Channelling Creativity: Good or Bad?

In the last few months, I've had several discussions with industry folk about the role creativity plays in delivering successful communications programmes.

As usual, the spur for these conversations has been around the impact of social media and how that has changed the way operate.

The question that immediately comes to mind when I read that sentence back is 'why should it change the way we operate?'

In other words, why do we need an idea for Facebook as opposed to just needing a good idea / theme that can work across all channels.

Conflicting opinions

I'm quite conflicted on this subject.

On one hand, I firmly believe that communications activity should always be integrated, and that the best results are achieved when a concept / theme is activated across all platforms (obviously tweaked slightly to ensure traction).

On the other, I've seen and been involved with activities that have worked because they have been developed with one specific channel in mind.

Traditional vs digital / social

Perhaps the issue stems from this misconception that traditional media / PR differs so dramatically from digital media / PR.

Personally, I think really good ideas will work anywhere (if executed well).

Maybe the traditional vs digital / social mindset just needs to be altered slightly.

Where conversations start

The easiest way for me to explain my thinking on this subject is via the graphic below.

Conversations can be sparked anywhere, from the smallest blog, to the biggest news network in the world, but it's what you do to extend a conversation is where the real value exists.

A great example of this was 2009's Burger King Whopper Sacrifice campaign which encouraged people to delete 10 Facebook friends in exchange for a free burger.

While this activity 'lived on Facebook', it was the campaign's DNA that made this successful everywhere else (oh, and Facebook's decision to shut it down!)

Splitting hairs?

Is this a legitimate issue or just the small print?

Personally, I think there are two very good reasons why channel creativity and the great traditional and digital divide cause problems:

1. People within the organisation of the brand in question will only get more confused than they already are.
2. Communicators risk losing their ability to create big campaign ideas if they constantly obsess over the channels available.

Perhaps (a word I've used a lot in this post), our mantra should go something like this:

Focus on WHAT will trigger conversations as opposed to WHERE they'll take place.

What do you think?

Should creativity be shaped by the channels available?

Is the audience the most important element?

Drop your thoughts into the box below and let's chat about it...

COMMScorner.com is the blog from Adam Vincenzini which focuses on social media and PR. Connect with Adam on Twitter or subscribe to his blog. 

The best online tricks, shortcuts and tools of all-time? (11 from me to start...)

Inviting YOU to help create a list of the best online hacks / tricks / secrets of all-time!!

We've had someone new (Antonia Harler) start with us in the last couple of weeks and together we've been sharing all of those little hacks / tricks / secrets that make the internet so much fun.

"Did you know if you added this app you could make this happen?"

"Nah, you should use this little work-around, so handy!"

You get the picture!

So, I thought it'd be fun (and useful) to crowdsource the little tricks / secrets we all use on a daily basis and collate them for everyone to refer to.

To start things off, I've listed 11 of my favourites (see below).

I'd love it if you could add yours to the comments section and forward this post to your friends to get their input too.

Let's make this a geek's dream and feature as many of these tricks / hacks / secrets as possible!!

11 online secrets / tricks worth sharing 

1. Automatically syndicate your Twitter favourites to your Facebook wall

I'm a big fan of Twitter favourites and like sharing them as much as possible. A great way to do this is by adding the RSS Graffiti app to your Facebook page but you need to tweak the feed configuration to read like this: http://twitter.com/favorites/username.rss

2. Spy on / compare subscriber numbers on other people's blogs

This is dead easy. Go to FeedCompare and add in the feed details you want to look at. Magic.

3. View a transcript of a Twitter chat before it is 'officially' published

Head over to wthashtag.com and type the your tag into the search bar. When the results pop up you'll see a set of tabs in the right hand corner. Click on the 'view transcript' option and voila, you're good to go.

4. Check out the stats associated with ANY bit.ly link

All you need to do here add a '+' after the URL and the stats will be on display i.e. http://bit.ly/cPrTrl+

5. Organise and tag your Twitter favorites with Favorious

After you've set up an account and your favorites have been ported over, use the edit / add tags function to give them some semblance of order i.e. http://favorious.com/people/adamvincenzini/favorites/tags/tools

6. Convert your blog posts into a printable format with Joilprint

This is handy. Head over to Joliprint.com and add in any URL you'd like to print out in a print-friendly format. Better still, add the widget to your blog so people can print in a nice format directly from the page they're on.

