MackColliersaysOk I need to redeem myself with a conversation starter, if you do SM consulting, how long do you suggest companies spend a day on blogging?
posted on June 24, 2008 at 01:23AM
316 responses
to this plurk.
June 24, 2008 at 01:24MackColliersaysI suggest to companies that they spend a minimum of 30 mins a day during the week and an hour a day is better
June 24, 2008 at 01:25ConnieinDenverI would agree with you -- with the understanding that it's going to take more than that in the beginning while there's a learning curve.
June 24, 2008 at 01:26KDFrawgsaysA half hour is about right, at least for the creative part.
June 24, 2008 at 01:26sdohrndo you tell them to have one dedicated person for blogging or several?
June 24, 2008 at 01:26Beth Hartesays1/2 hour?! It takes me a lot longer than that to write...
June 24, 2008 at 01:27Beth HartesaysOkay mackcollier, I am sticking around for you...
June 24, 2008 at 01:27MackColliersaysgood point. I mentioned that to some small business owners at the first SBMU, and they couldn't believe an hour a day.
June 24, 2008 at 01:28AmberCadabrawell for those of us chopped liver consultants who were clearly ignored before, I'd say 30-60 minutes if it's a dedicated person responsible
June 24, 2008 at 01:28sonnygillI don't think some big corporations could believe it either, let alone small businesses
June 24, 2008 at 01:29KDFrawgsaysMost of the people I work woth just do the creative part, then hand it off to be perfected.
June 24, 2008 at 01:29MackColliersaysbut I explained the learning curve that Connie mentioned, you can get more done after you get used to it
June 24, 2008 at 01:29Beth Hartesayswait, are you saying they think 30-60 mins is too long?
June 24, 2008 at 01:29MackColliersaysand would probably want to devote more time as you started to see results
June 24, 2008 at 01:29DebInDenversaysI think businesses don't think about the fact that you have to pay for good content, whether that is staff, or what. You need resources
June 24, 2008 at 01:30KDFrawgsaysDo your clients post the column themselves, or does somebody edit and post it for them?
June 24, 2008 at 01:30Beth Hartesaysdebindenver...exactly! I could never blog for 30-60 mins a day. I need time to research and write.
June 24, 2008 at 01:31Beth Hartesaysthat is if you want intelligent blog posts and not crap.
June 24, 2008 at 01:31ConnieinDenverI think it's hard to totally separate the creative from putting it online. Writers need to at least know blogging basics.
June 24, 2008 at 01:31MackColliersaysKDFrawg I want them to do as much as possible by themselves. they need to learn how to use these tools properly anyway, so...
June 24, 2008 at 01:31livepathsaysDepends what their strategy is ... if you're starbucks it'll be a heckuva lot longer than Joe's tractor equipment.
June 24, 2008 at 01:32DebInDenversaysI don't think you can separate the two, I just mean that company's need to invest in the staff to do the work- tech & content
June 24, 2008 at 01:32AmberCadabrafor beginners, you can't ask them to spend more than that or they just get frustrated.
June 24, 2008 at 01:32livepathsaysBut yeah, 30-90 minutes a week, depending on immersion, sites, strategy and goals.
June 24, 2008 at 01:32livepathsaysAnd i offer to help them get started by seeding them with ideas...
June 24, 2008 at 01:32MackColliersaysand I tell them that it's going to take a while to grow their readership anyway, so those early missteps won't be as noticible
June 24, 2008 at 01:32DebInDenversaysIt depends on how many times a week they need to post. Ideally at least 4 times, but it may depend on industry. They can then modify.
June 24, 2008 at 01:33KDFrawgsaysThat would make sense, but they see that they can cut the time in half by having someone do proffing and posting...
June 24, 2008 at 01:33AmberCadabrai always help them frame out some kind of content guide/schedule to get them rolling. kinda like training wheels.
