Friday, December 31, 2010
6 Tools to Nurture and Engage Your Twitter Followers
A while back I wrote a piece on Blogging tools you'll actually use to run and grow your blog. I received a lot of great feedback on that series of posts and I wanted to provide a similar short list for running and growing your Twitter community.
Instead of a frighteningly comprehensive list of every Twitter tool under the sun, below are just the 6 that I think are particularly useful and effective for starting to really engage people on Twitter.
The first 3 are kind of standard/basics so skip 'em if you're a Twitter veteran. The second three are tools you may not have heard of and should check out because they'll enable you to do things that you can leverage for additional exposure, traffic, and customers.
The Basics
Link Shorteners - the vast majority of posts I see on Twitter are not the "what I ate for breakfast" posts, but people sending links to content - articles, videos, pictures etc. This is a great way to help people understand your area(s) of interest and expertise as well as help them find great content online. The basic purpose of a link shortener is to help you get around Twitter's limit for the length of each of your posts (or tweets).
You have only 140 characters to work with so sites like Bit.ly, tr.im and TinyURL will take your long, long URLs:
http://www.inc.com/maisha-walker/use-twitter-to-inspire-action.html
and turn them into nice 15-20 character ones à la:
http://bit.ly/dudwkJ (go ahead, click it!).
Many of the tools you'll use to post messages on Twitter (see Shortlist of Twitter Apps for Your Desktop and Pick the Right Twitter Tool: Mobile Apps), come with built in URL shorteners.
In addition to the practical necessity of shorter links, most of these shortening tools also provide great tracking! You can see how many people clicked on your links, which links were most popular, when people clicked etc. to inform you about which topics are most popular with your Twitter audience.
TweetMeme - the ubiquitous grey and green "retweet" box (which you see in the top right area of this post), allows readers to click on the image and easily send or "retweet" your post to their own followers on Twitter. It's a great way to encourage your community to spread the word about what you're doing or share your words of advice/wisdom.
In addition TweetMeme actually tracks your links as they hop around through the Twitterverse and displays the total number of times your link was retweeted. Not only does this help you to understand the popularity of given topics, it brilliantly enables the raging competitor in each of us to benchmark the success of our post against others and even ourselves. Very handy!
TwitPic - one of the many tools that enbale you to take photos with your phone and post them onto Twitter. Other products that do roughly the same thing: TwitGoo, yfrog and img.ly. Often tools like these are also integreated into the Twitter mobile app you're using. You usually also get some statistics so you can track response to your photos. Images can be very engaging. You'll have to decide if you want to use a special tool like this or simply link people to a Flickr account, Facebook page or a page on your Web site that displays your photos.
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So you and your company won't miss a beat!
Stretch a Little...
There are lots of neat little apps out there that will enable you to get creative using Twitter to build a strong and engaged community. Once you're ready to amp up your Twitter strategy here are three apps to help you get started (note this amp-ing up could be now, or it could be never. Don't feel obliged. Fancy-schmancy Twitter strategies are not for everyone but this will help you get your head around the kinds of things you can do.):
TweetSwell – suggested to me by my friend, their PR guy @TheDaveClarke who helped me compile the apps for this article, TweetSwell enables you to create Twitter-based polls – with each response also doubling as a tweet to help the poll go viral. TweetSwell also works to maintain your brand identity by making sure your poll pages keep your customized Twitter layout. Similar tools are http://twtpoll.com and http://twtsurvey.com.
TwtVite - allows you to use Twitter to congregate in person - sort of similar to Eventbrite. Watch the little animation video to get a sense of how it works.
For an example with live-action characters, I've found this fantastic "case study" for you of a bar owner in Milwaukee who used TwtVite to help him host the biggest Tweetup in the history of the Midwest! To get the juicy details of how he did it, visit the page and scroll down to see his answer to the question "How did you get the word out before the event?"
TwtQpon - creates online coupons which can be posted to various social networks, including Twitter. While there are tools like Groupon, Living Social that also handle online couponing, TwtQpon is designed to work specifically within social networks.
