Blogging Tactics Archives

“In These Uncertain Times…”

That, it seems, is how just about every brand ad begins during the coronavirus slowdown. “The Great Pause” is what some pundits are starting to call it; as opposed to being “The Pause That Refreshes,” it’s “The Pause That’s Uncertain.” Nobody knows what’s next, nobody knows where it’s going, nobody knows if we’ll ever be allowed in a restaurant or arena ever again. It’s uncertain.

Let Uncertainty Be Your Friend

I’ve had this blog for longer than I care to admit — a quick check shows posts that date back to September 2009; jogging my blogging memory and I realize the site was rebuilt after a pretty bad hack around Labor Day of that year — and I decided to jump back into the fray after a nearly four-year hiatus. Why?

Content + Communications Consulting

So yeah, I’m like millions of others: the end of a content and communications contract in early March has left me looking for the next thing, while trying to launch the next thing, and also maintaining productivity levels and continuing to try to do what I do well. You know, in the face of…uncertainty.

The focus? “Content” and “Communications Consulting.”

Content can mean many things to many people; your definition of content could include a really deep 2000-word treatise on what you deem to be important. Delivered without a plan and it’s likely to fall flat.

Communications Consulting means making sure that that content plan only includes the 2000-word treatise if it’s going to resonate with your intended audiences.

This Can Mean Advice You’re Not Ready to Hear

Bringing us back to “In These Uncertain Times…” No, brand managers, we don’t want to hear that phrase ever again. “Optics” are interesting things. What you thought was a good brand message during your Zoom strategy session is not resonating with folks the way that you want it to; I think it sounds kinda dumb. (I’m not alone; I blogged about this phenomenon and what an economic comeback might look like over at Metacoin, one of the other sites under the Area 224 Ltd. aegis.)

I mention that because I’ve never been afraid to actually call a company, a brand, or a leader onto the carpet if the idea is bad. Or if the time isn’t right. Or if the optics just won’t be any good.

How Can I Help?

I’ve been part of Fortune 300 Public Relations teams that managed messages during crises and leadership changes. I’ve been a staff communicator for energy industry product launches. I’ve served in roles with global financial services consultancies and with not-for-profit clients. I’ve seen a few things, but I’m always delivering more than what’s asked and working to see around blind corners with a combination of strategic consulting and tactical delivery.

I’ll keep blogging at Metacoin — where I cover emerging crypto projects and the role of Bitcoin — and promise to do more wine, beer, and spirits reviews at Metasip, too.

But expect to see more here at Area 224, where I stand ready to help you and your company achieve your business goals through content and communications that, together, drive results.

Welcome! New here? Say hi, and check out something special and cool we’re doing for the Month of March called “FORWARD:MARCH.” Your business may well thank you…

Remember this logo kerfuffle? Jeremy Lin pinned about it

Jeremy Lin. Pinterest. Infographics. Downton Abbey. Social Media. Business. Life.

It seems as if every stinking topic on the Internet these days is being blogged about in a “Top 5 Things” post. It’s enough to make you run, kicking and screaming, to your nearest book, as a means of escaping the madness.

Can you really learn anything from any of these Top 5 (or any other number) posts? Why yes, yes you can. Sometimes. Kindof. If you pin about it. Here goes:

1. Be prepared to chase car bumpers

Ever wonder what the car that chases the car bumper actually DOES with the car once he catches it? That semi-rhetorical question is meant as a thought-provoker: No dog has ever been shown on YouTube catching a car. But they chase them anyway.

It doesn’t matter if Jeremy Lin is a flash in the pan, or if Pinterest will have its traffic wane – bloggers are a mercurial bunch and will chase whatever topical car bumper they can.

2. Bigger means more, not better

I’ll call two sites on the carpet: Huffington Post and Forbes. Both have had posts in the past week that had this author scratching his head: they seemed to have been thrown together randomly, weren’t very well thought through, and were done entirely for search value.

As if to say that a “Top 5 Things That Jeremy Lin Can Teach You…” post is going to actually teach you something.

(As if to say THIS list will actually teach you something.)

The fear is that blogs are becoming like any other news outlet that has space to fill: if it’s a rainy day, then you run a story on umbrella salesmen if nothing else is going on.

3. We like lists when we can see ourselves in them

Think about it, if you see a list of “Top 5 Bloggers in Arkansas,” you want to see yourself there (if you live in Arkansas). If you don’t live in Arkansas, you may very well want to see yourself making one of those lists for your own state.

Often, especially in “social media,” people don’t become your friend, fan your page, or retweet your blog post because they like you. They do so because they want to BE you. You give off an image of someone who has it in control, or vacations a lot, or has a great MLM business. (If you’re a brand, it’s because of those brand attributes – drinking your beer will make me more attractive, driving your car will make me cooler.)

Chicago Magazine ran a list of the 100 Most Powerful Chicagoans yesterday, and I gravitated toward it – but, knowing I’m not ever going to be in the list, I started scheming about ways to get on similar lists. It happens, it’s human nature.

4. Just because you have a blog doesn’t mean you have something relevant to add to the conversation

Big brands and especially B2B companies are learning this first-hand. Now, everyone and their brother has access to blogging – so, it follows, why shouldn’t everyone blog?

This is my beef with Forbes.com – the addition of a post on Jeremy Lin wasn’t exactly adding to an already noisy conversation. Here’s the link.

5. Everyone is an expert

We saw the first of many “How to Use Pinterest for your Business” blog posts yesterday: and we saw this one by accident, as we haven’t been looking for them. Because we know they’re out there – next to the “How to Market Your Business with Quora” posts.

This expertise on everything that’s everywhere leads us to the next question: if everyone’s an expert, what is anyone actually DOING?

While this blog post might have been somewhat tongue-in-cheek, there are some serious questions we think you should ask yourself:

Why are you blogging? Who are you blogging for? And, most importantly, are you adding anything relevant to the conversation, or just talking?

Why This Blog Came Back