Blog Strategy
By Jack Mixner
We have heard all the stories about how politicians are raising more awareness – and money – than ever using the newest Internet strategy, blogging. We have had a look at the newest journaling blogs out of Iraq telling about war experiences in real time. One question remains for many: “How do we turn this into a useful business strategy to communicate with our clients and customers?” Kline and Burstein have a suggestion for a mythical campaign for P&G for a mythical new car seat. They map out a staged process with on-line research to discover the online “ecosystem” (page 109) of parenting and child rearing sites. As part of the process, they recommend key word research along with identification of what parents are looking for in terms of information. This gets lost most times. Researching what other folks are doing before launch will save a lot of time and increase productivity on your eventual postings. Thought leadership paired with information and advice is paramount. Yes, the P&G logo is on the site. Re-arrange the site by product instead of chronology. No, selling is not the goal of what is going on. Patience and credibility are paramount early in the process. Companies with the long-term – strategic – point of view understand the process better. As the community is built readers will become customers, not before.A final bit of advice from Kline and Burstein: build the site before you build the product. Use feedback from the site to design your products. It may take a bit longer, but the wait is worth it in profitability.
Reference Kline, David and Dan Burstein with contributing editors Arne J. de Keijzer and Paul Berger. blog! how the newest media revolution is changing politics, business, and culture. cds Books. 2005.