Corporate Blogging

Twitter Stepping Towards Commercial Accounts

Author: lorikjk916

Looks like all that talking might actually be leading to some doing. That’s right, Twitter has finally taken its very first steps out of the world of the free, and into the world of the paid…kind of. Twitter has unveiled a new thing called Twitter 101, which is basically a series of web sites and downloadable material that all aims to help businesses really investigate how they can use the service to their advantage, and even shows some companies that have done so very successfully.

Whether or not this will translate into an actual business plan and way for Twitter to make some serious income, remains to be seen, but it’s good that they are at least taking their first baby steps towards monetizing something that many have claimed will be impossible to do so. When asked, Anamitra Banerji, manager of commercial products at Twitter, had this to say about what Twitter 101 might mean to the company and its future:

“yes, many companies are on Twitter, but many have questions about how and why to use it, and many are still not on Twitter. It’s a lot easier to ask people for money if they understand how it could be useful to them without paying anything…Twitter 101 is the first step toward doing that…If you intrinsically see some value in Twitter, you will want to pay more to get more…”

Pay more to get more. I guess we’ll see if anyone will be willing to pay when it comes to something they can already get for free. We all know Twitter is great as a broadcasting tool, great at building networks and updating in real-time your friends, customers and potential clients…whether or not it’ll be a great way to actually make money for themselves? That’s another story.

Corporate Blogging - Ethics - Frauds
July 8, 2009

United Airlines Sucks!

Author: suckitharder

So back on May 23’rd of this year I was flying home out of Schiphol Airport after two long weeks working two separate trade shows in Europe. I arrived at the airport almost three hours early and was one of the first in line to check in.

The check in crew showed up all smiles laughing and joking with each other and seemed to really enjoy themselves for about 30 minutes while about 50 people in line watched and wondered why they weren’t taking their stations and helping us.

Finally they open. I get to the counter and asked the United agent if I could change my seat from a window to an aisle. She was very polite but told me the only aisle seats were premium seats and it would cost me 100 + euros to upgrade. I had a long flight ahead and didn’t want to get stuck in the window like I had on the way over so I agreed and paid the fee to upgrade.

A couple of hours later I get on the plane and notice the plane is more than half empty and there are tons of aisle seats available all over the aircraft.

When we land in Chicago I tell the agent at the gate what had happened. She tells me there is nothing she can do and sends me to another counter. I talk to the agent there, she says nothing she can do and I will have to call their main number when I get back home. I ask for a supervisor. She comes over, I tell the story for a third time and she tells me there is nothing she can do and turns he back and walks away from me while I am still talking.

I was stunned. United Airlines just straight up ripped me off! I was going to do this blog post when I got home and tell the story but noticed United was on Twitter. So I sent them a Tweet. Go a reply within a day or so. Told the person the story via DM and never heard back.

Now today I come across this fantastic United Breaks Guitars video. Dave Carroll who wrote the song and created the video definitely lost more than I did but was basically treated the exact same way. Dave plans to eventually air three videos and get to one million page views. He is already over 200,000 page views (and nearly 2,500 comments) in two days so I think its a pretty safe bet he is going to make this goal. I for one will do everything I can to help him get there and hope Dave is able to come play this song live at BlogWorld in October. Maybe Dave could use several thousand of us all singing the “United Breaks Guitars” chorus together and use it in one of his videos?.

Do you have a story to tell about how United gave you the short end of the stick?

If so please leave a comment below or send us a link to your own post and we will link back to you here.

If any of you have ever heard my Social Media 101 talk you have heard me say “If you treat your customers badly then you deserved to be punished for it and social media allows your customers to do that”.
Well United you deserved to be punished for your actions but take heart. Social media also allows you to make up for your poor service and complete disregard for your customers like Dave and my welfare and do it in a very public way.

I for one am not to proud to forgive and Dave strikes as the forgiving kind of guy as well. Hell he gave you nine months to try and make it right!

btw, you can read the full story on Dave Carroll’s website here.

