So I have an Ipod Nano that is the 2nd generation, which is slightly different in size and composition from the new nano. My belt clip that I used when running recently broke and I have been on a mission to find a replacement that fit my older ipod. After Target, Walmart, and the Apple store provided no solution, I went online . . . .
. . . . and had one of the most frustrating search experiences EVER!!!!
I typed in exactly what I wanted, 2G Ipod Nano Belt Clip. I got bombarded with great shopping sites, none of which provided me with the item I wanted. So I started adjusting my search phrases, trying nearly 30 different options. Finally, I found a site at the bottom of the search page after about 20 min of search and digging in eCommerce sites. This site sent me to Amazon.com, which I had already searched and struck out, and I found my item for less than $5.
Had any of these businesses targeted ONE of my 30 search attempts and given me a clear call to action to buy the item, I would have spent far more than $5. This reminded me why Compendium is such a great search marketing tool. We help our clients think like marketers and convert on searchers like me, by offering a powerful blogging software that auto-organizes large volumes of content around relevant search phrases. Because it's such an easy to use blog software, any company can start blogging about products, services, and more to win on as many search phrases as possible. The more targeted blogs you cast out, the more likely you are to capitalize on a vast world of qualified searchers.
Don't believe me on how easy it is? Call me (317)-777-6254 and I'll tell you about an eCommerce client who scaled back their PPC by $7,000 in one month while driving 50,000+ MORE unique visitors with their Compendium blogging solution.
As we continue to grow, we are continually adjusting our processes to make them better for you - our client! One process that has been evolving over the past couple months is the getting started process. This is the initial period of getting a client up and running using the Compendium software and is important for starting to build a good relationship with our client. One change we made this past week was moving our training options from online videos to live sessions twice a week:
Tuesday: User – 2:00pm Admin – 2:30pm
Thursday: User – 10:00am Admin – 10:30am
Even though Compenium is an extremely simple blogging software to use, these trainings will help customers get familiar with our system, learn how to publish a post, and learn some best praciteces for business blogging. For more information on how to attend one of our training sessions, contact your client success manager today.
Not a Compendium customer, learn more about our system by viewing a demo today (and oh yeah, get some free Starbucks while you're at it).
One of the common trends we see in a client that is new to blogging, (some older ones too) is that they forget to let the human side of their business show. Visitors that are coming to a blog, are looking for the truth behind the message, they want to engage with the employees of the company, they want to see the human side - not the sales pitch.
A blog is not the avenue to show off your new marketing materials and recent press releases. Sure these are great add in's for content, but it is important to remember that blogging is about conversation. The blog offers a way for potential customers to connect with your business.
If you are only using the blog to republish press releases and marketing materials those visitors will likely not trust your content, and therefore not continue to read, and worse yet - not take the next step to converting into a sale. Answer:
The best way to avoid this is to use original content, and write it from your own individual voice. Its OK to talk about news in your company, but do it from one friend to another. Keep it casual, like you are discussing the topic with your best friend over a cup of coffee.
Other options are to share knowledge on your industry, or the day-to-day environment of the office and processes at your company, or provide tips and best practices on how to best utilize your products. Remember to answer the question to what your visitors are looking for - not just to toot you're own horn.
I received an email from Mike at Driver Solutions on Friday with some great news...
"We have a new product/website/company spun off from the parent Driver Solutions. It’s an e-learning website targeting truck drivers. We’re in the process of building out a marketing site around the existing store front."
Mike is already a customer of Compendium and went on to let us know that he wanted to expand his program by 50 keywords in order to drive targeted prospects to his new product.
Mike also paid compliments to Compendium co-founder and CEO Chris Baggott: "I had a chance to see Chris at Blogworld last week. There was a lot of great info and his presentation was well done."
Congrats to Mike on his new product launch, we are glad to help him drive new business with an expanded blogging program.
Name: Ali Sales Roach Company: Compendium BlogURL:
Last week I was lucky enough to represent Compendium at BlogWorld. Not only did we come home with a lot of wonderful prospective clients but we were able to attend some fabulous keynote sessions including the State of the Blogosphere by Technorati President Richard Jalichandra.
