First let’s get this clear. This isn’t an Aweber Bash Fest. It’s a really great company, with excellent service and a good reputation, indeed, I can’t recall the last time an online company called me from another continent to thank me for signing up for an account, that’s how customer-focussed they are. But I won’t be going with them for my email list services and here’s why:

I’m already with another broadcast email provider called iContact. I’ve been using them since the end of 2008 and my list of subscribers for various sites has steadily grown and while it’s not huge, it’s important to me. To move to Aweber, I’d have to email all of my list subscribers and ask them to start over and respond to a confirmation email they’ll be getting.

And that’s my Problem Number One. Unlike many bloggers / website owners, I grow my email list from many sources and the critical thing is this:

My list is not just from people who’ve ASKED me to send them information. I build my list pro-actively by using it to carefully add prospects to it that I know won’t be offended to receive information, but who I know would not bother with a signup process. After all, why should they? I want to sell something to them and supply them information, why should they be the ones who have to make the effort, however small? I know right now that these people will not respond to a confirmation email request, but at the same time, they’re happy to accept a non-offensive stream of news from me. Most of them gave me a business card and asked me to stay in touch. They’re what I’d describe as long term prospects – people who I might be able to do business with in the medium to long term and who I’d like to keep in touch with to remind them I’m there, no pressure, no strings attached.

Aweber’s business model is built the other way up. They supply a very good service based upon people actively finding a website or blog they like and deciding they’d like to join a list. The problem I have with that is that it doesn’t easily allow me to add the type of prospect I’ve described above. Step forward iContact. They’re my other broadcast email provider and the one’s I’ll be staying with. I can add email addresses of those long term, slow burn prospects by a simple cut and paste, without needing a confirmation email. In addition, on my website signup boxes, I can opt to ask for the confirmation process with a simple check box. This gives me the best of both worlds – a locked down, spam proof signup box where I need one, plus the trust in me not to abuse my powers by annoying people with unwanted emails.

So who’s right and who’s wrong? If you’re just starting out building your subscriber list, there’s virtually nothing in it. Both services claim industry leading standards of deliverability and competitive, sensible pricing structures. Aweber is undoubtedly the darling of the Blogosphere, but iContact certainly provides a very good service with excellent support.

Disclaimer – by clicking a link to iContact, I get a discount from my account if you choose to sign up with them, it helps bring down the cost of running my email list.

If you haven’t ventured into launching a company blog yet, you can talk to me about dipping your toes in the big blog ocean. Or if you’re trying to work out the best way to start a company blog, try reading my ten tips for writing company blogs to help you get started.

1. Be yourself! It’s what all your existing customers like about you, remember? Don’t try and write in ‘corporate speak’ on your blog, write in a slightly more informal way but without appearing too familiar or chatty. Above all, try and set the ‘tone’ for how you’d like others to perceive your company

2. Jargon – If you’re trying to reach people with little knowledge of your industry, don’t use too much of your industry jargon. If you do, consider explaining the phrases you use so that others can see that you’re taking the time to be understood.

3. Be SEO Friendly. Easier said than done, but it’s surprising how often people don’t do it. Write your title and description tags to replicate phrases that people actually use to search with. Newspaper and magazine websites are particularly prone to this. They’ll write in their title tag their headline, for example, “Phew, What A Scorcher” instead of “Summer weather reports and weather forecast advice online”

4. The Gerlad Ratner Phenomenon. If you haven’t heard of him, read this. His speech was right up there with distributing photocopies of your backside at the Christmas party. Don’t ‘Do A Ratner’. Remember that once it’s out there, it’s out there and be careful what you say about your existing customers and readership.

5. Be consistent. Both in frequency of postings and in what you say. Try and post on a regular basis. Some people say ideally every day, but for most people that’s too much. If you really want to hit the ground running with your blog and generate a big following, then consider hiring someone like me to author it for you and kick start your ideas.

