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Blogging Riffs

The How and Why of Blog Marketing by Chris Street

Intro:

Blogging remains one of the least utilised elements of social media marketing.

But why? Blogging Outreach requires effort, energy, creativity and consistency – many business owners and in-house marketers are simply too busy to fully grasp blog marketing and make the most of it.

Blogging Riffs is a collection of three years’ worth of blog posts from Chris Street, who set up the UK’s first fully-managed blogging service in 2005.

This Ebook answers the ‘How’ and ‘Why’ of Blogging, through a series of informative, accessible and straightforward blog posts, taken from Chris’s blog at www.bristoleditor.co.uk.

If you’ve asked yourself ‘How do I blog?’ or ‘Why should I blog?’ this Ebook is for you. You’ll find out some seriously useful information, such as:

• How to become a better blogger in 93 seconds

• Why an honest blog is also a successful blog

• How to write the perfect blog post

Thank you for purchasing this Ebook – if you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to email Chris directly on chris@looktouchfeel.co.uk.

Why your blog is the foundation to social media success And, yes, this is despite the advances of the Goliaths online such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Blogs still rule. I posted on the importance of blogs towards the end of last year here, and a well-rounded, consistent, informative, non-selling blog still, for me, represents the essential building-block upon which a content-based social media strategy should be based. But why? Don’t just take my word for it. For example, here’s 7 reasons with which I whole-heartedly agree from the excellent Deb Ng, founder of Freelance Writing Gigs online, on why building a blog as a central presence can – over time – reap rewards on several levels. And, despite the really useful inputs on building audience trust to then carefully place relevant paid-for slots, advertising et al into the blog mix, I think a blog delivers far more than specific revenue on that one platform alone. It is essential to social media growth, awareness, credibility and sales interest across a number of platforms. It also saves you time and money. Imagine this – and I have discussed producing single sets of blog content for multiple publication giving maximum effect before, so bear with me – but if you’re new to the blog, the idea is pretty simple. And incredibly effective.

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You post a blog. It’s fed automatically into your Twitter, Friendfeed, LinkedIn and Facebook business pages, along with other platforms where your target audiences are hanging out. These respective audiences pass it on, re-tweet, comment upon, add their inputs, and build the content into an ongoing discussion, debate – giving you the opportunity to further highlight your skills, expertise and passion for the content topic. You become the go-to guy (or gal). When did you last see a DM piece deliver this? Or a stand-alone press release? Or even a face-to-face networking meeting? I know, I am biased – and believe me, I’ve networked with more life coaches than you can imagine. Sighs. So, a well-executed blog rocks, rules, and generally wins hands-down for me. It delivers content you control when you want it out there to the right audiences globally. It supports and nurtures your social media content. It delivers cost-effective promotion which is neither hard-selling nor intrusive in any way. It also saves you from breakfast networking with life coaches – and for that benefit alone, I’m standing by my blog. I don’t miss the soggy bacon, rubber eggs, and over-use of the word ‘synergy’ either.

Blogging: if you build it, they will come As with the classic 1989 cult movie Field Of Dreams where unswerving dedication, belief and bloody hard work sees Kevin Costner realising his visions, so your blogging also needs to be creative, passionate, and built to last. And this, folks, takes time. Most ‘overnight successes’ take years to happen, as the saying goes. This excellent starter guide on blogging and getting more traffic, attention and (ultimately) revenues, to your blog from ProBlogger highlights the amount of energy and effort it takes to maintain and sustain an effective blog. And that’s just one element of a social media campaign. My point? Simple, really. The personal, commercial and professional success of your blog, as with all your social media efforts, depends upon one thing and one thing alone – how much effort you put into building it. No quick-fixes. No mini campaigns. No short-cuts. It’s going to take care, attention, effort, and alot of persistence. If you build it in this way, they will come. Truth is, nobody cares about your blog …well, that’s what you’d believe if you listened to the traditional marketers, online sceptics, and old-school business brains. But – actually – there is a grain of truth in the shocking statement. Nobody cares about your blog. Unless you give them one, two, or all of the following things: * Useful information, such as ‘How To’ guides * Proven case studies highlighting a return of some kind

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* Open, engaged topical discussion without a hard sell * Real-life experience and expertise in your niche for their benefit * Passion and knowledge, packaged up in readable chunks Or, alternatively, are you banging out a flog blog? Sell sell sell? Broadcasting, not listening? If so, then of course nobody cares about your blog – after all, how are you really, truly, genuinely helping the reader? Think give give give, and see what comes back – in time. This may seem like obvious stuff, but there are a surprising number of flog blogs out there, and when you consider that 70% of all newly-launched blogs fail/quit/end within their first 12 months, you’ll see the importance of a giving ethos to ensure that your audience cares about your blog. And, rather than being a blog death statistic, wouldn’t you rather care about your audience? If you care for them, they’ll take care of you. And that’s one guarantee careful blogging can give you. One of the main things to remember is to forget yourself.

Why your blog marketing needs to have a ripple effect I was watching an incredible programme tonight, highlighting the power and importance of waves on planet Earth. It demonstrated the inter-connectedness of actions, leading to further actions. The classic ripple effect. Secret Lives Of Waves Full show on BBC4 iPlayer above, and it got me thinking further about the ripple effect on a good blog too. I wrote ‘How to deal with critical comments on social media platforms‘ recently. Here’s the ripple effect in action: * Posted here, on Twitter, and on Facebook profiles * Published by the editorial team at www.socialmediatoday.com * Further postings and retweets across Twitter * Picked up by contacts and re-posted, for example on their Facebook profiles * Comments spread outwards, leading to new connections and contacts * A contact refers me to a friend of theirs who needs social media assistance So, you see, the ripple effect is SO important for your blog writing. Are you creating it or avoiding it?

The invisible benefits of blogging

The benefits of blogging have been well documented online over the last six years – companies such as General Motors blazed a trail back in 2002, highlighting a level of transparency, openness and willingness to engage with customers over the Internet previously unseen by corporate marketers. They started where numerous others have since followed. And here we are, more than a decade later, with social media engagement and blogging outreach coming into their own as powerful ways to find, connect with, and create profitable relationships with, new customers. But there are invisible benefits of blogging which deserve more attention. I’m talking about the power of words. The power of words to work for you online. Months after you’ve placed them.

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The inherent benefits of placing content, key terms and searchable industry phrases into your blog content to be found on Google and other search engines has always been a major reason to blog. Being found before your direct competitors online is one of the strongest reasons possible to devote time, attention and energy into blogging outreach as a crucial part of your social media marketing. Why, you ask? Prove it, some will say. Example: type ‘proven social media consultant‘ into Google. Now. What you’ll see (after the paid-for adverts at the top of the page, which none of us pay any attention to) is a blog post I wrote back in May 2011. It’s containing the relevant keywords under the search term, and it’s still at the top of Google, months after being posted. So, if you’re going to blog, think of the long-term benefits, and invest some thought into what, where, and when you’re blogging. It will return dividends to you tenfold over time, and can help to bring business to your door. Repeatedly. My ideal, SEO-friendly, Google Juice-enhanced blog will contain, typically, the following elements: * Focus keyword or phrase For this blog post, it’s ‘benefits of blogging‘ as you’ll see from the blog post title, and again in the first sentence. It’s also repeated at least once within the blog content, to further highlight and reinforce ownership of the key phrase for Google Juice. * Ruthless clarity For this blog post, I’m making one point, and making it clearly. A good blog post has clarity, and holds focus on that point. The audience can engage, identify, and take something useful away with them. Quickly and easily. This is at the heart of blogging. * Blog length Typically, Google likes to index blogs between 300 and 600 words. The length of this blog post is 590 words. And, let’s be honest, if a blog post is longer than 600 words, why not have an ‘Articles’ section to keep it all together? Mine’s called ‘Free Stuff‘. * Linked to the max Cross-linking and out-linking of blog posts is essential in the effort to attract external traffic to you, and develop a network of relationships online. Most of my blog posts, typically, cross-link around six times, and out-link up to three times. As you see here. * Categorise it Think of your audience when blogging, and ensure you have blog categories, so they can find, browse, and benefit from their experience of your blog. This blog has clear, easy-to-browse categories. This is categorised under ‘blogging’ for obvious reasons. * Give a little Good blogs share, and share openly. My favourite bloggers give knowledge, expertise, and skills freely – to a point. Let your audience see the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of what you do, and where you do it well. Gaining trust online takes time, time, and more time.