Some of the most interesting findings for business bloggers:
Professional Bloggers (business is included in this category) are the fast growing segment of bloggers, keeping the "Blogosphere" healthy and stronger than ever.
Professional bloggers are focused on making money and attracting new customers.
Unique visitors and page views are used to measure success.
Content is usually topical driven (opposed to personal)
And, finally (and perhaps what I really found valuable), professional bloggers are using additional tools to help drive traffic and get found in search. Compendium Blogware is just that. Compendium is a third generation blogging software that helps businesses get found in organic search for keywords you know your prospects are searching for. While I don't want this to turn into a complete sales pitch... I think the Technorati study has really opened the door for me to do so.
As professionals and businesses continue to enter the world of blogging for the purpose of making money and generating new business, it's even more important they align themselves with tools to help them get there. For more information about Compendium contact us at info@compendium.com. or find us on Twitter @cblogware.
There are a lot of things that people take for granted...
Family and friends, good weather, time, information and resources, knowledge, etc.
Those are just a few things, and there are so many more!
Many businesses take advantage of the resources that are available for them. Search marketing is such an applicable resource for businesses to utilize. People search on the internet daily - and those companies that aren't taking advantage of this fact are missing a great opportunity.
Compendium offers a blog software platform that helps your blog get found in search, which therefore helps your company get found in search. It's a great marketing opportunity right at your fingertips. Don't take it for granted!
Interested in more information on Compendium's blogging platform and the opportunity that's available for a great marketing strategy? Click here to read our Whitepaper:Consider Blogging. It will provide you with some great information and questions to ask yourself about whether you're ready to start blogging or not.
About 70-80% of blog traffic comes from new visitors. Yes, 70-80% are new visitors which means that the content you generate is being viewed by many new perspective customers.
So who views your blog? People that are interested in what you have to say. Just think about how much you use search in your day-to-day life. Marketers understand that you're searching, which is why they opt for particular search marketing strategies.
One strategy includes blog marketing. Customers are drawn to your blog for a few reasons, including:
The content - how relevant are your keywords to viewers?
The humanized aspect of reading your blog - it's from YOU.
They found you in organic search (which is where most "clicks" occur).
Blog marketing is a great strategy to help your company get found in search. Traffic is constantly driving new visitors to your blog, which means new visitors are viewing your blog 70-80% of the time.
Start blogging today to generate these new visitors to your blog. Searchers are looking for information - and you (as a blogger) have the answer!
I'm so excited to announce the launch of our new promo: Nano A Day.
This week only, view a demo of Compendium's blogging software and be entered into a nightly raffle for a brand NEW iPod Nano.
Nano winners will be announced via Facebook and Twitter (@cblogware) daily and via email at the conclusion of the promo.
There's nothing to lose. If you haven't see how Compendium's platform can help your organization be found in search, generate leads and acquire new business... then now is the perfect excuse to take action.
I came across this idea when I was listening to Michael Buble's new CD, Crazy Love. (If you haven't heard it yet, I highly recommend checking it out!) In his new CD, Michael Buble recorded popular songs from various artists over the years and puts his own twist on them. He made them his own.
Those old songs that Michael Buble used were great - they are still listened to today and highly popular. This is very similar to marketing. The old "ways" work - but they get old. New methods help revive the old concepts.
Putting a fresh twist on the old concepts is helpful in keeping your marketing strategies relevant. Just as Michael Buble did - you can also "revamp" old concepts. Search marketing is highly used these days - so why not position your marketing strategy on the internet?
Blog marketing is an effective means of humanizing your marketing strategy and maximizing your search engine optimization results. If you're considering blogging, check out the great resources that Compendium offers and schedule a demo today!
Who comes to mind first when you think of a good, clean comedian??
Ready to hear who I think of?
Bill Cosby.
He is simply classic.
But have you ever stopped to think why he is so classic... and timeless?!
Here's my theory (and feel free to disagree with me if you think necessary)...
Bill Cosby figured out:
Who his audience was;
What his audience wanted;
And what his strengths were (talking to kids!).
