Just Riding Along

Is the Piton on the way back?

The Piton was an anonymous, multi-authored blog on the outdoor industry.  It was one of the first blogs I ever read on a daily basis.  The authors are very bright, uber-insiders that weren't afraid to bring up the meaty topics.  It was very good.  Then, a few months ago they stopped doing it.  I think it got to be too much time and brain energy for them to keep it going (hmmm...sounds familiar).

Well, just going through my Bloglines subscriptions and saw this post over on the Wicked Outdoorsy Blog.  The funny thing is, the Piton was supposed to be anonymous, yet by that post it's obvious that the guys behind Wicked Outdoorsy are also behind the Piton.  Was it an "oops" post or are they going to reveal their identities this time around? 

Either way, I hope they make another run at it.

Cannondale webmaster quoted in eWeek article

Janet Maurice, frequent commenter here on JRA and web/blogmaster for Cannondale Corp. attended the recent BlogOn event in NYC. 

She was featured in an eWeek.com article which also mentioned McDonald's upcoming move into employee blogging.  Here is her quote:

"Like in the IT world, 'geek' is a good term in cycling. A lot of people take pride in their 'geekdom,' and this fact plays right into blogs," said Maurice. "Blogging allows us to communicate to our community in an authentic, real, passionate way. We can do that whenever and however we choose to do it."

Good to see Cannondale sending someone to this conference.  They've always positioned themselves as the most innovative bicycle company so I guess it makes sense that they're the most innovative marketers in the industry too.

Don't forget to use permalinks

Just a friendly reminder about linking to blog posts:  remember to always use the permalink when referring to a specific post.  What's a permalink?  It's a link that goes directly to the specific entry of a blog, instead of the blog's home page.

For instance here are links to:

This blog's home page

• http://just-riding-along.typepad.com

A permalink to a post on this blog

• http://just-riding-along.typepad.com...2005/08/the_interbike_q.html

Why is this important?
The problem with using the home page address is that blogs are frequently updated and content is constantly being pushed down the page.  So, if you use the home page link, your audience will click the link and see a bunch of content that has nothing to do with what they're hoping/expecting to read.  They may not take the time to scroll down and search for what they want...they'll probably just keep on surfing.

The good stuff's in the comments

Just FYI, the people that read and comment on this blog are smarter than I am.  My posts just get things started, but most of the time, the comments are where all the action is.  So, if you're not reading them you're really missing some great insights. 

Here's an excerpt from a recent comment by the Cannondale blogger that pretty much sums up what I've been trying to say for months now:

"To me, that’s what this is all about….being able to share cool information, excite, inform and get back opinions one way or another. This new way of corporate thinking is a hard sell, but I think I’m winning them over. In fact, we’ve recently made a major decision to start being much more open with our dearly held secrets here at Cannondale (you heard it here first!) not because we have to, but because in the end, we’ve got some great information that’s worth sharing, and it’s what our riders want from us. I like to think I had a lot to do with this recent change of heart and mindset here at Cannondale.

There’s no doubt that blogging is a very powerful tool… not just for us on the BradBlog and the RaceBlog but also as a tool for content management for our websites. We’re starting to incorporate the technology as a solution across the board world wide. It’s very exciting but will, I’m sure, take a while for people here to fully comprehend it and embrace in all its forms (especially those at the top)..."

Cannondale has always been a product innovator and it'd be great to see them lead the charge as a communication innovator as well.

Article on e-commerce doesn't mention blogs

For some reason I just received my August 15 issue of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News Magazine (BRAIN).  It must have gotten lost in the mail.  I still think it's crazy they don't have more content on their website, but I digress.

I read with interest a cover story titled: "Internet Sales, Marketing Continue to Blossom."  It was a good article but I was quite surprised to not see blogs mentioned in any way, shape or form...not even a passing reference.

Does anyone else think this is strange?   Haven't blogs had an affect on consumers' buying habits online? 

According to a Marketing Sherpa survey from October 2004, when people were asked where they go online first to "find out more about a product or service," 64% of them said a search engine.  Now, given that we all know how blogs are frequently among the top results for many search queries, I think this fact alone is testament to how blogs have affected e-commerce.

I know at least one webmaster from a major bike brand reads this blog.  I'm curious as to how much inbound traffic they get to various product pages from blogs.  I imagine it is more than a significant amount.