Live to blog, blog to influence The power of blog influence is something I’ve been an advocate of for quite a while – since 2005, in fact, when I first started blogging for myself and others after a number of years in newspaper and magazine newsrooms. But, on this occasion, I’m letting others do the advocating of blogging and blogging outreach on my behalf – many thanks, in particular, must go to the thought-leading Brian Solis for the phrase-titling this blog for me: ‘Live to blog, blog to influence.’ Brian’s outstanding blog examining the State of the Blogosphere for 2011 is a thorough, readable, and highly thought-provoking discourse from Technorati’s annual report on the blogosphere.

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Some of Brian’s main points on blogging outreach need to be reiterated – largely because I passionately agree with them, but also because at times the world of blogging can seem i. daunting, ii. risk-laden, and iii. impossible to measure as a successful marketing channel – or, at times, all of the above. So, in no particular order, the main points I wanted to highlight around blogging influence from Brian’s inputs are: * Long-term bloggers can identify real ROI This is true – the longer a person or business blogs, the greater their chance of deriving multiple forms of ROI from blogging outreach. Those who manage to stay out of the frightening 70% of new blogs which quit or fail in the first 12 months, and continue to blog with vigour, expertise and openness reap rewards. The message here? Keep going, don’t give up – it’s worth it. * Our patience for marketing speak is eroding As Brian points out, customers online are looking less to corporate speak, and more to business blogs which lead through insight and resolution. This means, in effect, that blogging outreach is a preferred method online and across social media platforms for customers to connect with businesses. This trend is increasing. Is your blog marketing open and inclusive, or closed and sterile? * Blogs live longer than Tweets or status updates The online shelf-life of a blog has far more influence than any other form of social media content, and this leverage alone should make blogging outreach an increasingly powerful and popular reason to utilise blog marketing in 2012. The added benefits of Social Media Optimisation (SMO) means a blog is pure dynamite when it comes to truly effective, long-term social media marketing. Final word: Does this final statement from Brian inspire or intimidate? “Whether it’s to demonstrate thought leadership, earn authority, generate leads, change perception or sentiment, blogs continue to lead the way while disrupting traditional media along the way.” For me, it’s inspiring. And it reaffirms a key message – Live to blog, blog to influence.

Why an honest blog is also a successful blog What makes a successful blog, many people ask me – and why should I bother blogging? Good questions, too, given the amount of energy, creativity, effort and consistency maintaining a professional blog requires. Given the simple and somewhat uncomfortable fact that 70% of all blogs fail or quit within 12 months, it might appear that many online businesses don’t have a good blog in them. Or,at least, not one that will stand the test of time. I’m a massive advocate of blogging as an integral part of successful social media marketing, and have been since 2005 when I first sat in front of my laptop after a decade in newsrooms, hands poised over the keyboard, about to write my first blog. Terrified. When to write? How to say it? What is my blogging voice? Who wants to read any of this stuff? These and many other equally-limiting questions race through the mind of a novice blogger. And with good reason – it’s a tough world online. The critics are many and the fans few – or, at least, that’s how it feels at times. But, good blogs have common themes.

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A successful blog, in my experience, contains a few key elements which give it attention, leverage, and attraction over time: * Honesty Successful bloggers, such as Seth Godin, Brian Solis and Chris Brogan are all honest online. Sometimes brutally so. They discuss things they like and things they don’t. They stand above the parapet and honestly voice their concerns when they see something tricky, dodgy or reeking of snakeoil. Equally, they highlight brilliant sites, products and services, too. * Inquiry Successful bloggers ask questions – frequently. Chris Brogan is one of the masters of it online – and to see this demonstrates a real humility and attentiveness of his audience. I respect that – despite his considerable success online, he still remains teachable. There are oodles of ‘internet marketers’ hammering webinars, valueless product libraries, and the like. They’re not listening to us – ever. * Integrity Successful bloggers have integrity – and use it. For me, this means being objective, being able to blog unashamedly in your own voice, being able to distinguish between right and wrong, and also not being afraid to stand up and talk about it. Integrity in a blog also means that value, content, ideas, assistance, thought-leadership are genuinely, regularly, and helpfully offered to one and all. Mission Impossible? For some, creating and maintaining this kind of online marketing platform is an impossible challenge – it’s about giving and taking, of course, and there are many takers out there. I naturally gravitate to the folk who give of themselves in their blogs. They give inspiration, information and innovation. These honest blogs are also, unsurprisingly, successful blogs. Have you got it in you, too? Experience, knowledge and passion. I’ll always pay attention to that.

The best blogging lesson I ever had… …and it’s been the same since I started blogging in 2005. One lesson, simple, pure and unchanging. A lesson which has given me the inspiration, creativity, and drive to blog three times a week, to work for a range of clients and get them confidently into the blogosphere, and has delivered some awesome writing experiences – leading to strong sales and fantastic long-term client relationships along the way. The lesson? Listen more than you talk. By listening more, your blogging will improve in the following ways over time: * It will be more interesting and enlightening to read * You’ll have more information to share in genuine ways * Your blogging becomes a rounded journey, and not a personal diary * Your readership will feel comfortable to engage and comment * By giving your knowledge, expertise and passion, your blogs become attractive * Listening creates a culture of authenticity and community with your audience Have you tried doing more listening than talking lately? Your blog (and your audience) will thank you for it

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How to maintain a successful blog I was reading this excellent article on Top 10 corporate blogs this week, and it got me thinking. What does it take to maintain a successful blog, and how can the corporate blogs highlighted here by Mark Shaefer shed useful insights for your blogging efforts? Here’s my top tips to ensuring your blogging remains fresh, funky and fabulous in the coming months: * Enjoy it If writing your blog once, twice, three times a week, once a day, or however often you put virtual pen to paper is not enjoyable, step away from the keyboard and evaluate why you’re blogging. Do you blog because you think you should? Or because your main competitors are doing it? Or because you think it’s an easy way to flog stuff? If it’s any of the above, it’s time to re-think your reasons: blogging should be casual, informed, entertaining, enlightening and enjoyable for your audience – and for you. * Create, don’t copy If writing your blog becomes an exercise in trying to copy what others are doing, please stop. Your blog is YOUR blog, and your audience come to it because of that very simple reason. Sure, it’s important to research the blogosphere, to see what’s being written out there, but your blog should encapsulate the uniqueness of you, of doing business with you, of what it’s like to get inside your head and explore your passions, knowledge, and core expertise. If it’s a poor copy of another blog, why read it? * Share, share and share again If writing your blog is about guarding your best secrets and most exciting developments, what exactly are you writing on it? A ‘sticky’ blog is one which discusses upcoming plans, services, ideas, concepts and in a conversational, open, relaxed way. It’s all about access. If you give your audience great access, you’re also giving them reasons to get in touch with you offline and discuss collaborations, contracts and creative alliances. * Don’t give up If writing your blog seems like a futile exercise, think again and keep going. I read last year that approximately 70% of all blogs fail or die in their first 12 months, as the bloggers simply stop writing. They give up. This leads to the fundamental question – why are you blogging? If it’s a direct link to a financial ROI, it’s likely your blog will be in that 70% bracket. Keep going, don’t rely on your blog to deliver a direct cashflow, but think of the indirect ways in which your consistent blogging can increase revenues. * Remember everything starts here If writing your blog seems like an endless chore, and one which is tricky to maintain with your other commitments, remember this: everything starts here. A well maintained, successful, well-read blog is the hub of the blogger’s social media activities, with everything starting there, and pulling back audience numbers, attracting attention on social media platforms, and pulling back interested parties throughout the coming months. Given this fact, you should give your blog the attention and time is deserves. * Listen, observe, respond If writing your blog seems daunting on a regular basis, maybe it’s because you’re not listening and observing what’s out there often enough. Seek out blogs which you like, which resonate with how and why you do business, and respond to bloggers who inspire you, spark you creatively, who make your online writing a more enjoyable experience. I regularly gain inspiration and ideas from the writings of top class thinkers such as Chris Brogan and Brian Solis. Who are you responding to at the moment? * And finally… If writing your blog is about flogging stuff, stop. Stop right now. Please.

How to make your blog content work harder You might think that when you write a blog post, that’s it.