6. Invite discussion. Allow comments on your blog without waiting for moderation. Wordpress has some very powerful spam protection measures, so don’t worry about Viagra ads popping up. To help prompt discussion, try finishing your post with a query or request for readers viewpoints, like I’ve done here.

7. Give something first. Social media such as blogging is different to normal marketing and promotion. Give something to your audience without expecting anything in return. Continue to do this for several months and don’t expect the phone to ring for a while. People like to see that you have knowledge on your subject so try and become considered as ‘undeniably good’ at what you do.

8. Don’t be scared! Too many people, myself included, didn’t think that what they did was particularly interesting. Indeed I initially dismissed blogging as a kind of self congratulatory ‘High Five Dude’ idea where people spouted off about themselves. How wrong I was.. People really are interested in what you do, so take the courageous step to get out there and write about it.

9. Look Inside! Many of my clients who want help with company blogs struggle for inspiration and subject matter. I used to struggle until one day, the penny dropped and this is really important! Things that to you that are every day occurences within your business are actually really interesting to other people. My motorsport clients in particular fall for this one. Every day, they deal with interesting supercars, rally cars and machinery most can only dream about, but they never give it a second thought. Unless it’s top secret, blog about it!

10. I don’t have a number ten. Remember my number six point? What’s your favourite tip for blogging and what have you learned about communicating with your clients and propects in this way?

I’m reposting this from my other blog over at Octane Gossip, as I think it bears relevance to my thoughts on the current state many people in sales will be finding themselves in

I bumped into an old friend last week, as I had to call into a car showroom I used to work in. Of course, they relocated a few years ago to a cool, trendy out-of-town site, lots of smoked glass and chrome and very nice to look at, the perfect shopping experience and surely a great place to be? But when I asked how things were going, while I didnʼt expect it to be roses given the current climate , I was truly surprised by what he had to say. “Iʼm really sick .
” Selling cars today is nothing like it was when you were at it.” I looked around the showroom, trying to find his desk. “Weʼre not allowed desks in the showroom, theyʼre seen as confrontational. Weʼve got sofas and clusters of chairs instead. What with the coffee machines, kidʼs Play Stations and widescreen TVʼs we ʼve less space to display cars here than in the old site”

Christ, feller, no wonder youʼre not making any money…

“Thatʼs not all, we ʼre not allowed to approach customers, we wait in the office until the receptionist calls us, theyʼre seen as more friendly” I can see why. The lovely long legs and black wool dress were truly impressive and no match for my freindʼs middle age spread and greying temples. But it wasnʼt selling cars.

“This jobʼs hard enough, but now, itʼs just about impossible.”

No shit, Sherlock. If youʼve got to stay in the office until called, youʼre not allowed to approach customers and the used car pitch is off limits until called, you stand no chance. My friends no Swiss Toni or vulture looking for the next punter as a victim, heʼs actually a very conscientious, professional bloke who cares about both the people he sells cars to and the company he works for – heʼs been there more than a decade. And yet heʼs desperate.

So who thought all this up? “Itʼs the new ʻRetail Conceptʼ, apparently. I just wish I could get out, but I guess Iʼm too old now …” I was staggered, but on reflection I knew why. Some marketing expert with a degree in something theoretical has pitched this as what people want – comfy, cuddly, touchy , feely car buying thatʼs big on theory and short on real world facts. So is my freind a silver haired dinosaur?

The young trendy marketing-type will doubtless think so, but Iʼve news for them. When the jobʼs on itʼs arse like it is right now and if you walk onto the used car pitch and listen carefully you can actually hear all the stock depreciating and the bank are twitching to grab back your overdraft, you need honest, motivated, hard working and above all, experienced cars salesmen. It ʼs simple mathematics . Your stock is falling in value as never before, Glassʼ Guide is punishing it with a baseball bat, so you daren ʼt let it go over-age , but you canʼt liquidate it, because no-one in the trade is buying, either because they don ʼt want to or they simply canʼt write a cheque for it either . Thatʼs when you need car sales professionals, to get out there and find retail buyers for your stock. Not flat screen TVʼs and comfy sofas.