The Caffeinated Blog

20 Ways You Can Encourage Engagement

The Social Media Club of Charlottesville had an open forum last night where attendees split into discussion groups and brainstormed various ideas for using social media and engaging customers. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend myself, but they posted photos from one of their brainstorming sessions, listing ways to encourage engagement through social media channels. There are 20 great ideas listed, which you'll also find listed below the photos.

 
 

1. Ask for feedback and/or ask questions at the end of a post.
2. Comment on other's blogs.
3. Barrier to comments BAD (in other words, don't make it difficult for people to leave comments).
4. Get someone to be the first commenter.
5. Mix in some company info (i.e. birthdays, successes, etc.) on your Facebook page.
6. Do a series of blog posts on a sub-topic.
7. Create a Facebook sharing app.
8. Use "list" posts (and lay it out in a simplified format).
9. Mixing it up (video, audio, text).
10. Guest posts (meaning asking people to guest post on your blog, or you guest posting on other related blogs).
11. Be extremely opinionated (or extreme).
12. Go against the grain.
13. Run Twitter searches for people with questions; answer with a link to your blog post (same could be done on LinkedIn).
14. Create "celebrity" status through opinions.
15. Contests/giveaways.
16. SEO tactics.
17. Good timing (current event, etc.).
18. Every Friday, just ask a question.
19. Keep up with regular posts.
20. Put recent comments in sidebar.

What are your ideas for encouraging engagement?

The Caffeinated Blog is Back (Now with More Caffeine)!

Yep, this is pretty much what 2009 was like. Image via Wikipedia

It's been almost a year since my last post here, and I know some of you have been wondering where I went (thanks for all of your supportive comments - you guys are great!). It's been a roller coaster of a year - and I've certainly had my share of ups and downs.

When I last posted, I was about to embark upon a new role with a new start-up - a company gearing up for the launch of an online travel community. I'm certainly no stranger to start-ups, and I'm kind of addicted to working with them - I love the natural high you get from building up to the launch of something new and exciting. I was hired as their Marketing Manager, and yes, it was all very exciting - and a lot of very hard work (which is why my beloved Caffeinated Blog languished).

Then the website launched, and it all went horribly wrong.

Long story short, the website was a complete disaster (in fact, I'll use my new favorite word to describe it: "shambolic"), money ran out, and the lay-offs began. Sadly, I was part of a 25% reduction in staff.

So now I'm back, blowing the dust off my blog and giving it a much needed shot of caffeine. I hope to write more and make some design improvements (and if you're willing to volunteer your design expertise, give me a shout - I could certainly use it).

Oh, and I'm in the job market. Since I last posted here, I've moved from Washington, DC to Charlottesville, VA. I'm working my tail off trying to find a full-time marketing/social media job here, so holla if you know of something - kari (dot) rippetoe (at) rippetoe (dot) net. I'm slowly familiarizing myself with the area, and I've had some awesome conversations with some awesome people here in C'ville. The social media scene is growing (we even have a Social Media Club chapter) and it's very cool.

So, welcome back, and I hope to see you back here at The Caffeinated Blog again soon!

10 Tips for a Successful Blogger Outreach Campaign

With more than half of blog readers saying that blogs influence their purchase decisions, it's no wonder that many companies are eager to generate some buzz about their products on blogs.  Unfortunately, it doesn't happen magically.  In order to get the attention of these influential bloggers, companies have to reach out to them and make themselves known - but in a meaningful way. 

This is not easy.  It takes time and effort to put together a blogger outreach campaign; but if you do it right, your efforts will reap rewards in the form of increased exposure, positive recognition, and more sales.

Here are 10 tips that I've put together based on my own experience conducting blogger outreach campaigns:

1. Identify the right blogs: You obviously want to find blogs that are the right fit for what you’re offering in terms of content and target audience.  Use blog directories and search engines, as well as conversation monitoring tools, to find these blogs.  Compile a list with the blog names, URLs, where you found the blog, name of the blogger, and their email address.
2. Read the blog:  The blogger wants to see that you’re paying attention to what their blog is about.  Read a few of their posts to get a feel for their subject matter.  Participate in discussions by commenting on posts, if you can.  Get to know them before sending your pitch, as this will be the foundation of your relationship.
3. Make it personal: It’s OK to come up with a boilerplate message to send out, but make sure to personalize it as much as possible.  Of course, you’ll want to integrate the name of the blog and the blogger; however, take it a step further by mentioning where you found the blog and/or a specific post that caught your interest.  I also recommend AGAINST using an email marketing platform to broadcast your message to a list.  No matter how many personalization parameters you insert, it just won't work as well.  I know sending individual messages takes a lot of time; but it will be well worth it in the end.
4. Explain the benefits: Why should this blogger promote your offering for you?  Why would his audience be interested?  What makes your offering valuable?  These are all questions you should be answering in your pitch.  This is where all the homework you do beforehand by reading the blog will come in handy.
5. Be transparent: Don’t be dishonest in representing yourself.  Tell them who you are, including your title.  If you’re with a PR firm or marketing agency, make brief mention of it at the beginning (i.e. “[Company name] is a client of our agency, and I’m reaching out to you today…”) and include in your signature the name of the company and the name of the agency.
6. Make yourself available: Let the blogger know that you’re available to answer their questions, and include your email address.  Respond to any questions they have in a timely matter or schedule phone conversations, if necessary.  It’s also a good idea to include links to your social media profiles (like Twitter), either for yourself (if you are representing your own company) or for the company.
7. Be ready for negative feedback: You may get some less-than-positive responses to your emails.  Because of this, have a response plan in place if this should occur.  Here are some tips for dealing with negative feedback.
8. Keep track of responses: As you receive replies from bloggers, make sure to keep track of everything on a spreadsheet (how they responded, if they published a post, questions they had, bounced messages, etc).  Not only will this help you track results of your outreach campaign; but it will also give you something to work from for future campaigns.
9. Don’t spam:  I recommend sending one email, and maybe a second one to those who don’t respond (but make the second message different from the first).  If you find that certain bloggers just aren’t responding, then leave them alone. 
10. Thank them for posting: Make sure to thank any bloggers that do publish a post about your offering – with an email and/or a comment on their post.

So am I missing anything here?  What are your experiences with blogger outreach and what tips would you offer?

Is Your Company Blog Trustworthy?

Forrester Research has released a new report stating that 16% of consumers don't trust company blogs.  And by the looks of some of the company blogs I've seen out there, this doesn't surprise me.  You can read more at ReadWriteWeb, or download a free copy of the report at Forrester.

What does surprise me, however, is that Forrester draws a blanket conclusion from its report - which pretty much is to not start a corporate blog.  Sorry, no - people won't trust it, so no point in trying. But this BuzzLogic/JupiterResearch study in October found more than half of blog readers said that blogs influence their purchase decisions.  Clearly they have some value, right? 

How about this instead: maybe some company blogs are just going about it all wrong and need to change what they're doing in order to earn consumer trust.

If you're thinking of starting a corporate blog, change your perception of what that blog should be and put together a blogging strategy that focuses on the customer, not your products and company.  It's OK to talk about your products and company; but they shouldn't be the main focus of your posts.  You have to offer the reader something of value outside of "me me me, I-I-I". 

Here are some great examples of what you should be doing when it comes to your company blog:

• Rubbermaid - This blog is more about organization and recommends Rubbermaid products in the context of truly helpful tips and advice.
• Nokia - The Nokia Conversations Blog is what a corporate blog should be - more personal and less "corporate".  Blog posts are from a real person and include instructional videos and opinion posts.  It even has something you don't see on many corporate blogs - a blogroll.
• Dell - Their "Your Blog" has informative posts that are reader-focused less "market-y".

I'm not telling you that you shouldn't promote your products and company in any way whatsoever on your corporate blog - just don't let the "promotion" part take over. 

What are some examples you've seen of company blogs that get it and ones that should just forget it?

Social Media Marketing Case Study: Using Social Media to Engage Coffee-Loving Customers

When I lived in the UK in 2004, my go-to online source for coffee beans was a roaster called Hasbean.  This UK coffee e-tailer was recommended to me via the CoffeeGeek forum (see my siteroll for a link), so I knew they had to be good.

I may be living in Washington DC now, but I still keep up with Hasbean – thanks to Twitter.  This has prompted me to write a case study profiling the business’s use of social media for marketing.

The Company

Hasbean has been in business online since 2003 and consists of a compact team of 5 – which includes the owner and chief coffee roaster, Stephen Leighton.  In the land of tea, where the gourmet coffee culture is just coming into its own, freshly roasted coffee is the name of the game – and something Stephen is passionate about.

 

Photo credit: Has Bean Steve

Why Social Media?