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You hit ‘publish’ and it goes live. Sitting on your blog, waiting for attention, comments, hopefully a few retweets and shares. How about, however, networking your blog – making it work harder for you? It’s worth the return, and here’s an example: I recently wrote this blog post on how to garnish more attention to your blog, by (to put it simply) caring for your audience. It was well-received, getting a few dozen pass-ons, mentions on Twitter, Facebook shares, and roughly 150 hits within 24 hours. All good. But that’s just the starting point for a networked blog. Then, it went on here. With more attention, sharing, and traffic back to the main Bristol Editor blog. The site also provides between 12-15% of all monthly referred traffic back to my main site, so I know a blog post here will always deliver attention. Which, by the way, accounts for 53% of all my website hits on a daily basis. The blog is the hub. Good blogging can truly make a difference to your attractiveness online and raise the attention span of your visitors. And finally, the blog post was also published here, gaining more than 5,100 views and 275 retweets within 24 hours. The blog post will also be relevant to publish on other networking, business and social media sites – some demand exclusive content, others are happy to receive fresh, interesting, well-rounded content for free. The model is simple: provide free content, increase the audience, deliver thought-leadership, gain new offline business as a result. The blog always provides this ROI. So, a day in the life of a networked blog highlights that social media content – when working hard for you – can deliver outstanding results. But you have to put the effort in, of course. And the content has to start from your blog, your hub. So make sure you work your blog content harder. Much harder.

How to write the perfect blog post Short and simple one – how to write the perfect blog post. Blogging is not an abstract art form. Blogging is not a scientific formula. Blogging is not only for online writers. My six key ingredients include: * Informative – selling nothing, giving away useful information and resources * Descriptive – a story, taking your readers somewhere interesting and unique * Emotive – packed full of real-life experience and giving beneficial goodies * Positive – don’t drag then down! Make it inspirational, useful and uplifting * Creative – good blogging is creative. Yes, it’s a process but not a mundane one * Incentive – give your readers a reason to ‘do’ something beneficial today Alternatively, you can bang on about the same old broadcasting, selling, traditional offline marketing and see how engaged they are after 10 seconds. Believe me, if you haven’t hooked them within the first 10 seconds, they’re off, checking out your competitors’ blogs.

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Perfect blog post does not mean prescriptive. It’s a journey – yours AND the readers. Align both to win yourself new business from your blogging this year.

How to become a blogging expert – in 3 steps The linchpin of your online content – your blog. Becoming a blogging expert in your niche can seem like a daunting task when you’re new to the blogosphere. Writing (and maintaining) a blog takes dedication, thought, hard work, creativity, and more than a sprinkling of attitude. Really good bloggers are also – consistently – authentic. And in terms of social media currency, Authenticity is right up there with Passion as the main elements for ongoing success online. If you don’t have either of these, your blog is highly likely to fail longer-term. Common questions I hear from newbies in relation to blogging: * How can a blog really help to deliver profitable business relationships? * How can blogging generate engagement and awareness with potential clients? * How does writing a blog lead to better search engine rankings over competitors? These questions – and others – were answered recently by yours truly during an interview for the monthly HSBC Business Matters e-Newsletter, which you can read in full here. It’s also got some awesome examples of successful business blogs, too. Oh, and the answer to the blog title – How to become a blogging expert in 3 steps? Here it is: 1. Find your niche 2. Blog about it 3. Keep blogging The blog title is, of course, somewhat challenging – the term ‘expert’ is so subjective, and anybody claiming to be an ‘expert’ or ‘guru’ is (to my mind) stepping on dangerous ground. The blogosphere, rules of online SEO copywriting, and social media platforms are changing so rapidly that the only area of real, genuine and enduring expertise – for me – comes from being authentic and passionate in your blogging niche. Anything else is largely an exercise in change management online. So, grab your niche, keep blogging, and watch your personal blogging expertise grow – over time.

6 ways to write traffic-generating blogs in less than 6 minutes Writing traffic-generating blogs which capture attention, keep readership engagement, and build visitor numbers is an ongoing challenge, irrespective of how long you’ve been blogging. Keeping your blog content fresh, new, interesting, and readable is so important – it’s what delivers what your readership wants to see, post after post. Consistency, authenticity and passion are the three keys to utilise in powering a successful blog. Here are my top 6 ways to write killer blog content in less than 6 minutes:

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* Look at your last 10 blogs and draw out running themes, topic patterns, and consistent elements of what makes your blogging voice popular – and then use this tone again. Remember, readers visit your blog to hear your voice and your opinions. * Get on your Google Analytics account and look at what content your audience are visiting most often. If you have a niche or content area which keeps attracting traffic, keep giving more of the same to your audience. * Look at industry news relevant to your core services and see what’s happening. for example, I regularly check out relevant sites such as www.journalism.co.uk and www.socialmediatoday.com to find hot topics and blog content to expand upon. * Blog about events and experiences in your daily life. Give depth, insight and meaning. When you find something inspirational, exciting, or relevant, share it. This extra, personal, authentic level creates fans. * Think of your blogging as a two-way shared conversation, not a broadcast message. Check the comments and feedback given to previous posts, see if you can expand upon this audience engagement and create fresh content for them from it. * Link your blogging to your commercial imperatives, if possible. So, if you’re putting together a new Ebook or workshop, blog about it. Warm your readership up – in an informative, educational, non-selling way – to upcoming products or services.

Try it and see. Writing killer blogs, for me, largely depends upon three key factors: 1. Listening to your audience. 2. Listening to what works. 3. Listening more, more, more.

A Manifesto for Blogging Writing a Manifesto for Blogging might seem like a highly-individual blog post – and, to be fair, most of the content in this blog post was written purely for me, by me, a few years ago. To remind me why I’m blogging. However, I’ve decided to update my personal blogging Manifesto, and having been heavily influenced by the amazing work of Brian Solis here, Chris Brogan here, and Blair Enns here, it felt like sharing my Manifesto might be useful for other bloggers out there. Plus, I’m currently drafting a Blogging eBook, so the principles of successful blogging outreach are on my mind. So, here’s the previously unpublished Manifesto – my 12 Principles of Blogging: 1. We will serve our audience We will not blog in a selfish, self-obsessed, or self-important way – but, rather, we will blog to serve our valued audience. 2. We will give advice freely We will give our advice, knowledge, experience and expertise freely to those who take time to visit our blog posts. 3. We will not sell or broadcast We will not produce a ‘flog blog’ or attempt to broadcast at our readership, but will offer useful counsel at all times. 4. We will blog consistently We will provide a consistent blog – whether this is daily, weekly, fortnightly, or monthly. Consistency counts. 5. We will provide blogging inspiration We will inspire our audience to bigger and better things with every blog post we publish.

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6. We will give individuality importance We will highlight the importance of individual thinking and creativity in our blogging. 7. We will welcome audience feedback We will listen to our readership and welcome their inputs on our thoughts via blogging. 8. We will pass on what we learn We will freely share and pass on what we’re learning in our lives. 9. We will not adopt a herd mentality “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” – Mark Twain 10. We will highlight helpful resources We will consistently provide useful links to resources for our audience – see Principle 1. 11. We will write our blog fearlessly We will be fearless and brave in our blogging, to give our readership the full facts – see here. 12. We will never stop learning We will keep our minds open, learning, and sharing with our readership. When we give, we receive. Further thoughts This basic Manifesto is a stripped-down part of a wider and longer piece I’m working on – there’s enough material in it, having been delivering Blogging Outreach since 2005, to compile into a whole eBook, I suspect. But the bare bones above are a good starting point to generate further thoughts on why we blog. For me, the ‘why’ is so crucial in effective blogging. Definitions of successful blog marketing One of the crucial considerations in maintaining a winning blog presence as part of your social media strategy is that of posts. Uploading consistent blog content as part of an integrated social media strategy is vital – but not as vital as the type of blog posts you’re writing for your audience. As with everything, successful blogging demands a solid, strong and structured approach for long-term social media engagement. This extends to the types of blog posts you create, too. Give variety, vivacity and verve in your blogging. Show experience, give industry tips and niche expertise. And do it freely. For me, the five main types of blog posts are: * Informative An effective blog post always gives information, of some kind or another. This might be a comment or opinion on a topic. It might be insight based upon your area of commercial expertise. It might be ways to find useful sources for saving money or time. But, ultimately, a good blog post must contain useful information, packaged in an accessible way – like this example. * Narrative An effective blog post type could be a narrative-based one. This shares an experience, in a story-type form, taking the reader through the journey with you. They share your experience and learn valuable lessons from it. A narrative blog post can be incredibly effective in garnishing social media engagement – as this example clearly highlights. * Instructive An effective blog post type can be an instructive, or ‘How To’ blog. These are usually well-received, and well-shared, by audiences. Effective business blogging is all about opening up, sharing information, providing a

