Integrating Blogging into Your Business
Published by bluhring November 1st, 2006 in 3W News.Charlene Ann Baumbich has been a client of 3W for several years. She is a writer and humourist whose fifth book in her Partonville series is the soon to be released Dearest Dorothy, Merry Everything! Charlene is a loyal listener of the 3W produced podcast Pop Goes the Culture and she recently wrote in to comment on a show that covered the topic of integrating new media into mainline business.To set up the scene, Susie Watson, one half of Pop Goes the Culture’s dueling pop divas (Barbara Luhring is the other half), sees absolutely no reason for integrating blogging into a business’ PR plan.
Charlene Ann Baumbich replies:
Interesting topic! Let me tell you why *I’m* blogging and why–and Susie, although I’m writing about ME, I am doing so because a) I’m fascinating (ha-ha) but b) my blog is reaching a NEW audience for me, which is a wonderful PR tool. Which relates to BUSINESS.
I write books (Welcome to Partonville) and PR is key. Since I often travel for my job (professional speaking AND book promotions), I subscribe to (pay for) an industry travel genius’s newsletter regarding all elements of travel: www.joesentme.com. My subscription is worth every cent! Over the past several years I would occasionally respond to one of his newsletters to let him know how his breaking news saved my keister on a given business trip, and often I would include the humorous side.
One thing led to another and the chance for me to write a travel humor SOMETHING came up; Joe said he’d promote it. A blog was the easiest way to launch my “travel humor column” so I went with it.
www.joesentme.com (Joe Brancatelli) offers a kick-butt travel newsletter. Joe points to several other travel writers and I’m one of them (travelinglaughs.blogspot.com). People read Joe looking for travel info, who click to my blog, which “just happens” to offer links to my book and speaking websites. I’m having so much fun writing this blog that I hope to one day cull a travel humor BOOK from it.If you want to read an excellent example of how blogging can give insight into Real News behind the news, check out http://www.joesharkey.com/ (a blog) This, Suzie, is a good example of the crossover between journalism and diary.
See the thread at Pop Goes the Culture