Blogging and ClientsBy: @KathleneHestir

What is a Blog?

•Blog: (or “web log”) is a type of Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular commentary, graphics or video.

•Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. (Wikipedia)

•Online Diary that allows other to comment on each post. •Types: art blogging, photo blogging, video blogging (vlogs), audio blogging (podcasts), microblogging (Twitter)

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Wikipedia

Why Blog?

•More than 133,000,000 blogs have been indexed by Technorati since 2002.

•77% of Internet users read blogs according to Universal McCann. 

•70% of bloggers are talking about brands on their blog organically.

•46% of respondents post about the brands they love (or hate).

•38% post brand or product reviews.

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The Future Buzz – December 2009

Bloggers as Thought Leaders

• Bloggers are talking about brands at a much higher rate (80%), with 1/3 posting reviews at 1x week.

• 71% of bloggers report increased visibility within their industries through their blogs.

• 56% of bloggers say their blog has helped their company establish itself as a thought leader within the industry.

• 58% of bloggers say they are better-known in their industry because of their blog.

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The Future Buzz – December 2009

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Top 10 Blogs (Technorati)

1. The Huffington Post (News)

2. Gizmodo (Tech Gadget Review)

3. Engadget (Tech Gadget Review)

4. Mashable (Technology)

5. TechCrunch (Technology)

6. Boing Boing (Cyberpunk Subculture)

7. TMZ.com (Celebrity Gossip)

8. The Corner National Review (Conservative News)

9. Gawker (Manhattan Media News & Gossip)

10.The Daily Beast (News & Opinions)

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Technorati – January 2010

Mommy (or Parent) Bloggers

• Parents Bloggers: Blog about product reviews, anecdotes about their children and sharing common parenting experiences.

• Approximately 75 million U.S. moms influence 85% of all household purchases. www.momcentralconsulting.com (2010)

• Of the 36.2 million women actively participating in the blogosphere weekly, 46% (16.5 million) -- have children at home. www.mediapost.com (2009)

• One study found that 78% of moms who blog review products and 56% review Web sites and services. www.emarketer.com (2008)

• 67% of moms online look for help making a purchasing decision.

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Mommy (or Parent) Bloggers

Current Status:

–Mommy bloggers became legitimate outlets for PR agencies in 2009. In 2009, the issue was not if but how to approach [mommy] bloggers [to test products] in a respectful, mutually beneficial way. (Mashable)

•Due to surge of mommy bloggers’ product endorsements (and other reasons), FTC revised guidelines in 2009: bloggers must include disclosure statements if they are giving a sponsored review.

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Mashable – 12/22/09

FTC Guidelines

• October 2009: –FTC updates Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising for the first time since 1980.

• Bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product of service–Penalty: $11,000 fine/violating post

Material Connections: –Payments–Free Products/In-Kind Payment

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www.ftc.gov

FTC Guidelines

What is an endorsement?–An example of a blogger who writes about dog food:–If she decides to try a new brand, likes it, and writes about it: not an endorsement–If she gets a coupon from her supermarket for a free trial because the

store...routinely tracks her purchases and its computer has generated a coupon for a free trial bag...“ and writes about the food: not an endorsement

–If she joins a network marketing program and receives products periodically, receives a free bag of dog food and writes about it: this would be an endorsement.

–Gray area decisions will be determined on a case-by-case basis

Cause: To protect consumers from potentially misleading information in the pervasive blogosphere

Effects: Most well-run social media programs already include appropriate disclosure-more of a deterrent to the rampant unethical marketers out there!

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www.ftc.gov

A Successful Blog

• Has defined voices/authors

• Demonstrates credibility

• Provides useful content to readers

• Encourages conversations (Questions, polls)• Responds to Questions/Comments

• Posts regularly (3+ posts a week)

• Answers the tough questions honestly

• Very Visual: Videos, Images

• Links to all other sites/profiles (ie. Company Web site, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Facebook other blogs)

• Title or tagline matches its URL

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CORPORATE VOICE

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Rubbermaid Blog: Adventures in the Organization

• Rubbermaid experts share real life stories, experiences, insights and other tidbits.

• Lots of great photos

• Posts on topics like:

– How to organize a room with Rubbermaid products.

–Sweepstakes announcements

– Blogger challenges

– Interviews with pro-organizers

– Lets get organized Twitter chat

http://blog.rubbermaid.com/

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Walmart: Check out Where the Lanes are All Open

• Dedicated to bringing you the latest in gadgets, green, gaming, and more, Check Out is written by a group of expert Wal-Mart Associates.

• Excellent Sidebar:

–Photos of all its writers with bios linked

–Links to their Twitter, YouTube, Flickr

–RSS, Search bar

–Recent Posts/Comments

http://checkoutblog.com/

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Coca-Cola Conversations

• Phil Mooney, historian/archivist for Coca-Cola for the last 30 years, sharing info and wide variety of Coca-Cola topics from pop culture to history to collectibles.