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useful consistent online resource. Let them step inside your way of delivering business. How To blog posts like this one are a must for successful blogging. * Emotive An effective blog post type can let the readers into your thoughts, feelings, opinions and emotions. Showing your human side via blogging is critically important – audiences want to connect, to empathise, to feel a part of a shared experience. Our basic human need is that of connection. Here’s a good example of an emotive blog post type which was positively received online. * Number five – it’s all about you An effective blog post should be personal, based on your unique experiences, opinions and – basically – full of your voice. Not a carbon copy of your biggest commercial competitor. Your voice, your style, your blog. I always keep it really simple: blog it as I’d say it. A good example of this type of blog post is here. 6 ways to boost your business blog to another level Writing a business blog consistently, regularly, and with authority is one of the hardest challenges in any ongoing social media campaign. I should know, I’ve been doing it since 2005, and sometimes it’s hard to keep it fresh. Business blogging can seem, at times, like an unwelcome distraction from the day-to-day priorities of managing a business, keeping the sales pipeline looking healthy, dealing with customers and clients, and the myriad of other marketing activities which need attention both online and offline. But a well-managed, well-written and well-delivered business blog can give many rewards – and not just financial. Here’s six ways to boost your business blog and take it to the next level – particularly useful if you’re struggling to keep writing effective blog content to tight deadlines alongside your other commercial imperatives. * Write about useful things One of the key features of a successful business blog is the ability of the author to provide consistently useful content. Remember that readers come back because they find the blog beneficial. It gives them something they can’t get elsewhere. Make sure you’re writing about useful things – like I did here a while ago. This remains one of my most popular blog posts. * Write in other places online Another great way to boost your business blog is to write elsewhere on other sites, and attract relevant, targeted traffic back to your blog. This increases comments, social media engagement and keeps your blog outward-looking. I wrote ‘The Seven Personality Types on Social Media’ on www.socialmediatoday.com recently. The results were staggering for my blog. * Write about annoying things One way to pull traffic back to your blog is to talk about things which annoy, upset or frustrate you – as I did here with Kwik Fit, when their shoddy mechanical service threatened my life back in 2010. I’m not advocating being contraversial for the sake of it – leave that to the bad PRs out there. Voicing your opinions on your blog is essential, to give your audience the real you. * Write about your experiences One of my favourite ways to keep a business blog fresh is to write about life experiences – as I did here recently. It engages an audience, gives them an accurate flavour of what it means to be in the author’s shoes, and helps deliver a valuable story to them. Remember, a good business blog should also pass on wisdom, humour and expertise. Your experiences can provide this. * Write about people you admire Or – even better – let them do the writing for you. Guest blogs like this one are a great way of building positive business relationships, giving your audience a different kind of insight, and allowing a trusted

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business contact to get in front of your valued blog audience. Everybody wins. This kind of reciprocity is what good blogging is all about. * Write about your customers A brilliant way of ensuring your business blog is staying fresh, vibrant and interesting is to write about your customers – or to let them write about working with you. Either way, it gives a huge amount of useful information to your readership. Take this part of the Bristol Editor site, for example: packed with positive client testimonials from social media consultancy. Pure gold.

How to stop your blog looking like a horror story Creating and maintaining an effective business blog is hard work – and don’t let anybody tell you any different. A successful blog, over time, creates an online legacy of Google-friendly content, attracts and retains readership, converts visitors into raving fans, and allows a business to nurture thought-leadership via credible content marketing methods. It also creates empathy, trust, and builds sales. But, some business blogs look like a horror story. Take The Exorcist, perhaps the most famous horror movie of all time, and inspired by true events. Sure, people have been talking about it since it’s release in 1973, but your business blog needs to inspire readers and generate new commercial opportunities, not repulse your audience on a mass level. Here’s a few reasons why a horror story approach for a business blog doesn’t work as an element of successful, long-term social media engagement: * Bells & Whistles, not Bravery The Exorcist had truly incredible special effects – or bells & whistles, for want of a better phrase. We were all fooled and horrified at the same time. But a good business blog needs to be brave. It needs to be transparent, easy to read, clear, and totally open. * Folklore, not Facts The Exorcist was a movie full of folklore, superstition, and demonic hearsay. We were taken in by it all, because it was so utterly, convincingly, and thoroughly well-presented to us. But a good business blog needs to be Fact-laden, with compelling debate. * Style, Not Substance The Exorcist was an incredible horror movie for its style, that’s undeniable, but movie-goers didn’t walk out of the cinema impressed by its substance. We were moved, and not positively. But a good business blog is packed with great substance. Happy Ending? So, ask yourself a brutal and horrific question – is your blog a horror story or an inspiring piece of social media content?

Why an effective blog can – and should – deliver cash in the bank Effective blogging delivers a number of different returns on the investment given, and over different time periods. Today, I was reminded of one of the simplest facts of truly consistent blogging – it delivers cash in the bank. Simple as that. In the past, I’ve talked about some of the more subtle, longer-term benefits of maintaining a well-written, professional, informed and educational blog as a lynchpin within an overall content marketing strategy.

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These benefits should include: * Thought leadership By consistently getting your thoughts, unique ways of delivering in business, brilliant ideas and concepts in your commercial sector out there via your own blog, you’re paving the way to effective thought-leadership in your marketplace. * Google Juice By utilising the power of Natural Search, integrating keywords and popular search terms into your blogging content, your blog can be a powerful part of dominating your commercial niche online. Google ‘proven social media consultant’ now and see what you find at No.1. * Relationship-based marketing A truly effective blog with a legacy of content helps to introduce you to new clients. I often find that by the time a potential client gets in front of me, they already know what to expect, having been through my blog. A good blog oils good business. There is another return which is not talked about too often, but consistent blogging can – and should – deliver it. And it is? Cash. Cold, hard, cash straight into the bank. Or are you just blogging as a personal hobby? Thought not. Me neither. * Blogging for cash benefits I had an example today, which really got me thinking about the cash ROI of social media engagement. A digital marketing agency in Bristol met me recently, having been perusing my extensive blog – I say extensive, as I’ve been blogging for myself and clients since 2005. Which, on paper, makes me the longest-established business blogger in Bristol. That’s not an accolade I parade around, as I’m a firm believer in the fact that you’re only as good as the quality of the last paying client testimonial. However, this digital marketing agency had checked and liked the blog. They called me in for an informal meeting, liking what they saw and heard in person. Why? Because it was consistent with what they had read on the blog. From that meeting, we’ve confirmed the following project work: * Delivering social media content for the agency itself * Workshops and training for the internal agency staff * Preparing a social media services offer for the agency * Assisting with social media proposals to their client base * Advising on client projects, such as SEO copywriting * The potential to get the agency into bigger client doors The immediate cash-based ROI of the blog, as confirmed today with a significant additional SEO copywriting project over-and-above the existing agreed consultancy, means that my blog has delivered a return of nearly £6K from that one agency alone. From simply writing consistent, positive, useful and professional blog content regularly. Is your blogging consistent? Is it delivering a number of returns to you? Or are you still writing a ‘flog blog’ and failing to secure trust, attention and sales?

Does your blog open doors or close minds? A well-written, informative and engaging business blog opens doors – fact. A sales-focused, broadcasting and one-dimensional business blog closes minds – fact.

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But how, you might ask, can I make such statements as facts? Simple – based on my own experience of blogging since 2005 for myself and clients across the UK. I’ve seen my own business blog opening doors consistently as a marketing tool for years now. I’ve been in the fortunate position of seeing the ground-breaking business blogs which hit our shores way back in 2002, giving an early-adopter insight into truly effective blogging. Back then, it was becoming common practice already for CEOs and Marketing Directors in the States to write the blog posts, with nominal editing by the corporate communications and legal teams in-house. The really savvy corporate bloggers across The Pond made a point, in fact, of ensuring that the blog content was as original, authentic and ‘real’ as possible, to ensure readership engagement and build a fan base. And it worked, too. In the UK, business blogging has been a more reserved affair, and there is still a large percentage of corporate bods trying to instill a safe, sterile, anodyne style of business blogging in certain sectors. Nothing new, nothing original – nothing interesting. I always ask my clients to think of one thing before they draft a blog post – why should their audience visit, engage and keep reading. If this basic requirement is not being met, and the blog is a poorly-veiled piece of PR fluff, why would a reader engage with it, let alone pass it on through their networks? Obviously, there is no motivation to do so. But some of the British business bloggers still don’t get it. Please, please, please don’t become one of them. Forge your own blogging trail: be brave, engage, and open up. The simple truth of effective business blogging is this: when you open up on your blog and get real – doors open for you, too.

