The end of January is upon us already. In just a few short weeks, one-twelfth of the year has passed. With now more than four weeks of the new year behind us now, we should be able to get a read on how the year is shaping up. As a follow-up article to my previously published tips for successful blogging, let’s check in on our own blogging strategy and inbound marketing efforts in 2012.

Do we now have a plan in place?

Have we worked up a detailed online marketing plan that clearly sets out specific steps and a establishes a publication schedule for our small business blog? If not, let’s set a short deadline and ask a colleague, mentor or friend to hold us to this deadline.

Is our timetable proving practical?

Are we spending enough time on our blogging efforts? Are we spending too much time? As small business owners, we need to appreciate the demands of our work days to ensure that we give our online marketing efforts sufficient time and energy. Failure to do so could certainly cause our blogging efforts to deliver fewer returns that we might expect.

Have we noticed any returns on our blogging efforts yet?

While it is definitely too early to expect a significant upswing in traffic or sales to measure, we should notice at least some change or have picked up a few anecdotes as a result of our blogging: a new commentor, a new contact on LinkedIn or Twitter or an email response to one or more of our posts.

Do we have a method to tracking anecdotes?

How are we saving the little stories that give flavor and dimension to our web statistics? Are we using Google Docs? Maybe a spreadsheet on our local network server (so our colleagues can also access it)? Are we actively sharing and promoting that document internally as a way to help build enthusiasm around our blogging campaign?

Are we keeping online marketing a priority for our small business?

Have our inbound marketing efforts slipped down the pecking order? As small business owners, it’s easy to get bogged down or distracted by the day-to-day operations of running our company. Yet for our inbound marketing campaign, we need to dedicate ongoing and focused attention to our blog.

As a small business owner, I set myself a pretty aggressive online marketing schedule. I spend a lot of time promoting the business, trying to sell our services.

However, sometimes I have to give my marketing schedule a pass. As a small business, I can respond to only so many curve balls and tasks in a week. And frankly, this week had me running. As Friday afternoon rolls in, and having been at my desk since 3.00 am this morning, I have decided to take a slightly more Jimmy Buffett approach to this post: beer and pistachios. I know my limits, and my limits have been reached.

Yep, I am not meeting my inbound marketing task for the week, but I am doing so as a calculated decision. Other business efforts took higher priority this week. I’ll will be back to normal broadcasting next week.

Many social media gurus often overlook the value and methodology of offline promotion of a small business blog. The trendy focus rests heavily on inbound marketing, relying on social media and quality content to generate a regular readership of a small business’s blog. While that particular focus is important, a well-rounded approach to blog promotion certainly will increase the likelihood of small business blog success. Such a multi-faceted approach includes taking steps offline to raise the profile of the blog.

What follows are a few simple ideas for offline promotion of small business blog — and therefore the offline promotion of the business itself.

1. Tell people about our small business blog

It seems simple and obvious, but that’s the beauty of it. If our small business blog is going to return real value for our company, we need to do all that we can to promote. We should be looking for ways to mention our blog at networking events, in conversations with clients and, yes, even at parties with friends, church socials and the like. We should constantly be looking for ways to slip in a quick word about the topic of our focus, how often we publish and who our target audience is. ensuring that our clients, colleagues, friends and contacts know this will help ensure that our blog is regularly in their frame of reference.

2. Get others to talk about our blog

If we work hard to create a great blog, one that provides valuable insight or knowledge to readers, then it is very likely that readers will mention it to others. Certainly a good portion of those mentions will be via social media, or perhaps their own respective blogs, yet those fans will also discuss our posts with their friends and colleagues. The way of that word of mouth referral cannot be underestimated.

3. Add the blog address to business cards and other promotional materials

As small business owners, we are likely to hand out our business cards like they are candy. Share, share, and share them with everyone we reasonably can. Yet let’s make sure that the specific URL for our blog in featured in some easily identifiable way. Let’s add it to our brochures and flyers. We can even add it to our internal communications to encourage our staff and colleagues to join in our offline promotion work.

4. Write to people about our blog

In the age of online communication and ever-present social media, few surprises offline promotional charm like a handwritten note. We can pen a short note to a key customer or contact mentioning a blog we recently wrote that might be of interest to them. The attention that personal letter will generate when it arrives at the recipient’s desk is bound to ensure that the recipient visits our blog to look for the mentioned post. Social media may be fast and easily accessible, but a good, old-fashioned note on a piece of paper packs a big impact in today’s world.

As a communications designer, I am occasionally called upon to perform acts of magic. Most consultants will know what I am talking about: asked to exert considerable effort and deliver significant results on a short schedule, often with little or no warning. While I am no magician, I do keep a number of tricks up my sleeve for use in select times. This past week presented such a time.

