by Daria Steigman on March 14, 2011
Check out the latest data on business blogging from Hubspot’s State of Inbound Marketing report: 65 percent of respondents say that they publish a company blog.
Before you get too excited, two things to keep in mind:
- Adoption of blogging as a business tool only grew four percent from 2010 to 2011.
- These are likely mostly larger companies and/or Web-savvy smaller ones. Why? Because the latest State of Small Business Report finds that only 8 percent of respondents use blogs–and only 19 percent said that they update their Web site “at least once a week.”
In other words, the companies that understand what a blog can do for your business (thought leadership, lead generation, etc.) are doing it. The rest: not so much. While the data suggests that having a blog is a competitive differentiator for any business, it’s especially true if you’re a small business.
A colleague of mine said the other day:
“I think blogs are almost like business cards used to be.”
What say you?
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Tagged as:
blogging,
Blogs,
Business,
Business Cards,
Hubspot,
Social Media,
State of Small Business Report
by Daria Steigman on September 18, 2009
[Note: This post originally appeared on IABC's Communications World blog.]
I love that there’s an iPhone app that lets you exchange contact information just by bumping phones. But does this mean that business cards are becoming obsolete?
Business cards speak to me, especially when it comes to small businesses and solo practitioners. The paper, logo, design, and readability give me clues to a company’s personality and whether they have thought about that first impression. Whether someone does or doesn’t have a Web site and/or a customized e-mail address gives me some data about their permanence and their business sense. And please think twice before handing me a card with out-of-date information.
The Japanese have an entire ritual around business cards. While Americans are typically more informal, we might do well to probe the underlying reasons for the meishi exchange.
So what do you think? Do you decipher business cards or wish they’d go away?
On a related note, my friend Deborah Brody has a good post on business card dos and don’ts that has some common sense tips for making sure what you are handing out isn’t hindering your success.
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Tagged as:
Business Cards,
Deborah Brody,
iPhone,
meishi,
networking,
The Bump
by Daria Steigman on July 31, 2008
Most people would never consider wearing old jeans and a tank top to a new business meeting. But have you ever noticed how lots of people have poor calling cards?
Your business card is a reflection of your business. You want that prospective client or customer to get a “wow” factor from the whole package. If your card sports a cluttered design, has been printed on cheap paper, or is otherwise not up to par, you may inadvertently be sending a signal that you’re not as polished and ready for primetime as you think you are.
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Tagged as:
Brand,
Business Cards
by Daria Steigman on June 27, 2008
There was an episode of Monk a couple of years ago where the brilliant but obsessive-compulsive detective gets new business cards. When he discovers how much each card costs, he starts taking them back from people he doesn’t think really need to have them.
Many people adopt the opposite approach: they hand out their cards to everyone they meet, and take–and hoard–everyone else’s contact information. But all that gets you is a telephone book. When was the last time you went through your stack of cards and Outlook contacts? If you don’t recognize the name, can’t place a face, or know the person’s information is out of date, delete it. It’s not about having the biggest list. It’s about defining the value of each contact.
Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!
Tagged as:
Business Cards,
Monk
