Corporate Eye

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Archives for December 2008

The Challenges of Having a Corporate Blog

Business owners have to concern themselves with many things that are directly related to the success of their livelihood. There is client acquisition, client retention, sales quotas, marketing strategies and administration. All of these issues have to be dealt with in order to stay “business-afloat” and competitive in the market place.

With marketing being the primary anchor of any business, whether its a product or service, it is the number one area that needs the most attention. As it needs the most attention, it is also a critical area that is the most challenging to handle. It is the most challenging because it requires the business owner(s) to be innovative, creative, flexible and intuitive in order to find what works and what brings in the sales. One highly effective form of marketing that I concentrate heavily in my blog posts, is well, blogging. With the advent of one of the most powerful marketing tools now available  –  blogging  –  business owners have to continually be concerned with having a successful, competitive blog. But is being concerned a reason to panic or worry? Absolutely not. The main idea and focus is to simply keep your blog engaged in the following factors to be successful:

Drive Blog Traffic

This is one of the biggest challenges that corporate blogs face. While some may say that the traffic “will come”, your blog team must do their part to help bring the traffic in. This includes things like being active on the social sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, and even MySpace and Facebook. Corporate blogs would do well to establish a presence on these social sites and become an active part of the online community.

Provide Interesting Content

This means providing content that other bloggers will link to, post about and tell others about. Providing rich, interesting content for your readers can have a lasting effect as you want them to come back frequently, for more. Your corporate blog posts may also inspire and encourage others. For instance, this blog post about corporate blog challenges was inspired for me from this post that I read by Buildify. When you provide good content, it’s a win-win situation for everyone.

Avoid Irrelevant Content

Be careful of providing content that has nothing to do with your blog’s goals or objectives. Sure it’s fine to venture off the trail every now and then, but highly discouraged on a routine basis. This is a great way to lose customers and readers as they will deduce that your blog is out-of-touch  if you cannot focus on one topic.

Post Frequently

This is one of the main and most important factors. Posting frequently gives your blog life and lets your readers know that you are real and in touch. Often, corporate blogs tend to only post when there’s news to report. Bad idea. Corporate blogs should post frequently and engage their readers on a routine basis.  How often is frequently? That’s relevant to your business and what your focus is. It could be anywhere from daily to once a week (not suggested). A posting schedule of 4-5 times per week is ideal and definitely enough frequency to keep the readers engaged and coming back.

Personally, as a blogger I have found that corporate blogs are no different than, say, a personal blog. They both need valuable content, a personal voice and frequent communication. The only difference is the reading audience, and that only serves to help you form your posts outline and pitch. To be successful in corporate blogging, you must find what works and what works well with your niche market.

What are some of your challenges that you face with your blog? What do you think you can do to improve your blog’s visibility and reduce challenges?

Who are your business spokespeople?

Who speaks for your business? Who represents you in public?

Is it top level management? The public relations team? Nominated business spokespeople? Or everyone?

Who should it be?

It is standard practice for a corporate website to provide an archive of interviews, speeches and other presentations made by senior staff – some as documents available for download, some as webcasts.

Some of the better corporate websites link to these speeches from the board biographies, so that it is easy to find out, for example, what the Strategy Director thinks about future trends in their business (see Microsoft).

Often, the main contact for journalists on the corporate website will be the public relations team, who have phone numbers, email addresses clearly and easily available (see British Energy for a good example). Sometimes, there will also be contact details for nominated business spokespeople, with some explanation of their area of expertise (see Scottish Widows for an example). This is good – we like to see experts within the company available to speak.

On the other hand, the business conduct guidelines for most major companies play heavily on the idea that all employees are representing the company, and require individual employees to behave in an appropriate fashion. And this is quite right: employees, particularly those dealing day to day with customers, do represent the company, and their actions significantly affect the brand and image of the company.

Yet often, these employees have been taught to refer all requests for comment upwards, or across to the PR department. So are they only representatives in the way they look and behave?

For some companies the nature of the spokesperson for the company has been changing, and has become more devolved. As people within the company embrace social media, and blog, tweet or otherwise engage with people outside the company, these people are increasingly representing the company by what they say (or write), not just by their behaviour or dress. They are becoming ‘accidental spokespeople‘, and as a result, there is potentially a loss of control by the company.

So, how should you deal with that?

One option, of course, would be to ban employees from social networking at work … either completely or partially, leaving the official social media team to do all such activity. Cutter Consortium point to some interesting tactics of permissible hours for such activity. This keeps you safely within the old pattern of ‘refer upwards or call PR’, but may mean that you miss out on some of the benefits of social media.

Another option is the Zappos approach, which seems to work well for them:

For our culture, we just want to make sure that our employees are always exhibiting our core values. As long as that’s happening, we don’t really see the need to “police” what employees are saying, which is why we encourage our employees to Twitter and publicly post what employees are twittering at: http://twitter.zappos.com

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, quoted at Pierce Mattie

And there’s the approach taken by IBM and Intel, of providing clear guidelines on the corporate website, and tying these in with the code of conduct. (I notice that IBM has separate guidelines for behaviour in virtual worlds).

