We all know the marketing world - PR and advertising and everything in between - is constantly and rapidly changing, so it's a must to stay on top of what's new and, even more important, what's next.
This blog post was written by advertising blogger Joe Marchese - definitely worth a read!
Many of us wonder if our social media efforts are worth all the buzz. I mean, after all, social media efforts are oh so time-consuming - we want to know if we're getting ROI on our investment of time.
A friend of mine included this great video (see below) in her monthly newsletter and I wanted to share the video with my readers too. I found it very powerful in helping companies visually see just how powerful social media can be.
One item I found interesting from this video is that a company called Naked Pizza admitted that 68% of its sales and 85% of its new customers were coming from Twitter. That speaks volumes to me. I, too, have seen the value of Twitter first-hand in making business relationship and have been lucky to meet some really cool new clients through the medium. On top of that, one of my clients recently told me her sales go down on week's she Tweets less too... she is able to see the impact social media plays in her business based on how much or little she Tweets. Interesting....
Looking to follow your favorite editor, reporter, news anchor or blogger on Twitter? Turn to MediaOnTwitter to ID the Twitter handle of your favorite reporter(s).
The purpose of MediaOnTwitter is to connect communications professionals to contacts and relevant content to help people engage with media more effectively. The site allows users to do two things:
1. Search and find media you want to connect with, sorting by beat, location, name or outlet.
2. Add media to the database to help it become even more comprehensive.
While any site visitor can, and is encouraged to, submit media, the “MediaOnTwitter” team manages and ensures the integrity and usability of the content.
Interestingly enough, MediaOnTwitter was developed by Sarah Evans, is supported by HARO founder, Peter Shankman.
Christine Pilkington of GoGoMamaGo.com has listed several directories where you can list your blog for free. This truly is an awesome compilation of blog directories!
Blogging is important for online companies to do, however, the process can be time consuming. Coming up with idea, crafting blog entries, proofing them and then promoting them can be a bear (trust me, I know - I manage several blogs - ack!).
Every Monday for the next 51 weeks, I'll be providing an idea on something you can blog about. Check back here weekly to learn what you should be blogging about next!
Before I begin - I want to provide you with some tips for finding your blog's voice. It will take you time to get into your groove - but once you do blogging will be easy. At the end of this post I offer my 1st of 51 blogging tips - so keep reading...
Have a Voice. Every blog must have a “voice” or “theme.” Discovering your voice can take some time. Think about ways your blog can be useful, educational and informative to your readers and/or customers rather than self-promotional or boastful of your company’s news and good deeds. Think of how you can become the expert on a topic related to your business and then make your blog the authoritative voice on that topic.
Here are some ideas of how various baby product companies can find their blogging voice:
* If you sell skin care products for baby… your blog might be themed, “Fun in the Sun,” where you write about staying sun safe and write about anything involving outdoor fun. Or, your blog might have a medical focus and solely talk about skin diseases, how to prevent them, and so forth.
* If you sell fashionable hats for girls… your blog may focus on how to put together an outfit for any occasion. Or, you may write about celebrities, both young and old, spotted wearing hats. Or, your topic maybe how to dress your little fashionista with a limited budget.
* If you sell designer bibs and burp clothes… your blog might be about healthy eating for babies or fun kid-friendly recipes.
As you can see from the samples above, these blogs’ voices are advice- or information-driven and will help you gain a following of loyal readers.
Be Comprehensive. Once you’ve decided on your blog’s voice, you’ll want to brainstorm how you can make your blog the most comprehensive source on that topic. Think of all angles of that topic and how you can incorporate each angle into your blog. If you design cloth diapers, you’ll want to cover everything from diaper rash to laundry detergents – not just cloth diapering.
Be Keyword-Rich. Keyword-rich content is important for several reasons. One, and most importantly, it helps with your SEO optimization. Search engines will see you continually writing about the same topic and will help boost your rankings on that topic. Two, it helps show the focus of your content. While you can blog about a lot of things – all of them should tie together under one theme.
Link to Previous Stories. A good way to boost hits to your blog and make it an invaluable source to your readers/customers is to continually link back to other, related blog posts. This will guide your readers back to other stories you’ve written related to that topic.
Write Short, Scan-able Posts. Most of your readers/customers won’t have time to read many pages of lengthy text on your blog. Instead of writing wordy blog posts, make your posts short and concise. Use a lot of bullet points and bolded sub-headings so that your copy is easily scan-able. Don’t forget to add visual elements, like pictures and quote boxes.
Write Thought-Provoking Headlines. Headlines are a great way to captures someone’s attention, so use them to your advantage. Ask thought-provoking questions and use attention grabbing language. Titles also are a great tool to increase your SEO, so always write clear, concise blog post titles.
Write Often. Strive to post 2-4 blog posts per week – that keeps your blog fresh and the search engines happy.
Stick With It. Most blogs don’t make it past the first month because writers get fatigued, run out of ideas or get bored. Don’t let blog fatigue take down your blog!
If you’re experiencing blog fatigue, check back here each Monday to learn about something new you can blog about!
Today's blog tip is:
Establish an editorial calendar. Most magazines develop an editorial calendar, which lays out the publication’s coverage for the year. For example, an editorial calendar might say that April is its special “Green” issue (to honor Earth Day) or that September will be its special “Stroller” issue. Mark each month with a theme and try to write several posts about that theme.
;)
Monday, December 28, 2009 at 11:56AM