On today’s show Colin Devroe, the CTO of 9rules, answers questions I received about the technical side of blogging. What blogging software should be used? Should a custom solution be made? How should security issues be addressed? Colin answers these questions, and shares how he used WordPress to create the current web site for 9rules.

Disclaimer: I am the Community Director for 9rules but I wanted companies to see that expensive solutions are not necessary to achieve a custom affect. Colin also discusses features to look for in a programmer. Colin’s three part series on how he created 9rules the backend for 9rules can be found:

Building 9rules – Part 1
Building 9rules – Part 2
Building 9rules – Part 3

On today’s show:

• Jeremy discusses his book Blog Marketing
• Why companies should implement blogs
• Why companies are afraid to implement blogs
• Jeremy’s definition of a blog (we agree to disagree)
• Internal blogging – how companies are using them
• Blogs and branding
• How to monitor the conversation
• Jeremy launched B5 Media
• Jeremy talks about his experience of being fired for blogging
• Blogging on company blogs vs. employees blogging on personal blogs
• B5 is adding new features.
• B5 wants to match one or two bloggers with readers. Interesting approach.
• Using the right tools to blog
• B5 realizes there is another audience – non-bloggers
• Conflicts of interest in the “blogging world”
• Jeremy answers the question: What’s the most important thing you apply from his book Blog Marketing to his business B5 Media
• Jeremy says “no comment” to an interesting topic

Very interesting - Blog Marketing and Naked Conversations are priced the same. Blog Marketing is written by Jeremy Wright - you remember him right? My old podcasting buddy. :)

Amazon wisely has the option to purchase both books on each book’s site, and that is my suggestion. Buy both books. Why? Because they give different perspectives. For $32.94 it’s worth it.

*No affiliate links in this post.*

Juniper Networks Inc. (Nasdaq: JNPR - message board) is taking a handful of Light Reading message board users to court, according to recent court filings.

The Sunnyvale, Calif., company filed a lawsuit in the California Superior Court of Santa Clara on December 14 claiming that it had been defamed and libeled by up to 10 persons unknown. These persons, referred to as “Does 1-10″ in the court complaint (as in “John Doe,” or anonymous), are being accused by Juniper of posting harmful statements about the company and its executives on Light Reading’s message boards.

Ironic, I just said in the podcast that this type of thing will happen and there are ways to handle it. Suing isn’t the best way. Just as an example, I would have never read those posts. The posts they are mentioning is a drop in the bucket to the millions of people using the internet. The average person, even their average customer, would not have seen those messages.

Are the allegations serious? Yes. Will suing make these allegations more known? Most definitely. Will it help their reputation? Most likely not. It would have been wiser to address the situation. Ask for the posts to be removed. Respond to the posts. Respond on a blog. Suing should have been a last resort.

These comments they are trying to surpress are not all over the internet. So let’s say they win the case, the comments are still out there except being in one spot they are now in thousands of different places.

Now what?

There are many reasons why a company might want to consider starting a company blog. In this podcast I discuss some of the reasons why a company should consider having a public blog. I also give a real life example on how a blog could have helped a company (Talk A Good Game) keep their customers informed and what the company could have done differently to resolve the situation.

One issue I had with the blog is that the majority of the posts were written by a blogger who was relatively new to the game. Josh has three characters between level 30-35 and three other characters ranging in level from 13-25. Josh says:

“One thing I am NOT - an uber level 60 hardcore raid/guild fanatic. I am here to provide you my perspective of the game, as I play it.”

Why is this a problem? The majority of the posts were written by someone who would not be considered an authority on the game. The readers would have more knowledge than the writer and that is not a good position to be in. Writers need to be authorities on the topic they are writing about. The content needs to be accurate.

This does not mean there isn’t a place for Josh on the site. In my opinion, there is a definite appeal to a non-hardcore gamer writing and sharing their experience for casual players. It is common for hardcore gamers to write in a fashion new players do not understand. However, it should be very clear that Josh is inexperienced and the majority of the content should not be from an inexperienced player.

Comments are mixed on this. Many people enjoyed Josh’s writing. More experienced players realized immediately Josh was somewhat inexperienced and called him on it. From a business stand point this blog has to compete with gaming sites that do have “pros” writing for them. Something has to change.

Weblogs, Inc. is correcting their mistake. Via Blog Network Watch, I found out the hunt is on for experienced WoW players:

“You must submit three writing samples with your application — without them, we simply cannot consider you. You also need to tell us about your experience with the game, how long you’ve been playing, and about your main character(s) and alts if you run them (class/race/rank/professions).”

Nice improvement. There is only one problem…is the person hiring a gamer? If not, the same problem can happen all over again. I can present many people who are level 60, have been in the game since launch and would not be sufficient for blogging. Finding qualified bloggers for business purposes (blog networks, companies, etc) is a topic that I will discuss many times. It is a difficult task, just like finding the right employee.

I commend Weblogs, Inc. for attempting to find a better balance between a casual gamer sharing experiences and an authority on the subject. If you think you are qualified, apply…and good luck!

Pardon the dust around here. New header, new server, new content….