That's it.
And now I'm going to demonstrate how Bill Cosby sets me up for the second part of my blog post.
YOU can be just like Bill Cosby. Maybe not as classic, but definitely as effective - and these days, there's an easy way to get to that point.
Here's how: business blog software.
Who is your audience? By using the internet and blogging, your company will target your audience. You will blog using certain keywords that will help your blog get optimized in search. So that's how you'll target your audience by blogging.
What does your audience want? They want to know about you! Blog about your company because your audience wants to know more about you and what you can offer them. Blogging will humanize your company and what you have to offer.
And lastly, Bill Cosby knew what his strengths were. Do you know what your strengths are?! In case you were wondering, I know what your strength is. The internet. You have a perfect marketing tool right at your fingertips (literally!). That is your strength, but whether you use it to your advantage is up to you.
Compendium's blog software can help you use your strength (the availability of the internet) to target your audience. Your audience is already looking for you on the internet - but you have make yourself available to reach out to your audience.
If you're a marketer, of course you want to know everything you can about things going on in your field - and that includes the future of business blogging!
To help you get started, be sure to attend our upcoming Webinar: What Every Marketer Needs to Know About the Future of Business Blogging.
During the Webinar, you'll learn:
1. How to leverage blogs as inbound lead generators. 2. How to chose the right blogging software. 3. How marketers are measuring success.
Don't put off registering, the first 50 people to register for the Webinar and view a demo within 48 hours will receive a free $25 Amazon gift card!
So not only will you be gaining knowledge about the future of business blogging, you'll have a chance to win! Register now, there's only a handful of spots available.
I have a couple of friends in sales and an aspect of their job that they dread is cold calling... which seems to be a common trend for many businesses.
Would you like an inbound marketing strategy that can provide qualified, ready-to-buy leads for your business?
Business blogging is your solution as it will: 0 Comments »
Everyone is selling something. I'm selling something, you're selling something, and the guy at the hot dog stand is selling something. While there is no shortage of products for sale, a lot of things just aren't worth buying.
We've all seen the overpromising health and diet products that don't do anything. How about the amazing infomercial products that fall apart in your hand the day after they arrive? As consumers, we get so battered with overpromises, that it's shocking to find something that is/does exactly what it says.
One of the best things about working at Compendium is that the Compendium blog software does exactly what it's supposed to. Just one month after coming on board, I signed a client in the financial email marketing industry. Two months after they started blogging for search, BizActions was on the first page of Google for 25 of the 50 keywords they were targeting with us. To date, they are showing up on hundreds of keyword searches, and their program is growing stronger by the day.
If you're in the market for an SEO tool, give us a call to hear about a product that does what it says. If you're still not convinced, download one of our case studies for further proof!
If you are familiar with the supply and demand curve, you know that equilibrium is the point where supply and demand intersect. At equilibrium, everyone is satisfied with the current condition. You are also maximizing your efficiency at this point.
Interesting - but what does this have to do with blogging??
Everything.
As a corporate blogger, your job is to generate proper content for perspective customers. Perspective customers are internet surfers "demanding" a certain amount of information. Whether they know it or not, internet surfers are using search marketing. In order to fulfill their demands, you should "supply" these internet surfers with the information they are searching for.
Internet surfers are searching for certain keywords. By supplying them with information on these keywords, you are fulfilling their need. This is what you want! As a corporate blogger, you know what keywords to blog about within your blog post. These keywords are then maximized in search engine optimization. This is why you should strive to reach the point of equilibrium in blogging.
For more information on corporate blogging with Compendium, click here to receive our free Whitepaper: Consider Blogging to learn more about the benefits of blogging and how to get started.
I was listening to some Styx recently and the song "Too Much Time On My Hands" came on, and as I listened to some of the lyrics, I was struck with the thought: I wish I felt like I ever had that problem! I don't remember the last time I thought that I didn't have enough to do and could use a little more stuff on my plate.
This is the same problem encountered by most of Compendium's customers: "When am I ever going to have time to blog?! I have enough stuff to worry about!"