So what’s your United Airlines customer service nightmare story?

I know lots of you have them.

CEO’s Are Actually “Social Media Slackers?”

Author: lorikjk916

Looks like the biggest big-wigs of the biggest companies in the world might just have some explaining to do. The world is shifting every day to a much more “socially networked” world, and everyone from your grandparents to your grandchildren are jumping on board and taking part. That is, everyone except for CEO’s if reports that are coming in are as accurate as they believe they are.

That’s right, some of the CEO’s of the world’s largest and most successful companies are also some of the biggest slackers when it comes to social media and jumping on board the social networking bandwagon. According to the most recent report done a company called ÜberCEO, who analyze and research the head honchos of the biggest companies:

“by Looking at their use of social media sites such as Facebook, Wikipedia, Twitter and LinkedIn, ÜberCEO notably found that none of the Fortune 100 CEOs has a blog and “81% of CEOs don’t have a personal Facebook page…Perhaps most shocking of all, in light of Twitter’s popularity, “Only two CEOs have Twitter accounts.”

Is it me, or are those numbers astonishing? Considering the fact that Fortune 100 companies include names from AT&T, Wal-Mart, Dell, Target, Rite-Aid and many, many others, you’d think that a greater percentage would be involved, especially considering the increasingly social nature that nearly all business on the internet is adopting.

The good news, however, is that for every major company that isn’t using Twitter, Facebook or any of the other major social networking sites and services, there are other companies that are using them, and they are on the rise. Companies like Zappos, Ford and others are stepping it up, and while some might not be using their actual CEO’s to do the dirty work, at least they are getting their presence out there.

The real question is, when will the other 81% of the top CEO’s in the world get the hint, and start adding a little transparency to their business, and their lives?

CEO's Are Actually "Social Media Slackers?"

Author: lorikjk916

Looks like the biggest big-wigs of the biggest companies in the world might just have some explaining to do. The world is shifting every day to a much more “socially networked” world, and everyone from your grandparents to your grandchildren are jumping on board and taking part. That is, everyone except for CEO’s if reports that are coming in are as accurate as they believe they are.

That’s right, some of the CEO’s of the world’s largest and most successful companies are also some of the biggest slackers when it comes to social media and jumping on board the social networking bandwagon. According to the most recent report done a company called ÜberCEO, who analyze and research the head honchos of the biggest companies:

“by Looking at their use of social media sites such as Facebook, Wikipedia, Twitter and LinkedIn, ÜberCEO notably found that none of the Fortune 100 CEOs has a blog and “81% of CEOs don’t have a personal Facebook page…Perhaps most shocking of all, in light of Twitter’s popularity, “Only two CEOs have Twitter accounts.”

Is it me, or are those numbers astonishing? Considering the fact that Fortune 100 companies include names from AT&T, Wal-Mart, Dell, Target, Rite-Aid and many, many others, you’d think that a greater percentage would be involved, especially considering the increasingly social nature that nearly all business on the internet is adopting.

The good news, however, is that for every major company that isn’t using Twitter, Facebook or any of the other major social networking sites and services, there are other companies that are using them, and they are on the rise. Companies like Zappos, Ford and others are stepping it up, and while some might not be using their actual CEO’s to do the dirty work, at least they are getting their presence out there.

The real question is, when will the other 81% of the top CEO’s in the world get the hint, and start adding a little transparency to their business, and their lives?

The Importance of Following Directions When Applying for a Blogging Job

Author: Ghost89

helpwanted

Last weekend I posted an ad for a blogger. The requirements were simple and I didn’t ask applicants to bend over backwards or turn over their first borns. This isn’t the first time I hired a blogger and knew the more rules and regs posted in my ad, the less likely I was to receive what I asked for. So I made it simple this time.

The requirements were:

Know how to blog
Make me laugh
Samples of your writing
Tell me some of your ideas for this blog

Maybe half of the people who applied provided the above. Some bloggers provided a paragraph about themselves and that was it, while others invited me to Google them. A few even told me they had no clue about how to blog. I ask you, would you tell a potential client you don’t know how to do the job? Not a very good strategy.