….coming in podcast directly to you!

Stay tuned for some really exciting news next week as we kick this thing back into gear, and I know that all of our excellent hosts along with Cam and myself hope that you have enjoyed the great podcasts that we have been providing for your listening pleasure since February 2005…the ride has just started folks.

:)
Mick Stanic
Co-Founder, The Podcast Network

Between the 29th of September and the 3rd of October, The Podcast Network web site will be undergoing some major server work that will increase (fingers crossed) both the speed and the reliability of the service you have come to love and cherish ;)

Access to the web site and the functionality of the RSS feed will at best experience a small blip of down time… and at worst…well..it could vanish into the bermuda triangle that is tech land for upto four days. I have also had to switch of the ability to post comments on all the sites till we are fully operational as well.

Stick with us through this little hick-up and I promise we will return to normal transmission as quick as possible.

Thanks guys and gals…

Mick Stanic
Co-Founder of The Podcast Network

Well, I’m back. For better or for worse, The BizBlog Show’s podcast machine is rolling again. This first of the new series of podcasts is with Steve Broback from the Blog Business Summit, amongst other things, and we talk about a fair amount of conference related things, get into his views on business blogging and all kinds of little gems.

Plus, I manage to make Steve speechless at least twice, which is well worth listening to ;-)

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TIME
00:00 Network Intro

00:06 Jeremy’s Schpiel

02:47 Interview Opener

02:53 Interview with Steve Broback

18:19 Network Wrap-up

Things have settled down again now, and I’ve already recorded 2 new shows for your listening pleasure. Expect to see shows coming soon in the next week or so, hopefully with greater frequency than the last few months has shown ;-)

If you know anyone who (or you yourself) would like to be interviewed, drop me a line and we’ll sort it out. If you have show or topic suggestions, also drop me a line. If you have extra cash which is stressing you out and you’d like a hand, drop me a line.

If you are looking for money, drop someone else a line.

Go ahead and bellyache about blogs. But you cannot afford to close your eyes to them, because they’re simply the most explosive outbreak in the information world since the Internet itself. And they’re going to shake up just about every business — including yours. It doesn’t matter whether you’re shipping paper clips, pork bellies, or videos of Britney in a bikini, blogs are a phenomenon that you cannot ignore, postpone, or delegate. Given the changes barreling down upon us, blogs are not a business elective. They’re a prerequisite. (And yes, that goes for us, too.)

And Business Week has a blog - Blogspotting.net

It’s like a website. You have to have one because everyone else does. It may make a small difference if yours is better than everyone else’s, but for non-web-based products, no one makes purchasing decisions based on your website.

I drive a Nissan Frontier. I’ve never even been to Nissan’s website.

Interesting position but he does think blogging is important. Why? It helps clarify ideas. This part I agree with. The importance of business blogs - I think this will greatly depend on the product/service provided.

In the Nissan example, I have to admit I agree, I’d probably purchase a car without going to the website because normally websites do not have the information I’m looking for - neutral reviews on the product/service. A blog can change this. Most people (especially when purchasing big ticket items) do some research. In the case of a car, there a test drive is definitely in order. However, a smart purchaser will want to know how the car holds up over time. How is customer service? What’s the average price? These are details a smart purchaser wants to know before entering negotiations. While Googling, wouldn’t it be great if the blog came up and you (as the purchaser) could see positive and negative comments about the car, along with feed back from company representative addressing these issues?

Do you think this type of interaction will assist you in making an informed purchasing decision?

“Blogs are a way for you to tell your story over and over again, and do it in a personable way. If you are blogging and your competitor down the street is not, then it can be a competitive advantage,” said Paul Chaney, principal of Radiant Marketing group, a blogging consultant firm focused on small businesses.

That doesn’t mean it will be easy for small businesses to implement blogs in their marketing strategies. The article states percentages on the credibility of blogs compared to television or radio. Blogging is definitely the cheapest of the three mediums for marketing and obviously has more longevity in that the articles posted to the blog are there as long as the blog is online and can be easily found. If you miss the commercial on TV or the radio, you missed it.

My basic premise is that technology changes so quickly that the more precise you are, the more likely your policy will be outdated and be difficult to interpret in the future. My second premise is that the ways you want people to behave seldom change. My third premise is that if people understand what the risks and dangers are, they will tend to make good decisions. You are free to disagree with any of those premises.

To me, then, a good policy should be based on setting out your core principles (don’t break the law; don’t put key systems or information at risk; behave like you are in a work environment, not a frat house) and setting out the most important rules. Then, you put serious effort into training people how to use technology in ways that do not violate those principles and rules.

The excerpt above was from the second part of the Blogging Policies - Not Only Legal Issues series. Read Part One, then read Part 2.

Dennis is right, when it comes to blogging policies the legalities is one part of the problem. Getting employees to read, understand and comply with the policy is a larger challenge.

“How do I create a budget for creating, marketing and operating a web site?” - Arthur Doglione

One of the responses:

1. Identify the objectives for your site, what you want people to do when they visit it. Map out the steps you want them to take based on how people make purchasing decisions.

