Fancy Food Show (2006) Using Blogs To Grow Your Business
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Transcript of Fancy Food Show (2006) Using Blogs To Grow Your Business
© 2006 All rights reserved
July 8, 2006
Marketing On The Web: What eMail, Blogs and Searches Can Do
Using Blogs To Grow Your Business
© 2006 All rights reserved
Our Game Plan
What is a blog?
Why should you care?
Biz blog benefits
Blogs as a marketing tactic
Success a la Delicious Destinations
Discussion Guide
Resources
© 2006 All rights reserved
Is this your perception of blogs?
Teen Diaries
Cat Blogs
Photos Politics
Geek Blogs Silly Stuff .. 2nd most popular
219 links from 20,223 sites
© 2006 All rights reserved
Drinking The Kool-aid
An online journal which produces fame without
wealth for pajama-clad scribes, known as
bloggers, who write so well they don’t need
editors and survive by eating ramen noodles and
Tang powder from a spoon.
Heard it from: Scrappleface blog
[Courtesy link]
© 2006 All rights reserved
Blog - A Continuous Conversation
A weblog is kind of a
continual tour, with a
human guide who you
get to know.
There are many guides to choose
from, each develops an
audience, and there's also
camaraderie and politics
between the people who run
weblogs, they point to each
other, in all kinds of
structures, graphs, loops, etc.
Heard it from: Dave Winer
http://newhome.weblogs.com/historyOfWeblogs
[Courtesy Link]
© 2006 All rights reserved
Anatomy of a Blog
Post
Video
Delivery Options
Value-add
Blog Title
Title Tag
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Anatomy of a Blog
BlogRoll
Archive Category
Unique URL
Links/Content From Other Blogs
Post
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A Website - even the best websites are usually static information that is difficult to update and with no ability to generate p2p (person-to-person interaction) conversations.
How Does A Blog Differ…
Coffee Cakes – http://www.coffeecakes.com Big Y Foods - http://www.bigy.com/
Paul’s Catering - http://www.paulscatering.nl/
© 2006 All rights reserved
A Chat Room: A blog maintains a searchable history and
is indexes by search engines, unlike most chat rooms.
Only a designated author can start a new topic
A Listserv: A blog does not require email distribution,
unlike most listserves.
A Bulletin Board: A blog is easy to read, unlike most
bulletin boards. Only a designated author can start a
new topic.
How Does a Blog Differ
© 2006 All rights reserved
The Essence of Blogging
People Talking to People
People Listening to People
People Interacting with People
Within the environment of a website
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Blame It On The Web
Web 1.0 - Information
Web 2.0 - Easy Connectivity
Social Computing
User Participation
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http://finding-balance.blogspot.com/2006/05/healthy-tasty-dessert.html
People Are Talking … About You
comment
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Corner Store Relationships
People like to do business with people they like.
“People-based relationships and performance will continue to be
the most important formula for success.” Lorraine Tribe, Quest Personnel
Markets are Conversations … Cluetrain Manifesto
Markets Are People
© 2006 All rights reserved
A Baker’s Dozen Biz Blog Benefits
1. Creates and maintains
relationships
2. Increases awareness
3. Increases traffic to
website
4. Positions as an innovator
5. Adds customer touch
points
6. Lifts search engine
rankings
7. Builds brand awareness
© 2006 All rights reserved
A Baker’s Dozen Biz Blog Benefits
8. Provides cost effective viral marketing
9. Offers less disruptive marketing messaging
10. Provides unique way to distribute content
11. Engages people with similar interests (community)
12. Provides opportunity for value added content
13. Humanizes your company
© 2006 All rights reserved
"Here people understand me. If you keep reading a person, you get to know them.“
“Person like yourself or your peer” is seen as
the most credible spokesperson about a
company ...”
