Posts tagged blogging best practices
The 10 Best Corporate Blogs in the World
Jan 5th
My reaction to most company blogs: “Blah, Blah and Double Blah!”
I recently taught a class on corporate blogging at the amazing social media marketing graduate program at Rutgers University. In my research for the class, I pored through hundreds of websites looking for examples of the best company blogs in the world.
Amid the coal pile that is the state of corporate blogging today, I did manage to find a few diamonds that don’t bore to tears with pronouncements, promotions and product announcements (the Killer P’s).
Before I provide my view of the best of the best, here are a few general observations about the state of corporate blogging:
1) The best blogs are dominated by the tech sector. In fact, they are so far ahead of the rest of the corporate world that I found it unfair to rank the professionals with the amateurs! IBM, SAP and Oracleare examples of innovative and remarkable blogs. Nearly every hardware, software and services company “gets it.” I thought it would be more interesting here to focus only on the non-tech sector. I also excluded any reference to Zappos simply because I am sick of Zappos and it’s my blog dammit.
2) Corporate blogging has evolvedfar beyond the idea of personal journaling. Think of any company goal and there is likely to be an example of a company blog supporting it. You may be surprised at the diversity of blogs in these examples.
3) There is a chasm between the adoption of blogs at large companies versus the rest of the world. The Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts showed in a study that just 22% of the Fortune 500’s blog compared to 45% of the Inc 500′s and about 80% of non-profits. And even when some companies claimed to have a blog, I couldn’t find it. Corporate blogging is still a wide-open area for marketing channel development since there are so many proven benefits of blogging! And many of these blogs are U.S.-based because the adoption of corporate blogging is even lower in the rest of the world.
In no particular order, here are ten examples of exceptional non-high-tech blogs:
Goals: Problem-solving, community-building, loyalty
So you don’t think blogs have a place in the B2B world? Can’t imagine somebody from a road construction crew logging in to read a blog? Think again.
Caterpillar established separate blogs based on industry (construction, electrical, marine) with sub-categories under each industry (products, safety, problem-solving). This company does a wonderful job engaging customers, using the community to solve problems, and rewarding customer ideas.
Goals: New product development, engagement
Well-managed companies usually excel at many things and Starbucks is no exception. They are leading the way in social media marketing but the unexpected aspect of their blog is that it only tangentially has anything to do with coffee. Instead, Starbucks employs its blog as a global brainstorming platform. Customers submit ideas for new drinks, food items, packages, even store designs. The company blogs about the ideas (about 100,000 so far!) and readers build on the ideas through comments and ratings. The idea is brilliant.
Goals: Customer satisfaction, sales, crisis management
Bill Marriott is one of the most famous corporate bloggers in the world. Yes, the company chairman actually does his own posts, dictating them on a weekly basis. This personal involvement has won the site loyal fans since they know they are getting the word from a real executive — a powerful point of differentiation. The company has reported generating millions in direct sales from this blog and has also used this as a platform to set the record straight in the event of a bombing or hostage situation involving one of their properties. Another “personal journal” blog I’ll submit as a runner-up in this category is Randy’s Journal from Boeing.
Goals: Direct sales, loyalty
In a hotly-competitive, low-margin business, this regional grocery chain is trying to stand out with a fun, easy-to-navigate site. The blog design changes every few weeks to reflect colorful seasonal themes. The company has managed to attract a loyal and engaged audience through posts from president Danny Wegman and other store employees on ideas for entertaining at home, recipes and nutrition. I saw one post where the deli chef was responding to questions by telling customers which aisle to find ingredients for some tasty muffins. I love the fun, down-home and authentic engagement on this site!
Goal: Thought leadership
Here’s how blogger Mark Toth describes the mission of the blog: “When we asked visitors to the Manpower US website what information they wanted most, the answer was employment law. This bLAWg is an attempt to meet that demand and engaging and educational content.” You mean they actually listened to customers and created a blog around their information needs? Seems like such a simple idea but unfortunately ignored by most companies.
Goal: Brand Awareness
When I use the GE blog as an example in my classes there is usually a comment like “Oh … I thought they were only lightbulbs.”
This blog is aimed squarely at breaking this image through wonderful story-telling. If you want to see a blog that is doing a good job spinning some entertaining stories, look no further. It’s not uncommon to see wonderful photography, video, and even art and music used in a blog post to illustrate a point. The one area that needs to be improved — I think they are trying to hit too many diverse customers with one blog. It’s time to segment with multiple blogs.
Goal: Customer engagement, brand awareness
How in the world do you create passion for scissors? Fiskars has done it in one of the most creative blogs in the corporate world. The company solicited help from four scrapbook fanatics who demonstrate their love of crafting — and the tools they use — with this customer-generated content. One of the greatest marketing applications for blogging I have seen.
