Blogs As Effective PR Tools · 205 days ago
I first began writing my private blog because I wanted to test the waters. I have always had a lot to say, but wondered whether anyone completely unrelated to me would really be interested in what I had to say. I have to admit I was very skeptical. But I was wrong. It seems that a lot of people really DO enjoy what I write, and how I convey my life.
During my MBA studies I wanted to see whether “blogging” (Social Networking) was a valid marketing tool. In a nutshell, I do believe it is, IF it is done right.
The wrong way to do this is to write as a means of PR, or one way marketing. Everyone will see you as a “mouth” to the industry and dismiss anything you have to say. Also showing off your virtues, or spouting names of everyone you know is, to me, not a valid way of communicating through blogs.
Nobody cares about that. What they DO care about is you, and what they care about even more is that YOU CARE ABOUT THEIR OPINIONS.
This is the critical key point in my opinion.
And it takes a lot of time and effort to show people, who have come to be so disillusioned with and untrustworthy of society and people in general, that you are genuine, and that you really care what they think. After all, nobody else cares about anything but themselves it seems these days (the “me, fuck you!” mentality is rampant in western society and becoming much more in the minds of the Japanese as well, unfortunately). But that’s because of all the untrustworthy things corporations have been doing these past several years (and finally getting caught for).
Lack of confidence in society and even a greater lack in the corporate world by the consumer is to be expected in this day and age.
So how do we get around that? We need to convince our market segment that we really DO care about them.Flyerss, pamphlets, TV ads, radio infomercials, free papers, billboard, banners, etc. cannot do that. They are a one-way plug for the product or service in question. Nobody can respond to those marketing ads other than to pay money for the product through ordering it.
But how does that personalize anything? It doesn’t. It can’t.
This is where theblogg comes in. When a company involves individuals or specialists in their organization to reach out to the general public segment they are targeting, give them special info that cannot be conveyed through traditional marketing means, and listen to their thoughts and feelings, it makes the consumer feel important.
But you HAVE to spend the time to do this. And you MUST respond to the people’s comments, thoughts and questions. If you don’t, you will lose them because they will once again think you were just providing glossy lip service and trying to kiss ass by employing the “hottest marketing tools for the now generation”. It won’t work.
I have seen a lot of people write very interesting things on theirblogss. I read the comments. I comment (in detail). But in many cases the author never comes back! What happens? I figure they really don’t care what anyone things about what they wrote. And when I think that, I lose interest and go away. Why? Because I believe that if I am going to spend my time, invest my precious time (which is just as precious as “yours”) then YOU should also invest your time to get back to me. If you don’t, it proves to me that you really don’t care.
It is a LOT of work. I know this. Anyone who visits my personalblogss knows how much time and effort I put into being there for every single one of my guests. I really do care about them. I really really do. And to show that, I give deep thoughtful replies to almost every comment I get (it is difficult to reply meaningfully and in depth to the fluffy, “coolblogg dude” comments I must admit).
So,bloggingg, I believe is an excellent tool for improving your public relations, and your image.
I could go on in depth about this, but this morning when I was helping my friend Robin by giving he some suggestions about PR campaigns, I came across a very good article that explains the benefits of theblogg as a PR tool.
It is somewhat long, but not that long. And besides, if you are serious about using this kind of thing, you really DO need to invest the time it takes to LEARN. Just taking 30 seconds to whip through an article, skim it and expect to turn that into a success is a good formula for failure.
DUE DILIGENCE is the key to increased chances of success in any campaign. And that goes for life as well as business.
[Blogs as Excellent Public Relations Tools|http://www.seochat.com/c/a/Website-Promotion-Help/Blogs-as-Excellent-Public-Relations-Tools/|en]
You can access the article there.
Good luck blogging and remember to have a blast! After all, it is all about human interaction, not how much money you can make by exploiting some “technique”. I thumb my nose in that direction regularly.
I love you!
Cam
—
Comment [1]
Welcome to the GLC Highstreet Proffit · 205 days ago
Welcome to the Globalized Love Community (GLC) Highstreet Proffit. Here you will find all the news & communication that’s fit to be published in the Globalized Love Community. This is the Global Newsletter where everyone has a voice. In the GLC Bazaar you will find a gathering of talented and highly creative individuals who genuinely desire to make a difference in the world through their talents, and their soul.
The GLC Bazaar is a new kind of gathering place that just makes magikal (s)cents!
Welcome aboard and let’s hear your voice because YOU MATTER!
IGLU!
Chief Scribe
—
Globalized Love Community Bazaar: The Concept · 205 days ago
I have created a new domain called GlobalizedLove.Net. You can access this at http://www.globalizedlove.net (currently “parked” until content is developed).
The purpose of this new domain is to set up a bazaar of sorts at which all of the talented people we have met in the 360 community (and beyond the 360 realm, such as Masaki and others who could benefit by exposure) who have goods and services to offer to the world, those who understand the concept of “Globalized Love”, to come together in the “Globalized Love Community” (GLC) and share their soul.
