Jeff Webb - Webbwords

I am fortunate to have been invited to host a roundtable discussion at the second session of the four-part seminar Changing Channels: Making the Switch to New Media Marketing. The event will be held Wednesday at Silverthorn Country Club beginning at 7:45 a.m.

The discussion I will facilitate is about a subject near and dear to my heart: The fundamentals of writing a blog for your business website. I spent most of my weekend putting the finishing touches on materials I will hand out to participants, and I am looking forward to their reaction to some of the mind-blowing statistics about how a well-written blog can increase traffic to your website.

Ran across a story today on the St. Petersburg Times Business Page that confirmed what professional online content writers have always known: the best way to move up your Website in search engine rankings is to provide well-written, relevant and regularly updated information.

The story does a good job of explaining how some search engine optimization companies, some reputable and some not, use questionable cyber-tactics in their attempts to outsmart the SEO experts at Google. The quick-fix strategies these SEO tricksters use include link-farming and keyword cloaking, which the Google "bots" have been clued into for several years. Companies that are talked into using those techniques see quick results, but once Google catches on to their ruse, their progress vanishes almost overnight.

Another SEO ploy is "content farming," where untrained writers post gibberish using keywords the bots are searching for, but with no regard for whether the content is even readable, much less relevant to the topic that the user is searching for. The team at Google, which frequently changes the algorithms it uses to rank Websites, is now stepping up its efforts to track down those phony wordsmiths and rightfully penalize their Websites.

If the first session of "Changing Channels: Making the Switch to to New Media Marketing" is any indication, the next three sessions should be put on your "don't-miss" list.

Planned and executed by the Valerie Pianta of the Hernando County Office of Business Development, and Anne Kibbe of St. Leo University, the four-part series kicked off Wednesday, Feb. 2 at Silverthorn Country Club. Subsequent sessions will be held March 9, April 20 and May 25. Check here for more information about the programs and how to register. These events are sponsored by the Hernando County Chamber of commerce, the St. Petersburg Times and the Hernando Today.

Wednesday's program began with a keynote address by Steve Mordue, an energetic, well-versed presenter who offered a solid overview of how various social media work together, and how those assets can become an effective marketing tool.

As I was preparing a presentation for the Kiwanis Club of the Brooksville Ridge, I came across a mind-blowing statistic that I want to share with all subscribers to Webb on the Web.

HubSpot, which is one of the most reliable authorities on the subject of online marketing, recently surveyed 2,300 of its customers about their websites. The survey revealed that the websites with blogs had 55% more traffic than those that did not have blogs.

And if that statistic doesn't make your jaw drop completely, try this one: Businesses websites with a blog see their monthly leads rise by 126% more than those that don't have a blog.

Debbie Wolfe, the tech-savvy associate at Jeff Webb Communications, and I are looking forward very much to our first meeting with the Association of Fundraising Professionals Nature Coast Chapter at noon Tuesday, July 27 at Carrabba's Italian Grill, 16525 Pointe Village Drive, Lutz (at the southeast corner of the Suncoast Parkway and State Road 54).

Debbie and I were invited a couple of months ago by AFP member Nancy Stubbs, development director at The ARC Nature Coast, to speak to the group about Internet marketing. We accepted the opportunity to narrow that topic to "Internet Marketing: Reinforcing Your Brand Online." A good portion of our presentation will be devoted to Search Engine Optimization, and we will use the websites of some AFP Chapter members to illustrate our advice.

This meeting is open to members and nonmembers. The $25 fee includes lunch, but advance registration and payment are required. You can find out more by visiting the chapter's website or calling Craig McCart, chapter president, at (727) 834-5479.

Who is in charge of the Internet?

If you can answer that question, you probably should be in Washington, D.C. helping our Congress members decide if the Federal Communications Commission should regulate the Internet, or if government should keep its mitts off what is essentially a private enterprise.

This debate about "net neutrality'' is a tug of war between the government and telecommunications companies like Verizon and Comcast. In the middle of this argument are consumers, who are essentially waiting to see how the outcome will shape their access to information via the Internet.

The team from Jeff Webb Communications had a great time at the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce membership breakfast on Wednesday, April 28. In addition to the usual opportunities to network and greet old friends, it was great to see so many new members attend for the first time.

As sponsor of this monthly breakfast event, yours truly was asked to make a 5-minute presentation about my business. I was grateful for the opportunity to introduce several of my associates and publicly acknowledge the work they are doing for our clients. Those team members included Lori Bainum, Linda Hamilton, Cindy Harper and Debbie Wolfe.

The 100-plus people in attendance quickly grasped the organizational structure of Jeff Webb Communications as I analogized our operation to the 1980s television show The A-Team, which starred George Peppard as Col. Hannibal Smith. Those of you who remember the show's plot line know that each week Hannibal accepted an assignment from someone in need, then he would devise an ingenious plan to make it work. Finally, he would assemble a team of specialists to accomplish the mission, usually in heroic fashion.

I wanted to make sure all the subscribers to our newsletter Webb on the Web are aware that Jeff Webb Communications is sponsoring the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce's monthly membership breakfast Wednesday, April 28. (Details follow in this announcement that was published in the Business Digest of the St. Petersburg Times Saturday, April 24, and reprinted here for your convenience.)

I realize that our clients who live outside Hernando County may not be able to attend, but I hope those who do live nearby will join us. Besides being able to meet some of JWC's key associates, you will be treated to an update from guest speakers Stan Giannet and Bonnie Clark about Pasco-Hernando Community College's soon-to-open campus in Spring Hill.

And if that's not enough incentive for you to attend, here's another: We are sponsoring a business-card drawing to win a free consultation with Jeff Webb Communications. That's a $500 value.

CBS' 60 Minutes is one of my favorite television shows. It has been a Sunday night fixture in my life for 30+ years. Only football and golf preempt its viewing. Although I think the show's reports -- and its reporters -- have lost an edge from the old days, I still think 60 Minutes' brand of journalism demonstrates depth and fairness that exceeds most so-called "news magazine'' shows on ABC, NBC and Fox networks.

One reason that 60 Minutes has endured is because of the leadership Don Hewitt, who founded the show in 1968 and produced it for 36 years. By all accounts, Hewitt, who passed away last year at age 86, was a newsman's newsman. He was persistent, demanding and willing to chase complicated stories that not only exposed wrongdoing, but explained to viewers how it affected their lives. He also had a keen sense of judgment when it came to profiling newsmakers, and making their stories relevant to 60 Minutes' viewers.

But Hewitt's secret to success was not his ability to gather or report the news; it was his understanding of how to present it.

First things first.

Omni International has worked long and hard developing this Web site for Jeff Webb Communications. Omni's employees' technical know-how is matched only by their patience and persistence. They have earned my admiration, my gratitude and my promise to sing their praises at every opportunity.

Okay, I promise not to sing.