Goal: Enhance corporate image and integrate with traditional media
This is one of the world’s best-known corporate blogs but I would be remiss if I didn’t include it here. People generally hate airlines but somehow Southwest has risen above this with a quirky, honest blog about travel and the people who make it happen. This is the anti-corporate-press-release blog. They also wisely use this as a way to connect with employees. Smart business.
Goal: Complement brand image, engage community
Patagonia is a company that sells high-end adventure gear and this no-frills site does a marvelous job featuring reader stories of what else … high-end adventure! You have to love a corporate blog that features a post called “Waking up puking.”
The magic of social media is finding a way to enable your customers to carry your brand promise through to their stories and this site is a best practice.
Goal: Complement brand image, direct sales
Like Starbucks and Zappos, Whole Foods is a social media darling, and for good reason. They do great work! This popular blog is full of how-to’s, best practices and exciting product ideas.
Of course it would be impossible for me — or anybody for that matter — to do a comprehensive evaluation of every corporate blog in the world but these are some that demonstrate the use of compelling content to align with tangible business objectives.
I would value your comments on these wonderfully diverse blogs. What company blogs should I consider for my next class? I’m especially interested in any small businesses that are effectively working the blogging channel.
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Overcoming blogging’s fear factor
Dec 5th
I talk to a lot of bloggers. In fact I speak to some blogger somewhere almost every day … supporting, encouraging, listening, and helping where I can.
And I think I’ve determined the biggest hurdle that keeps people from ever beginning a blog.
It’s not a lack of ideas.
It’s not time.
It’s not writing ability.
It’s CONFIDENCE.
Fear of failure and criticism seems to be the most overwhelming reason why people don’t blog. Having some trepidation about blogging is reasonable. After all, it’s kind of like public speaking in a way, isn’t it? I think it is a pretty rare person who can put themselves out there in a public way and not have at least a little insecurity.
So what do we do about it? Here are a few ideas that seem to be working …
Re-frame the fear. “Blogging” is a word associated with publishing and being in the spotlight. Let’s use a different word — “essay.” Can you compose a 500-word essay on a topic that interests you once a month? In analog terms, 500 words is one page, double-spaced. That seems pretty easy, doesn’t it? Well, let’s start there. Set a goal to write one 500-word essay every month on a topic related to your passion or profession (or if you’re lucky, both!).
Now, let’s look at writing a second essay every month. This one is based on something that you’ve read — a book, a newspaper article, a blog post. Write this 500-word essay on why you liked the article, what you learned from it, or how it impacted you. Focusing on two essays a month … that seems achievable doesn’t it?
Focus on fun. Now, let’s address the fear factor directly. If you’re thinking about blogging, you probably have some thought that you will enjoy it, right? Well blogging IS fun. It’s an interesting challenge, a wonderful creative outlet, and an opportunity to join an amazing global community of bloggers.
So one way to get over the anxiety is to focus on the benefits to yourself, not the fear of criticism from unknown “others.” Even if nobody reads the thing, many bloggers tell me they keep doing it just because it’s so enjoyable. Focus on this opportunity to learn a fun skill that might open up some new doors.
Seek active support. When I started blogging there was a small group of people who were also just starting out and we encouraged each other along the way — Jayme Soulati, John Bottom, Steve Dodd and Gregg Morris, to name a few. They would leave a comment now and then or tweet a post out just to keep me going. I’ll never forget — one time I was beginning to wonder if anybody was reading the posts I was writing and out of the blue I got this email from Dan Levine:
I appreciate what you’re doing — slowly and surely, thoughtfully and methodically, you’re helping shape the direction of this “new” medium. In a landscape filled with yes-people and a few too many sheep, your posts are making ripples that will eventually lead to new ideas and fresh approaches. I have no doubt. So … thank you.
Let me tell you — that was a great confidence booster at a critical time for me. Blogging can be a lonely job. Remember that on average, only 2% of your readers ever leave a comment. So take the time to build your support group of fellow beginners and encourage them by becoming active on their blogs.
Handling hate — I’ve received about 7,000 comments on {grow}. I take a lot of risks in this forum and would say I have only received two or three comments that were unprofessional pot-shots. That’s 0.04%. Now I get plenty of criticism and dissent because I encourage that. But mean? No.
Expecting negativity is an unfounded fear. Bloggers, and those who read blogs, are generally an extremely nice and supportive bunch of folks. They may push you, they may disagree with you, but that is sign that they care about what you say. It’s recognition that you’ve had an impact and you’re making people think. That can be a point of pride, not a source of fear.
Fear of failure — If you define success as attracting a thousand readers, or achieving professional recognition, or even becoming rich from your blog, well, you might fail. But there are lots of other personal and business benefits of blogging even if you have a small audience or you never get rich. And you’ll never achieve any of them if you don’t try. What’s the worst that can happen if you “fail?” Probably not much.
You are unique and amazing in your own way. There are people who would benefit from hearing your stories and learning from your experiences. Dive in. The water’s fine!
