Big Fun with User Generated Content and Blogs

So the next few posts I’ll be talking about last week’s Search Engine Strategies Conference (highlights: video search engines, ask.com 3D launch, social media impact, blog pages outpacing web pages for the first time probably by the end of this quarter, SEMPDX Karaoke of Love Shack on YouTube at the Google Dance…) But I want to start with a practical and simple strategy. Start a blog for your business. We recently created a blog for a client, they’ve only written a handful of posts, but already they’ve had user generated content on their winery site regarding a food and wine pairing recipe, “The recipe came out perfect and the wine was a great touch” and an event “So glad I found your site and came to the Diva Wine Picnic”. Many businesses don’t ask for user content, fearful they may not like what they have to say. User generated content (UGC) is a great way to begin having a dialogue with your customers. Worse case scenario, you learn about how to improve your business and customer experience, best case scenario, you get comments like the ones referenced earlier and it really doesn’t get any better than that. The blogsphere is full of comments about companies who shut the door on UGC and suffer the consequences. If you don’t start allowing dialogue online between you and your customers, they may just start without you. So how do you get started, did I already mention this? Start a blog for your business. Plan to post at least twice a month, plan to get involved in the conversation, comment (thoughtfully) on other blogs within your industry. Spend time reading a blog that you like so you get a feel for the interaction. Read a book about blogging, “Naked Conversations” has some great insight and case studies. Happy posting!