7. Use the Google AdWords keyword tool with a twist

Just say you want to write a blog post about blogging but can't figure out which specific angle to go for. Well, type blogging and who, what, where, when and how into the tool and click search and some great idea triggers will be set out in front of you.

8. Email ideas direct to an Evernote folder when on the move

Evernote has a million uses, but one of my favourites is to send ideas to my Evernote account when I'm out and about. For example, I might be on the tube and have an idea for a blog post, I'll email the idea to the email account associated with my Evernote folder. Just go into settings and track down the email address associated with your account. Simples.

9. Pre-save searches in a Google Chrome folder

I regular refer to pre-saved searches by keyword in my Google Chrome folders. For example, head over to twazzup.com, enter your search i.e. "Chicago Bulls" and save it using your favorites button - next time you go the that folder the latest search results will be waiting for you.

10. Bring Twitter to every web page you visit

Tweetbeat Firsthand is a cool Google Chrome extension which integrates Twitter into any web page. For example, you might be on Google News and BP is mentioned in a story. This extension will add a Twitter icon next to BP in the text which allows you to click on it and bring up the latest tweets associated with that account.

11. Turn Netvibes into an all-in-one intelligence dashboard

Most people know about Netvibes but not until recently did I realise you can set up intelligence dashboards by topic / interest on each tab.

This means you can have Twitter searches, RSS feeds, important sources etc all on the one, easy to view landing tab. So awesome!

OK! Your Turn!!

Simply add as many suggestions as you like below (perhaps in a similar style / format to the ones above) and after a week or so I'll collate everything and post it for anyone to access.

Thanks!

Adam

COMMScorner.com is the blog from Adam Vincenzini which focuses on social media and PR. Connect with Adam on Twitter or subscribe to his blog.

There is no such thing as a 'social media campaign'

The term 'social media campaign' is an oxymoron.

A campaign (in a marketing sense) is defined as "a systematic course of aggressive activities for some specific purpose".

In other words, a campaign is activated, succeeds or fails, and then, ends.

Social media, on the other hand, is all about on-going engagement and conversations. It is endless.

So, how on earth can you have a social media campaign?

It's time to get real...

Social media is tiny

What is the role of social media then?

It can certainly amplify a campaign.

It can make an organisation more accessible to its customers.

It can even improve the way an organisation conducts itself, making transparency a higher priority.

But can it carry an organisation by itself? No.

Will poor social media execution alone kill an organisation? No.

Will one good idea executed on a social media channel change the fortunes of an organisation overnight? No.

(The Tippex Bear immediately springs to mind here).

Social media accounts for 5.6% of marketing budgets in the US according to eMarketer.

That means only £1 in every £20 goes towards the thing we (comms folk) obsess about on Twitter all day every day.

Where does that leave us?

Don't use social media for the sake of using social media.

Don't talk about it in meetings as if it has magical powers.

Don't make it the only thing you focus on.

In other words, respect social media, but don't disrespect everything else.

Adam

P.S I realise this post turned into a mini-rant but I can assure you that was not the aim. I, like lots of other people, love the fact that social media has shaken up the communications eco-system, but sometimes we need to remind ourselves that it isn't the only show in town.

COMMScorner.com is the blog from Adam Vincenzini which focuses on social media and PR. Connect with Adam on Twitter or subscribe to his blog. 

Corporate blogging narcissism: Tips on how to avoid it

Yesterday, a post was featured on this blog which looked at the biggest mistake made on corporate blogs.

The consensus was that excessive self-chatter about yourself was the biggest thing to avoid.

Now while that seems like common sense to some, to others it is a difficult concept to grasp.

Even if you do grasp it, what can you actually do to address it?

And, what proof exists that this approach works?

Well, let's dig in a see what we come up with...

Why people visit a blog

I found this great list at Ihelpyoublog.com that suggests why people visit blogs, and it boils downs to 'needs' and 'wants'.

