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"Content Is King" But There Is More To Blogging

June 20, 2007 By 2 Comments

This week’s radio show that Tris and I did at Blog Talk Radio had a topic that was dear to our hearts. Content in blogging is king, but it is not the only thing there is to blogging. Many people believe that you can set up a blog start putting content on the blog and suddenly the company is a success. This is just not true. Blogging is more than just words on a web page or words typed into a blog platform. Blogging is so much more than writing cool content.

We discussed this at length today in our podcast. You can listen to the podcast or download it to get our take in what blogging is and what we define as a blogger and their duties.

Blogging is understanding not only how to write really good content, but understanding the back side of the platform, with using analytics, using RSS feeds, and many of the tools out their that will help you produce good content. Blogging is more of a whole concept and job description and a expertise. What expertise does a blogger bring? We think they are Community Managers or Social Media Managers. What do you think a blogger is and what do they bring to the table?

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Filed Under: Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Findability, Marketing, Mediasphere Radio, Professional Blogging, RSS, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media

Mediasphere Radio: Beginning Blogging 101

June 8, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Tris and I had a great time talking about how a business or individuals can get into blogging. We talk about the very basics and things to think about and tips on how to get your company up and blogging.

You can go and listen to the show!

Tags: , Bloggers For Hire, , , Hiring Bloggers, , Mediasphere Radio, One By One Media, Professional Bloggers, , , Tris Hussey

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Continuation of yesterday’s show: more on linky love to advertisers

May 30, 2007 By 4 Comments

Andy Beard left this awesome comment one the post announcing the show yesterday (if you’d like to listen to the show–listen to Shel Israel really–I have the show archived here):

I caught the end of the show and then listened to the recording.

I would love to know what you guys think of

1. People thanking their advertisers with followable links
2. People frequently tell me I undercharge for the amount of time and effort I put into all my reviews, so that would make any links I supply in a review purely editorial (which is what I firmly believe) – I write my reviews partially as a kind of consultancy, but also to demonstrate that compensated reviews can be high quality, whether compensated by affiliate sales or by a direct payment.
3. Free software which is monetized by the links (many notable Open Source Projects)
4. Providing links to people who pay you a retainer as a consultant. When you get someone like Rand Fishkin mentioning a few of his clients in a blog post and deliberately (that is what it seems to me) not including a link to them, then policies on linking really need to be specifically clarified on a blog that doesn?t have a legal disclaimer
5. Links from charities where you donate
6. Other forms of donations to people who decide to give you a link back

Everything about the discussion was very much “black & white” whereas in fact there are so many shades of grey that are perfectly acceptable, and actually in many ways darker than a comprehensive review written for some kind of compensation.

Does a company like Hewlett Packard or Universal Music Group really need to buy links for SEO, or is it really just for Buzz?

I told Andy in a comment that his comment was worth a post of its own, so without further ado…

Andy is bang on, these issues are not black and white. We covered this complex issue in about 20 minutes and didn’t have alternate points of view on for discussion. Can we do that? You freakin’ bet we can!

This might be a post where Jim and I don’t agree 100% (which is good), but IMHO I don’t have a problem with, and often do, thank advertisers with a link in a post and we (Jim and I) do link to clients. Part of it is SEO, but a lot of it is so you can visit their blog! Same for charities. If I support them, I link to them. Again I’m not thinking about an SEO benefit, I’m thinking about people finding the charity. This is probably why I didn’t even think about PPP posts being Google gaming bait.

I agree Andy, I think the cost to a company for a review is pretty paltry. Heck if I’m given a piece of software for free I’ll review it. A free copy doesn’t buy me or a good review, but I will take the time to give it a good shot. I don’t think a review on one of my blogs is equal, though, to one on yours Andy, so … well maybe I’m priced about right.

I also don’t mind links in free software in lieu of paying. Now, the bigger question is whether or not they work. That I don’t know.

As for large companies…no they don’t need the SEO, buzz, sure, SEO no. Frankly the big companies have the budgets and connections to get stuff in our hands.

I’m sure this post will bring up more questions than it answers, but hey that’s a good thing of course. If we need to do the next radio show on this topic again … so be it.

Update: Lots of great comments on this post (as I had hoped). Connected Internet poses more questions on this topic as well. One thread is why not go direct instead of through TLA or PPP:

I really can’t see the logic of signing up to the scheme. If an advertiser has decided based upon looking at your site that they want to buy a review, then why not just do the deal directly and keep all the money? By all means keep your site listed in the PPP directory so that you don’t miss out on any potential reviews that might come in via that route, but I really think that any advertising sales generated via your site should be done directly. If you’ve generated the sales lead directly, then why pay commission?

