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In a recent post, I discussed how a business blog plays an indispensable role in reputation management and crisis management. However, for the millions of small and midsize companies with no real exposure to a public crisis, and for the larger firms that never experience one, a business blog is still a necessity.

Talkin' 'bout their generation

Baby Boomers, who still call most of the corporate shots, are accustomed to thinking in Baby Boomer terms. When I speak on business blogs, people often make the comment, "That all sounds great, but my customers don't read blogs."

My reaction to that is, fine, but what about tomorrow's customers? What's your transition plan for the day when today's customers become yesterday's customers?

Two things are critically important about the younger segment of the market.
1. They demand two-way, transparent communication.
2. They prefer to communicate digitally.

This is so obvious it barely needs stating, yet consider how many company Web sites have the following attributes.
1. They push the company message without giving customers a way to respond.
2. They use digital communication as a means to move customers into a phone conversation or live sales presentation.

Unfortunately, a growing number of people don't want to move into a phone conversation or be engaged in a live sales presentation. Instead, they want a completely digitized buying experience. Is your company able to provide one? If not, newer, younger customers are going to seek out - and find - the Amazons in your industry and become their loyal customers, not yours.

A business blog is a key part of a digital buying experience. Online conversations make it possible for customers to understand who you are and what you offer. Just as important, online conversations make it possible for you to understand what customers want and need. And, since customer wants and needs are continually changing, a company fully tuned in to the market will adapt faster and better than the competition.

True, some customers would rather communicate with you on the phone or face to face, regardless of their age. However, in a diverse market like ours, it's imperative to offer communication options for every taste. Lots of folks will say things you need to hear in a blog comment -- things they would never tell you on the phone or in person.

In Glengarry Glen Ross, the formula was ABS - Always Be Selling.

Today, the formula is ABL - Always Be Listening!

 

Stop the Presses is a sobering book. Its tag line -

Bullet-proofing Brands and Protecting Reputations in an Age of Peril

Yikes! The authors, Richard A. Levick, Esq., and Larry Smith are writing about crisis management. Throughout history, large corporations have been vulnerable to a media inspired or inflamed crisis; but more and more, smaller companies are vulnerable as well. Why?

• More and more people are using the Web to gather information about companies
• More and more niche bloggers are writing about companies and industries
• Some of these bloggers have an agenda
• Small stories broken on blogs can become viral overnight and seriously disrupt a firm's reputation, or worse

In such an environment, silence is not golden. Say the authors -

"Savvy bloggers and readers won't stand for corporate rhetoric or tactical obfuscation ... Developing and implementing a substantive blogging strategy in advance of a crisis is therefore critical. A blog gives businesses a way to stay ahead of the news cycle by presenting, testing, and refining a company's message, distinguishing facts from fiction, and correcting any misinformation that may be circulating and propagating through the blogosphere." (p. 87)

Of course, another outstanding communication benefit of a blog is that it allows customers and interested third parties to have conversations with your company. A great deal of misunderstanding and misrepresentation can be cleared up by talking with consumers, not at them. Some of the most powerful - and most persuasive - communication in the business world now takes place in the comments section of a blog post. Remaining silent or aloof is no longer an option, because people are going to have conversations about your business whether you're participating or not.

Ironically, many firms shy away from launching a blog because they believe it will attract or magnify controversy. The idea of publishing a negative comment - a rather common occurrence these days - still sends shivers up some corporate spines. In reality, as the authors of Stop the Presses explain so well, a business blog serves to alleviate controversy; provided, of course, the firm has a well thought out content policy and capable, well schooled writers.

The best news of all is this. Even if the crisis never comes (and we hope that's the case), a business blog still contributes mightily to the corporate cause. More about that next time.

Although much has been written about promoting a business online, one thing that has impacted businesses today way more than mere web presence is the "new" power of the online customer. All the positive influences of having a state-of-the-art web site, miles of thought-provoking blog entries and virtual reams of up-to-date newsletters may be easily written off by a flick of a button when you encounter a negative customer feedback or review. For almost every industry you will find sites dedicated to reviewing its products/services; sometimes even a customer's own personal blog is capable of broadcasting personal feedback in a way that could reach hundreds or thousands of people.  

This is certainly not a new phenomenon, but the popularity of myspace sites and other social-networking portals have redefined the term "word of mouth". Case in point - the Steak and Shake episode as outlined in Liz Fuller's post Crisis Case Study: Steak and Shake Refuses Service to Deaf Mom   - an awful incident of bad service becomes a post in a blog and as you can see the rest is history --

The next day, she (Karen Putz) itemized over 80 blogs that had picked up her story.  The story was also picked up that night by ABC News and Fox News.  Today, approximately three weeks after it happened there are almost 1000 hits on Google when typing in the search words, "Steak and Shake" and "Deaf Mom" and worse yet  "this story appears in positions #3 through #9 on the front page of Google when searching on the terms "Steak and Shake".