Blog visitors may be looking for/need:

• Information about people, places, things or services
• Opinions and/or reviews of people, places, things or services
• Like-minded people who share common interests and beliefs
• Funny, sad, provocative news about people, places, things or services
• Tutorials that teach them how to do stuff

Blog visitors may want:

• To be entertained
• To be re-affirmed in their beliefs
• To be helpful
• To be confronted
• To be enlightened

This leads to a clever content creation technique call The Visitor Grid which is well worth a read.

The takeaway: It is hard to do these things if you ONLY talk about yourself. Sure, you'll have some experiences and insights of your own, but the collective thoughts of others is much more powerful and compelling proposition.

What should you talk about then?

This entirely depends on your niche, but I love the sentiment from Joanne Jacobs from part one of this series on corporate blogging:

"Acknowledge the work of commentators from outside the organisation."

That's a great a start.

Some other things you can do include:

• Invite people from other organisations to guest post on your blog
• Extend upon the thoughts generated by others (add value to their content)
• Share links from other sources on your blog / channels
• Take comments made on your blog and use them to shape the content you produce
• Don't finish posts with blatant sales messages - a blog post is not a transactional affair
• Ask for views, opinions and analysis from your readers - invite interaction and involvement
• Provide your readers with insight and analysis that is useful
• Create a post about the top posts from the bloggers in your niche

Now, before I link through to some great resources about corporate blogging, what else would you add to this list?

How else can you put the needs / wants of your readers?

Adam

Related links:

• A guide to corporate blogging by ProBlogger
• 5 corporate blogging best practices
• CIPR Reputation Management Workshop on Corporate Blogging by Stephen Waddington
• Best practices for a killer corporate blog
• The 10 best corporate blogs in the world by Mark Schaefer

COMMScorner.com is the blog from Adam Vincenzini which focuses on social media and PR. Connect with Adam on Twitter or subscribe to his blog. 

Corporate narcissism: The single biggest mistake made on corporate blogs?

I've been thinking a lot about corporate blogs recently.

More specifically, I've been asking myself how long it will take until corporate blogs are universally recognised and treated as an organisation's most important external communications channel?

A lot has to happen between now and then, both from a production and perception stand-point, and it starts with the basics.

Yep, corporate blogs will never achieve what they are capable of until we, as communicators, get it right and get more stubborn about what is right and wrong.

To help get a mini-consensus on the most fundamental problems with corporate blogs, I asked a selection of smart cookies including Lee Odden, Jay Baer, Danny Brown, Kelli Schmith, Matt Singley, Trevor Young and Drew Benvie for their input on 'what is the single biggest mistake made with corporate blogs'.

Here's what came back...

The single biggest mistake made with corporate blogs is...

I thought I'd try and make this research as useful as possible by splitting this in two parts:

1. Feature the key themes / findings from the question posed (today)
2. Suggest some solutions on getting around these issues and some resources to help (later this week)

So, based on the answers of 30 industry thought-leaders, the single biggest problem with corporate blogs is...

The other popular themes / responses included:

As mentioned earlier, I'll follow this post up later in the week with some thoughts on how to combat these issues, but in the meantime, enjoy the full responses from the lovely folk who helped make this post happen.