Anyone out there used TwtQpon who can talk about it? I'm eager to hear business owners' experiences with it as I think online couponing is an amazing opportunity for small businesses to very clearly and directly drive a lot of new and repeat business.
Leave me a comment and tell everyone about what you've done. Be sure to include a "signature" in your comment that includes your name, company name and a link to your company Web site so we can learn more about you!
If you have had particular success with "local" marketing using tools like Twitter, Groupon, Yelp, Facebook, online coupons, or last minute deals and can back it up with real data, let me know. I will be featuring a variety of companies as examples right here in "The Internet Strategist" on Inc.
You can submit your social/local experiences here.
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Blogging for Coin
In my last few posts we covered what a blog is, and the benefits of blogging as a technique to boost your business. For any blogging initiative you'll need at least three things:
what are you going to blog about (covered in my last post) how will you set up your blog (software & hosting) how will you market your blogLast time we began the discussion of blogging software, focusing on ways you can build and maintain your blog for free using services like WordPress.com, Blogger.com, or Blogher.com. The key with free blogging software is knowing what you're getting.
Here are some explanations these companies have provided outlining the features they offer:
WordPress
free features: http://en.wordpress.com/features/
premium (paid) features: http://en.wordpress.com/products/
Blogger
(all free) http://www.blogger.com/features
Blogher
features http://www.blogher.com/using-this-site
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But as anyone who has experienced "buyer's remorse" would know, equally important is knowing what you're NOT getting with these services. Since we all tend to be rather shy about broadcasting our deficiencies, I'll respectfully let you in on some of the downsides. These services do come with some caveats, namely, that you have to abide by their Terms of Service, the details of ownership can be somewhat nebulous, you have limited control over the look and functionality of your blog, a free service (because it's hosted separately) will limit the SEO value of your blog and you cannot, as of this writing, place ads on your blog.
For those who want design control, functionality control, clear ownership of content and want to be able to generate advertising revenue -- installing your own blog is probably the ticket. If that's you, let's talk about the two other options for how to build your blog — paid upgrades and downloadable version.
What ponying up will get you
Most blogging software have more or less the same features. Google owned Blogger really surpasses in terms of what it offers for free, but if you throw a little coin into the game you can get everything you need. The two options when you're considering upgrading from free are:
pay the blogging company directly for an "upgraded" version. Still hosted by them but with access to more features, orpay a hosting company. Have someone download a copy of the blogging software for you and install it on your own hosting account.
These two paid options give you more control over your blog, your brand, and your content. Here is a chart showing who offers each option from least control to greatest:
Free SoftwareFree hostingPaid Software
Free hostingFree Software Download
Paid hostingWordPressxxxBloggerx Blogherx TypePad xxB2evolution xExpression Engine xMoveable Type x
Free Software Free Hosting
With a completely free tool like WordPress.com, WordPress owns the server, provides you the software to build your blog and hosts it for you, all for free. They can generate advertising revenue off of the blog you build but as of this writing you cannot. Note also that this version most likely means your Web site and your blog (if you have both) are completely separate hurting your SEO and possibly weakening your brand with very different designs.
Build Your Blog
Blogging's 11 Big Payoffs pt 2
Blogging's 11 Big Payoffs
To Blog or Not to Blog
Paid Software Free Hosting
Here again, the software and hosting are both provided by a company like WordPress but you can get more by paying a one time or periodic fee. For example on WordPress you can pay to use your own non-WordPress domain, to get extra hosting space, to customize the blog's design, to upload & store video, or to turn off advertising on your blog. Note that as of this writing WordPress still does not let you post your own ads or upload a completely custom theme even if you pay for an upgrade. Also note that Google-owned Blogger, although far less popular, lets you do all of these things for free.
One other note on either free or paid software hosted by the blogging company, if you ever decide to move your blog beware. The process of moving the content itself could be a little challenging but more of a concern is your links. Each post you create will have it's own "permalink" or a permanent link that people can share, bookmark etc. If you move your blog it may be difficult or impossible to re-create the same structure on your new blog as you had on your old blog, meaning all of your links will no longer work.