June 24, 2008 at 01:33sonnygillCompanies fail to understand 'soft costs' & what it takes to write great content, building community, community management/monitoring, etc.
June 24, 2008 at 01:33ConnieinDenverI disagree w/ recommended frequency of posting.
June 24, 2008 at 01:34ConnieinDenverI'd rather see them post once a week on the blog and spend time building a social network.
June 24, 2008 at 01:34DebInDenversaysI think posting depends on the field, I just prefer higher frequency to keep audience going for my blog. Not all blogs.
June 24, 2008 at 01:34MackColliersaysright Amber that's a good idea with creating scheduling help/guidelines
June 24, 2008 at 01:35Beth Harteasksokay, if I were your client, which I could be, your consult would be 30-60 mins a day on blogging? Is that for one post per week?
June 24, 2008 at 01:35AmberCadabraI find if they have a framework, companies new to SM and blogging are more likely to give it a shot
June 24, 2008 at 01:35ConnieinDenverAlso, I don't include reputation monitoring in that 30-60 min. per day. Could be another person that sets up Google Alerts for monitoring.
June 24, 2008 at 01:35MackColliersaysConnie I would really like to see at least 2 posts a week.
June 24, 2008 at 01:36MackColliersaysBut let's say tehy have 3 people available to blog, I could see having one as the 'community liasion' on Twitter/socnets etc, RichardATDell
June 24, 2008 at 01:36ConnieinDenverI think 2 posts a week is better, but I'm happy if they keep current with one a week.
June 24, 2008 at 01:36sonnygillConnie, would all of those responsibilities fall under a Community Manager or would you separate it out from blogging activities?
June 24, 2008 at 01:37ConnieinDenverAs Deb said, frequency may depend on the industry. Some just don't move as fast as others. If it's tech-related needs to be more frequent.
June 24, 2008 at 01:38ConnieinDenverSonny - ideally it would be under a community manager many companies are just not ready to dedicate a staff person to full-time social media
June 24, 2008 at 01:38Beth Hartesaysum, hello, no offense but I work for a small company...and I am the only marketer. I couldn't implement any of what you are suggesting.
June 24, 2008 at 01:38MackColliersaysBeth there's time posting, monitoring, replying to comments, commenting other blogs, other socnets, twitter
June 24, 2008 at 01:38Beth Hartesaysnot in 30-60 mins a day.
June 24, 2008 at 01:39MackColliersaysAt least an hour, but not every area each day
June 24, 2008 at 01:39MackColliersayslike maybe only 1 or 2 days a week devoted to posting, whatever, kinda divide the time equally over week at first.....
June 24, 2008 at 01:39ConnieinDenverBeth, you're in the situation where you'd have to drop something else in order to spend 30-60 min./day. Have to gauge value of that.
June 24, 2008 at 01:39sonnygillAgreed Connie - I'm in a similar situation where I'm still putting on multiple hats (aside from social media)
June 24, 2008 at 01:39MackColliersaysthen allocate differently as you see which area you get more from
June 24, 2008 at 01:40livepathsaysRIght Beth - that's why it should depend on your goals & strategy... 1 post per week is sometimes sufficient.
June 24, 2008 at 01:40AmberCadabraBeth no prob not. But you can schedule it out where you focus time on the two or three things that are the most valuable to your company.
June 24, 2008 at 01:40Beth HartesaysI'd have to drop a whole lotta somethin'. In the SMB world, isn't that the norm?
June 24, 2008 at 01:41AmberCadabraFor instance, if you're not already, I'd start with rep management, to see what's being said now.
June 24, 2008 at 01:41MackColliersaysand Beth if you have say 3 people blogging, then you can devote more time
June 24, 2008 at 01:41ConnieinDenverAgree w/ Amber. Listen first. Blog later.
June 24, 2008 at 01:41AmberCadabrathen you can tailor where you spend the rest of your time depending on what you find. and yes, something may have to give
June 24, 2008 at 01:44sonnygillAs well as monitoring how your brand's community is communicating and connecting.
