Internet Marketing Blog of KeChange

To Blog or Not to Blog?

When marketing on behalf of regulated industries (such as the healthcare companies, financial services and law firms we often work with), working within strict guidelines is a large part of the process - externally and often internally, as well. While you may be more limited in your blogging tone or breadth of discussion topics, there are numerous benefits to corporate blogging that should not be ignored. In highly regulated industries, in particular, there is much to be gained by integrating a blogging strategy as part of your company’s public outreach efforts. The following are the key benefits to incorporating a blog into your current marketing mix:

•   Puts a human voice to your company’s name

There’s little doubt that society increasingly thrives on interaction – it’s no wonder then in the age of 24-hour news access and Twitter accounts of celebrities leaves your 1.0 website sounding cold and devoid of personality.  Blogs have become a crucial component of incorporating a more personable, human approach that people have come to expect from industry-leaders. If executed properly, a blog can help your company forgo positioning itself as rigid and unapproachable.

• Promotes transparency

If you were to imagine for a moment that your company is a building, a corporate blog would serve as its windows. A good blog allows current and potential customers to peer inside and gain a greater understanding of what is going on internally.  While blogs are an excellent tool for building trust and customer loyalty, the most widely read blogs are those that position themselves as news outlets for the industry, rather than a PR tool dedicated to solely promote one company.  People hold blogs in higher esteem when they deliver unbiased reporting – particularly in a company blog.

• Starts a conversation with your industry, clients and potential customers

Maintaining a corporate blog will be useless if it’s used only as a channel for promoting a monologue; blogging is a two-way street. If you have no desire to engage readers in a conversation, have no doubt that your readers won’t stay readers for long. This can create reservations for some, but rather than fearing the blogosphere, instead embrace the unique freedom it offers you.  A major benefit of running a blog is that you have the opportunity to answer questions or concerns related to your company in an avenue that didn’t exist before. A good blog platform will also allow you to moderate comments so that slanderous or inappropriate language doesn’t appear on your site, but be careful not to confuse constructive feedback with derogatory language. Your blog articles should serve as a starting point, but be sure to keep track of the comments and feedback you receive from your readers. The conversation about your products or services will take place regardless; it is much better to know what is being said and be able to respond to it in a timely manner than to let it simmer on the Internet and build momentum. Participating in that conversation is a proactive approach that will help your company address potential issues and problems when they arise.  

• Results are easily measurable                        

Online measurement tools are increasingly important – like any other avenue of business, the blog food chain derives from results. One of the main criticisms of the social media phenomenon has been how to measure its success without a clear ROI? Blogging, on the other hand, allows you to measure results for various metrics with countless tools available online. For example, Google Analytics, one of Google’s free tools, is a customizable site analysis resource that can provide you with just about any breakdown of information you need. Goals, goal conversion, and return on investment – it’s all available, and better still, it’s all free.

 

Just like banner ads and spam, it will be the users who ultimately determine how effective a business blog is for them. It is understandable why certain industries remain hesitant about embracing blogging, but those who don’t catch on soon risk being left behind their competition and in the unenviable position of having to play catch-up.

 

Written by Ilona Lemeshov, Internet Marketing Associate

10 Commandments of Social Media

There's little question that times are changing for business seeking to build and promote their business.  No longer does a business need 20 years to build their image and customer loyalty, or establish word of mouth advertising.  No longer do business owners rely on TV Executives, Radio Station Directors and Newspaper Editors for an opportunity to market their brand.  Now, we have Social Media. If you are just catching on to the social media craze you had better buckle up, because there is no shortage of social media networks, tools, tips, and resources. For this reason, we've compiled a straightforward, brief summary of what you need to know in order to incorporate an effective social media strategy.

Be real

The age-old saying "be yourself" is equally, if not more, important in online etiquette. Those that have been online awhile know who’s there to market & sell, and who’s there to build relationships. They smell SALES PITCH coming a mile away, and some will call foul the moment they do. Remember, your goal is to build relationships through interaction, not self promotion.

