DON’T…

• Be too obvious:
• The most common mistake people make in blog marketing is quite honestly by being far too obvious. When someone leaves a post on a forum that says “Hey check out my blog!” it will often be ignored if not deleted. 

• Spam comments:
• There is no doubt that leaving comments on other blogs will get traffic directed to your site. However, if you spam comments you are likely to upset the blog owner and irritate potential readers.

• Be rude:
• Yes, swearing and rude behavior will get your comments noticed, but they will also get you banned and will not increase your traffic very much if at all.

• Go off topic:
• If you are posting in a forum or leaving a comment on a blog, the worst thing you can do is post something that is completely off topic. People are using the forum or blog because they want information on a particular subject, by introducing off topic conversations you might make a lot of people angry.

DO…

• Leave the URL to your blog in your signature:
• Most forums and blogs have a space where you can list your URL. They do this because they want other people to share their websites (it increases traffic) and you should take advantage of this.

• Leave intelligent comments:
• The best way to get someone interested in what you have to say in your blog is to say something worth reading in the first place. When you leave a comment in a forum or blog, try to make it intelligent and worth reading. If people like what you said they will check out your listed URL.

• Check out URL’s listed in other user’s profiles:
• By checking out someone else’s blog you can not only find another place to leave a comment, but when you do, chances are the blog owner and other readers will visit your blog as well.

By following the above tips you should see a steady increase in the traffic to your blog. Also don’t be surprised if people start quoting your blog elsewhere.

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Is web 2.0 moving marketers to view community-building is a desirable goal?

AMEX

The AMEX ads above are the strongest affirmative answer to that question. The ads’ main goal is to drive entrepreneurs to AMEX’s Open Forum initiative, where the business owners can pick up expert tips to manage their businesses. Not only that, but AMEX has developed a ‘Connectodex’ service that helps SMB owners make connections amongst themselves.

In exchange, AMEX gets brand awareness with excellent targeting, filling the top of the sales funnel. They’ve also got a direct response effort going on at the site itself that succeeds in balancing AMEX’s revenue goals with visitors’ learning goals. You might have also noticed the subtle ‘Apply Now’ call to action in the banner’s upper right corner that ties into this.

Neutrogena

This co-branded ad with the Glam network tries to target 20- and 30-somethings, judging by the models and the text of the ad. And instead of talking about “me,” the ad focuses on “you” by offering tips presumably geared towards their audience’s interest.

I didn’t click the ad (I already know how to stay fabulous, duh), but I’m guessing by the co-branding with Glam that Neutrogena’s chosen to answer my question in the negative. They don’t want to build their own community of 20-something women.

Chase / Visa / Marriott Rewards

The ad targets an  affluent demographic of travelling businessmen who would presumably care for a hotel-rewards card with content that solicits them by name, as with AMEX’s focus on business owners. But the approach appears to be the same as with Neutrogena – sponsor content without hosting/ “owning” it.

(As an aside, I think the particular piece of content they’re sponsoring is brilliant given the bulls-eye targeting it affords Chase/Visa/Marriott.)

CLDS / Mormon.org

The Church of Latter Day Saints (CLDS) has a pretty unique situation:

• They have the express offline goal of bringing you into their community
• Their website features more content, just like AMEX
• The website’s format isn’t so much of a traditional online community where you have a multilateral conversation, but more of a guidance counsellor office type of place where you can put your questions to a missionary 1-on-1

As with other lead gen campaigns, the Mormons seem to have concluded that offering content and then gradually nurturing the lead is more effective than going for an immediate sale. This is reflected in their ‘Find a Meetinghouse [a Church]‘ call to action getting secondary treatment below the fold.

But by promoting their content (particularly with the clever flash-animated instant messaging  format), the CLDS is clearly promoting its content to build community.

What about SEO?

The lessons from these campaigns aren’t unique to banner ad campaigns.

When you’re buying or building links, you can be quite successful going with a content marketing approach. And if you own the community, you get the opportunity for both brand awareness/top of mind campaigning and your own customized direct response package. Which means you can be more aggressive with your SEO (eg by buying links) as well as reduce your dependency on search traffic. Inhouse community-building FTW!

{|- Last second update -|}

It appears the clairvoyant John Battelle called this as a 2009 prediction. In fairness, his Federated Media works with many of the companies employing this strategy, as he reveals in his 2009 Predictions: How Did I Do? post. Also, I recall Aaron Wall highlighting the foundation for this trend – advertisers creating their own content sites [not to be confused with website copy] – but it seems that hasn’t stopped them from advertising as Aaron suggested; instead they’re just advertising content.

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Over SXSW, I had several opportunities to sit down and learn from mom bloggers what their experience has been of working with marketers. Dinner with the Walmart 11 moms, long conversations with Stacy and Rebecca from MomCentral and hallway conversations with people who are only indirectly connected with mom bloggers like Laura Mayes from Kirtsy – as well as experience in working on a few programs focused on mom bloggers for clients have all led to this post.

So, here are the top 7 things gleaned from conversations with mom bloggers that most of them really wanted PR people to know. At the end of the list is an 8th that I didn’t actually hear from anyone, but still think is valid enough to include on this list:

1. “Get to know me.” Mom bloggers are often sharing extremely personal things about their lives on their blogs, from helping a family member deal with a difficult illness to their own stories of juggling everything. Take the cues from their writing about whether your product or service is a good fit and when is a good time to contact them about it.
2. “Stop asking for free coverage.” Most mom bloggers aren’t like journalists and don’t really “cover” products or news. They do write about things they find personally interesting, and often accept products to try, so invite trial and if you want to reach a mom bloggers audience, consider actually paying for a sponsorship or advertising as a way of supporting her instead.
3. “Tell me who else is involved.” Often a mom blogger you are talking to may know other moms who would be interested in your efforts or could suggest even better people for your effort from their personal network. Share your list early and be flexible enough to change it.
4. “Remember I have kids.” It’s ironic how many marketers forget that Mom bloggers are moms first and foremost. So they can’t do that conference call with your team at 8:30am, or pick up and head off for a 3 day weekend next week to take a tour of your factory. Don’t be surprised to get a response to your email at 2am or it sometimes takes several days. Just because you’re surgically attached to your Blackberry doesn’t mean that they are too. Remember their schedule and family obligations and you’ll be much more likely to get them involved.
5. “Kids come in different ages.” Again, this falls into the “duh” category of marketing knowledge, but moms have kids that are different ages and often your product’s usefulness relates directly to how old a mom’s kids are. Last time I checked, toddlers don’t really eat beef jerky – so your free samples are probably not too useful.
6. “Don’t try to tell me what to write.” This should be obvious, but surprisingly easy to forget for some marketers. Mom bloggers, like any other bloggers, want to have their own opinions and share them. If this makes you uncomfortable, a mom blogger program may not be the best option for your product.
7. “Keep a relationship after your campaign.” Nothing is worse than a campaign ending and all of a sudden everyone disappears off the face of the earth. Great blogger engagement is about the relationship. Don’t let it die when your campaign ends.
8. BONUS TIP NOT OVERHEARD (but still valid) – “Don’t assume we want your stuff.”Some mom bloggers are just

   blogging for personal reasons and are not interested in marketing. Others are very specific about who they would consider working with and you may not be on the short list. Don’t assume just because you have a great new laundry detergent and moms often have to do laundry that they would love to sample your product.

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