Who determines the culture and voice of your blog?

These days, companies and individuals include blogs as part of their marketing arsenal and social media outreach to promote their product or service and/or to build buzz about a corporate, non-profit, or personal brand. While some blogs have several writers or bloggers, others feature only one. So who determines the culture and voice of a blog?

If you are promoting a product or service in the B2B (business-to-business) arena, you probably use industry-specific lingo that your target audience understands and often uses. But if you are promoting something in the B2C (business-to-consumer) arena, you probably use informal language, brief sentences, and one-topic paragraphs in order to capture and keep readers’ interest.

Your blogger or bloggers most often determine the voice of your blog, so would a company president be the main writer? Or would the marketing or public relations departments take responsibility for writing the posts? Or would the IT or HR departments chime in with ideas?

Once your company or non-profit determines who will write the posts, here are some things to keep in mind for successful blogging:

• Create a schedule that includes topics and timing for posting (daily vs. weekly).
• Monitor word count so that you avoid discrepancies between a 250-word post and a 2,000-word post.
• Choose graphics that align with the subject matter of each post.
• Ask readers for opinions.
• Proofread the posts several times before you publish.

In the words of Brian Clark, CEO of Copyblogger Media and founder of Copyblogger.com, “Don’t focus on having a great blog. Focus on producing a blog that’s great for your readers.”

Who do you represent: your company or your individual brand?

When we go to work everyday, we don certain attire to achieve a certain look as we become representatives of our company. Some companies have actual uniforms: McDonald’s, service departments within car dealerships, the US Post Office, and many, many more. Professional service firms, such as, accounting firms, law firms, and even banks, have an “unwritten” uniform that features a suit and tie for men and dresses or suits for women. However, do we represent our employer or our own unique brand?

Consider Zappos and the culture that Tony Hsieh has created: all employees strive to create an exceptional experience for customers. Zappos employees will even go above and beyond for potential customers even if the company doesn’t sell a desired product. Consider Southwest Airlines: while it is known as a low cost, no frills airline, the company’s employees understand that they are in “the customer service business and just happen to provide airline transportation,” and most customers encounter a positive experience in their interactions with Southwest.

Southwest Airlines President Emeritus Colleen Barrett explained, “Employees feel like owners because they are owners…How can you expect people to have passion and excitement for what they do if they’re not owners? We give employees the opportunity to criticize and question us. Southwest doesn't often need to conduct surveys or hire consultants to determine what we are doing wrong or well. The employees tell us face-to-face year-round. We're transparent and we're all-inclusive in telling employees what’s happening. Another thing that’s unique about Southwest is its sense of humor. We use words that corporate America doesn’t. Our stock exchange symbol is LUV. We give employees a lot of freedom. We don’t want them to be cookie-cutter copies of each other. When most people go to work, they take off their personal demeanor. Then they go home and act like themselves again. We hire people for their individuality, and we want to share that with the passengers. We test for a sense of humor. We want them to laugh. We watch their interactions with others outside of the formal interview. You can train anyone to move a bag from one place to another. A team mentality is what we're looking for.”

It’s clear that Southwest and Zappos employees represent their brands while on the clock – and it’s easy to see why. But while many of us are representations of our companies and extensions of our brands during business hours, what happens at the close of business? At that point, you represent yourself – your unique strengths, expertise, education, and experience. Your unique brand must be maintained so that you can give 110% each and every day.

Remember, it is due to your having your unique brand that you were hired in the first place, so here are five tips to nurture your individual brand:

[1] Write a mission statement and action plan to clarify your professional goals and list your key strengths

[2] Keep your digital footprint current – create a detailed profile on LinkedIn and update it regularly with project highlights, create a blog, participate in conversations on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+

[3] Attend continuing education courses in your specialty area, either from experts within your business or elsewhere

[4] Request to participate in cross-departmental meetings at your business in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how all departments work together – and as a result, volunteer for new projects outside of your comfort zone

[5] Share your expertise with others by speaking to chambers of commerce, panel discussions, local businesses, friends’ companies, etc. – and also join professional organizations

In the words of Tom Peters, “Big companies understand the importance of brands. Today, in the Age of the Individual, you have to be your own brand. [You have] to be the CEO of Me Inc. You’re every bit as much a brand as Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop. To start thinking like your own favorite brand manager, ask yourself the same question the brand managers at Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop ask themselves: What is it that my product or service does that makes it different? Give yourself the traditional 15-words-or-less contest challenge. Take the time to write down your answer. And then take the time to read it. Several times. Start by identifying the qualities or characteristics that make you distinctive from your competitors – or your colleagues. What have you done lately – this week – to make yourself stand out?”

