Plurk

316 responses to this plurk (Jump to bottom)

  • MackCollier says
    I suggest to companies that they spend a minimum of 30 mins a day during the week and an hour a day is better
  • Connie
    I 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.
  • KDFrawg says
    A half hour is about right, at least for the creative part.
  • sdohrn
    do you tell them to have one dedicated person for blogging or several?
  • Beth Harte says
    1/2 hour?! It takes me a lot longer than that to write...
  • MackCollier says
    good point. I mentioned that to some small business owners at the first SBMU, and they couldn't believe an hour a day.
  • AmberCadabra
    well 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
  • sonnygill
    I don't think some big corporations could believe it either, let alone small businesses :-)
  • KDFrawg says
    Most of the people I work woth just do the creative part, then hand it off to be perfected.
  • MackCollier says
    but I explained the learning curve that Connie mentioned, you can get more done after you get used to it
  • Beth Harte says
    wait, are you saying they think 30-60 mins is too long?
  • MackCollier says
    and would probably want to devote more time as you started to see results
  • DebInAustin says
    I 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
  • KDFrawg says
    Do your clients post the column themselves, or does somebody edit and post it for them?
  • Beth Harte says
    debindenver...exactly! I could never blog for 30-60 mins a day. I need time to research and write.
  • Beth Harte says
    that is if you want intelligent blog posts and not crap.
  • Connie
    I think it's hard to totally separate the creative from putting it online. Writers need to at least know blogging basics.
  • MackCollier says
    KDFrawg I want them to do as much as possible by themselves. they need to learn how to use these tools properly anyway, so...
  • livepath says
    Depends what their strategy is ... if you're starbucks it'll be a heckuva lot longer than Joe's tractor equipment.
  • DebInAustin says
    I 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
  • AmberCadabra
    for beginners, you can't ask them to spend more than that or they just get frustrated.
  • livepath says
    But yeah, 30-90 minutes a week, depending on immersion, sites, strategy and goals.
  • livepath says
    And i offer to help them get started by seeding them with ideas...
  • MackCollier says
    and 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
  • DebInAustin says
    It 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.
  • KDFrawg says
    That would make sense, but they see that they can cut the time in half by having someone do proffing and posting...
  • AmberCadabra
    i always help them frame out some kind of content guide/schedule to get them rolling. kinda like training wheels. :-)
  • sonnygill
    Companies fail to understand 'soft costs' & what it takes to write great content, building community, community management/monitoring, etc.
  • Connie
    I disagree w/ recommended frequency of posting.
  • Connie
    I'd rather see them post once a week on the blog and spend time building a social network.
  • DebInAustin says
    I think posting depends on the field, I just prefer higher frequency to keep audience going for my blog. Not all blogs.
  • MackCollier says
    right Amber that's a good idea with creating scheduling help/guidelines
  • Beth Harte asks
    okay, 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?
  • AmberCadabra
    I find if they have a framework, companies new to SM and blogging are more likely to give it a shot
  • Connie
    Also, I don't include reputation monitoring in that 30-60 min. per day. Could be another person that sets up Google Alerts for monitoring.
  • MackCollier says
    Connie I would really like to see at least 2 posts a week.
  • MackCollier says
    But let's say tehy have 3 people available to blog, I could see having one as the 'community liasion' on Twitter/socnets etc, RichardATDell
  • Connie
    I think 2 posts a week is better, but I'm happy if they keep current with one a week.
  • sonnygill
    Connie, would all of those responsibilities fall under a Community Manager or would you separate it out from blogging activities?
  • Connie
    As 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.
  • Connie
    Sonny - ideally it would be under a community manager many companies are just not ready to dedicate a staff person to full-time social media
  • Beth Harte says
    um, 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.
  • MackCollier says
    Beth there's time posting, monitoring, replying to comments, commenting other blogs, other socnets, twitter
  • Beth Harte says
    not in 30-60 mins a day.