A client contacted me late Wednesday afternoon with an urgent need to upgrade his web presence. This client needed a new website by the following Monday at the latest.

Such a request was a tall ask, but I knew that it was definitely possible given one of the aces I keep in my back pocket. WordPress.

My client was running a WordPress.com website. As a free service WordPress.com is a fantastic way to get a very functional website and up and running in minutes. Yet my client’s needs had outgrown WordPress.com, so I suggested that we go with a self-hosted site with the same WordPress software, offered for free through WordPress.org. The approach agreed, I was off and running.

Within a short while, I had the latest version of WordPress software running on my server — I had lent my client web space given the short timetables — and had begun to make edits to the selected WordPress theme. I didn’t make a lot of edits to the theme, just enough to make the look and feel of my client’s website not look so ‘out of the box’.

The theme edited, I used the export/import functionality on WordPress.com to bring all my clients website content to the new site. I made a few more design and functionality edits to the PHP templates and the CSS, then called it a day.

The following morning, I showed a draft version of this new site to my client. The words of praise that I heard on the phone gave me much reason to expect this client to continue to rely on my services for years to come.

As the new year rolls forward, many small companies and organizations will focus attention on the creation of a business blog. For some businesses, this process will entail returning to an existing blog that has been allowed to wither or go stale from lack of attention. With this blog post, I aim to offer guidance on how to get a business blog on track for success in 2012.

1. Have a plan and write it down

It’s a generally accepted fact that small business owners are busy. Between the tasks of selling the company’s products or services and handling the administration of the business itself, small business owners are pushed for time. When time is a premium, advanced planning will always be a beneficial step. Professional and personal life coach Brian Tracy regularly states in his many books and seminars that every minute of planning saves at least 10 minutes of work time.

In planning for the next twelve months of this new year, let’s set down a detailed, step-by-step plan for using our business blog as an online marketing tool. Consider and set forth what actions we need to take, how much time we need to take those steps and when we will actually take those steps. Be specific. And let’s be sure to write our plans down. On paper. (I keep a printed copy my online marketing plan in a special folder on my desk, always within arm’s reach.)

2. Commit to a realistic time frame

Online marketing and, in particular, inbound marketing, requires concerted effort over a number of months. Business blogging must be an ongoing task for the company if there is to be a notable return on the investment of time and energy that small business owners will spend on creating valuable content. According to Mike Volpe, the Chief Marketing Officer at HubSpot, an inbound marketing campaign can take from a couple of weeks to least four months to gain benefits.

For the new year, let’s commit to blogging for a minimum of three months and ideally at least for six months. Let’s follow our written plan with vigor and zest. Be dedicated to our online marketing efforts.

3. Measure web activity and traffic

As the months of the new year roll by, monitoring the traffic levels and activity on a business blog is an important task. More than simply checking to see if overall numbers are trending upwards, let’s make an effort to ascertain if our intended keywords are bringing in the traffic and making the connections that we’re working towards. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the number of comments and inbound links as well. Those are key indicators of the value that our audience places on our business blog.

4. Note wins in an easily updated + shareable way

While web traffic and numbers of comments are easy to note, other online marketing wins prove more difficult to record and therefore often go undocumented. Wins can include an email from a key customer about one of blog posts or a door that we were able to open because we shared a link to another of our posts with a potential client. How are those little gains noted?

For the new year, let’s create a document, spreadsheet or other approach for sharing these little wins in an accessible and easily updated fashion. At lbdesign, we use an intranet blog to detail the specifics of these successes. I keep the intranet posts short and sweet — just detailed enough to be of use to my colleagues. An alternative method would be to use Google Docs.

5. Treat online marketing as a priority

Online marketing and business blogging must take priority on the ‘to do’ list if small business owners are to be successful in their new year campaigns. Just like traditional networking or sales, blogging for business takes time and energy over a dedicated period of time. The only way to ensure a positive return on inbound marketing efforts is to treat blogging as one of the most important steps in growing the business.

As this new year starts then, let’s remind ourselves that business blogging is a top priority for our small business.

While hitting the treadmill for a bit of exercise this afternoon, it occurred to me that business blogging is in many ways like Altoids mints. “What?!?” you blurt. “Blogging for businesses is rather like Altoids, the curiously strong mints,” I respond. The look of bewilderment on your face makes clear your confusion and lack of agreement.

Let me explain.

For those unfamiliar with Altoids, they are a very strong, very particular brand of mints produced by Callard & Bowser. They were first made in 1780 and have been going strong – literally – ever since.

The history lesson is nice, but how does that connect a breath mint with writing blog posts for your business?