June 24, 2008 at 01:44MackColliersaysConnie is right, nothing to monitor tells me you have an awareness problem, first thing is see what the competition is up to, if anything
June 24, 2008 at 01:44AmberCadabraand connie's right. hearing what 's being said about competitors and how/where they're talking is a good start
June 24, 2008 at 01:44AmberCadabrabethharte LOL so you get the point about competitors then
June 24, 2008 at 01:45MackColliersaysthe 'good' thing about having no chatter about your company is that blogging would likely help you raise your awareness online
June 24, 2008 at 01:45Beth Hartesaysconnie, yep, I know...I think I have a unique circumstance.
June 24, 2008 at 01:45AmberCadabraand you don't have negative stuff to undo, so it's clean slate for building your brand that way
June 24, 2008 at 01:46sonnygillyou have an opportunity, not a unique circumstance
June 24, 2008 at 01:46sonnygilljust an FYI - I'm no consultant, but learning a lot just from this thread.
June 24, 2008 at 01:46Beth Hartesaysmy only point is realistically implementing vs. talking about strategies. That's all.
June 24, 2008 at 01:46AmberCadabraheck yeah, i'd rather start from zero than negative any day. last co. i worked for had a brand, just not the one they wanted
June 24, 2008 at 01:46DebInDenversaysI don't know what to say. I agree with all of the above.
June 24, 2008 at 01:46ConnieinDenverAn opportunity to be the leader in your field.
June 24, 2008 at 01:47AmberCadabrabethharte no question it's a matter of choice. i was a one woman show before, i know what you're going through. not easy, but doable
June 24, 2008 at 01:47sonnygillbeth - realistically implementing meaning having senior managers/etc. buying into it?
June 24, 2008 at 01:47ConnieinDenverBeth, do you have buy-in to do social media from senior management and just need suggestions on implementing, where to start?
June 24, 2008 at 01:48Beth Hartesaysconnie, I wish/hope. In all seriousness, we don't have any 1-to-1 competition, but lots of other things we compete against.
June 24, 2008 at 01:48Beth HartesaysI need someone to do my other work so I can focus on social media implementation!
June 24, 2008 at 01:48ConnieinDenverFor help getting buy-in, I recommend the book Groundswell.
June 24, 2008 at 01:49Beth Hartesaysmy management is 100% behind it! I am lucky that way.
June 24, 2008 at 01:49AmberCadabraagree w/Connie. Some good metrics in there
June 24, 2008 at 01:49ConnieinDenverBeth, sounds like a great oppty to stake your claim and put the brand out there. You'll have to start small, obviously.
June 24, 2008 at 01:50sdohrnthis is a great thread. thanks a lot everyone!
June 24, 2008 at 01:50AmberCadabrabeth oh man, that's half the battle. you're in good shape. just need a plan of attack
June 24, 2008 at 01:51ConnieinDenverMack's probably off on Twitter, bragging that he's gotten 90 comments in under 30 minutes.
June 24, 2008 at 01:51MackColliersaysok you guys are already spewing genius too fast for me to keep up with, but beth keep in mind that your main cost for blogging will be time
June 24, 2008 at 01:51MackColliersaysI heard that Connie
June 24, 2008 at 01:52MackColliersaysI aint gonna mention comments again on Twitter cause you guys think I am bragging about something *I* did, trying to brag abt threaded convo
June 24, 2008 at 01:52AmberCadabraMack is turning into our very own certified PlurkPimp
June 24, 2008 at 01:52sonnygillgood point mack, was going to say that. smaller initial strategies yield minimal costs but much time.
June 24, 2008 at 01:52MackColliersaysand beth as you blog a bit more you can point your boss to that and say 'well i am already familiar with blogging...'