Free Software Download Paid Hosting (by your hosting company)
This is the most flexible option. You get a hosting company (like HostGator), get your own domain name and have a developer download your own copy of WordPress or other software and install it into your hosting account for you. The options for customization are unlimited, you can use whatever design theme/template you like or hire someone to create one from scratch. You can install whatever widgets or tools you like to add to your blog's functionality, you of course own all of your content, you can post whatever you like (within the terms of service of your hosting company), and you can sell ads on your blog as a revenue stream. Just like the "paid software" version above, you pay a monthly fee but it goes to your hosting company. This version can be set up just as quickly but usually with the help of a development company. Basic hosting will be anywhere from $5-$15 depending on what you need.
How to choose?
Generally I suggest the free version if you don't plan to generate advertising revenue, and don't need sophisticated customizations or a custom design. Also if you're not planning to generate a lot of traffic to your blog in the beginning, you won't be as concerned about moving it (and breaking the links) later.
The paid upgrade gives you a bit more but it doesn't eschew the limitations and restrictions that are inherent in working with the blogging companies.
If you are ready to invest I generally recommend the downloaded version which will give you total control over your content, your design, your features and maximum SEO benefits if you have an existing site you want to integrate the blog with.
I hope this has helped you understand a bit better how the world of blogging software works and how to decide which path is right for you.
If you're still wondering which version is right for you, post your question below. I'd like to hear from you.
Two important notes:
I will be highlighting a variety of companies as examples in upcoming posts.
If you've had success with your Blog and can describe results/back it up with real data, you can submit your Blogging strategy here.
Even in a bad economy there's a silver lining. I'm giving away a free Web site!
If you'd like to be the lucky business owner tell me about your business and why you should win here. I acknowledge I'll be choosing the winner purely based on my own discretion. Heck I may even choose more than one. I look forward to seeing your entry!
Have a question? Got something to share? Something I missed?
Your feedback, comments, real world experience and tactical questions are an important part of the discussion. If you have a comment, question or feedback post it below.
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Build Your BlogBlogging's 11 Big Payoffs pt 2Blogging's 11 Big PayoffsTo Blog or Not to BlogLink Building - What to Do
So now that we know that Link Farming is bad and reciprocal links may have limited value, how do we convince other Web sites to link to us without linking back to them?
One Directional Link Sources
First - where can you get these one directional links? Great places include:
Industry directories — sites that are directories of other sites in a particular industryAbout.com — often has directories and provides information about a wide variety of industries and specific, niche topics
Event Sites - for events you are hosting or where you are a sponsor or speaker
Online PR — PR sites, or sites that have an article written by you or about you
Library sites — if you have content that is relevant to a particular topic and for a wide range of people libraries often offer great directories and resource lists
Blogs — if you have a product or service that is exciting and you can get a blogger to write about it.
Review Sites — if you have a product that can be reviewed.
If your site has a lot of free and useful content you will have a much easier time getting incoming, one directional links.
How to Ask for a Link
Also if you plan to reach out to other sites to link to you, make sure you use the right approach.
Consider "deep linking" - invite linkers to link to a specific page of relevant content rather than linking to your home page. This is usually far more appealing for bloggers and other content sites.Make the contacts personal — avoid sending blanket emails to sites. Write personal emails or consider calling. Consider establishing a relationship over time. The extra time it takes you to do this will force you to be more selective in the sites you choose to reach out to.
Choose carefully — getting a link can be a lot like pitching a story to a magazine or even like cold calling. Make sure you have done your research and confirmed that your content is right for the site you're contacting. The last thing you want to do is create bad will by blanketing sites that have no interest in what you do.
Have something noteworthy and specific to offer — remember that in general, noone cares about your latest product or your newest client. I know that sounds harsh but it's unfortunately true. You have to find a reason for them to care. Find something interesting, unique, exciting, personal or noteworthy that would make people want to link to you.
