A “Sweet and Saucy” Business Blog

I’m back and I survived finals… and now have major relief.

Today I’m going to review another local blog, but this time there is a twist as it is the first business blog I will cover. My Sweet and Saucy (@mysweetandsaucy on twitter) is a organically grown business making amazing deserts. If you find yourself in the LA area check it out!

When it comes to business blogs normally there is a lot to dislike. Business blogs (even small business ones) often lack personality, creativity, and substance. I could go on and demonstrating weak, unauthentic, uncreative, and out of date blogs. However I strongly believe that there is more good in highlighting a business that is doing it so well.  Sweet and Saucy makes a great case study.

As I land on the home page the very first thing I notice is the consistent feel and general navigational comfort. The blog is the very first page one would land on from the web, so clear navigation is important. The blog also hits the mark on getting photos right at the fold. Its like getting a taste (pun) of what the blog is about.

(Side note) There are several different schools of thought as to how users should arrive at a corporate blog from the web. A whole debate on the subject has often been waged in various marketing circles that I wont dive into. My personal take is that the location of a blog  on a website depends on a bunch of variables.

::sponsors and partners::

Many businesses are very nervous about allowing sponsors to have space on their blog. Contrary to what many may think this fear isn’t irrational! Google ad words is probably not a good solution for a business blog… unless that business wants links to the competition on the website. Selected sponsors may offer awful service  tarnishing their reputations and yours. The benefits can be substantial, new streams of revenue, partnerships, etc. It’s not a no risk, no reward situation.

If you’re running blog and you are considering adding sponsors, I clearly want to state this is not a bad idea! However take a tip from sweet and saucy, clearly label that they are a sponsor. Include a link for advertisers who are interested so they can contact you. Finally never allow a selected sponsor space until you have used their product. In the end its your brand you are protecting.

Last thing I want to highlight… Sweet and Saucy shares baking resources which I think is a great idea. Some may argue that these resources actually cut into revenue because people will bake on their own.. They may have a point but the more likely scenario is people that bake have added a positive brand impression. This group will lean toward sweet and saucy when they don’t want to bake.

Avoidance and fear are not the solution creativity and selectivity are.

Melody the owner won’t even have open @ reply conversations on twitter with non-affiliated partners (ie me)… its classic and wise brand protection. However she always sends DM back acknowledging positive comments!

Check out http://www.mysweetandsaucy.com/ leave a comment below / rate the site.

Again as always if you would like your blog included send an e-mail to : hockeyonabus@gmail.com

or send a @ reply to mhandy1 on twitter.

Where did I go… I think this explains it

After finals I’ll be back with new posts ( thats next week)

Resa Michelle dot com …keep it personal

Today I’m going to highlight a non hockey blog, Resa Michelle dot com.  She is a great source for all things Apple and offers a personal touch with stories and insights. . .

I think personal blogs should be human, one way to do this is to include an image of yourself. It doesn’t need to be fancy  but a photo helps readers remember that the writer of the blog is a person.  Resa did this in her header and as you can see I do this in my side bar.

**Noteworthy: The search the site button in her header is a smart move..helps you; helps readers.

Keeping with the “keep it personal” meme the “about me” section of your blog is an opportunity to highlight your favorite subjects. Some blogs can do this so well that a tag cloud would be redundant, which is the case for Resa. Reading this section I wouldn’t be suprised to see a post about classes, general marketing thoughts, SEO, apple products, fashion, or Salsa. The about me section is on the TOP of her sidebar which is very cool.

Just above “the about” me section she offers very pretty graphic links to her online locations. Your twitter page, youtube channel, facebook account, flickr account etc. are like a list of spots you hang out online. Including them helps fans find you and keep up with what you are doing.

I haven’t talked about Comments much but they are really important! If you are lucky enough to have people so engaged that they are willing to comment (less than 5% of people will) you need to respect that. Comments are like a conversation with your blog. You started the conversation by posting a blog if someone answers back make sure you engage. This doesn’t just apply to private blogs, companies could learn this lesson as well.  Look at what Resa does in the section above… someone comments she comments back, and instantly she has a fan.

As always if you would like your blog featured please send an email to hockeyonabus@gmail.com or send a tweet to @Mhandy1.

Please rate the blog reviewed below and offer your take in the comment section!