Thinking of business blogging?
If you or your small business is struggling to get onboard the blog-marketing train, here are six essential Must Haves to set you on your way:
1: The Right Domain Name
Before you do anything, purchase a domain name that will suit your purposes. If your company already has a website consider not just setting your blog up in a subdirectory: e.g. www.yourdomain.com/blog/
Purchase a domain name that reflects what your business does. For example, if you’re a canine behaviourist you could select something along the lines of www.dog-training-tips-com to complement your established website at www.yourdomain.com. Or if you’re an psychoeducational assessor who helps kids go with something like www.help4students.org.
It’s much better to run a blog on your own server than using a free service (such as Blogger.com) as you retain control of it and build the value of the domain, rather than helping someone else build theirs.
2: The Right Blog Software
Choose WordPress. It’s free and very easy to use. More significantly, there is a wealth of plugins and information to help your site perform well in Google’s search results.
3. The Right Theme Framework
Even if you can afford the skills of a designer, I would personally recommend you use Chris Person’s Thesis Theme as a framework (no affiliate link, just a recommendation!). It’s easy to tweak for Search Engine Optimisation and there’s excellent support and resources available from the Thesis community. It’s not free but the minimal cost will benefit your business blog no end.
Tip: Bookmark Matt Files 100 Resources for Thesis. You’ll find a lot of these links useful.
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Is blogging on its last legs?
So Steve Rubel has
dumped blogging for lifestreaming. Charles Arthur at The Guardian also notes that
participation on Twitter and Facebook is replacing blogging.
Whilst I’ve noticed some of my favourite bloggers aren’t posting as frequently as usual, my own take on this is simple: don’t abandon your blog – just yet.
Why Keep on Blogging?
Scenario #1: The Personal Blogger.
Let’s imagine you write a few posts a week on a personal blog at YourName.com that ties in with your interest in, say, technology. Yes, you’re a bit of a geek but not hardcore. You use your WordPress blog to record thoughts about the latest products by Apple, plugin tips for WordPress and share tips such as how changes to your htaccess file will improve the way Google ranks your blog.
Even if you’re in a job, chances are when you come to apply for another one the recruitment team will Google you. It’s standard practice after all. Even if you’re on Facebook or MySpace, like a lot of people in your demographic, it is very likely that “Your Name” will turn up an eclectic but thoughtful bunch of posts at your blog in Google rather than a stream of snarky, meaningless noise in your Twitter stream. Google likes blogs, after all.
In other words, writing a blog (relatively) frequently will give you some control of how others view you online. That’s not to say they won’t find your Twitter account or Facebook profile; but compared to the non-bloggers out there you have a good chance of having some content on the web that demonstrates you’re thoughtful, analytical and a communicator. Not bad, really!
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Communicating what you do and how much you charge is imperative, especially if you’re just starting out as a freelancer. Here’s a word of warning post that I might also have entitled: How Not to Give Away Your Skills for Free.
If you’re starting out as a freelance consultant be wary of people looking to hire you. Seriously.
Many successful business people are adept at getting things for nothing and if you’re new to pitching for consulting work you could find yourself dishing out valuable skills and information – for free!
Be Wary of “Come and have coffee”
Let’s say you meet an prospective client at a social gathering. You tell them what you do and you feel that buzz of excitement when they mention “My company is actually just looking for some of that as a matter of fact!” You hit them with your elevator pitch, a stylish business card and a smile and low and behold a few days later they get back to you.
“Why don’t you come into the office for coffee? Let’s have a chat about what you can do?” they might say.
To the eager novice consultant this might sound like potential business.
“What a fabulous opportunity to pitch my skills and services, and grow my business. Right?”
Wrong!
Well, only possibly.
Don’t Be Too Eager
The risk is that when you get there, all dressed up in your glad rags, seated in a leather chair and supping a frothy cappuccino, you’ll fall for one of the oldest tricks in the book. Giving away your skills for free.
“So we’re thinking about improving our SEO?” the charming, friendly CEO says. “What are the problems with our site? Do you think you could help?”
Having researched Potential Significant Customer’s site dot com before your get-together because you want to know something about them, want to impress them a little, you spill a few of the beans.
“I can see there’s stuff you need to improve: the title tags across the site don’t work and you’re not making the most of title tags. You should definitely reduce your duplicate content. Google treats www.yourdomain.com and yourdomain.com as separate sites.”
“Really?” wonders the CEO, encouraging you to take a couple of M&Ms from the candy jar on the table, still smiling, still friendly. “Is that easy to fix?”
“Oh, sure you just need to tweak your htaccess file.”
Before you know it the CEO is enthusing about your skills, the easy way you communicate your ideas and how you’re just what they’re looking for. Add a touch of mild sexual tension to the mix, maybe the CEO is flirting with you, and your ego’s glowing. You’d be only too happy to help.