Related Articles:
Getting Good Rank: Search Engine PrimerSearch Engine Optimization in 3 Easy? Steps10 Tips to Avoid the Biggest SEO MistakeThe 9 Places to Put Your Keywords for SEO PowerLink Building -- What Not to Do
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Hoe Kom Ik Aan Prospects En Klanten Voor Mijn Producten?
Als distributeur voor een Netwerk Marketing bedrijf weet je als geen ander dat jouw succes , en daarmee de groei van jouw inkomen, afhankelijk is van het succes van de mensen in je downline, en het
The Power of Thank You
I wanted to use my last column of the year to discuss the value of "Thank You." Many start-ups and small businesses survive and thrive via referrals and word of mouth. I'll use a personal example today to show how one business keeps its word-of-mouth pipeline full.
Earlier this year, our home air conditioning system failed during one of the hottest periods of the summer. We called our regular air conditioning and heating service, and they dispatched a technician who could not fix the problem. Seems the fan motor was bad, the unit was old, and they could not remove the fan blade from the motor. It was going to be at least a week to find a new fan and motor part, get someone out there, and get us some relief. And to add insult to injury, it was going to cost north of $600 in addition to the current service charge.
At that point, angry, frustrated and very, very hot, I went searching for an alternative. I contacted the company that makes our air conditioning unit, and they referred me to a web page with authorized local techs. A small independent shop answered my call, and the owner himself came out to fix the problem the next day (incredible in that heatwave). Somehow, he was able to remove the fan from the motor, and he had a spare motor in his truck that was a suitable substitute. In addition to the quick fix he provided, he was courteous, quick, and paid attention to small touches like removing his shoes before coming in from outside where the cooling unit is located. As a bonus, his work cost was about half our regular company's quote. As the air conditioner started to cool our house, we were very satisfied customers.
As a small business columnist, I always like to talk to owners about business and challenges. My technician works in a family-owned business that has a very small staff, and he does most of the repair and contracting work himself. He does little marketing, but told us that a way to thank him was to refer him to other customers - most of his business comes from word of mouth.
Fast forward a week or so later, and I'm commuting to New York on a train, when I see a neighbor. He told me he was having an air conditioning system issue. I referred our new service tech, and my neighbor hired him. A few weeks later the neighbor told me the tech had replaced their entire unit. The cost was in line with what he had expected, work was done professionally, and he was quite happy with the way things turned out.
I might have forgotten this whole incident until this week, when I received a holiday card from the technician with a hand written thank you for the specific referral and a Home Depot gift card encouraging us to keep passing him to other who might need air or heating work done.
Now, I don't need to be bribed to refer someone who does good work, but this showed me how this tech keeps his pipeline full. He uses the power of "Thank You" to keep people thinking about him. There are so many different ways to do this, from gifts to notes, emails, and especially to referring business back to those who sent you work.
I hope you can benefit from this quick lesson in the spirit of the holidays. I also wanted to take a moment to thank you for spending time reading this column, commenting, passing my writing on, connecting with me on Facebook and Twitter, and most of all, working hard on your start-ups. You inspire me every week and keep me working on this column.
I wish you much success in the new year!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Taking Your Opportunity With BellaMora to The Next Level
There's something to be said about meeting someone you've only talked to online or over the phone for the first time.
How to Start a Boutique Hotel
Luxury hotels were a big deal in Atlantic City in the 1920s, as depicted in HBO's hit series Boardwalk Empire. In the 1950s and 60s, Atlantic City was actually known as the "Queen of Resorts" before gambling was legalized in 1976 and monstrous casino hotels took over the landscape. So when New York City-based companies Cape Resorts Inc. partnered with Normandy Real Estate Partners L.L.C. a few years ago, they wanted to re-create the luxurious boutique hotel of Atlantic City's historical past. They developed the only boutique, luxury, and non-gaming hotel in Atlantic City, The Chelsea, to cater to travelers looking for a refined, independent experience away from the casinos.
"We recognized that there wasn't a natural market for this type of resort at the time we were developing The Chelsea," says Jane Mackie, vice president of marketing at Cape Resorts, a company focused on smaller properties built on the principles of luxury, comfort and service. "But we also recognized that there were no options in town for the upscale traveler who might just want to get away, spend some time near the water and do something different. People want a hotel experience sometimes more than just a bed and breakfast or motel, and less than the large casino hotels."