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Filed Under: Bloggers and Blogs, Blogs and PR, Media, Mediasphere Radio, Professional Blogging, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media

Where.com Secures $11M Funding and a New Blogger

May 21, 2007 By Leave a Comment

We are proud to announce that a new client of ours, uLocate Communications, recently received an $11 Million round of funding through Venrock, Grand Banks Capital and Kodiak Venture Partners, and they will be using that funding to further their new and exciting mobile platform at Where.com. In addition to the funding, One By One Media and Bloggers For Hire will be providing them a professional blogger to jump into the Where.com application and use it as a consumer and to post about his experiences and thoughts on the application.  Where.com’s platform is very exciting, as is stated from the press release:

WHERE is the first application development platform that addresses the major challenges facing developers and operators in the mobile application landscape. Built on the same framework that powers MapQuestâ„¢ FindMe and Helio’sâ„¢ Buddy Beacon, WHERE delivers the promise of marrying mobile technology with GPS. As a result, consumers have a wealth of content to choose from, effectively personalizing their mobile GPS experience. WHERE helps you find the people, places and things that matter to you.

Walt Doyle, CEO and President of uLocate is also a participating blogger which makes this company a very forward thinking company that I expect great things from them anbd not just because they have chosen our company to assist them in their blogging efforts, that’s was just a bonus.  They understand the power of blogging and want to expose their platform to as many developers and other consumers as possible.  They understand the communication tool that blogging provides and have implemented their online plans to include this powerful tool.  This company is going places, and I’m glad we get to be a part of it.  For further info you can see the full press release.  Follow along and see how Where.com will rock your mobile experience.

Tags: uLocate Communications, , , Kodiak Venture Partners, Where.com, One By One Media, Bloggers For Hire, , , Helio’s Buddy Beacon, , , Walt Doyle, , , CEO Blogs

Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Consulting, Blog Tools, Bloggers For Hire, Blogging News, Blogs and PR, Business Blogging, Client Sites, Corporate Blogs, Findability, Marketing, Media, Professional Blogging, Search Engine Optimization, Services

The Brogan “Extended Conversation” Manifesto – Web 2.0 Delivers Our Message

April 26, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Chris Brogan has written a great blog post today about extending the conversation.  He says that he believes that all of these web 2.0 tools that are available are for helping to extend the conversation.  I have to agree with Chris.  He touches on something that I think is the gist of Shel Israel’s new book about Global Neighborhoods.  Web 2.0 has allowed us to reach out and communicate like never before.  I have experienced it on a personal and business level myself. 

He makes a great point about how we are merely just a somewhat big cocktail party all talking to each other without reaching out to a broader audience.  We reside in a bowl or a bubble and we can only hear ourselves.

We’re all just talking to each other, which is swell, but if we want to be relevant, we’ve gotta climb the slippery, shiny, invisible sides of this big bowl we’re all standing in, and we’ve gotta get out there into the crowd. If I had this graphic, I’d post it. The graphic would be a guy throwing a bowl of shiny goldfish into a busy crowd. Think about that a moment. We’re all just goldfish in a bowl until we get there, into the people’s world.

I love this analogy because some days I feel like I myself am trying to climb the sides of the bowl to get to the outside to get the message to those that I can see through the bowl but they can’t seem to hear me.  I shout and shout and they walk on by like that zoo exhibit of the penguins underwater in Happy Feet (yes, my life is all about animated movies).  If I could only get through the protective glass and grab them and shake them.  Make them hear me.

I have begun to leave the virtual life and the echo chamber to get out into the real world and speak to people about Web 2.0 and the social media.  They have heard about blogs now which is different from this time last year.  The MSM has helped deliver the term and the message.  Of course, they have done this kicking and screaming, as is still shown by Jeff Jarvis as Chris mentions with NBC not allowing the Presidential debates online.  What happened to equal access? The funny thing is, NBC will broadcast it and it will be reported and written about by bloggers long before the MSM can possible publish their thoughts.

Controlling how you reach people is an illusion.  With the new Web 2.0 applications and uses being employed, they will find you whether you intend them to or not.  As Jeremiah Owyang was presenting at his panel at the ad:Tech conference in San Francisco, it became apparent that we as web 2.0 experts cannot agree on this issue.  I agreed with some on the panel and others not.  My style and message was even different than the people involved in Jeremiah’s chat.  It became clear then that we are not all singing from the same song sheet.  This in my opinion is a great thing.  It brings variety and diversity to the message. 