• "They talk about themselves too much - often it's like they've just re-posted heir press releases." @TrevorYoung
• "Treating blog content like advert copy." @MarketingVeep
• "A blog has to be authentic. Failing at that is far too common and has to be the biggest mistake." @DrewB
• "They aren't adequately planned and so they dry up after a matter on months. Execs start with a burst of enthusiasm which can be quick to wane." @Wadds
• "Failure to acknowledge the work of commentators from outside the organisation." @JoanneJacobs
• "Lack of frequency and relevancy." @WisdomLondon
• "Faceless marketing messages." @EmLeary
• "Corporate narcism. Treating a blog like a distribution channel an engagement platform makes corporate blogs boring. Writing about topics the intended audience is actually interested in as well as making the effort to stimulate conversation attracts more readers/subscribers and opportunity to connect." @LeeOdden
• "Assuming people will read them." @ArunSudhaman
• "A failure to update with fresh, relevant content." @Frank_Strong
• "A lack of planning. You often see company blogs which have been set up without taking the time to think about the objectives and put a content plan in place. This tends to lead to a stream of company news and poorly targeted posts that are not relevant to the audience." @Beth_Carroll
• "Overt selling." @DarylWillcox 
• "I've recently launched a B2B financial services blog for my client, and after copious research, I think the lack of engagement is the biggest "mistake" (if you can call it that) Corporates still tend to use blogs as "broadcast" and still don't have the hang of writing and publishing content that ignites/triggers response." @brandguardian
• "The lack of content guidance, direction and employee involvement." @Fruchter
• "Tone - companies often miss the mark and blog like robots - it's easy to forget people are people whether they are in a suit or on a couch." @munkyfonkey
• "Putting up blog posts just isn't enough; *engaging* with the community is where the real value lies. It's astonishing how many corp blogs still manage to overlook this fact..." @WhatleyDude
• "Boring content." @markwschaefer
• "Not being personable enough and missing the chance to give your company a more human voice." @DannyBrown
• "Not realizing that many of the things your and your corporate colleagues think are boring and banal are actually fascinating to your customers." @JayBaer
• "Far too many corporate blogs focus on the company and not on the reader." @DaveFleet
• "Not posting content that the audience cares about." @JasonPeck
• "Lack of "real" content...too many press releases, not enough behind-the-scenes or real-life engagement topics." @mattsingley
• "Without question, focusing too much on themselves and not enough on their customers and potential customers." @ArikHanson
• "Not being honest and open or adding corporate spin." @JeffEspo
• "Excessive self-centred chatter about the company. Companies spend too much time creating content about their own products and happenings and not enough Time being a resource about the industry." @Jaxx09
• "Using it as a one-size-fits-all communications sausage maker. Taking all the leftover content that's about to go bad, regardless of where it comes from or who that content is created for, grinding it up, and repurposing it in hopes someone else will buy it." @Steveology
• "The mistake that I see repeatedly is to use the blog as a sales platform. From a corporate perspective there's no point in blogging unless it produces a return and it's very important to remember that. But a blog is not a place to publish press releases or push products/services continually. This approach displays a real lack of understanding of the nature of social media and sharing across the web. The key is balance." @ThePaulSutton
• "They are just the same as the corporate websites." @pgeorgieva
• "Touting their wares, rather than offering content audiences value." @Brend_Awareness

Do you think corporate narcissism is the single biggest problem with corporate blogs?

Would you add anything to this list?

COMMScorner.com is the blog from Adam Vincenzini which focuses on social media and PR. Connect with Adam on Twitter or subscribe to his blog.

Internet startup addict? 10 top sites to get your daily fix

The more time you spend faffing about online, the more interested you tend to become in start-up internet ventures and services.

I'm guilty of this affliction and can't get enough of hearing about the latest app, tool or solution that attempts become the next indispensable part of my day.

But where do you go to get the low down on this stuff as soon as it goes live?

Or better yet, before stuff even goes public?

Here are some places worth checking out...


10 top sites to get your daily startup fix

1. KillerStartups.com - A simple directory that allows you to vote for the ones you think have the most potential. I've signed up for daily alerts to this via WebTasty.com which is a handy way to keep tabs on the latest releases.
2. MakeUseOf.com - The cool websites and tools section of MakeUseOf.com is a great place to find new web-based solutions and apps. Sign up by RSS and get the daily updates delivered to your RSS reader for easy access.
3. OneForty.com - OneForty.com is the closest thing to a social media app store on the web. The latest tools section is where you can find stuff before it permeates the mainstream.
4. AlternativeTo.net - This does what it says on the tin - it finds you alternatives to software you are using based on the recommendations of others. Very handy. Good place to find newly releases solutions too.
5. StartUpSearch.org - Only just stumbled across this one yesterday, but I like the way 'traffic gainers' are featured on the landing page giving you an instant idea of what is gaining traction.
6. Betaworks.com - This doesn't really give you much background as to why it is in existence but it features links to tools / solutions that are still in beta phase and worth exploring in more detail.
7. StartUpNews.co.uk - Annoyingly, finding date stamps for these articles is a mission which is important when timings are so key to startups...however, this is one worth looking at all the same.
8. TechCrunch Europe - Mike Butcher and the team at TechCrunch are always on the search to break news about emerging start up ventures, making this one a must bookmark.
9. StartUps.bz - This isn't the prettiest site you'll ever see but features links to the latest internet startups and valuations of the bigger players in the market.
10. BuzzReportz.com - This looks like an extension of KillerStartup.com or a very good imitation but contains the latest developments from the world of internet startups.