Easy there. It’s the holidays. Have a little cocktail or a big mug of hot chocolate, relax and allow me to continue. Joking aside, I do believe that there were some interesting and valuable connections between Altoids and business blogging.

Altoids are strong and have a distinct flavor

The taste of Altoids is one that is not easy to forget — it stands out and has a potency that is not soon forgotten.  A well-written post will have a strong enough voice to be heard over the din of other blogs and will possess a sufficiently individual approach so as to offer readers a unique perspective.

Altoids are fresh

As a strong mint, Altoids certainly freshen the breath like few other mints. The freshness of the mint gives our mouth a little boost, just like a good business blog post gives our customers and readers a bit of insight and a boost of inspiration.

Altoids are professional

With a powerful punch of minty flavor, Altoids can ensure that our breath is fresh and smelling great (so that we don’t offend anyone with the smell of the roast garlic burger that we ate for lunch) for that important business meeting. A business blog should be as professional and well-prepared as we are when we walk into a sales meeting with our best customer.

Altoids are consistent in their presentation

Look for the Altoids on sale in the checkout display at the supermarket or the cornershop. They look smart. Well-presented. Ready for business. When we open the tin and pop a mint into our mouths, we will immediately recognize the great taste, the unique flavor and the distinct minty burst of flavor. Our blog should be similarly solid in its presentation: the design, the content and the delivery all must work together.

Altoids support the business brand

Look at the packaging. Study the quality of the presentation. Enjoy the curiously strong taste of the mint. It’s easy to see – and taste – how an individual tin of Altoids supports and promotes both the Altoids product line and the Callard & Bowser brand. Our business blog should do the same for our business, our products, our services and our brand.

Altoids are fun and a bit silly

As we can see in the photo to the right, the Altoids packaging is playful and lighthearted. Our business blog can pack that same sort of subtle humor or occasional quirkiness that endears our posts to our readers.

So, pick up a tin of Altoids as you wrap up your last few rounds of holiday shopping and see how those extra strong mints can add some zing to your business blog.

At a recent Chester County Internet Marketing Meetup, I took part in an exciting conversation about blogging for business. As it was, most of the people at the Chesco IM Meetup work either for themselves or for small businesses and organizations — and practically everyone was interested in learning about blogging for business. The conversation eventually progressed onto how to use a professional copy writer to help craft posts that visitors to a business blog would want to read.

The following suggestions are just some of the conversation highlights — the list is not exhaustive. Moreover, the ideas below are not entirely mine; they are mix of my own ideas and recommendations from a number of intelligent people at the meeting.

Share your knowledge of your business

No one knows your business better than you do. Even your employees won’t know the history, aims, customers and services like you do. You’re passionate about your business. Share that knowledge and passion with your copy writer to help him or her understand and feel your excitement.

Share your industry expertise

Many professional writers produce blog copy for a variety of industries. While those writers are likely to know something about your industry, they probably will not be as much of an expert as you are. To help your writer get to grips with the subtleties and nuances of your industry, be sure to coach your writer on the ups and downs of your business field.

Provide detailed feedback

Few tasks are as difficult for a creative as creating blog content in a vacuum. Without input from you, your copy writer will struggle to get the proper tone and angle for your blog. The writer will need detailed feedback from you about what you like about a draft post, what you don’t like and where and how edits can be made to improve the piece. Rely on the copy writer’s skill to add flavor, creativity and professionalism to the blog, but definitely take the time to engage in the drafting process.

Be timely in responding to requests for feedback or further details

In order to maximize the efficiency of your writer, it’s important to respond in a timely fashion to requests for feedback or further information necessary to complete a blog post. Courtesy considerations aside, the process of good writing demands a certain attention and rhythm, just like most creative activities. If your writer is in a rhythm, it’s best to support that with timely answers. Forcing the writer to wait a lengthy period for answers might even cost more as the writer will need to review the draft blog post before making further edits.

Plan in advance

As with any consultant, planning in advance makes for a more efficient and cost-effective business relationship. You will be aware of the different topics that matter to your customers and to your industry at different times of the calendar year. Plan your blog post content with your copy writer in advance of when those topics become relevant. This will save you running around at last minute to finalize your posts. It will also help ensure that you publish your posts in a timely fashion.

Be flexible to accommodate news, hiccups and other changes

To truly resonate with your business blog readers, you need to respond to marketplace in real time. That means allowing your schedule to be flexible enough to accommodate posts to address a potential issue in your industry. Flag up these news items and potential hiccups to your writer as early as possible.

Using a professional copy writer to help with your business blog can certainly be a great way to deliver quality content for your readers. Following the above steps can help you work in a cost-effective manner.

The wording on the cup reads:

WE HAVE YOU
TO THANK
Because of your loyalty and support,
we are able to give millions of dollars to
local and national charities each year.