3 tips to building a successful blog – the easy way It’s a common problem, and it goes something like this: How many times have you heard the following lines – “I’ve set up my blog, but nobody’s reading it” “My blog doesn’t appear on Google” “My blog isn’t getting any comments” On further inspection, the reasons for the above statement are usually because of one or all of the following: The blogger is only posting new content once a month or less. The blogger isn’t using SEO keywords regularly. The blogger isn’t promoting the blog. What can you do if your blog is in the same position, or heading that way? Here’s a few simple tips to try: 1. Post content regularly

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Once a month, six times a year, the odd time when you feel like it…all of these options will get your blog zero attention. It’s like going to a WHSmiths for your favourite magazine, only to find it’s not been stocked this month. You wouldn’t go back again. Or like going to see your favourite TV programme, only to see the series isn’t being screened on that channel anymore. You wouldn’t revisit it. To be honest, I’d be reading the online version of it anyway, but that’s just me. Blogging is the same – post regular, consistent content to keep your audience engaged, and knowing what, where and when they can expect to get more of the same. 2. Use search engines creatively Think about it – if you want to attract new readers or potential clients to your blog, chances are – unless you’ve been recommended by someone, or you’ve got a number of marketing channels in place – people may well find you via a search engine. And for that, you need to use keywords creatively to grab the top slots. Here’s what I mean: if you type ‘proven social media consultant’ into Google, you get this on page 1. Bristol Editor tops the organic natural search rankings. And for a good reason: it’s a key phrase for me, and I want to ensure any browsing potential clients who come across it click through and get engaged with my blog and free articles. They’ll get a great flavour of the services offered. I also know – conclusively – this has brought me clients. 3. Get social If your blog isn’t being talked about, or visited, or read, or gaining comments – get social! Facebook and Twitter and the main tools for my blog to get more attention, audience and comments. Twitter, in fact, provides 30% of ALL traffic to my blog. And it’s simple – part of my daily tweet schedule always, without fail, contains one tweet linking back to the blog, a useful post, a helpful article – something which will add value to the visitor. Think helpful, give advice, be a source of information – if you go into selling mode, watch the backlash.

Become a better blogger in 93 seconds OK, so you’re blogging away, producing content regularly and starting to enjoy the writing process. Visitor numbers are rising, albeit slowly, and you’re starting to deliver useful content. But something isn’t quite right, something doesn’t add up. There’s still a stilted edge about your blogging, something mechanical and clunky. Want to know what it is? It’s probably due to my Number One of these quick six tips to better business blogging. If it resonates, you know you’ve got some changing to do. Nothing worse than that niggling internal voice telling you to change what you’re doing. Here goes: 1. Be authentic Lose the corporate, parental, unemotional writing style. It’s dull, boring and your readers won’t engage. Try dropping your barriers and opening up. Write with passion, authenticity. Listen to yourself. 2. Be confident There’s nothing worse than a safe, anodyne, sterile blog. Open up, be confident in your knowledge and expertise. Now share it! 3. Be challenging Do you accept everything you see, read or hear? No? Thought not. So challenge what you see, hear and read out there, too. And highlight your challenging nature in your blog. Ask questions to make your readers stop and think. You can challenge anything. 4. Be humble Not sure what this means? For me, it means there will always be better, smarter, faster, richer people blogging out there. And I am grateful that they share their mistakes, so I don’t have to make the same ones. Be humble for the wise old coots who exist.

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5. Be funny Nothing worse than a corporate blog which is totally devoid of humour. Boardroom bores. The antidote? Try humour, flex your funny bone, and engage with some witty banter online. Lightness, fun, and frivolity can get powerful messages across very well. 6. Be passionate Are you passionate about your areas of expertise? Yes? Well, why hide it? Too many business blogs are devoid of passion. With so much competition out there, one of the best ways to stand out is to demonstrate your passion. Get emotional. Fight your corner.

Forgotten why you’re blogging? Have you forgotten why you’re blogging? I’ve long been an advocate of the power of blogging, but when you’re posting three times a week – or even trying to muster up something original once a week – it can be hard to consistently create compelling content for your blog posts. We all have ‘off’ days, times when the creative juices aren’t flowing. Sometimes finding different, interesting and useful content to share on a blog proves tricky. With that in mind, here are 10 ways to consistently create great blog content, and also to refresh the reasons why you’re blogging: 1. Re-visit your blogging legacy Have a look through your previous posts – are there any blogs you can add a second part to, an update, additional content? 2. Read through the last 24 hours Home feed on your Twitter account Reviewing the last day on your Twitter Home feed usually delivers a few good blog ideas or content themes to explore. 3. What are you doing at the moment – share the love Discuss things you’re working on at the moment: projects, new client work, challenges, success, lessons learnt. Add value. 4. Check the blogosphere Look at what bloggers are posting and expand their debates – this is a great way to further link into the blog community, too. 5. Become a source of exclusive information Are you a thought-leader in your commercial space? No? Become one. Add exclusive content in your area of expertise. 6. Ask for help Speak to your clients, colleagues and trusted network associates what interest them. Ask for their help in creating content. 7. Do market research Get online and see what your competitors are talking about. Then write something better on the same subject. Add insight. 8. Get passionate If you have strong beliefs or proven methods around a commercial subject, share it. Share your passion. Readers love this. 9. Remain teachable Ask your readers what they want to see. Start a survey, ask your audience what they value. Create statistical value.

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10. Start with the end in mind Remember why you’re blogging – think back to your earliest blog posts and recall what sparked you to start blogging. Share it.

Top 10 questions to ask yourself before blogging Many have been advocating blogging over the last 18 months – since they realised it was something they had to propose, whilst not necessarily understanding the real deal with setting up a blog – and although it is encouraging to see members of the UK editorial community seeming to embrace the blogosphere, take note. Before you embark upon setting up a blog, or are advised by your hip, trendy and oooh sooo absolutely fabulous tweeting PR contacts to set up an editorial blog to drive traffic to you online and increase journalistic commissions, consider these Top 10 Questions: 1. Do you have a blogging strategy in place, and does it align itself with your overall Comms plan for the year? 2. Who will update the blog content if you can’t? 3. Who will monitor the stats, trackbacks and site reports? 4. Are you comfortable with being challenged by other bloggers? 5. Do you actually have something to say, on an ongoing basis? 6. Does blogging align itself with the services and products you offer? 7. Have you checked out competitors’ blogs and researched? 8. Why do you want to blog – are there a specific set of reasons, other than you think you should? 9. Are you able to integrate blogging with other activities such as tweeting? 10. Which platform are you using and who will organise the technical elements for you? If you can answer the above with clarity, confidence and consistency, it’s likely that blogging will be an excellent addition to your Comms mix, particularly when we journos need all the differentiators and original content we can get in struggling newsrooms.

Blogging content takes a beating Well, according to this it does. Statistics from the Guardian’s Charles Arthur highlight that the mass consumer is migrating with incredible proliferation to tweeting and Facebook status updates, rather than spending time writing and posting blogs: Arthur goes to suggest that time is a factor. As always, most people will take the easiest, least-effort path to content creation. But, the argument for blogging – certainly in terms of marketing strong content and attracting potential customers, media readers and building loyalty with existing clients – all form a powerful case for the continued influence of blogging. After all, despite the fact that – according to the New York Times – 95% of all blogs are being abandoned for quicker forms of content provision and distribution, it is still very much the case that despite the billions of blogs out there which have died and been forgotten since the blogosphere really took off in 2004, blogs are

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still read and given significant attention. If the content is good. A blog selling stuff soon fades, but a blog giving advice, hints, tips and insight stands the rigours of Twitter and the like. More importantly, for me, although tweeting and linking on facebook gives a snapshot, a brief indicator of attitude, business ethics and other micro-indicators, the true test of endurance will come from a sustained, thoughtful, insightful blog site.