2006 Annual Edelman
Trust Barometer
© 2006 All rights reserved
Half Dozen What Blogs Are Not
1. Blatant self-promotion
2. Press releases
3. Corporate “talk”
4. Online brochures
5. Alone in the wilderness
6. Smoke and mirrors
© 2006 All rights reserved
Blog Marketing Challenges
Time & resources
Blog strategy – integrate
into your overall
marketing plan
Corporate (blogger)
guidelines
Comment (reader) policy
Blogs are a culture
© 2006 All rights reserved
Reinforce Brand To Target Segments
Lesson Learned: Understand
internal limitations/resources
© 2006 All rights reserved
Customer Feedback
Lessons Learned: Informal, inexpensive marketing research.
Caution: Consumer generated media is one data point in a research strategy.
© 2006 All rights reserved
CEO asks, “Where is the $ (value)?”
Lessons Learned: Without a strategy it’s difficult to evaluate success.
??????Mystery Blog ????????
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Blogs Are a Culture
Bloggers exert influence –
but approach with caution.
http://www.restaurantgirl.com/restaurantgirl/
© 2006 All rights reserved
Blogger Relations: Wal-Mart & Edelman
Lesson Learned: Transparency is the name of this game.
© 2006 All rights reserved
Corner Grocery Store Relationships
Lessons Learned: Set expectations
Heard it on: hyku.com
http://www.wholefoods.com/blogs/jm/
Blog Link
© 2006 All rights reserved
A Little Self-promotion
http://cheesaholics.blogs.com/cheesaholics_anonymous/
Lessons Learned: Self-promotion
woven into rich, value-added
contentcreates greater credibility.
Content
Services
© 2006 All rights reserved
Search Optimization
Lessons Learned: Google loves blogs ..
but a little SEO strategy can help too!
© 2006 All rights reserved
Extending A Brand
http://www.jamieoliver.com/diary/
Lessons Learned: Integrate mediums and strategies
Podcast
© 2006 All rights reserved
Blog Brands
http://www.amateurgourmet.com/
Lessons Learned: Creative Consumer Generated Content =
Fame & Fortune
Ads on blogs
BlogAds –
$200/week
© 2006 All rights reserved
Marketing Perspective
“The 4 Ps of Blogging”
Point | Passion | Personality | Perseverance
C-Generation – people who create and consume their own content
while building community.
Thanks to Rick Short, Indium Corp. and Sher Taton, IBM
© 2006 All rights reserved
Success a la Delicious Destinations The Blogosphere is like playing jazz. You have to know the notes
before you can change the tune.
© 2006 All rights reserved
The Strategy Reinforce and build brand awareness
Encourage informal customer
communication and interaction with
the brand in a fun, informal
environment
Provide value-added content about
food, culture, travel and wines
Build on T. Alexander established
brand icon
Increase awareness for
GourmetStation brand
Increase search rankings
© 2006 All rights reserved
Success Metrics
Drive Traffic to Website
Traffic increased 30%
Approximately 4.6% came from blog
Drive Traffic to Blog
Click throughs to blog from website average monthly 15.5%
“… there was no negative feedback
from customers
--and that's the feedback I'm most
concerned about.“ Donna Lynes Miller
© 2006 All rights reserved
Let’s Give Donna The Last Word
If a retail brand executes marketing strategies, whether blog or otherwise, from a strategically sound, honest and straightforward perspective, there is little risk.
If a retailer wants to try a blog and they keep those 3 criteria in mind, there are very little risks.
Donna Lynes-Miller, CEO Founder
Gourmet Station
© 2006 All rights reserved
Is Your Company Read To Write Blogs?
Your Answers To Two Questions –
Must Be “Yes”
First Question: Will your company culture support a blog
strategy?
Second Question: Will blogs help solve or support a
business challenge or marketing strategy?