Finally, Chris Brogan asks the questions, "Should we even try to reach out?"  My response is a resounding YES.  Our problem is we are not sure ourselves what message we are reaching out with to be able to sing the chorus as Chris so aptly put it.  I think as we increase the integrity of the Web 2.0 foundation, we will begin to see our message take shape and it will allow us to break free of our "Bubble".  The chorus will get louder and the harmony will be great music.

[Photo taken from Chris Brogan]

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Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Consulting, Blog Platforms, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Blogging News, Blogs and Politics, Blogs and PR, Business Blogging, Conferences/Trade Shows, Corporate Blogs, Findability, Marketing, Media, Search Engine Optimization, Services

New Business Card “Just Google My Name” – Are you A Google Celebrity?

April 19, 2007 By 10 Comments

As I was watching live streaming via the Ustream.tv site of Robert Scoble, Chris Pirillo and Jeremiah Owyang, I saw a pattern of responses to the question, "Do you have a business card?"  Many of the responses were the same, "just Google my name and you will find me."  I heard this not only from the above named, but also in the background from people that were being interviewed or people introducing themselves. 

A quick look at the names Googled indeed showed that "Chris" was the number one search result for Chris Pirillo, "Robert" showed that he too was the number one search result, and finally "Jeremiah" was not number one but was ranked on the first page of results.

How is this possible?  It is a matter of the power of SEO and the power of how search works.  The power of blogging has made them Google celebrities.  These are not uncommon names, and in fact are pretty benign as I’m sure each of you know a Chris or a Robert.  I myself checked my own name "Jim" and of course my campaign to be first on Google came up very short.  Then I Googled my full name "Jim Turner", and lo and behold, I’m on page one here at One By One Media.  I have not been blogging nearly as long as the bloggers I name above, but I’m well on my way to capturing the new way of passing out business cards.  How about you?  Do you rank high in your search engine of choice?

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Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Consulting, Blog Mining, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Blogging News, Blogs and PR, Business Blogging, Conferences/Trade Shows, Findability, Marketing, Media, Miscellaneous, Search Engine Optimization

PayPerPost says they have a great ROI, but is there a downside?

April 9, 2007 By 3 Comments

I’m sure this is going to get some play on Techmeme, but since I’m writing this offline at the moment and haven’t even read my reads today yet (gasp, the horror, I know), I have no idea what else is being said.  Jim zapped this link over this morning.  As a matter of disclosure is talking at PostieCon in June.

So PPP ROI.  Okay, look at the info below:

As of right now our media investment has delivered 6,876 visits for our $3,156.43 or $.45 per visit, not too shabby when you consider the average cost of keywords through search engines. If you decided to go the paid search route good luck getting anywhere near that sort of traffic for this particular keyword, there were only 83 searches in February for “blog award” according to Overture.

Given the fact that this launched over Easter weekend we expect the traffic to increase once people return to work today. The beauty of PayPerPost is that it will continue to deliver traffic over time so our cost per visit will go down as time goes on.

A key factor in the success of every PayPerPost campaign is the product, service or website you are promoting. The Bloggers Choice Awards site is compelling and we have built in features designed to make it grow virally. PayPerPost will drive the initial traffic and awareness, but BCA will take over from there by delivering value to the visitor. If your not getting the same type of results you should take a look at what you are promoting through our system and how it might be improved.

Source: PayPerPost: Delivering Great ROI

I won’t disagree that those are impressive results.  I have doubts about their assertion about continuing traffic, I think they will get a boost early in the week, but that’s it.  I also don’t think that an ad about their blog awards is a good example.  Look, blog awards are easy.  Very popular.  Finding new blogs, voting for your friends and favourites.  What about other folks?  What about other products and services?  What about the long-term boost? I’d like to see more info on how particular verticals do (software, services, etc).  Again, for me, I think PPP and ReviewMe are good stop gaps.  I think they can build interest and short-time traffic well, but to sustain it, you need to be providing information and content continually.  Yeah, I’m talking about blogs of course.  I’d start a blog to have people link to and from there connections to your download page or service.  Engage visitors.  Let them know you want to know what they think and you care about that.

Like all parts of business, there are no shortcuts, no silver bullets, no quick fixes.

