Today sees the launch of a series of interviews here on JonBuscall.com – Communications Consultant.
I often write interviews for other outlets and thought it was about time I talked to some of the interesting people around the globe who work with online communications.
'A blog manager has zero additional costs'
First up is Kirsten Wright, a very creative blogger, who juggles Blog Management, Design, and Copywriting Services out of her base in Orange County, CA.
I first came across Kirsten after she left a comment here on this website. Ever since then I’ve followed her daily positive posts and sound advice with interest.
Kirsten and I chatted over email between Stockholm and California.
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Jon: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing business bloggers just starting out today and why?
Kirsten: Consistency. Most of my clients, and those who I talk with about blogging find that trying to get 4 posts a week written is almost impossible. But it needs to be done if the blog is to be successful in any way.
We all keep our schedules so full that the idea of adding in something else, especially something that takes focus, concentration and time, is too difficult to comprehend. But if they can get past the consistency and dedicate themselves to writing, the next hurdle is the content.
We all run out of ideas (even me) and it can be disheartening to sit in front of a blank screen and try to come up with something to say. Lastly, if you can get past the amount of writing, come up with plenty of content, there is still the comments (or lack thereof) to deal with. For businesses who are used to easily getting a response, and believe they have interesting things to say, it can be frustrating to receive no comments. Most bloggers don’t receive comments right away, and some it takes months before they’ll ever see participation. Keeping motivated beneath these 3 things (consistency, content and comments) is the hardest part of blogging.
Jon: You don’t just work with blog content; you also work with design. Many clients I talk to really try to keep design budgets to an absolute minimum. What do you think constitutes great blog design? And what should prospective business bloggers bear in mind when getting started?
Kirsten: A great blog design is not an easy answer as it is completely dependent on what you are using the blog for. For example, my blog is part of my site, so I needed it to look exactly like my site: it needed to flow and have zero discord in the design. On the other hand, there are many companies who have the blog as a separate piece. It is linked to the website, but is independent of it. In this case, the design can be different, it can look more like a “blog” and less like the website.
Kirsten's bright and cheerful site design
The cost of a blog design will vary heavily. A completely custom design, one that looks and acts like a website but has a blog integrated can cost you USD2k-USD10k (this is for people who want their website to be built in Wordpress and are not just adding a blog). For those who are just adding a blog to an already existing site, you should expect between USD500-USD1500 for a design.
Regardless of which style you have, there are 5 features of any blog design that you need to have.
Jon: As part of your services, you offer Blog Management. Do you think outsourcing a company blog is a viable option for small businesses? Can you say something about the benefits and the drawbacks?
Kirsten: As with any part of a company, your marketing strategy is extremely important, and a blog should be an integral part of that strategy. Many companies cannot afford a full-time marketing team and so the marketing rests on the shoulders of whomever has the time. When this happens, blogs get pushed to the backburner. Outsourcing this work can be a viable option to cut down on the cost of hiring a full-time employee yet still gaining the benefits of a blog. A full-time employee requires not only a paycheck for full-time work, but benefits and time off. A blog manager has zero additional costs, and is not working full-time for you, which means the overall cost is lower.
For companies who are barely making ends meet, no, a blog manager is not reasonable. But for companies with USD1000-$4000 a month to spend on marketing, that money will go a lot further with a blog manager than a full-time marketing person.
Blog managers can also scale up and scale back, helping more in certain times, and letting you do the work when you can. This will also lower the cost and will help you to learn more about blogging. The drawbacks to hiring a blog manager are the fact that they are not in your office, you can’t monitor them at all times, and so you have to find someone that you trust. This can be a difficult task, but referrals can help eliminate those issues.
Jon: You’re a very positive blogger in terms of encouraging other people to be creative and write. How do you think business bloggers can stay positive if they’re in it for the long haul?
Kirsten: I am glad that I come off positive and encouraging! Honestly, it is tough for even me to stay positive all the time. As I mentioned above, creativity escapes event the best of us, and when it does, it can be very frustrating and really make writing difficult.
I think the easiest way to stay creative and upbeat is to remember that no one is perfect. We all write terrible posts, we all write amazing posts. Expect to be perfect and you will always fail, understand that you are fallible and you will succeed much more often. The other thing to remember is that it is okay to take a break or to ask for help. If writing gets to be too much, eliminate the stressful parts like finding images, links, and SEO by hiring someone for just those pieces. Blog Management is a huge task, and if you can get help with some of it, it can make it easier to stay positive and enjoy what you do.
Jon: What’s your top tip for businesses looking to communicate their message consistently and effectively through a weblog?
Kirsten: Create a monthly calendar that maps out your strategy before the month starts so that you can add to your ideas overtime and not feel rushed to develop content. Know what you want to talk about and your overall goal with the site, and ask for help when you need it.
Related posts:
- Online Communications Consulting
- Nurture Online Contacts, Build Your Business Blog
- Annika Lidne talks Social Media and Online Communications
- Mobilize Your Marketing Communications
- Johnny Spence on How to Start a Business Website
Jon Buscall - Communications Consultant
I'm an available-for-hire online communications consultant based out of Stockholm, Sweden.
What I do:- Online Marketing and Communications Strategy
- Speaking
- Teaching
- Training
- Write stuff: articles, blogs, brochures, copywriting, presentations, the works!
Contact me today to set up a free consultation to discuss how I can help your business succeed online.
