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


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


What is a blog?


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

http://technorati.com/search/www.boingboing.net


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]


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]

http://newhome.weblogs.com/historyOfWeblogs


Anatomy of a Blog

Post

Video

Delivery Options

Value-add

Blog Title

Title Tag


Anatomy of a Blog

BlogRoll

Archive Category

Unique URL

Links/Content From Other Blogs

Post


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/

http://www.coffeecakes.com/

http://www.bigy.com/

http://www.paulscatering.nl/

http://www.paulscatering.nl/


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


The Essence of Blogging

People Talking to People

People Listening to People

People Interacting with People

Within the environment of a website


Why should you care?


Blame It On The Web

Web 1.0 - Information

Web 2.0 - Easy Connectivity

Social Computing

User Participation


http://finding-balance.blogspot.com/2006/05/healthy-tasty-dessert.html

People Are Talking … About You

comment


How Big Is This Puppy?

Tracking as of June 18, 2006 - 44.9 million blogs


Biz blog benefits


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


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


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


"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


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


Blogs as a marketing strategy


A blog without a strategic direction …

... is a me-too play toy.


Blog Marketing Challenges

Time & resources

Blog strategy – integrate

into your overall

marketing plan

Corporate (blogger)

guidelines

Comment (reader) policy

Blogs are a culture


Reinforce Brand To Target Segments

Lesson Learned: Understand

internal limitations/resources


Customer Feedback

Lessons Learned: Informal, inexpensive marketing research.

Caution: Consumer generated media is one data point in a research strategy.


CEO asks, “Where is the $ (value)?”

Lessons Learned: Without a strategy it’s difficult to evaluate success.

??????Mystery Blog ????????


Blogs Are a Culture

Bloggers exert influence –

but approach with caution.

http://www.restaurantgirl.com/restaurantgirl/


Blogger Relations: Wal-Mart & Edelman

Lesson Learned: Transparency is the name of this game.


Corner Grocery Store Relationships

Lessons Learned: Set expectations

Heard it on: hyku.com

http://www.wholefoods.com/blogs/jm/

Blog Link


A Little Self-promotion

http://cheesaholics.blogs.com/cheesaholics_anonymous/

Lessons Learned: Self-promotion

woven into rich, value-added

contentcreates greater credibility.

Content

Services


Search Optimization

Lessons Learned: Google loves blogs ..

but a little SEO strategy can help too!


Extending A Brand

http://www.jamieoliver.com/diary/

Lessons Learned: Integrate mediums and strategies

Podcast

eMail


Blog Brands

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/

Lessons Learned: Creative Consumer Generated Content =

Fame & Fortune

Ads on blogs

BlogAds –

$200/week


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


Success a la Delicious Destinations The Blogosphere is like playing jazz. You have to know the notes

before you can change the tune.


A Character Blog Story

&

With T. Alexander


The Blog That Launched

The Character Blog Debate


Gaping Void Presents T. Alexander

The Beyond Lame Award


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


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


Blogosphere Debate

Nay Yea


Media Buzz


Gaping Void Send Kudos


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


How to get started


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?


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


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


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.


Discussion Guide


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?


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?


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


Resources


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


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


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


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!

http://www.blogher.org/

http://www.businessblogconsulting.com/

http://www.businessblogconsulting.com/

http://www.marketingprofs.com/


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


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

http://www.pluck.com/


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


~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

http://www.bloombergmarketing.com/

http://www.divamarketingblog.com/

http://www.bloggerstories.com/

Fancy Food Show (2006) Using Blogs To Grow Your Business

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