our company meeting today, the 3 worst bloggers had to wear home made dunce caps (pictures to come later, everyone got a great laugh out of it). Our best bloggers were rewarded with "nifty gifts" and a round of applause.
5. Use metrics to spur action. This is perhaps the most important one on the list. If your bloggers feel like their time is being wasted because they don't see results, they are going to stop writing content.
At Compendium, we put out consistent reports to all our clients that help them measure how their business blogging program is going. It's the job of the blog program owner to convey those results to the bloggers and spur action based on some key metrics, like traffic to the blogs and conversions from the blogs.
I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago that I'm not the world's best blogger. I was relieved not to have to wear a dunce cap given my lackluster content contribution over the last few months, but as a whole, our company blogs generated the most traffic ever in a single month because our employees as a group generated the most content ever.
Well, here are a few ideas that are working incredibly well for Compendium and hundreds of our clients:
1. Get several different people involved. The more people writing content, the less the pressure falls on one individual to write content every day. And you get lots of different perspectives this way.
2. Block out calendar time for your bloggers to write. So many of us are tied to our calendars -- this way they don't have to make time for content. You've made the time for them.
3. Give out prizes. Compendium has done a great job helping clients write content through a corporate blogging tournament (more on that later), but clients like Tampa Bay & Company made us realize how far internal recognition goes.
4. Along those lines, give prizes to the best and worst bloggers. At our company meeting today, the 3 worst bloggers had to wear home made dunce caps (pictures to come later, everyone got a great laugh out of it). Our best bloggers were rewarded with "nifty gifts" and a round of applause. 5. Use metrics to spur action. This is perhaps the most important one on the list. If your bloggers feel like their time is being wasted because they don't see results, they are going to stop writing content.
At Compendium, we put out consistent reports to all our clients that help them measure how their business blogging program is going. It's the job of the blog program owner to convey those results to the bloggers and spur action based on some key metrics, like traffic to the blogs and conversions from the blogs.
I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago that I'm not the world's best blogger. I was relieved not to have to wear a dunce cap given my lackluster content contribution over the last few months, but as a whole, our company blogs generated the most traffic ever in a single month because our employees as a group generated the most content ever.
Most of the time, it's too hard.
This weekend I was reminded how much we just expect technology to work for us, and how irritating it is when it doesn't.
I have a wireless card that usually connects me to one of three different wireless networks at home and in the office. I undock, I connect. Simple as that.
This weekend it stopped working all of a sudden-- and I was crippled. I tried to fiddle around with my computer myself (I hope our IT Manager isn't reading this) and finally gave up.
You are probably no stranger to general IT problems, and blogging problems are no different. Most blogging tools are too hard to use -- you have to configure this and that and there's a plugin over here and something that needs to be tweaked over there.
Yes, there are people like my mechanical engineer of a fiancee who like to fiddle with technology, but for most of us, it's a means to an end.
Compendium Blogware is different from other blogging software tools because we're built for people who "just want it to work."
I've been listening in on some sales calls lately and have heard our reps say that if you can write in a word doc, you can use Compendium's blogging platform. And content control is as easy as hitting a few buttons.
Our goal is to make things as easy as possible for organizations of all kinds who want to start a corporate blogging program.
Along those lines, if you want to learn more about how we can help you achieve blogging success, here's a quick and easy way to do so: Take our 60 second blogging challenge with a live employee who's ready to help!
This weekend I was reminded how much we just expect technology to work for us, and how irritating it is when it doesn't.
I have a wireless card that usually connects me to one of three different wireless networks at home and in the office. I undock, I connect. Simple as that.
This weekend it stopped working all of a sudden-- and I was crippled. I tried to fiddle around with my computer myself (I hope our IT Manager isn't reading this) and finally gave up.
You are probably no stranger to general IT problems, and blogging problems are no different. Most blogging tools are too hard to use -- you have to configure this and that and there's a plugin over here and something that needs to be tweaked over there.
Yes, there are people like my mechanical engineer of a fiancee who like to fiddle with technology, but for most of us, it's a means to an end.
Compendium Blogware is different from other blogging software tools because we're built for people who "just want it to work."
I've been listening in on some sales calls lately and have heard our reps say that if you can write in a word doc, you can use Compendium's blogging platform. And content control is as easy as hitting a few buttons.
Our goal is to make things as easy as possible for organizations of all kinds who want to start a corporate blogging program.
Along those lines, if you want to learn more about how we can help you achieve blogging success, here's a quick and easy way to do so: Take our 60 second blogging challenge with a live employee who's ready to help!