  • MackCollier says
    At least an hour, but not every area each day
  • MackCollier says
    like maybe only 1 or 2 days a week devoted to posting, whatever, kinda divide the time equally over week at first.....
  • Connie
    Beth, 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.
  • sonnygill
    Agreed Connie - I'm in a similar situation where I'm still putting on multiple hats (aside from social media)
  • MackCollier says
    then allocate differently as you see which area you get more from
  • livepath says
    RIght Beth - that's why it should depend on your goals & strategy... 1 post per week is sometimes sufficient.
  • AmberCadabra
    Beth 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.
  • Beth Harte says
    I'd have to drop a whole lotta somethin'. In the SMB world, isn't that the norm?
  • AmberCadabra
    For instance, if you're not already, I'd start with rep management, to see what's being said now.
  • MackCollier says
    and Beth if you have say 3 people blogging, then you can devote more time
  • Connie
    Agree w/ Amber. Listen first. Blog later.
  • AmberCadabra
    then you can tailor where you spend the rest of your time depending on what you find. and yes, something may have to give
  • MackCollier says
    Amber just nailed it, start with monitoring first
  • Beth Harte says
    I have a brand that no one is talking about. So, that makes monitoring easy.
  • Beth Harte says
    then, I need to educate my exec. team on blogging and how to do it.
  • Connie
    Beth, monitoring includes the competition and searching by keywords pertinent to your business.
  • Beth Harte says
    in the meantime, I am looking into forums, setting them up in my space, etc.
  • sonnygill
    As well as monitoring how your brand's community is communicating and connecting.
  • MackCollier says
    Connie is right, nothing to monitor tells me you have an awareness problem, first thing is see what the competition is up to, if anything
  • AmberCadabra
    and connie's right. hearing what 's being said about competitors and how/where they're talking is a good start
  • MackCollier says
    the 'good' thing about having no chatter about your company is that blogging would likely help you raise your awareness online
  • Beth Harte says
    connie, yep, I know...I think I have a unique circumstance.
  • AmberCadabra
    and you don't have negative stuff to undo, so it's clean slate for building your brand that way
  • sonnygill
    you have an opportunity, not a unique circumstance ;-)
  • Connie
    Ditto, ditto, ditto
  • sonnygill
    just an FYI - I'm no consultant, but learning a lot just from this thread. :-)
  • Beth Harte says
    my only point is realistically implementing vs. talking about strategies. That's all.
  • AmberCadabra
    heck 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
  • DebInAustin says
    I don't know what to say. I agree with all of the above.
  • Connie
    An opportunity to be the leader in your field.
  • AmberCadabra
    bethharte 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
  • sonnygill
    beth - realistically implementing meaning having senior managers/etc. buying into it?
  • Connie
    Beth, do you have buy-in to do social media from senior management and just need suggestions on implementing, where to start?
  • Beth Harte says
    connie, I wish/hope. In all seriousness, we don't have any 1-to-1 competition, but lots of other things we compete against.
  • Beth Harte says
    I need someone to do my other work so I can focus on social media implementation! ;-)
  • Connie
    For help getting buy-in, I recommend the book Groundswell.
  • Beth Harte says
    my management is 100% behind it! I am lucky that way.
  • AmberCadabra
    agree w/Connie. Some good metrics in there
  • Connie
    Beth, sounds like a great oppty to stake your claim and put the brand out there. You'll have to start small, obviously.
  • sdohrn
    this is a great thread. thanks a lot everyone!
  • AmberCadabra
    beth oh man, that's half the battle. you're in good shape. just need a plan of attack
  • Connie
    Mack's probably off on Twitter, bragging that he's gotten 90 comments in under 30 minutes. B-)
  • MackCollier says
    ok 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
  • MackCollier says
    I aint gonna mention comments again on Twitter cause you guys think I am bragging about something *I* did, trying to brag abt threaded convo
  • AmberCadabra
    Mack is turning into our very own certified PlurkPimp
  • sonnygill
    good point mack, was going to say that. smaller initial strategies yield minimal costs but much time.
