I wrote recently on Blogger Illustrated how the Walmart blog is failing and I thought I’d bring some of my thoughts down to the local level here in NWI. To make the longer story shorter, Walmart’s blog is dead dead dead, lifeless and limp, and I see that as a HUGE problem. Here’s why:
1) A dead brand blog makes the brand overall appear dead or boring or worse, a FAILURE
2) A dead blog that once was alive and interactive demonstrates lack of enthusiasm from the business
3) Leaving a dead business blog online is like leaving a 73′ Comet up on blocks in your front lawn
Should I Start A Blog For My Business Then?
Yes you should! Don’t plan for failure guys. If you wanna save some time right now, just hire me here and we can get started — I won’t let your blog die… but if you are here to feed your informational craving and learn a little sumthin’ about search marketing with blogs… then keep reading! 
Being Human On Your NW Indiana Business Blog
First off, your blog is NOT a repository for fact sheets and press releases. Don’t do that, it’s boring. Instead, your blog needs to show your human side on the web. Let’s face it, when searchers find your regular website, there isn’t too much there for them to interact with. Sure, they can see your logo and tagline, read about your services, maybe see some “before and after” pics and and then hit you up on your contact page, or maybe dial your phone — but that isn’t “alive” now is it?
But on a blog, we have a great opportunity to be human and invite other humans (potential customers) to interact with us. The way we do this is to use the business blog to GIVE rather than take. Here is a good example of a way your business blog can be human and giving and bring in the customers at the same time.
1) Let’s think off the internet first… ….You are a local auto dealer and you invite a local Boy Scout Troop to come to your place and hold a fund raising car wash on a Saturday. To help them, you send emails to all of your former customers letting them know about the day and encourage them to come in and support the Boy Scouts. (everyone love to support these kinds of activities). Encourage your employees to get involved in this charitable event also.
2) You will be talking about the event ahead of time both on your blog, and on Twitter and Facebook. You will also ask some of your Twitter business contacts to help you spread the word. You’ll all be using the #NWIndiana hashtag on Twitter. (if you don’t know what that is, you can hire me to do it for you ) You also will broadcast the event to your Facebook friends and page fans. The idea is to create a buzz about the event online at zero cost!
CAUTION: don’t over-promote this event in the social spaces! You have to GIVE more than you get in these areas and that means for every broadcast you do ASKING for someone to support your event, you need to GIVE and help promote someone else’s event. We call that “networking” folks, networking! I could show you dozens of examples of NWI businesses that use Twitter and Facebook in the most annoying manner! Man-O-man they are annoying… don’t you do that! 
3) There are some traditional marketing techniques to utilize here too. Talk to your contacts in the real world and hand out fliers. Hang signs in your dealership and put signs out at the roadside talking up the event, wimple.
4) On the day of the event, you take tons of pictures, some video and interview people coming through. Of course, you are smart and will have some of your best cars lined up in plain view near the car washing area… a few lookers may buy. A big buzz will be created if you work hard at this, and you will be doing something good for a great organization and all of it is associated with your car dealership!
The Blog Followup
Ok, so here is where we are really gonna take this thing to another level, so be sure you read this part carefully.
The day after the event you post a nice article and a bunch of pics and some video about the event on the blog. People love to see themselves on blogs, so make sure you get lots of happy pics on there for sure! You then go to Twitter and Facebook and broadcast it as a success so people can come and see how much fun you had, how much money was raised for the Boy Scouts and also how great your dealership is in general.
Here’s What You Are Accomplishing In All Of This
1) You did a nice thing for your community. This makes you look good of course, but it also strengthens your own employees’ loyalty to you because they like to do good too! A business blog is a great employee relations tool also if used correctly! Happy employees will generate happy customers. There is a lot more to this important use for a business blog, and we will talk more about this in another article.
2) You created a buzz online, and specifically aroung your BRAND. Potentially thousands of local citizens have been exposed to your brand name and even visited your blog! Remember, marketing is about “touches” and a visit to your blog or Twitter page is a definite positive touch. They will remember you when they go to purchase an automobile.
3) Your blog is alive and dominating the search engines. We refer to this as Search Engine Optimization. I won’t bore you with it, but just keep in mind that your blog, and more importantly your blog posts will be all over the internet and showing up in Google local search results. The more posts you have (regardless of topic) the more times your brand name will be seen online!
This post is getting long, so I am going to end it, but what you need to realize is that dominating online is about GIVING first, and getting second. You will find that this giving also brings out your human side on the internet, and that is a definite advantage in today’s tech heavy world.
If you don’t see the need in this type of marketing, contact me and let me convince you… you’ll be glad you did!
