Small Biz Blog Wiz - Easy, Affordable and Productive Blogging for Small Businesses

Daily Dose: Blogging Public Relations Firm Raises Its Profile & Profits

Public relations firms are always looking for a special hook to drive more attention to their clients. But would could a public relations firm blog about in order to draw a little attention to themselves without distracting from their clients' messages?

PR firms have a strategic advantage because they have an endless supply of blogging material. A PR blogger needs to establish him or herself as an expert thinker, someone who concocts attention-grabbing tactics, offers expert analysis and does it all right now, on-the-spot.

Daily analysis and insight of the ups-and-downs of various public relations campaigns should be fairly easy for a PR pro as the campaigns play out in the public eye for all to see. Whether it's sports, politics, entertainment or business, the blogging public relations guru can ascend to the top of the pile by simply doing what they do best on a daily basis - offering their sage PR advice and analysis to the world.

Another idea for the PR crowd is to blog about case studies. What has worked for your clients? Has there been a particularly successful campaign that grabbed headlines, hearts and tons of attention? Blog about your big wins. Blog about other people's big wins. Tipping your hat to a competitor for a job well done is an act of pure class and will set you apart from 90% of other practitioners of the dark art of PR, while establising you as someone who knows a quality campaign when you see it.

But, what about all you folks engaged in businesses other than public relations? Could you offer a daily analysis that would demonstrate to prospects that you're a thought leader within your industry? Your insight could open doors with clients, colleagues and competitors. Thing back to your last major achievement or breakthrough client victory. Take what you've learned from your successes, blog about it and let the world benefit from your genius. There may be no easier way to grow your business.

Dell Hell - A Thing of the Past or Back to the Future?

Uber-blogger Robert Scoble is applauding Dell's efforts to reach out to its customers, admit the company's mistakes and improve customer service going forward. Granted, there is still along way to go but how many other top-tier companies do you see admiting their mistakes and actively engaging in conversations with customers? That's right - practically none. Dell should be indeed be applauded. Of course, the proof is in the pudding and there will be plenty of sceptics watching Dell very closely over the coming months to ensure that the company is doing what it says it will do. But, Dell does seem sincere in their desire to correct past mistakes and make good on their promised improvements. This is a great example of effective corporate blogging, but it needs to be backed up by effective corporate actions.

The Phoenix Coyotes Need a Blog

I had the pleasure of attending a NHL hockey game last week between the Phoenix Coyotes and the Edmonton Oilers. It was a good game with the Coyotes out-skating the Oilers to win the game by a score of 3-2. The Coyotes' have a great team, great fans and a great organization, but not many people know that. The Coyotes need to more effectively tell their story. They need to reach out to new fans and keep current ones. The Coyotes need a blog.

Need to Build a Fanbase? Build a Blog.

Hockey fans are a niche audience. The night I went to the game and at several subsequent games, the arena was half-full. But those fans in attendance were die-hard fans. Many were season ticket holders, bringing the families, friends or anyone else they could drag with them. The folks in the stands knew the game, the players and the dynamic. They were hockey aficionados. They love to soak up hockey information and they love their hometown team, the Phoenix Coyotes. They really really want to be connected. They would be all over a Coyotes blog.

The team could address this craving by offering fans a blog, a natural outlet where they could get the straight Coyote dope, connect with other fans and enrich their Coyotes experience. Just the thing management wants, right? The Coyotes could definitely use a little more buzz in the community and a relevant, interesting blog could spark that buzz. Of course, that buzz must then be converted to tickets sales for newcomers.

Coyotes Following the NHL's Example

Currently, the NHL is doing a poor job with blogs on their site. They have a few fan blogs and links to supposed blogs for all NHL teams. However, RSS and commenting appear to non-existent. Strange for an industry with a lot of knowledgeable, dedicated, young fans. The link to the Coyote's blog is actually a link to their television announcer's video diary, which could be very cool, interesting and appealing to fans. Dubbed the "Coyotes X-ing," it offers behind-the-scenes interviews with players, analysis with Coyotes insiders and insight from NHL followers. It has a ton of potential. However, lack of comments, shareability and feeds make it difficult to regularly access and enjoy. Narrative, text posts are nowhere to be found and the ability to connect with the Coyotes and other fans is lost, along with a major opportunity. No community = no connection.

The Coyotes need to put people in the seats at Glendale Arena. They need to attract new fans, retain and build loyalty among current ones and increase awareness of the Coyotes brand in the local area. They could easily achieve these goals by taking advantage of the tools available today and building a Phoenix Coyotoes blog. Costs would be next-to-nothing, maintenance and updating would be easy and the return could be huge. Who knows? Maybe Howler could do some posting.

Big Business Bloggers

Blogging isn't just for small businesses anymore. A growing number of corporate CEOs are realizing the benefit and value of blogging. It keeps them connected to their customers, colleagues at all levels, the media and the public in general. These are key contacts which otherwise would probably not be made, and certainly not sustained. Plus, the blog posts are increasingly sincere, revealing and insightful. After all, if the CEO is taking the time to blog, he better not be cranking out puff pieces that sound like they came from the PR department.

Public Relations Through Blogging

If your name hasn't been in the newspaper (the police blotter and obituaries don't count!) in the past 90 days then your public relations need some tweaking. And there is no better way to tweak your public relations than with a blog.Your blog can be a great first step in establishing strong relationships with local reporters who cover your industry.

First, set up your blog. Make it uncluttered, proffessional and easy-to-read. Ensure that email and RSS susbcriptions are easy to find and use.

Next, start posting good content related to your area of expertise. Offer articles and information along with opinion and analysis of news and current events related to your industry. This is a great way to be seen by fellow bloggers and mainstream media journalists researching stories and events.

Last, let some important people know about it. Look for events and opportunities that put you in the same room as local reporters, editors and producers. Make sure the appropriate folks hear about your blog. Next time a story appears about your area of expertise, offer additional information and analysis on your blog, then email the reporter to let him about your comments. Make sure you have something to say and then let the right people know that you've said it. This will also help to establish yourself as an expert that can relied upon for quotes in future stories.

It only takes a couple small steps to get your public relations ball rolling, especially when you have a blog to use as your soapbox.