Listen

To be a better marketer you need to be a better listener. Have you ever had a relationship that ended because the other person never seemed to listen to you? That rate multiplies by 10 in social media because it’s easy to click & un-follow.

Value attention when you get it

People are starved for time and are generally thinking about 5 or 6 things at once. If you manage to capture some attention from your prospects don’t squander it, and don’t expect to constantly be in the spotlight. Value the attention you’re given because time is truly a limited resource.

Don’t focus on numbers

A short-term marketer or sales person only sees the quota they need to hit or the volume they need to produce. Social media is about long-term relationship building. Make it your goal to build lifelong connections. Rome wasn't built in a day and your social media strategy shouldn't be either.

Treat your network like a garden

Personal and timely communication is vital if you want to gain business from social media. Tend to your group, help it grow and bloom, and enjoy the beautiful results!

Don’t be a bore

Let your personality shine and you will find the influential connections come much easier. Be different, be fun, be interesting.

Don’t be a social litterbug

If you’re going to create social profiles on every network out there and only visit them once, congratulations, your profile has just become online litter. It clogs the system and will irritate users, not influence them.

Be personable

With the vast numbers of brands and individuals using social networks nonstop, the social sphere can often compare to a virtual vuvuzella. With so many choices and potential competitors available on the web, what makes you different and relatable to others?

Welcome participation and feedback

It's important to keep in mind that due to the internet's ambiguity, people tend to be more direct than they are face to face. But if you are prepared to not take negative feedback too personally, it can be a great way to understand how your brand is perceived by the public and allow you to adjust your marketing strategy accordingly.

Commit time and resources

Social media does take some time – it’s like attending a meeting and building a relationship all rolled into one, except digitally. Social Media Marketing embedded in your Marketing Mix is a long-term goal, not a quick-fix solution, and if utilized correctly it can bring unparalleled results!

By Ilona Lemeshov, Internet Marketing Associate

What Do You Want From Social Media?

As most companies know social media has become a necessity for conducting business. What most companies are having trouble identifying, is what social media can do for your business. There will always be naysayers out there that say, "There are too many social media outlets out there to know what is really going on, I'd rather just pick up a phone." Well for those people in that situation I can understand where you are coming from. But before you start to disengage yourself away from social media, ask yourself, "What do I want social media to do for my business?" Once you are able to assess your needs for social media, then you will you be able to start utilizing social media effectively for your business.

Increase Your Brand Awareness Through Feedback

Creating a buzz around your product on social networks is one of the quickest ways to create brand awareness, but this can attract both positive and negative response. The solution to effectively marketing your brand is by monitoring what is being said about your product. Negative comments aren't necessarily a bad thing for your business; it only creates an opportunity to resolve the issue. By closely monitoring your brand, you will be able to quickly pick up on what is being said and engage your customers better. Negative feedback can become one of the best ways to increase brand awareness, because you have now filled the void of customer satisfaction with a quick response.

Create a Loyal Following

Now that you have engaged conversation with your customers, they now feel bonded to your product. This can be done in a variety of ways...internal blogs, online events, twitter, and just communicating with your audience have shown to be effective. A loyal following goes a long way and will enhance your product for other users that are not yet engaged in your community. Not everything that is conducted online has to be a big sales pitch; users like to see the more personal side. If you are not willing to engage with other users, they will never know who you are.

Driver Traffic To Your Website

Social Media makes this very attainable and it's a fun engaging way to go about it. A few ideas on how to drive traffic to your website are:

• Submitting articles to the correct social bookmarking sites (Top 10 social bookmarking sites)
• Make your headlines enticing; Top 10 articles, Why you need to..., How this product is changing lives. These are engaging headlines that draw attention to your article
• Avoid Pop-ups and banners - they're annoying
• Use images that are fun and relevant to your content

Now that you have a better idea of what your companies intentions are for social media, you must realize that social media is all about communication. Communicating with users is the fastest way to create a buzz around your product. If no one is talking about your product, how will anyone know about it? If you can take anything away from this article it is that communication is the greatest means of interaction and with social media can be used effectively for a business.

