Jason Falls
Corporate blog expert Debbie Weil has asked the question, “Should blogging be the hub of your social media efforts?” Tomorrow afternoon, Jay Baer and Chris Baggott will take a stab at answering that in a Compendium Blogware webinar of the same name. Sign up now. Seats are limited.
While Debbie has a fantastic discussion going on in the comments section of the post mentioned above, I thought it appropriate to talk a bit about the hub theory of blogging and ensure the notion is looked upon in the proper perspective.
First, we need to assume that we’re talking about blogging for business or corporations. This differs from personal/hobby or media blogs because with each you have slightly different purposes, goals and outcomes of success.
Image by base10 via Flickr
Personal blogs are ego driven. They are either personal opinion platforms for the author or the content is almost solely what the author chooses to write. Hobby blogs are much the same. Media blogs are focused on driving content around an audience’s needs or interests to draw eyeballs and increase exposure to the site’s advertising. The best corporate blogs are focused on driving business success while serving the audience’s needs.
As an example, look at Fairytale Brownies. They have a corporate blog which has a prescribed goal of winning search results around specific keywords. Their Facebook, Twitter and YouTube presences clearly drive people back to the blog for more information (along with other site-specific content that serves its respective community there). The blog is clearly their hub for connecting with customers.
If you visited their blog in February, you found specific calls to action for Valentine’s Day themed promotions. When you clicked through, you were taken to custom landing pages to buy Valentine’s Day brownies for your loved one. With similar approaches around the year (see St. Patrick’s Day ideas there now), Fairytale Brownies have driven thousands of visitors to their e-commerce site and report an impressive 13 percent conversion rate among those visitors to qualified leads. While they do not disclose specific financials, they have shared a 170 percent return on their investment in business blogging.
The reason (though I’m sure Baggott wants me to tell you it’s because they use Compendium) is because their blog is a hub for their social media efforts. They do participate genuinely on Facebook and Twitter, answering specific questions, thanking fans and the like, but continually bring the focus of the company’s social media efforts back to the blog and e-commerce opportunities. The clear focus to drive customers to the blog, thus giving them the options to click through and purchase is what drives their online success.
Can social outposts be your hubs? Sure. Are they as effective? I don’t think so. You can control you blog completely. Focusing that content on winning search results is easier to execute than on Facebook or Twitter. The more search traffic you can drive, coupled with the social media traffic you move from your outposts, the more your efforts are optimized.
For more, check out the webinar with Jay and Chris tomorrow. It’s free and will certainly be full of great information.
In the meantime, what do you think? Is a blog best used as the hub of your social media efforts? What about focusing your activities on Facebook or Twitter? The comments, as always, are yours.
Related articles by Jason Falls and Zemanta
- Corporate Blog Success Begins And Ends With Business Metrics (Social Media Explorer)
- Should a Blog or Twitter be Your Social Media Hub? (socialmediatoday.com)
- Companies Should Organize For Social Media In A Hub-And-Spoke Model (Forrester Research)
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Hi Jason,
Thank you for your food. For thought.
I follow the John Janscht method; I use http://www.TheFranchiseKing.com as my “hub.” I focus on my blog for content, and then spread that content out to the social media sites that matter.
Do you like that way of doing things?
Hi Jason,
Thank you for your food. For thought.
I follow the John Janscht method; I use http://www.TheFranchiseKing.com as my “hub.” I focus on my blog for content, and then spread that content out to the social media sites that matter.
Do you like that way of doing things?
I do, so long as you're using those social outposts for more than just blog
pimping. The outposts are great to interact beyond blog comments and build
relationships as well. Thanks for sharing J.
I do, so long as you're using those social outposts for more than just blog
pimping. The outposts are great to interact beyond blog comments and build
relationships as well. Thanks for sharing J.
Great points, Jason. In theory my company's corporate blog (blog.tamar.com) is the hub of our social media efforts. But, social media is about engaging in conversations, right? We seem to engage in more conversations with brand partners and our industry peers through Twitter.
Great points, Jason. In theory my company's corporate blog (blog.tamar.com) is the hub of our social media efforts. But, social media is about engaging in conversations, right? We seem to engage in more conversations with brand partners and our industry peers through Twitter.
