Nadine Fisher MS, RD/LD
NE Internet & Business Technology Chair
Web & Internet Solutions for You!
www.nutritionnetworks.com
issue 83
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Hello Everyone:
Let's talk about using online communities. 90 million plus Americans have participated in online groups, and surely you are one of them. What online groups and communities do your ideal customers frequent? How are you creating a presence in those groups that may attract business? Today we will look closer at the importance of online groups and developing an online community using a blog. We also have more information on RSS feeds and a new RSS calendar.
Read more below.
Nadine
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"I have learned so much from this group I can't believe it!"
" This group really provides allot of value to NE Membership."
NE Internet Specialty Group Members
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"Your time is a valuable resource." - Bill Gates
"...and you don't want to waste it! " - Nadine
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Using an Online Community to Promote Your Services
Are you taking advantage of the growing popularity of online communities to market your services? If not you need to change your marketing strategy. Using an online community to promote your services is working smart! Online communities offer the opportunity to address your target population in a most efficient process. Online communities are niche driven and will give you a voice to be heard by people who want to hear it. Some 84% of Internet users have at one time or another contacted an online group. Tens of millions of Americans have joined communities after discovering them online. And many are using the Internet to join and participate in longstanding, traditional groups such as professional and trade associations. Furthermore, many Americans are using the Internet to intensify their connection to their local community.These online groups are made up of those who share passions, beliefs, hobbies, or lifestyles. Tens of millions of Americans have joined communities after discovering them online. And many are using the Internet to join and participate in
longstanding, traditional groups such as professional and trade associations. All in all, 84%
of Internet users have at one time or another contacted an online group.
Expert Blogging - Determine Your Goals, Identify your Niche, and Build Your Online Community.
Any good marketer knows that before you proceed with a marketing campaign you first need to establish the goals of your campaign. In keeping with that thought, before you publish your blog you should think about why you are blogging and what you hope to get out of your blog. The goals of blogging can be numerous and can include the following:
- To publish your opinions (to market a particular thought, product or service)
- To improve nutrition communication (to provide credible expertise)
- To build a community around an issue (for example weight management)
- To increase visibility for yourself, your company, a client or your product
- To gain clients or customers
- To share personal experiences and knowledge that will help others (support groups)
- To make money
Blogging is a great platform for communicating and when you have identified your blogging goals you can easier identify your blogging niche. In marketing consider these questions:
Who am I and what sets me apart from the competition? Clearly identify what your expertise is and think about what topics you are confident that you can create on a regular basis. As an expert blogger you need to blog about what you know- otherwise it will become a burden. Stick to what you think you know and blog posts will automatically come to you.
Remember that most bloggers are just providing personal expression and are not necessarily experts. There is value in this type of sharing. For expert bloggers, make sure you prominently post your credentials that support your claim as an expert. The best place to do that is in the About Me or profile section.
More on RSS Feeds
Market your services or products using RSS.
Blog - A blog is a public Web site with personal posts ordered so that the most recent is always first. Often these posts are also archived and searchable. Posts may come from one or many individuals, and the messages often share a common theme. The most recent blogs posted, with links and a brief description, are available via RSS.
Channels - These are XML links to new articles or blogs. Sometimes called a feed.
Feeds - These are XML documents used for Web syndication, often with links to new articles or blog posts and brief descriptions. Sometimes called a channel.
Proxy server - An indirect means of connecting to the Internet. A desktop connects to a server, which then connects to the Internet. Sometimes this is done to filter content or intercept viruses before they infect an internal network. If you are connecting to the Internet via a proxy server, you will need to make some changes in your RSS reader configuration.
RSS or Really Simple Syndication - This is an XML-based Web syndication tool for Web sites and blogs. RSS repackages new content with information such as a date, a title, a link, and a brief description. An RSS Reader then interprets this feed so that the user need only read the description and link to the news story or blog post. The RSS concept first surfaced in the late 1990s. Who came up with it first is in some dispute, but versions of RSS protocols have been developed by UserLand, Netscape, and O'Reilly and Associates. (Text corrected 9/29/04.)
XML (Extensible Markup Language) - A markup language that describes many different kinds of data so that programs can modify and validate data. Its primary purpose is to share structured text over the Internet.
| RSS Readers / News Aggregators What is RSS? RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication" or "Rich Site Summary". RSS is a file that uses XML (Extensible Markup Language) to encode certain headlines, titles or text so they can be read by a RSS Reader similiar to the ones listed below. RSS also allows the direct sharing of data with other programs. RSSCalendar uses RSS to encode calendar events and make them available to subscribers in real-time. Here is a condensed list of RSS Readers and News Aggregators that are available. Many are free and some cost a small fee. Your subscribers will need a RSS Reader or Aggregator to view your calendar feeds. They are very simple to setup and use. |
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| A complete list of RSS Readers is available here |
| A New Kind of Calendar RSSCalendar is an exciting new way for individuals and organizations to share their calendars with family, friends, and co-workers - utilizing the latest in "Really Simple Syndication" (RSS) technology, including RSS channel creation and aggregation. Not only is RSSCalendar easy to use but it is also easy to administer, and setup is a snap. RSSCalendar is well-suited for a variety of uses, including:
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| Sign Up Now! - It's FREE |
Need a Promotional Blog, website, or Marketing Video for your business?
Nutrition Networks provides consultation on Promotional Blogs, websites, and Marketing Videos.
We can assist you with your blog or marketing video development, or do it for you. If you are interested contact: Nadine
Do you have a technology tip you would like to share? If so - please send it to me and I will be happy to post it in this e-communication. Send your tips to: Tech Tips
Are you developing a publication, brochure, or website in the near future? To assist you with selecting your color scheme try out the Color Scheme Creator .
*The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author only.
Contact: Nadine if you have questions!
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