As part of my role as a retail industry speaker, coach and consultant, I am now posting to relevant online retail blogs, sites, etc.  I will use my blog to bring these postings to you, my readers.  I will always provide a link to the originating site or blog so you can enjoy their full content if you should so desire. 

I hope that you will take the time to send a brief comment on my postings!

To your success and daring you to be contagious,

~Mike

Here is a recent posting to a discussion topic at RetailWire – a terrific resource for daily retail industry news and analysis.

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RETAILWIRE DISCUSSION TOPIC:
The Marketing Power of Blogs
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TOPIC SUMMARY:
For many small businesses, blogging is proving to be a low-cost, high-return way to create public awareness. Across businesses, blogging companies are still a small minority.  What do you think of the potential as well as the limitations of using a blog as a marketing tool? What types of businesses can best capitalize on blogging? What, if any, has been your experience with blogging?

My post:

The current wave of social media (YouTube, MySpace, LinkedIn, blogs, etc.) is teaching us that consumers want to be a part of the conversation. As a retailer, are you engaged fully with your customers in rich dialogue about your brand, products and services? If you are not blogging and using other social media, the answer is probably “no.” I highly encourage retailers to consider making social media an integrated part of their marketing strategy. That said, you cannot just “jump in.” Like everything else in your marketing arsenal, social media needs to be carefully thought through. Your customer’s experience on your blog must be congruent with other customer touch points. Other posters rightly stated that blogs work best for product categories where there is a desire for customer dialogue. Basics and consumer staples will not likely be effective blogging subjects. Consider
1) Who will be your blogger(s)? They must speak with an authentic voice, aligned with the company’s voice.
2) Can you commit to regular updates? If not, don’t start.
3) Have you prepared for the inevitable complaints and bad comments about your brand/product?
4) Have you considered a presence on other social media like MySpace or YouTube? You should. Most of your customers are in multiple social media sites–you need to be (authentically) where your customers are if you want to truly engage them in conversations.
Mike Osorio, Principal, www.OsorioGroup.com

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GO TO THE FULL STORY AND DISCUSSION:
http://www.retailwire.com/Email/Discussion.cfm/12654
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