Jobinablog

Web 2.0 at work, the Generation Y way!

Generation Y are in our workplace now and will be around for a good while yet, so isn't it essential that employers really start to understand what they are like as employees? They do have a different mindset, and therefore will have different ways of approaching work- some good and some bad. Sacha Chua, has produced this slideshow to show what the generation Y take to web 2.0 is within IBM.

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When you have clicked through that, check out an exciting video defining what generation Y -or Media Snackers - are really about. It is a great 1.27 minutes definition!!

How to use Forums to drive traffic to your corporate blog

So you have taken the bold step of creating your first corporate blog, but how do you drive traffic at your new site? There are several ways that you can do this - one of them is to use forums specific to your industry sector to do just that. First, look for forums that are popular with your customers, and then become an active participant in them. Not only will you boost your reputation as an industry expert, you’ll also get some great inbound links pointing back to your site.

To find your customers’ favorite forum hangouts, simply type your top keyword phrases into a search engine, along with the word, "forum." Just be aware that there’s a RIGHT way to promote your business in public forums… and a WRONG way. Derek Gehl, the prolific US based internet marketeer kindly shares his 7 Tips for using Forums to drive traffic to your blog.

1. Lurk before you leap!

Before you start wading into a forum with your opinions and advice, hang out as a silent "lurker" for a while and get to know the "flavor" of posts that are considered acceptable. Every forum is different, so what might be considered humorous in one could be offensive in another. Learn who the "regulars" are, what questions are typically asked, and what responses are given. Then do your best to follow the accepted model.

2.Focus on "relationship selling" — NOT product selling Forum promotions are all about selling YOURSELF as an industry expert, with a wealth of knowledge to share — they’re NOT about selling your actual product!

In a forum, gimmicky sales tactics and hype do NOT work. Unless you want to enrage the other participants, don’t post blatant "buy my product" advertisements. Instead, look for opportunities to respond to questions with the exact information the people asking the questions are looking for. The trick is to sit back, listen, and wait for legitimate opportunities to share your expertise. This will help you gain the community’s respect and develop a solid relationship with your target market.

10 Ways to promote your new blog

So you have now written your blog and you are really excited about it - trouble is what do you do now? Obviously, you now have to let people know you are out there - you need to publicise it. If you are not sure about that part, then courtesy of Blog Perfume, here are the 10 main ways to promote your blog:

1. Social bookmarking sites
Sites such as Digg and Del.icio.us grab traffic and have it head right for your blog. These are quite easy to use (so long as you don’t vote for yourself) – create a free account, write a description, add tags and the address to your blog, and voila! – With compelling headlines and descriptions, you can quickly have traffic to your blog.

2. Forum visiting
Visiting forums in your niche market is nearly as old as the Internet itself – but this works and it’s free. Participate in the forums with relevant (compelling) information that leads to what your blog is all about. Having a great signature line with a link to your blog is the key.

3. Free eBooks
Writing and offering free eBooks will also bring traffic to your website. Your eBook needs to be compelling, well written and chock full of useful information (otherwise, no one will visit your blog, thinking you’ve nothing real to say anyway).

A corporate blog should now be part of your marketing strategy

Has your business been putting off looking at writing a blog? Have you seriously considered looking at writing one? Well if you need some good reasons why, Jennifer Slegg -  a search engine marketing consultant -  has written this very good article explaining why you should be writing a corporate blog. It is all about being another strand of online marketing.

If you have been sitting on the fence for a while, read this and it will explain why you need to do it!!

59% of people on the internet view one video a week - are you using them on your site?

Video is now becoming a very key part of the online world, as shown by a recent survey by Universal McCann, where 59% of people watch at least one video online per week. Obviously there are the huge video sites like YouTube and similar concepts that have followed their trail. But it is the way that companies are more increasingly using video as a recruiting tool, that should be noticed. The video's may not even be a direct campaign of recruitment, more of an information tool, but they keep people on your website longer.

So is your company using video to attract / entice / inform people about your company? If not then you should be seriously considering the approach. Here is a great post about how a company went through the whole process of producing and publishing their recruitment video.

So you want to write a blog? 10 Tips to help you

We all go on about blogs, and certainly here on Jobinablog it is our focus. So now you have decided you want to write a blog at your company, where do you go for some basic advice? Well fortunately a blog consultant called Mark White wrote some excellent advice on a recent post. So here are his 10 tips for writing a blog:

1. Write posts on topics which interest your readers
I know that we come back to content time and time again, but it really is so key that I’m afraid it’s worth repeating once more here. Write things that your readers will find useful, relevant and interesting! You already do? Great - then concentrate on the rest of this post and the other two in the series because they’ll support what you’re doing every step of the way. If you’re still looking for help then, when you’ve finished here, may I suggest checking out Brian Clark at Copyblogger - recommended. Seriously.

2. Consider the layout of your posts
Try not to have great swaths of text which create an often impenetrable barrier between your readers and the ideas you wish to communicate. Make sure that you break it up, have areas of white space and use subheadings to highlight your points - where appropriate, use bullet points as well and generally make sure that the layout supports your content rather than hides it.

Why you need to use a blog

If you still don't believe in the power of blogs then have a look at these latest figures, recently released by Comscore.

The Top 20 UK Blogging Sites had 33.2 million visitors in February

The Worlds Top 20 UK Blogging Sites had 822.9 million visitors in February.

So for all you sceptics out there, now is the time to start blogging!! After all it is what everyone else is doing!!!

10 Rules of Business Blogging

Read a great post from SEO 2.0 today which I though I would share. What he is saying is good and people who are considering writing a business blog should take heed. Here are his 10 rules of business blogging:

1. Use your real name
If you want anybody to take you seriously you have to use your real name for your blog.

2. Disclose what company you are working for and what exactly you do there
Do not blog under false pretenses, disclose from the start who you are, whom you work for or who pays you, why you blog, what your exact position is, it’s a big difference whether you’re from the PR department or you’re the CEO.

Why should a business have a Blog?

If you don't already get it, then you need to understand that companies should be using blogs for business. Better Business Blogging  explains below why a business blog can be very beneficial. As we have mentioned elsewhere , business blogs are also very cost effective. Blogs help to differentiate and personalise your company, and by using it to promote your services, products or jobs, you will build a level of trust and value into your business. Also, companies both large and small can use blogs as a marketing tool, and it gives a range of benefits to companies of different sizes.

So what are the benefits of a business blog?  They are: