Hello All,

In this post, and perhaps a few others, I will be answering questions from my professor.  Currently, I am in a class to learn about social media marketing.  Although I have a couple of businesses and have started and stalled on any creating, follow up or updating of posts to my word press blog and websites, I am hoping the pressure of this class will build the fire under my ass that I seem to require to get this going.  Thanks for reading, Marie-Claire

What are the marketing benefits of having a blog?
A blog may add value to current and potential customers creating a sense of connection, familiarity and trust by providing quality communication of information/training/benefits to all who read it. 
You may achieve your specific marketing goals and objectives through this modern ‘word-of-mouth’ marketing.  A person or company can share unique, detailed content about different aspects, services and goods that they or the company provides.  Blogs are texts but they can include any manner of sharing information and expanding the readers knowledge of a subject or solutions to a specific problem.  This can include video (my fave) and audio as well as external links for further info. This is great for serving the customer/person who reads the blog. The conversational qualities of social media provide the blogger/business immediate feedback without having to do surveys or expensive marketing research. This can inform necessary revisions to the current and future marketing goals and objectives.  I like the fluidity of this.  The exchange of ideas and experiences to serve the whole, through serving the individual.  

Explain how an individual or company can link a blog to its marketing objectives.
Connection, familiarity, helpful, entertaining.  Blogging  may lead to positive word of mouth marketing.  Happy customers share their happiness with their friends and family, neighbors and coworkers. 
If your marketing objectives can be one or all of the following (taken from pages 32-34 of the textbook, Social Media Marketing: A Strategic Approach by Barker, Barker, Bormann and Neher): Building a brand,  Increasing Brand Awareness, Improving Brand Perception, Positioning a Brand, Expanding Brand Loyalty, Increasing Customer Satisfaction, Driving Word-of-mouth recommendations, Producing New Product Ideas, Generating Leads, Handling Crises Reputation Management, Integrating Social Media Marketing with Public Relations and Advertising and the ol’ SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
What I am learning from the text is that it is key to keep your marketing goals close and clear while creating a social media campaign.  The nuances will change according to what the goal is.  The marketing goal dictates the manner of design and implementation of the SMM.   How I listen and participate in different social media platforms will be determined by whether I am looking to build leads, build a brand or do crises management. 

Identify why content clutter is a problem.
I will use analogies: 500 channels and nothing to watch on TV, needle in a haystack,  conversations in a club, panning for gold.
There is a lot of material/content.  Most of it doesn’t add personal or global value.  Some does. Finding and drawing out the value and high quality material that is all mixed up with the other stuff and then sharing that with others is what I think social media is good for.  It is in a sense, humanitarian.  When you find something (good and helpful content) online that will improve your or another’s quality of life through health, wealth or happiness, it is the compassionate compelling that leads you to share it.  

Explain in own words at least four tips for successful blogging.
Four tips for successful blogging include: consistent and frequent, clarity and focus, unique and sticky titles, engaged conversations and honest.  

1. The consistent and frequent posting allows the readers/followers to experience something new and something to look forward to.  This creates people who will return, stay and support your blog/business. 

2. Clarity and focus honors the value of people’s time and energy.  Keeping the post clear and focused keeps the readers’ attention and hopefully satisfies the reason they came to your site in the first place.   I think of this as the difference between shopping and browsing.  Most of us, when we want information/goods/services want to get in and get out and get on with our day.  Rarely do we have the time or desire to search and sift for what we want or need.

3. Unique and sticky titles catch the readers’ eyes and create curiosity/interest to click and read.  Key here is to actually deliver quality content under that catchy title. I am working on that.

4. Engaged honest conversations honor that we are connecting with and sharing time/space with real people with hearts, souls and lives. This seems to be the point of social media, the social part of it.  We have all talked to or at least had to interact with a smarmy person.  The vibe leaves us feeling like we need a visit to the Korean spa.  So, it is important to keep it honest, two way, friendly and relatively responsive. 

I like the following quote (paraphrased) to help guide me in my posts:  We serve life not because it is broken, but because it is holy. Mother Theresa