Internet Marketing 101

Improve Your Image and Get Your New Twitter Profile

April 23, 2014 Beth Devine

Twitter has a brand new look. Initially the new profile was only available for a select few, but as of today all tweeps can get the new Twitter profile.

The new profile gives you a large Facebook-like image header, a much larger profile picture, a featured tweet, and a prominent media section.

The old look:

The new look:

Twitter’s tag line is “meet the new you,” which highlights the fact that since it’s only your profile page that’s changed, no one will notice unless they travel there for a look-see.

The changes are for your convenience, although you will sport an improved Twitter “home page” appearance should anyone stop by. One of the greatest conveniences, if you’re into this sort of thing, is checking to see if the tweeps you’re following are following you back.

The profile shots of all your tweeps got larger too when you view them in the “following” and “followers” lists. While it takes longer to go through and view them, a quick look shows you if a recent follow-back has subsequently unfollowed you. (I know, the nerve!).

Updated look of following/followers list:

New Photo Sharing Option

The updated media section groups and counts up all your videos and photos for easy retrieval. If you use Twitter as a way to collect favorite images or videos, you can click on the link and create a unique page with all your tweets featuring media.

With the new photo sharing, now you can also include up to four images per tweet and tag up to ten people in a photo.

Notice the Link?

If you have a website link posted, this stands out more in the new look. Just below this is the date you began using Twitter, something which wasn’t featured before. This could spell bad news for those folks who continually get banned and then reestablish another identity.

Featured Tweet

The new pinnable featured tweet places your favorite tweet at the top of your tweets on your profile page. This gives would-be followers a way to see what they can expect from you, so choose one that reflects you well. If you have an event to promote, select a timely tweet to display for your visitors.

Every time you tweet, the new one replaces it, but when you refresh the page, the pinned tweet resurfaces back to the top.

You can view your tweets with three lists: tweets (without replies), tweets with media attached, and tweets and replies combined. The list option is still there for those of you who want to create categories of their tweeps, and you can still keep them private if you choose.

Naysaying Tweeps

Some complaints to the new look include no background customization option, inability to move header image that is automatically uploaded during update, and an overwhelming resistance to any Facebook lookalikes.

Dear Twitter. Stop trying to be Facebook. Even Facebook doesn’t want to be Facebook. #NewTwitter

— Lewis Somerscales (@LewisHammer) April 22, 2014

It appears that tweeps are vehemently against any remake that remotely resembles Facebook, although I think the similarities are very superficial. There’s no confusing the two platforms, in any case. Not to mention that the user experience differs widely.

Where else can you interact with like-minded strangers from the web?

Lookin’ swell, #NewTwitter! Once us Tweeps can adjust, that is. @kreativekonnect knows what I’m talkin’ about! 😉 pic.twitter.com/tBSslmnWsk
— Kacee Erhard (@KaceeAngels) April 23, 2014

Despite the complaints, the changes are intended to bring new users to Twitter. Make the best of it and seek out others to invite and engage in the Twitter community.

Upcoming Real-Time Notifications

Look for a change to live notifications when someone replies, favorites, or retweets one of your Tweets. You have to be logged into Twitter to receive these notices. Direct messages (DMs) and new follower notices can also be seen as they occur.

Twitter says they are fully interactive, so you’ll be able to reply, favorite, retweet, and follow directly from the notice box. In settings you will be able to select which notifications you want to see.

Let us know in the comments how the #NewTwitter works for you.

How to Use Hashtags on Social Media and Be a Cool Cat

April 18, 2014 Beth Devine

Hashtags are unavoidable. They’re proliferating the social media universe like multiplying digital bunnies.

Hashtags began on Twitter, and are now on Instagram, Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest. For a better understanding on what hashtags are, read an earlier post “Hashtags Are Invading.”

Understanding how to use hashtags on social media will give you a stronger social media presence. In other words, effective hashtag use will help you be a cool cat.

Here are some benefits:

Search-ability

Effective hashtag use will give your posts more exposure. By using popular hashtags, you can contribute to a conversation and allow people to easily search and find you.

Since everyone’s searching for #cats, for example, you can hop on the cat convo by using relevant hashtags. Rather than sifting through endless feeds, people will use a hashtag search to quickly narrow it down to what they wish to read.

Find new followers

Allowing people to easily search for your Tweets, updates, posts, etc., gives them access to your profile. You might also decide to follow or circle new people who reflect the same interests.