Part of the reason behind this post is that I'm really keen to discover some other places on the web to find the latest news on internet startups.

Can you recommend any you like?

Where is the very best place to find out about new tools and ventures first?

Adam

COMMScorner.com is the blog from Adam Vincenzini which focuses on social media and PR. Connect with Adam on Twitter or subscribe to his blog.

Developing your conversation sphere

One of the most common questions I hear in meetings about social media is: "What should we be talking about?"

It is then usually followed by: "What shouldn't we be talking about?"

Theoretically (which is a word I loathe!) these parameters shouldn't differ too much from how a business has traditionally communicated.

In other words, just because these channels exist, doesn't mean they should be used for the sake of being used.

But, an air of expectation does exist now.

If you're not present in all the places your customers are, they'll starting asking 'why?' or consider engaging with a competitor who is in those places.

The conversation sphere

So, what is the solution then?

The following charts illustrate my (unfinished) thoughts on how a conversation topics framework could be established.

As no two businesses are the same, I don't think this thinking would necessarily apply across the board but its a starting point and will hopefully trigger some extended thoughts from you.

You really have to get specific in order to bring this process to life but let use a technology brand as a 'loose' example.

Your stakeholders will probably expect you to talk about the following - whether it is proactive or reactive.

The related section is the area most brands / organisations tend to focus on because it is much easier to be proactive and discuss positives as opposed to dealing with issues your product / service has created.

'Permission' is a funny thing - your credibility on a topic will determine your ability to engage in conversations outside your core area of expertise.

This is where your listening / monitoring comes into play, both in real-time and retrospectively.

And, these topics are predominantly dictated by third parties, requiring business (and sometimes legal) decisions as to whether to address or not.

The original rationale behind these charts was to illustrate what you should and shouldn't be talking about.

Lately, I've been using them to highlight the importance of talking about things other than just yourself.

Whilst you are expected to address issues / questions in relation to your core service offering, no-one wants to hear about you talking about yourself all the time.

This is where identifying appropriate related topics can make you a much more respected player in the social media eco-system.

However, it is a balancing act, and talking miles off topic won't do you much good either.

What processes are you using to develop conversation frameworks?

Adam

COMMScorner.com is the blog from Adam Vincenzini which focuses on social media and PR. Connect with Adam on Twitter or subscribe to his blog. 

What is digital content? 50 examples to start...

What is content?

I'd say content is anything that can be 'published'.

Yup, anything.

So, next time you're creating a content plan, it might be worth thinking about each of the following examples and where they fit.

We'll start with the more obvious ones and get a little more specific as we go along...

50 examples of digital content

1. A tweet (in any iteration) - text only, text and link, reply, retweet etc
2. A Twitter list - these say something about you when made public
3. A facebook status update - text only, text and link etc
4. A facebook like (yep, that is content and a contribution to the eco-system)
5. A photo / image
6. A video
7. A blog post
8. A collection of links 
9. An audio file
10. A graphic / chart
11. A question / a series of questions
12. An answer to a question - directly or indirectly posed
13. Numbers / stats / facts - any form of data
14. An interview
15. A profile - person, company, group etc
16. A report - on an event, decision, development
17. A survey / poll
18. Tips / hints / how to guides
19. Guest material
20. Opinions / views
21. Lists (like this one!)
22. Solutions to a problem
23. A presentation i.e slideshare
24. Resources i.e tools to help you get something done
25. Personal experiences / insights
26. Case studies / real life examples
27. Reviews / ratings
28. Tests / experiments
29. A location update i.e. A foursquare check-in
30. A comment, anywhere
31. A fictional story
32. A live chat / webinar
33. Historical content / future predictions
34. An advertisement
35. Event preview
36. A diary
37. White papers
38. An ebook
39. Rankings / index
40. Testimonials
41. Games
42. Widget / gadget / plug-in / Facebook application
43. A screencast (screenr.com is a great tool for this)
44. Bookmarks i.e. delicious
45. Facts / trivia
46. Biographies
47. Screensaver / wallpaper
48. A download
49. A Wikipedia entry
50. An invitation

There's a pretty simple point to this post.