Why social media success is about quality not quantity Defining social media success, for some, is all about playing the numbers game. For some, it’s down to meaningful social media engagement. For others, it’s about quantity and quality in equal measure. But, whichever way you measure your social media success, one thing is clear – as in business in general, the relationship-building has to come first. Quantity can rarely be sustained into long-term, profitable social media engagement without first giving quality. This, it seems, is an ongoing struggle for some. For me, successful social media engagement is focused on quality first. What do I mean by this, and why is it important for your social media engagement? Well, consider the following: Is it better to have 1,000 highly-engaged, motivated, re-tweeting followers on Twitter, or 10,000 followers who barely notice your tweets, least of all re-tweet and share your social media content on a regular basis? No brainer, really. Or – to take the example to another social media platform – which Facebook profile are you more likely to share social media content from: the one constantly posting meaningless, random and generic ‘inspirational’ quotes, or the one posting selective, personal, meaningful hyperlinks and photos? Another no brainer. In the current frenetic climate online of ‘Like Me, Follow Me, Share Me‘ it’s still crucially important to build the relationship before asking anything of your social media network. You have to give before you can ask for anything. Why? Because it’s social media engagement, not direct selling online. My top tips to seeing social media success with quality not quantity are: * Like attracts like Remember that your social media contacts all have their own networks, many of which could be beneficial to you. Try tapping into the key influencers within your social media networks, and switch them on with quality content. It will be liked, followed and shared by the simple fact that good social media content is worthy of spreading. * Deliver quality deeply Remember that it’s better to network small and deep than wide and diluted for the best results via social media engagement. What does this mean? Try networking and engaging with a smaller, committed group of social media contacts and watch the positive results. Going for a quantity approach might look impressive, but it’s unlikely to deliver a quality ROI over time. * Quality costs quantatively Remember that quality costs – and it’s always at a premium. How does this relate to social media engagement? Simple, really. To deliver a quality message, you need to invest quantatively – this means

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investing in creating, researching, and sharing the very best to your audience. If you feed your followers with the best, you increase the odds of a quality ROI on social media marketing. What’s your definition of quality? This is an important point to remember. If your idea of quality social media engagement is to push broadcasting selling messages at your audience, you can expect them to vote with their mouses and click elsewhere.

Social media strategy – professional interest vs. emotional engagement Defining successful social media strategy is a hard objective – and it depends largely on what the definition of ‘successful’ is in the first place. For a large corporate organisation, for example, successful social media strategy might be centred around delivering social media content of professional interest to a highly-targeted audience of potential customers. For an individual, however, a successful social media strategy might be less well-defined and commercially-based, and more centred around providing emotional engagement via social media platforms highlighting their likes and dislikes across the Web. I’d suggest that a well-rounded social media strategy should incorporate professional interest and emotional engagement, not one or the other. Yes, it’s about business, but social media marketing should also be…well…social. My top tips for incorporating professional interest and emotional engagement into your social media strategy are: * Remember your pitch Let’s be honest, everybody has a pitch on social media. Whether it’s a corporate or an individual, promotion of self, products and services is an essential force behind social media engagement. The trick is to add value for your audience whilst still promoting. * Revisit your passions The plethora of sterile, anodyne social media content out there is staggering. But, unsurprisingly, nobody’s really taking note of it. Make sure you revisit your personal passions, the things which get you excited, and make you interesting to engage with online. * Review your profession If you’re using social media engagement to promote yourself, think about reviewing your profession, so you can clearly, consistently and cleverly also promote your expertise, knowledge and unique experience across social media platforms, too. * Revitalise your purpose We all get off days – days where we’d rather not be online, not be writing a blog or a tweet, or sharing ourselves online. Time to revitalise your purpose for utilising social media engagement at these times. Remember – your voice does count out there. * Renew your personality We all get lost at times online – the multiple influences being thrown at us, the demands made, the ‘like me, like me’ culture can be draining. It’s important to renew your unique personality, and to do so regularly. I find life offline always benefits my online life. * Relay your professionalism Just because communicating on social media might seem instant, easy, and without repercussions, it’s not an excuse to let your personal and professional standards slip. We all make mistakes. But making them online tends to leave a mark for a long time.

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Professional and personal The social media superstars I respect and admire mix and blend professional and personal – perfectly. Pure balance, precisely put.

Why social media marketing needs thought before action Effective social media marketing is something I spend a lot of time discussing with my clients and potential clients in Bristol, London, Bath and across the UK. Working out social media campaigns which deliver results demands an investment of time, effort and energy. As with any marketing activity, social media marketing needs planning, preparation and purpose to be worthwhile. Asking questions comes easily to me – maybe that’s due, in part, to the decade I spent in newspaper and magazine newsrooms before getting engaged with social media consultancy and blogging outreach in 2005. The starting point for effective social media marketing should also be based on careful thinking and selective questioning. Here are six typical questions I ask clients when helping them to define what their social media strategy might be: * Why are you looking to undertake social media engagement? * What are your competitors doing on social media platforms? * How are you looking to connect with customers online? * Where are your ideal customers hanging out on social media? * When did social media become important to your marketing mix? * Who will deliver your social media engagement every day? These questions alone can go a long way to helping a business start to shape and define where, why and when they should be engaging online with potential clients and customers via social media platforms. The temptation of many businesses and individuals is to jump straight onto Twitter, Facebook, or to bang out a blog, without actually thinking first about who, why and when they want to engage with. The thought must come before the action online. Some consultancies offer a social media audit before engaging with new clients – I’d agree with this, unless the potential client already has an effective in-house marketing team, which has developed a thorough, well-rounded social media strategy. Often, a helping hand is needed. My main thrust with this blog post is – if you’re not thinking before engaging on social media platforms, how can it be anything other than simply adding to the white noise online? Is it worth wasting your time? Thinking first could make all the difference.

How to find your social media mojo Finding one’s social media mojo might sound like an impossible quest to some – to others, it’s with them all the time, and can be seen throughout their writing, blogs, tweets, and the mass of effective social media engagement they deliver. Day in, day out. Week in, week out. Social media mojo is not something many folk consider. Many are more concerned with simply being present online, with being seen and heard. But finding, developing, and consistently delivering your own brand of unique social media content (I’m calling it ‘mojo’ here) is an essential part of social media engagement. Here’s my top tips on finding and maintaining your mojo on social media:

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* Reality more than fantasy This is probably – for me – the most important element to delivering effective social media engagement whilst also allowing your growing audience into your world. Without a reality-based approach to your social media content, how can you hope to build meaningful, worthwhile and potentially-profitable connections on social media platforms? Keeping it real means, essentially, the following: sharing experiences, giving great examples of what works well within your expertise, helping others, dropping the ego. * Listening more than talking Another important factor in developing outstanding social media mojo is the ability to listen more than you talk. There are many, many businesses and individuals broadcasting for all they’re worth online. We’re not listening to them. The best way to create killer social media mojo is to listen, then give your audience what they want. The most valuable – and least used – of all communication skills. I’m always attracted to open, engaged, committed listeners on social media platforms – are you? * Sharing more that taking One of my favourite ways to maintain and increase my social media mojo is to give more than I take. What do I mean by this? Well, I give articles on various social media platforms for free, share knowledge and expertise through my blog, highlight best-practice on social media engagement by answering questions and queries emailed to me. Obviously, sharing turns into something else completely with a paying client on a consultancy basis, but try sharing yourself first. How are you finding your social media mojo? Do you know where to look for it? Are you able to share it freely on social media?

6 definitions of successful social media engagement Defining successful social media engagement can be incredibly difficult. We all want to see some kind of return on our time, energy and efforts online, although many of us have different definitions of what constitutes a beneficial result from social media marketing. For me, there are six key definitions of successful social media engagement – all are affordable, achievable and available. Seeing as the best social media marketing is experiential, I’m going to highlight the six definitions from real-life, recent examples to demonstrate how, why, and where successful social media engagement can occur: * Financial The first – and for some, most important – definition of success on social media is a financial return on their social media marketing. I’d agree, but it needs to be recognised that all marketing takes a relevant and appropriate investment to see a healthy financial return. I worked with a digital marketing agency outside Birmingham a couple of years ago, delivering them a financial return of £250,000 in social media services sales through their corporate client base in 12 weeks. An excellent financial ROI. * Emotional The second definition of successful social media engagement is more intangible. A positive emotional return on social media marketing activities can be delivered over time, providing you give, give, give. Positive audience comments, sharing, liking, passing it on. This article I posted on www.socialmediatoday.com in October was retweeted more than 1,000 times within three days of going live. The emotional return on that piece of social media engagement, for me, was hugely rewarding. * Literal The third definition centres upon pure experience – on what is seen to be delivered through social media marketing. I was talking to a long-standing client today, and we discussed a 25% increase in the number of followers of their company’s Facebook page within a week. This literal return of investment on social media, for them, was a big bonus and gave them a literal ROI. Plus, of course, I was really pleased to see one of my clients getting yet another positive result from social media engagement. * Measurable

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The fourth definition of social media success is one usually grabbed by the marketing departments handling social media activities: the ability to measure everything. I had an example at the start of the week which fits here: a Facebook contact recommended me to a contact. Details passed on, phone conversation ensued, high likelihood of transactional business to follow very soon. My ability to directly measure this social media ROI makes, for me, social media marketing incredibly powerful. * Repeatable The fifth definition of social media marketing in positive action focuses upon the ability online to repeat successful marketing techniques and tools to deliver a brilliant return. This, in essence, is the sticking point for many with social media – it takes time, effort, consistency and dogged determination at times. A good blog, for example, needs to be maintained, nurtured and updated with fresh social media content regularly. Minimum once per week – not three new posts in one month, then nothing for six. * Enjoyable The final definition of social media success is the ability to actually enjoy it. This is an intangible, but I’d say it is incredibly important. Let’s face it, social media engagement – well, when it works well at least – is a personal, open, transparent experience, and should be an enjoyable part of the marketing mix. Forget the sterile, anodyne, broadcasting approach. By giving expertise, insight and experience via social media engagement, you also open yourself up to define your own offer effectively. So – what’s your definition of successful social media engagement? If it’s only Number One as listed above, you might need a rapid re-think.