Create a hashtag for an event, like the annual South by Southwest Interactive, Film and Music Festival and its short and memorable #SXSW. They’ve made a place where things can happen and people can connect.

Establish a reputation

When you add value to a conversation, you’re inviting others to engage with you and look for your input. Using hashtags is a way to initiate and join in conversations around a specific hashtag topic.

When Malaysia Airlines flight 370 disappeared, it was easy to discover the latest news from reliable sources, as well as connect with others through the use of #MH370.

Get information

Quick hashtag searches zero in on the information you’re looking for. Thanks to hashtags, you can easily find the latest on subjects like #catband, which debuted on Instagram and found its way to Twitter.

On Facebook, you can click a hashtag to see a feed of posts with that same hashtag. You can only see posts that are shared with you or are shared with everyone. This is a great way for brands to add value to a topic that’s trending.

In Pinterest, hashtags are only clickable and searchable in pin descriptions. So don’t bother putting them in your profile or board descriptions. On Twitter, adding a couple of hashtags in your profile will greatly enhance your search-ability.

Here are some hashtag rules of thumb:

Be relevant

When creating a hashtag, think specific. For example, try #IMACRAZYCATLADY rather than just #cats. Chances are, the more specific one will help people to search for your topic.

Help other like-minded Tweeters, Instagrammers, Pinners and Google+ users to find you by making sure your hashtags describe your topic. Don’t be overly specific, however, and create a hashtag that’s too long.

Be observant

Pay attention to what’s being hashtagged through searches and your posts, pins, and tweets. Google+ will automatically create a hashtag for you in the top right of your post.

Don’t jump into a hashtag conversation to self-promote or post something entirely off topic. This kind of hashtag-jacking will only drive people away.

Hashtag Limits

Twitter recommends using no more than two hashtags per tweet. Overuse of hashtags is irritating and difficult to read. Instead of attracting followers, you will scare them away.

On Instagram, the limit is thirty hashtags per post. Any more than that, and your comment won’t post, thank goodness. Enhance readability to longer hashtags and use camel case by adding capital letters.

While tweets with hashtags are “55% more likely to be ReTweeted,” too many have the opposite effect. Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake demonstrate the hashtag addiction phenomenon for you in this YouTube video.

Choose with care

Choose wisely and don’t make a hashtag you’ll regret. Pay attention to trending hashtags and avoid misusing those that are sensitive.

Entenmann’s used #notguilty during a high profile murder trial where this hashtag was trending and had to apologize for their unintentional insensitivity.

Knowing how to use hashtags on social media is the difference between being a ~~dopey dog~~ clueless cat and a cool cat. Be cool and use them well.

Should You Outsource Content for Your Website?

April 2, 2014 Beth Devine

Creating high quality content for your business website is sharing valuable information with your customers that generates more traffic to your site. But should you hire outside help for your content marketing?

Remembering the reasons why you want to provide great, free content will help you decide how outsourcing content will work for you and your business.

7 Reasons to Use Content Marketing

Attract your audience with topics that are interesting to them
Encourage sharing among a wider audience as they share with their social media connections.
Build your network as other like-minded folk in your industry can find you and connect.
Create value with searchable solutions to your audience’s questions. People will want to seek you out for future questions and choose to follow you and what you have to offer.
Overcome objections: As your audience gets to know you and value you, your honest answers to their questions gives them a reason to move beyond their doubts and hesitations.
Build trust through continual outreach and content creation. Your audience will begin to see you as someone unique and exceptional.
End result: You will stand out from your competition.

7 Ways Outsourcing Content Works

Attract your audience. When you outsource content, it’s critical they have a grasp of the topics you want to write about. One way to do this is to give them a list of ideas. For more in-depth structure, you could provide the writer with specifically formulated questions and answers to how the post should be written.
Encourage sharing. Normally the writer you hire isn’t responsible for distributing the content. However, someone in-house should pay attention to metrics. By understanding which content has greater engagement, you can optimize content for future posts.
Build your network. Growing your network is a benefit of quality content and doesn’t add any costs to what you’re investing in your content marketing approach. Increase your connections with content sharing efforts in social media.
Create value. The added value you provide is only going to make a difference if what you’re sharing is well-written and targeted to your audience. Outsourcing content means checking out the writer’s work, seeing if their skills are what you’re looking for, and asking for references from their other customers.
Overcome objections. Hiring a writer with whom you have a connection goes a long way in representing you. Your content creator will become an extension of you and your brand, giving your audience a reason to overcome their “yes, but” responses.
Build trust. As important as being knowledgeable about your industry and brand, a quality writer will understand what your unique voice is and how to effectively promote you. Building trust through regular efforts to answer your customer’s questions is key to content marketing.
Stand out from your competition. While it takes time to really get to know a brand and their niche, creating quality content on a regular basis will help you stand out from your competition. It means getting found in today’s new search engine yellow pages with quality content.