To read more, check out Tom Peters’ article, “The Brand Called You,” in Fast Company (http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/10/brandyou.html). While the article was written in 1997, it is just as current as if it were written today.

So remember, while you represent your company during business hours, you ALWAYS represent your individual brand!

140 Characters CAN Impact Your Business!

Those of us who spend a great amount of our day tangled in the social web sometimes forget what makes each site unique. So it’s a good idea to revisit the attributes of each site on a regular basis to remind ourselves how each can provide the best value for our time and business. Mark W. Schaefer does a great job of reminding us how Twitter can make an impact in 140 characters in his book, The Tao of Twitter. While it may have been written as an introduction to Twitter, it is a good read for those who have been in the Twitterverse for awhile – because we can see our own experiences in Mark’s stories.

Twitter, a micro-blogging site whereby users comment in 140 characters or less, has been in the news since it launched in 2006, but it really made its presence known in the mainstream media when the site experienced significant outages during August 2009 – and NBC news anchor Brian Williams discussed the outage on his Nightly News television broadcast.

As Mark writes, “There is a Tao to Twitter, a majestic random synergy that holds the potential to impact your life daily…if you know what you’re doing. [But] most people don’t know what they’re doing. They don’t grasp the Tao: a way or path or principle.”

Mark shares a myriad of memorable examples that prove how, without a doubt, Twitter can help your business to:

[1] Attract new audiences and potential customers, partners, and suppliers

[2] Follow news on your industry, market, competitors, and customers

[3] Stay on top of the latest research, opinions, insights, and competitive intelligence

[4] Strengthen new and existing customer relationships

[5] Open up low-cost marketing opportunities

Here are Mark’s questions and suggestions to make Twitter part of your marketing strategy and a competitive advantage for your business:

[1] Who are my target customers?

[2] Do they fall into distinct segments with different needs or interests?

[3] What are their goals as they relate to my business?

[4] What kind of information are my customers generally interested in?

[5] Who on Twitter regularly tweets this kind of information? Competitors? No one?

[6] What Twitter resources can be valuable to this (or each) customer segment?

[7] Use Twitter’s search function to perform real-time searches about your industry

[8] Offer helpful links and headlines that drive traffic to your main website

[9] Improve customer service by participating in conversations about your product/service

[10] Offer special deals, contests, and promotions on Twitter

[11] Showcase testimonial tweets as “favorites”

[12] Participate in or sponsor a chat or tweet-up based on your industry or niche

[13] Reinforce your brand with consistency (tagline, description, Twitter background, “voice” of your tweets, etc.)

As for the amount of time you should spend on Twitter, there is no easy answer. Only you can determine what works for your business. For newbies, try to spend 20 minutes a day – read, share, and learn from others. For those who have been part of the Twitterverse for a long time, Mark proposes that we take the Twitter 20-minute challenge – I had to laugh with his statement that “it’s easy to go down the rabbit hole” and read link after link. How many times have we all lost track of time?

Since Twitter’s “gold” can be described as “content,” Mark eloquently explains, “Content is the currency of the social web and sharing that content is the catalyst to new relationships and business benefits.” Twitter users fall into these categories: lead generator, customer satisfier, product development engine, problem-solver, lead for joint brainstorming session, storyteller, teacher – and you can probably think of many more.

For those who require visual explanations, Mark offers this description, “Think of the social web as a dinner party. If somebody only talks about themselves, their business and how great they are, you’re going to get away fast! But if a person shows genuine interest in you, and offers help without regard for their own personal benefit, you will like that person and connect with them.”

In a 2009 Time magazine essay, technology author Steven Johnson described the basic mechanics of Twitter, “As a social network, Twitter revolves around the principle of followers. When you choose to follow another Twitter user, that user’s tweets appear on your main Twitter page. If you follow 20 people, you’ll see a mix of tweets scrolling down the page: interesting new links, music recommendations, even musings on the future of education.”

When Johnson attended an event, he noticed that attendees in the same room were tweeting, but within 30 minutes, members of the Twitterverse who were not in attendance had joined the stream. “Injecting Twitter into that conversation fundamentally changed the rules of engagement. It added a second layer of discussion and brought a wider audience into what would have been a private exchange. And it gave the event an afterlife on the web. Yes, it was built entirely out of 140-character messages, but the sum total of those tweets added up to something truly substantive, like a suspension bridge made of pebbles.”