June 24, 2008 at 01:53Beth HartesaysI know, that's why I was trying to get you all to originally focus on *time.*
June 24, 2008 at 01:53Beth Hartesaysthere never seems to be enough when you're the lone marketer!
June 24, 2008 at 01:53MackColliersaysbeth keep in mind that you are already familiar with these tools, so you can get more done in less time
June 24, 2008 at 01:54Beth HartesaysI want to do this slow and properly...I have a lot of research to do.
June 24, 2008 at 01:54ConnieinDenverBeth, if the time element in setting up a blog is too great, you can hire someone to customize a WordPress template very reasonably.
June 24, 2008 at 01:54MackColliersaysi would worry a bit about a noob only spending an hour a day out of gate, but thats a lot more time if you are familiar with tools
June 24, 2008 at 01:54ConnieinDenverI use a programmer who is a senior in high school.
June 24, 2008 at 01:55sonnygilltreat your time like your money
June 24, 2008 at 01:55AmberCadabraMenWithPens on Twitter (James and Harry) rock and are really reasonable. They're gonna do mine soon.
June 24, 2008 at 01:55Beth Hartesaysanyway, I just wonder if some other SMBs are thinking that 30-60 mins is too much...because I think it's not enough.
June 24, 2008 at 01:55Beth Hartesaysmaybe I am just overthinking it...Hmmmm....
June 24, 2008 at 01:56AmberCadabraYou think it's not enough because you know what you're doing. I'm talking 30-60 on blogging alone, and for a rookie
June 24, 2008 at 01:56MackColliersayssonnygill good point, but it's easier 4 small company to get sold on the idea when there's not as much money coming directly out of pocket
June 24, 2008 at 01:56Beth Hartesaysgotcha...just to get their feet wet.
June 24, 2008 at 01:56AmberCadabrathat's more than enough to fry a rookie's brain
June 24, 2008 at 01:57MackColliersaysright beth, they think that an hour a day is WAY too much time for them
June 24, 2008 at 01:57MackColliersaysbecause they think all they need to do is write a couple of posts a week, that's it. they think they can do that in an hour/week
June 24, 2008 at 01:57Beth HartesaysMenwithPens, I love it!
June 24, 2008 at 01:57AmberCadabrayou, on the other hand, are what experienced in SM so can do a lot more with your time (and hence, need more time to do what you want)
June 24, 2008 at 01:58acnattasaysI'll answer the initial question by agreeing to 30-60 minutes with the # of days depending on what the blog's about
June 24, 2008 at 01:58Beth Hartesaysokay, so I just signed on with a company for SM and they are telling me the service comes w/a blog template. But we already have a name...
June 24, 2008 at 01:58frankmartinsayslate to this one; good stuff here. Does depend on the industry and who else is writing what
June 24, 2008 at 01:58Beth Hartesaysmaybe WordPress would be more professional.
June 24, 2008 at 01:58acnattaasksI'll then say that isn't the major issue convincing folks that this actually takes more time than they think to do effectively?
June 24, 2008 at 01:59frankmartinsaysno more than 60 min a day though; especially at first
June 24, 2008 at 01:59frankmartinsaysmore than that is overwhelming for many
June 24, 2008 at 01:59MackColliersaysBeth a lot of people are liking Wordpress now, I would look at them first, acnatta can maybe help you
June 24, 2008 at 02:00AmberCadabraacnatta yes, eventually. but we're talking getting started.
June 24, 2008 at 02:00DebInDenversaysI have been thinking about switching to WordPress am about to launch web site tho, so will wait.
June 24, 2008 at 02:01AmberCadabrabethharte yep. But it is solvable, I promise. You carve it out little by little, and the more you dedicate to focused SM, you'll find that
June 24, 2008 at 02:01AmberCadabratime focuses more and you identify stuff you can leave behind
June 24, 2008 at 02:01frankmartinsaysI bought the wordpress book, but haver to wait until I have time to make the change from Typepad
June 24, 2008 at 02:01AmberCadabrathink about it as climbing uphill steadily vs. slamming down the gaspedal.