When thinking about content, you probably produce more of it than you think.

Adam

COMMScorner.com is the blog from Adam Vincenzini which focuses on social media and PR. Connect with Adam on Twitter or subscribe to his blog.

The 12 most useful social media posts I've ever read

I'm a bit of a bookmark addict.

If I see something that looks even vaguely interesting I'll flag it up with the intention of reading it later.

But guess what? I never do...well, not as much as I'd like anyway.

So, over the last 10 days I've been digging through my Twitter Favorites (via the Favorious tool), Delicious and Diigo bookmarks and Evernote web clips to take in all the stuff I missed.

After reading through a few posts (and one particular one by Jason Falls) I started to compile a list of posts that I know I'll call on again and again.

And, I thought I'd share them with you...so here goes...

1. 30 questions for your content strategy by Jason Falls, Social Media Explorer

Scroll down when you click through and take note of the organizational, audience and content questions Jason has listed - handy, concise and relevant.

Use: Consult this when someone says 'what can we talk about on our own channels?'

Tags: Content, strategy

2. Social media policy questions by Deirde Breakenridge, PR 2.0 Strategies

Another post that has encouraged me to write more 'question' posts on my own blog. Deirdre explains what to look out for when creating a social media policy ranging from employee access to tech issues.

Use: When someone says 'can we have a chat about our social media policy?'

Tags: Governance, policy

3. How to write for the web: 23 useful rules by Chris Lake, econsultancy

PR people tend to think they can automatically write for the web. Sadly, this isn't the case but thanks to this useful post from Chris Lake you'll have some simple things to refer to when writing your next bit of web copy.

Use: This is worth sharing with a colleague who is interested in writing content specifically for the web.

Tags: Content

4. 57 social media policies and examples by Dave Fleet

I'll be the first to admit I haven't read through every single one of these 57 examples but I love knowing they are all in one place if I ever need them.

Use: Whenever and wherever you need 'em.

5. How to write a Wikipedia entry by Valeria Maltoni

I haven't had much experience with writing / editing Wikipedia entries (despite how powerful it is) so this is particularly useful for me...well, it will be one day!

Use: Next time you are adding something to Wikipedia.

Tags: Content

6. Top 75 apps for enhancing your Facebook page by Mari Smith, Social Media Examiner

It is easy to forget that Facebook is an incredibly sophisticated channel. Thankfully, Mari Smith has compiled this list of resources to get the most from your Facebook page.

Use: Whether you're establishing a new Facebook page or improving an existing one, this post is a terrific checklist to consult.

Tags: Facebook, tools / apps

7. 10 awesome free tools to make infographics via makeuseof.com

This post isn't flawless, but it is the best I've come across when it comes to resources you can call on to create infographics.

Use: Consult this if you want to dabble in the infographic creation game but seek out other resources too.

Tags: Tools, infographics

8. A social media marketing checklist by Lee Odden, Online Marketing Blog

Lee has listed every little thing you can think of when preparing to execute a social media marketing activity, ranging from general organisation to measurement.

Use: Consult this one a few days before you hit 'go' on an activity to ensure you've covered all of your bases.

Tags: Delivery

9. The 10 best corporate blogs in the world by Mark Schaefer

A very recent post that looks at what makes a great company blog, and more importantly, provides examples of the ones to use as benchmarks.

The goals / purpose of each of these blogs are also featured which is incredibly useful on its own.

Use: When determining the strategy / direction of corporate blogs you're involved with.

Tags: Blogs

10. 20 things you can do to make your website more Google friendly via StyloCreative.com

I'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to SEO so this post came in incredibly handy for me. Tips like  featuring a site map for both Google crawling and user experience purposes registers as common sense after you've read it...but sometimes you have to read it first!

Use: When someone says 'why aren't we ranking higher on Google?'

Tags: SEO, Google

11. How to develop a social media strategy: A road map for integration by Shannon Paul

The best part of this post is the 'defining the scope of the conversation' section which is a must read for anyone who wants to feel comfortable about engaging online.

Use: A great reference for general social media advice.