This isn’t the first time I’ve placed ads for bloggers or writers. Each time I do, I’m surprised at how many applicants either didn’t read the directions or didn’t choose to follow. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of qualified candidates to choose from. I just wish others cared enough about the opportunity to provide what was requested.

There’s a reason we ask for what we do.

Rate Quotes

I know so many bloggers and writers don’t want to give rate quotes because they’re afraid of either bidding too low and not getting what the job is worth, or bidding too high and risk losing the job because it doesn’t match the client’s budget. The reason many employers ask for rates isn’t because they’re looking for the low bid, it’s because they want to pay a fair price. By not knowing what a blogger charges, they risk insulting him by not presenting a fair offer. Plus the Internet is filled with low payng gigs, they can look at these and think they’re the norm.

Samples

When a potential client asks for writing samples, it’s because she wants to be sure your writing style matches her vision. She also wants to see that you can string together a sentence without too many errors and that you know a little bit about the subject matter. Unless this client asks for previously published samples, you can send in something you wrote that wasn’t published. Just make sure the topic is relevant. Sending in samples about grilling burgers to someone with a blog for vegans probably isn’t a smart idea.

Experience

Some blog gigs are entry level. Many networks have everything already set up for their bloggers and aren’t necessarily looking for experience as much as they’re looking to pay a low wage. Corporate clients and businesses and individuals who hire bloggers tend to be more generous with the pay. They expect to know your stuff in return. Not too many clients want to hold a blogger’s hand while he learns how to use the platform. They’re hiring bloggers to build traffic and create buzz and community. Bloggers who can’t do this for them are useless.

Read. Apply. Repeat

Before applying for any blogging opportunity take the time to read the ad all the way through. Make sure you’re truly a good fit. Blogs are personal and your potential client doesn’t want a generic, cookie cutter blogger. Don’t hit the send button before making sure you followed all the instructions, samples are attached and your copy is clean and error free.

If you ever wondered why you didn’t get a gig you felt was perfect for you, it could be in the application. Follow directions, give the employer what he asks for, and watch your client list grow.

Bloggers Have Mad Skills – Pay them Accordingly!

Author: Ghost89

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I have a bone to pick. Something’s sticking in my craw and I need to get it out. Lately I’m coming across ad after ad for bloggers – yet no one is willing to pay for the work. Instead they’re offering “exposure” and “internships.” Hello? I’m exposed every time I walk out my front door, thank you very much, and internships offer something besides toiling away for nothing for Joe No Name. Bloggers have skills. Mad skills. Their pay should be reflective of all the work they do.

Let me break it down for the people who think bloggers should be happy to work for the glory.

Writing – Bloggers are passionate about their topics. They have to be in order to write about the same thing day in and day out. The reason businesses and individuals hire bloggers is because they don’t have the time or inclination to do so themselves. However, it’s not an “easy” job. A blogger must stay on top of all the current trends, technology and research, and write about it in a manner representative of his or her client. Bloggers don’t necessarily write off the top of their heads. There’s research to conduct, books, articles and blog posts to read, and experts to interview. Though blog posts have a casual tone, they are written in a professional manner. This alone warrants a decent pay check.

Coding -Yeah we have to know a little HTML or other coding necessary to embed images, videos and have our blog posts formatted in a manner befitting the content. Yes, a lot networks and content portals handle this sort of thing on their own. However, many clients want a blogger who can work on his own without having to call in the techies every five minutes.

Web Design – Many bloggers handle template design and other design elements for their clients’ blogs. This takes a bit of skill. Not everyone knows the best places to place widgets and ads. Not everyone can create an eye pleasing header or clean sidebar.

Community Management – Most clients are looking for bloggers because they want to create a community to help create buzz around a product or service. This means bloggers are expected to moderate and respond to posts. They answer questions, soothe tempers and keep the conversation flowing.