  • MackCollier says
    and beth as you blog a bit more you can point your boss to that and say 'well i am already familiar with blogging...'
  • Beth Harte says
    I know, that's why I was trying to get you all to originally focus on *time.*
  • Beth Harte says
    there never seems to be enough when you're the lone marketer! :-)
  • MackCollier says
    beth keep in mind that you are already familiar with these tools, so you can get more done in less time
  • Beth Harte says
    I want to do this slow and properly...I have a lot of research to do.
  • Connie
    Beth, if the time element in setting up a blog is too great, you can hire someone to customize a WordPress template very reasonably.
  • MackCollier says
    i 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
  • Connie
    I use a programmer who is a senior in high school.
  • sonnygill
    treat your time like your money ;-)
  • AmberCadabra
    MenWithPens on Twitter (James and Harry) rock and are really reasonable. They're gonna do mine soon. :-)
  • Beth Harte says
    anyway, I just wonder if some other SMBs are thinking that 30-60 mins is too much...because I think it's not enough.
  • Beth Harte says
    maybe I am just overthinking it...Hmmmm.... (g_thinking)
  • AmberCadabra
    You think it's not enough because you know what you're doing. I'm talking 30-60 on blogging alone, and for a rookie
  • MackCollier says
    sonnygill 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
  • Beth Harte says
    gotcha...just to get their feet wet.
  • AmberCadabra
    that's more than enough to fry a rookie's brain
  • MackCollier says
    right beth, they think that an hour a day is WAY too much time for them
  • MackCollier says
    because 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
  • Beth Harte says
    MenwithPens, I love it!
  • AmberCadabra
    you, 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)
  • acnatta says
    I'll answer the initial question by agreeing to 30-60 minutes with the # of days depending on what the blog's about
  • Beth Harte says
    okay, 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...
  • frankmartin says
    late to this one; good stuff here. Does depend on the industry and who else is writing what
  • Beth Harte says
    maybe WordPress would be more professional.
  • acnatta asks
    I'll then say that isn't the major issue convincing folks that this actually takes more time than they think to do effectively?
  • frankmartin says
    no more than 60 min a day though; especially at first
  • frankmartin says
    more than that is overwhelming for many
  • MackCollier says
    Beth a lot of people are liking Wordpress now, I would look at them first, acnatta can maybe help you
  • DebInAustin says
    I have been thinking about switching to WordPress am about to launch web site tho, so will wait.
  • AmberCadabra
    bethharte 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
  • AmberCadabra
    time focuses more and you identify stuff you can leave behind
  • frankmartin says
    I bought the wordpress book, but haver to wait until I have time to make the change from Typepad
  • AmberCadabra
    think about it as climbing uphill steadily vs. slamming down the gaspedal. :-)
  • Beth Harte says
    I 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..
  • Beth Harte says
    and started reading some blogs...
  • AmberCadabra
    oh man, i think back to my old blog...hiiiiilarious
  • AmberCadabra
    i had no frelling clue what i was doing
  • sonnygill
    Ditto - and us SM heads learn so much more when conversations like this go on in our networks.
  • Beth Harte says
    I am really looking forward to implementing...even if it's a little *rough*
  • Beth Harte says
    *rough* as in not perfection, not as in tough. ;-)
  • sonnygill
    Also beth - You're def a step ahead of others - strategy before tools :-)
  • acnatta
    agrees w/AmberCadabra that slowing down may be one of the best things to do in this fast paced world we operate in
  • MackCollier says
    again 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
  • MackCollier says
    so that it looks much better by the time the masses arrive ;-)
  • AmberCadabra
    it'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
  • Connie
    Beth, 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,
  • Connie
    You have plenty of time to perfect it as you're building traffic.
