[WordBiz] Tip #2: ROI of blogging is measurable but not (usually) in dollars; 5th anniverary issue!

Tip #3: ROI of blogging: yes it's measurable but not (usually) in dollars
It's the question on the tip of every manager's tongue: what are we gonna get of a blog? How do I justify this to the boss?

In my book, I call it ROB (return on blog) and I devote a whole chapter to discussing exactly what you need to know about ROB and how you can measure it...

... Bottom line (pardon the expression) there is a measurable return on blogging but it may not translate directly into dollars.

Analyst Charlene Li said off-handedly at a conference this year that she figures her $14.95 a month blog on TypePad had resulted in $1 million of new business in 2005 for Forrester.

I figured that to be a 5,000% return and blogged about it. A bit tongue in cheek.

It's not about the math
Several months later Charlene came back on her own blog to say that "it's not about the math." It's about the feedback she gets and the rich conversations she has with clients and the press as a result of entries on her blog.

Forget the get-rich-quick million-dollar bloggers. It rarely works that way for a corporate blogger. It's about the gradual building up of credibility and trust in your company and your brand. Now what's that worth??

Useful Links

So what's Charlene Li's ROI on blogging?

Calculating the ROI of blogs - it's not about the math

Want to submit a short book review for publication in WordBiz Report? Send your review to me at wordbiz@gmail.com. I'll publish it in an upcoming issue.

Beyond the Phone Call
The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors And Closing Deals Online
by David Teten & Scott Allen
AMACOM
ISBN: 0814472869

The Virtual Handshake is a user-friendly manual for the sometimes overwhelming world of online networking. Chapters include why and how to start and promote your own blog, managing email and using virtual communities.

David Teten discovered the power of networking online when he met his wife through Speeddating.com! He went on to apply the same online networking principles to business contacts (and actually met his co-author in a Yahoo! Group).

Morty - who's been called a blend of old-school copywriter and new school blogger - blogs about copywriting, marketing, PR and more at Wordrider. Read his expanded review of The Virtual Handshake on his blog.

And the winners are...
I'm delighted to announce the winners of my 2nd Annual Blogging & RSS Survey. The two lucky folks below each get a copy of the bound galley of my book. It's a softcover pre-release edition the publisher prints in a limited quantity.

Cathy Chatfield-Taylor, a freelance writer and editor based in San Ramon, Calif.

Ken Takacs, business development manager of Bob Ross Buick in Centerville, Ohio.

About the 1-Minute Blogging & RSS Survey

[Complete write-up of the 2006 One-Minute Blogging & RSS Survey]

Here are results along with a sampling of comments from the just under 450 survey respondents (a mix of small business and corporate types):

- 96% of respondents know what a blog is
- 85% know what a podcast is
- 64% know what a wiki is
- 57% are familiar with the term social media

- 59% have downloaded an RSS newsreader
- but only 42% are reading blogs via a newsreader

Most important concerns about launching & maintaining a corporate blog

59% - Time it would take to write
57% - What to write about
35% - Who in their company should write the blog
34% - Whether blog entries would need to be pre-approved

85% - Blogging is *not* a fad
67% - Blogging will become a must-have corporate marketing & communications tool

Sampling of comments left by respondents
"Isn't the word 'Corporate Blogging' an oxmoron? Corporate means limiting or confining while blogging means the free flow of ideas & information."

"I'm convinced of the need (for a corporate blog). It's just a question of time and resources."

"We've considered it, but I'm getting a lot of resistance because no one else is doing it in our industry and our marketing department is always hesitant to be the first with anything. Sigh!"

"Planning to launch a CEO blog shortly."

"I don't want to talk to the guy who sells me a vacuum cleaner... Blogs are going to be useful only to businesses that need to and fro communication."

"[Corporate blogs could become a way to] spew out more propaganda and yet make it seem cogent and real-time. Sorry to be so pragmatic or sarcastic... too many years in Corp. America."

"Just another tool in the quiver. Nothing will ever replace face to face."

"Companies like mine [has 3,000 employees] will struggle with who will do the writing, editing and posting and how to show tangible results from the effort."

Thanks to all for the many thoughtful and provocative comments you typed in.

To celebrate the 5th Anniversary of WordBiz Report, here are five articles that have been winners over the years with readers. They cover effective online copywriting, marketing with e-newsletters, coping with spam filters and blogging for business.

How to write a sexy teaser

Top tips to write a persuasive case study

7 nitty-gritty tips to publish a monthly e-newsletter

Top 20 definitions of blogging

Inaugural issue of WordBiz Report

Sent July 21, 2001 to about 1,000 subscribers. There are now just under 19,000 subscribers in 87 countries.

And the first article I wrote about blogging... five years ago!

To Blog or Not to Blog... That's a Good Question by Debbie Weil (August 22, 2001 in ClickZ.com)

Warm regards,

Author / Speaker / Consultant
www.debbieweil.com
www.TheCorporateBloggingBook.com
(Visit the book blog above to download Chapter 1 and to pre-order on Amazon.)