Over the last two-plus years, I have watched the pebbles of the Twitter suspension bridge and benefitted from Twitter: I have received invitations to write guest blog posts and to appear on radio shows. I have set up prospective business meetings that resulted in new business and also made new friends and business connections from all around the world – people I would never have had the opportunity to meet without Twitter – and all this resulting from 140 character messages. And, I admit, also by enduring the fail whale every now and then.

More about the book: http://www.thetaooftwitter.com

Follow Mark on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/markwschaefer

Read Mark’s Blog: http://www.businessesgrow.com/blog

Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/markwschaefer

Connect on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MWSchaefer

Connect on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mark.schaefer3

Do you know how to stand out from the crowd?

Please welcome Walethia Aquil to my Blog. Walethia Aquil, coach, author, speaker, and entrepreneur, is the founder of Grace and Charm, a consulting company that features 30 unique training programs to improve organizational and personal behavior, business and social graces, and effective team building. Grace and Charm’s mission is to help “entrepreneurs move from invisible to impeccable,” and the company provides executives, entrepreneurs, public figures, and individuals with the skills, training, and resources to ensure that their image does not distract from their productiveness. Walethia worked at General Motors prior to starting her own company, is an inspiration to countless non-profits, and also hosts the “Success with Grace and Charm” radio show on BlogTalkRadio every Tuesday at 2pm EST.

Question: What is the history behind your company?

WALETHIA AQUIL: When I was growing up, my family did not have a lot of resources, and I was terribly shy and insecure as a child and as a young adult. Late in life, I realized that my shyness and insecurities were hampering my professional and social development. In my youth, after my first school dance, I walked into a restaurant and sat down at a table with silverware and china, and I knew I was out of my element. I made a decision then and there that I would never feel embarrassed again. If I struggled with social skills and self-esteem, I knew others did as well. Today, because the market is overcrowded and highly competitive, no one will tell you why you didn’t get a promotion, why you were unable to close a deal, or why you’re not invited to social events. This is how Grace and Charm started, as a result of my own experiences.

Question: What does your tagline mean to you: “Become More Charming, Persuasive and Memorable?”

WALETHIA AQUIL: In today’s competitive market, it is very important to stand out. Your image, your etiquette, your communication and interpersonal skills play a major role in the amount of money you earn, who comprises your circle of influence, the quality of your relationships, and the opportunities that are open to you. Also, your ability to get along with others is just as important as having technical and professional skills because 85% of success in business and social relationships is based on your “people skills.” So, having a polished image is vital to your success. A potential customer or client will, within seconds, determine if you are trustworthy. So, when you look polished and professional from head to toe, your credibility is undeniable and trust in you increases.

Question: What are the results of developing one's social skills?

WALETHIA AQUIL: Developing your social skills will increase your earning potential by opening doors of opportunity, enhancing your relationships, attracting better and higher paying customers or clients, increasing your self-esteem, and positioning you to attain power and influence. It is more important than ever before to build relationships, and the quickest and most effective way is to create what I call, “Relationship Currency.” To explain it simply, relationship currency is a resource – giving to others. Relationship currency can catapult your business or career to the next level because others will see you as approachable. The result will yield a more extensive network. The development of one’s social skills will change a person’s mindset from “what’s in it for me” to “how can I serve others and add value.”

Question: Some men may disagree with your business model, so how do you convince men (as well as some women) about the value of what you teach?

WALETHIA AQUIL: This is a very good question. Success in any industry relies on relationships, whether with co-workers, clients, suppliers, or investors. When you’re well-mannered and courteous in dealing with others, you create engaging, productive, and long-term business relationships. As such, it is important to learn not just the technical side of a business, but how to conduct oneself in the company of others. It has been my experience that the men and women who seek my services understand the benefits of having superior social skills and a polished image.

Question: What is the best way to overcome anxiety created by giving presentations?

WALETHIA AQUIL: Well, I always have butterflies when I’m preparing to speak. But as Mark Twain said, “There are two types of speakers: those that are nervous and those that are liars.” So, my secrets would have to be preparation, preparation, and more preparation. Acknowledge fear because it is normal. Dress comfortably – but I suggest dressing a level above the audience because you are the authority, the star, the speaker. Arrive early so that you can become familiar with the environment and any technical equipment that will be part of the presentation. Know your audience: who are they, what is their knowledge of your topic, how many will be in attendance, etc. If it is appropriate, greet members of the audience and introduce yourself as they enter the room. During your presentation, make eye contact with your new friends – this will ease the butterflies. Most importantly, smile and have fun.

Question: What is the best preparation for a networking event, and how do you recommend someone should “work the room?”