… we believe social computing can help you to build stronger, more successful business relationships. And it’s a way for you to take part in global conversations related to the work we are doing at Intel and the things we care about.

The choice to participate in social media is yours. If you do, please follow these guiding principles:

  • Provide unique, individual perspectives on what’s going on at Intel and in the world.
  • Post meaningful, respectful comments – in other words, no spam and no remarks that are off-topic or offensive.
  • Reply to comments quickly, when a response is appropriate.
  • Respect proprietary information and confidentiality.
  • When disagreeing with others’ opinions, keep it cool.
  • Know and follow the Intel Code of Conduct and the Intel Privacy Policy.

(from Intel – IBM’s available here)

Both these are good summaries of how to behave, and it is commendable that they are published on the corporate website.

Notice how Zappos, IBM and Intel all bring this back to the corporate values, ethics and codes of conduct. This demonstrates the importance of the corporate culture – if the culture of the company is such that you can trust your employees, then you can trust them to represent you in public in all aspects: in what they say or write as well as in how they look and behave.

And if you don’t trust your employees to interact appropriately with people outside the company, then I suspect you may be facing bigger issues.

Can a Brand Get Too Big?

I read an interesting post today on the Branding Strategy Insider blog that made the case that bigger brands don’t necessarily have better marketers behind them than smaller brands do.  Mark Ritson wrote in his post about how his consulting experience over the years has proven that smaller brands are just as likely to have marketers of similar capabilities and knowledge as bigger brands.  I have to agree with Mark but from a slightly different perspective.

My experience in Corporate America, working for some of the largest companies in the world, and in working with smaller companies through my own marketing company has shown me that marketing and branding talent can be found behind brands of all sizes.  The difference typically comes from the support behind those people. [Read more…] about Can a Brand Get Too Big?

What To Say: 4 Things That Can Make Your Corporate Blog Get Noticed

No doubt that if you have a corporate blog on your site, you’ve run into the trouble before of not having material to write about. At one time or another, most any corporate blog has had that same issue and has had challenges in finding a solution to it. In these days when blogs are dominating the internet and there are blogs ranging everywhere from business to personal to unusual topics, the main goal of any blog is to get it noticed. To get it to stand out from others in the crowd. To get readers to read the blog and then participate (if they should be so lucky!) Blogs have become more than just a journal of one’s daily happenings or a list of lunch buddies. Blogs have become an integral part of businesses and their dealings with their core audiences. Their main goal is to simply get read. But how?

Who Do You Read?

What sites or blogs do you frequent on a daily basis? Which blogs appeal to you? Why? Is it the graphics? Do you know the blogger personally and visit out of obligation? Or, is there truly a wealth of information on the site that you look forward to reading on a frequent basis? In other words, does the blogger write in such a way that it keeps you coming back for more and more? And more?  If you find that you are signing on to a particular blog or set of blogs on a daily basis to read what has been posted, you have just discovered the first way to get your corporate blog to stand out and get noticed:

1. Provide Invaluable Content

This would not be the content that is regurgitated from somewhere else or general information that can be found anywhere on the internet. You want to provide invaluable content to your reader from your own experiences and the experiences of others. Give your readers something they can use now and something they can use later. Keep them coming back for more. One site that I visit on a daily basis is Copyblogger because of the immense wealth of information that I get there. The site is primarily for those who are professional bloggers and writers and the blog host, Brian Clark, provides frequently-published  rich content given by himself and guest authors.

2. Be Personal

This doesn’t mean sharing your daily lunch schedule, or talking about your pet Puddles, or telling us what you did on your vacation last month. Although at times, this would be acceptable. No, what this means is simply letting your readers know that you are human. Don’t talk in the third person or a distant tone. If you have a business strategy to share with your readers, share it by telling them your experience with the strategy as well. Let them see the advice in action. Share with them the mistake (if any) that you made in getting the strategy to work. Show them that there is a human behind the blog post. Your readers will thank you for it.

3. Engage the Readers

Talk to your readers through your blog. Ask them what they think, how they feel, what their experiences are your particular industry. Show the readers that you want to know how they feel and to hear their contributions. Now this doesn’t mean that you will release control of your blog to your readers, but it means that you will engage your readers to create a sense of community and dialogue within your blog. Naturally, if the tone of your blog is to increase readership and and participation, engaging the readers is the vehicle to do just that.

4. Link Out

There is an incredible post that I found the other day that I want to specifically list in this post because of the wealth of information contained in it. Peg at Network Solutions wrote a timely post on the immense benefits of Twitter. I bookmarked her page and will refer to it often because of all of the great information that she’s written. I’ve posted a link to her post here so others can enjoy it as well. Herein is the benefit and value of linking to others. You create social connections and you share valuable information with others. When there is a rich and valuable post made on your blog, others will reciprocate and you will also begin to reap the rewards. Link when appropriate, when necessary and as often as is possible.