What’s the recipe for social media success? Social media success is a relative term, and it means different things to different people. But, we all want it – at least, in a way which is relative to our own requirements, needs and commercial imperatives. For some people, like a chap I spoke to recently, social media success for him was seeing a tenfold financial ROI on social media engagement. Have to admit, I think he’s going to find social media engagement a disappointment on that single basis. For others, like my typical client, social media success is about more subtle – but equally important – metrics to define success online. A natural by-product of successful social media engagement should also be a financial return over time, of course. So, what’s the recipe for social media success? It’s a simple dish, best served with passion, I’d say. My ingredients are not difficult to add into your social media mix. They are: * Little and often Effective social media engagement is very much like trying your favourite food: it’s most enjoyable when tried little and often. Give your audience regular titbits, useful content, interesting links to information – and be consistent with it. Don’t dump a six-course-meal equivalent on them, then disappear for a week or two. Social media success needs little and often to build trust. * Tasty treats Effective social media engagement is very much like your treat meal, too: it should be an absolute savoury delight, filled with the best ingredients, prepared with care, attention to detail, and a loving touch. If you feed your audience garbage, they’ll soon leave your social media platforms for more flavour-some spaces online. Social media success needs to be full of tasty treats for them. * The vital ingredient – you Effective social media engagement needs one vital ingredient – you. Many businesses and individuals forget to add their uniqueness into the social media mix, resulting in a poor end recipe for their audiences. Give them the full-fat you, not a diluted, weakened version. Passion is the flavour of the day, and don’t scrimp on the servings for delicious social media success.

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Six uncomfortable truths about social media Whether social media is brand spanking new to you, or Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogging and the myriad of social media platforms have been a part of your overall marketing mix for months, you’re going to come up against some uncomfortable truths online. These pain barriers will try, test, challenge, and generally cause discomfort on some level at some time. But there is hope. Here are six uncomfortable truths about social media – and how to deal with them as and when you’re finding life online tough: * Social media engagement takes time Despite the myths out there, social media is not a magic bullet. As with any marketing channel, it takes time to develop positive profiles, meaningful audience engagement, and drive relevant traffic back to the destinations required. The world of social media engagement is best delivered over a consistent, relationship-building-based and measurable period of time. * Social media is not an easy freebie Whilst some of the high-profile social media platforms are free, your time in making the right impression there certainly is not. As with any marketing activity, delivering social media content takes time. Social media marketing is not free – there is always a cost of some kind. Approaching social media as a sustained, monitored and serious part of your marketing is always best. * Social media is not direct marketing Although there are a few sporadic examples of social media being used to drive direct marketing-based techniques, the most successful companies and individuals online are not engaging in direct marketing or selling tactics on social media platforms. Broadcasting on social media sites is the quickest way to switch people off. When they’re gone, they usually stay gone, too. * Social media will be uncomfortable Although social media engagement has become one of the most popular forms of online marketing in the last few years, it’s also extremely uncomfortable at times. You’re going to come across people you don’t like. It’s inevitable. Fall-outs will happen. Arguments and spats will happen. I should know, I’ve had a few. Make mistakes, but remember to learn from them. Quickly. * Social media means listening more The concept of utilising social media as a listening-based marketing channel is new information to some. The best social media marketers advocate listening first and engaging second. By listening to your target audience online, you increase the chances of gaining and (crucially) keeping their attention. We all want to have our say, but sometimes nobody wants to listen. That’s life. * Social media is not for everyone Because of extreme accessibility, social media engagement might seem like the ideal marketing tool for everybody. Not so. There are many, many companies delivering the same old, sterile, broadcasting, corporate speak on social as they do on their other marketing channels. Sometimes, hiring in a social media consultant is highly advisable. What’s the cost of a lost customer? Next steps forward? Have you discovered an uncomfortable truth about social media? Is it a struggle on a daily basis? Does it seem pointless? I’ve found that social media engagement works best when the right attitude is brought to it. Open, inclusive, listening and giving. Now that’s a tough call at times, but the rewards can be truly amazing. Social media need not be terminally uncomfortable. If it is, try asking why.

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Social media engagement vs. online bombardment An interesting point around effective social media engagement was raised during a client meeting today, which I thought was worth sharing – mainly as so many businesses still aren’t giving good social media content. Too many Brands and businesses are shouting, selling and spamming on social media platforms – the habit of broadcasting is proving hard to break. Even on social media sites – where it is not required, requested or reasonable. As confirmed by this story a few days ago, when a poll highlighted that 61% of the UK online users claimed they don’t engage with big brands on places such as Facebook, due to online bombardment of selling messages by the firms. A few in-house social media managers at corporations across the world really need to take note, it appears. Back to today’s client meeting – and the question of social media engagement came up – and what constitutes good practice versus online bombardment. My response was essentially in three parts: * Effective social media engagement is always relative By this, I explained to the client that what one business considers to be effective social media engagement through regular content distribution, another company might consider it to be too much, or bombardment online. In terms of your social media engagement, consider this simple question – are you positively raising your profile and providing useful content to your audience? * Online bombardment is not social media engagement I also explained to my client that for some businesses, providing sales-based social media content is, as far as they are concerned, delivering great value online. It’s not, of course. It’s tantamount to online bombardment, and it switches people off, as the article above clearly highlights. One of the issues with spamming audiences online also raises a simple question: can you ever regain their attention once they’ve disengaged from you? Unlikely. * Social media engagement is always a two-way exercise The final part of the answer to my client centred around one simple truth: effective social media engagement is always a two-way conversation. You can’t engage your audience by talking AT them, they need to be heard by you, too. Once this happens, valuable information can be gleaned for marketing purposes – client buying preferences, services to develop, products to promote – the list is virtually endless. By definition… I really like the definition of social media engagement by American social media pundit Jason Falls here from a blog post of his written back in 2010 at Social Media Examiner: Did you get something from your audience that can make your business better? Jason goes on to add: “That can mean profits. You sold stuff = Successful engagement. That can mean ideas. You got feedback on your product or service you can use = Successful engagement. That can mean referrals and recommendations. You got customers to tell other people you’re cool = Successful engagement. That can mean digital merit badges. You got people to link to you, follow you, Re-Tweet you = Successful engagement.” To my mind, you’re either engaging or bombarding online. And only you know which one you’re delivering on social.

Social media strategy – are you professional or Pinocchio?

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Social media strategy – particularly when delivering content on social media platforms and profiles – might seem like a tricky subject. So much competition. So much online noise. So many choices for potential customers. How do you gain attention, and the right kind of attention, at that? Simple answer. Tell the truth. Deliver from the heart. Be professional, not a social Pinocchio. Why Pinocchio, you might ask? I’ve seen a couple of Facebook profiles this afternoon, with titles such as ‘best-selling author’ being touted about. Further investigation reveals that these ‘best-selling authors’ are, in fact, not at all. Massive porkies on social media platforms. And, of course, any potential customers of theirs doing a bit of digging deep online will also uncover these social Pinocchios. Let’s face it, the chances of transactional business taking place is very slim indeed. Heck, I wouldn’t even engage, full-stop. Or, there is the other – and infinitely more preferable – approach. Simply be professional. What does being professional mean on social media platforms? For me, it includes: * Being clear * Being consistent * Being honest For example, I now and then mention setting up the UK’s first fully-managed blogging service in 2005. And I can prove it. I don’t make claims or false statements about my experience, expertise and professional background. Why not? It’s just not worth it. It’s not attractive. It’s not going to win hearts, minds, or (crucially) new business. So, the next time you see a competitor making bold claims and statements on social media platforms, my best advice is this: leave them to it. Follow your own commercial path. Deliver with integrity and honesty, and keep being professional. If you want to win business from social media engagement, it’s straightforward: be yourself, be honest, be real. Social media platforms are amazing for observing Pinocchios of various guises. Don’t become one of them.