Get These Pinterest Tips for Your Business and Get More Sales

March 19, 2014 Beth Devine

Pinterest is where people gather content. They’re window shopping for images and items they like. Facebook is where friends congregate. They visit to share their own photos and the cute cat videos they find.

Fortunately for all the cat lovers, you can find cats and lots of great stuff on Pinterest. It’s fun to shop around on Pinterest; you get great ideas, find inspiration and entertainment, and end up finding something you just have to have.

Marketing your product or service on Pinterest means putting your content in the virtual hands of window shoppers who are becoming buyers at a growing rate.

A Pinterest pin now generates an average of 78 cents in sales, a 25 percent increase from the end of 2012. What’s more, a pin continues to drive pageviews and sales for months after it’s pinned.

A pin has an average of more than 10 repins. Compare that to Twitter’s 1.4 percent rate of retweeting.

Pinterest also causes “reverse showrooming,” where people browse online before buying in the store.

Let’s get started with these Pinterest tips for your business because you don’t want to miss out on the potential for more sales.

1. Your Pins

Make it easy for visitors to pin from your website. Get a Pin It button if you don’t already have one.

Create a pin for all your blog posts. PicMonkey is a free and simple online image editing tool, complete with tutorials and editing ideas. Don’t forget to add your business name somewhere on the bottom of each image.

When you add an image to your media library on WordPress, the title you give it becomes the description of your pin. Make sure it includes words that describe the image and will help pinners when they search for related things.

If your pin is an item you’re selling, simply add the price with a dollar sign next to it and it will automatically display below the image when the pin is clicked on. With a dollar amount assigned to it, the pin also appears in the gift category.

Early morning and late evening are high-traffic pinning times, so pin yours then when possible.

2. Your Boards

Besides the pins you pin from your website, you should find interesting images to pin from outside sources. The next time you bookmark something on your computer, consider if it’s something you could include on one of your Pinterest boards.

You can repin from the boards of other pinners who gather content you’re interested in. Find and follow other pinners and boards to browse from.

You’re now a content curator, someone who collects, organizes, and displays information around a particular theme. Use this to showcase your brand’s uniqueness. Show the human side of your business with board themes that reflect who you are.

3. Your Audience

As you select content to pin, remember your audience. While a large segment is female, studies show that men are a growing segment of the Pinterest audience.

Think about the popular topics and try to make your pins work with what the audience wants. The category list will also give you insight into how your topics can be searched. You can find these by clicking on the upper left button that gives you a drop down menu of options.

Most importantly, remember to make it fun! Pinterest is a place for entertainment, so even if you’re sharing information, try to make the pin light-hearted.

4. Your Business

If you haven’t already joined Pinterest, join as a business account, or convert your page to a business.

Once you’ve done that, verify your website on your Pinterest page. With verification a checkmark will be displayed next to your URL in your profile. Use this WordPress plugin for your WordPress site for easy verification.

You can enjoy Pinterest analytics as part of being a verified account. Find the analytics by clicking on your profile name in the top right corner of your Pinterest page.

Optimize your website for conversion by adding a call-to-action button. Be sure to do this on the pages your pins are driving the most traffic, and particularly the pages that feature a product you’ve pinned.

Get pinning for your business today. You can start with the badge at the top of the page!

Want Your Website Found? Then Give Your Audience Control

March 11, 2014 Beth Devine

The internet search engine is the new yellow pages. This is where your audience is looking for you and wants to connect.

You need to adopt a content marketing strategy that gives you front page results.

Content marketing is the key to getting your website found. It’s giving away valuable and free information that your audience is looking for.

It’s the new USP, or unique selling proposition. Whether you decide to focus on price, product, placement, or promotion – the “four P’s” of marketing – the way to sell it is with content marketing.

How to Stand Out from the Crowd

Look around you. Are there any truly unique businesses? Which clothing retailer, grocery store, office supplier, tax preparer, or plumber is a stand-out, one-of-a-kind business?

The way to distinguish yourself from the competition requires more than identifying your message or your unique market position. You must market your message in a way that gets you found. Content marketing is your leverage point.

You have to sell your brand by creating continuous content. This continuous content serves the needs of your audience by giving your audience what they want to know.

Give Your Audience What They Want

Why is this so important? Because “the audience wants control,” as Kevin Spacey said at the Edinburgh Television Festival.

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What Netflix understood about “The House of Cards” is the principle of content marketing. Give your audience control and they will be more likely to find and choose you.

Your audience wants to choose what they read or watch, when they read it, where they read it, and how they read it.

Give people the power to make these decisions and “they’ll more likely pay for it rather than steal it.” By creating continuous content that is free and valuable to your audience, they are more likely to become your customer.

The big question is who. Who will they choose to buy from?

The who is determined by who they find when they search online. If your business has content that answers their questions, then your business will be in their search results.

Next Step: Get the Word Out

There is a new publicity engine in town. Social media is the free mouthpiece for your content. A solid social media presence will help spread your message.

“The audience has spoken. They want stories.” Spacey’s description of film and how to classify it is a great analogy for content marketing.

“They’re rooting for us to give them the right thing. And they will talk about it, binge on it, carry it with them on the bus, and to the hairdresser, force it on their friends, Tweet, blog, Facebook, make fan pages, silly GIFs, and God knows what else about it, ” Spacey said.

“All we have to do is give it to them.”

Get your website found and give your audience control with content marketing. If you need help, Web Savvy superheroes are here to the rescue.

+Post Ads Make Google the Smartest Fish in the Web Stream

December 12, 2013 Beth Devine

Google’s new +Post Ads are making the Internet one giant social stream. With the introduction of Google+ social posts as paid advertising on selected websites, more people are going to join the conversation.

The social stream on Google+ is going to become a raging river.

But not in a bad way. It’s going to grow not only conversations. Growing Google+ is going to build relationships between the brand and consumer unlike any other social platform.

“Rather than to talk at them, we wanted to talk with them,” said Monica Peterson, Director of Social Media, Toyota USA.

As Peterson says, delivering “the right message, at the right time, to the right person” is key to growing your brand. With Google+ +Post Ads, consumers can talk within the advertising itself.

How cool is that?

Advertising on social media sites is like crashing a party. Hardly an effective method for promoting your product. But imagine having the opportunity to share your thoughts on a strategically placed social media post that’s placed outside the social media platform.

Clearly, Google imagined just that. They also thought up a way for advertisers to pay for Google+ advertising in the process. Pure genius.

As Mark Traphagen explains, Google+ +Post Ads will show up as live Google+ posts embedded where we would traditionally see static banner ads on a website, Users can comment on +Post Ads, +1 them, and share them with friends. Because the advertiser will get a notification of every person who engaged with the post, it’s like a landing page on a site where you can capture email addresses.

For a brand, this definitely changes what you’ll say to your audience. For the consumer, how the message is crafted will have everything to do with how you impact the conversation.

The way we interact on social media increasingly defines who we are. From one fish to another, I am excited to see how this all ~~plays~~ swims out.

Folks who haven’t set up a Google+ profile yet will be enticed to do so, and those who’ve merely created one so they could do a Hangout will begin doing more than sticking a toe into the water.

Google+ moves forward as the smartest way to interact on the web. It’s no wonder that Albert Einstein is the most talked about person there, compared to Rihanna on Facebook and Bieber on Twitter.

Google “who is the most talked about person on Google+” and see for yourself.

As Dustin W. Stout so aptly put it, “G+ = IQ². Enough said.”

Watch how Toyota reaches out with new Google+ Post Ads.

This work, “fish bowl,” is a derivative of “Creative Commons flickr photo” by Dean McCoy, used under CC BY 2.0.

Are You a Social Media Wallflower?

August 29, 2013 Beth Devine

If you’re worried about being a social media wallflower, anxious that your online social skills come up short, then it’s time to get off the wall.

Learn how to step into the spotlight of social media storytelling and deadhead your wallflower days forever.

The New World of Social Media Storytelling Wants You

You don’t have to be boring and unpopular. With storytelling and “emotional” sharing, you can unveil the soul and spirit of your business through social media.

The 5 Emotions That Get More Shares

There are five emotions that are most likely to motivate people to share:

1. Awe

2. Surprise

3. Amusement

4. Anxiety

5. Anger

Because positive emotions are more likely to be shared than negative, promoting awe, surprise, and amusement are safe bets in increasing social media shares and interaction. Using anxiety-producing or anger-inducing stories can also be effective when they are used to promote social togetherness.

Like telling a story, sharing to promote social community allows people to feel connected to others and to something outside themselves.

The more emotion your story inspires, the more likely people will notice you and let others in on your story.

Social Media is a Giant Graffiti Wall

Look at social media as one giant wall of graffiti. The best graffiti will be the ones that stir the most emotions and cause us to feel the most united in a common cause.

This is also part of what’s known at the “herd mentality.” When it’s obvious others are actively engaged in sharing something, others will follow suit. Let’s face it, our digital-age society relies on the collective opinions of others to make decisions.

The More They “Like” You, the More You Will be Liked

“Is something popular because it is actually good, or is it popular just because it is popular?” The mass-approval syndrome was measured in a study on a news website to investigate how positive votes or likes influenced the overall rating of a social share.

It turns out that by earning a positive vote initially, more positive votes would follow. A negative vote didn’t make a difference. If anything, an initial negative vote would prompt follow-up positive votes and end up measuring the same as the control group.

So marketing a message will be more successful if you can lead the pack with a positive vote by someone.

Leading the Pack With a Good Story

Telling your story and getting others to like and re-share not only involves sparking an emotional reaction. It also means communicating a message with traditional storytelling features.

Who’s the hero of the story? What is the plot? The setting? And don’t forget the inevitable and necessary story conflict. Apple computer’s “1984” video tells a story steeped in conflict, brazenly marketing its original thinking.

Who’s leading the pack in this story? Don’t be afraid of introducing conflict into your storyline to inspire emotion and social communion. Get off the wall and get noticed. Dig into your archives, your creative reserves, and your inner bard. There’s a story in there somewhere.

If You Hate Reverse Psychology Marketing, Then Don’t Read This

July 8, 2013 Beth Devine

Reverse psychology marketing won’t work for you, so you can just fuhgeddaboudit.

Do you get the feeling that you’re being bombarded with messages that are telling you to do one thing, but suggesting you do another?

Like a cat, who flounces her tail in typical cat-mode as she slinks away, as if to say, Don’t even bother trying to pet me, when you know she’s dying for a tummy rub.

This is reverse psychology marketing, when you desire something simply because it’s being touted as unavailable, unwelcome, or undesirable.

In an age where people are tired of having marketing spiels thrown in their faces, taking this back alley approach becomes more effective than traditional methods. The success of this strategy relies on having customers come to you, rather than you chasing after them.

Are You Special Enough?

Take Tom Sawyer, for example. He had his buddies begging to take over his fence painting job. The tedious task of whitewashing his aunt’s fence became appealing by doing two things. He appeared to enjoy it, and he acted as if it was a special privilege.

Cats have this down to a science. They behave as if they enjoy snubbing you, and when you finally chase them down, you’d think they bestowed you with the honor of petting royalty.

As Mark Twain wrote, Tom “had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it — namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.”

This play into our innate desire to be included, to be in-the-know, leads people to drop their defenses and crave the suddenly indispensable object they never knew they desired. Reverse psychology hits home with the unsuspecting, resistant, and contrary individual – in other words, all of us at some time or another.

It’s All Over for Paper

One of the best reverse psychology marketing strategies is Domtar’s “Paper Because.” Office Guy #1 hands a thick paper report, “The Paperless Office,” to Office Guy #2, telling him it’s all over for paper. They quickly decide to make a copy, and another copy.

“Paper is dead,” after all, yet they remind you that “paper is sustainable, renewable, and recyclable.” Make me a copy too, while you’re at it.

Seth Godin’s Knock Knock book wasn’t free at one time, and the reverse psychology he employed to prompt sales and awareness of it before it became free came with the simple email, “Please don’t buy my new ebook.”

It’s hard not to love a guy who’s so straightforward and honest (and even encouraging you to donate to Red Cross while you’re checking out the free PDF file he’s so generously shared).

Don’t Push the Button!

The trick is not to appear manipulative. If your audience gets a whiff of this, then reverse reverse psychology will come into play, and they will do what you were asking them not to do, like not buy the book, or not push the button.

A cat can get away with this because she knows reverse reverse psychology means you don’t get to pet her highness. This is simply not an option.

Don’t pet the cat. I dare you to not pet the cat.