Tags: Strategy

12. How to create a social media share of voice report by Jay Baer

I've used this method a few times in the last 12 months and it is great to use when you need to turn a report like this around in quick time.

Use: Big brand share of voice comparisons suit this method best.

Tags: Analysis

If you have any other 'keepers' please drop 'em in the comments section below.

Thanks!

Adam

COMMScorner.com is the blog from Adam Vincenzini which focuses on social media and PR. Connect with Adam on Twitter or subscribe to his blog. If you'd like to view this blog on a mobile device, visit COMMScorner.mofuse.mobi.

Guest post: How my blog hit the Ad Age Power 150 in six months

The best bit of blogging advice I've ever received was from Kevin Anderson (ex-Guardian.co.uk and BBC News) who said to me: 'Forget everything else, just be passionate and real'.

Not only has it shaped the stuff I (try to) produce but it is also the characteristic I'm most drawn to in other bloggers.

Mark Schaefer's blog - {grow} - delivers passionate and real stuff everyday and is achieving some amazing results in the process.

I'll let Mark fill you in on the rest...

How my blog hit the Ad Age Power 150 Blog in six months

Guest post by Mark Schaefer

The success of my blog has been a wonderful surprise. It's rocketed up the charts and moved from position 370 to as high as 75 on the Ad Age list of marketing blogs in about six months.

Adam asked me to describe the keys to this success. I'm not sure I can -- which I understand is a wholly unacceptable answer! But I can certainly describe what I have LEARNED.

First you should understand that the Ad Age list is not necessarily a reflection on the quality or even the popularity of a blog. The list is comprised of five individual scores which together create a somewhat controversial alchemy of algorithms. Only one of these five scores is tangentially associated with reader engagement as expressed by number of tweets, comments, etc. If rated only on engagement, my blog would be in the top 40.

The Power 150 ranking is also highly dependent on historical back links, directory submissions and other SEO blogging devices.  That puts a new blogger at a permanent disadvantage. Older blogs will probably always be at the top of the list no matter how hard anybody works on their blog in the future.

A very real example of this is that there is one blog currently in the Top 100 that has not been updated since 2009.  Based on this strange scoring system, I would guess top guns like Chris Brogan or Copyblogger could never write a post again and still not drop out of the Top 10 blogs!  

But however flawed the system may be, it is the most noteworthy and prestigious system we have.  And I also think it passes the "sniff" test -- if you look at the blogs at the top, I think most would concur that yes, they reflect some of the best blogs out there.

I have not followed a typical path to success but can only offer three core values I try to demonstrate with every post:

1. Content that is "RITE;" Relevant, Interesting, Timely and Entertaining. I try to write a blog post that only I could write.  In the end that's the only competitive advantage each of us has.
2. I honor my audience.  Anybody who spends their time reading and commenting on my blog deserves my care and attention. I try to reply to each comment and if I can't answer something succinctly, I invite the commenter to call me. I have provided employment, recommendations, guest posts, personal advice and much more to my readers because they have become my friends.
3. Humility. On most blogs the comments are far better than the original post because the world is filled with people smarter than me. People who are amazing in their own way. I love that. I respect that. I thrive on that diversity. Who am I? A conversation starter, nothing more.

I guess I would also add that my approach to blogging is consistent. I don't consider it an after-thought.  It's difficult.  I have a family, a career and charitable projects I work on. To make a blog work, there are no shortcuts. You have to work like hell.

Thanks for the invitation Adam, and thanks to all of you for reading this post. I hope you'll visit me at {grow} and join the wonderful community you'll find there.

_______________ 

Mark has touched on a point which I think is often overtlooked by bloggers in the marketing and communications space - entertainment.

We all want to learn and be knowledgeable, but being entertained during that process is incredibly powerful and can make a HUGE difference to the success of a blog.

This advice isn't just limited to marketing blogs.

Corporate blogs are often difficult to engage with because they do not showcase enough personality - it is never an easy balance to strike but a good reminder to think about it all the same.

Thanks Mark for sharing your insights with us.

Adam

COMMScorner.com is the blog from Adam Vincenzini which focuses on social media and PR. Connect with Adam on Twitter or subscribe to his blog. If you'd like to view this blog on a mobile device, visit COMMScorner.mofuse.mobi.