Opening in May 2008, The Chelsea features 330 rooms and two suites, but is focused on an intimate and exciting experience that doesn't revolve around gambling. From a design perspective, it fits much in the mid-century form of the town, and philosophically it focuses on its waterfront location with a full-service beach, two outdoor swimming pools and an upscale nightclub. Since opening, the resort has outperformed a volatile market in town, catering namely to leisure guests on weekends with high amounts of disposable income. Unlike the casino resorts in town, no rooms are complimentary.
Starting a boutique hotel in a time of economic volatility as seen in the past few years is a risky proposition, but if done correctly, it can be a profitable business venture. As travelers change their vacationing patterns, they want more out of their experiences than some of the traditional big-brand hotel chains can offer. In this guide, we will discuss what exactly a boutique hotel is, the principles to focus on when opening one, and how marketing yourself differently can lead to success even with competition from larger, branded competition.
How to Start a Boutique Hotel: Definition of a Boutique Hotel
Ask three different people to define a boutique hotel, and you'll get three extremely different responses. At the most basic level, boutique, or what some refer to as lifestyle hotels, offer a level of intimacy in an increasingly impersonal world. For many travelers, it's the element of surprise, in a positive manner, which helps them choose a boutique hotel over a branded facility. But how many rooms does it offer? How big is the property? And what makes a boutique different from any other small lodging options?
"To me, a boutique hotel is no larger than 150 to 200 rooms that can sometimes operate as part of a brand but more often are known for independent ownership," says Rick Swig, owner and founder of RSBA & Associates, a San Francisco-based consultancy firm for many in the hospitality industry. "They're usually not very cookie-cutter in terms of design or experience, and they display distinct characteristics of the target market. So when a customer walks in, they see customers who look like them, think like them and has common values."
Boutique hotels were by many accounts invented in the 1980s, with the first noted as The Morgans Hotel in New York City, The Blakes in London and the former Bedford in San Francisco. As time went on, customers became disenchanted with the similar service they had always received from larger chain hotel brands, and wanted something unique and different, in terms of look, feel and level of personal service delivered. What many customers say when asked what they prefer about boutiques is the connection they as guests have with the hotel staff, a level of personalized service that isn't achieved in larger hotels.
"To put it quite simply, you need a clean hotel designed to fit the needs of the customer you're looking to attract," says Joe McInerney, president and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based American Hotel & Lodging Association. "You need the right design, the right destination and the right location. If you don't have all of that, you're not going to be successful."
Dig Deeper: How I Did It: Butch Stewart of Sandals Resorts
How to Start a Boutique Hotel: What to Focus on When Opening a Boutique Hotel
From the very start, as McInerney notes, the biggest factor in success as a boutique hotel is destination and location. In terms of destinations, you need to look at cities that can attract a pretty diverse market segment, from the traditional leisure traveler to the business traveler and then events and conventions.
Dating back to the days before it was a casino town, Atlantic City has been a destination for wealthy urban residents from three of the largest metropolitan cities in America. It is located less than three hours by car from Philadelphia, New York City and Washington, D.C., making it an ideal weekend or even overnight trip. These facts were critical in choosing Atlantic City as the location for The Chelsea.
Ideally, those cities are not seasonal destinations, and there are visitors both during the week and on weekends. Regarding location, you need to be centrally located to the other things in that particular destination that are going to drive business to your hotel.
"My favorite exercise when you're looking to buy or develop a hotel is to stand on the proverbial roof of the building and look around you," says Swig. "You need to look at what other businesses are going to send customers your way, and if you can't see enough of that within a one mile radius, you're probably in the wrong location."
To Swig, the keys to measuring success with a boutique hotel are as follows:
Defining the hotel's purpose and/or niche
Developing a high-quality product created to appeal to an underserved clientele
Conveying a clear, interesting message to the target market
Not spending too much money in development to make profitability with your product difficult to achieve
As you design the hotel, you should be forward thinking in terms of amenities but also consider the market you are in. For The Chelsea, they focused on Atlantic City's past while also incorporating modern amenities. There are historical photos throughout, but a salt-water swimming pool, restaurants with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the water and distinct post-modern design scheme.
