Challenge: Can You Stump Business and Blogging?
January 7, 2008 by Liz Fuller
Filed under Social Media
I’m going to let it go.
Someday.
But right now I still can’t get over that darned NY Times article that says blogging is not suitable for the majority of small businesses.
Call me crazy, but I just can’t believe that is true.
So, Laura and I’ve devised a little challenge to see whether the NY Times experts know more than the (ahem!) experts at Business and Blogging.
We’re challenging you to identify a small business that you think could not possibly benefit from blogging. One of us will then try to find a successful blogging approach that would work as a low-cost, high return marketing device for that business.
We’re pretty confident that we can come up with an angle and focus that will work for just about any business, so we dare you to try and stump us. (we reserve the right to refuse businesses that are illegal or immoral)
And what do you win if you do stump us?
We’ll write a post linking to your website from Business and Blogging, highlighting all of your businesses’ strengths. (min. 200 words)
Note: your business does not have to be the same one you used to “stump” us, however the same criteria about legality and morality still applies.
Since we hadn’t published this post yet, our first challenge comes directly from one of our readers – my husband – and no, he didn’t stump us!
His suggestion was a good one – a local gas station. He said he couldn’t see how one could benefit from a blog. 
I took on this challenge and here’s what I came up with.
As a woman, and a user of gas stations, I have a lot of questions that I am too embarrassed to ask or don’t know who to ask. If there was a gas station in town that published a blog, I would feel much more connected and make a point to fill up my gas there rather than at other service stations. I would also tell my friends about the blog and all the interesting things going on there – and get them to get their gas there too.
Topics I would be interested in seeing in a gas station blog:
- Frequently Asked Questions like:
- what’s the difference between the different octane grades?
- when is the least busy time to get gas? most busy?
- why do I have to enter my zip code when paying with my credit card?
- what’s the best way to clean my windshield?
- is it better to fill my tank when half-full or let it go empty?
- how often should I check the air pressure in my tires? how do I do it?
- how often are the restrooms cleaned?
- how often should I check my oil? how do I do it? how do I add more?
- why does it always rain when I wash my car?
- how do I keep from getting rust?
- how do I keep my battery from going dead?
- does running the air conditioner reduce the miles per gallon?
- should I turn the car off when stuck in traffic?
- Interesting anecdotes about things that occur on the job
- Links to articles about why gas costs are going up
- Notices of upcoming shortages: holiday weekends, etc.
- Interesting places within a day’s drive of our area
- Links to articles about which cars get best mileage
- Links to articles about cars with alternative fuel
- Links to articles on the merits of new models of cars
- Tips on what to check for when buying a used car
- Tips on how to save on driving (carpooling, stacking errands, etc.)
- Tips on avoiding drunk driving or falling asleep at the wheel
- Items to check before a long road trip
- Games to play in the car on long roadtrips
- Lyrics to songs we used to sing as kids on roadtrips
- Memories of cartrips when the owner was a kid
- Story of the owner’s first car (inviting same from customers)
- Encouraging customers to share their vacation travel plans
- Encouraging customers to share their own travel tips
Still with me? My husband walked away part-way through the list….
But as you can see, there are a lot of possibilities that build community and connection.
So, put your thinking caps on – can you think of a business that wouldn’t benefit from a blog?
Write a comment below or send an email with “Stump BnB” in the subject line.
Come on, We dare you!!
Great idea. I have a post coming up tomorrow on Home Biz Notes about this. It will be interesting if anyone can stump you.
We’re ready! Bring on the challenges. ;-)
Good idea, Liz! I’m with ya. I think it’ll be hard if not impossible to find a stumper.
The only “maybe” I can think of is criminal businesses … Joe’s Shoe Shop that sells stinky used shoes and passes them off as squeaky brand new will probably get in hot water with a blog that allows comments and trackbacks, etc.
Hi Easton!
Hmm! We’ll think about that one.
Ok, this is my husband’s idea: a quarry.
Man, these husbands!!
Very clever!
We’ll get back to you soon!!! :-)
Liz
But a quarry sells sand (for example – or other raw materials), so would have customers who might like a site to check prices for different grades of sand, or whatever. Or delivery lead-times. Or location.
I think this would have to be a really small, very local business designed to serve only its immediate environs.
Very interesting question – going to have to think about this!
Or a business that involves distress purchases only, such as a locksmith (though I suppose they could blog about burglary prevention being better than cure, not losing your keys) or broken-glass repair company (different grades of glass for different purposes).
What about a shoe-repair company? Or a key-cutter?
I’m still thinking … got me hooked now
Hi Lucy
It is kind of addictive isn’t it? hmmm…I can see a game show developing – “What’s My Blog?” or “Are You Smarter than a Blogging Expert?”
Thanks for your suggestion about the quarry – we’re working on a response. It will be posted on Friday.
In the meantime – keep the suggestions coming!!!
Let’s be fair… the NYTimes article was saying that SMB’s shouldn’t blog… it’s that it is incredibly time consuming. By saying that it’s ‘not suitable’, they meant that not every small business has the time or the talent to write a blog. Also, your example of a gas station starting a blog is unique, and the information that you proposed is interesting, is it the best use of time and resources for a small gas station to start a blog? No one is saying they aren’t helpful… the effort just doesn’t match the reward for every industry. It’s like saying I can afford a Ferrari if I stop paying my mortgage and my bills. But I do whole-heartedly agree that business blogging, if done right can yield unbelievable results.
I’m an entrepreneur addressing an issue that I see other entrepreneurs increasingly grappling with. So I created a blog as my tool for getting the word out.
More and more businesses we talk to are unhappy with their offshore partners. Small businesses are looking to outsource more than ever, but the problem is that finding a reliable offshore partner is incredibly difficult. Many companies are seeking the cost-benefits associated with outsourcing, but most get burned in the process. I own a Chicago-based outsourcing company and decided to create an humorous blog about this phenomenon http://www.BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com I wanted to make it funny, relevant, and insightful. It shows that we don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we’re dead serious about what we do.
I started it a few months ago to liven up my brand and it’s been my main lead generation tool. It’s very hard to differentiate myself from the dozens of “Bob’s from Bangalore” that call on the same prospects I’m after, so I decided to make fun of my entire industry.
The results have been phenomenal. In a crowded marketplace, I all of a sudden stand out. It ain’t safe, but it works.
Mentioning my blog to people helps break the ice because it’s funny. I’ve gotten new clients all over the country, and even one in Belgium because of it. I publicize it like crazy at events and even wear buttons with my blog logo. When I make cold calls, I tell people to visit my blog. I tell them that I’m making fun of my own industry. It differentiates me and has been the main reason for my growth.
I’m not a fancy PR person, but I’m convinced of the power of business blogging to get clients and media attention. Make it edgy and have fun.
Raza Imam
http://BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com
Thanks Raza! It sounds like you have a blogging success story of your own.
Thanks for the feedback Laura.
By the way, the grammar in the first part of my paragraph was horrible. I was missing words and wrote incomplete sentences.
I’m not really an idiot, I just write like one.
Raza Imam
http://BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com
Hi Raza!
It’s okay. I didn’t notice your grammar. We all do it. We rush through our comments and press submit without checking them over.
First, Welcome ladies!! Fellow blogger here at b5media. I have been thinking about your challenge since you wrote the post. I have two thoughts or potential stumpers:
1. A Thrift Store
2. The person that sells orange cones used for traffic
I await your responses!
Darlene
Interview Guru
http://www.interviewchatter.com
Hi Darlene
Your thinking paid off – very clever responses!
We have several in the queue ahead of you but we will get to yours! And the ones inbetween should be interesting….roadkill remover…independent embalmer….to name a couple!!!
Liz
I did a presentation to my networking group recently talking about blogging among other things. The challenge I was presented with was the owner of an independent human resources firm. She said if she blogged about human resource tips, she’d be giving away her work for free-plus it would take time away from her paying projects.
So, any thoughts on how blogging could benefit an independent HR firm?
Hi Heather!
I think your friend has a common fear about blogging – a fear that blogging would give something away for nothing. (This fear isn’t limited to HR professionals, by the way.) The fact is, that by sharing a little, your friend could get so much more. We’ll deal with this challenge in upcoming post in the coming weeks. In the meantime, a quick scan of the web shows that there are already a lot of headhunting and HR blogs on the Internet.
Good question Heather. As Laura mentioned we will write a full post on the subject.
But one point to keep in mind in answering this question is that blogging helps position independent professionals as experts in their field – which can lead to increased opportunity.
How about debt collection? I have never met anyone who likes a bill collector, we are “shunned” so how can you make a blog about being a bill collector exciting?
Great suggestion Michelle for a small business that I wouldn’t have thought of on my own! Look for my response in an upcoming post and let me know your opinion!
Liz