A stand alone blog vs a blog associated with a company. | Bloggers Lair | Yakezie Forums

There is definitely work that has to be done when you are starting a blog. Nothing is an overnight success. As for Adaptu, Jenna is awesome :) Not just because we went to college together! 

I have to agree here overall. We all work really hard to produce great content and to really support each other. The barriers to entry are relatively low but the effort to be taken seriously has to be genuine. Think about what your minimum viable product is or the experience you want to create for people and go from there. Most of all be honest though – it's for your business make sure you let people know that vs trying to mask it as a personal endeavor. 

Guys and Gals!  Evan just sent this link over to me and I seriously started tearing up in my cube.  It feels amazing to know a whole bunch of friends have recognized my hard work.  And even though I'm not a PF blogger I still feel incredibly connected to this group of people.  Thanks so much!  So many hugs at FinCon are coming your way :)

Post edited 12:10 pm – July 26, 2012 by Money and Risk

BeatingBroke said:

I think the biggest difference between Planwise, Adaptu, or any other business with a blog is that, in the end, the blog exists solely to give the company publicity.  Yes, it adds value to the community, and it may get unsolicited links occasionally.  But, when it comes right down to it, if the company decides that it's just not a good use of company funds, it'll go the way of the dodo bird.

 

This is the critical part that you need to understand.  PF bloggers also need to consider their trust factor with the audience.  Whether it's finance or any other field, you can't just barge in and ask someone to post your article (personal advertisement).   You need to develop a relationship. 

As a business person running a company, understand that blogging is the same as any other business network.  Would you go up to random companies in your hometown and ask them to hang a banner ad of your company permanently above their door without them knowing who you are?  Don't treat bloggers any differently without the same professional courtesy as you do with real people.

Don't advertise to the PF bloggers that your product is free or ad-free. That's not the full truth.  What you're offering is a freemium product.  As a business, you're planning to make as much money from the subscriber as possible.  The idea is to draw in participants and then sell an upcharge or later convert to a full cost model if there is enough volume.   You're a company and are in business to make profits.  Otherwise, the investors that you have will leave.  They didn't invest because they felt generous. 

There are PF bloggers who involve their business.  Jeff is a blogger who uses his blog to solicit business directly and benefited from his hard work in promoting himself. 

I am in the same industry as Jeff but chooses not to solicit or disclose any company information.  This is a personal and business decision.  I treat my blog as a separate entity that needs to stands on its own and support itself eventually. My business is used as a resource that the blog taps in order to provide excellent content that you can't get elsewhere. 

Look at your business strategically and figure out how to organically build the audience and customer base that you need.  There is a wide variety of things that can be done with and without money, but don't just look at the PF blogger network as a shortcut to get customers. 

With smart strategies and hard work, you can bring the audience up to 500,000 or more within a short amount of time.  You have the funding while most others don't. 

By the way, don't focus on cheap or free.  This is the biggest mistake that most people and businesses make and how they lose money.  Pay for value and TRUE expertise.