It’s Good to Talk
Posted on December 3rd, 2007 by Paul Woodhouse in Business Blogging, DOM News
TAGS: business blogs, direct online marketing, press
I’ve been imagining you all this past couple of weeks frantically opening your bookmarks or feed reader in squeaky anticipation of either a new blog or at least a new post. You could be forgiven in your bleary and teary-eyed state after a weekend of gargantuan proportions of wondering what the devil we’ve actually done. Did you really wait all this time and listen to a host of lame excuses to be affronted by a blog that’s nearly identical?
Ah, but the subtlety is where its genius lies. On the face of it, I’ll admit, there does seem to be an air of a soap powder re-launch with nothing other than an announcement of it being 23% bigger, or with newly added [insert bogus scientific term]. However, what we’ve actually done is move the blog over to Wordpress. This meant we required a theme creating for the new blog and I think a splendid job has been done. It’s almost seamless.
And that’s lesson number one regarding blog integration to an existing site - MAKE IT LOOK SEAMLESS - or at least appear similar to your existing Website.
You’ll also notice that we’ve finally got comments enabled, so please feel free to bombard us with all that pent up frustration/love you’ve been wanting to share over the past year or so.
Then again, I suppose the switch-over has been timed rather nicely in conjunction with a good little piece in Sunday’s Charleston Gazette entitled Blogging for Dollars in which we get more than a tidy mention and I get to spout more of my blogging zen for the masses. Which is nice considering I probably bored the writer in question with my byzantine waffling in my email reply to her probing questions.
So, enjoy the article, enjoy the new blog and feel free to say what you’ve always wanted to say but were always unable to ask because we didn’t have comments enabled.
Paul, your comments to the Gazette were right on regarding the potential for blogs as a “dialogue starter.” The organizations that realize readers get tired of one-sided messages, and work to engage constructive conversations, they will thrive in the age of new media.
Welcome to West Virginia, and I look forward to visiting this site in the future.
Comment by Jason Keeling on December 3, 2007
Thank you for the kind words and also for being the first commenter ever on the new blog. You’re welcome back anytime.
We probably should’ve offered a prize or something, but surely commenting should be its own reward…..hmmmm, right.
Well the message is no longer in its own ‘walled garden’ is it? The Web allows for an ever-expanding footprint whether you engage in the process or not.
As a business, you only have two options: stick your head in the sand with your fingers in your ears pretending nothing is happening, or you simply give your side of the story.
Comment by Paul on December 3, 2007
As a result of Justin Seibert’s comment to my post on the Gazette article I updated the post and added links to a resource over at This is not my blog that includes a good comprehensive list of West Virginia blogs (over 200). He also cites the blog roll at Lincoln Walks at Midnight as also having a comprehensive list of West Virginia blogs.
Comment by Bob Coffield on December 10, 2007
Paul and Justin-
Pleased and proud to have been part of the recent Gazette article with you. I hear that you guys are doing some great work, and I look forward to learning more. Would love to meet and discuss blogging, marketing, etc.
Happy holidays!
Comment by Skip Lineberg on December 11, 2007
How you doing, Skip?
I think it turned out to be a very good article all told. At least Sarah seemed to pick out some of the more interesting quotes.
I’m always up for a blogging chinwag.
Thanks for dropping by and all the best.
Comment by Paul on December 11, 2007
[...] It was nice to be featured along with these great blogs. The draw back of such an article is that you can’t cover all the great West Virginia blogs that are available. For more check out the follow up comments by Skip Lineberg at Maple Creative and Paul at Direct Online Marketing. [...]
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