Yesterday Compendium exhibited at the 
TechPoint Summit here in Indianapolis, and I had the pleasure of taking part in an "early stage marketing" panel since Chris is out of town.
The panel was one of the best I've been on, and I think it's because all of the participants (ExactTarget, Canteloupe, and Compendium) were equally unprepared. We didn't have slides, we didn't have agendas, and we let the audience gear us toward topics they cared about rather than us spouting off a bunch of gibberish that no one pays attention to.
In other words, we let the session evolve. We didn't plan. We jumped in and adjusted as needed.
And guess what? That same approach can be taken with any kind of online marketing initiative, including business blogging.
You can do all of the research in the world and spend thousands of dollars on a new website, but as most of us have learned the hard way, the message that we think is going to strike a chord when we start a business ends up being drastically different a few months later.
Sure, corporate blogs are a way to help get found in organic search and humanize your marketing, but story telling is still a fundamental part. Good stories engage us and make us want to learn more. And good stories get better over time. They become funnier and more interesting...ever played the game telephone? Try to think of a time that you haven't laughed at the end of it, or at least been mildy entertained.
So before you spend too much time writing and rewriting a company blog policy, or investigating every blog software review available, consider the fact that a corporate blogging program can grow and evolve with you over time, as the most interesting things in life tend to do.
TechPoint Summit here in Indianapolis, and I had the pleasure of taking part in an "early stage marketing" panel since Chris is out of town.The panel was one of the best I've been on, and I think it's because all of the participants (ExactTarget, Canteloupe, and Compendium) were equally unprepared. We didn't have slides, we didn't have agendas, and we let the audience gear us toward topics they cared about rather than us spouting off a bunch of gibberish that no one pays attention to.
In other words, we let the session evolve. We didn't plan. We jumped in and adjusted as needed.
And guess what? That same approach can be taken with any kind of online marketing initiative, including business blogging.
You can do all of the research in the world and spend thousands of dollars on a new website, but as most of us have learned the hard way, the message that we think is going to strike a chord when we start a business ends up being drastically different a few months later.
Sure, corporate blogs are a way to help get found in organic search and humanize your marketing, but story telling is still a fundamental part. Good stories engage us and make us want to learn more. And good stories get better over time. They become funnier and more interesting...ever played the game telephone? Try to think of a time that you haven't laughed at the end of it, or at least been mildy entertained.
So before you spend too much time writing and rewriting a company blog policy, or investigating every blog software review available, consider the fact that a corporate blogging program can grow and evolve with you over time, as the most interesting things in life tend to do.
Okay, I don't really think that I'm bad at blogging. I just wanted to capture your attention with an ironic title given my role at a certain blog company.
In all honesty, I'm okay at blogging. I'm not the best blogger in the world, or the worst. I'd like to be able to write content every day, but just like you...I'm really busy and sometimes I just need to unwind in front of my reality TV shows.
I don't feel one bit ashamed to admit this -- even to people who tell me that corporate blogging sounds like a good idea in theory, but that it's too hard to execute.
I'm comfortable with being honest about the quality and quantity of my blog posts because despite my mediocre personal performance, Compendium's blogging program is an enormous success.
And by "successful business blogging program," I mean that we get found on the first page of Google for thousands of keyword terms related to our business, send thousands of people to our blogs each month, and convert many of them into prospects and customers.
So how does that work? How can I be mediocre at blogging, and participate in a highly successful program?
Well, a few things:
1. We have several content contributors (all of our employees. As Chris likes to say, if someone is worth a business card, they're worth a blog).
2. All of our content contributors are free to write about what they select, but they're expected to include info that's relevant, helpful, and on topic.
3. How can we monitor this? We have an administrative portal where content can be reviewed, approved, or declined, with feedback sent to the writer (i.e. Sally, your post stunk, it was totally off-topic and didn't include a single keyword relevant to a blog software company like us).
So, the program is successful because it includes great blogging tools, a lot of contributors, and an easy process (i.e. someone writes content, the other approves).
I'm perfectly fine letting other Compendium folks like Chris Baggot, PJ Hinton, and Eric Romer take the individual blogging superstar awards.
As a team, we still have a program that wins.
In all honesty, I'm okay at blogging. I'm not the best blogger in the world, or the worst. I'd like to be able to write content every day, but just like you...I'm really busy and sometimes I just need to unwind in front of my reality TV shows.
I don't feel one bit ashamed to admit this -- even to people who tell me that corporate blogging sounds like a good idea in theory, but that it's too hard to execute.
I'm comfortable with being honest about the quality and quantity of my blog posts because despite my mediocre personal performance, Compendium's blogging program is an enormous success.
And by "successful business blogging program," I mean that we get found on the first page of Google for thousands of keyword terms related to our business, send thousands of people to our blogs each month, and convert many of them into prospects and customers.
So how does that work? How can I be mediocre at blogging, and participate in a highly successful program?
Well, a few things:
1. We have several content contributors (all of our employees. As Chris likes to say, if someone is worth a business card, they're worth a blog).
2. All of our content contributors are free to write about what they select, but they're expected to include info that's relevant, helpful, and on topic.
3. How can we monitor this? We have an administrative portal where content can be reviewed, approved, or declined, with feedback sent to the writer (i.e. Sally, your post stunk, it was totally off-topic and didn't include a single keyword relevant to a blog software company like us).
So, the program is successful because it includes great blogging tools, a lot of contributors, and an easy process (i.e. someone writes content, the other approves).
I'm perfectly fine letting other Compendium folks like Chris Baggot, PJ Hinton, and Eric Romer take the individual blogging superstar awards.
As a team, we still have a program that wins.
Pop Quiz:
1. What does WWSD mean?
2. Who are the best people within your organization to write blog content?
3. How can you organize blog content around topics instead of authors?
4. What's the difference between a website and blog?
5. What does "Compending" mean?
6. And finally, why is Compendium Co-Founder and CEO Chris Baggott stalking Seth Godin?
Whether you're entirely new to corporate blogging or a business blogging expert, you'll find some great info and good laughs in Compendium's new video.
Without further ado:
View the "How Companies Should Blog" Video Here.
After viewing the video, a good next step in order to learn more about how to start a business blog is to fill in your information in order to talk to a blogging specialist. Enjoy!
1. What does WWSD mean?
2. Who are the best people within your organization to write blog content?
3. How can you organize blog content around topics instead of authors?
4. What's the difference between a website and blog?
5. What does "Compending" mean?
6. And finally, why is Compendium Co-Founder and CEO Chris Baggott stalking Seth Godin?
Whether you're entirely new to corporate blogging or a business blogging expert, you'll find some great info and good laughs in Compendium's new video.
Without further ado:
View the "How Companies Should Blog" Video Here.
After viewing the video, a good next step in order to learn more about how to start a business blog is to fill in your information in order to talk to a blogging specialist. Enjoy!
I'll start by saying that we don't have one at Compendium. Maybe at some point we'll have to reconsider the parameters we put around our corporate blogging strategy (I've learned to never say never), but right now, the sheer power of the Compendium administrative interface is enough for us and many of our clients.
The problem with rules and policies is that many times, they squelch the very spirit of the initiative at hand. I don't think it's any different when it comes to business blogging programs. Like most businesses, here at Compendium, we want our employees to be able to express their views and opinions in a natural way, but at the same time, we want to protect our company.
We do not have an intensive review process for the content generated by our employees. Quite simply, after they write their content, it gets submitted to an administrator account where it can be reviewed and a) approved if it's okay or b) declined if it is inappropriate or needs to be changed. More often than not, declined posts are not marked as such because they contain inappropriate content, but because they have an obvious typo, error, or perhaps are completely off-topic.
Note that there are no editing capabilities on the part of the admin -- which completely removes the temptation to edit someone else's content. Again, I want our employee's content to be their own...why change it when I can empower them to do so, without any risk to Compendium?
And why go to the great lengths of putting a policy and all sorts of rules in place when I can easily view content before it goes live and make a decision from there?
I'm not saying that a blogging policy isn't a good idea for some organizations, but before putting policies and rules in place, it's usually a good idea to think about the trade-offs...and better yet, if technology can be the answer.
The problem with rules and policies is that many times, they squelch the very spirit of the initiative at hand. I don't think it's any different when it comes to business blogging programs. Like most businesses, here at Compendium, we want our employees to be able to express their views and opinions in a natural way, but at the same time, we want to protect our company.
We do not have an intensive review process for the content generated by our employees. Quite simply, after they write their content, it gets submitted to an administrator account where it can be reviewed and a) approved if it's okay or b) declined if it is inappropriate or needs to be changed. More often than not, declined posts are not marked as such because they contain inappropriate content, but because they have an obvious typo, error, or perhaps are completely off-topic.
Note that there are no editing capabilities on the part of the admin -- which completely removes the temptation to edit someone else's content. Again, I want our employee's content to be their own...why change it when I can empower them to do so, without any risk to Compendium?
And why go to the great lengths of putting a policy and all sorts of rules in place when I can easily view content before it goes live and make a decision from there?
I'm not saying that a blogging policy isn't a good idea for some organizations, but before putting policies and rules in place, it's usually a good idea to think about the trade-offs...and better yet, if technology can be the answer.
According to the IEDC, Compendium Blogware is one of the top 50 companies to watch within the State of Indiana.Are you watching us? Well, the reality is probably not. Of course I care a lot about Compendium Blogware, and so does my family because they have to put up with me talking about work all of the time. But do you care about us?
I'm not offended if you don't. With the exception of brands like Apple and Starbucks, nobody is watching companies so to speak. As a society, we are bad at it. We're busy. We have short attention spans. Just about the only thing we watch is Dancing with the Stars.
Instead, we've become really good at looking for something and finding it when we need it. We aren't interested until we have a problem and someone offers a solution. Then we're all ears, but only for a brief period of time.
The funny thing about the list of the top 50 Companies to Watch is that I know that business blogging could help each any every one of the nominees capitalize on this phenomenon of "looking and finding" instead of "watching."
Each company, regardless of industry, faces the same challenges of getting found online by people who have a problem and would welcome some help with it. Maybe I'll have a chance to talk to them about all the benefits of corporate blogging at the event being held tomorrow night at the Indiana Roof Ballroom...
In any event, congratulations to everyone at Compendium for the recognition. It's nice to be appreciated, but even better to be found by those who are looking for something that your organization can help with.
I've been trying to find a new briefcase for work. My intent was to purchase a really nice one -- like Tumi quality because I keep buying cheapos that look nice and then fall apart in a few months. Except I didn't want a Tumi because...well, I just don't like their styles all that much.So what did I do, given that I knew exactly what I wanted, just didn't know who to buy it from?
I searched. I typed in "best women's black leather briefcase." Talk about being a dream prospect. I used a lot of descriptive keywords to indicate exactly what I was looking for.
Okay, so of course you're wondering what my briefcase dilemma has to do with you.
Well, as a marketer, I'm guessing this is the biggest problem on your hands.
You want people to find you. You want people to find you online. And you want people who don't know a bit about your company or brand to be able to find you online.
What you may not realize is that starting a business blogging program can help you solve this problem. Taking it a step further, a blogging solution like Compendium Blogware will help you target hundreds or even thousands of terms that have something to do with your company.
Believe it or not, people are going online and looking for the products and services you provide every day. They aren't necessarily looking for your company, your website, or your company blogs, but they are asking for something you can help them with.
Yet how satisfied and happy would they be if they did their search, found a result titled exactly what they were looking for, and clicked through to find a blog featuring friendly, educational content generated by several people within your company, and a way to act upon exactly what they are looking for, whether if be making the purchase directly from the blog or just requesting more info?
I'll end this with 2 things:
1. A really relevant quote from William Flatz of Avenue A/Razorfish
“People don't go to Web sites anymore. Web sites come to them. This is, perhaps, the best way to explain the impact of search on the online experience.”
2. My briefcase outcome. After picking through countless websites for places like LeatherTree.com, I decided that I'd had enough and went straight to Target, where I spent $30 on a new briefcase. Sigh. Briefcase retailers, are you out there? It's time to start blogging.
A lot if you're an employee at Compendium Blogware. A few weeks ago we took the entire company on a whitewater rafting trip to Pennsylvania. The event was planned by our very own Kaila Woodside, who was a whitewater rafting guide for several years in Ohiopyle. Not only is she a fantastic part of our sales organization, Kaila can steer you through a drop the size of Niagra Falls.
Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad, but as someone who's never rafted below, that's just about what it felt like for me.
What did the company get out of our whitewater rafting event? Of course we got team building, bonding, and all sorts of great stories (and pictures), but we also got a lot of great blogging content. And that content helps visitors that show up at our business blogs understand that yes, we are a company that provides blogging software, but we're also an organization full of smart, fun, and hard working individuals who aren't afraid to roll up our sleeves, dig in, and kick some butt.
A big part of any company blogging program -- regardless what industry you're in -- is showing your human side. That's why I'll leave you with this great picture of me and my raft mates on the Yougheny River!
Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad, but as someone who's never rafted below, that's just about what it felt like for me.
What did the company get out of our whitewater rafting event? Of course we got team building, bonding, and all sorts of great stories (and pictures), but we also got a lot of great blogging content. And that content helps visitors that show up at our business blogs understand that yes, we are a company that provides blogging software, but we're also an organization full of smart, fun, and hard working individuals who aren't afraid to roll up our sleeves, dig in, and kick some butt.
A big part of any company blogging program -- regardless what industry you're in -- is showing your human side. That's why I'll leave you with this great picture of me and my raft mates on the Yougheny River!
You're not alone. This article, 25 Tips for Marketing Your Blog, made me think of how daunting business blogging can be for any kind of organization.There are some good tips in this article, don't get me wrong.
It's just a lot to think about, and you're a busy person, right? I am a big fan of using subject matter experts (SMEs) as much as possible. I don't want to be an accounting pro or a legal pro -- I want to have a basic understanding and then pay and rely on people around me to help.
Okay, so you know where I'm heading with this:
- Wouldn't it be great if you could do the same thing with a corporate blogging program?
- Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a blogging partner who can worry about all the details so that you can focus on writing content for your company blogs?
- Oh, and wouldn't it be great to use a blogging solution that lets you log in, type your content, and then the blogging software itself structures that content in a way that helps you get found in the search engines?
Blogging for SEO isn't wrong, but it can't be your only goal. Why? Because it's the tip of the iceberg. Of course you want your business to get found through search as many ways as possible, but your goal can't stop there.
You want a prospect to find your business blogs through search, and then what?
There is a next step. What is it? You want them to find one of your corporate blogs and then read sixteen posts before leaving the page? You want them to find one of your blogs and then subscribe to an RSS feed in order to come back over and over again and do nothing but read?
You see what I'm getting at here of course.
Your corporate blogging strategy can't focus on only the search engine optimization aspect. SEO is a means to the end, and your end is to make money by creating new relationships. That's it. If someone clicks to your blog from search and finds a webpage that's impersonal, unprofessional, and full of pointless information, then your blogging program is completely falling flat.
Today Compendium's very own Chris Baggott, will be hosting a webinar that goes into more detail on these topics. The webinar will also cover blogging tips, blogging best practices, and more. This is a great opportunity to ask any burning blogging questions. Get details and sign up for the webinar here.
You want a prospect to find your business blogs through search, and then what?
There is a next step. What is it? You want them to find one of your corporate blogs and then read sixteen posts before leaving the page? You want them to find one of your blogs and then subscribe to an RSS feed in order to come back over and over again and do nothing but read?
You see what I'm getting at here of course.
Your corporate blogging strategy can't focus on only the search engine optimization aspect. SEO is a means to the end, and your end is to make money by creating new relationships. That's it. If someone clicks to your blog from search and finds a webpage that's impersonal, unprofessional, and full of pointless information, then your blogging program is completely falling flat.
Today Compendium's very own Chris Baggott, will be hosting a webinar that goes into more detail on these topics. The webinar will also cover blogging tips, blogging best practices, and more. This is a great opportunity to ask any burning blogging questions. Get details and sign up for the webinar here.
I don't care what kind of business you are, or what industry you're in. Your acquisition dream is probably pretty similar to mine. And it goes something like this:
1. A prospect that knows nothing about your company "Googles" a problem or a need that you can solve.
2. The prospect sees your result on the first page of Google in the organic results, and the title of the result matches the phrase, which causes them to click on it
3. The prospect lands on your webpage, does around 60 seconds of credibility checking, reading, light research, and likes what he/ she sees.
4. The prospect notices that there is a way to engage with you immediately and contacts you to start a conversation.
My dreams come true on a daily basis because of our corporate blogging program, and today was no different. Here's what happened:
1. A prospect with no knowledge of Compendium or our blogging platform "Googled" what the needed -- "Blogging Solution”
2. Prospect found Compendium’s “Blogging Solution” blog as the #1 organic result. Prospect clicked on blog, did brief research
3. Prospect clicked on "Instant Chat" available in the sidebar of the blog and immediately engaged with someone from our staff.
How can you make this happen for you? Well, funny you should ask...see that little "Instant Chat" ad on the side of my blog? Go ahead and click to talk to us. We're ready to share our blogging secrets anytime.
1. A prospect that knows nothing about your company "Googles" a problem or a need that you can solve.
2. The prospect sees your result on the first page of Google in the organic results, and the title of the result matches the phrase, which causes them to click on it
3. The prospect lands on your webpage, does around 60 seconds of credibility checking, reading, light research, and likes what he/ she sees.
4. The prospect notices that there is a way to engage with you immediately and contacts you to start a conversation.
My dreams come true on a daily basis because of our corporate blogging program, and today was no different. Here's what happened:
1. A prospect with no knowledge of Compendium or our blogging platform "Googled" what the needed -- "Blogging Solution”
2. Prospect found Compendium’s “Blogging Solution” blog as the #1 organic result. Prospect clicked on blog, did brief research
3. Prospect clicked on "Instant Chat" available in the sidebar of the blog and immediately engaged with someone from our staff.
How can you make this happen for you? Well, funny you should ask...see that little "Instant Chat" ad on the side of my blog? Go ahead and click to talk to us. We're ready to share our blogging secrets anytime.
