Posts Tagged ‘blog’

Blogging for Business

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

Until recently, blogging was seen as more of an extracurricular activity rather than a corporate marketing tool. However, in the age of SEO and thought leadership, blogging can now be an effective and fun way to promote your company, share recent events and create a platform on which to share your personality.

A mediabistro Blogging panel that we recently attended got us thinking about what we value in a corporate blog and how one can be leveraged to promote marketing efforts. Below are some tips if you are looking to start or grow your blog:

  • Streamline your content. Select a clear and consistent messaging strategy that is in line with your company’s industry and communications goals. Consider what those interested in your schedulecompany may want to learn more about and how you can promote your company’s expertise through insightful, related content.
  • Create a posting schedule. The most frequently visited blogs are those that are constantly refreshed with new information to keep readers engaged and interested. Whether you decide to post twice a week or every day, create a schedule and stick to it.
  • Vary post lengths and styles. You don’t have to write a 1,000-word, research-heavy article every time you update your blog. It’s ok to incorporate quick thought pieces with longer, thought-provoking posts. If you’re so inclined, you can also add videos and photos to spice things up and add life to your blog.
  • Talk to your readers. While it’s important to keep in mind that you’re representing a company on a corporate blog, it’s also nice to know that there’s an actual person behind the words. Make sure your blog has a space for readers to comment. Use the comment section to build a relationship with your readers by responding to their questions and thanking them for reading.
  • Be an authority. Any blog, especially one you are using to enhance your company’s online presence, is the perfect place for you to demonstrate that you are an authority in your industry. Write with confidence and stay on topic.

If you want to check out some companies that are doing a great job at corporate blogging, here is a list of 15 blogs that are on the right path. Enjoy and good luck!

The Cents (and Dollars!) of Using Online Marketing

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

piggy-bank-on-money-md1As we constantly move towards a society where daily tasks such as paying the bills, ordering food and shopping for clothes are being performed online, new opportunities to approach, reach and target your clients are beginning to emerge. Online marketing has a number of benefits, especially for small business owners. It’s fast, efficient, environmental friendly, but most of all, it’s cost-effective!

Besides the obvious benefits of eliminating mailing and printing costs, here are some important factors to take into consideration.

The two-way communication process. The feedback from your consumer makes it easy to adjust and update your online campaign. If you notice that certain copy or images needs to be changed, this is an easy fix. Imagine doing a print campaign and realizing along the way that you’re not getting the results that you’re looking for. The cost and time it would take to make the necessary edits would probably mean a financial setback for your business.

To receive feedback from the consumers while doing an offline marketing campaign requires the consumer to mail or call. People don’t have the time to do this and valuable information gets lost. Online marketing allows clients to have an ongoing communication with the actual company, and most importantly the company can very fast adapt according to their audience.

Another way to track the results of your campaign is to set up SEO keywords. The campaign can get customized and constantly updated based on your consumer’s reaction and feedback.

There are numerous communication channels to be utilized in online marketing. The primary channel is  the web, but also e-newsletter, social media platforms audio and video. Speaking of email marketing, there’s nothing easier for a potential client to forward and/or share the email that is being sent out. Today, an increasing number of companies are integrating social media with e-marketing. TopRank’s online marketing blog featured an interesting post about the so-called “Share to Social” (S2S) link tonlinemkt3hat can be imbedded in an email marketing campaign. When sending out an email simply include this link, which tells the receiver to instead of just sending or forwarding the email, he or she should also make sure to share it with more people by utilizing social media platforms. Links to the platforms are imbedded in the email, which makes it easy for the receiver to spread the word about your products and/or services!

The Aftermath: Post-Networking Event Follow Up

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

people-networking2So, you did your research and attended a networking event that you were well-prepared for. What’s next? Networking doesn’t stop when the cracker plate is empty and everyone has gone home. The steps you take after a networking event are an essential part of effective networking. Next time you return from a networking event, follow these steps to make the most of your new found contacts.

1.      Reflect on your experience. Make note of what you did well and what you need to improve on. Networking events can be a great learning experience!

2.      Add all new contacts and their info into your Rolodex or contact management system. All details that you remember are important such as where they work, how long they have worked there, any common connections and noteworthy attributes.

3.      Send a follow up email to all new contacts and reach out to them on social media. Further explore their networks on social media to see if your networks overlap by looking for your new contacts on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin. Also remember to send a thank you to the host of the event if applicable.

4.      You can also post about the event on your blog or tweet about it.  Post any photos you may have taken from the event as well.

5.      Begin to strategize on how you can make the most of your new connections. What can you do for them? Can they do anything for you? Perhaps you can work together on an upcoming project. The possibilities are endless.

6.      Begin you plan of attack for the next networking event you are attending. If you don’t already have one scheduled, now is a great time to do some more research and start networking!

Maxamize Your Blog

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

blog-boardPeople read blogs to learn, for entertainment, for news, or simply to see what’s going on. With that in mind, it’s important to keep things current in your blog. Make your content engaging, interesting, topical and thematic. Using credible links can add validity to your blog and attaching images creates visual stimulation for your viewers.  When attacking your blogs be sure to include buzz/key words that will generate ultimate SEO.

Ultimately, your blog is a channel used to expand your professional network and it allows you to develop a status of expertise in your chosen field. To do that, you must familiarize yourself with your audience and write what you know.  Creating a successful blog can lead to new clients, more business, and it allows you to establish a name and credibility in your respective business. So get out there, captivate your readers, make it a must-read, and have fun doing it.

Navigating the Social Media World: Tricks and Trends

Monday, September 14th, 2009

social-media-wagonSocial Media is THE word, THE trend, and THE future of our world. Just like the internet, it’s here to stay. It’s an unstoppable movement and it’s everywhere! Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, You Tube. Young kids use it, college students, CEOs, entrepreneurs, moms and dads: social media stretches across all ages, all places, and it has ultimately changed the way people communicate, how business is operated and how the world goes round.

Food for thought:

  • 100,000,000 – number of YouTube videos viewed per day.
  • Facebook had 250 million users and 35-and-older was the fastest-growing segment.
  • Social networks and blogs are now the 4th most popular online activity ahead of personal email.
  • In June, the top 10 social media sites had 480 million unique (individual) visitors.

Social media provides a venue where people can communicate on a social or business level like never before. From a business standpoint, social media’s accessibility, transparency and widespread reach allows companies to engage with their specific niche market and communicate directly with their consumers.  The user-generated content and managable publishing techniques is non-discriminating and can be practiced by nearly anyone.

Social media has created a venue where interactive marketing becomes attainable. This platform permits companies and consumers to interact with one another almost immediately (in real time), and feed off one another in order to get the best results. Social media is the future of marketing and its vital for company growth. In today’s economic state, social media is a cost effective way to increase public awareness, buzz, and brand recognition. By using social media platforms, small businesses can get in the foreground and build their brand with their target audience and expand their business.

Welcome to Perks Consulting Blog

Monday, December 29th, 2008

We want to hear from you! You will find members of the Perks Consulting team will post information about business, marketing, or strategy concepts we are using, researching, and/or contemplating for our clients. Please feel free to post comments or questions. We will respond as quickly as possible.

Best,
The Perks Consulting Team