“I think we really need to use you,” the CEO says, before hitting you with the sucker punch. “Could you just put together a brief outline on paper about what we’ve talked about and give me a quote for the work?”
So then off you go, type it all up and wait eagerly for their response, dreaming of that big fat deal you’re about to sign.
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Form, Function & Story wrapped by Apple
The news that
Steve Jobs had a liver transplant a couple of months ago caught my eye this week, particularly as it came hot on the heels of the launch of
the new iPhone 3GS. Once again, here was Apple deploying its masterful communications strategy of only communicating something when it wants to.
Once the new iPhone had grabbed all the headlines (and stocks had gone up), the company felt it was okay to leak news of Steve’s operation. At least, that’s how I read it.
Who needs social media?
You get the distinct impression Apple doesn’t give a damn about social media. Or rather not participating themselves in it. They’re not jabbering away on Twitter or giving us an insight into every move they make via some corporate Steve Jobs blog. No, they leave that up to their fan-base of brand ambassadors who generate masses of daily content that ultimately help to market Apple computers, iPods and iPhones.
To read a lot of the social media commentary that’s emerging at present you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’ve got to be out there, talking and communicating all the time. But Apple knows you don’t have to do that.
They rely on their loyal community to do that for them.
A lot of this comes from the fact Apple have carved out a distinctive brand identity as the favourite electronics manufacturer of design-conscious, hip consumers in all demographics. Kids, moms and business types all glow with pride at their MacBooks or iPhones.
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Looking for a corporate angle?
Corporate journalism involves writing articles for a company news site, website, newsletter or publication – often with a positive angle or agenda. Unlike commercial journalism –the kind of journalism that finds its way into newspapers– there’s much less scope to be critical or to dig around, cajoling information out of interviewees.
One of the central things a corporate journalist requires is a good sense of diplomacy. It’s essential to maintain client goodwill and to reassure people that you interview that you are not setting out to “dish the dirty” on them.
What can a corporate journalist do for your business?
As the newspaper industry is changing under the weight of the Internet, more and more journalists find themselves looking for new outlets for their writing skills. Rather than seeing them as people likely to attack or question what you do, you will find them very adept at helping you develop and spread your corporate story. This will help your marketing and PR.
The clearer you get your message out to people and the more interesting it is, the better it will be received.
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Espresso House at Stureplan, Stockholm
Swedish coffee shop franchise
Espresso House has started broadcasting its story in what looks like an attempt to clarify its image to customers.
I noticed this whilst sipping a rather strong cappuccino at Expresso House in Täby Centrum yesterday.
Via flat-screen televisions, Espresso House told me they bake their own bread, provide a variety of food and beverages, provide WiFi internet access and work hard to maintain their customer base with a loyalty card.
I particularly liked the way the film made a lot out of how each barista is trained to produce and serve the coffee. The film’s emphasis on (female) staff seemed to suggest that young, trendy urban people work in these coffee shops and enjoy the experience to boot.
Of course, the reality is quite different.
In Täby Centrum, the (female) staff are usually okay but at times somewhat grumpy; they certainly don’t greet you with a friendly smile like in the ads. The coffee is okay, the sandwiches average, but the cookies are great.
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I interviewed Francisco Lacerda, professor of phonetics at Stockholm University last week, for an article that appears today on the university’s English website. Professor Lacerda is one of those people who seems committed to scholarly discussions no matter what.
Professor Lacerda defied the threat of legal action to speak at last Friday’s Phonetics Conference – Fonetik 2009 at Stockholm University about the “Illusion of ‘lie detection’”. He was threatened with legal action earlier in the year for claiming in a scholarly article that the underlying software used by a lie detector lies “at the astrology end of the [scientific] spectrum”.
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Do you need help communicating?
Communications channels are everywhere and seem to be expanding. The Net, email, presentations, telephones, newsletters, Twitter. The list is seemingly endless.
A communications strategist can help you get the most out of these channels by looking at the way you or your company uses them and the kind of messages you send out. After all, the way you write and speak effects the way people receive and respond to you.
A Great Communications Strategist
A great communications strategist will find new ways of making language work better for you. That may involve introducing new forms of communication into your business such as using Twitter to talk to customers or starting a business blog to give customers free help and resources.
It might also mean running a workshop on how to get the most out of email or improve personal communication skills.
Analysis, Planning, Implementation & Follow-up
A communication strategist typically works by initially analysing the way you use language and the communication channels open to you. Then she or he will identify what areas can be improved and outline a strategy to implement changes. Sometimes this involves producing content or texts, but more often than not it involves training others to communicate more effectively.
Communications strategists typically work with senior staff as communication strategy relates to the very core of how a company talks to each other and its customers.
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Hmm, I’m not sure what Facebook’s username urls are going to do to Google search engine results. I would hate to think that in a week or two the number one result for Jon Buscall will be my facebook url.
It’s getting to the stage where every social media profile you have, appears higher and higher up in Google.
What’s your take on this? Worried? Not bothered?