The 7 Personality Types on social media So, as the force that is social media drives onwards and upwards, more and more newbies are entering the online foray that is Facebook, Twitter, personal blogging and the myriad of other social spaces available for us to live, work, and play on. And with it, they bring their personalities into the social media spectrum, too. The good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s important to understand the different personalities at work on social media platforms – so you can better understand how to connect, engage and build relationships with them. Or, on occasions, how to avoid the difficult and negative types out there. These personality types can be found hanging out on pretty much all social media platforms – and for truly effective social media engagement, you’ll need to be able to spot them. Quickly.

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Nobody wants to spend time engaging with a personality type on Facebook, for example, to find they are actually not beneficial, positive, genuine, open, honest and useful for forging a decent, long-term social media-based relationship. So, and in no particular order, the seven main personality types are: * The Sponge This personality type is to found all over social media platforms, and they are worth connecting with. Like a sponge, they soak up content and pass it on. Constantly looking for more information, they take on huge amounts of useful, interesting and cool content – and then spread it as they go along their social journey. Brilliant folk. * The Drain This personality type is unfortunately out there, too. They suck up the good stuff, then regurgitate it. But not positively. Hyper-critical, negative, draining and rarely with anything original, constructive, or complimentary to add to the social debate, they are to be monitored. You can’t avoid them, but you can minimise their draining influence on your valuable social media network. * The Guru They’re everywhere, it seems. Contaminating Facebook, Twitter, blogging nonstop, and actually saying…nothing. Nothing useful, beneficial, just broadcasting and spouting. You’ve seen them, you know the type. And you must, must, must avoid them. The self-proclaimed Gurus will move on, and in 12 months be experts at something else. Grasshoppers in Business and Life. * The All-rounder These are one of my favourite social media personalities to be around. Smart, sharp, intuitive, sassy and direct. They observe, add value, and are nice people all-round. They give, share, contribute, and clearly love to be in the middle of the positive social conversations. These types are also excellent networkers offline, too, so find them, nurture them and stick with the winners. * The Chameleon This personality type are tricky, because they don’t actually have a personality to show on social media. They fit into whatever conversation at the time, and agree, agree, agree. You’ll never find them being questioning, or starting a debate – they are too concerned with everybody liking them to actually engage in a meaningful way. Watch the Chameleon, they’ll drag you down. * The Observer This personality type sees social media as a threat and an opportunity. They observe, but don’t engage. They listen, note, but never contribute. Then they’ll often take the best content and use it elsewhere as a part of their service offer. This personality type regards the open, genuine sharing of ideas and concepts on social media a waste of valuable selling time. Beware! * The Maverick This is another of my favourite social media personality types. Highly creative, witty, intelligent, alternative, they take a non-conformist approach and speak their own mind – always. Not one of the herd, the maverick will be in the middle of it all, sparking debate, making connections, and sharing great content. Don’t try to keep up with them, just enjoy their ride. So – which type are you?

Social media success – stop shouting, I can’t hear you One of the most irritating and pointless things to do on social media platforms, as we know, is to turn up to the online party and broadcast. Me, me, me. It’s just so awful to see traditional marketing methods employed poorly on social media and blogs. But there’s still so much of it going on. The endless broadcasts, sales pitches and one-way conversations which have nothing to do with effective social media engagement. I usually ask one simple question: why?

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* Why would broadcasting at a social audience be effective, on any level? * Why would shouting the same messages actually have an impact? * Why are these marketers/individuals scared of real social media engagement? I’m hoping that you think carefully before posting, blogging and tweeting. Your audience are making judgements with each and every piece of social media content you upload, trust me. You need to make sure they’re thinking favourable things about your products, services and business in general. It seems like common sense when laid out in this straightforward way, but I’m sure you’ve seen a distinct lack of it at times online. And, unfortunately, you’re going to see more of it, too. They can’t help themselves. The lack of some to engage with heart, soul, meaning, and depth on social media platforms will probably always be an unfortunate element of what it means to utilise social media marketing. You need to sort the wheat from the chaff. How can you avoid shouting? What does it take to be really, truly, profitably heard on social media sites? My top tips are: * Listen first * Give, give, give * Forget the sale * Listen some more * Make it meaningful * Social not shouting Having seen a mass of shouting, broadcasting and similar direct/traditional/old-school marketing taking place on social, you have an incredible opportunity to rise above your competition and shine on social. And you can start now – right now. Try turning up to the social party and listening, engaging, giving and see what comes back in time. Forget the shouting, let others do it and fail. The shouters are usually the ones with the least to say, the smallest budgets, and the most insincere business relationships to offer, too. Finally, remember to keep asking yourself that simple question, before you post any social media content. Why.

Have you got social media tourettes? Have you got Social Media Tourettes? Interesting phrase – social media tourettes – but there’s alot of it out there. Social media tourettes is, in essence, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time on the wrong social media platform. A few examples I’ve witnessed recently include: * Barrages of selling-based, non-permission-centred postings on Facebook Wall areas. * Automatic inclusions on Twitter lists, again, without permission being gained first. * Trolling on my blog – as discussed and dissected here by myself recently.

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Remember this: social media is not the place to indiscriminately sell, harrass, or aggressively bombard contacts and potential connections with spam or selling. Seems like such an obvious point to make, but the broadcasters just don’t get it. Social media tourettes is easy to spot, and if you’re attempting it – stop and consider the impact on a short, medium and long-term basis for your online reputation. And ask yourself one simple question: are you afraid of relationship-based marketing? The power of word-of-mouth referrals and genuine connection-based business is so powerful yet simple. The sellers and spammers are, of course, masters in social media tourettes. But we can spot it a mile off. It looks cheap, tacky. Embrace genuine, real, engaged, and authentic connections on social media platforms. Give knowledge, advice and assistance. Then watch the return come, over time – without you even realising it. Or, remain stuck in social media tourettes, and battle on.

How to win with effective content marketing Using effective content marketing might not be at the top of your priority list for marketing your business right now. But it should be – and here’s why. Content marketing, particularly when utilised within your online marketing, social media content and blogging outreach, can deliver the most powerful, measurable, profitable part of your marketing strategy. Think about it. Here are three simple ways to ensure your content marketing in Bristol is effective, engaging, and sparks attention from your target audience. 1. Using the same content on different platforms is highly profitable. If you consider that the foundation of your content marketing needs to be your blog, all content marketing should start here. A typical timeline for effective content marketing could go something like this: * Blog content posted containing SEO Google Juice * Blog content tweaked and tweeted with hot hashtags * Twitter content edited and posted on Facebook Page * Facebook content amended and issued onto Stumbleupon * Content extended as thought-leadership piece for trade sites * Edited with news angle for online PR and Newswires One piece of content, multiple uses. Highly profitable and engaging many different audiences across multiple platforms. To be fair, I’ve been advocating this kind of content marketing for some time now. Is it still as relevant today? Even more so. 2. Using content marketing to build, trust, relationships – and sales. I don’t use any of the following marketing methods: * direct marketing * print advertising * pitching & proposal writing

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Instead, my foundation of all potential client relationships starts with the blog. From this, potential clients can experience first-hand the kind of social media consultancy, blogging expertise and no-nonsense inputs they could engage with. This enables the natural build up of rapport, trust and a genuine, transparent, open business partnership to develop in the future. 3. Using content marketing to dominate your niche online I’m not a social media consultant. Or an SEO copywriter. Or an expert blogger. Or a business editor. Nor even a media relations strategist. I’m ALL of these things, as required by the client at the right time – to reach the right audience where THEY are. Content marketing – when done by a consultant who can actually write compelling copy with a commercial imperative running through it – is a highly specialised skill, which few marketers, PRs, or ex-Hacks possess. Check them out carefully if you’re running a Beauty Parade to hire one. You won’t find me in that line up, unfortunately, as my word-of-mouth referral system cuts out time-wasting on such unproductive activities. I work on a recommendation basis mainly, which means the client gets the best service straight away. Sc o, when you consider how your marketing is shaping up so far this year – remember to include effective ontent marketing.

by Chris Street

Chris launched the UK’s first fully-managed Blogging Outreach service in 2005, and has been advising solo entrepreneurs, small businesses and corporations on effective social media engagement and profitable blogging ever since. He’s regularly featured on high-profile websites, including www.socialmediatoday.com and www.marketingdonut.co.uk. When not tweeting or blogging, Chris can be found (preferably) on a Cornish beach or attempting to provide a good role model to an errant black kitten. You can contact him here.