An Easy-to-Follow Roadmap to Writing a Blog

June 21, 2013 Beth Devine

You’re ready to answer your customer’s questions. You’ve compiled a Q&A list with your employees’ help. Now what?

There’s a simple path to follow when writing a blog for your business. With this roadmap, make your journey to writing a blog a pleasant trip.

4 Steps to Writing a Blog for Your Business

1. Answer their questions with a destination in mind.

Figure out what your customer wants to know and how you intend to address this particular question. What do you want to achieve with this blog post? Begin with the end as your objective.

It could be simple transparency, such as the expected cost of your product or service, or how your business compares to the competition, or the secret ingredients in your prized item, like the special sauce for McDonald’s Big Mac.

Remember, as a teacher, you are educating your audience to make an informed decision. By answering their questions, you are removing a barrier to buying from you.

2. Plot your potential headline and subheads.

This step is like loosely outlining or marking your route. Create some bullet points to consider so you can keep an eye on where you’re going.

For the headline, think of the lesson you are teaching your customer. What’s in it for them? Why should they bother reading any further?

For the subheads, think of the specific questions you are answering. Each critical waypoint along your route becomes a subtitle to break down the content into reader-friendly chunks.

The headline and subheads begin as “potential” because this is meant to be a flexible exercise. Your headline is a destination, but it has the remarkable adaptability of thematic variation. In other words, you can change your mind and tweak it. And tweak it again.

3. Create interesting content.

“Wherever you go, there you are.” Be mindful of your audience and what they want to learn. That destination you’ve got in your GPS? No one’s going to join you for the ride unless you keep it to the point.

As you’re writing, expand on the bullet points you made in your outline. Decide what part of the question you’re answering, and place it beneath the right subhead.

Ask yourself, “What’s the payoff for the reader?” Pay attention to this so your content will continue to appeal to your audience.

Throw in a little fun as you go if that works for your brand. Add images to increase the visual appeal of your post. Don’t be afraid to use your unique voice.

4. Review your work.

At the end of your journey, you’re far from done. Your writing should be carefully edited and polished for publication. Removing the road dust from your travels requires a thorough once over.

Do you need to add or remove information? Are there areas that need to be revised for clarity or better word choices? Do your headline and subheads still work?

Sometimes you need another reader to check your work, or you could come back to it later with fresh eyes. Your readers will lose interest, and you might lose credibility, if your work is sloppy.

How’s the blogging going so far? Has the road trip into content marketing been fun? If you get lost, give us a call to see if we can help.

Content Marketing 101: Be a Teacher

June 10, 2013 Beth Devine

Good teachers spend time educating their students to be self-sufficient. They make sure students have the information they need to make educated decisions.

Imagine that. All you have to do to be a good teacher is give your customers what they need to make confident choices.

“The most important thing a website owner can do to optimize their website for search engines is to optimize their site for their customers,” Super Savvy Carolyn said about SEO and website success.

Combine this type of customer-focused thinking with a willingness to show your family jewels – the information they need, and you’ve got the formula for customer recognition.

Customer-Focused Thinking + Transparency/Authenticity = Empowering Your Customers

To give your customers what they need to know, start by answering their questions. This means getting all the employees who are involved in any customer relations to write down all the questions they’ve been asked.

Every question is a potential blog post, centered around your customer’s concerns and how best to satisfy their needs. Every blog post is a way to optimize your website for the user experience.

Search engines are trying to deliver the best search experience to users. So when you provide relevant content – by answering their questions – the search engines will be more likely to deliver up your website.

So why don’t more businesses blog?

Three common objections to blogging for your business come up.

1. You’re scared.

Scared to reveal what you know and might be asked to tell. Like pricing. Or reasons not to buy from you. Or who your competitors are.

2. It takes time.

To understand your prospective customer’s questions, you need dialog between teams. You need time to make it happen.

3. It costs – and the returns are slow.

Businesses would rather choose the old route of simply buying an ad rather than taking the plunge and be the teacher. They would rather be a bystander and let the competition be the turtle that wins the race.

Have you experienced these objections? How have you managed to overcome them? We discussed Reason #1 last week, using Marcus Sheridan and his inground fiberglass pools as an example to winning your customer’s trust through honest information.

As Seth Godin said, “If your project or organization depends on knowing things that other people don’t know (but could find out if they wanted to), your days are probably numbered.”

Stay tuned for more Content Marketing 101 and help with Reason #2, and get started blogging for your business.

Thanks to Katlene Niven for her adorable Flickr photo.