This is very important. It amazes me how many business blogs (which is a website) have an expectation from their users but they don’t have the tools available so their users can fulfill their expectation. Let’s use GM Blogs as an example (a good example):

1) They encourage interaction with their users by allowing comments and trackbacks. Don’t expect your users to email comments, make it easy for them.
2) They encourage further interaction by allowing trackbacks. They want their users to write about them and they want to know what’s been written.
3) They stay on topic.
4) They make it easy to find information by giving the user several options to view the information.

See my point here? Users are able to interact and provide valuable feedback which hopefully will result in better cars being made and happy customers because they are getting what they want.

One thing I wish GM would do is respond and interact more with users. Respond to comments. It’s important that users realize their words are being heard. Right now GM is having a one-sided conversation. I think it’s a great business blog example but it would be excellent if the conversation wasn’t so one sided.

Business Marketing Blog discusses four other tips for creating a budget for building and marketing a site. If this subject appeals to you, give it a read, especially #4.

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The BizBlog Show #03- 30th March 2005 (36min 32sec):
MP3 - 12.6MB

TIME
00:00 Network Intro

00:17 Show Opener

01:04 Interview with Kevin

34:50 Jeremy wraps up the show

35:20 Network Wrap-up

We’ll be talking to him about his business, about how blogs affect the business of law and whatever else comes up. The recording is scheduled for this Saturday, so it should be up next week sometime.

We’ve also confirmed Greg Reinacker from Newsgator and Simon Phipps from Sun Microsystems for our next shows.

When he has finished moving and doing all the things he is doing, I know he has a great show lined up…

Enjoy…

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The BizBlog Show - 22nd March 2005 (39min 03sec): MP3 - 13.4MB

TIME
00:00 Network Intro

00:23 Welcome and introduction to this episode of The BizBlog Show by Jeremy Wright

01:00 Jeremy calls Paul Chaney from Radiant Marketing and the President of the Pro-Bloggers Association (PBA)

06:00 He rings up Lee Wilkens from Dude Limited is on the line.

13:40 Next up, he Skypes Tris Hussey who runs blog consulting firm, Larix Consulting, is the Chief Blogging Officer at Qumana Software and is a member of the PBA

23:15 He has a chat with Eric Rice, founder of audioblog.com and the Podcast Producer over at WeblogsInc (he just launched the new Engadget podcast).

30:20 Last up, he calls Toby Bloomberg from Diva Marketing and the PBA

37:10 Jeremy wraps up the show

We mentioned in our first podcast about the Gawker Media suit. Fred Durst has now dropped the suit. He even sent flowers and a personal note. While all very nice of him, someone I don’t see Fred Durst sending flowers… Maybe black roses? Hmm…

Last night, the Gawker Batcave received a call from entertainment management company The Firm, asking if we had received a delivery. Moments later, a messenger showed up bearing flowers and the note above. Was this the most genius prank ever? We called The Firm to verify the authenticity of the delivery, and it turns out that it is indeed from Fred Durst. So Denton gets to keep his money, which isn’t too surprising — ever since his mother dipped him in the river Styx as a baby, he has been practically invincible.

Well, Fred, we’re flattered. Thanks for the note and the flowers; you’re such a good listener! We’re still not going to touch your balls or your ass, but we will put Nookie back on our iPods.

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The BizBlog Show - 10th March 2005 (28min 53sec): MP3 - 10MB

TIME
00:00 Network Intro

00:17 Welcome and Introduction to The BizBlog Show by Jeremy Wright

02:37 Jeremy’s post and thoughts on “How things have changed”

06:55 Dealing with critisicm from your blog

07:50 Who is Jeremy…

09:05 Who is Tyme…

10:15 What to expect from The BizBlog Show’s

12:10 Gawker Media and the “video” hosting affair

17:35 Apple’s secrets and are bloggers really journalists in the eye of the courts???

21:55 Blogging Planet joins the ranks of blog consultancy companies.

For Immediate Release Podcast

25:50 Show wrap-up

Thanks mate, really appreciate it ;-)

Sadly, this may be the most anti-climactic launch of a podcast ever. See, the problem is, we don’t really have a show finished at this point. We have 2 “in the can”, but I’m still waiting for them to come “out of the can”, so to speak.

So, in the meantime, here’s a brief intro to what this show will be focussing on.

Primarily, as the name suggests, this show will focus on the world of business blogging. What companies are doing it, how they’re doing it, what’s working, what isn’t… What companies aren’t doing it, why they aren’t doing it, what some possibilities are for their organization, etc… We’ll be talking to blog consultants, CEO’s, CTO’s, middle managers and everything in between.

Also, since this show is done by me, there will be some random tidbits in there. I am, after all, random.

For those who don’t know me, feel free to read my blog at Ensight.

I’m hoping we’ll have at least one show up for you this week. The problem is that, as I said, this could be anti-climactic. I’m about to move across the country (3000 miles), and it’ll take me at least a week to settle in. So, whether you love or hate the first show you’ll undoubtedly have time to forget about it by the time the next one is up.

Anyways, welcome to the podcastosphere (or whatever) Jeremy! ;-)