And conversations are central to social media success. Still, for business
results, you need to funnel folks along the spokes to the hub to provide
them with content, value or even relevant calls to action to convert them
into leads, customers, etc. Twitter is an outpost you use to do that. If
you're not inviting people to your blog or website at some point in those
conversations, you probably aren't getting the most efficient use out of the
effort.
And conversations are central to social media success. Still, for business
results, you need to funnel folks along the spokes to the hub to provide
them with content, value or even relevant calls to action to convert them
into leads, customers, etc. Twitter is an outpost you use to do that. If
you're not inviting people to your blog or website at some point in those
conversations, you probably aren't getting the most efficient use out of the
effort.
Hi Jason, Can you be a tad more specific? Thanks!
Hi Jason, Can you be a tad more specific? Thanks!
Wish I had read this yesterday to catch the webinar today. Will there be a recording available?
Re: “Is a blog best used as the hub of your social media efforts?”
Yes, I think so. As much as one might focus their activities on networks like Facebook and Twitter, the end goal is always to get people to your site (traffic) and convert site visitors into sales (at least that's the end goal for me). For my real estate clients, it's the same thing. The goal is to get more site visitors so that those visitors subscribe and search for homes using the IDX on their site. That leads to conversions (from prospect to interested home-buyer).
I use Facebook to keep up-to-date on the personal/professional lives of friends/colleagues/clients. Before an event, I check in with people who are in the city of the event I'll be attending (call it research so I know what's going on in people's lives).
With respect to Twitter, well… I talk a little bit too much. Share content (sometimes automated; yes, I do that on occassion…), connect socially, rant, etc. It's leads to conversations often times with people who have seen me speak. They ask a question via DM and viola, you have a prospect.
But still, at the end of the day. The focus is on creating content for the site to drive people to the site (the blog). Because when they're there, they're more apt to drop a question, leave a comment, subscribe and/or pick up the phone and call.
Wish I had read this yesterday to catch the webinar today. Will there be a recording available?
Re: “Is a blog best used as the hub of your social media efforts?”
Yes, I think so. As much as one might focus their activities on networks like Facebook and Twitter, the end goal is always to get people to your site (traffic) and convert site visitors into sales (at least that's the end goal for me). For my real estate clients, it's the same thing. The goal is to get more site visitors so that those visitors subscribe and search for homes using the IDX on their site. That leads to conversions (from prospect to interested home-buyer).
I use Facebook to keep up-to-date on the personal/professional lives of friends/colleagues/clients. Before an event, I check in with people who are in the city of the event I'll be attending (call it research so I know what's going on in people's lives).
With respect to Twitter, well… I talk a little bit too much. Share content (sometimes automated; yes, I do that on occassion…), connect socially, rant, etc. It's leads to conversations often times with people who have seen me speak. They ask a question via DM and viola, you have a prospect.
But still, at the end of the day. The focus is on creating content for the site to drive people to the site (the blog). Because when they're there, they're more apt to drop a question, leave a comment, subscribe and/or pick up the phone and call.
It will be availble. http://compendium.com/resources is the URL, I think.
There's a Webinars tab there. Not sure how quick it'll be up, but it'll be
up soon.
And thanks for the case study share of what you do, Ricardo. Awesome to hear
from someone doin' it, my man. Keep on keepin' on.
It will be availble. http://compendium.com/resources is the URL, I think.
There's a Webinars tab there. Not sure how quick it'll be up, but it'll be
up soon.
And thanks for the case study share of what you do, Ricardo. Awesome to hear
from someone doin' it, my man. Keep on keepin' on.
Thank you for the link my man! Much appreciated. I'll revisit it over the weekend or early next week.
Thank you for the link my man! Much appreciated. I'll revisit it over the weekend or early next week.
Nice post. Driving traffic through relevant posts is a great way to get business. But still it's not everyone's cup of tea. Content has to be entertaining both, target audience and search engines. Plus I think twitter doesn't cater to every industry. Or does it?
Btw, I've read about FairyTale Brownies before as well. How come people end up quoting this website every time? Must be good
Nice post. Driving traffic through relevant posts is a great way to get business. But still it's not everyone's cup of tea. Content has to be entertaining both, target audience and search engines. Plus I think twitter doesn't cater to every industry. Or does it?