By Cameron Moulton, Internet Marketing Associate

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The World Cup of Social Media

The Social Media Boom that became big during the latest Presidential Election, recent Superbowls, and now the World Cup, has taken on the responsibility of facilitating information to viewers and fans that before, may not have been so up-to-date. The 2010 World Cup has adopted social media like no other previous World Cup and quite frankly has transformed uninterested and uninformed people into knowledgeable soccer fans. Bloggers predict that the World Cup will be the biggest event, (not just in sports), to ever hit the Twitter/Facebook wires. What is most interesting is how FIFA is using social media to promote the World Cup and turn the so-called "apathetic Americans" into futbol gurus. It's no secret that Americans place little value on soccer, while the rest of the world lives and dies by the game. But with the emergence of social media, heads are beginning to turn on the sport that is currently bringing the world together, for a month at least.

So how is FIFA utilizing social media during one of the biggest sporting events in South Africa? FIFA created the CLUB which has generated over 1.6 million users, but FIFA isn't exactly capitalizing on the event like SONY Ericsson has managed to do. SONY has created the TWITTER CUP which is a stream of tweets from teams in the World Cup. In comparison, SONY seems to have adapted to the already existent social network of Twitter, unlike FIFA who has created their own social network. That's a goal well-played by SONY and a missed freebee by FIFA. What FIFA doesn't understand is that the stage has already been set for a social media explosion. If FIFA had adopted a Facebook application, they could have gained attention on a global platform rather than investing in an expensive microsite. Missed Penalty Kick by FIFA, who should know best that there is no need to reinvent the wheel when Facebook and Twitter have already set up a golden opportunity.

I am curious to see what will transpire from this global event and how the rest of the world is using social media to attain their information. With each national and global event that takes place, there will be losers and winners on the social media front. What we have already learned is that Facebook and Twitter are dominating social networking, so why try and create your own social network? Go with what already works, create a Facebook application that can reach over 400 million users. It will be very interesting to see how companies emerge as leaders in new media and who is left jogging behind the highly-productive offensive schemes put in place by companies such as SONY.

By Cameron Moulton, Internet Marketing Associate

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How Gizmodo is Capitalizing on the iPhone 4 Saga

You know the joke: Guy walks into a bar, with the unreleased and top-secret iPhone 4, then walks out of the bar…without the unreleased and top-secret iPhone 4. It’s a fantastic story actually, one which sullied the name of Apple Software Engineer Gray Powell, and ended with the much-anticipated next generation smartphone in the hands of Gizmodo, a technology blog on the ever-popular Gawker network.

In the wake of this news, traffic naturally skyrocketed to epic proportions. Curious minds that had never once visited, or probably even heard of Gizmodo, were flocking to the blog to learn more about not only the iPhone4, but how it was discovered and subsequently leaked.

Consider these four one-month analytic figure bumps Gizmodo received, according to Alexa and Quantcast:

• Traffic Rank: #334; up from #1,015
• Unique Visits: 13.3 million; up from 2010 average of roughly 8 million
• Total Visits: 34 million; up from 2010 average of 23.1 million visits
• Reach (percent of global internet users to visited Gizmodo): 1.5 %; up from 0.2 %

Impressive yes, but what we're more impressed by is how Gizmodo is working to retain these new readers, and capitalize on the influx of traffic seen over the month of April. Gizmodo’s maneuver to reign in and retain their new audience is laudable. By scouring their own archives, they were able to unearth a bevy of fanastic blog articles that fresh eyes would likely be interested in reading, dating all the way back to their inception in 2002. It's been branded as "This is Gizmodo." In turn, it gave readers a better understanding of the work they do, and articulated the true understanding have on the consumer gadget industry. A tactful promotional and social media management effort.

So, to our readers who blog: have you ever hit lighting in a bottle like Gizmodo did with the iPhone4, and have been successfully able to keep new readers coming back for more? What sort of traffic spike did you see, and what sort of content did you offer to remain engaging and relevant?

By Nick Fasulo, Internet Marketing Manager

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Top 5 Social Media Directories Any Blog Needs To Be In

So now that you've understood the importance of blogging, and how it can vastly enhance your company's digital presence, you're keeping the crickets away from your website and on the right track towards becoming an authority and purveyor of pertinent information in your industry.