  • AmberCadabra
    heck, if i waited until it wasn't rough...wait, it's still rough. :-)
  • Lux thinks
    that if the company is big enough, then multiple blogs or at least multiple contributors to a blog is the way to go.
  • Lux says
    few people outside of dedicated marcomm staff have 30-60 minutes a day to spend blogging. Spread the load.
  • acnatta
    very true - one of the reasons why community blogging is gaining steam in general
  • sonnygill
    I'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
  • MackCollier says
    beth the only thing I regret about blogging is that I waited as long as I did to get started
  • MackCollier says
    my personal brand would be MUCH stronger now if I had started in 2003 or 2004 as many of the 'experts' did
  • AmberCadabra
    mackcollier we all wish we started when "they" did. or at least knew what we were doing
  • AmberCadabra
    but someone four years from now will wish they started when WE did
  • sonnygill
    For the 'late bloomers', do you feel it's an opportunity for us to take advantage of conversations that the 'experts' arent engaging in?
  • sonnygill
    kinda relating to your marketingprofs post
  • Lux says
    I got into blogging in 2003, we had no clue what a 'personal brand' was then. I just did it for fun.
  • Connie
    Me too, Mack. I was participating in forums and reading all kinds of online content, but I didn't start blogging until 2006.
  • AmberCadabra
    this space is expanding so quickly - exponentially - that there's room for everyone, i think
  • Beth Harte says
    sonnygill, no mack isn't charging me, he's just one heck of a nice guy! ;-)
  • Lux says
    to this day my blog is not a "brand," it's just my personal blog. And I'm doing OK. :-)
  • SheilaS says
    An hour a day, minimum.
  • acnatta says
    same here rlux. I started in 2005 as a way to share with friends, never thought I'd have to worry about a personal brand.
  • Beth Harte says
    all: 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. (s_LOL)
  • sonnygill
    beth haha oh i know - just messin' ;-) I love it when these types of conversations happen.
  • acnatta says
    I guess I still don't, though I do pay attention to it.
  • Connie
    SheilaS, welcome to the conversation! I knew you'd come over to the dark, I mean Plurk, side. B-)
  • acnatta
    a plan's got to be fluid, especially with how quickly things change on the web
  • acnatta
    like all of us talking on Plurk for instance :-)
  • Lux says
    beth - this is going to sound corny, but when it comes to blogging, write to your passion not to your plan.
  • Lux asks
    who is going to BlogWorld Expo, by the way?
  • Beth Harte says
    I started my personal blog in 2006. Are Yahoo! Groups considered 'old school??'
  • CUHRIZAY says
    what what an awesome thread
  • acnatta
    I'm thinking I'm going to try to get out there - just don't know how I'm paying for it yet :-D
  • acnatta
    plus we've got SxDS the next week too here in Birmingham
  • Beth Harte says
    have any of you ever consulted on forums?
  • Beth Harte says
    meaning setting up an industry-specific forum?
  • AmberCadabra
    bethharte I'm actually talking to a PR firm this week about helping them do just that with one of their clients
  • AmberCadabra
    happy to let you know what goes down
  • Connie
    I consider groups and forums old school. Doesn't mean they're not still active and valuable. Just older style of communication.
  • acnatta
    Chris Brogan just posted something about the difference between Yahoo Groups and Google Groups last week - tinyurl.com/4gxo6q
  • Connie
    I'm planning on being at BlogWorldExpo.
  • Beth Harte says
    ambercadabra, that sounds like an interesting project. I'd love to hear about it.
  • frankmartin says
    when is Blog world expo?
  • Beth Harte says
    I am considering setting up a forum for my industry. I know there are a few that are niche specific.
  • Connie
    Mack, for the record, we're over 200 comments at the one-hour mark. I <3 these conversations.
  • Lux
    agrees, forums and groups may be "old school" but that does not make them worthless. We use forums pretty extensively @ work.
