Marketing Your Business on the “New” Internet – Beyond Blogs

 

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Originally uploaded by cmcbrown

This week BusinessWeek magazine Beyond Blogs focuses on an update from their cover story in 2005.

Our 2005 Cover Story, “Blogs Will Change Your Business,” is still widely read online and off. But frankly, we underestimated the vast universe of social media and the ever-widening implicaitons for business. An update.

So what does this mean to you for marketing your business, your products and your career?

I think it means, blogs are just the beginning. How does your company stack up with this checklist?

• Your business has a website — definitely.
• An online email address for “contact us” — probably.
• A quarterly email newsletter — maybe.
• A weekly updated company blog — probably not.
• A presence on LinkedIn with an active company group or an alumni group — probably not. 

Will you wait another 2 or 3 years to jump into this medium? It’s evolving every day. Why are you waiting?

Did you know SouthWest is on Twitter? And they are even following me? Makes sense. If I complain about the plane being late… and someone from SouthWest comes back to me and says, so sorry, we’re waiting for a connection or we’ve got wind turbulance or something… it sure goes a LONG way to calming down a frazzled traveller. Why don’t more companies have a Twitter account?

What about a blog? The blog is MUCH more powerful and WAY less annoying than an email newsletter. It ranks quickly in Google. People can subscribe via RSS or email so that they aren’t INTERRUPTED by an email.

Is part of your strategy to connect and communicate better with your customers? Your employees?

Okay, I’m getting off my social media soap box! But when BusinessWeek says they’ve underestimated the impact of something, I think it’s time to sit up and notice. Someday – soon – I’ll talk less about should you and more about what to do next.