June 24, 2008 at 02:02Beth HartesaysI am just trying to remember back when I was first diving into SM. I think I didn't spend that much time. Read a couple of Forrester rpts..
June 24, 2008 at 02:02Beth Hartesaysand started reading some blogs...
June 24, 2008 at 02:03AmberCadabraoh man, i think back to my old blog...hiiiiilarious
June 24, 2008 at 02:03AmberCadabrai had no frelling clue what i was doing
June 24, 2008 at 02:03AmberCadabrabut i learned so much
June 24, 2008 at 02:03sonnygillDitto - and us SM heads learn so much more when conversations like this go on in our networks.
June 24, 2008 at 02:03Beth HartesaysI am really looking forward to implementing...even if it's a little *rough*
June 24, 2008 at 02:04Beth Hartesays*rough* as in not perfection, not as in tough.
June 24, 2008 at 02:05sonnygillAlso beth - You're def a step ahead of others - strategy before tools
June 24, 2008 at 02:05acnattaagrees w/AmberCadabra that slowing down may be one of the best things to do in this fast paced world we operate in
June 24, 2008 at 02:06MackColliersaysagain Beth, even if it's not perfect at first, so what, it will take a while to grow any type of readership, and you can work out kinks
June 24, 2008 at 02:06MackColliersaysso that it looks much better by the time the masses arrive
June 24, 2008 at 02:06AmberCadabrait's really the only way to ensure that your foundation is solid. you might screw up in the details, but careful builds a better start
June 24, 2008 at 02:10ConnieinDenverBeth, absolutely go for it, even though it's rough. If you wait until it's "right," you may be too late to the game. As Mack said,
June 24, 2008 at 02:10ConnieinDenverYou have plenty of time to perfect it as you're building traffic.
June 24, 2008 at 02:11AmberCadabraheck, if i waited until it wasn't rough...wait, it's still rough.
June 24, 2008 at 02:11Rachelthinksthat if the company is big enough, then multiple blogs or at least multiple contributors to a blog is the way to go.
June 24, 2008 at 02:12Rachelsaysfew people outside of dedicated marcomm staff have 30-60 minutes a day to spend blogging. Spread the load.
June 24, 2008 at 02:14acnattavery true - one of the reasons why community blogging is gaining steam in general
June 24, 2008 at 02:14sonnygillI'd think multiple contributors before multiple blogs for a comp. One of the best multiple blog example I've seen though is www.viget.com
June 24, 2008 at 02:14MackColliersaysbeth the only thing I regret about blogging is that I waited as long as I did to get started
June 24, 2008 at 02:15MackColliersaysmy personal brand would be MUCH stronger now if I had started in 2003 or 2004 as many of the 'experts' did
June 24, 2008 at 02:17AmberCadabramackcollier we all wish we started when "they" did. or at least knew what we were doing
June 24, 2008 at 02:17AmberCadabrabut someone four years from now will wish they started when WE did
June 24, 2008 at 02:17sonnygillFor the 'late bloomers', do you feel it's an opportunity for us to take advantage of conversations that the 'experts' arent engaging in?
June 24, 2008 at 02:17sonnygillkinda relating to your marketingprofs post
June 24, 2008 at 02:18RachelsaysI got into blogging in 2003, we had no clue what a 'personal brand' was then. I just did it for fun.
June 24, 2008 at 02:18ConnieinDenverMe too, Mack. I was participating in forums and reading all kinds of online content, but I didn't start blogging until 2006.
June 24, 2008 at 02:19SheilaSsaysAn hour a day, minimum.
June 24, 2008 at 02:19acnattasayssame here rlux. I started in 2005 as a way to share with friends, never thought I'd have to worry about a personal brand.