WALETHIA AQUIL: The best advice I can offer is to move outside your comfort zone. The best network and the most effective network is one that is diverse. Here are three tips that will help a person gain control of a room and command the attention of others:

[1] Smile and make eye contact – successful and confident people make direct eye contact, and a smile breaks down barriers.

[2] Have an attitude of gratefulness – when you are grateful, you radiate positive energy, and people are drawn to those who are positive.

[3] Abide by the three-second rule – acknowledge someone you don’t know, and within three seconds walk over and introduce yourself.

Learn more: http://graceandcharmblog.com

Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/graceandcharm2

Become a Fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/graceandcharm

Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/graceandcharm

Read more on the Blog: http://graceandcharmblog.com/blog

Listen to Walethia on BlogTalkRadio: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/graceandcharm

Did Google+ Click the Over-Saturation Social Media Button?

By now, everyone has heard the buzz about Google's entry into social media. Known as Google+ or Google Plus, this new social media platform has been available by invitation only (or in tech-speak, to those who have access to go behind the "digital velvet rope") but has attracted widespread attention from the mainstream media as well as by technophiles. As one reporter wrote, Google+ is like arriving at a party hours before it is scheduled to start but no one else has arrived. Thanks to Google, have we reached the over-saturation point in social media, or do Facebook and Twitter need to be worried?

Here are the features of Google+:

• Groups named as "circles" can be created consisting of specific people so that you can share content only with family or only with school pals or only with co-workers because in the words of Google CEO Larry Page, "in real life, we share different things with different people"
• On the main page named the "stream," posts can be viewed by everyone or only by members of the circles that have been created
• Places where groups of ten or less people meet to chat are called "hangouts"
• News can be found based on any number of topics – in what Google+ refers to as "sparks"
• Video and voice chats can be held with specific people in circles – some have said that this capability is even better than Skype
• The sites that you indicate you like (+1) can also be included as part of the Google+ profile – these are the sites that, according to Google, "you like, agree with, or want to recommend to others"
• Privacy settings are more user-friendly than other sites, for instance, anything on the profile can be set for public viewing or private viewing (e.g., who appears in circles, posts, about, photos, videos, +1’s)

There may be some very unique uses for Google+ that are not appropriate for Twitter or Facebook. For instance, tech super stores (Best Buy, Apple, Dell, etc.) could use hangouts or circles to address customer service issues. Businesses with a large number of telecommuters or international teams could use circles for brainstorming in more than 140 characters. While there are some things that can be stated easily in less than 140 characters, it’s sometimes necessary for making a long story even longer, and Twitter is not the place. College courses may use circles or hangouts for course discussion or exam preparation.

But, the big question yet to be answered is, how will Facebook and Google+ co-exist? Since Google+ has not yet launched to the public or been opened to brands, there is no easy answer. Google+ may be intriguing for the points stated above, but there will always be a loyal Facebook following. And while many Facebook users may dislike lists, the constantly-changing interface, and lack of attention when it comes to privacy, there is still much that appeals to over 500 million active users.

One thing to note, if you already had a Google Profile in the pre-Google+ days, that page automatically appears as part of your Google+ page. Again, in the pre-Google+ environment, the key reason for having a Google Profile was to make sure that you appeared in Google searches for your name and also to create a page where you could control content about you – that Google found.

So, if you have not joined the Google+ party and are on the fence, answer these five questions. Your answers will make the decision for you. But, if you decide to join Google+, visit my page at http://gplus.to/debbielaskeymba:

• Do you have time to allocate to another social media site?
• What are your objectives as you build your presence on Google+?
• How does Google+ fit into your annual marketing plan and overall social media strategy?
• Are your customers and competitors already on Google+?
• How will you measure your success on Google+?

Want to be nicknamed Strategy Guru?

 

Do you know how strategy and tactics differ? How many times have you heard someone talk about strategy without providing any substance? According to business expert Erika Andersen, “When people say apple or sunlight, there’s generally a shared definition. But people have no common definition for strategy.” In her book, Being Strategic: Plan for Success, Out-Think Your Competitors, Stay Ahead of Change, Andersen explains the differences between discussing strategy, defining strategy, and actually being strategic – so your business benefits.

The core of strategy, according to Andersen, is a journey with four parts.

[1] What Is? – an exploration of the current situation and how it came to be

[2] What’s the Hope? – The hoped-for future: clearly defined, realistic, and aspirational

[3] What’s in the Way? – an understanding of what’s blocking movement from “what is” to “hoped-for future”

[4] What’s the Path? – the plan to overcome obstacles and achieve hoped-for future

Perhaps the reason that so many people don’t like discussing or working on strategies is because they don’t like to focus on what isn’t working. But isn’t success better than lack of success? By focusing on the four-part journey described by Andersen, the process for creating strategies and tactics is easy. At the end of every chapter, Andersen provides worksheets to analyze your individual business situations and put her theories into practice. But let’s never forget the importance of collaboration with other employees, alignment with other business units, and adherence to project budgets and timing.

