Blogging scares me
Honestly, blogging freaks me out. It scares me that I’m being judged and that you might be misinterpreting what I’m trying to say. I’m scared because I don’t know who you are, how you came across my blog and why you’re reading it. If i’m meeting your standards and giving you the information you’re after. I’m scared that you might classify me as verbal diarrohea.
What I don’t understand is that I’m not scared when it comes to writing brochure copy, website content or emails! Is it because I do them everyday or because I have the luxury of hiding behind a company?
Are you a seasoned blogger? Were you scared when you first started?
Add comment May 1, 2008
And so I lied…
Yeah, I remember saying that I’ll blog more often but I can’t seem to get into the habit. And I’m off again this weekend so I’ll see ya all after Easter!
Until then, here’s a photo from my last holiday…
Add comment Mar 5, 2008
A picture paints a thousand words
Having the right photographs on your websites and marketing material is crucial. Visually, it will help the reader to decide whether or not they like what you have to offer, whether or not you appeal to them and whether or not your product is suitable for them.
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A few key things to look out for:
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Colours convey different moods – pick the right colour for your product
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If you’re using a model – the age and image of the model should be that of your target market
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Keep the background simple – use it to convey your message
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Resources:
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istockphoto is a great site for cost-effective stock photography
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the images which I’ve used in this post are by Douglas Schwartz. His photographs have appeared on more than 200 magazine covers, in countless ads and brochures. He has nearly 4000 photographs available on his website.
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Add comment Jan 30, 2008
I’m baccccckk…
Sorry for the long break. I guess it took me a while to really understand what a big commitment blogging is. Well guys, this is what I have been busy doing:
Yes, posing as Slash. Rock and rollll dudes.
Jokes aside, I’m just here to let you know that I will be blogging again and to ask you to continue reading Adelaide’s Online Marketing Blog.
Just like maintaining a website or any other form of continuous online marketing such as Adwords, I’ve realised that you need to dedicate time each week and be committed to achieving results. Otherwise it just ends up being a waste of time and for some, money as well.
Subscribe to emarketer today for online marketing tips.
Add comment Jan 25, 2008
Website 102
In Website 101 we went over ‘why’ you would want a website and ‘who’ your website is for.
Website 102 moves on to exploring the ‘whats’ that need to be taken into consideration before you start developing your website.
- What should your website look like?
- What is the website’s structure?
- What are the technical aspects which need to be considered?
What should your website look like?
This is in part answered by who your target audience is and also by your current promotional and marketing materials. Keeping the same look across all your advertising and promotional material will ensure that you are getting the same message across.
What is the website’s structure?
This includes mapping out the pages you want to have as the headers and footers for your website. It helps to put yourself in your target audience’s shoes and think of what they will be looking for on your website. You can also look at using this as a means to direct different groups of users. Keep in mind terms which are used in your industry – for example Contact Us, Support or Email all mean the same thing, select the one which your readers are most likely to expect.
What are the technical aspects?
It goes without saying that you will need to have access to your website’s CMS (content management system or backend) which will allow you to update your website regularly.
Other things to consider are:
- Will users be logging in and out from your website? If so you will need to attach a database.
- Payment gateways need to be considered for e-commerce sites.
1 comment Nov 14, 2007
Making blogs look appealing and easy to read
continued from the last post on business blogs.
My first reaction is to go on a tirade about knowing your target audience but I guess there are specific elements to a blog which can make it easier for users to read/navigate around.
- One of the first things you would do to make it easier for people to access/read your blog is to allow them to subscribe to your blog. This is accomplished by having an RSS feed.
- Have tag clouds - this allows users to read all your previous posts pertaining to a specific subject.
- A Search bar can sometimes be useful.
As for making a blog appealing, I think that definitely depends on your target audience. My general theory is that black on white is the easiest to read.
Add comment Nov 13, 2007
Business blog structure
Adam asked about business blogs in the last post.
“I have often found business blogs quite confusing. Can you tell me how they are normally structured? Also how can we make blogs look more appealing/easier to read for people?”
Blogs are described by Wikipedia as websites whose characteristics include:
- information on a particular subject
- displayed in reverse chronological order (latest post on the top of the page – this is so that loyal readers do not have to scroll to the end of the site to read the latest post)
- allows for readers to comment (interactive)
Business blogs can be written by one person or have multiple contributors. Companies can choose to be as creative as they want with their blog subjects – it can be about anything! CEOs write about the perils of forming a company, marketers write about creating viral campaigns to get a product out there and music companies write about the ins and outs of the music industry. Let your imagination run wild.
Just like websites, business blogs are created with a specific goal in mind. This can be position yourself as an authority on a subject, create a pool of users who trust your brand or have an audience who will be early adopters of your future products.
A blog’s uniqueness is its ability to create a relationship with the reader.
Will blog about blog aesthetics tomorrow
3 comments Nov 12, 2007
What would you like to read about on eMarketer?
You’ve read it right! You’re getting full control of what is blogged about on eMarketer. Leave your answer as a comment and feel free to ask specific questions.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Websites
- Blogs (business blogs)
- Search Engine Optimization
- Integrating online and offline marketing
- Building a micro-site for a specific promotional campaign
- Online advertising tools
- Conducting surveys online
- The age old marketing question: how do you measure ROI?
1 comment Nov 8, 2007
