Do I Need a Blog for My Business?

This is another post aimed at those thinking of getting a blog. All you experienced bloggers are welcome to leave comments and links to their own posts that will be helpful to newbies.

In promoting my upcoming workshop Hands On: Your Own Blog (Set up your own blog in a morning!) I've been asked this question many times so thought a post was in order.

Why you need a blog:

1) If you don't have a website already. Setting up a blog with an easy to use blogging platform like WordPress, Blogger, Movable Type, etc. gives you an inexpensive site that you can update yourself. If you have a little experience with computers, are happy to use a free blogging platform and a free to use theme, the blog could cost nothing to set up. If you need to hire a professional designer to install the blog for you or to do a custom design, with your own domain and hosting; the blog could cost from a couple hundred euro on up. See more about choosing a blogging platform on the post Before You Start Your Blog.

2) If you do have a website your blog can be added as a separate section where you can include news and other current information that would be of interest to your visitors. If you are concerned about portraying a certain image on your site, you can use your blog to lighten up a little -- as people expect a blog to be a little more personal and conversational. Your blog is also a way to show off your expertise in your field with your insights on news and current trends.

3) Most of the popular blog platforms (as noted above) are developed to be EASY; easy to add posts, easy for your visitors to add comments (that are easy to delete if they are just rubbish) and register to find out when the blog is updated, easy add-ons with cool features (like lists of friends, calendars, videos, etc.)

4) Easy, also, for search engines to find and index so search engines love them and index mostly on a daily basis. There are easy to install Search Engine Optimization plug-ins that make your blog have even better results in search engines. Some search engines, like Google, have a separate blog index as well, so you may get double coverage.

5) RSS Feeds - RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and it's true. The blogging platform generates a feed (which is really just a file in a specific format) that can then be picked up on other sites, wherever you or your subscribers want to see the feed - like a feed reader. This means that people don't have to remember to come back to your site to see if you've added something new. They can read your posts where and when they want to. RSS feeds can also be used in Widgets so your posts can be displayed on your main site or a social networking site (like MySpace, Facebook, etc.)

6) Media professionals use the Internet to research story ideas. These days you will see so many ideas started in bloggers or with references to blogs. With your blog you can be part of it.

7) The Irish Blogging community rocks! You may not be looking for a new group of friends, but a lot of bloggers in Ireland (and probably other regions) are very helpful to those starting out and you can build a network of blogs and bloggers in related fields that will help promote your own blog and business.

8) Blogs integrate well with your whole online marketing strategy - yes you should have one of these to make sure you are taking advantage of all the Internet has to promote your business! I have a friend that says email marketing is the glue between your online marketing efforts and I say that your blog can be the petrol that really gets it moving.

9) Your blog won't take over all your spare time - at least it shouldn't. If you are focused and organise your time you can have an interesting and current blog without spending more time than you can afford to give.

Who shouldn't have a blog?

If you absolutely:
- cannot stand the thought of putting your thoughts down for the world to see (many people are like this);
- will not find 2-3 hours at least once a week (as there's nothing worse than a blog that has a couple of posts from a year ago);
- do not have a target market that uses the Internet at all (but it's very hard to imagine any businesses with many customers like that).

If you still have questions, you can comment here and I will reply, or come along to Hands On: Your Own Blog workshop this Friday! If there is a demand we will be putting on additional workshops.

Before You Start Your Blog - What you need to decide.

This post is meant for beginning bloggers, particularly those that are attending my "Hands On: Your Own Blog" Workshop. If you are an experienced blogger, please feel free to comment and/or leave a link to your own blog post, or other recommended resources on basic blogging.

Should I use a free, hosted blogging application (like Blogger or WordPress.com) or should I register my own domain name and set the blog up on my own web hosting package (at a cost of approx €120/year)?
1) If you are setting up a personal blog or have a VERY limited budget, you may be happy using a free hosted application, where you will have an address for your blog like http://yourname.blogspot.com or www.yourname.wordpress.com.
- The benefit is that it is absolutely free and if you aren't sure about what you want to do with your blog you can leave it and start another.
- The downsides are that it doesn't appear as professional as having your own domain and you don't have control over your files so you are at the mercy of the blog provider if they choose to remove your blog or have technical problems. You need to back up regularly.
- You can choose in the future to move your blog into your own domain/hosting. You just need to be sure that it's done in a way to maintain any links to your blog and value you've gained toward search engine placement.
2) With your own domain name/hosting package you register the domain name that suits your business (if it is available). You then install the blog application onto the domain so that it goes directly in as www.yourname.com or www.yourname.com/blog.
- If you already have a website this is your obvious choice, unless there are technical reasons why you cannot install the blogging application on your hosting package (like me).
- The benefit is that you have a more professional appearance to your blog and it is a mini-website for your business.
- The downside is the ongoing cost of approx. €120/year, which is really not that much as far as web services go, particularly seeing how much benefit your business will get from your blog.
- Free hosted blogging platforms often offer less facilities for customisation and plugins to enhance your blog.
3) You could take a third option and register a domain name (for approx €10-20/year) and have it forward to your free hosted blog.

What blogging application should I use?
There are a number of blogging applications that are very good and widely used. Your choice of application will depend on the features available and what applications you currently use. For our blogging workshops we are offering you the choice of two platforms:

Blogger is one of the earliest blogging tools and is now owned by Google.
1) If you currently use a lot of Google applications you may prefer to use Blogger as it is on the control panel for your Google account.
2) There are a few templates to choose from and you can customise the look of the template from the control panel if you are familiar with HTML/CSS.
3) I haven't seen any benefit in search engine results based on the fact that Google owns it, but this may be developed more in the future. I've been told by employees there via Twitter that they are coming up with more aids for this, but for now you have to manually change the templates to get best results on search engines.
4) There is a wide selection of widgets that you can use to add content to your site, but to easily use this you need to use a standard template.
5) There are a number of tools you can use to more easily add/edit posts from "Blog This!" buttons on your web browser to a Blogger gadget on your iGoogle page.
6) Even if you host your own blog, the control panel for your blog is still on the Blogger site and the files are "published" to your own site after you make a change.
7) Added 29 June 2009 You can only publish posts in a Blogger blog. You cannot create information only pages like "About Us" or "Shipping Info".


Word Press has two applications WordPress.com is the hosted version and WordPress.org is where you can download the application to install on your own server and it seems to be the web developers blogging choice by far.
1) Using the application takes a little more getting used to, but is still very user friendly.
2) There are a large number of templates (themes) available, including very professional looking themes that you can purchase for a more unique look to your blog. The templates are customisable if you have knowledge of HTML/CSS
3) There are a number of plugins to for WordPress blogs, including those for statistics, calendars, best search engine placement, spam reduction, etc.
4) There is a large community of WordPress users that you can look to for support via their own blogs and forums.
5) You have the choice of the hosted version or hosting your own blog.
6) WordPress.com does not allow you to add many widgets like GoogleAds, if you'd like to make some money from your site.
7) Added 29 June 2009 You can create information only pages like "About Us" or "Shipping Info" to make the blog appear more like a 'regular' website and not just a blog.


More Resources:

• Blogger.com Features
• WordPress Features
  
• Problogger.com - Choosing a Blog Platform
• Blogger vs. WordPress Comparison Chart 2009
• Niche Blog Hosting: WordPress vs. Blogger
• Blogging Wars – WordPress Vs Blogger
• Blogging Basics 101 - Choosing a Blogging Platform

Stop the Downgrading of Bantry Hospital

Skibbereen Business Association has asked that I set up a petition to show their support in the campaign to stop the downgrading of the Bantry Hospital.

Click here to view and sign this petition.

Downgrading the hospital will take away 24 hour acute services currently provided there. These services will then be available at Cork University Hospital, which will then mean a 2 hour, or longer, trip for the patient and their family and friends that will want to visit/assist the patient.

More serious will be the lack of emergency care in the area out of hours which may lead to an increase in fatalities due to the time to get to CUH. According to the website beara.ie "Currently 70% of admissions to the hospital are emergencies and outside 'office' hours." (Click here to view full story on beara.ie)

Set Up Your Own Blog in a Morning in our New Workshop

You've probably heard that a blog is a great way to promote your business, whether you already have your own website or not, but perhaps you aren't sure about how to set up your own blog. On Friday, 3rd July, I'm holding a half day workshop entitled "Hands On: Your Own Blog" where I will take you step by step through:

• setting up your blog (whether as part of your own domain or with a free blogging service)
• customising the look of the blog
• adding plugins and features
• adding content to your blog (including organising your time to do it)
• promoting your blog (coming up in search engines, getting links, etc.

The workshop takes place in our offices in Clonakilty. I can only take 3 to 5 people, so that I can give personal instruction. You need to bring your own laptop so that you can set it all up during the workshop. (Sorry if you don't have a laptop. In future we may be able to accommodate you -- or talk to us about one-to-one coaching in your own office/home.)

