Q1: Identify a brand’s
blog (company, service, or organization).
Does the blog meet Scott’s criteria for a successful blog as discussed
in chapters 5 and 16? Explain why or why
not. Please provide a link to the blog
Navigating through the iLearn site and some of the comments
from my group, I realized I was not alone in the challenging feeling of being
out of a comfort zone, as I started a blog post for this week. Because I am
intentionally getting into the “nitty-gritty” of starting a blog post that
could actually engage and capture your attention, I also realized that it takes
a special skill to be able to write in a very personal way, so that others may
feel this platform as a personal connection with me.
One interesting blog I found was Mom on the Go in Holy Toledo. It
exists since 2012, embedded in a site: Toledo
Area Parent. The author, a young mom from Toledo, Ohio, writes about her
own experiences and –of course- about parenting issues. Most post have minimal
to zero comments, although the content is really good; however, I noticed there
was a post about the author’s experience with some ‘leggings’ she offered to
give away, just if the readers could simply reply stating a fashion trend they
prefer. It was a really clever idea, a win-win situation. Not only respondents
could get a pair of leggings for free, but the blogger could be able to get,
first-hand, readers’ opinions about their preferences.
That experience took me to the actual “case study”. The
truth of the matter was that the author was part of LulaRoe, a true online presence brand, with
a different twist: it seeks to empower women to be entrepreneurs, selling these
clothes, locally. The web site is full of ideas for fashion, as well as to
promote family life, opportunities for women who do not have many opportunities
or would like to expand their opportunities. The visuals and stories show a
brand committed with the customers, giving them the opportunity not only to
dress nice, but also to promote social responsibility. I found this as a very
“holistic” experience for a product that is finding a niche in creating community
among women, in a global scale, while just simply having authors like Mom on the Go in Holy Toledo
describing her own personal preference for wearing leggings, in a very engaging
and open way: http://momonthegoinholytoledo.com/2016/01/02/latest-fashion-obsession-lularoe-giveaway/.
This blog post is creating attraction by using very personal ways to connect
with potential customers, as Scott (2015) explains in Chapter 16: “People read
blogs because they want to find an honest voice speaking passionately about a
subject.” (p. 296)
Q2: Discuss the
potential pros and cons of employee run blogs and whether or not you agree with
Scott’s position.
Social media -and particularly blogs- revolutionized and
challenged the traditional or conventional way to produce content, from a
journalistic perspective, in which news or facts were traditionally treated seeking
to balance a story, carefully giving facts in order to inform with accuracy.
Blogging does the opposite, it is, in fact, a way to expose one’s personal
opinion, as Scott (2015) explains: “blogger's usual focus of promoting a single
point of view is dramatically different from the journalist's goal of providing
a balanced perspective.” (p. 85)
In that sense, I can see one of a big ‘pros’ in allowing
employees running blogs, sharing with others their own personal experience
about the product the employee helps to produce or sell. Like in LulaRoe’s case, these independent sales
agents are simply talking and promoting their personal experience selling their
products, knowing that while they promote a good cause, they are also creating
their own financial independence. The big “cons’, on the other side, could be the risk of having employees giving
a wrong perception about the brand or if there is a conflict with the
employee’s work, this person could eventually have the tools to publicly damage
the brand’s image. In that case, it is important that employees know the
importance of using an ethic behavior in their posts, as Scott (2015) explains:
“If a post feels funny to you for some reason or makes you uncomfortable, it
may be unethical.” (p. 299)
I hope you have the opportunity to visit the LulaRoe’s site and know more about how a
product can really engage potential customers into a social commitment, to
promote dignity, financial freedom and, ultimately, happiness. Do you agree?
How would you think the organization you work for, could find creative ways
like LulaRoe’s, to match interests with good business?
Happy blogging!
References:
Scott, D.M.
(2015). The new rules of marketing and
pr: How to use social media, online video, mobile
applications, blogs, news releases, and viral marketing to reach buyers
directly. [Kindle version].
Retrieved from amazon.com
Carlos,
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely not alone in the nervousness from stepping out of your comfort zone and publishing your first blog. I have never blogged before and sharing the link on my personal social media pages where my friends and family have free rein to it made me especially nervous. There is something to be said about being pushed into unfamiliar territory and how it helps you grow both as a professional and as a person so I think it’s all for the best!
What an interesting blog you found! In reading through some of the posts I found myself chuckling out loud at the relatable content. The voice is very personable and gives a humanistic tone to the subjects that are covered. Some considerations Scott mentions in determining the strength of a blog includes its name, URL, page design, tolerance of comments, the addition of social networking tools, and an “about” page (Scott, 2015). Do you believe Mom on the Go in Holy Toledo (http://momonthegoinholytoledo.com/) fits his criteria for a successful blog (I sure do!)? If this blog is providing relevant content to its readers, why do you think there is lack of comments (and/or engagement) prior to the leggings promotion?
I think it’s great how you connected LulaRoe’s blog with employee engagement in posting on behalf of an organization. In a case like this it is perfect because each employee is creating their own personal brand that stems off the larger one. This may alleviate some of the issues that could arise when this happens in a more corporate setting.
~Nicole
References
Elliott, J. (n.d.) Finding Your Blogging Voice. Retrieved from http://www.theblogmaven.com/blogging-voice/
Scott, David M. (2015). The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Hi Nicole,
DeletePlease, my apologies for the delay, we are in the busiest week of work of the year. The organization I work for organizes a Mid-Atlantic Conference for catholic publishers and the preparation, set up, configuration, etc., is consuming most of these days. The conference ends on Saturday, so I am trying to balance my time between that project and our course (not to mention other personal stuff!).