• Video Player: Commercials, Brand Enthusiast Interviews, Corporate Interviews

• Widgets: Clock, calendar, recipes

www.coca-colaconversations.com

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Red Bull

• Athletes & Teams

• Sports

• Events

• World Series

• Music & Entertainment

• Products, Videos, Photos, Games, Holy Shit, Red Bulletin

http://www.redbullusa.com

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Johnson & Johnson – JNJ BTW: Our People and Perspectives

• What J&J is doing, how we are doing it and why. Comment on the news about our company and the industry occasionally correcting any mistakes (not that that ever happens!) or simply providing more context. I hope and expect that some of my colleagues will eventually join me on this blog. - Marc Monseau, Corporate Comm. J&J

• Well done for a highly-regulated industry

• Links to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube

• Excellent Blog roll of reliable sources

http://jnjbtw.com/

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Mint Life: Know Your Money. Live Your Life

• Great Content

• Topics include:

–Getting out of debt

–Housing

–Retirement

–Student Life

–Becoming Wealthy

–Frugal Living

–Employment

–The Economy

http://www.mint.com/blog/

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TRAVEL

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Southwest Airlines: Nuts About Southwest

• Nuts about Southwest is all about our employees, customers, airplanes, and airports. We really are Nuts about Southwest and we hope that our Readers will share that passion by posting their own comments.

• Red Belly Radio Podcast

• Polls, News

• Video blog (vlog)

• Video and image gallery

http://www.blogsouthwest.com/

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Delta Blog: Under the Wing

• The Delta blog will take you under the wing and behind the scenes sharing stories on ideas, changes, our people, and their working lives. 

• Links to Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and lets people share their own pics in their official Flickr group.

• Lets readers submit story ideas

http://blog.delta.com/

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IHG: In the Know Travelogue

• Artistic: Great use of images

• Posts

–Weekend in Houston

–Geneva Museums

–Shopping in Rome

–Weekend in Ixtapa

–Lusaka: What to do

–Shopping in Shanghai

–Insider Tour: Athens Acropolis Tour

–Winter in Toronto

http://travel.intercontinental.com/

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Best Western: On the Go with Amy

• I’m a girl on the go. I travel for fun. For work. With my kids. With my husband. With my girlfriends. For me, traveling is not about luxury. It’s about getting out there and experiencing new things. Best Western has signed me up because, like me, they want to get people talking about travel. So let’s talk! Tell me about your travel tales, teach me your tips, and, when the airline loses your luggage, feel free to throw a temper tantrum. Believe me, I understand.

• Posts:

–Best Western Rewards members can donate points for Haiti relief

–9 Things to Do with the Kids in NYC

http://onthegowithamy.blogspot.com/

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AUTOMOTIVE

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Kia Buzz

• Kia BUZZ is Kia’s official blog for sharing information on Kia vehicles, news, information and opinions.  Kia BUZZ is written by a wide range of Kia experts and management from across the organization to help bring Kia closer to its customers, industry opinion leaders and car enthusiasts.  

• Video/photo gallery, e-mail newsletter

• Links to other Kia and auto expert blogs

http://kia-buzz.com/

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Toyota: Our Point of View

• "Our Point of View" is written by Toyota associates and explores current issues in the automotive industry. From time-to-time, they will contribute posts that we hope will be of interest to the Toyota community. We encourage you to speak up, tell us what’s on your mind and say whether you agree or disagree with our posts. Thanks for visiting... and enjoy! 

• Posts: Response to attacks

• Provides thorough info: News releases, images, videos, speeches, news, bios, pricing, product info, fact sheets, contact info, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube

http://pressroom.toyota.com

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Chrysler Blog

• Great use of video

• Short blurb of teaser text with a read more or watch option.

• Links to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr

http://blog.chryslerllc.com/blog

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CONSUMER PRODUCTS

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Sharpie Blog: Uncap What’s Inside (Newell Rubbermaid)

• Apparel: Anything related to clothing and Sharpies

• Art: Showcases cool Sharpie art

• Celebrities: Celebrities spotted with Sharpies

• Community: Stories about Sharpie Enthusiasts

• Holidays: Incorporates Sharpie into the holidays

• Ideas: What are people using Sharpies for?

• Parties & Events

• Q&A

• TV Ads

http://blog.sharpie.com/

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Case-mate Blog: News and info for all things Case-mate

• Unboxings

• Post jobs

• Monthly Sample Reviewers

• Case-mate enthusiast interviews

• Awards/Recognitions

• Employee profiles

http://blog.case-mate.com/

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Nike: Basketball Blog

• Shares latest inside news on basketball

• Upcoming product releases

• Links to Facebook, Twitter, Videos and all other Nike sites

• Athletes: Showcases stats on Nike BB athletes.

