Social Media Marketing Resources

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So you've created a Web log to communicate more intimately and more frequently with your audience. It's supposed to be easy. After all, the technology is simple, the style casual and the content brief. But after the initial wave of enthusiasm, you may find it increasingly difficult to generate ideas for the blog that began with so many thoughts—and so many posts—just a few months ago. Worse, you might be guiding a boss or colleague who may not be a fluent writer, but is the appropriate representative whose voice must be present in the blogosphere. How do you help that person refresh the well of inspiration when she's run out of ideas to draw upon? Tape the following list of ideas, prompts and suggestions over her monitor.

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There has been a flurry of RSS activity in the last two years, including countless startups that are hitting the new technology from every angle. These companies are doing everything they can to get RSS ready for prime time. Unfortunately, it's not quite there yet, but we're getting closer. What will it take to get RSS ready for wholesale embrace?

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Excite co-founder Joe Kraus has a new venture, and he likens the technology driving his new business to the Internet in the mid-1990s, when it was still "trapped in the land of the nerds." His new venture is the collaborative publishing tool known as Wikis. Just what is a Wiki, anyway? And why should you care?

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What's wrong with most blogs? They're too chatty. Too rambling. They lack passion. If you're going to blog, become an expert on something. This is especially important for blogging in the business world. Think content, not rambling comment. Get the full story.

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There are many approaches a company can take to blogging, each of which has its strengths and weaknesses. A blog written by top management, for example, has the potential of providing news straight from the decision makers. But the downside is that CEOs and senior executives are also wary of stockholders' perceptions and don't provide the bare honesty expected of a decent blog. A blog written by those at the lower rungs of the organization also has its strengths and perils. Here are blogging tips for bloggers at every level within a company, from the top down.

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From press releases to event announcements and customer memos, syndicating content with RSS offers a way around spam filters and ensures that interested parties receive your company info. Still, PR and marketing professionals are slow to adopt RSS. Many of you may believe it's too difficult or too technical. Perhaps the information you've read about RSS has scared you away. RSS can be an easy, viable way to publish corporate information. Here are five key reasons for adopting RSS as part of your communications strategy.

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If you haven't heard of podcasting yet, I am not surprised. It's a brand new term—just invented earlier this year, in fact. Podcasting refers to the technology used to pull digital audio files from Web sites down to computers and devices such as MP3 players. It's a significant departure from traditional broadcasting because it removes the time requirement; you can listen to a podcast radio program or interview any time. How will podcasting relate to marketing?

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This week, add your two cents to the discussion: What should companies consider when deciding whether to launch a blog? What benefits do blogs offer? Also this week, read your answers to last week's query: What's the best way to reach decision-makers?

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Old-school thinking demotes blogs to the domain of college students and frustrated authors battling writers block. New-school thinking elevates blogging to a much different sphere of influence. Journalists have embraced blogging -- both authoring blogs as well as consulting them for sources. And now blogging also has a place in the corporation -- in fact, it's actually good for business.

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These days, businesses are increasingly using a full range of communication methods including email, Web and fax to enhance relationships with existing customers, as well as a low-cost means of acquiring new ones. Now an emerging communication mode, text messaging—or Short Message Service (SMS)—provides an additional and interesting opportunity for companies and organizations to differentiate themselves.

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Advertisers, including Paramount Pictures, The Wall Street Journal, and the Gap, are successfully reaching niche audiences for a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising. As a result, a handful of bloggers are earning six-figure incomes from their blogs. Why aren't more advertisers and bloggers getting together? Three reasons: fear, ignorance and the knowledge that a lot of pioneers get shot.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Social Media Marketing

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Writing

For any organization, a blog should be part of a long-term customer evangelism strategy.

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Blogs aren't for everyone. Consider both the advantages and the caveats.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Social Media Marketing

If you’re not thinking about how to use blogs in your business, you’re missing a big opportunity.

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Newsletters or ezines are still the e-vehicle of choice for most marketers. But blogs are being slowly adopted as a channel for business communication. Here's why.

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Here are 10 rules for using blogs and wikis to achieve your branding goals in this emerging area.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Social Media Marketing

We should always keep striving to improve and enhance the brand called Me. But we should always be aware of the brand called We, which reflects the uncontrollable, omnipresent ability of others to build, enhance or even destroy our personal brands.

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Convincing journalists to cover your products or services isn’t a simple task. Here's how to clear the hurdles.

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ake these definitions as a starting point to think about how you might use a blog as part of your Web site or communications strategy.