So what is a company supposed to do in this instance?  Shel Holtz gives a primer on Crisis Communication Fundamentals  that might help you outline actions that need to be taken in case of negative PR hits such as that of the Steak and Shake incident. Liz Fuller also addresses crisis management in her post When A Crisis Hits, Where Do You Want To Be?  where she has this to say about crisis management-

 
The best case scenario is where your business already has established a blog. Using the existing blog to manage the crisis is a natural extension of the blog's reach to your customers.

The coin does flip both ways, the "power" of mass communication that some consumers/customers have may be pretty devastating when turned against you, but on the other hand, the positive influences of good word of mouth can certainly turn the tide in your favor as well. Understanding the online sphere that your business "lives" in and where your customer finds information is one step towards keeping a finger on your companies' identity and reputation.

(Image courtesy of FreeFoto)

Today marketing is all about conversations. Especially online marketing. Consumers are no longer content to be the passive recipients of a canned message delivered on a corporate Web site, no matter how much it's glitzed up with fancy graphics and animation. Consumers want to be involved. They want to ask questions, make suggestions, and share ideas. And they want a response.

This change in consumer mood explains the explosion of blogs - over 70 million of them at last count. The change in mood explains a phenomenon perhaps more explosive even than blogs - the raging popularity of social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Businesses should pay attention to LinkedIn in particular. It's a collaborative community of professionals exchanging ideas, tactics, strategies, job opportunities, and much more.

If your company's Web site is essentially an online billboard, you're not giving customers what they want. Here are a few ways you can make your site conversational.

Add a blog. Give customers an opportunity to talk to you about any topic on which you choose to write.

Add conversational pages. You don't necessarily need a full blown blog for customers to talk to you. In some cases commenting functionality can be added to a static Web page, creating a "mini blog", or what I call an "in-between blog".

Add an information center. Have a section of your Web site dedicated to announcements, press releases, personnel updates, industry links, and other time sensitive/useful information.

Add an RSS feed. Once you start doing the above, give customers the ability to subscribe to your Web site, so they don't have to come looking for all the new information you publish.

Write content in the first person. Which would you rather hear?  "ABC Company delivers innovative solutions to the construction industry," or "We can solve your problems"?  Make your site personal and engaging (and persuasive) by writing as if you were writing a letter to a single individual.

Add or enhance your contact form. Does your Web site make it easy for customers to get in touch with you? If so, do you encourage customers to use it? Do you make it easy for them to categorize a request or a question? Do you explain how and when you will respond, and who will do the responding?  A robust contact form is no longer a frill, it's a must.

If you've invested in a search marketing program (a wise choice!), it's all the more reason to update and "conversationalize" your Web site. Once customers find you on the search engines, you'll want them to stick around and come back.

Let’s face it, everyone has to start somewhere. You’ve done your homework, created your blog, wrote posts, spread the word, maybe even had a few positive comments but alas, now all you hear are crickets.

The truth is, even the most experienced and successful bloggers have been there. All I can say is the experience of not being “read” brings about a lot of deep introspection. If anything, this is a good time to hone your writing skills and feel less inhibited in your views. No one said that blogging would be easy, and this time is certainly a test of your “sticktoitivity”. If you truly believe in what you bring to your blog audience, this isn’t the time to give up.

Darren Rowse’ post “What to do when it feels like no one is reading your blog” tackles this conundrum and gives you his thoughts based on his time at the pulpit.

Seth Godin’s If no one reads your post does it exist? gives a more holistic view on this.

The act of writing a blog changes people, especially business people. The first thing it does is change posture. Once you realize that no HAS to read your blog, that you can't MAKE them read your blog, you approach writing with humility and view readers with gratitude. The second thing it does is force you to be clear. If you write something that's confusing or in shorthand, you fail.

Finally, I suggest you gather inspiration from those that have “made” it , you might be surprised at how entertaining they are as well…

According to Technorati the most linked to Blog is engadget, and next in line is Boing Boing

Sara Ost’s healthbolt was ranked number one by MedGadget and under the “you have too much time to kill category” you can always read more tips on blogging with 113 blogging tips

I found this story of Stephan Spencer’s (CNET’s resident blogger) daughter quite interesting. Her successful launch (albeit humble in relation to some major blogs/websites) of her Neopet site could definitely be a benchmark for how a small business should go about planning their site/blog. Here is a bit on how she got started:

In early 2006, when Chloe was 15, she decided to devote a blog to Neopets, a virtual pets site popular with kids the world over. After performing some keyword research through WordTracker and Google Suggest for her blog's title and section headings, she discovered that "neopets cheats" was a hugely popular search term to target for her blog. So she settled on the name: the "Ultimate Neopets Cheats Site." She then used the free WordPress.com service to start the blog. Chloe's site was able to ride on the coattails of WordPress.com's trust and authority in the eyes of Google, thus sidestepping the "Google Sandbox" and jumping to page 1 in Google for the term "neopet cheats" within two weeks of launch.

Pretty good for a 15 year old! Here are a couple of key learnings—

- Define your niche, market, and “product” well
- Do start off by checking out tools such as Wordtracker or Google Suggest and see which keywords are being used the most as it relates to your business/industry. Pick one that you find works best for you and integrate (if possible) into your url or blog name
- Create a site that answers the needs of your market – strong content and navigation being at the top of the list.
- As your visibility grows so should your site. Be flexible with changes that you may need to implement in order to continue being relevant to your market.

