Posts Tagged ‘Blog’

 

4 Problems with Your Business Blog

Friday, June 8th, 2012

Whether your business has a blog, had a blog, or is getting a blog one thing is certain: you should have a blog.

Why?

The simple answer: you’re reading this.

The “herd mentality” is full force in social media and consumers are looking for engagement, not just a great product line. When they go to your website they must see the person behind the brand. They want want more than a pretty date, they want someone with a great personality as well.

Business Blog Tip #1: It’s Lifeless

Anyone can make a widget. But your widget must move, breathe, surprise and advice. Your blog must be alive.

The Fix: Recruit a passionate employee who has experience writing and see if they might be interesting in bringing life to your business blog. If your business can’t spare an employee, hire someone to do it for you (just ensure they understand your brand).

Business Blog Tip #2: It’s Old News

When potential customers come to your blog, they want to see that it’s updated and different than the last time they visited. Upon seeing a blog that is updated regularly, the consumer mind says “this company has things happening and they have news to share with me.”

The Fix: Have a blogging schedule. Update once a week, three times a week, or daily, but whatever you choose, keep a regular blogging schedule.

Business Blog Tip #3: It’s Salesy

We love to buy, but we don’t want to be sold.

We’ve all had experiences when ‘friends’ invite us over for a nice meal and then halfway through the second course the host transitions into a corporate sales pitch for product X. It’s gross.

And your customer will feel the same way if your blog is used like old bait-and-switch sales tactics.

The Fix: The other pages of your company website are for selling, but the blog is relational. Keep it relational.

Business Blog Tip #4: It’s Impersonal

Company blogs that read like text books remind people of … reading textbooks.

Going hand-in-hand with tip #1, bring a personal ‘voice’ to your blog and keep it consistent. Although the implementation of this concept varies from company to company, the blog’s tone must be conversational.

The Fix: When writing (or editing) a blog post imagine it being read by a specific customer of your product. Some writers even go so far as to post a picture of their ‘customer’ at their workstation while writing.

Take advantage of the social space available to your business by maintaining and growing a relevant business blog. Godin states it poignantly:

“How can you squander even one more day not taking advantage of the greatest shifts of our generation? How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?” Seth Godin, sethgodin.typepad.com

Tumblr’s First Major Campaign

Monday, January 16th, 2012

We’ve asked the question previously, “Should Tumblr be a part of your social media campaign?”  Our answer was a resounding yes, but the trail was still being blazed in terms of how to do it, exactly.

Recently, Aldo, a fashion label that focuses mainly on reasonably priced shoes and accessories for men and women, launched a campaign for their Tumblr site called Aldo Rise (aldorise.tumblr.com).  Using the tried and true social media contest, Aldo is awarding 5 Tumblr bloggers the chance to have New York based creative agency Alldayeveryday design a custom theme for their site, which is valued at $1,000, and 5 reblogs from the Aldo Rise Tumblr.  All that is required is that you follow Aldo Rise, and provide the name and a description of your site.

It’s obvious that quite a bit of thought was put into the implementation of this contest.

First, one of the core values that separates Tumblr from other microblogging sites is its emphasis on design.  Not only is it simple to use one of the many beautiful themes already available, but Tumblr also encourages users with the know-how to create their own.  Aldo has identified this and made it a central them of their contest by offering a chance to have a customized, professionally designed theme.

Secondly, reblogs are highly valuable to the Tumblr community.  Offering to reblog someone’s page 5 times throughout the year wasn’t necessary to make this contest work, but it certainly sweetens the offer.

Aldo will certainly reap the benefits of many new followers from this contest.  Of course, as we all know, it doesn’t matter how many followers you have if none of them are engaged with your brand message.  It will be interesting to see how the Aldo Rise Tumblr site chooses to foster their newly acquired community.