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Using RSS to Monitor your Name and Brand

monitordocklandsboyThere is a lot of information being published on the web every minute.  Some of it may be about you, your company or your products.  It is important to keep track of what’s being said about your business so that you can both respond effectively and learn from what your customers are saying.

Hopefully you know what RSS is.  You may not be aware that you’re using it – if you subscribe to a website or blog and then read their posts in iGoogle, Google Reader or Bloglines, etc., you are using RSS.  RSS can be a very easy way to monitor what is being said about your company.  By using various search services that provide RSS feeds for their results, you can monitor what is said about your company, products, etc. right from your RSS reader.

Here’s a few places to start :

  1. Google Blogsearch: Type in your company name.  On the bottom of the left column click on the RSS link to subscribe to this feed.  Now you’ll be able to monitor whenever a blog mentions your company name.  Add separate searches for brand and product names.  Having one for your name isn’t a bad idea either.
  2. Twitter Search:  Enter your company name.  On the upper right click on “Feed for this query”.  Repeat for product names, etc.
  3. Technorati: Again search for your company name, etc.  In the upper right of the search results there is a small Subscribe link with a RSS icon.

There are many different places to monitor what is said on the Internet.  If you have other favorites, please share them in the comments below.

(photo by Docklandsboy @ Flickr CC)

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Do You Have a Blogging Strategy?

thinkinghiimhmichealMany businesses have blogs.  Many businesses feel they should start blogs.  Why?  Because everyone else is doing it. This isn’t a really strong reason to do anything in business – unless you want to be just like everyone else.

If you have a business blog or are thinking of starting one, take a few minutes to ponder why you are blogging.  Hopefully your reasons involve helping and connecting with your customers, which should increase revenue and savings.  Using these reasons as goals to form a blogging strategy can really help direct your efforts and produce better results.

Once you have an endpoint (your goals), it will be much easier to work backwards to figure out how to achieve your goals.  What will you write about?  Who in your company will be blogging?  What will you incorporate into the design of your blog?  How will you connect with your customers?  Where will you syndicate your blog content?  Will you use social media to increase awareness of your blog?

Do you have a business blog?  What is your blogging strategy?

(photo by hi I’m h micheal @ Flickr CC)

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What is an Internet Strategy?

strategycompujerameyYou may have heard the term Internet Strategy thrown around recently. With the rise in popularity of the Internet, businesses have felt the need to get on the Web bandwagon.  Most businesses have a website, but many are feeling the need for a more thorough look at how to use the Internet effectively.  So, what exactly is an Internet Strategy?

Like any good strategy, an Internet strategy is a process of deciding upon a goal and then figuring out how to work towards that goal.  An Internet strategy should be intimately tied to your business strategy.  If you don’t have a business strategy, start there and incorporate the Internet into your planning. The goal should be a business goal, not just an Internet business goal.  The Internet has matured enough to be able to assist in reaching most business goals.

Once you have your business goal, an Internet strategy is the process of figuring out how the Internet can help you reach that goal.  Think about your business website.  What functionality and information should be available to your customers to help you reach your goal?  What other Internet technologies can help?  It helps to think broadly – email, internet advertising, twitter, social networking, blogs – can all help you reach business goals.

To differentiate yourself from your competitors, think about what makes your business different.  What are you good at?  What is your core competency?  How can you apply that to your Internet strategy?

Your customers are the reason why you’re in business.  Don’t forget about them.  What benefits will you offer them through your products and services?  How can you leverage these benefits on the Internet?  How can your customers help you reach your goals?

(photo by compujeramey @ Flickr CC)

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