The result of applying the four critical components is quantitative, measurable success that drives your business forward in the Era of Social Computing. You will be surprised at what kind of results you can produce. Surprised pleasantly if you successfully apply the previous components. Surprised by negative results if you don’t.

Wired editor Chris Anderson coined the term “the long tail” in his 2004 book of the same name. Anderson hit upon one of the best reasons you should be publishing a business blog: the long tail. In the book, Anderson talks about the way information is sought on the Internet. The “long tail” refers to [...]

Blogging has been around for a decade or more and businesses are beginning to see the value of blogging as a marketing technique. In the Internet age, businesses are now beginning to see the value in blogging and working with bloggers to promote products. Many consumers turn to blogs when seeking out information and product [...]

Yesterday, I wrote about why small businesses should blog, and said that one of the primary benefits of blogging was the ability to reach specific consumers. Blogging also provides a great opportunity for small businesses because many big competitors don’t take advantage of social media. The opportunity isn’t limited to writing blogs, either. Blog advertising [...]

Blogging is one of the best things to happen to small businesses. Why? Internet marketing isn’t so much about being the biggest business in your field, or spending the most on your advertising and marketing. It is about being found in the right place at the right time.
How many times have you eaten [...]

Business blogging shouldn’t ever be confused with advertising. They’re two different animals with two different goals. The goal of advertising is to raise awareness. The goal of business blogging is to develop a long-term relationship with a consumer based upon an area of mutual interest.
If you’re using your blog like an advertisement, chances are good [...]

Blog promotion can come in a variety of ways. You can promote your blog via directories and catalogs, via links in forums that are related to your subject matter, word-of-mouth in communities that are interested in your business area, and through other blogs.
The Wall Street Journal ran an article yesterday (unfortunately, it’s available only [...]

Small business owners are developing a big interest in RSS marketing. Business blogging is just hitting stride, and on the horizon are other exciting tools that can improve search engine visibility and draw customers to your site.
Drawing customers to a site is one thing, but how do you keep them coming back? A good RSS [...]

At the Future of Web Apps (FOWA) conference last week, WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg threw around some interesting numbers and provided some cautionary advice to corporate bloggers.
The interesting statistic he provided is that WordPress supports more than 2.5 million blogs. That’s a huge number, but it doesn’t distinguish between corporate bloggers and personal bloggers. [...]