How will a blog and social networking help my business?

Blogging and social networking is conversation marketing. Through a blog, Twitter, or Facebook, you can provide fresh, candid insights that inform, entertain, and spark buzz about your company. Social media connects you to your customers and potential customers in a way other marketing vehicles can’t.

10 more reasons you need a blog

1. The world is wired. A company blog taps into the social networking scene, making you relevant, and it uses the latest trends and technology to give you one-on-one dialogue and feedback.
2. Blogs aren’t invasive. Unlike direct mail and advertising, blogs respect people’s privacy. People come to blogs because they choose to. Blogs are one of the purest forms of Permission Marketing. (See Seth Godin’s book, Permission Marketing : Turning Strangers Into Friends And Friends Into Customers)
3. Word-of-blog is the new word-of-mouth. People who visit your blog are often bloggers themselves, and they are usually enthusiasts about your products or services. They wield a great deal of influence and attract new customers by posting comments and linking to and from your blog.
4. A blog enhances brand loyalty. A blog can show a company’s personality, uniqueness, and it allows people to get to know you in a way they couldn’t otherwise.
5. A blog virally improves your search engine ranking. Tired of pay-per-click ads? Search engines love blogs; they index every blog post. That translates to a higher ranking for your company—over time—on the major Internet search engines.
6. Blog comments can provide ready-made leads for your company database.
7. A blog helps you build rapport with other industry professionals.
8. A blog makes you stand out among your competitors.
9. A blog means instant communication. A blog can spread info about your products and services more quickly and in a more lively manner than you can through radio, TV or even a static Web site.
10. A blog gives you more miles per gallon. When married with the content of your company’s Web site, a blog will help you get substantially more mileage out of your Web site.

Does anyone really read blogs?

Oh, yes. 57 million American adults read blogs and 12 million American adults write blogs. And micro-blogs such as Twitter are growing at a phenomenal rate; last time I checked, Twitter had over 6 million users.

Eighty-three percent of online Americans say they’ve used the Internet to find info about hobbies, and 55 percent look for “how-to” or “do-it-yourself” info.

Much of that “how-to” info is found in blogs.

Why outsource my blog to Blogging Bistro instead of doing it myself?

There are two keys to a great blog:

1. Excellent writing: A brain surgeon and a writer were having coffee one day when the brain surgeon announced he was taking a six-week sabbatical and would use it to write a book. The writer responded by saying that was an amazing coincidence. He was taking a six-week sabbatical as well and would use the time to become a brain surgeon. You get the point.  Great writing is a craft. A difficult craft. Since your blog has to be written well enough to draw readers back again and again, you need to have a skilled wordsmith writing your blog posts.
2. Time: Do you or someone in your company have the time to post two to three times a week, every week? Will you have time to check your blog for comments, and respond to those comments? Will you have time to continually update your blog calendar? Find other related blogs and ask them for reciprocal linking?

We work closely with companies who don’t have the time or resources to do a blog on their own. We:

• Strategize what you want your blog to accomplish
• Help you define your blog’s target audience
• Brainstorm appropriate topics for your blog
• Find and hire graphic designers (if needed), and professional writers who are great storytellers

Who are your content writers and graphic designers?

Our professional writers are experts at researching topics your clients will be interested in and creating practical, entertaining blog posts.

We also work with some of the most talented graphic designers and developers in the business. If your project requires design and/or development, leave the legwork to us; we’ll match you with a professional who will provide you with the look and feel you want for your site.

Do you create Web sites as well as blogs?

Most definitely. We specialize in creating WordPress.org Web sites/blogs and custom Blogger.com designs, but our graphic designers and developers are capable of working with many platforms.

Whether you need a new banner for your site, a semi-custom makeover, or a whole-ball-of-wax Web site/blog/social media package, our experts deliver.

Do you provide Search Engine Optimization (SEO) ?

Yes. We train our bloggers how to optimize every blog post for search engines.

Expert, ongoing SEO analysis and reporting is also included in several of our packages, and is always available as an add-on service.

How long will it take you to get my blog up and running?

If you have an established relationship with a graphic designer or Webmaster, we will begin working with that person immediately to build a blog that matches the look and feel of your other marketing materials.