• Training: Learn signature moves of the pros

• Ballers Network: Basketball has gone global and Nike has teamed up with Dime magazine and Facebook to create a brand new online tool that will revolutionize the way players around the world connect online and compete on the court.

http://inside.nike.com/blogs/nikebasketball

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COMMUNITIES

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IKEA Fans – Personalize the IKEA Experience

• Submit a story

• Flying Solo: Easy To Assemble Video miniseries

• What city will IKEA come to next?

• IKEA Furniture Photos

• Forums: Discuss IKEA furniture

• IKEApedia to brochures, manuals, store/service directory

http://www.ikeafans.com/

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IBM: IBMers’ blogs

• As they'll tell you themselves, the opinions and interests expressed on IBMers' blogs are their own and don't necessarily represent this company's positions, strategies or views. But that doesn't mean we don't want you to read them! Because they do represent lots of business and technology expertise you can't get from anyone else.

• Community of blogging experts

http://www.ibm.com/blogs/zz/en/

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HP Blogs

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• Communities

–International

–Innovation

–Inside HP

–Networking

–Services

–Tech Trends

–Software & OS

http://www.communities.hp.com/online/

CLOTHING/FASHION

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DC Goodwill Fashionista: Fashion at Your Fingertips

• Offering the best in vintage and contemporary fashions, plus shopping tips and trends from across the Internet, the DC Goodwill Fashion Blog is your go-to source for all things stylish.

• Tuesday’s “Goodwill Good Buy of the Week”

• Fashion of Goodwill Newsletter

• Excellent Photo Gallery

http://www.fashionofgoodwill.org/blog/

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Patagonia: The Cleanest Line

• Weblog for the employees, friends and customers of the outdoor clothing company Patagonia. Visit Patagonia.com to see what we do.

• Encourages dialogue about the products, sports and environmental issues we care about.

http://www.thecleanestline.com/

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Zappos.com: Put a little Zappos in your Day

• Several Blogs

• Inside Zappos, Zappos TV, CEO & COO Blogs, Fashion Culture, RideShop

• Other Blogs:

–Comfort

–Couture

–Parents

–Health & Fitness

–Outdoor

–Running

http://blogs.zappos.com/blogs/

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FOOD/RESTAURANTS/RECIPES

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Starbucks: My Starbucks Idea & My Ideas in Action

• Sign in and share, vote, discuss and see product, experience, involvement ideas

• Question of the Day, Leaderboard, Ideas in Action

http://mystarbucksidea.force.com

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Whole Story: The official Whole Foods Market Blog

• We’re lucky to have a whole bunch of smart, passionate people doing incredible things in areas like organics, supporting local growers, green practices, fair trade, micro-lending and all kinds of food related stuff.  We’ll use this blog to share some of the cool things going on around here.

• Visually appealing

• Links to other Web sites

• Provides a number of subjest experts from inside the company.

http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/

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KFC Nation: Citizen Blogs

• Now is your chance to connect with other Team Members from across the country! One of your co-workers have already volunteered to share both the good and the honest truth of working at KFC. If you want to be a KFCNation blogger, send us an email and let us know you’re interested.

• Simple WordPress blog

http://kfcnation.wordpress.com/

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Kaiser Permanente: Dr. Maring’s Farmers’ Market and Recipe Update

• Dr. Preston Maring, a physician and surgeon with 36 years of experience in obstetrics and gynecology, and an administrator who helped start an innovative neurosurgery unit for children, shares his passion for healthy food.

• Citizen Blogger

• Offers Food Tips, Food Prep Guidelines

• Shares Food & Health News

http://recipe.kaiser-permanente.org/

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Oscar Mayer: Hotdogger Blog

• Tells a story

• Continues the American Tradition

• Life inside the Wienermobile Vehicle

• Location Device: Where are we today

http://hotdoggerblog.com/index.php

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Get Crackin: Wonderful Pistachios

• Great social Web site

• Tabs link to each social Web site

• Facebook, YouTube, Blog, Products

http://www.getcrackin.com/topics/news/

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Bigelow: Tea Talk Blog

• Excellent Blogroll

–Tea Bloggers

–Lifestyle (Food, Health, Wellness)

• Share tea history and traditions

• Expertise

http://www.bigelowteablog.com/

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Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese: I Love My Philly

• We, along with the folks at PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, are going to be sharing some of the best Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipes, vintage and current commercials, and even inviting you to share your favorite PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese recipes here on our blog.    

• Recipe swap features

• Love my Philly Music Playlist

http://lovemyphilly.com/

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Conclusion

A Successful Blog:

• Has defined voices/authors

• Demonstrates credibility

• Provides useful content to readers

• Encourages conversations (Questions, polls)

–Responds to Questions/Comments

• Posts regularly (3+ posts a week)

• Answers the tough questions honestly

• Very Visual: Videos, Images

• Links to all other sites/profiles (i.e. Company Web site, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Facebook other blogs)

• Title or tagline matches its URL

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Kathlene HestirSocial Media Specialist, Engauge Digital

khestir@engauge.com

http://www.kathlenehestir.com

http://www.twitter.com/kathlenehestir

http://www.linkedin.com/in/kathlenehestir

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