  • MackCollier says
    sorry I had to leave to leave a comment on a blog ;-)
  • sonnygill
    That's fantastic. So much knowledge sharing :-)
  • Beth Harte says
    connie, just curious as to why....I belong to a forum that I love and I can't find these folks anywhere else.
  • MackCollier says
    Beth you need to start out by asking yourself 'why does my company want/need a blog?'
  • Lux says
    forums in particular are good for niche groups and topics, also for stuff that requires privacy.
  • Beth Harte says
    could it be the same in other industries?
  • MackCollier says
    again, sounds like you have an awareness problem, which is COMPLETELY normal for a startup
  • Beth Harte says
    rlux, exactly...I think the folks in my industry would want privacy.
  • acnatta
    it is definitely the same in other industries bethharte
  • acnatta
    many of them are trying to figure out how to have these types of conversations
  • acnatta
    applying different tools for different groups to communicate using
  • Beth Harte says
    mackcollier, the reason for the blog would be to create awareness of issues, solutions, industry info., etc. Thought leadership.
  • Connie
    Wouldn't it be great if you had a private label, behind-the-firewall version of Plurk?
  • Donklephant.com thinks
    this is a great conversation. Definitely demonstrates the power of Plurk.
  • Connie
    Beth, what I think works better than forums now is a social network like Ning, and you can make it private.
  • acnatta
    I was just thinking about that ConnieReece for a potential client
  • Connie
    But you do have the problem of publicizing and getting people to join, if they're already in an established forum.
  • Connie
    Ning combines some of the old-school features of a forum with newer social media features.
  • Beth Harte says
    Ning, I was thinking about that too Connie. I needed to check out what type of networks they have est.
  • Beth Harte says
    I need to check into IT forums...
  • MackCollier says
    ConnieReece are you still spending time with the SWOM on Ning? I really need to do that but I can never find time
  • AmberCadabra
    Just about anything you can imagine.
  • Beth Harte says
    The forum that I was refering to was not industry/marketing related. It was product specific.
  • Connie
    Ning can be made totally private. The ad-supported version is free, but it's not very expensive to get rid of them.
  • Connie
    Mack, I have sadly neglected SWOM.
  • MackCollier says
    Beth is your business B2C or B2B
  • Lux says
    honestly I don't think Plurk is an enterprise tool. Maybe when it evolves a little it will be.
  • Beth Harte says
    but in some cases, I would think you'd want a forum public so that folks can perhaps check it out before joining. Your thoughts?
  • Connie
    rlux, I agree - but think someone could take Plurk and adapt it to enterprise use. No karma. :-)
  • Lux likes
    Ning, used it at my last job for an event-specific social network.
  • Connie
    How did Ning work for that, rlux?
  • Lux thinks
    it all depends on the topic, Beth
  • AmberCadabra
    agrees with Connie. It's got potential - i can see large scale companies finding great use for collaboration in a similar forum
  • Lux says
    it worked really well. So well I leveraged the success story to help me get my new job. (s_LOL)
  • AmberCadabra
    but yeah,ditch the silly karma
  • MackCollier says
    ok what about using a Flip and doing some product demonstrations to post on the blog? Could you do that?
  • Tim Jackson
    WOA! 240+ comments! Damn, Mack... you're the man. I am SO unworthy.
  • Lux says
    seriously though, what we're doing here on Plurk could just as easily have happened on IRC a decade ago. Conversation is not new.
  • AmberCadabra
    i've asked for a Flip for my upcoming birthday. Birthday fairy better cooperate.
  • Beth Harte says
    rlux, that sounds great! Congrats on using SM as leverage! :-)
  • Beth Harte says
    I have a plan in my head, just need to get it down in some form, quickly, and then implement.
  • Connie
    rlux, agree that conversation is not new. However, this does have some advantages over IRC.
  • Lux says
    I got a low end Flip recently. It's fun as hell but doesn't play so well on a Mac.