You brought up what exactly called my attention, at first. With a good amount of replies specifically to her LulaRoe post, it was clear the author was followed and read before, so I think it was the combination of the participation in the raffle and a great quick sentence: “State one fashion trend.” These two simple but attractive elements, the author captured the attention of the audience and accomplished a "call-to-action" to her post, as Scott (2015) explains: “many blog posts just sit there with little feedback, few comments, and no results. But I learn from these failures, too; when my audience doesn't get excited about something, it's probably either a dumb idea or poorly explained.” (p. 78)
Thanks for bringing your interesting comments.
Carlos
Scott, D.M. (2015). The new rules of marketing and pr: How to use social media, online video, mobile applications, blogs, news releases, and viral marketing to reach buyers directly.[Kindle version]. Retrieved from amazon.com
Carlos,
DeleteNot to worry! Time management is always something I have to work at between work, personal, and academic obligations.
I’m glad you pointed out the call to action in the post that helped generate reader engagement. Once you have the attention of your reader it’s best to lead them into the next step. I have found in my work within the financial industry a call to action or directions or next steps is vital in converting our readers/followers to customers. A promotion is always a tempting way to do so. Do you have any experience with utilizing call to action in your marketing materials?
~Nicole
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I am getting more confident with the idea of blogging without the pressure of being an "expert" but more on trying to be honest and open in my opinions and views, as Scott (2015) explains: "People read blogs because they want to find an honest voice speaking passionately about a subject." (p. 296)
After reading the Mom on the Go in Holy Toledo blog, I honestly felt empowered to think more creatively in how to blog, reach out and "sell" the story of any brand, including non-profit organizations that are not online to sell a product, but to create awareness or engage others.
I remember a campaign from a healthcare provider at one of my previous employers. They promoted giving away Fitbits to those employees that would enroll in a series of 7 webinars, one per week, to promote a healthy lifestyle. Of course, I registered and was interesting to perceive how some of my colleagues who just joined to get the Fitbit ended up engaging in the idea of changing their lifestyle. There was an incentive for some, but it also was a way to easily get a new Fitbit for others, without any sort of engagement or interest. Social media create multiple opportunities to engage new audiences in a more personal way. There is a need for communicators to change the approach and make campaigns more personal, although it is certainly more time consuming and investment of work.
Thanks for your comments.
Carlos
Hi Carlos,
ReplyDeleteAs a mom trying to balance life with a baby, work, and school, I found Mom on the Go very entertaining! I also think the blog meets Scott's (2015) criteria of a successful blog. Comments are enabled, there's about page, social media information is embedded on the site, and more.
I also like how you mentioned the Lulu Roe sweepstakes. I recently saw a friend promoting the brand on Facebook but didn't think much of it. Now that I saw it was brought up again, I looked into the site and found it interesting that it was network-based marketing and what better way to promote the business than through online networking on blogs and social media!
I also noticed a lot of sponsored content on the Mom on the Go blog, with the most recent one giving away tickets to Monster Jam. A lot of mommy blogs are featuring sponsored content and giving away baby supplies in contents to promote brands.
Sue Anne Dunlevie is a blogger and author of Attract 1,000 Subscribers in 30 days and provides guides for providing fair sponsored blog posts. She mentioned, "Stay true to your values and avoid overloading your blog with advertising or sponsored blog posts because it will cheapen your brand." How much sponsored blog posts would you find acceptable on a blog before you disregard it as balanced? I know this way of advertising is new to all of us and I'm curious on your thoughts.
Dunlevie, S.A. (2015). Are You Being Conned? Fair Sponsored Blog Post Rates and Best Practice Guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.successfulblogging.com/sponsored-blog-post-rates/
Scott, D. M. (2015). The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Hi Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments, I totally agree with you in pointing the importance of a balanced amount of advertising on a blog site. I originally found all the ads as very distracting and creating a sense of "narrowness" to the site, leaving minimal space for text.
However, the use of various elements in a blog can also be viewed from a "web-as-a-city" perspective, a term used by Scott (2015) to show how some social media channels, like blogs, can be understood as meeting place, in which people can find fun, restaurants, parties, etc.: "Viewing the web as a sprawling city where social media are the places where people congregate to have fun helps us make sense of how marketers can best use the tools of social media."(p. 57)
In the MomOnTheGo blog site, I perceive a busy environment, but pretty much as hectic as many "mom's schedules" (many Moms are famous for their multi-tasking skills!), so in many cases, places like MomOnTheGo could have more like a look and feel of a magazine, than a blog that could privilege the use of articles with a lot of emphasis on opinion.
In closing, it is interesting to see how the Monster Jam post again attracted comments and people interested in participate in the contest. Apparently, MomOnTheGo is positioning herself as a friend who always has a funny or interesting deal you can take from her, rather than an expert on certain topics. The high feedback she is getting for those posts that involve contests or quick responses is creating some successful posts, as Scott (2015) shares: "The immediacy of the feedback is also different from offline marketing. I hear within 24 hours (usually faster) if something I'm doing is working or not."(p. 110)
Scott, D.M. (2015). The new rules of marketing and pr: How to use social media, online video,mobile applications, blogs, news releases, and viral marketing to reach buyers directly.[Kindle version]. Retrieved from amazon.com