Inner Circle Media

Before you post one more thing on Facebook, Tweet on Twitter, or update your LinkedIn profile, ask yourself this – what’s my comprehensive marketing strategy? If you’re not sure why you’re on the web, how do you know if your efforts are successful? Just being there isn’t necessarily going to improve your business. In fact, without a strategy, your scatter shot approach and multiple online personalities could annoy, aggravate, or even scare away prospects, clients, press contacts, and potential business partners.

It seems people are in such a frenzy these days to jump on the online social media band wagon that they forget about marketing basics – who needs your product/service? And how will you reach those people?

Social media should be just a part of your overall marketing/communications plan. It should NOT replace your other efforts (advertising, press, media, website, etc.) Nor should the tools be used in standalone ways – i.e. you build a following on Twitter, but do nothing to reach out via email marketing, blogs, Facebook, etc.

As you create your strategy, consider your audience:

• Who are you trying to reach?
• What are they already doing online?
• Where are they finding out about you?
• Do they use online social networking tools?
• Are they talking about you online? What are they saying?
• What do you want your target audience to do – connect with you, repost your tweets, call you, email you, buy your stuff?

Now consider what tools and/or initiatives you already have in place. Which tactics do you use? Which ones work well for your audience? How could you make better use of these tools?

• Website
• Blogs (yours and others’)
• E-newsletter
• Personal� vs. Professional Facebook page
• Personal vs Professional Twitter profile
• Other social media tools: LinkedIn, Plaxo, Flickr, MySpace, YouTube, Squidoo, Epinions, Digg, Delicious
• Offline initiatives: Marketing, ads, press, radio/TV

Once you’ve evaluated your current online marketing efforts and determined what works best for your target audience, then you should create a plan for how you’ll employ the tools listed below.

By the way, sometimes our clients wonder how all these tools work together. That’s when I like to use my outer space analogy.

Your website = Your home planet; Your #1 goal is to bring visitors to your home planet

Your blog = Moon station where visitors stop in before they visit your home planet

Other blogs = Other moons and planets you visit where you engage with people and encourage them to come visit your home planet

Social networking sites = Your outer space outposts

Your e-newsletter =� The rocket ship you send out into the galaxy to remind people to visit your planet

OK, back to your plan. Determine how you’ll employ each of the following tools to your advantage:

1. Your Website: Your website is one of your most powerful marketing tools. Make sure it’s a breeze to navigate, it’s design makes you proud, and the content on the site changes OFTEN (i.e. daily or weekly). On your website, allow users to subscribe to Twitter, Facebook, RSS, your e-newsletter. Share articles, links, documents – be a resource.
2. Your Blog: Craft succinct, powerful, well written posts about your target audience’s most pressing needs, as well as industry insights. Make sure to share other people’s blog posts. Remember – Your blog posts, podcasts, videos, press coverage shows up in search engine results.
3. Other Blogs: Discover the blogging community related to your area of expertise. What blogs work best for you? What bloggers do you relate with? Begin commenting and building relationships. Offer advice, criticism, and praise.
4. E-newsletter: Offer timely, pertinent content. Write with your own voice. Link to your own site, other sites, yours and others’ blogs. Make people WANT to read your copy. Make people want to forward your e-newsletter to their friends.
5. Social Marketing Channels: Use the channels/tools that your target market uses – i.e. if they don’t use Twitter, then why bother.� Choose 2-3 channels that you can easily manage. Remember – your social marketing channels (Twitter, Facebook page, LinkedIn page) show up in search engine results.

And don’t forget about all of your offline initiatives. Regardless of the marketing tool or tactic, make sure you have a unified message resonates with target audience.

Here are my top 10 reasons to have a business blog:

1. Marketing – Talk about your areas of specialty, clients’ successes, and/or promotions.

2. Branding/Image – Create a “personality” or voice for your company.

3. Differentiation – Tell YOUR story. Be different & real.

4. Trust - Promote yourself as a trusted adviser; Connect with customers.

5. Low Cost / Cheap PR – Blogs are much less expensive than standard websites to create and update.

6. Writing Gigs – Great blog posts will promote you as a guest author, news contributor, or maybe even a book author.

7. Speaking Gigs – Industry leaders will recognize your brilliant thoughts and ask you to speak at conferences and meetings.

8. Customer Feedback – Comments on your blog posts allow customers to tell you how they feel (and you can respond).

9. Earn a Bit of $$ - If you employ Google Adwords, your blog can earn money for you. Simply sign up with Adwords to provide space for ads that are relevant and complimentary to your business. If you become an Amazon Affiliate, you can earn up to a 10 percent referral fee on books bought by Amazon customers who come from your blog.

10. Search Engine Optimization – Capture users in the long tail (highly specialized, low-traffic search terms that represent a significant amount of total searches); look fresh and relevant to Google

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And finally – here are some tips to avoid sucky blog syndrome…

1. Know and speak to thy audience. If you talk about the topics your target market cares about, they’re sure to listen and respond positively.

2. Present yourself as an expert – Be consistent & on topic. Decide how you’d like to present yourself through your blog and stick with it.

3. Don’t be too personal – i.e. I had the flu all last week. Let me tell you about my symptoms…

4. Be nice or don’t bother blogging. NO whiners, complainers, or digs at your competitors.

5. Use spell check and formatting to your advantage. Spelling matters. As with other websites, blogs are easier to skim and parse when they contain bold text, bullets, big messages, etc.

6. Allow comments (with your review + spam blockers). Blogs are only blogs if you allow an online conversation. While you may choose to block some inappropriate comments, it’s important that you let your readers speak to you and each other.

7. Link to important or relevant sites and other blogs. Act as a resource by connecting your readers with other sites and blogs that cover the issues important to your target market.

8. Create compelling content – not commercials. Tell a short story about one of your customers. As I’ve mentioned about good business karma, focus on helping others and your business will reap the benefits (plus, you’ll be creating a lot of good ju ju.)

On March 13th I’m talking about blogs with a group of Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce members. Here are excerpts from that talk…
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“People don’t listen to companies, they listen to people.” Seth Godin

People like to do business with people they know. Whether you like it or not, your prospects won’t choose to work with you because you have the best brochure, the slickest sales pitch, or the prettiest proposal. They’re most likely to choose you because they feel a connection with you. A business blog is a great tool to help you make that connection and have an interactive conversation with your prospects and customers, as well as others who are interested in what you have to say (media contacts, employees, potential hires, partner companies, etc.).

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So, why don’t you have a business blog? Check all that apply:

• I don’t like to write.
• I don’t know how to come up with topics.
• A blog about my business would be SO boring.
• I’m afraid I’ll look silly or just not professional enough.
• I don’t have time.

If you answered – I don’t like to write, then remember blogs are NOT formal. You don’t have to follow a certain format. You’re not writing a thesis for a literature class. You’re having a conversation with people who care about your thoughts, advice, struggles, and successes. Have fun as you write. Be casual, helpful, brief yet poignant. Let people get to know you.

If you answered – I don’t know how to come up with topics, then think about the business topics you are passionate about. You should write about topics that get you fired up, where you have an opinion or some specific expertise. Also make sure to create blog post titles with SEO in mind – i.e. use search terms that your target market uses. Here’s a sample blog topic that would appeal to readers and Google – “Michigan Roofing: Ways to Prevent Common Weather-Related Problems.”

If you answered – a blog about my business would be SO boring, then perhaps you’re not thinking about your business in the right light. The problems you solve are of great interest to someone (or many people). For example, if you’re an insurance agent you may worry that folks will find your services dull. Here’s a possible blog title that would garner a lot of attention – “Term vs. Universal Life Insurance – What the heck is the difference?”

If you answered – I’m afraid I’ll look silly or just not professional enough, then you’re taking yourself too seriously. People choose to work with people who are HUMAN, compassionate, caring, honest, thoughtful. Your blog won’t make you look silly (unless you want to look silly). It will make you look REAL.

If you answered – I don’t have time, then set small goals at first. Agree that you’ll post in your blog on a weekly basis and spend no more than 30 minutes on your first post. Set aside half an hour on Friday mornings for blogging. Take yourself to a coffee shop with your laptop or paper notebook. This is the time for you to think, write, have fun.

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I’ll follow with another post related to the reasons you certainly SHOULD have a business blog.

When I talk with new web designers, they frequently ask – How do you keep up with the latest web design styles, industry trends, and the newest possibilities for user interface design? Of course, I tell them that it’s super easy because the “Web Design Fairy” visits me on a weekly basis and imparts her wisdom with the touch of her wand.

Seriously, if you want your designs to forever be cutting-edge, contemporary, and hip, it takes a lot of research (i.e. books, websites, blogs, etc.), a hyper critical eye, and an inner drive to continuously push yourself. It is NOT easy. It requires vigilance. Moreover, if you want to improve your designs, you have to be able to look at your own work with an unbiased eye and say, “Golly I bet I could do better” – which sounds easier than it actually is.

Here are my thoughts and recommendations for all you creative types who are worried about doing outdated web designs and are seeking continuous improvement:

1. First of all, you’re taking a great first step by being concerned about improving your designs. Many designers get into a groove and rarely stray from it. At some point in their careers, they do a design they like and then all future designs look like that treasured first design. They choose their favorite color palette, fonts, graphical elements, etc. and they stick with them. My recommendation is this – as you design, keep your mind and your eye loose. Try new things. Try to emulate other designs you like. Remember – nothing about your design is precious or unchangeable. Also, work the entire layout equally. Don’t get hung up on the perfect color for the search button. Make your best choice and move on. You can always make changes later.

2. Refer often to websites and blogs about good design. Here are a few sites that I check on weekly. They provide compiled lists of the latest and greatest new sites.

• http://www.designmeltdown.com
• http://bestwebgallery.com/
• www.stylegala.com
• http://www.webdesignerwall.com/trends/best-of-css-design-2007
• http://www.web100.com/index.html
• http://www.coolhomepages.com/
• http://www.designinteract.com

3. Save the sites you like in your “Bookmarks”and refer to them often. My list of fav’s is gigantic and very helpful, especially when a client says, “I want my site’s design to be really awesome and organic (or some similar combination of abstract words).” Then I show the client sites from my fav list that might fit his/her vision, and the client tells me “yes, that’s what I mean,” or “no, I that’s not what I was thinking at all. I really just want you to use earth tones and photos of leaves…”

4. No matter what trend is occurring, remember to always rely on underlying design conventions to guide users toward the intended action you’d like them to take. Use the page layout and a strong message to provide order and meaning. Don’t make users search for information or think too hard about what to do next. Don’t crowd the page – keep your design simple and make it easy for users to quickly accomplish tasks. No matter how funky your color scheme and design elements, it’s easiest for users to comprehend content that is arranged on an underlying grid (with columns and rows). Use various sized fonts (headlines, subheads, body type, navigation) to delineate the space and guide visitors. And finally, as the architect Louis Sullivan preached, remember that FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION. In other words, “Don’t decorate. Communicate.”

Yes, you’ve heard the hype about blogs, but does your business really NEED one? This blog explains why blogs are important and how they might bring big benefits to your company or nonprofit.

But first, some background… This was an interesting assignment for me because while I’ve worked for technology companies for over 10 years, I’m not too familiar with blogs. I know about software development, the Web, technical writing, project management, nerdy workplace tech speak like “WYSIWYG” and “project scope creep.” I’ve tried to keep up with my 16 year old by using DVR and my Razor phone. I know about MP3, Bluetooth, and making sure I don’t become a CrackBerry addict or get phished! But I’m worried that perhaps I’ve ignored the hype about blogs. Blogs have been around awhile— but aren’t they for Generation Y and Z people who worship MySpace and have more time than sense to write about what Brangelina is up to and the latest Harry Potter spoilers? I needed to figure out what the big deal was. What I found was more compelling than the thought of purchasing a new Iphone.

Communicating Via Blogs Means Business…

Simply put, blogs can be:

1. An effective way to communicate with your potential and current customers: A blog is an informal, easily-maintained method for you to talk with your customers. In your blog posts, you can address your customers’ pressing needs, desires, questions, or concerns in a relaxed way. You can also casually talk about how your offerings might solve their problems, and you can position yourself as a trusted resource regarding trends in your industry.
2. An informal method to communicate with your employees: A blog lets your employees share and contribute information in one, common, easily updateable, quickly correctable, web-based location. A blog might replace your staff newsletter. A blog might also help you communicate standard company practices or allow your employees to share their expertise. (I studied ICM’s previous blog posts to get clued in on how to write this!) A blog is also a good way for potential employees to get to know your company’s “personality” and determine if they might want to work on your team.
3. A great way to attract search engine attention and site traffic: Your blog posts and any user-submitted comments are sure to contain a plethora of keywords and phrases that will help you achieve better ranking in the search engines. For example, we wrote some blog posts that contained the phrase “revamp your website.” This is an informal way to describe one of the services we provide to clients, and we don’t use this phrase on our company website; however, when we used the phrase in our blog, we found that it was a popular search term, and when people searched for ways to revamp their websites in Google, they found our blog.
4. An intrinsic tool for linking campaigns: Incoming and outgoing links contribute to your rank in the search engines. In your blog, you should include links to your own website. It’s also important to use reciprocal links to the websites and blogs of your business allies, collaborators, and partners. You should link to any media sites (newspapers, TV shows, portals, etc.) that mention you or your company. By the way, our client, The Accent Reduction Institute (www.lessaccent.com), was recently featured on the NBC Nightly News
5. A way to stay ahead of the competition: Check your competitor’s websites and blogs to see what important topics they’re discussing. You may learn from their latest trials and tribulations. You’ll also determine how to write blog posts that differentiate your company from other companies like yours. For example, while there are many web companies in Ann Arbor, we’ve utilized our blog to set ourselves apart – as a fun, creative woman-owned IT company; as a group of experts who want to share our knowledge so businesses and organizations of any size can benefit; and as a company that LISTENS to our clients’ needs and creates websites that meet those needs in the most appropriate, innovative, and cost-effective ways.

Now you have a little taste of what it’s all about—start empowering your company to communicate in the Blogosphere!

Sometimes I happen upon a blog posting or article online that is so well-written or informative, I read the entire thing (and that is saying a lot considering how much competes for my attention on a given day.) If you are a blogger, or regularly read blogs and wonder what really are the parameters of legality in deep linking, use of images and thumbnails, and stolen content, read this article from Directory Aviva.

We consult with clients on best practices and tips for writing in a blog, and this entry does a great job of framing the whole subject into what is legal, how to avoid problems, and best practices. And isn’t it slightly ironic that I am linking to a blog entry all about legality of linking? Or perhaps I am just a geek that I find that amusing…

1. What’s Your Passion?
What compels you, motivates you, or gets you fired up? For us, we’re all revved up about blogs and the ways they can help promote, position, and build knowledge bases for businesses and organizations. Determine your own passion and then write about it. The more passionate you are about your topic, the more it shows in your writing.

2. What’s In It For The Reader?
Readers don’t care about old news or second hand knowledge. They want a compelling reason to read your post; they want to know what’s in it for them, so give them what they want. How can you help readers gain new information, avoid the same mistakes you’ve made, or try a new approach to save time, money, headaches, or all of the above.

3. Keywords Are KEY
Figure out the words people use to search for the topics you’re writing about. Then use those keywords throughout your blog in the body text and the headlines. This will help search engines find your blog. Remember not to use too much jargon or too many technical terms in your blog posts. Readers typically prefer posts written in common language.

4. Get To The Point
If possible, write concise posts. Most readers often prefer posts that are easily read in a few minutes. Stay on topic, quickly convey your message, and then leave the reader to think.

5. Create Your Own Style (and stick with it)
Readers like to know what to expect, so you should be consistent with your writing style. Make sure your blog is easy on the reader’s eye. Decide on colors, font style & size, and format, and then stick with it for every entry. This helps your blog to look more professional.

6. Scan-able Posts
The easier it is for the reader to scan your post, the more likely your post will be read. Don’t smush 49 sentences into one long column; it will overwhelm the reader. Make sure to leave lots of white space. Use paragraphs, bullet points, headlines and subheads (see below).

7. Snazzy Headlines & Clear Subheads
To draw the reader in right from the start, begin with a catchy headline. Snazzy titles (with lots of search engine-friendly keywords) grab your reader’s attention, and give your blog a better chance of being read. Clear and crisp subheads make the post easier to read, while offering the reader a quick overview of what’s inside the post.

8. Create Lists
Bullet points and numbered lists help make the post easier to read. They tell readers what’s important and provide quick summaries of your key points.

9. Edit Your Post
Before you hit the “publish” button, read your post, and edit it for maximum readability. Check for grammar and syntax errors. Sometimes it helps to read your post aloud and edit as you go.

10. Links Are Our Friends
Support your blog post by linking to other relevant sites. For example, if you mention a great new product on the market, then you should link to that product right in that sentence. Or if perhaps, you think this post you’re reading on “How To Write In Your Blog” is the most brilliant thing you’ve read in weeks, you could link to it in your own blog. It’s a good idea to invite other sites to link to your blog. This improves your blog’s ranking and popularity.