"It's important that it look good, but sometimes there's too much emphasis on style," notes Mackie. "Through our experience with other properties, we've learned that the largest driving force in return customers or repeat business is an overemphasis on service. It's easy to get people to come once, but the hospitality industry is all about getting people to come back again and again. So we focus on making the experience unforgettable."
Dig Deeper: How to Pick a Site For Your Business
How to Start a Boutique Hotel: The Cost of Opening a Boutique Hotel
In the last few years, the industry has seen a rise in rooms for luxury and middle-tiered hotels with a decrease in supply from older hotels and many economy-based. There is certainly opportunity for a boutique, which could fit between the middle and high-end of that spectrum, but you need to be smart about your investment. According to a recent cost estimate guide published by HVS, a global industry consulting firm based in San Francisco, "the expectation is that projects will return in the second half of 2010, with an overload in 2012 similar to what happened during the post-9/11 recovery."
In terms of start-up costs, buying an existing property and renovating to fit your needs is much more cost-effective than developing an entirely new project. Cost will also vary based on how many rooms you are building, as well as the additional amenities of the resort. This is considered a per key basis, or how much money is spent on the resort compared to how many room keys exist. According HVS and their 2009 end-of-year study, the cost per room (when factoring in land costs, site improvements, soft costs and working capital) could be anywhere from $75,000-$400,000, depending on the hotel and location. To determine the local per-key sales figures, check out the HVS study or find a local hotel industry consultant in the market you are targeting to figure out the going rate.
For many in the hotel industry, it's a minimum-wage (tip-based job). For a boutique hotel, you need to hire experienced hotel workers with great customer service skills. As Mackie says about Cape Resorts, "Customers always say, 'My God, you have so much staff, how can you afford it?' And that's exactly what we want. We just say that is really what the brand is about. The whole experience is delivered by the staff and its emphasis on training, so you need to find the best." Smaller staffs should be paid more based on the level of service you're asking them to provide.
The limited overhead as a smaller hotel both help boutiques post larger profit margins than many bigger brands, according to Hotel Investment Advisors, another industry consultant. Part of the profit margin is the cost you can charge your customers, which can sometimes be double what the larger local brands are offering for similar rooms but without the personal touch. Initially you won't have the brand equity that the larger brands have built up over time, so it may take you longer to reach the point of breaking a profit.
Dig Deeper: The Best Hotels for Business Travel
How to Start a Boutique Hotel: How to Market Your Boutique Hotel
An oft-overlooked aspect of opening a smaller hotel is your product distribution, or how you market yourself. Because you don't have that existing brand recognition of the larger chains, you need to get the word out there about your resort. By defining your resort as a brand of one and communicating your standards in the same way that larger resorts do, your customers will gain a level of comfort and familiarity with your resort. Telling a unique story behind the location or history of the hotel (for The Chelsea, it's nod to Atlantic City's past) can put you over the top in terms of occupancy and success.
The good thing for many start-ups is that the Internet has made this marketing aspect considerably easier. You can now put your boutique hotel on a level playing field with some of the larger branded properties thanks to the benefits of travel search engines like Expedia, Bing, Hotels.com and more as a great way to raise your brand recognition.
No matter how you break it down, it comes down to your return on investment as a boutique hotel. But with no franchise fees and the opportunity to operate with your own customer service ideas and brand characteristics, boutiques offer the chance to succeed as an independent hotel.
Dig Deeper: Forget Travel Agents, Social Media Has the Power
Why I'd Rather Recruit 2 People This Week Than 20
Why would I NOT want 20 people joining my business this week?
Ways to Generate Leads Online
Online lead generation is one of the best ways to improve your business sales as most people are now using the internet for their business and their everyday needs.