But unless you've got thousands of Twitter followers or already receive an abundance of direct traffic, you need to take the next step and create an audience. KeChange utilizes dozens of effective social media directories to drive traffic for our clients, as well as for our own benefit. When checking referrals with an analytics service, here are our Top 5 sources to help push your information out...

1. Digg - Articles are picked up by Google quickly, allowing for more readership in a short amount of time. Digg does an exceptional job of providing back links to your website, so you will be linked back to by 100s of sites.

2. Propeller - Run by AOL, seeks the average user, unlike some of the social bookmarkers that are driven more towards tech savvy viewers.

3. Mixx - Compiles the most interesting topics as chosen by Mixx viewers. This keeps information and viewers on the same page, while helping to avoid uninteresting information. Here, good content will separate itself and rise quickly.

4. Vox - Want control of your profile that presents a unique feel for viewers? Vox allows for complete customization of your blog site and implements blogs with professionalism.

5. De.lico.us -The biggest collection of bookmarks in the universe...as they say on their site. It's true, delicious is pumping out bookmarks at a high rate. Harder to rank highly for, but good company to be among.

When considering which social media directories to sign up for, don't approach it with a half-hearted effort. In a sense, these sites are self-aware and unless you're truly geared towards broadcasting your content to a target audience, readers will see your apathetic approach. You are trying to initiate the fact that you are interested in your viewer readership, so put in the effort.

It is vital that you include a profile of yourself on directories to gain exposure and not get bounced from the directory. Include a photo of yourself (not your company!) to give your viewers a sense of who the person behind the information is. It's also a good idea to include some information about yourself (nothing too personal, but a brief bio, interests, location, are vital to list). Just yesterday I received an email from a social bookmarker known as Sphinn indicating that I had input a blog incorrectly and it was immediately withdrawn from their directory. Personalize, personalize, personalize. I can't stress that enough because building a strong relationship with your viewers is pivotal to driving traffic.

Written by Cameron Moulton, Internet Marketing Associate

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Why Your Company Needs to Blog

By Nick Fasulo

Because it's so cost-effective, inbound marketing is growing in popularity and budget size with companies of every size across the country. A few weeks ago HubSpot released a report entitled "The State of Inbound Marketing," providing a peek into how business professionals involved in the strategy and/or budget of their company's marketing efforts are using inbound marketing for 2010. In short, "social media and blogs are becoming marketing powerhouses," with 85 percent of respondents labeling the use of blogs as "useful," and more than half that figure calling them "critical," according to the report.

As an internet marketing company, KeChange places a strong emphasis on page buildout and crafting a client's website and overall marketing strategy to evoke a sense of authority in the line of work that they're in. Having an engaged client who consistently files relevant blog articles helps accomplish both those ideas efficiently and inexpensively compared to traditional marketing tactics; all with the intent of reaching your target audience.

Say, for example, you're a personal injury law firm that is looking to draw traffic and, in turn, new clients who may be looking for legal consultation after hearing about a recently recalled product. This is a fantastic opportunity to morph your blog into a news source. Provide frequent updates on the recall, what it means for those affected, how to proceed with legal action and, finally, how you can help! You can apply this method to a number of industries. The key is to inform, then convert visitors of your site by showing them you're the service they're browsing for.

Just two blog posts a week means 104 new pages for your site... 104 new pages that are engaging and speak to a relevant topic, meaning you're preventing your website from going stale. New content peppered with keywords also helps dramatically with SEO optimization, just be sure to integrate your well-oiled blog directly on to your website to ensure it's helping you rise in the all-important search result category.

Blogging is not just for the aspiring sports writer, or a new mom seeking an outlet to broadcast her triumphs and tragedies as a parent. This social media tool is also a professional tool, which can greatly enhance your website as a go-to source for commentary and information on pertinent industry topics.

Learn more about how this valuable social media medium can help heighten your online visibility, and also download a great social media demographics chart to see how your target audiences utilizes blogs.