Gaining Momentum

Start blogging and keep blogging. This is not a short term commitment and there are rewards for the company that stays in it for the long term. Frequent posts with useful information will be rewarded, as each post adds to the value of the blog and increases the chances that new people will find it and bookmark the site. The returns from blogging increase over time.

I’ll tell you what can happen. I worked with one company who started blogging over 2 years ago and they recently got an email from a New York Times reporter who thought they would be a good resource for his story. He searched and found the site. And because of all the time spent building up the blog, writing content at least once a week, and carefully creating a community, this company was seen as an authority who the reporter wanted to contact. This blog had already been mentioned once in the New York Times, too. It has also gotten inquiries from places like the Today Show. Other blogs in the industry read and link to the site. And the coverage brings more readers to the blog, so it reaches even more customers who can be directly influenced through it. A project like this takes time, but it’s worth it.

When you get coverage like that, it becomes obvious that your blog is a success. But there are many different forms of success and you can make an impact without press beating down your door. So what can you look at to measure success? One measurement is participation. If there are people coming back time and time again, leaving comments and engaging in discussion, you’ve hit a chord. Also, if your traffic numbers are going up, even slowly, that shows movement in the right direction. And while it may not be in the newspaper, it doesn’t have to be to reach an audience and lead to increased conversions.

If you aren’t seeing audience participation and a traffic increase, it may be time to reevaluate. Have you found a target audience? Is this audience aware of the blog and, if not, how can they be made aware? With your blog up and rolling, begin reaching out to find the readers your content addresses. If you build it they may come, but if you tell them about it, they will.

Integrating Blogs and Websites

I had a discussion with Anthony last week that brought up some very good points about the current state of blogging and the Internet. Blogs have been a great addition to the Internet, but we seem to be getting a case of tunnel vision. Blogging and blogging alone is not the end-all-be-all that many seem to make it out to be.

The important piece that came out of blogging is that everyone can have a website. Programmers and designers are offering tools that the average person can use to create a personal site with no HTML knowledge at all. This idea of simple web publishing is a great lesson we have learned and one that needs to be taken a step further. If blogs can be created for easy access and editing, then why can’t every site be this user friendly? Not everyone’s ideal website that has one main page set up in journal entry style, but many people who need more than this are forced to make due with the blog template or tackle more complicated programming. Why aren’t all website creation options as easy as setting up as a blog?

And that’s just it. It can be integrated and it can be easy. What it takes is for the blogosphere to look around and realize that there’s a big Internet out there that doesn’t revolve around Technorati. When will it be time to take the blinders off and realize that blogs and websites are not two different and competing web set-up options? Both blogs and static pages are important to a healthy website and both can be incorporated in an easy-to-use web design platform.

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Avoid Blogger's Block

It happens to the best of us. One day, we sit down to write a blog entry only to realize that we have no idea what to post. Blogging is all about frequent posting and insightful comments, but sometimes the two do not come hand in hand. How do you find inspiration when your mind is drawing a blank?

Just remember that there is always something more to talk about and there is always something worthwhile to discuss. However, some days it just may take some extra inspiration. For this, I set aside some time to surf a few bookmarked websites and consider other avenues for blog ideas.

• Company updates are always good additions to the blog. Have you added new features or hit any new milestones?

• Google Alert is your best friend. It’s a quick and easy way to stay on top of what is going on in your space and watch trends.

• Find other blogs that talk about things that are of interest to your company. This is a great place to see what others are talking about and you may find a topic that is very relevant to you. You get bonus points for linking to that blog in your post, improving your blogger relations and participating in the community.

• Look at what customers are interested in. What are the most frequently asked questions? What kind of feedback have you been hearing? If you pay attention to this, it can be a goldmine of blog ideas.

• Step away from your company and talk about something else. There’s plenty that would be of interest to your customers but might not necessarily tie back in with your company. That’s fine. It adds additional value to the blog.

And when all else fails, just ask. A blog entry asking for new topic ideas, opinions, or blog direction can give you valuable feedback and a better idea of who your audience is. It can help spark participation and create a valuable dialogue.