Trust me, all of us here at Compendium understand what you're going through. We have just as many problems getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of the work day, and we are constantly working to keep bloggers motivated and blogging.
A few things to keep in mind when you start worrying about how much time you'll have to blog... 1. Blogs are supposed to be short! 150-250 word posts are prime!
2. Blogs don't have to be profound, just talk about your products and services and give customers the information you think they are looking for.
3. Remember that business blogging IS work... You are helping to progress the direction of your company by taking 10 minutes out of your day to get a post up.
4. Remember the concept of business blogging: You are blogging for search! If you want to optimize your company's search results, you need to work toward getting a few posts up every week.
We at Compendium completely understand the amount of work your employees have in front of them, that's why we encourage you to encourage your employees to blog! Have contests, incentives, and other motivators the keep them blogging!
You'll probably never have "too much time on your hands," but successful bloggers have enough time to blog!
I love when I come across a great article that talks about new and innovative ways that companies are using their corporate blogs to drive traffic and generate leads.
Today I read an article by PR Inside that announces the launch of a new blog and campaign for FreedomVOICE. Not only are they launching a new corporate blog as part of their search marketing strategy but they are also using it to hold a nationwide contest.
This idea is a great and creative example of how companies can use their business blog to humanize their marketing efforts and generate a buzz at the same time.
So how are you using your blog creatively? Leave your stories or suggestions in the comments section!
Wow - there's a lot of great activity and search marketing chatter taking place at the Digital Marketing World Fall Conference sponsored by Marketing Profs.
And, don't forget to stop by the Compendium Blogware booth and say "hi". Meghan and I. We'd love to chat with you about how businesses and organizations are incorporating business blogs into their online marketing strategies to acquire new business.
Blog content is like black and white spotted cows.
It doesn't matter exactly how the cow is colored, or what the black-to-white ratio is on the cow - you still recognize that it's a cow. Right?
This idea is similar to blog content. You know you've come up with good blog content if it is clearly written and is helpful to the internet searcher. Internet searchers recognize "perfect" blog content if they obtain the information they need.
This is similar to how I recognized this "perfect" cow at the Indiana State Fair...
But is the cow really perfect? Probably not - there are many more cows that look similar to this cow.
My point: Perfect doesn't exist. But if your blog has relevant content and recognizable to the internet searcher, then it is as "perfect" as it needs to be!
So start blogging today - Compendium's business blog software helps your blog get found in search, which is "perfect" for your business, right?!
Online marketing is growing very quickly and believe me it's not a hard thing to do. Its actually quite simple to blog, you just have to set blog goals for yourself and for your business. A blog is something simple that you can write whatever interests you and also about your products or services that you are trying to market. For example one of our clients is White Water Adventurers, check out thir blog here. They are a rafting company that blogs about the different trips they offer and some of their customers experiences on the river. Compendium does all the work for them, all they have to do is come up with the content to write about which will then turn into new business. So why wait ? Help your business get jump started with Compendium today!
During this past season of The Office, Michael Scott left Dunder Mifflin to start up The Michael Scott Paper Company. However, his business really struggled to gain new clients and eventually Michael, Jan, and Ryan returned to their jobs at Dunder Mifflin.
Is there a marketing tool available that would have allowed them to gain enough business leads to keep the Michael Scott Paper Company alive?
The best tool for them would have been to use blog marketing, so they could have a strong presence in organic search engines. With blog software, the presence in search engines on a variety of business relevant keywords generates leads/demand and ultimately will allow you to acquire new business.
Hosted by Richard Cunningham, VP Marketing of Right On Interactive and Chris Baggott Co-founder, CEO of Compendium Blogware. Thursday, December 3rd 2009. Sign up here »
Compendium offers a blog software platform that helps your blog get found in search, which therefore helps your company get found in search. It's a great marketing opportunity right at your fingertips. Don't take it for granted! 
Putting a fresh twist on the old concepts is helpful in keeping your marketing strategies relevant. Just as Michael Buble did - you can also "revamp" old concepts. Search marketing is highly used these days - so why not position your marketing strategy on the internet? 
Bill Cosby figured out:
