Something we have not done a great job of is linking to other blogs we have been reading and really building the community around us. This morning I read ‘Inserting a Link in a Blog Post‘ at BlogForProfit and it got me thinking…I know how to, but I have not been doing it. So I am starting by linking to this post. I hope it helps some of you out there that are just getting started with blogging. BlogForProfit is a must read if you are a small business or just beginning your journey in the blogosphere.
Alanis Morissette would say this post is ironic, but we are smarter than that.
Link your blog to this post which links to the ‘Inserting a Link in a Blog Post’ and have your readers link to your post. It might be fun. A new blogger would really get the point if they clicked through a bunch of these links to see lots of great blogs and eventually get to see how to insert a link of their own.
Septempber Kansas City Bloggers Meeting
Kansas City born Duct Tape Marketing is representing team USA in the The Ryder Cup of Word of Mouth, Buzz and Viral. Does it get any better than using social media strategies to represent your own city and country?
I first heard about DT from Aaron and we were impressed with the paradigm for success John Jantsch has provided.
More about the list below…
Why not pit the top 36 bloggers from the USA that speak on the subject of word of mouth, viral, buzz, influence and the engaging brand against the top 36 international bloggers that muse on the same subject?
Unlike some of the social media- and tech dedicated marketing and media bloggers, these broad-minded bloggers and company heads (below) have distinguished themselves by helping visitors understand how ideas spread, online and offline, through a range of different strategies and tactics and each recognizes the importance of having brands getting noticed, talked about and advocated in a 2.0 world.
A blog (a contraction of the term “Web log”) is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.
As you can see, a Blog is not a well scripted from start to finish, nor a fictional book. One of the most famous ‘flogs’ (fake blogs) was Wal-Marts, ‘WalmartingAcrossAmerica,’ disguised as a blog, it was actually a well scripted and plotted campaign rolled out by Wal-Mart and their PR firm. Based on an article from Intuitive Wal-Mart set up a ‘flog’ in which they attempted to make people believe that ‘Walmarting Across America’ was being written by a couple that traveled across America in an RV and parked it in Wal-Mart parking lots along the way. Only it turns out, they had scripted the entire thing and people found out.
Another piece of media that stands out in my mind is the book ‘A Million Little Pieces,’ by James Frey. He sold the book as ‘memoirs’ meaning that they are true in his mind, not necessarily factual, but true in his mind and in his perspective. After appearing on Oprah, it was found to be ‘A Million Little Lies.’
I wanted to share these examples up front in hopes that my points for the importance of being genuine while blogging will be a little stickier. All of us are gullible, some more than others. Think of a time where someone ‘got you’ good. Maybe it was small or big, important or not, joking or serious. How did you feel? Betrayed? Angry? And how easy is it to trust what that person says now? This is exactly how the people that read your blog would feel if they found out it was not truly who you are and the way you feel. As stated in the opening, a blog is regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material. People read blogs because that is what they expect. Don’t label your site a blog if that is not your intention. Don’t label your book a memoir if, in fact, it is fictional. Remember that feeling you have when you are on the other side. People are smarter than you might think. They WILL figure you out. And the up rise from people that feel betrayed, angry, and can’t trust you is one that I never want to experience.
RECAP:
- Know what you expect when writing a blog, because that is what your readers expect.
- If you are taking a different angle, that is fine, just be clear about it.
- Wal-Mart has a lot of money to plan this out, and they still got found out.
- You can fool Oprah (one person), but you can not fool everyone.
Do any examples stand out in your mind of ‘flogs’? What are some other reasons to be genuine while blogging?
While in high school I became close friends with our school’s athletic director. Like most schools, sports were a pretty big deal and running that kind of operation was no easy task. So much of the director’s job was being able to react and deal with the concerns of students, parents, coaches, and administrators while representing the school and his department in a respectable manner.
One day I popped into his office to see what was going on.
“Oh, the same ol, Zach,” he said. “Just kissing babies and putting out fires.”
This popped into my head as I was thinking about some strategies we are trying to implement at Ideas and Angles.
One of the first things we advocate is listening to your customers and market before you start adding your own voice to the fray. There are a number of tools that monitor what people are saying about your company and its products\services over the internet.
The key is not to simply think about these situations as feedback but as opportunities for a good customer service situation. If someone writes about a tough experience they have with the company you represent on Twitter, it’s a perfect chance for you come in with a bucket of water and save the day. Offering to help in any way you can and then following up on that creates a great picture of your customer service for a few reasons.
- You solved their problem. At the very least you did everything in your power to assist them. Not all issues are solvable. Even if that is the case, showing you did everything in your power for that person means a lot.
- In a lot of cases they didn’t ask for the assistance you provided. What a pleasant surprise, right? This person didn’t even have to get on the phone and nag at someone over their issues. They were just venting and you turned that into a workable situation.
- The great customer service you are providing is in the open. Other people notice. If you go out of your way to provide a customer service situation in a brick-and-mortar store it is usually an experience only the customer has and you just hope they tell their friends. When you are proactive with these situations on the internet everyone can see these discussions in the open. People notice this kind of movement by a company.
It’s also important to be really nice to people. You have to project an open and friendly attitude. Hopefully this isn’t some huge stretch or anything, a lot of these skills should just apply to your life and not just your social media strategy.
Leave the sales and marketing speak behind, just be a real person. I remember sitting in a store when I was young and the receptionist answered the phone.
“It is a beautiful day at [insert business name], how may I help you?”
Even at a young age, that was off putting to me. I am all for putting a nice face on your business, but who talks like that?
This is where it helps to enjoy your job and services or products you offer. It is easier to encourage and share a passion for what you are representing when you feel the same way. Here are some other things to consider.
- Show appreciation to customers any chance you get. This could be as simple as a thanks to a user for following your Twitter account or throwing a free t-shirt to someone who uses and promotes your service a lot.
- Stay positive when dealing with a difficult user. A lot of times you are the front line of defense to a customer having a terrible experience. Do your best to empathize and help them out in any way you can. On the other hand there are people that just love to vent or are committed to being unhappy. It is easy to get caught in a back and forth on the Internet. Keep a professional face on things.
- Be accessible. You need to receive communication and respond in a time frame and manner that creates confidence on the end of the user.
- If you can’t help someone, connect them with someone who can. You can’t know everything. Be well versed with your company and products enough to know where to direct users within your business so they can get help.
- Let your personality come through. You are not a robot. People connect easier with someone they can relate to. Let your own personality come out within the framework of your company’s goals and the professionalism the job calls for.
Ok, maybe you won’t be going up ladders to fight blazing infernos or smooching any babies that aren’t yours. But I think my old friend was really on to something.
Listen. React. Relate.
Chances are, the people that read your blog, read it for a reason. They are interested in the topics you write about because they either practice it themselves, or they are reading to learn and probably have some sort of base knowledge. Blogging is a fantastic way to connect with people that are like you or may like what you have to offer. It is a fantastic way to create the community feel around what you like or what you have to offer. And it is a fantastic way to create “expert” status.
When you write about something, and often, people assume you know what you are talking about and see you as some sort of expert. When you slip up, you lose all credibility. It is like the marriage counselor that come to find out, is cheating on their spouse. Once credibility is lost, you are no longer going to be a hub for any network regarding said topic. And the ultimate goal of a social media strategy is to create a great network where you are the connector.
Everyone always remembers the connector. Seriously, think about it. Who is one of your best friends? How did you meet them? Was it through another friend? Can you name the person that introduced you? Exactly. Connectors are the people that lead. And leading is what you do as an expert. It goes full circle. Do not let it slip away by one careless blog post in which your readers know more than you and discredit any of your expertise. I am not saying that you have to be the smartest person in the room, but be able to hold your own. If you comment section turns into people correcting you, kiss your readership goodbye. They will gladly read the blog of the person that is able to correct you. So know what you are talking about before you talk about it factually. Because if you do not, the blogging community is too savvy to not recognize it and crush your credibility, thus crushing your social media platform. Social media is about community and sharing information. The information is expected to be correct information.