Btw, I've read about FairyTale Brownies before as well. How come people end up quoting this website every time? Must be good
Well, it is brownies.com. Heh. Thanks Christian.
Well, it is brownies.com. Heh. Thanks Christian.
You truly open up a for a great discussion here Jason. Personally, I'm not sure that the blog necessarly needs to be the hub for you social interactions, but I do think that everyone should define a hub. Because it makes it easier for the followers, reader or commenters to know were do go to for information. Though I does not have to be the blog, I think there are many good reasons for it to be, as you can freely do what you want on your blog and anyone could visit. On the other hand it could be very useful to have the facebook page as the hub, since you constanlty remind people of you precens as you show up on their feed, and they do not have to redirect themselves to find you. I'm sure that there are other aguments for other option, but my point it; hub= defintely, place: optional.
You truly open up a for a great discussion here Jason. Personally, I'm not sure that the blog necessarly needs to be the hub for you social interactions, but I do think that everyone should define a hub. Because it makes it easier for the followers, reader or commenters to know were do go to for information. Though I does not have to be the blog, I think there are many good reasons for it to be, as you can freely do what you want on your blog and anyone could visit. On the other hand it could be very useful to have the facebook page as the hub, since you constanlty remind people of you precens as you show up on their feed, and they do not have to redirect themselves to find you. I'm sure that there are other aguments for other option, but my point it; hub= defintely, place: optional.
Well said, Annelie. I tend to agree with you. A blog does need to be your
hub IF you have certain goals in mind. (Search wins, on-site engagement,
etc.) If not, your hub certainly can be elsewhere. Thanks for the comment.
Well said, Annelie. I tend to agree with you. A blog does need to be your
hub IF you have certain goals in mind. (Search wins, on-site engagement,
etc.) If not, your hub certainly can be elsewhere. Thanks for the comment.
Great to see that the 'uncontrolled platforms' trend is relative when a blog can function as hub. It does guarantee a stable channel whereas API's change constantly and seem unfit to keep information available over a longer period of time through interlinking between platforms. Resulting dead links are a major pain in my opinion.
Great to see that the 'uncontrolled platforms' trend is relative when a blog can function as hub. It does guarantee a stable channel whereas API's change constantly and seem unfit to keep information available over a longer period of time through interlinking between platforms. Resulting dead links are a major pain in my opinion.
Great point, Ralph. There's so much good and bad to consider when you look
at marketing through the lens of search engine optimization. Unfortunately,
too few companies understand it or prioritize it. Great thoughts. Thanks for
commenting.
Great point, Ralph. There's so much good and bad to consider when you look
at marketing through the lens of search engine optimization. Unfortunately,
too few companies understand it or prioritize it. Great thoughts. Thanks for
commenting.
I've been having trouble figuring out this balancing act myself. I most often just use twitter and facebook to push readers back to my blog, but I'm wondering if there is merit in using those outlets to build a community on their own tools, rather than just using them as a funnel back to my blog.
I've been having trouble figuring out this balancing act myself. I most often just use twitter and facebook to push readers back to my blog, but I'm wondering if there is merit in using those outlets to build a community on their own tools, rather than just using them as a funnel back to my blog.
It all depends on your goals. There will be an audience on each that
appreciates you driving people back to your blog, and there will the those
that think it's promotional and spammy. As long as you mix in plenty of
other sharing, you'll be fine. But it's worth it to see if there are more
specific focal points you can use with Facebook and Twitter. Ask yourself if
your audience on each network is a little different, if so how and cater
your content to them based on those results. Thanks for the comment.
It all depends on your goals. There will be an audience on each that
appreciates you driving people back to your blog, and there will the those
that think it's promotional and spammy. As long as you mix in plenty of
other sharing, you'll be fine. But it's worth it to see if there are more
specific focal points you can use with Facebook and Twitter. Ask yourself if
your audience on each network is a little different, if so how and cater
your content to them based on those results. Thanks for the comment.
Actually I like its honest answer but in my case blogging is a best way to promote a business and using social media is the tools and techniques to do that successfully.
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