Chapter 2: Blogging for Business: Part A

Web 2.0 and Social Media for Business

Roger McHaney, Kansas State University

What is a Blog?A Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, media, and hyperlinks provided by the writer

‘Broadcasts’ content using RSS technology

Among first applications associated with transition from static Web pages to social media

Early forms evolved from Usenet, bulletin board systems, and moderated newsgroups

In mid-1990’s, more online journals known as Weblogs appeared

Weblog shortened to ‘blog’ by Jorn Barger and added to Webster’s Dictionary in 1999

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Blogs about Blogging

Video Describing Blogs

Blog Background• Originally, Weblogs were not collaborative technologies• Gave voice to person wishing to place thoughts and opinions into

unedited public space• This one-to-many communication tool was updated to allow reader

comments and feedback• Now Weblogs are a place where material can be synthesized, mashed,

and opened to comments • Video, audio, images and other media can be incorporated • Likes and dislikes can be noted

In Feb-2011, Nielsen Company reported 156+ million blogs existed on Web. After Facebook, more minutes were spent on Blogger.com than any other site.

Should Businesses Blog?

Perfect for connecting with customers, promoting products and developing recognized business presenceGives opportunity to get news and message into the world without external edits Can come from many sources including CEO, marketing executive, product development department, product support specialist, and others

YES!

Small businesses can use blogs to further their organizational missions.

Effective blog use requires understanding key attributes: voice, frequency, style, features and passion

Blog’s Personality

Blog’s VoiceHow entries are presented and worded

Departure from factual journalist voice Create everyday conversation to make messages personal Most blogs are not collections of articlesReaders expect opinions Blogs use humor, sarcasm, self-deprecation, irony, over-the-top seriousness, or other approaches to capture readers’ attention

Blog’s FrequencyHow often to publish new entries

Timely material provides sense of immediacy When significant event occurs, update blog right awayHelpful if writer has predetermined time between postingsMonitor blog traffic statistics to determine best entry frequency

Blog’s Style

Determines readers’ perceptions of business

Most hosting sites offer preformatted configurations (themes)Avoid looking amateurish

Example WordPress Blog Themes

Blog’s Features

Ensure social and traditional Web searches can find content and share via syndication

Various mechanisms enable search engine optimization (SEO), social media optimization (SMO), and monetization

Monetization can be direct (ex. advertising revenue) or indirect (ex. capture of potential customer leads)

Additional Social Media Sites Listed by Southwest for Its Blog

Blog’s PassionWorks best as direct-to-the-point entries that don’t get too wordy or long

Infuse passion into a blog:

Read Fresh and Thought-Provoking Material: Go beyond current news and what everyone else reads Absorb new and fresh ideas Observe the world, Talk to people working in related areasRead old and unusual booksSpend time reflecting and thinking

Discover subject matter unrelated to your blog that will add value because of author’s style or approach to topics. Seek unexpected inspiration and new ways of viewing topics from alternative sources.

Blog’s Passion (con’t)

Infuse passion into a blog:

Blogs Don’t Need to be Balanced

Blogs convey an opinion People read more than just your company’s blog Choose a direction and make a strong case Reader comments can provide alternative points of view and build a case for opposing sets of arguments. Create a discussion online. To influence readers, provide best arguments

Blog Environment

Primary decision for businesses: whether to host their blog(s) internally or to use hosting services. Second option is often associated with cloud computing solutions.

Internal Hosting

Organization needs computing hardware and software in-houseFor small businesses, this might represent a challenge Provides a business with flexibility and freedomEnsures organization possesses data and information associated with Web siteMore easily integrated with business Web site Allows organization to develop internal expertise with the blog administration

Internal Hosting Software Examples

External HostingUses third-party Web sitesGood for startup businesses attempting to control initial costsGood for small businesses with limited IT infrastructureIndividual bloggers often take this approachSoftware upgrades done by vendor or with minimal effortSupport lines and customer service usually availableBlog may be automatically submitted to search enginesBusiness data resides on another organization’s hosting platformHosted blogs can be placed on free Web sites or on sites that cost a fee

External Hosting Examples

More External Hosting Examples

Other Hosting Options

A third option used by many small businesses and startup companies:Find a general hosting company that offers instant blogging installations for a low cost

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Other Blog Hosting Service Examples

End ofChapter 2 Part A

Web 2.0 and Social Media for Business

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Slides Prepared by Professor Roger McHaney Kansas State UniversityTwitter: @mchaneyBlog: http://mchaney.comEmail : mchaney@ksu.edu