Let’s consider the message that the cup conveys:

Wawa values our patronage: Right there in big, block letters, we can read that Wawa is grateful for us shopping at their stores. Notice the reasoning for Wawa’s gratitude: so that they can support charities. Forgetting our urge to be cynical, we can see very clearly that Wawa is deeply committed to its social responsibility program.

Wawa acknowledges our role in their social responsibility: Wawa does not put itself forward as the key actor in donating millions of dollars to charity. It clearly names its customers — us — as responsible for that. Wawa shares the credit with those who make the donations possible. That’s a humble and transparent approach.

Wawa supports the local area: Aside from employing thousands of people locally, Wawa reminds us that it is committed to the local area by donating to local charities.

Wawa remembers the customers just passing through: Not everyone who shops at a Wawa is a local. Some will be on a business trip or in town visiting family. Wawa has thought of those customers as well by thanking them for helping Wawa support charities that may be operating in their own home towns and cities.

Yet again, Wawa has proved itself savvy when it comes to marketing and building customer loyalty. No doubt I shall find myself in their stores again soon buying something, doing my bit to help local charities.

Related Posts:

• An Ongoing Campaign from Wawa
• Wawa continues to impress
• Well done to Wawa!

What sort of image works best?

Anything! Well, almost anything. It’s best to use a photo that is directly on point. For example, if writing a blog post about how to get more life out of one of our products, then a photo of that product is a great fit. If announcing the arrival of our newest employee, then certainly a photo of that new staff member would work wonderfully.

Yet, if we’re blogging about a concept that is less tangible, then consider using a photo of a related topic. Consider my post about tangible benefits of blogging: I snapped a photo of US dollars and British pounds to represent the commercial value of the tangible benefits.

Shooting your own

With the quality of digital cameras and the cameras on smart phones, it’s now easier than ever to take your own pictures for your blog. No, not everyone can be David Bailey just because they own a camera. Then again, most blog posts do not require breathtaking imagery. All they require is a visual complement, a graphic anchor to capture the reader’s attention. That can often be achieved with a simple camera (or an iPhone) and various objects from around the office.

The following images are just of sample of photos that I’ve used on my own blog:

All those photos were shot in my office, with items that I had laying around. Sure, I used Photoshop to digitally enhance some of the photos, but those tweaks are not really necessary. I edited the images because I am a communications designer. The native images, as they came off the camera, would certainly have worked.

So, as you focus on getting a few more blog posts up before the start of holiday season, why not try to add some of your own photos to your blog posts?

As business owners, we are likely to find ourselves answering a host of repetitious questions about our industry, our methodology and our business in general. Those questions are fired into us by our current clients, potential customers, suppliers and our colleagues. If we are lucky, we might even field such questions from a local journalist. Generally speaking, we’re happy to provide detailed answers. Sometimes however, we don’t have the time or the patience to answer that question for the 9th time this week. That’s where our business blog steps in to rescue us.

Build an online library of useful answers

As I have mentioned previously, a blog can provide a convenient method of converting business questions into blog posts, but as this topic has come up offline a number of times recently, I wanted to revisit and expanded on my previous post.

When considering how to answer a particular question that we regularly take during the course of our business day, here are a few thoughts to keep in mind.

• Answer the question completely: We’re trying to provide a valuable service to our customers as well as working to be as efficient as possible. If our blog post leaves the reader with more questions than answers, then we have failed on both accounts. That customer will come back to us again with the same question. So, let’s put enough time, energy and thought into the blog post. Have we considered it from our customers’ vantage point? Have we avoided the use of jargon? Have we written in concise and consistent manner?
• Answer the question consistently: The last thing we want to do to appear ignorant or ill-informed on our topic. An inconsistent answer to a question can leave our customers with a less than favorable view of our expertise. Moreover, are we likely to provide the same answer to a client who raises the same question five or six months after they initially asked it? Possibly not. By providing clear and well-written answers to the many questions that our customers put to us, we can ensure that we’re answering consistently, accurately and comprehensively every time.
• Answer the question when not rushed: Answering questions over the phone, across a service counter or on a smart phone, while expedient for sure, is not the best approach to delivering the most accurate answering. By taking the time to answer a question in a detailed blog post, we can produce the answer when we are not distracted or rushed.

Once our answer is published as a blog post, we can direct customers to the specific entry that answers their questions. Then, if that same customer emails with the same question in six months time, we simply email the link to them again. Talk about being efficient with our time!

Revisit our answers

Of course, the accuracy of our written answering might wither with the passage of time. Industry standards change, technologies progress and best practices evolve. We want to make sure that we schedule some time in our work to do list to review our blog answers every six months or so — just to double-check that they are still valid and correct answers.