The cost is €200 (additional for domain registration and hosting if required), which is very good considering you are going away with your own blog and lots of expert advice -- and 30 days support to get you off and running. Click here for full details.

This is the first in a series of Hands On Online Marketing Workshops which will enable you to set up and maintain your own online marketing campaigns. The full schedule:

• 3rd July, Your Own Blog
  
• 7th August, Your Site PR Campaign (which includes link building, social networking, offline marketing, etc.)
• 4th September, Your Email Marketing Campaign
• 2nd October, Your Pay Per Click Advertising Campaign

If any of the workshops fill up, we will schedule additional dates, as there are no other workshops of this kind, especially in West Cork.

Click here to read more about our Online Marketing and Search Engine Optimisation Training and Workshops.

Irish Interet Association Annual Congress & Net Visionary Awards

Click here to Book Your Tickets Now. Use voucher code CONG001 and get 20% OFF!

As mentioned in previous post, I am really looking forward to the IIA Annual Congress. First of all it will get me out of West Cork (and my family duties) for a couple of days. Secondly, I will get to meet many of my online friends that I have yet to actually speak to face to face -- and meet again others that I only get to meet at conferences and awards ceremonies. Thirdly, I will get to see if the manners of some of the other internet 'professionals' around Ireland have improved.

My first and only appearance at the Annual Congress was two years ago. I'm a fairly seasoned conference goer from my past lives in the business worlds of New York and London, but this was my first for my new life in Irish online marekting and I was really looking forward to it.

The main challenge was getting to the conference location, which was Killiney. I didn't have the time or budget to stay at the venue so planned to travel back and forth in one day. I flew into Dublin Airport and decided to take the cheap route, which seemed easiest anyway. I took the Airport Bus from one end of Dublin to the other (which was probably as quick as any other way), being left off at the Red Cow Hotel. As advised by the conference venue I took a taxi from there, but it took ages to arrive and much longer and more expensive to get to Killiney then my pre-trip calls advised. So I arrived at the conference late and pretty tired out already! (I may just drive to the conference venue this year to save all that hassle and can come and go as I please.)

The conference itself was very informative, especially as I hadn't been to any related conferences. There were speakers from Ebay and Bebo, as well as top Irish internet businesses. I really got a lot of information from the break out sessions as well and found most of the speakers really helpful. Throughout the sessions I was really looking for ways to help my clients who at that time were mostly smaller businesses in West Cork. Many of the discussions, particularly by the Email Marketing service providers, were suited to bigger businesses, but I always like to think big, but sometimes have to be pratical as the clients have limited time and budgets.

I am not great at mingling at these events, unless I have a particular question or subject to discuss, but at lunch I made a 'friend', a woman who was a senior person in online marketing across Europe for a fairly large, well known US company. After the official finish of the conference, we both had a couple of hours to spare and we retreated to the bar for a drink. There was a group of lads from the conference talking away. She was particularly interested in talking to one who was one of the main speakers, from Bebo, as her company were considering doing some marketing on Bebo. He was very helpful, even though some of the other lads were snickering about him coming over to talk to two ladies. One of the others in the group had been a speaker in an email marketing session and I asked him for some advice about why they didn't provide servicecs for under €300/month as my clients were unable to pay that much on a monthly basis. He asked if I had any clients that would be interested in spending that much and when I said not at the moment, he just laughed and walked away saying nothing. My friend then laughed and said that it was unfortunate he wasn't interested in talking to us, as her company was looking for someone to do their email marketing -- and their online marketing budget was hundreds of thousands of euros. Well, that made my day. It just proves that you should at least be polite, if not helpful, to your peers at a conference -- even to the 'girls' at the bar afterwards -- as you never know who they are, or who they may grow up to be!

West Cork Today (and Tomorrow?) - Sign Petition to Save Local Radio Show

As webmaster for the Skibbereen community website, I've just created a "Petition for the Return of C103's West Cork Today Programme" on behalf of the Skibbereen and Region Economic Network (SAREN) who "ask the people of West Cork to have their voices heard again by petitioning UTV Media for the return of David Young and his West Cork Today programme on C103. SAREN encourage all to stand together to have West Cork's voice heard once more. We will present UTV Media with this petition in the coming weeks."

Please click here go to the Online Petition Now and leave your Name, Email Address and a Comment if you wish.

When I first moved to West Cork, there were two resources that were necessary to find out about what is going on in the area: The Southern Star weekly paper and West Cork Today, the local radio show that is on air mornings Monday to Friday. West Cork Today provides helpful and entertaining information ranging from the weekly Garda file to interviews with local experts and event organisers. I was actually a guest a couple of times as West Cork's 'web expert'.