Public Relations/Marketing – If you’re expecting your bloggers to promote their content, this should be reflected in the pay. Building up relationships and networking is a job in itself, let alone for a blogger who is doing it for the glory.

SEO– SEO is a learned skill. It doesn’t come naturally. Knowing how to catapult a blog to number one on the search engines is something that should be handsomely rewarded.

Tell me again why bloggers aren’t worthy of pay?

What are some of the mad skills you have as a blogger?

Better Paying Opportunities for Bloggers?

Author: Ghost89

blog-stockxchnge

As someone who trolls the job boards daily looking for writing and blogging leads, I tend to notice trends. For instance, with so many folks laid off from their jobs, many are turning to freelance writing and paid blogging opportunities for making ends meet, at least temporarily.

I started writing for the web in 1999, we didn’t use the term blogging as much but it was the same thing. Write, build up community, monitor comments, have a ball. The pay wasn’t bad at all and I was able to quit my boring office job and carve out a very nice living as a writer and blogger for hire.

Then Adsense happened…

All of a sudden webmasters realized they could make money from this Internet thing. The cheap webcontent trend was born. Advertisments offering to pay $200 for 100 articles were the norm. After blogging exploded a few years back, the blog networks joined the bandwagon.

I’m happy to say I found many lucrative blogging opportunties for organizations such as Oxygen Media and About.com. To supplement my big gigs, I enjoyed working for blog networks and even had my own successful blog, which is still going strong. I soon moved into the world of social media, keeping my own blogs while resigning from network blogging – a good thing I did, too. Know More Media closed its doors and b5Media, Today.com and others began lowering pay levels for bloggers. Many bloggers found it more profitable to have their own blogs than to work for networks. It was disheartening for many who relied on this pay to make ends meet.

As I check the job boards now, I’m noticing how things are picking up for bloggers for hire – especially if they are willing to look beyond the networks. Bloggers who used to be paid $50 to $100 a month for their daily blogging are now finding opportunities for $20, $30 and upwards of $50 per post. Many businesses are willing to pay bloggers $45,000 to $60,000 annually for building up the corporate blog and getting the community rocking. Last year I was wondering if blogging had a future, this year I’m pleased to see it does, and the opportunities are bigger and better!

So where does one find these lucrative paying opportunties? There are several places to look on the web, but be sure to check terms. You want to work smarter, not harder. $1 gigs aren’t smart. Try one of these job boards:

Problogger – Darren Rowse’s popular blog has several new opportunities each week. Some are lucrative, others are best ignored. (Hint – I saw one there today paying $500/month)
Startuply – Lists all sorts of web based opportunities for startups, even some blogging gigs.
Freelance Writing Jobs – No jobs listed paying under $10 a post.
BlogHer – I landed my job blogging for Oxygen Media through BlogHer. You might find a gem too!
Blogging Jobs – Not updated often, but you can find some good ones here.
Craigslist – Craigslist gets a bum rap. The truth is, I found my highest paying gigs via Craigslist. It may be a haven for spammers and scammers, but there are also of plenty of good gigs to be found.
Twitter – If someone is looking for a blogger, you can bet it will be on Twitter.

Those are only a few of the places where one can find work as a blogger. There are even bigger opportunties for those looking beyond blogging to the world of social media. Businesses want to jump on the bandwagon, and we’re the ones in the driver seat.

Learning WordPress

Author: brockmayes

This is my third try at writing this post as I have lost my draft three times. Isn’t that just the way when you want to talk about a technology? I am writing this in the dashboard of WordPress. There are many choices when wanting to use a blogging platform, like Blogger, Moveable Type, Squarespace and others. I like to stay up to date on what all of them are doing. I was able to see what was new in the world of WordPress and learn some cool stuff and meet some new friends yesterday.