 

Filed Under: Bloggers and Blogs, Findability, Marketing, Media, Professional Blogging, Search Engine Optimization

Link Farmer Ted Murphy Kows How To Fertilize PPP Crops

March 7, 2007 By 4 Comments

It has been irritating me all day like a piece of popcorn caught between my teeth.  No matter how much I ignore the issue it doesn’t seem to go away.  I am of course talking about the now well known email from Ted Murphy, to Gawker Media’s ever popular site Gizmodo.  At first I thought to myself that Ted must think we are all completely oblivious to what is going on at PayPerPost, but every time I see the landslide of news in my reader or links to the latest story, the same conclusion comes to mind, Ted Murphy, "The Linkbait King" or Murphy "The Link Farmer."  As my title suggests, whenever PPP needs a boost in links or whenever the news becomes stale, Murphy launches the latest linkbait scam of causing the blogosphere to buzz about the company.  No matter what is said about PPP or about the ethics of the business plan or any other derogatory statement, Ted continues in his search for links.  He continues his march to a different drum no matter what type of publicity results.

I too have been sucked into his vortex of link gathering with my own posts about the subject.  I can’t help but grab my own torch and pitchfork to join the mob that is out to bury the company and the monster it has become.  I have often said I would love to be in a panel discussion with the different types of business models of online marketing through social media, but I’m afraid a chair might get thrown and Murphy would turn it into another Geraldo Rivera publicity stunt.  It’s almost an admiration on my part to see what slick move Murphy will pull out of his bag of tricks next.  I’ll be keeping my eye out for the fertilizer Murphy is so apt to spread.

Tags: Ted Murphy, , , , , Linkbait,

Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Consulting, Blog Mining, Blog Revenue, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Blogging News, Blogs and PR, Corporate Blogs, Findability, Marketing, Media, Professional Blogging, Search Engine Optimization

Organic Search: Is Your Business on Page 1?

March 6, 2007 By 1 Comment

I have heard Robert Scoble a couple of times this week say that at Microsoft they did research that showed that 3% of people out there went beyond page 1 of search results in their searches performed.  This can be very scary if you are a small business and want to gain customers on the Internet.  The first thing I ask customers when they ask me what we offer in the area of search engine optimization (SEO) or in search engine marketing (SEM) is "where is your company positioned in Google?"  If they don’t know, that tells me right away that they have no idea whether my answer to their question regarding search is right or wrong.  Google always seems to be used as the example because they have over 50% of the market share in search.  Companies have paid large sums of money to be on page 1 of Google search results.  Many companies also have paid exactly zero to be on page one.  Those without a page 1 marketing budget are the ones that get the position through organic search. 

"How do we get organic search results?"

This is one of the most popular questions that is asked of my company when I speak to customers about blogging and SEO.  I can talk about how great blogging is for SEO and for SEM but until they see actual results, it seems to be a skeptical look at blogging and its power.  My best example is a Daddy Blogger.  This Daddy Blogger I know started blogging back in early 2004 about his children and what it was like to be a father.  He spent exactly $0.00 on a SEO campaign and never once tweaked his site to make sure it was optimized for search.  His handle that he began with was Genuine.  That seems to be a very broad term, name, or search word.  Many companies have this in their company name or title or even in their tagline.  Some of the ones that I can think of are obvious, like Microsoft Genuine Advantage software, Genuine.com a software company, Genuine scooters, and many others.  I tell my prospective client to open their browser and type in the keyword Genuine.  After a few seconds I ask them to tell me what appears on page 1 of their search quest.  After the first three results, I would tell them to stop.  This Daddy blogger usually has always been mentioned. 

The reason I know of this example is simple.  I am that Daddy Blogger.  I never spent a dime on search engine optimization, no advertising budget, and I spent very little time each day to make sure I was on the top of the list.  This example is very effective to show that many of the companies out there are spending loads on advertising, when they need only be blogging.  Our clients are becoming more and more prevalent on the first page of Google in their genres or niche.  They are spending much less than their competition, but their results are growing at an alarming rate. You should also be vying for page 1 results on Google through organic search.  Contact me and let’s get your company out front.

Tags: , , , , , , , Daddy Blogger,

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SEO and Social Marketing

March 5, 2007 By 2 Comments

As we discussed earlier as our client Freight and Shipping, Inc., has used their new blog marketing program to increase their organic search, more and more companies are using the new social marketing as a way to increase their SEO and the marketing campaigns they are implementing.  Jennifer Jones at Podtech.net has a great interview with Andy Beal.

We have been very successful at using a blog to increase organic search results in our client’s marketing campaigns.  This is a good interview if you are on the fence about SEO and blogs.  Now is the time to benefit from search and a blog is a perfect tool to get you on page 1 results!

Tags: Jennifer Jones, Podtech, Andy Beal, ,

Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Consulting, Blog Mining, Blog Platforms, Blog Revenue, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Bloggers For Hire, Blogging News, Blogs and PR, Companies Needing Blogs, Corporate Blogs, Findability, Marketing, Media, Professional Blogging, Search Engine Optimization, Services, The Site
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