What can you do on your blog today to increase its effectiveness? How can you increase your blog’s readership with your current posts?

5 Reasons Why Businesses Should Blog Through the Recession

Should you give up on the idea of a corporate blog now that we’re entering into a global recession? Is it one of those nice-to-have extras that a company can afford in the good times, but not in the bad?

I invited Tom Walker, who is a blogger for Cartridge SAVE, to give us his view on this …

Good public relations is one of the most important elements to any marketing campaign a company has at its disposal. But not all public relations are equal: some campaigns involve massive outlays of cash, while some other methods can be extremely cost effective!

Blogging is at the forefront of publicity mediums in today’s connected world, giving anyone or any business the opportunity to get their message out around the world. And with the recession hitting companies hard, it’s more important than ever to find cost effective ways to attract new customers and increase revenue.

Here are five reasons why business blogging should be an intrinsic part of your marketing mix during the downturn.

1. Marketing Has Moved Ahead With the Times

In days gone by the consumer would wait to have a flyer drop on their doorstep to read about the latest news, deals and offers available to them. Today millions of people subscribe to regularly updated blogs and use their feeds to stay abreast on everything from news and current affairs to sport and fashion. There are thousands of websites tailored to niche industries, each appealing to a particular demographic. While some of these blogs and websites are created by hobbyists, many are created by businesses who use them to turn visitors into leads and ultimately sales. Consumers are becoming more tech-savvy, especially as major online properties such as the BBC and New York Times embrace and subsequently promote new means of distribution such as podcasts and RSS to their visitors. So it is absolutely necessary for businesses to keep up with the trend and become multi faceted in how they interact with the public.

2. Relatively Low Barriers to Entry

Designing and launching your blog is very easy, you don’t need to be an HTML whizz to set one up. However, as with any other marketing campaign it is essential you invest in a plan to add value with clearly defined goals and ways of reaching them. If you don’t keep your blog regularly updated it can actually have a negative effect on your business reputation, making it appear stale and slow to act.

While there are many free blog hosting services available such as WordPress, Typepad and Blogger, which can of course be used to help boost your online profile, any serious business is strongly advised to incorporate their blog with the rest of their website so that corporate branding and voice are as consistent as possible.

3. Control Over Your Communication

Starting a blog gives your business the opportunity to inform customers of upcoming products, services, conferences, trade shows or even to give an insight into the day to day running of the business. It allows you to become your own news reporter and gives you control over what reaches the public domain. Blogging isn’t all a bed of roses though and there are many pitfalls, chief among which is the failure to be unique enough to differentiate your corporate blog from the over 20 million other blogs on the internet today. Take time to research the competition and how they use this platform. Don’t copy anyone, make your own niche!

The beauty of blogging is that it encourages interaction between potential customers or other businesses and yourselves who are able to leave comments that you might address in a later blog post. By adding questions or provocative statements in your blog, you are in effect inviting subscribers to leave feedback. Here are some tips on how to elicit more feedback:

  • Reflect the style of your business in the tone of your blog
  • Write in the first person so there will be a conversational style
  • Make it easy to subscribe: place an option to subscribe via RSS or email prominently on your blog
  • Keep blog posts short and concise: it’s the most effective way to get your point across
  • Show who is responsible for the blog post: a headshot of the post author adds a face to the voice

4. Grow Your Customer Base

Another way to get your message out and also drive traffic is to post comments on other people blogs. If they are writing about something that directly relates to yours you can post a comment with your link and details of your own blog. Don’t shamelessly advertise yourself in these comments though as this may get it deleted. There is evidence to suggest well written blog comments that add to the conversation with valuable and insightful commentary attract significantly more attention than even the main post itself! Clearly there is scope for businesses to therefore brand themselves as an authority to people outside their own circle of influence.

5. Beat The Competition To It

If your competitors don’t have a blog and you do, that already puts you ahead of the game. You will be immediately at an advantage from a media and public relations stand point as potential customers will be more likely to hear of you first. If you are lucky enough to have an extremely successful blog there is no end to its ability to accelerate the growth of your business as readers link to it from their own blogs and social network profiles.

Brands that Made Headlines in 2008

Which brands were in the news in 2008?  I thought I’d put together a review of newsworthy brands (good and bad) by writing down the first 10 brands that popped into my head that made headlines in 2008.  Here we go…

1. Apple

Apple could do no wrong in 2008.  The iPhone, iPod, iTunes, new Macbooks, a laptop that fits in a manilla envelope – you name it, Apple has been hot in recent years, and 2008 was not an exception.  If there is an easier way to do something (and a prettier way), Apple will find it.  Apple is the perfect example of a thriving relationship brand that moved from cult status to actually steal some market share from the market leader, Microsoft, who has actually stooped to trying to counterattack Apple with ads that leave much to be desired.  Will Apple remain as popular in 2009?  We’ll have to wait and see, but I can’t imagine the love story will end anytime soon. [Read more…] about Brands that Made Headlines in 2008