I had an opportunity to attend an event this weekend in Reno, Nevada, called Reno-Tahoe Wordcamp. I had a chance to see again for the fourth time many users and evangelists of the blogging platform. I was one of the presenters and wanted to thank the organizers for allowing me to talk about “Blogging For A Living.” This is my fourth Wordcamp this year attending Vegas, Miami, Denver previous, and I will be speaking at the Chicago Wordcamp coming up in June. If you are going, I would love to see you there. Next month the main event in the world of Wordcamps is happening in San Francisco. Matt Mullenweg the founder of WordPress will be talking about the company more in depth at that event and everyone should attend.

I wanted to thank the organizers of the Reno-Tahoe Wordcamp for allowing me to be a part of their exciting event. The event was held in a journalism school in Reno at the local college. That to me was a bit of an irony as we are just now being taken serious by the world of journalism so it was also fun to think about how far we have come. If you have a local Wordcamp make you get signed up to attend it will allow you to learn from some of the best and the brightest using this application. I have had an opportunity to walk away always with a new nugget of information or a trick or tip to make my use of WordPress a little better.

Corporate Blogging - Monetization - New Media News - Social Media - Tools & Tech - Why New Media?
April 21, 2009

During Recession, Marketers Turning To Social Networks

Author: lorikjk916

In today’s economy, I’m fairly sure just about everyone has been feeling the pinch. When it comes to bigger companies, one of the divisions that I’m sure has been struggling, is the marketing division. How do you advertise your product to people who are struggling with their own financial issues, without spending more money than you can afford? That is the question plaguing a great deal of companies today and they are finding answers in unlikely places.

Those “unlikely places” are getting far more likely in today’s day and age. According to new reports, marketers are increasingly turning to social networks to reach their potential clients without blowing huge sums of money they just don’t have. According to a new study by WhitePaperSource, when over 900 of the leading marketers were asked about their marketing habits:

“…more than 88 per cent of the business establishments are using social media sites, such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, to reach out to their clients and further enhance their exposure beyond the conventional reach using other traditional means.”

What’s more, this is actually a pretty new thing. Of those that responded, almost 2/3 of them have only been turning to social networks in the last few months. While there are definite positives and negatives to employing this time of marketing plan, it’s clear that it’s a style of marketing that is getting huge and needs to be addressed. On the plus side, it is Free. On the negative side, it is, as noted, fairly time consuming to update and more importantly, monitor community and social reaction to your brand.

The study showed that those that have taken the plunge are actually seeing surprisingly great business returns. Traffic has been up, exposure has been spread and business increased. Again, a great idea if you can afford the time to deal with the brand you are spreading. So, all of you in the marketing world, sound off…has social networking helped your business or brand? Are you turning to social networks?

Job Seeking? Social Networking Can Help!

Author: lorikjk916

In today’s economy, it seems to me that people fall into one of two categories: Lucky to still have their job, or desperately searching for a new one. Granted this is most likely a very vast generalization, but you get the point. The good news is, the tools available as a job seeker are more plentiful than ever, and given the rise of social networking, you have more methods at your disposal than at any other time in history.

The fact that you’re reading this blog means that you know, better than a lot of people, that when it comes to success, networking can be a huge part of it. Networking is key, and the better you’re able to do that, the more success you’ll probably be seeing. Why would it be any different when it comes to job seeking? Social networking sites from Twitter to Facebook, Myspace to LinkedIn are making networking easier than ever, and given the current state of our economy, the timing is just about perfect.

How bad has it gotten? Try this on for size:

“Since December 2007, 2.7 million U.S. residents have lost their jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics…In answer to those swelling unemployment numbers, U.S. web traffic to employment sites has increased 20 percent across the board in the past few months and 4 percent in February 2009 compared to February 2008, according to Hitwise. Traffic to MySpace accounted for 52 percent of those visits, the highest in the category; Facebook visits increased 149 percent in February compared to the same period a year ago; and Tagged received 2.47 percent of visits in February.”

In a word…Wow. Bottom line is that people are using social networking and social media more than ever to not only find the jobs that are hiding out there, but actually land them. The time to adopt and embrace new technology is now, and when it comes to your employment, don’t you want every single trick you can possibly find? Yeah, us too.

United Airlines Sucks!