Leverage Blog: How to Exploit the Web.

A word on Blogs: Blogging is Officially "Mainstream."

A new study of women who use the web (i.e., most women) found that 53% read blogs.  What are they doing?  Read on:

Women read blogs for fun (46%)

To get information (41%)

Stay up to date on family and friends (36%)

Stay up to date on specific topics (34%)

Connect with others (28%)

Entertainment (26%)

It looks like the value of the blog is growing faster than I had guessed, with the 2nd most common reason being to get information.  Wow.

Read the full article here  (I'm pretty sure the data isn't just based on responses in the San Francisco Bay Area)

Read more about what a blog can do for your business here.

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ADMIN:  21-ch4:  Bay Area San Francisco

Wheel Media Created a new blog for the CCI

Wheel Media is pleased to announce the launch of a new blog from The Center for Citizens Initiatives:  Russia: Other Points of View (ROPV).

ROPV is an alternative perspective on the current economic, political and cultural environment in Russia today.  In-depth news, research, interviews and more inform academics, analysts and everyone interested in following the growth of Russia.

Our services included the creation of a design to meet client preferences, custom programming to enable the posting of images, articles and files within the blog's pages, and training to enable the CCI team to maintain and grow their blog.  Unique features include email subscriptions to help drive traffic to the blog, and a search tool to enable visitors to find information on topics of interest.

Congrats to CCI for their introduction of a new voice in media coverage of Russia.

Do your customers want you blogging?

One key to growth is anticipating the needs of your customers.  While it can be a challenge to figure out exactly what new service or product they might need, we can safely say everyone likes information.

The business that educates and informs is often the most trusted, and trust wins clients.  Blogs are a pretty easy way to provide that information and build trust.  To see if your customers want you blogging, think about the questions they ask...

...and then answer them, in your blog, one post at a time.

Still not sure how a blog can grow your business?  Email me.  Let's dive-in.

Good times: We just launched a blog for this small business

Four cheers for Cyd Kmeto, a counselor, personal-coach and guru (no exaggeration) in Sacramento, CA.  A long-time client of Wheel Media, Cyd approached me looking for a new website.  The conversation went thusly:

Michael:  A new site is a great idea.  Have you thought about creating a blog?

Cyd:  A what?

Michael:  A blog.  A blog is a new kind of website that enables the author to add new content as often as they like without fancy hi-tech skills.  Visitors can post comments to your ideas, and you become the hub of a conversation (online)centered on your work.  The world needs to know what you do...and of course many of those people will become clients.  Exciting stuff, no?

Cyd:  [puzzled look]

Michael:  [optimistic, encouraging look]

Cyd:  OK, this sounds interesting.  Give it to me one more time...

The rest is history.  Well, the future.  The future of small business.  The website and blog compliment each other, cross-market and encourage visitors to come back.  The website is richer in design, the blog in content.

Our blog marketing strategy is one part planning, one part execution, and one part maintenance. I've trained Cyd on the art of blogging and she's running the show now.  Read her at Move Inside and learn more about her counseling practice at www.cydkmeto.com.

Hats-off to Cyd for her vision and willingness to lead.

Why does your business need a blog?

I've heard it a 100 times, and it's a great question.  Blogs are the "latest thing," but why does your business need one?

Truth be told, blogs are not always my first recommendation.  Many times I recommend other tactics before embarking on a blog marketing project; an email newsletter or a snappy refreshing of the website are sometimes the best places to start.  But that said, here are three reasons why a blog needs to at least be on your marketing radar.  The more these resonate with your business, the more a blog can help you:

• Blogs inform your customer
  • Your blog tells your customer more about your product/service, how to use it, how it's changing, how it affects their world.  And your blog invites their feedback.

• Blogs help keep your company top-of-mind
  
  • With new information posted (nearly) every day your customers have a reason to remember you, to visit you, to check your RSS feed.  And being top-of-mind is key to grabbing up-sells and referrals.
• Blogs help take price out of the discussion
  • There is always going to be someone with a lower price.  Always.  But the personal connection on a blog, the opportunity to build a relationship with a customer, builds loyalty and trust.  Go ahead, raise your prices, increase your margins.  It's possible.

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Blogging is on the front-page of the NY Times

Companies of all stripes are using blogging to shape public option.

And there you have it.

The article begins with the slightly ominous (but not surprising) news that Wal-Mart has a PR firm  targeting blogs.  Specifically, they are suggesting topics (zoning restrictions are bad, perhaps?), sending pre-written posts to blogs, and inviting bloggers to corporate headquarters.

What does a front-page NYT article about blogs do for its value as a marketing tool?  Already legitimized, it thrusts blogging further into the mainstream. Blog readership is growing in every sector at a crazy-wild pace, and the mention of General Electric, Cingular and Microsoft fuel that growth.

The article creates a stir of doubt and fear around blogging (much like the article in Newsweek did about Search Engine Optimization,) but it's legitimate-- SEO is not a 'science' and blogging is not 'objective.'

I prefer an educated client whose done their homework, asks smart questions and knows what they want.  If you have the right service/product they won't push as hard on price and will be a customer-for-life.

Who's working on your blog strategy?

Blog Marketing Best Practice: Contributors

Guy Kawasaki has a great example of one my favorite blog marketing tactics, one I'm calling Contributors.

On the 4th guy did an interview on his blog of Adam Lashinsky from Fortune Magazine.  It's super-successful in the blog medium for at least two reasons:

1. Smart questions, smart answers, smart people.  As with blogs, websites and all marketing messages, good content is key.
2. Sort-and-sweet.  Blog readers don't want a white-paper  (although they would appreciate a link to one.)  They want news that's current and on-topic, small nuggets of information, and/or sources of research.

Who do you know that can provide a sharp idea or observation for your blog?  A thought your readers would value?

Ask your peers to contribute by telling you something wise.  The interview format is great, but a brief quote will work well also, and your contributor will appreciate the visibility.

The rising tide lifts all boats, no?

Blogging: Will it catch on?

This just seen on a bus in Sacramento:

Blogs being advertised on the side of a bus?  With the marketing budget of AT&T (and others, I'm sure) building awareness about blogs the medium will get a head-of-steam in no time.  AT&T has so much faith in blogs they're spending big bucks just to promote the category.

Wow.

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