Stephen has actively used social media to promote Hasbean for as long as he can remember.  “In the first days it was forums and newsletters, now it’s a different media to transport the same message,” according to Stephen.  “It’s fun and I have made so many new friends…and that’s a motivator, to meet people I would not otherwise meet.” 

Basically, Stephen’s decision to use social media was not necessarily business-motivated; however, his passion for coffee and his friendly, outgoing personality translate well through social media, and he’s able to easily engage customers through those channels.

How Social Media is Used

Stephen uses a mix of different social media platforms to convey his message and interact with customers, including Twitter, 12 Seconds TV, a blog (the Hasblog), and a weekly video blog.  His goal with all of these is to put a face to his business and make it easy for customers to interact.  Through his use of social media, Stephen has become the face of Hasbean.

His video blog, In My Mug, is a particularly good example of this.  Each week, he posts a video of his newest coffee offering of the week.  In each video, he talks about the coffee itself and where it came from – he smells it, tastes it, describes it in detail, and gives honest opinions.  He then displays a special discount code to get people to try it.

The Results

Although Stephen measures clicks on blog posts and sales generated from posted discount codes, it’s all about customer engagement and using social media for what it was meant – being social. “We have had great results from most of our efforts… but that isn’t the motivator for me, it is to find friends and spread the knowledge,” he says. “I think frauds are very easily exposed in social media, but I think people can spot honest passion and enthusiasm and I hope that’s why it works for us.”

What Have We Learned?

• Passion is the best promotion.  It's your business, and you should be its chief evangelist.  When you're passionate about your products, that passion becomes contagious - and rallies your customers behind your brand.
• Personality counts.  Your business isn't just a website or a logo - it's you.  Don't be afraid to put a face to your company and use social media to inject some personality.
• It's not all about ROI.  Being able to actively engage in conversation with people who you wouldn't usually meet is the whole beauty of social media - and should be the driving factor behind your social media efforts.

Better Blogging Through Recycling

Guest post this week by Cathy Stucker, who blogs at CathyStucker.com

 Ideally, you should post to your blog at least two or three times a week. That can be hard to manage in the real world, where lots of other priorities are competing for your attention. There is a simple solution, though, and it can be as close as your hard drive.

Although I write a lot of new articles, I sometimes take a shortcut and repurpose content I originally wrote for other reasons. Chances are, if you have been in your field for a while you have a mother lode of content you can mine for great blog posts. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Photo credit: jamieleto

Articles written for newspapers, newsletters and other publications. I wrote a weekly column on marketing for more than three years, and I was shocked to realize that I had put fewer than a third of those columns online. That means I have more than 100 columns in reserve that will be added to my sites over the coming months.

Have you published a print or email newsletter, written a column for your professional association’s newsletter, or written articles for magazines? Each article could become a blog post (or maybe two or three).

Handouts for speeches, seminars and workshops. If you are a public speaker, you have probably created outlines, handouts and other materials for your audiences. Some may take a bit of tweaking to become blog posts, but others can be used as-is.

Workbooks, manuals and books. Training materials, such as workbooks and manuals, are chock full of lists, resources, and other content that makes great blog posts. Books, published or unpublished, can give you months of useful posts. (If your book was published by a traditional publisher, make sure all publication rights have reverted to you.) Do you have a book that you started but never finished? Slice and dice the unfinished manuscript to create a supply of posts.

Tip sheets and resource lists. Seven tips about this, or best web sites for that, and other resources are often the most popular and the best linkbait, bringing lots of new visitors to your blog.

Press releases. When you send a press release, post it to your blog first. Do you have press releases you have distributed in the past? If the information in them is still timely, post them.

Client materials. Several years ago, I hired a coach who gave me a HUGE binder full of articles and other training resources. While you may want to keep much of that information exclusive to clients, you could use excerpts as blog posts. Also look for ways to use reports and other materials prepared for clients, with all identifying and proprietary information removed, of course.

Emails and forum posts. I get a lot of questions via email from clients and people who visit my web sites. My answers are often turned into blog posts. Your posts to forums and discussion groups can also become content for your blog.

You can even repurpose words that are not in writing. If you speak or present seminars, you should be recording every presentation you give. That includes teleseminars, too. You may use excerpts from the recordings as podcasts (more blog content) or have the recordings transcribed, then edit them into blog posts.

To make sure your blog never goes long without fresh content, upload a batch of posts at once, and schedule them to appear on future dates. With just a couple of days of work, you could have 50 or more posts in queue. Better yet, have your assistant do it.

