six degrees

a sensory branding agency

The How & Why of Corporate Blogging

www.six-degrees.com

blogs are simply web pages – personal or corporate

written from the point of view of the author

updated frequently, using an informal tone

on-going posts of commentary, events, or news

typically focused on a particular subject

can include text, images, videos, links to other blogs and web pages

used internally to enhance communications and reinforce the culture within the organization

or

externally for marketing, branding and/or public relations purposes

easy to publish website

tells a real story or asks questions to get other readers’ involved in a “conversation”

an open channel for two way conversations

corporations can be their own “PR agency”

a form of electronic word of mouth/viral marketing

as of 2008, just 61 companies (12.2%)

GM, Boeing, Sun Microsystems, Google, EDS, HP, Coca Cola and more

best blogs are authored by one or more high-profile executives

expected increase in B2B usage across all industries in the coming years

online searches are driving business results

if you want to be found and want to “pre-sell” your capabilities

to join the conversation and become known as the “expert” in your field

be an active participant in the next-generation websites

► impacts your visibility with customers and prospective customers

►scale, speed, and impact beats traditional marketing techniques

►updated frequently to ensure higher rankings in search engine results (seo)

a blog is a communications channel

it’s not about making a quick sale

it’s about building awareness and credibility

goal should be to build authentic and deeper relationships - electronically

less time than it takes to:

– write a proposal

– write a presentation

– drive to the airport

about as much time as it takes to write an email to your clients

► savvy bloggers read other blogs►it’s not a replacement for other forms of marketing or communications►it’s a new way to narrow the gap between you and your customers/prospects► it’s not difficult to do

the subjects and subtopics are endless:

new products and services

summaries / reviews of books or articles

live reports from events – “on the spot reporting”

share useful tools and checklists

share research findings, survey results

step 1: log into your company’s blog site/editor

step 2: upon logging in see the “dashboard” and click on “write”

step 3: enter a title for your post in the “title” box

step 4: in the “post” section, type your message

step 5: select the appropriate “tags” (more on this shortly)

step 6: from the drop down menu select the “category” of your post (e.g., strategy, branding, marketing, etc.)

step 7: in the “excerpt” box enter a one to three sentence summary of the content of your post

step 8: see “publish status” to the right and select from:

– published – only select after proofing

– unpublished – will save the post without publishing

– pending review – saves the post for review before publishing

step 9: select “publish” when ready

tags add personal semantic hierarchy to help you get noticed/read

to view existing tags simply click “display click tags” (this assumes you have created a list of words that you would want to be searched by)

note a full listing of all active tags within the blog

try to find 3 to 5 tags that match your post’ content and simply click on the tag or type in the box provided

want more…click on the Yahoo link for more options

blogging software: hosted1. get started by visiting WordPress.com or

Blogger.com, etc. and sign up for an account

2. name your blog

3. choose a template

4. no technical expertise or programming needed

blogging software: in-house1. “enterprise” blogging platform =

software that is tied into the organization’s intranet

2. use WordPress.org for managing content look and feel (works just like a word processor)

3. use existing blogging platform that is right for you – no need to have IT dept. build a new one

RSS allows you to focus your search and monitor web materials/posts

enables you to request only the information that is pertinent to you

considered the single most important accessory to a blog

reader can “subscribe” to your blog which helps draw them back to you on an ongoing basis

(RSS – Really Simple Syndication)

Best resource for more information:

“The Corporate Blogging Book” by Debbie Weil. Published in 2006 by the Penguin Group, her book is just what we needed when we were novices at blogging. You don’t have to be a techie to understand blogging. And, Weil provides valuable “bonus resources” such as corporate policies to consider, design considerations, additional reading sources, a glossary of terms, etc.

Her book may be the only resource you’ll need to get started.

Six Degrees is an unconventional branding agency, offering insight mining, brand strategy, brand cascading and creative communications. Our sensory branding processes help brands touch the hearts and minds of target customers. We assist clients in building new brands and revitalizing existing ones, online and offline.

six degrees

8040 e gelding dr

scottsdale, az 85260

480.627.9850

www.six-degrees.com

thank you

elaine leonetti