Join the conversation. What fears did you have when you started and how did you overcome them? What advice would you provide beginners?
Secrets from the trenches: How to become a Blog Whisperer
Nov 3rd
I just 700 blog posts on {grow} and I thought this would be a good time to pause and share some of my lessons learned for all you budding Blog Whisperers out there!
CONTENT
- Yes, it really is all about the content.
- One blogger said he was afraid his lengthy posts are diluting his keywords. Are you kidding me? Forget trying to “engineer” your content around key words. Who really wants to read that? Just let ‘er rip.
- Challenge yourself to write a post that ONLY you can write. This is how you find your unique voice.
- Taking risks pays off. I think readers recognize and reward you for stepping out of the echo chamber.
- I am trying to use video a little more. It’s not my thing but I recopgnize that it needs to be added to the content mix. Have you tried it? You my love it.
- Lack of confidence is the biggest reason people don’t blog. I think that if you can tell your kids a story, give nurturing advice to a friend or tell a joke, you can blog. Just Do It.
TIME MANAGEMENT
- {Grow} readership (page views) has grown 600% in the past 12 months. Here is the secret to success: Work like hell!
- My undergrad was in journalism. I was trained to crank out copy in a hurry. That sure helps. In fact I recently had some conversations with Jay Baer and Jason Falls and learned they were journalism grads too. A coincidence?
- Somebody asked me if blogging is my full time job. Ha! I probably spend 10 hours a week on the blog — half of that answering questions and comments. No, I have about three other jobs!
- I like Chris Brogan but he is the worst role model you could have as a blogger. He has set an impossible, super-human standard. If you try to blog like Chris you will die. And honestly, who wants to read three posts a day from one person any way? Not even Oprah is that interesting.
- I realize these tips are pretty lame so here is the real ultimate guide to blogging when you don’t have time to blog.
MONETIZING
- At some point, I think it is probably fair and necessary to find a way to bring in a little money from all this content. A revenue stream would actually help justify spending more time on the blog, which will improve the quality of the content too.
- I’ve been putting this off because I have been so busy. Yes, I’m too busy to make money. That makes no sense but it is true in my world right now : ) I’m working on a video training series based on my classes. I think you’ll enjoy that.
- I will never do sponsored posts. I HATE those. I think we can regard sponsored posts as a failed blogging experiment. Unless you don’t mind writing ad copy and calling it a blog post for people who can’t tell the difference.
- The business benefits I have received from blogging are astounding. Far exceeded my expectations. I am so fortunate to have you as a part of this community and I never, ever take that for granted.
BUILDING A COMMUNITY
- So many people have told me that the comment section on {grow} is remarkable for the depth and intelligence of the people who participate. Of course I might be a little biased … but I agree.
- How did this occur? I honestly don’t know. Part of it may be that I never talk down to my community. I never preach because I realize you are almost always smarter than me and the comments are typically better than the original post. I’m not threatened by that. I love it. I’m learning too.
- Engaging with my blog community is the best job I have ever had. Every day is like Christmas.
- If you are part of this community, I will try to do anything I can to help you and your business out. We’re in this together.
- A rule of thumb for most bloggers is that less than 2% of the people who read your blog take the time to comment. It’s higher than that on {grow} but still, it takes a ton of blog traffic to start resulting in comments. That does not mean people aren’t engaged. So keep plugging and have faith.
- About 85% of the blog visitors are first-time visitors. Again, that seems to be universal among bloggers but it was an eye-opener! Most people who visit blogs are tourists, not residents : )
PROMOTION
- I have done a terrible job promoting my blog. I just don’t have the time to figure out the politics of Digg and Reddit and all these other applications with too many consonants.
- Twitter and blogging go hand in glove. I tweet each post twice to hit people at different times. That’s the extent of my promotion. I am not a role model in this area! Basically, I rely on your tweets to keep things going. So thanks for that!
- I guess writing a good headline also counts as good promotion, right? Don’t underestimate the power of a headline.
- One of the standard ideas to promote your blog is to do guest posts. Estimated increase increase in traffic to my blog from guest posts = 0.001% … and I have done a TON of guest posts. In the end, it helps my friends so I will always do them but it is a myth that guest posts build traffic to your blog. Do it to help others, not yourself.
- For some reason I hate identifying myself a blogger. I don’t have the right wardrobe to be a blogger. I’ve always been a writer. Why stop now?
So those are a few lessons learned. And I still have a long way to go. Can I just tell you how much I appreciate the way you have helped educate me along this journey? Thank you! What have been your most valuable blogging lessons? Are you becoming a Blog Whisperer?
Welcome to {grow}
You’re in marketing for one reason: Grow.
Grow your company, reputation, customers, impact, profits. Grow yourself. This is a community that will help. It will stretch your mind, connect you to fascinating people, and provide some fun along the way. I am so glad you’re here.
-Mark SchaeferFollow Mark
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