John Linton
Following the presentation I did yesterday morning, I have received four pleasant emails thanking me for the presentation and asking if Exetel was offering consulting services on web process automation and integrating VoIP into those processes the way I demonstrated Exetel was doing. Two of the enquirers also said they had gone to the Exetel web site and found my blog and wanted to know why I took so much trouble and put so much time into writing every day and would I recommend them doing that.
I replied to each email differently, the questions were slightly different, and my 'advice' on anyone writing a blog about their business was that it would be very beneficial to their business but it did require some self discipline and it was often inconvenient which meant that it required an ability to 'just write'. I shared my experiences to date which have been that it takes between 15 and 30 minutes to write an average 800 - 1,000 word blog each day and unless you are traveling long distances or end up in remote places with no internet there is only the minor matter of self discipline involved in producing a daily blog.
I got immediate follow up emails asking for 'tips' or 'pointers' to what methods I used to select 'topics' each day which I found difficult to do but said I had a routine of reading on line a number of financial and industry newspapers and magazines and several information sites before I started 'work' for the day which usually had an article that seemed appropriate to share and comment on with the unknown readers who might read what I wrote on any given morning. If nothing was of immediate interest then I said you just had to use whatever you were thinking about at the time - it works for me. I emphasised that a blog is not an 'official' company communication with all the constraints that go with such communications but the current thoughts/thinking of a person sharing those thoughts rather than that of a company representative stating official comments on behalf of the company.
I said that the value of a business blog was the feed back you got from people you would otherwise never 'talk with' and almost overwhelmingly people you have never met and never would meet in the course of your usual business activities. I am constantly surprised at the number of people from other countries that either comment or email me personally with ideas, suggestions and questions. It varies a great deal but over any given month is usually above 5%.
I actually keep track of the number of suggestions made by people in response to this blog and I also keep track of the 'press' references to what I write here (at least those I see or am made aware of) and, over the past 20 months or so the figures are enlightening in determining the 'collateral value' of the time I spend each day here.
- There are now over 80 reader suggestions that we have implemented within Exetel that have improved our business
- There are well over 100 'press references' to statements I have written here which are useful in making Exetel better known.
- The 'invitation' to make the breakfast presentation yesterday was from an "avid reader' and I've received more than a dozen other such invitations which lead to meeting people you otherwise would never know about.
- I have also received more than 200 emails from companies that have products or services they think may be of interest to Exetel and we have taken up three of those.
I conveyed these details to the enquirers and received an enthusiastic "thank you" from both so perhaps many people in business are unaware of the possible very positive values of 'business' blogs - as indeed I was until an old friend was kind enough to show me the error/ignorance of my lack of understanding.
Having had the values of writing a regular blog explained to me (and then seen the suggested values work out in practice for both me personally and for Exetel) I've attempted to pass on that valuable advice whenever the opportunity has presented itself (as in the current scenario). I think, at least to date, my personal advice and enthusiasm has had little/no practical results as I've yet to see anyone I've recommended business blogging to actually do it, with three exceptions which didn't last past the first one or two entries. I am obviously a poor persuader.
I'm not sure how else I can better encourage those people who are interested to actually do it. Perhaps it's similar to process automation and VoIP - everyone can see the clearly articulated and obvious benefits but very few CEOs want to involve themselves in making it happen.