© 2006 All rights reserved
The Whisper Strategy:
Entrée Into the Blogosphere
1. Subscribe to a news reader
2. Identify and read blogs
3. Monitor the blogosphere
4. Join the conversation
© 2006 All rights reserved
Develop A Blog Strategy
Define your blog’s purpose
What business challenge or marketing
strategy can a blog support within your
organization?
Develop goals & objects
Establish success metrics
Develop your blog strategy
Develop blog marketing strategy
© 2006 All rights reserved
Blog Best Practices
1. Title and title tag
Descriptive
Optimized for organic search
2. Posts in reversed chronological order
3. About me page – credibility
4. Social networking/community building
Comments
Trackbacks
Linking strategy
5. Blogroll
Dr. Pho spends about an hour/day.
Feels worth the investment.
Patients benefit from doctor’s perspective.
It’s cathartic. I’m listening. I hear you.
© 2006 All rights reserved
Discussion Guide
Challenges
1. What benefits do you think your company would
derive from a blog strategy?
2. What are your concerns about starting a company
blog?
3. What will be your management’s questions?
4. Why you feel your company is ready or not ready to
develop a blog/social media strategy?
© 2006 All rights reserved
Discussion Guide
Strategy
1. What is the main focus of the blog?
2. Who is your audience for the blog?
3. Is the context and content relevant and of value
to your target audience? How do you know?
© 2006 All rights reserved
Discussion Guide Structure
1. What type of a blog will you consider?
Single author or multiple author? Why?
2. How will you identify blog authors/s?
What skills should a blogger have?
3. What are the author/s’ responsibilities?
Type of content
Frequency of posting
Linking strategies
4. What type of blog platform is best for your organization?
Internally or externally hosted
© 2006 All rights reserved
To Market To Market if you make it they will not come unless you tell them
1. Blogger relationships
2. Linking
3. Blog roll
4. Search optimization
5. Comments, trackbacks .. to other blogs
6. Tags
7. Pings
8. Directories
9. Traditional marketing
© 2006 All rights reserved
Success Metrics
New business
opportunities
Traditional media
Links – to/from
Comments
Conversions i.e.,
email, white papers
Buzzzzzz, viral
marketing
Search rankings
Image, branding
Customer service
Visitors
Page views
Trackbacks
Lead
capture/business
opportunities
© 2006 All rights reserved
Top 5 Strategies
To Combat Negative Comments
5. Turn off comments
4. Monitor comments
3. Develop a comment policy
Include a link on the nav bar and above the
comment window
2. Delete comments that do not meet your
guidelines
1. Show em what you’re made of!
Use negative comments – those that
express legit problems – as examples how
you handle customer concerns
© 2006 All rights reserved
Finding Blogs
www.blogher.org
http://marketing.corante.
com/
www.businessblogconsulti
ng.com
www.marketingprofs.com
www.blogcritics.org
www.b5media.com
www.bloglines.com
www.technorati.com
http://a9.com
www.feedster.com
www.icerocket.com
http://blogsearch.googl
e.com/
Search engines with “
key words “
Read blog-rolls!
© 2006 All rights reserved
Blog Tools
Hosted Solutions
www.blogger.com—free/fee www.blogharbor.com
www.typepad.com—fee
Non Hosted Solutions
www.wordpress.com—free
www.sixapart.com –fee
Comparison chart:
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/images/
blog_software_comparison.cfm
© 2006 All rights reserved
News Aggregators
www.bloglines.com—free
www.newsgater.com—free/fee
www.feeddemon.com—fee
www.yahoo.com - my page – free
www.pluck.com - free
© 2006 All rights reserved
Partings Thought …
There's a free market of ideas out there. And I'd
rather be driving the dialogue than be run over by
it.
Jonathan Schwartz, Sun Micro systems
© 2006 All rights reserved
~for more marketing ideas
or information about blogs/social media~
Bloomberg Marketing
~strategic marketing & blog consultancy~
www.bloombergmarketing.com
www.divamarketingblog.com
www.bloggerstories.com
770.496.1711