While your blog is being designed, we research, interview, and hire your blogger. The entire process usually takes anywhere from one week to one month, depending on your specific situation.

How much control do I have over the content and tone of the blog?

Complete control. As we plan your blog together, we’ll thoroughly discuss the type of content you’d like, as well as the tone of blog posts. Once the blog launches, we’ll check in with you regularly, and we’ll make requested changes.

Should there be a point person from my company who feeds essential information to the blogger?

Yes. Your blogger will set up pre-arranged times to touch base with a company spokesperson in order to gather needed background, statistics, and quotes for blog articles.

We at Blogging Bistro often serve as the go-between for relaying information between our clients and our bloggers.

How long a commitment do we have to make?

We keep our fees low to allow almost any company to start blogging affordably. Consequently, we ask for a minimum four-month commitment from clients who outsource their content writing to us.

What if I end up not liking the blogger you’ve picked for my company?

If you feel your blogger isn’t a good fit, we’ll work with both you and your blogger to see if the issue can be resolved; if not, we’ll find a different blogger.

Can someone from my company blog from time to time?

Certainly! When we negotiate your blog agreement with you, we will discuss who’ll be blogging, how often, and what topics they’ll blog about. We’ll also discuss who’ll help edit your in-house writers’ content.

How much does it cost?

As you likely assumed, the cost varies depending on:

• The number of blog posts per week
• The blogger we hire
• The complexity of the services you ask us to perform
• The length of your commitment (we offer a discount for companies that agree to a long-term commitment).

Your costs will include a set-up fee (paid in advance) and a monthly blogging fee, billed on a per-post basis. (To give you a ballpark figure, several of our clients pay between $1,000-$2,500 per month for ongoing social media marketing services).

Do you offer training for businesses who want to build and write their own blogs?

We provide customized training for businesses — from executives to managers to staff. We will train you and/or your staff how to set up your blog, write terrific blog posts, and efficiently manage your content.

Our training fees are negotiated on an individual basis, depending on your specific needs.

Do you work with individuals, as well as with businesses?

Absolutely! I consult with individuals, solopreneurs and do-it-yourselfers all the time. I love the one-on-one interaction. Three of my most-requested services are:

1. Blog analysis/overhaul
2. Newbie blogger consult
3. Social networking strategy

Consulting fees are negotiated on an individual basis, depending on your specific needs. I understand that individuals are cash-strapped, so I keep my fees as low as possible — usually around $75 for a 1-hour consult (I run specials all the time, so ask!)

Do you offer marketing and writing services, too?

Yes. As a professional writer, I know that great writing is an essential marketing tool.

I offer seminars that teach simple, practical techniques for boosting your writing skills, developing brand identity, and pitching yourself effectively to prospects.

I also produce many types of content for my clients: Web content, e-newsletters, press releases, direct mail, brochures, and more.

Hey, Blogging Barista… How’d you get involved in the biz?

I love learning and teaching. Social media is evolving so fast that I’m never bored; I delight in helping others discover how to grow their Internet presence through social media marketing.

I’ve had a varied career. After graduating from Whitworth University (known as Whitworth College back in the dark ages when I attended) with a B.A. in English/Education and a minor in Journalism, I taught journalism and English in the trenches of the public education system. While simultaneously earning my master’s degree. (Because I have that degree in hand, I feel complete freedom to use sentence fragments.)

Some 11 years into that career, after our own kids came along, I unceremoniously “retired” from teaching and morphed into a freelance journalist (I’ve written three books, contributed chapters to two additional books, and written tons of magazine articles).

I’ve also done a stint as the public relations director at a fast-growing national franchise, blogged professionally, and have been writing my own award-winning blog (www.exploringadoptionblog.com) for five years.

I am still a teacher at heart; I love mentoring and instructing emerging writers, and I teach at writers’ conferences around the country.

Other stuff: I live with my hubby of 26 years and our two loveable teenage sons (yes, they truly are loveable!). I like to swim, snorkel, rollerblade, “camp” (in our 30-foot trailer), read with my sons, and watch DVDs of old TV shows with them.