Finally, it may be good to tell yourself – “If a 15 year old can do it, so can I.”

More tips that may get you started on the right foot--

Successful Blog Tips
21 Tips

Not everyone has the time to write thought provoking posts every day, especially if you’re running a business. Yet blogging has become mainstream and is still worth the time and effort, especially for a small-medium business trying to be heard above all the Internet “noise". Here are four tips for new business bloggers.

- In the main, keep your business blog focused on business. It's more professional, and most likely your customers don’t really want to know what your dog had for lunch the other day (unless your business is selling dog food).

- Write posts that are pertinent to your industry/niche and feel free to react on current trends or issues – your views will reflect on how your company operates or is managed.

- Publish lists of your favorite industry Web sites or references. People are always interested in adding to their own list – keeping it updated will also give people reason to come back for more.

- Take a step back and look at your topics- Do they position you as an expert? Are the topics relevant and interesting to your market? Your blog will only be as successful as it is useful.

For further details on starting your business blog--

Blogging Baby Steps

Blog Review Checklist

WorkZ New Blog Checklist

What if you really want a company blog, but fear your customer base isn't reading blogs? One thing I wouldn't do is give up on the idea, because even if today's customers aren't following blogs, tomorrow's customers will be. Here are some ways you can draw your customers into conversations on your blog.

1. Become a blog evangelist. Whenever you have an opportunity, talk to your customers about why you have a blog and how it can help them.

2. Display your blog URL off-line everywhere--business cards, letterhead, proposals, invoices, newsletters, e-mail signatures, storefront windows, etc. Repetition makes the message stick.

3. Develop a tag line for your blog that describes its value to your customer. Make the tag line part of your off-line messaging as well as the URL.

4. Send customers e-mails with links to specific blog posts they may be interested in, and invite them to comment.

5. Write a post on a specific product or service issue, soliciting customer input. E-mail a link to the post to your customers and let them know you really want and need their help.

6. Interview a client or profile their company. Besides being flattering, this will arouse interest within the client's company (thus attracting other readers) and give them material for their own marketing and public relations.

7. Offer e-mail subscriptions. Not everybody understands RSS feed aggregators. Again, invite customers to subscribe via e-mail in an e-mail and/or a postcard mailing.

8. Publish content that is informative, relevant, and begs for conversation. In the end, solid content is the only way to inspire readers to come back.

9. Be persistent. Don't get discouraged if your blog is not an overnight success. Few marketing programs are. It may take many repetitions before your blog message takes hold--but eventually, it will.

(This post is part of ProBlogger's 31 Days to Building a Better Blog project.)

Blogging has grown to mean more than being just the realm of teen angst. Companies such as Google , Microsoft, Monster.com have “officially” sponsored blogs that let you peek into the inner workings of their employees or their company. So how do you know if you should join the blog bandwagon? Charlene Li from Forrester Research gives a good overview in her report called “Blogging, Bubble or Big Deal?”

For the small to medium sized business, here are several points to ponder for now:

The blog you set up, much like a website, is only as good as the content within. Especially in the case of a blog, the “freshness” and quality of the content is key to making sure that people will come back for more.

Who will be updating and contributing to the blog? It is important to assign someone that will be able to consistently provide good and timely insight that would be valued by your target market.

Look at your market – is there a benefit to be had by “opening” up your company via a blog? In most cases there is. Customers like feeling as if they have the inside eye on the companies they do business with. A blog usually humanizes a company and in some or most cases, you are also able to gather feedback from your customer as well in an informal atmosphere.

Look at your industry--is there something unique or highly specialized about your service or product that can differentiate you among your competitors? The blog may be a good place to highlight your strengths without overtly sounding like a sales pitch.

Sometimes the best way to get your feet wet is to check out some business relevant blogs and reply with a comment or two, and begin establishing yourself (or your company) that way.

Interested in learning more? Visit the following blogs:
Business Blogwire
Better Business Blogging describes the “Anatomy of a Corporate Blog”

As we recommended in our last post, companies should review legal issues with their legal team before launching a blog. Here are a few places to get background and a fuller view of some key points.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is a Web site dedicated to free speech and contains information on all important Internet legal issues.

Who owns the Internet? The United States thinks it does, but some beg to differ. This article from TecWeb lays out the debate--the outcome will determine how much legal oversight and governmental interference bloggers will be confronted with.

The Privacy and Security Law blog runs down two recent legal decisions on the privacy of electronic information. An excerpt from the "Apple Blogger" decision--

"Judge Cardamone's and the California court's opinions show that, as technology advances and the risks of government intrusion increases, judges are increasingly sensitive to privacy concerns, even in the face of allegations of theft of trade secrets"

From CSOonline, a thorough rundown of intellectual property law. Understanding these laws helps businesses protect valuable assets, not only in blogs, but in many other respects.

This post from the Social Networking blog about security and privacy on My Space demonstrates how vague and unsettled Internet law can be. Considering the enormous popularity of My Space, how these issues get sorted out will influence the direction of privacy and security law for other blogs.

Comments or ideas? Please let us know!