When we talk about conversational marketing, here at Incept, the Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs) are always reminded to talk with the person, not at them. Usually, this is in the context of phone conversations. It involves both sides of the speaking and listening coin – a balance between hearing what the other person has to say and telling them what they want or need to know. It happens in real time just like a face-to-face conversation.
Conversations on the Internet, however, are a bit different, especially when your “voice” consists of little black letters (like mine right now)!
On the Internet, there are real-time instant messaging services such as AIM, Facebook’s chat feature and live video feeds like Skype. But what about conversations that are not in real time? Ones that are not instant? These include tweets on Twitter, status updates on Facebook, email and blogging. How does conversational marketing work when the conversation is not face-to-face, not in real time and sometimes not even continuing on the same day? One way to start, encourage and hold a non-instant conversation is with a blog.
When us Internet Conversational Marketing Experts (iCMEs) started training, the first thing we learned was how to write blog posts that promote conversation (special thank you to Nate Riggs!). We were taught to write with our own voices, to keep the paragraphs in the blog posts short, to include images that catch the eye and to be careful with jargon so that every reader can understand. Most importantly, we were taught to always end our blogs with a question.
Businesses write blogs to provide information, state opinions, define and advertise themselves, and promote their customers. Unfortunately, some blogs stop there. Their readers read, shrug, and move on. They don’t comment. They don’t get involved in the conversation. By ending a blog with a question, even as simple as “what do you think?” readers are encouraged to join in and the conversational marketing process begins!
Do you have any advice for promoting comments and conversations on blogs?
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