June 24, 2008 at 02:19Beth Hartesaysall: I totally agree, I do. But for some strange reason, I feel like I need a plan...hmmmm, not sure what that's all about.
June 24, 2008 at 02:19sonnygillbeth haha oh i know - just messin' I love it when these types of conversations happen.
June 24, 2008 at 02:19acnattasaysI guess I still don't, though I do pay attention to it.
June 24, 2008 at 02:22Rachelsaysbeth - this is going to sound corny, but when it comes to blogging, write to your passion not to your plan.
June 24, 2008 at 02:22Rachelaskswho is going to BlogWorld Expo, by the way?
June 24, 2008 at 02:22Beth HartesaysI started my personal blog in 2006. Are Yahoo! Groups considered 'old school??'
June 24, 2008 at 02:22BigBadBunnysayswhat what an awesome thread
June 24, 2008 at 02:23acnattaI'm thinking I'm going to try to get out there - just don't know how I'm paying for it yet
June 24, 2008 at 02:23acnattaplus we've got SxDS the next week too here in Birmingham
June 24, 2008 at 02:23Beth Hartesayshave any of you ever consulted on forums?
June 24, 2008 at 02:23Beth Hartesaysmeaning setting up an industry-specific forum?
June 24, 2008 at 02:23Beth Hartesaysfor a client...
June 24, 2008 at 02:24AmberCadabrabethharte I'm actually talking to a PR firm this week about helping them do just that with one of their clients
June 24, 2008 at 02:24AmberCadabrahappy to let you know what goes down
June 24, 2008 at 02:24ConnieinDenverI consider groups and forums old school. Doesn't mean they're not still active and valuable. Just older style of communication.
June 24, 2008 at 02:25acnattaChris Brogan just posted something about the difference between Yahoo Groups and Google Groups last week - tinyurl.com/4gxo6q
June 24, 2008 at 02:25ConnieinDenverI'm planning on being at BlogWorldExpo.
June 24, 2008 at 02:25Beth Hartesaysambercadabra, that sounds like an interesting project. I'd love to hear about it.
June 24, 2008 at 02:25frankmartinsayswhen is Blog world expo?
June 24, 2008 at 02:26acnattaI think they're both still great tools bethharte.
June 24, 2008 at 02:26Beth HartesaysI am considering setting up a forum for my industry. I know there are a few that are niche specific.
June 24, 2008 at 02:27ConnieinDenverMack, for the record, we're over 200 comments at the one-hour mark. I <3 these conversations.
June 24, 2008 at 02:28Rachelagrees, forums and groups may be "old school" but that does not make them worthless. We use forums pretty extensively @ work.
June 24, 2008 at 02:28MackColliersayssorry I had to leave to leave a comment on a blog
June 24, 2008 at 02:28sonnygillThat's fantastic. So much knowledge sharing
June 24, 2008 at 02:29Beth Hartesaysconnie, just curious as to why....I belong to a forum that I love and I can't find these folks anywhere else.
June 24, 2008 at 02:29MackColliersaysBeth you need to start out by asking yourself 'why does my company want/need a blog?'
June 24, 2008 at 02:29Rachelsaysforums in particular are good for niche groups and topics, also for stuff that requires privacy.
June 24, 2008 at 02:29Beth Hartesayscould it be the same in other industries?
June 24, 2008 at 02:29MackColliersaysagain, sounds like you have an awareness problem, which is COMPLETELY normal for a startup
June 24, 2008 at 02:30Beth Hartesaysrlux, exactly...I think the folks in my industry would want privacy.
June 24, 2008 at 02:30acnattait is definitely the same in other industries bethharte
June 24, 2008 at 02:30acnattamany of them are trying to figure out how to have these types of conversations
June 24, 2008 at 02:31acnattaapplying different tools for different groups to communicate using
June 24, 2008 at 02:31Beth Hartesaysmackcollier, the reason for the blog would be to create awareness of issues, solutions, industry info., etc. Thought leadership.
