For web site content managers and business owners
If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above question, then don’t be disheartened - you’re not alone. Understanding how to firstly use your website content management system and then publish new and relevant content to your site ‘regularly’, can be a big challenge. It can also be of great value to your business. All you need to do is factor this work into your daily routine and marketing initiatives.

Of course ‘regular’ means different things to different businesses (and owners of businesses). Some update their website twice a year and consider 6 months to be regular, whilst for others it’s once a month or several times a week. It really does depend on your individual business, your target market, online strategy and your actual resources (read people + experience).

Expect content surges and slow downs… but keep going
In March of last year, I wrote a post “updating content online requires resources”. Unfortunately I didn’t heed my own advice. Setting myself unrealistic goals and allocating a disproportionate amount of hours per month to write content, I found that other projects began to take up more and more of my time. The gap between posts widened and I eventually lost my momentum and stopped writing.

Sound familiar? Take for example this scenario - the launch of a new website. Everybody involved with the launch is fired up. The website is going to change the marketplace and direction of the company. The web team (made up of members from the HR, Admin, Sales & Marketing departments) are all excited.There are lots of great ideas - timeframes are tight but achievable.

Then… Sally leaves! John is assigned to other duties. Page impressions are down and now there’s a new CEO! Workloads increase. Members of the web team are needed elsewhere. And then….(car screeching to a halt, sound fx) “What? What do you mean, there’s nobody left on the web team anyway?”

Set a pace that works for you!
If you can identify with the above just try focussing on a pace that works for you and your team. Writing content and updating your website is actually very empowering and with a team of just one or two people, a lot can be achieved. All you need to do is get back online and make sure you have a better plan than the last one. Once you all begin to enjoy the process of publishing new content without ridiculous timelines or expectations, things can only get better!

New thought… ever considered outsourcing your content management to trusted partners?

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Good news for Westpac Bank’s social networking employees! According to ZDNet Australia, all Westpac employees are now able to access their Facebook profile at work. Westpac’s CTO David Backley, seems confident that Facebook can be self managed with most people doing the right thing and ensuring others do the same.

The bank is also experimenting with their own Facebook-like social networking application that will feature firewall protected confidential information for Westpac staff only.

And wait for it! Australia’s oldest bank has bought a virtual branded island on “Second Life”. That’s right. Westpac have been experimenting with the application, conducting centralised induction meetings for new employees from branches and offices around the country and are very pleased with their results.

While Westpac is by no means the only corporation or bank practicing this new style of managing internal communications and HR, just the fact that they are a “bank” is definitely news worthy. If one of Westpac’s main objectives is to attract the brightest new talent over the next few years, they are definitely on the right track.

Related Links:
Westpac turns to Web 2.0 free for all - ZDNet Australia
Is Facebook good for the workplace? - News.com.au
Do You Facebook, MySpace, Bebo or YouTube @ Work? - Plastic Cup

Something to ponder:
Allowing employees the freedom to socially network, in and around work can be a good thing (even if it’s not business-oriented). These same tools can encourage more effective collaboration and communication within the organisation. For it doesn’t matter how amazing your communication technology is, it’s the people-factor that makes it sparkle and come to life.

Now is not the time to turn a blind eye and hope that this social networking hysteria will just go away. If you are not engaging in some sort of social activity online, you are not going to get it when the internet world moves on from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0. And trust me, if you are running a business, you will not want to be in that space.

We fear only the things that we do not know.
Up until about 2 months ago, I was not an active online social networker. I was always putting it off, with excuses like “I don’t have time”, “I’ve got too much to do”, blah blah blah! It wasn’t until I found out that half of my family was on Bebo that I realised that I was seriously out of touch. (A person who considered herself very much on the pulse).

After that I went mad, digging out my passwords for MySpace, FaceBook and YouTube. I joined Bebo, Squidoo, StumbleUpon, Weebly, Lemonade, LinkedIn…and more.

And then a funny thing happened. Friends, family and business associates found me. A friend of mine in New Zealand, posted a welcome greeting on my Bebo wall. I had only just joined and been logged in for 15 minutes. It was incredible! Suddenly my email box had email notifications from people wanting to be my friend. I felt really special.

Since then I’ve written on friends’ walls, poked people, left gifts, shared photos and videos and laughed with them online. I’ve also become a Squidoo lens master, joined forums and met new people with similar interests around the globe. It has been a fascinating adventure and I’m so glad that I took the big leap into the unknown.

So how about you?… Which social networking groups do you belong to?
If you haven’t joined a group yet, then I urge you to make an effort to join one very soon. Don’t put it off with a blah blah excuse. Social networking is liberating. It gives you an opportunity to connect with friends and other like-minded people and to find your own voice online.

Yes, you have to invest time into it. But if you are serious about finding ways to improve and expand your business online, this is a small price to pay for the satisfaction that it can bring. As your online experience grows, social networking encourages you to express your unique story in different ways. Helping you to lighten up, have fun, and enjoy the journey.

Something to ponder upon:
“The Internet is a rich and compelling resource; jam-packed with billions of different stories from around the world. It is the ultimate business marketplace - colourful, vibrant, engaging and very competitive. Ideally suited to the brave and fearless.” MAF