  • AmberCadabra
    bethharte scribble pad and pen :-)
  • MackCollier says
    beth you have plenty of time, better to take your time and get the strategy you need in place, there's no hurry
  • Tim Jackson
    As I've said Mack, I plan to get a Flip and start doing the very things you were asking about. I can get a lot of educating done that way.
  • Beth Harte says
    damn mackcollier! Now I'll have to give up precious blog time to be a videographer too?! (g_doh) JK! It'll be worth it!
  • Connie
    rlux Took me a while to figure out flip on the Mac. I usually upload straight to YouTube.
  • Lux says
    not to sound like I've drunk the kool-ade, but I can't tell you all how great it is to work for a company that actually gets communication.
  • acnatta
    as said earlier, it's better to take your time and make mistakes early when there aren't as many "watching"
  • Lux says
    beth - don't rush. it only feels like you have to get there NOW NOW NOW. You do not.
  • acnatta asks
    but rlux aren't they like one of the best when it comes to communication anyway?
  • Tim Jackson
    Mack- saw that. I'm going to get one soon. I've decided that much.
  • Beth Harte says
    acnatta, I like your thinking! But don't people look backwards on a blog? I know I do... ;-)
  • Tim Jackson
    I'm in need of one. Just makes too much sense. And I'm getting a handlebar/ helmet mount for when I can ride.
  • sonnygill
    wow, really cheap now Mack.
  • Lux says
    acnatta is the shizz. :-)
  • acnatta says
    they do bethharte, but your audience is normally a forgiving bunch during the early days, no matter who that audience is
  • MackCollier says
    and I have a $25 Amazon gift card, so I really have no excuse
  • Beth Harte says
    man, I almost feel like Dr. Evil with this plan that's going through my head! (s_LOL) Watch out competition!
  • MackCollier says
    bethharte they might at first, but most dont go back more than a week or so, there';s just not enough time ;-)
  • Beth Harte says
    (g_gym)Thanks again mackcollier and all!! This has been another great brain (g_gym). Now I need to sleep on it!
  • MackCollier says
    bethharte if your competition isn't blogging then you can get a huge advantage over them, but TAKE YOUR TIME to get strategy set
  • AmberCadabra
    go get 'em bethharte, and don't hesitate to email if I can help. You've got my info!
  • acnatta says
    absolutley, take your time...
  • Lux says
    sleep well
  • Connie
    Gotta sign off for now. But this has been another great Plurkversation about social media. thanks!
  • Beth Harte says
    You guys are the best! I feel so pumped up...seriously. I just need to get it done.
  • acnatta says
    this has been fun and informative.
  • sonnygill
    great convo all - thanks again to Mack and EVERYONE! Night :-)
  • MackCollier says
    all I did was get it started, tiy guys drove the car ;-)
  • Lux says
    closing in on 300 responses, not too shabby
  • Connie
    I think we should call this a social media plurkshop -- some of the same stuff I present in workshops. B-)
  • Beth Harte says
    you guys should read the thread, it's amazing how out of synch it is from that you see/think you are responding to. Plurkshop rules!
  • Connie
    Beth, it's out of synch, and yet we still manage to follow the conversation(s). I think we should have regularly scheduled plurkshops.
  • banane says
    setup a bloglines account and add 20 blogs in the business' area of expertise
  • banane
    oh misread question: how LONG... depends, for some corps could be full time job.
  • sonnygill
    Good idea Connie - I'd love that!
  • livepath says
    bethharte I have consulted on forums, chat, etc. I do agree with you that you need to develop a prioritized plan
  • Connie
    That may be all you need, depending on your purpose/industry. I think that time includes not just blogging but networking, research etc.
  • Connie
    You're right - that requires a huge investment of time but there really are no shortcuts. Have you found it to be productive/rewarding?
  • Connie
    Thanks for that info CarolinaMornings. That probably is typical; it's good to hear it first-hand from you.

Ads