Now, what is your excuse for not having any new posts on your blog this week?

You can read more from Cathy Stucker at http://www.IdeaLady.com/ and her blog, http://www.CathyStucker.com/ . Be sure to sign up for her free newsletter to get more articles, tips and resources.

Still Trying to Make a Blogging Business Case?

According to a new study conducted by social media analysis firm BuzzLogic and JupiterResearch, more than half of blog readers said that blogs influence their purchase decisions.  It also found that of those readers, 56% are influenced by blogs with a "niche focus and topical expertise", and a further 40% have taken action after seeing an ad displayed on a blog.

So what can we conclude from this?  Internet users place trust in what bloggers have to say, especially if the blog content provides them with useful, valuable information that allows them to make a sound purchasing decision.  They see bloggers as experts and authorities in their fields, and even go so far as to trust the blog's sponsors (authority by association).

This isn't to say that businesses should exploit this trust by sticking up a blog and posting any old piece of marketing fluff or keyword-stuffed article.  Trust is most definitely earned, so your blog still has to establish itself as a "go-to" for trustworthy, authoritative information.

Check out this post I recently contributed at Justin Levy's That's Great PR blog.  It'll give you a good idea about how to develop engaging, authoritative content:
Content is Nothing if it’s Not Authoritative: Creating an Effective Content Strategy

Whole Lotta Link Love Friday, October 24

Lots of great stuff to post in this week's edition of Whole Lotta Link Love, so I'll get right to it:

• First and foremost, today is my mom's birthday (happy birthday, Mom!).  My parents run an antique business selling a variety of unique collectibles. If you love antiques, check out their store on Ruby Lane called The Antique Chasers (and tell 'em Kari sent you - I don't know if you'll get a discount, but they'll get a kick out of you mentioning that!).
• When developing content, too many companies focus solely on higher search rankings without looking at the bigger customer engagement picture.  The result: unreadable, "ground chuck" copy.  Kim Cornwall Malseed at MarCom Ink talks about how ground chuck cannot be made into filet mignon when it comes to content.
• How would you teach someone about social media and how to use it?  Shannon Paul offers some great ideas.
• Matt Ambrose at The Copywriter's Crucible asks the important question: Are you a copywriter, PR writer or brand journalist?
• I read this blog post at Micro Persuasion about how RSS adoption is at 11%. It discussed how the key to RSS adoption is education - and I agree wholeheartedly.  Then I read this post at Jim's Marketing Blog that did just that - provide education about the benefits of RSS for companies to pass on to customers.
• Check out this great list of Twitter PR tools, courtesy of Brian Solis.
• Blog "ghosting" - not just a Halloween trick.  Mayra Ruiz-McPherson discusses the trend where companies hire "ghost bloggers" to write their blog posts.  What's your opinion on this phenomenon?
• Finally, AC/DC is distributing their latest music video embedded in an Excel spreadsheet to get past corporate firewalls.  Very clever from both a technical and viral marketing standpoint.

Business Blogging Strategy Part 3: Sources for Blog Topics

Previously, I posted about forming your business blogging strategy - first about forming a strategy for starting a blog, then about your writing strategy as it relates to getting traffic.  I think what I should have done in between those posts is written about how to find topics to write about.  After all, you can't implement a traffic strategy if you don't know what you're going to write about!

Creativity is extremely important when it comes to writing blog posts.  What you have to realize when you're writing for a blog is that the content needs to have an authoritative edge, as well as a certain tone and style, in order to effectively engage readers.  I think this gives bloggers a lot of latitude for the types of posts they can write - news pieces, opinion pieces and reviews, lists, advice and tips...the list goes on and on.

This means that you have a wealth of sources available for generating topics related to your niche.  Here's a list of sources that I use:

• Blog search engines - search on sites like Technorati, Bloglines, and Google Blog Search to find the latest topics other bloggers in your niche are talking about.  Search using a broader keyword (like "social media" or "digital photography") so you can sift through the results for more specific topics.  Don't limit your results to what was blogged about recently either - if you can find topics that were written about several months (or years) ago, you have the opportunity to write a fresh take on the subject.
• Press releases - search through PRNewswire or PRWeb to find the latest press releases in your industry, then write either a straight news piece or an opinion piece.  Here's an example of a post I wrote in response to a recently released report.
• Twitter - what's the Twitterverse tweeting about?  The people you follow can offer fodder for topics, or you can check out conversations across the Twitterverse using Twitter Search.
• Social bookmarking sites - search sites like StumbleUpon, Digg, Delicious, or niche bookmarking sites to find popular blogs and topics that are being bookmarked.  Take a look at the comments and reviews that are posted as well - these provide valuable insight into the topic or individual post that can play a part as you write your own post.
• Your RSS feed subscriptions - what feeds are you subscribed to?  Check out your favorite feeds for possible topics.
• Online forums and Q&A sites - if someone is asking a question or looking for advice, then you have the opportunity to address that issue through your blog.  This can be especially effective if your business website already has its own online community forum - you can use your blog to answer questions from visitors on a personal level.  Otherwise, look for forums (using a forum search engine like Omgili) in your industry or niche and scope out the questions that seem to be asked often.  Check out Q&A sites like Yedda, Wikianswers, Yahoo! Answers, and LinkedIn Answers as well - you can write a blog post to address the issue, then answer the question on the site with a reference back to the post.
• Newspapers and/or industry pubs - possible topics aren't just found online.  Write your take on an interesting article you read in the paper that morning, or in a favorite magazine or trade pub.
• Life experiences - remember what I said about creativity being important?  Here's where it plays a major part.  Take a look at what is going on around you - at work, at home, on planes, trains, or in automobiles - and think of ways you can relate those experiences to something happening in your business, industry, or niche.  Metaphor can go a long way in blogging.

Do you have a blog?  What are your favorite sources for generating blog post topics?

American Independent Writers-"Pushing the Electronic Envelope"

I've been eagerly preparing for my first panel discussion, "Pushing the Electronic Envelope: Sharing Your Writing and Selling Your Work in Cyberspace" held by the American Independent Writers.  It will take place tomorrow (Sept. 6) at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.  If you're in the DC Metro area, I hope you can make it.

I'm participating in the first panel with 3 other talented online writing and marketing experts:

9:00-10:15 a.m. Writing for Online Audiences: Writing Web Copy, Selling to e-Markets, and Standing Out Online Writing for the web is vastly different from writing for print. Readers have different expectations, different reading patterns, and a veritable flood of content to pick and choose how they will spend their online time. This session will teach you how to make your writing stand out from the crowd and land your dream e-signment.

Here are some of the topics we'll be discussing:

• What are key differences between writing for print and writing for the Web?
• How can writers find work in online markets, whether e-zines, blogs, web content, etc? In other words, what's out there?
• What makes a GREAT Web writer vs a good Web writer?
• What kind of work do you do and how did you get started?
• What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started?
• What is the best advice you could give someone who wants to break into web writing?

Here are the top experts joining me on this panel:

Beth J. Bates is a Web and Social Media Consultant and the owner of Web Strategies Internet Solutions, LLC. She consults with small businesses and non-profits on social media tool selection and strategy. She helps her clients find effective ways to leverage these new mediums to meet business goals. With 11 years experience in web development and online marketing, Beth brings a unique blend of traditional technical knowledge and a passion for emerging technology to marketing strategies.

Jill Kurtz, A.P.R., has spent 20 years in communications and public relations and thinks that the greatest value she brings to her employers and clients is an enthusiastic interest in always learning about the new “thing.” She enjoys finding ways to make new technologies help individuals and organizations to accomplish their most basic

Mayra Ruiz-McPherson is a virtual marketing consultant and publicity assistant, long-time DC Web Women member, who possesses more than 14 years of working in the marketing trenches of business. As a marketing strategist, she works with multiple clients to solve their marketing challenges no matter how simple or complex, no matter their industry or market vertical or how affluent or limited their budget. She also maintains the DCWW blog, performing interviews, designing graphics and composing original editorial to keep the blog’s momentum fresh and moving forward. Her previous professional experiences include serving in various marketing leadership positions throughout the Washington metro area such as Assistant Director of Marketing for the University of Maryland’s Professional Studies division, Director of Marketing for a metro-based legal technology firm, Director of Marketing for a Northern Virginia health care facility, Executive Director for a community-based non-profit and Director of Web Communications for ATM/Debit network giant STAR. Presently she authors the Marketing Misfit blog, a blog providing real-world insight, tips and forethought as well as sharing true-to-life marketing blunders for the purposes of learning from the mistakes of others. Ruiz-McPherson holds her Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Strayer University and seeks to begin her Masters in Education.

Again, if you're in the DC metro and interested in attending, I hope I'll see you there.  For more information, check out Kristen King's Inkthinker Blog.