Food - A Sinful Reason to Catch Flights to New York
Those who catch flights to New York are lucky indeed. The destination is a paradise for food enthusiasts and offers a gastronomic adventure, which surpasses numerous other cities in the world.
Net Neutrality: Will Netflix destroy the Internet? (ZDNet - A Developer's View)
| Internet - Web Development Stories, World News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.Wednesday, December 29, 2010
To Blog or Not to Blog
Outside of the fact that you happen to be reading one right now, I find that there are lots of smart, business savvy folks out there who when placed in the position of having to explain, strategize or build a blog (or decide if one should be built at all) are at a bit of a loss. Blogs are usually easy for most people to recognize but harder for folks to define.
When I hosted a free class on the subject (as I do from time to time) it "sold out" (in the way only free classes can!) the room filled to capacity.
Even those who can sort of describe a blog, often find it hard to understand when, why and how to create one so that it will actually create benefit for a business, organization, cause etc..
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Of course everyone who manages a successful blog has found themselves in a similar position at least once and gotten past it, so I thought I could impart a few words of advice.
First of all, what is a blog really?
A blog is just a Web site.
Let me repeat that for the non-believers — A BLOG IS JUST A WEB SITE.
But it's a special kind of Web site.
Let's start by looking at the different kinds of Web sites that exist. Many of the students of my in-person classes will recognize this.
According to my calculations and ruminations, there are essentially 4 kinds of Web sites you can build based on how your business attracts revenue:
Web Site Types
BrandingExamples: Coca Cola, Dove Advertising Revenue
Examples: Inc.com, Google.com eCommerce
Examples: Amazon, Zappos Lead Generation
Examples: messagemedium.com, razorfish.com
A branding site like Dove is working hard to immerse the viewer in the company's ethos. You can't actually buy any product from their site, they don't seem to sell ads, nor are they pushing hard for you to give up your contact information. Dove's site is all about convincing you of their commitment to improving women's natural beauty and self-esteem in the hope that this will generate an emotional affinity to their brand.
Related Articles by Maisha:Building Your Tribe - 6 LinkedIn Success Studies (final/part 3)
Building Your Tribe - 6 LinkedIn Success Studies (part 2)
Small Business "Success Studies" Using LinkedIn
LinkedIn the 11 Most Useful Features for Small Business
An advertising revenue site like Inc.com has articles and information as its content. It is designed and organized into categories like "Business Advice" "Tech Startup" "The Internet Strategist" to display that content in a way that's easy for you — the reader — to find, read and pass along.
An Online Store like Zappos.com has products — shoes - as its content. So it is organized and designed to make it easy for you to find the kind of shoes you're looking for. One of reasons Zappos is so popular is it provides a variety of ways to find what you're looking for.
A service Web site like message medium has services as its content. So our site is organized to make it easy for you to find our services and also to find the things that make us a credible company to work with — testimonials, articles, client samples, news clippings etc.
As a business owner, more than likely you are not looking to spend millions of dollars on a branding Web site so let's focus on the other three.
So How do Blogs fit in?
Blogs are an interesting breed of Web site. In structure, they are most like Advertising Revenue sites. Like a newspaper, they usually publish content with some predictable regularity, and the content is typically arranged by date and/or by category so that it can be easily found by readers.
But what's interesting about blogs and has made them so ubiquitous, is that they, with all of their content and social elements, can be used very effectively to support an Advertising, eCommerce or Lead Generation Web site.
My blog "The Internet Strategist" is designed to fit within Inc.com's business model of generating revenue through advertising and things like events.The blog of Tony Hsu, the CEO of Zappos, is designed to generate brand loyalty and increase sales of the products Zappos sells.
This blog also does double-duty, helping you the reader understand my areas of expertise as an Internet Strategist, which my company message medium hopes will help us generate more consulting, Web site design and construction, and Internet marketing clients as well as attendees in our classes.
So the first thing you have to identify when considering blogging is — what kind of business do I have and how do we stay afloat? How do we generate revenue? This will help you determine your ultimate blogging purpose.
Next time — I'll discuss "The Big Payoff" what can you expect a blog to actually accomplish for you?
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