So which is it:  Does a large part of the bike industry still not fully understand this new medium?  Or are my glasses covered in blog fog, making it impossible to see the picture clearly?

The power of search revisited

Some of you might remember a previous post I made about the power of blogs in search engines.  My opinion is that search strength alone is reason enough for businesses to take blogs seriously.

To illustrate this I thought I'd point out  a recent search that led someone to my blog.

As you can see in the screenshot, when this person typed in "sram road components" into the MSN search engine, one of my posts from just last week was returned in the #1 slot.  Right above none other than SRAM.com.

And guess what?...I haven't done any special search engine marketing or paid a dime for advertising of any kind. 

Lucky for SRAM, I'm just a harmless industry geek and not a disgruntled customer with an axe to grind.

 

Old school vs. "neo" marketing

From the Creating Passionate Users blog, comes this great comparison of "old-school marketing" and what they call "neo-marketing".  Every marketing, PR, and sales person should print this out and stick it in their cubicle.  These are not just buzzwords and trends, they are the new reality.   

The larger, dominant brands in the bike industry that are still clinging to the old-school paradigm are at risk of slowly but surely losing market share.  And do I even have to mention that a well-executed company blog can achieve everything in the neo-marketing column? 

When you read through this, which brands come to mind?  Is your company still "old-school"?

Soma Fab buys ad on blog directory

Just noticed that Soma Fabrications is the first bike company to purchase ad space on this popular bike blog directory.  Currently, the "Bicycle Blogs" directory lists 168 blogs, making it the most comprehensive directory on the web (although a new one has recently sprouted up).

Is this the first ad buy from a bike industry manufacturer on a blog-related site?  If it is, kudos go to Soma for leading the charge.  This trend will continue as more of the industry realizes that blogs are reaching an ever-increasing number of their potential customers.

Interbike blogger meet-up

I wanted to have a blogging/tech panel discussion at this year's Interbike trade show...but they were booked up a long time ago.  So instead, I'd like to invite all bike industry bloggers to an informal meet-up in Vegas.  I'm not sure how structured it will be, but at the very least it will be a chance to put a face to a name, share a drink (or two), exchange ideas, and perhaps hatch our plans to take over the industry ;-).

I'd also like to extend the invitation to anyone who'd like to learn more about blogs.  If you're on the fence about this whole blogging thing, we'll help you get down on the right side.  Bring your questions, curiousities, and concerns and feel free to pick our brains clean. 

If you're interested, just stay tuned to this space for updates and more details.  Any questions or feedback, just leave a comment or drop me an email.

Kerkove suspended for forum comments

Wow.  This one is hard to believe.  Authors of PR textbooks, get ready to add to your "Bad PR Case Studies" chapter.

Stuart Dorland, founder of 24 Hours of Adrenaline, a race promotion company, has decided to suspend professional endurance racer Jeff Kerkove for one year.  The reason?  Jeff expressed his opinions about the high-price of Stuart's events in an MTBR forum.  Dorland, afraid Jeff's comments would hurt his company's image, engaged Jeff in series of personal emails that ended up in Jeff being suspended immediately...just days before the 24 hour world championships.  (Read more on Kerkove's blog).

Given what I've heard and read, this is a bad decision by Dorland. Kerkove is influential and respected in the endurance racing community.  Along with being one of the top racers in the country and a true evangelist for 24 hour racing, he has a popular blog, he's a shop mechanic, he's active in Internet forums and he's a race promoter.  Kerkove is the archetypal opinion leader, an influencer, a network hub, he's all the marketing buzzwords rolled up into one.  He is the LAST guy any company should alienate.

The painful irony for Dorland is that he suspended Kerkove out of fear that his comments would influence a lot of people...but now it's that same influence that will damage the brand and bottom line of Dorland's company.   Just read the posts to the MTBR thread...the dog-pile has already begun. 

Note to Dorland and others:

There is a new reality in the marketplace.  It's called a conversation and you don't own it any longer.  Your customers are not just passive recipients of your goods and services.  They have a voice that is more powerful than ever because of blogs, forums and the rise of consumer generated media.  You have the choice to either engage, respect and listen to your customers, or ignore them and treat them like dirt.  If you want to make money and be successful, I strongly recommend the former.

My advice to Dorland.  If you think your decision is justified, explain it to the community, but if you think you made a bad decision, it's not too late to change it.  If I were you I'd apologize to Jeff then send him a first class plane ticket to Worlds and buy him a few pints when he gets there.