We plan to develop a system whereby a community bazaar of sorts will be set up and individuals can have booths in which to sell their products and services (like storefronts, but we kind of like the more relaxed, bohemian bazaar-style, I think, because it suits our free spirits more accurately). This is where Adrian, Robin’s husband and his amazing programming skills will come into play. Apparently he is a Keyword God when it comes to placing on search engines. We want that magical skill in our community!
The themes will be somewhat “Harry Potteresque” in that there will be departments, offices, gods, and goddesses, secretaries, head researchers, and more. Information will fly back and forth through the “Dragonfly Post” and other exciting nomenclature. After all, who said business can’t be fun, right? This entire “fantasy concept” is just to make it fun and give it a bit of difference (or as we in the business world like to call it, a “competitive advantage”) compared with all of the other “plain Jane” internet storefronts out there.
This system will be much like Etsy (www.etsy.com) with a twist: a small (but reasonable) percent of the sales of all goods and services, as well as a set “list fee” for posting each “product” will go to “worthy causes” determined by a “board of directors”. Some of the money may go into the production and maintenance of this community (only fair), but we may choose to make that “annual fees”. This is all under discussion at the moment and will be determined when we get more people on board.
GlobalizedLove.Net will be an ongoing development that will involve everyone who would like to take part in the community. We will be there for each other, and for the world.
This idea came about through watching the progress of the Cam2PR project which is having amazing success in our blogs (thank you everyone!). We have learned that there are a heck of a lot of talented people connected to each other in our 360 Community and we think that by bringing us all together we could really make a difference (and profit by it at the same time).
Robin told me that many of the talented individuals these days feel beaten down by “the system” because they just can’t seem to get a break. GlobalizedLove.Net and the bazaar setting will give them that chance to blossom.
She came up with the idea of a bazaar-style system where the owners of the “tents” would “hawk their wares” (goods and services), maybe for sale, maybe for barter, to the world. We would all be connected and could subcontract parts of our needs to others in the bazaar, thus supporting their ventures, efforts and giving them credit where credit is due.
In so doing, we would be creating a true modern “webwork” of talents while keeping our prosperity within the group instead of spreading out to the outside corporate capitalists. This would allow us to profit as well as share a portion of the community profits for a higher cause.
It is proposed that we will charge fees just as is done on Etsy and other auction or store websites, but instead of that money going to private coffers, it will go into a “Globalized Love Slush Fund” (GLSF). These “shared profits” will be held until needed by someone in the community or in the outside world. The “Bazaar Overseers” will vote and determine the best way to allocate a portion of those funds to certain needy individuals, groups, countries, etc.
In this way the members of the community will prosper in their businesses, and the Globalized Love concept of reaching out to help others in need will become a reality through their efforts.
Each person who belongs to the community will be able to say with pride that they are actually making a difference in the world.
I have started a blog and you can see it at: http://blog.globalizedlove.net.
Pop in to see my first post. I don’t know what slant that content will take, but for now, it is parked until Adrian, Robin and I can create something special for all of you!
Welcome to the brand new world of Globalized Love!
IGLU!
(I Globalized Love You!)
C.S.
Cam Switzer
Chief Secretary, Department of Uniquities, GLC
This has been a shameless marketing plug to expand the concept of a successful, and self-sustaining Globalized Love Community.
—
Setting up the Globalized Love Site · 205 days ago
Welcome to the world of Globalized Love where everyone connected in this network truly does feel a genuine need to love and share with each other.
This is not a Christian gathering, nor some sort of weird “cult”. Nope.
Rather it is a group of talented people who have a strong desire to work with others supporting their efforts in any way they possibly can while benefitting from doing so in a monetary way, but also in a way that genuinely feels good to the soul.
Imagine a group or a collection of people with different skills and gifts to offer to the world coming together with the desire to help.
Just to help.
Help you, help me, help themselves.
And to express.
Express their ideas, goals, talents, products and services.
For you.
Now imagine these people all connected in a community so that when one person needs something done or “subcontracted”, instead of going out to the net, or to China to get the job done and pay to some unknown “AAA Aardvark Co., Ltd” who’s customer support, service, and reliability is unknown, they can look within their community for help to get the job done.
It’s kind of like “Family Subcontracting” where you know and trust the people you are working with. You know they are going to give you a fair deal, will honour their contracts with you and give you the best possible service you could ever imagine.
Imagine them WANTING TO MEET AND EXCEED YOUR NEEDS AND WILDEST EXPECTATIONS!
This is what this community is coming together for.
There are many of us out there who have gotten tired banging our heads against the Corporate Giants. They have tried to wear us down but we don’t want to give up! We want to give the best possible products and services we can offer to those that appreciate quality and excellent service while prospering mutually from such interactions on a deeper level than standard “money-for-product transactions” can offer.
This is true WIN-WIN for everyone.
Sure we may not be the cheapest out there. But we guarantee that we are going to be the best. We will give you the best products and services to MEET YOUR NEEDS, customized FOR YOU so that you can prosper providing your clients with what they need.
And in return for that, we all hope that you will support OUR needs, by paying us for that top-quality that we all want to give to you!
We are bringing this community into being for you.
And we are doing it for us.
Why?
Because we NEED this as much as you do.
Trust us.
We will be there for you!
I Globalized Love You!
Cam Switzer
—