A few years ago Northern Ireland based UTV Radio purchased Cork City based 96fm, along with its regional stations which broadcasted as 103fm. Around that time I noticed a move away from the early morning West Cork programming feeding only from the North Cork station. Then a few months ago they changed the brand to C103 -- and I was never sure what they were trying to achive with that. Now UTV have dismissed David Young the presentor of the West Cork Today programme and are airing a show called 'Cork Today' presented by North Cork based Patricia Messenger. There has been a great backlash from the people of West Cork, who feel that a show like this just cannot cover such a larger area and it is most likely that West Cork issues and events will suffer as a result.

I think the elderly people of West Cork will miss the show the most. For many it was one of their only links to what is going on in the area. I know many that would never miss the show, especially on the day that their town/village has it's weekly report and they'd look forward to hearing about what's happened over the past week and what events and activities were coming up.

Click here to read a report on the issue from The Southern Star.

Last week I received a letter in the post from UTV/C103 announcing sessions the station was holding around the area to discuss new promotional opportunities availble on the station. It may be worth attending one of these sessions just to see if there is any battling going on.

Most businesses are making tough decisions on cut backs and changes needed to keep profits from dipping too low, but UTV may just find that thi sdecision could end up hurting their bottom line.

I don't know if there's any chance that the show will now be brought back. There was a public protest held today, 20th April, at the 96fm headquarters in Cork City. Clonakilty Town Councillor Councillor Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin reports on his Facebook page: "Locked out for an hour, so couldn't hand in letter of protest. Then someone opened the door and we went in, were asked to leave for "Health and Safety", refused until the CE came out of his "meeting" to accept the letter. He did after 90 mins. Refused to talk to us because of "legal issues", but accepted the letter." In an earlier post he called for people to email their concerns to Kieran McGeary, Chief Executive of the station - kieran@96fm.ie and The Broadcasting Commission - reception@bci.ie asap. "We've lost the trains, ESB offices, Post Offices, Schools, Hospital Services, Pubs, small shops, bus routes and thousands of talented people in West Cork. No more!! Write today."

Google Providing Workshops for Small Businesses in Ireland, or just some PR?

I caught an interview on RTE Radio 1's Morning Ireland show with a Google staff member discussing workshops they are providing to help teach businesses how to be more competitive using the internet. I had a feeling that this would be a way for them to push their AdWords pay per click advertising programme, as that is their main way of getting revenue.

Google may be resorting to publicising this on our national broadcaster as many small businesses are finding that as more competitors are using the AdWords programmes they are having to spend more to get the same results that they did a year ago. I'm getting more and more emails from website owners asking about getting better organic search results, as PPC advertising is getting too costly. It's likely that as more and more businesses become savvy about search engine optimization and online advertising it will be harder, and more expensive, to get the top positions that will better ensure a good level of visitors to the site. As an SEO expert, I guess you wouldn't be suprised that I think that you should prioritise your spending on SEO to help get good results in the longterm -- over PPC which will need to be continually paid out. Overall I do think a mix of both can be good for you online marketing.

Back to the workshops. Morning Ireland, who referred to the workshop as "Survival of the Fastest", posted a link to the website of the Small Firms Association, who Google are running the workshops with. There is only one Google workshop listed there and it's fully booked:

• April 16th: SFA/Google Online Advertising & Adwords (Advanced Knowledge) (Free of charge and includes Lunch!)

Ah-ha! Googled and found an RTE news story about on "Survival of the Fastest" that was from yesterday 9th April 2009! It seems that Ronan Harris, director of online sales and operations at Google, addressed participants at a Small Firms Association event. "Harris said: 'Survival of the Fastest is the new game in town. It is the companies that ignore trends such as technological advances and shifts in customer behaviour that are finding their markets eaten into by nimbler, hungrier rivals.'" (Nothing mentioned in that piece about workshops.)

Further searching on the SFA site shows that there was a basic AdWords course yesterday, so this must be the event Ronan Harris was speaking at. Seems that the Google and/or SFA PR machines are in overdrive and causing a bit of confusion! Morning Ireland also posted the email address press-ie@google.com, so I await further details. I do hope that this bit of PR wasn't just to promote a couple annual workshops that are already fully booked!

Please comment here if you know of any other workshops at Google, because I'd love to go! I know there are a number of other AdWords workshops (mainly in Dublin), but it'd be great to hear it from 'the horses mouth' and get a look inside the offices of Google.