Here’s a refresher for key business success terms:

* Mission: why we exist, our unique purpose as an organization

* Vision: what we would look like if we were more fully achieving that purpose: our hoped-for future as a company, fulfilling our mission

* Obstacles: what might make it difficult for us to be the company we envision, achieving our purpose

* Strategy: core directional choices toward becoming the company we envision

* Tactics: specific actions that will best implement those strategies

If you want to be nicknamed the “Strategy Guru” in your office, then learn these easy-to-follow steps for strategic planning and action:

[1] Be clear about the problem you’re trying to solve

[2] Figure out where you’re starting from

[3] Imagine your “castle on the hill” – your ultimate goal

[4] Identify the “trolls under the bridge” – the obstacles in your path

[5] Outline the path to the “castle” – your core strategies and the tactics for implementing the strategies

[6] Re-evaluate your strategy and tactics as conditions change

Visit Erika’s website: http://erikaandersen.com

Follow Erika on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/erikaandersen

Become a fan on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Erika-Andersen/148974045125729

Subscribe to Erika’s Channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/erika1952

 

Visit Erika’s company, Proteus-International: http://www.proteus-international.com

 

Read This Carefully: Your Competitive Advantage Is What You Give Away Free

Answer the question at the end of this post – and you could win a free copy of Launch!

In today’s highly competitive and technology-driven marketplace, leaders wonder how their businesses can stand out. On a daily basis, leaders ask their sales and marketing teams to sell and promote products and services, they ask their R&D teams to develop the latest and greatest products, they ask their finance teams to accomplish more with fewer employees and smaller budgets, and they ask their IT teams to develop systems and infrastructure to handle business objectives with smaller budgets. So, it’s not surprising that customer focus can, and does, easily get lost. But thanks to Mike Stelzner’s latest book, Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition, the secret for standing out is easy.

Mike’s book describes the secret as the “other people” component. What he means by this term is that other people who are experts bring their insights to YOUR audience. “It’s a great way to develop relationships with people, an outstanding way to provide really interesting insights for your audience, and it’s another form of content that is written with perspectives and opinions other than your own.”

What makes this content different than everything else on your corporate website is that it is “minus marketing messages.” According to Mike, most businesses surround the content on their websites with advertising – this can include testimonials, collateral, media news, etc. Instead, Mike suggests, provide “other people” content:

• Comprehensive how-to articles.
• Expert interviews.
• Reviews of books, products, and websites.
• Case studies.
• News stories.
• Contrarian stories.
• Reports based on surveys – infrequently.
• Top 10 contests – infrequently.
• White papers – infrequently.
• Micro events (webinars, social media events, video broadcasts) – infrequently.

When you focus your content on helping people to solve their problems, your company will experience growth. Visitors will check out your site even if they don’t want to purchase your product or service now, but they will remember you for the value you provide. Your company’s focus shifts from “What can we sell you?” to “How can we help you?” Soon, people think of your company and your website as THE PLACE to go for help. Who wouldn’t want an increase in web traffic?

Here are the reasons that “other people” content is so important:

• People will become return visitors to your site to check out the latest content.
• People will recommend your content to others.
• People will reach out to you – unsolicited – to provide feedback and offer content.
• You will be received as an authoritative source.
• You will inspire deep loyalty.
• Experts will want to work with you.
• When you decide to decide to sell something, readers will buy – because you will have proven yourself as trustworthy and knowledgeable.

According to Mike, “The result: You no longer need to sell! Instead, you demonstrate your expertise by the content you produce, the ideas you showcase, the stories you share, and the people you attract…You can become the center of your industry, niche, or local market. And when that happens, you’re launched on an unstoppable trajectory that will take you places you never imagined possible…Everyone wants access to great insight and great people, before they want great products and services. When outstanding content is coupled with great people and decoupled from marketing messages, your business can quickly attract a larger base, more partnership opportunities, and significantly more sales.”

Want a free copy of the book, Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition? The person who submits the most creative response to the following question in 100 words or less will win a free copy: Mike talks about creating an “idea vault” for finding ideas for blog posts and interviews. Where do you find content for YOUR idea vault? Chime in below in the comments section with your response – and be sure to include your name and email address.

Visit this site for a free chapter of the book: www.elevationprinciple.com

Follow Mike on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Mike_Stelzner

Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/elevationprinciple