Blogger Stories: Stephan Spencer

Living in New Zealand doesn't stop Stephan Spencer from building relationships on a global basis. Blogs provide an opportunity for him to hobnob virtually with the digerati all over the world. In addition to writing a successful business blog, Stephan recently launched a blog for the greater good. He wanted to create a space where people can share ideas on how to make world a better place. One person. One blog. Building into ideas that may change a life.

Blogger Story Teller: Stephan Spencer, Stephan Spencer's Scatterings, Changes For Good. 

Most people who want to establish themselves as a thought leader write a book. I've heard from author friends how financially unrewarding writing a book is (in terms of compensation per hour) and how demanding it is on one's time (thousands of hours on a very compressed schedule). Recognizing that I didn't have that kind of time to invest, I decided to take an alternate path. I figured a blog could be just as successful in building up my thought leadership status, but with a lot less effort. That's not to say I'll never write a book, but to date it hasn't made it to the at the top of my priority list.

 

With my thought leadership goal in mind, I set out in 2004 to create a blog that, contrary to popular (business blogging) wisdom both then and now, would focus not on one small niche but a broad range of topics covering all types of Internet marketing -- including email marketing, e-commerce, search engine optimization, usability and so forth. Granted, it would have been easier to acquire links in the early stages if I had zeroed in on a particular niche, but I think this the approach I took has served me well.

 

My blog is a "CEO blog", but seldom do I talk about Netconcepts (my company) or its services. I always try to add value and give stuff away. I'm a firm believer in "blog karma". And the universe, or in this case perhaps I should say the blogosphere, has given back in abundance. For example:

•   Through my blog I have been able to build relationships with some really wonderful people, including renowned marketing gurus.

•    I have been contacted by journalists (e.g. from the New York Times and the San Jose Mercury News). I've even had a blog entry taken verbatim and published in a magazine (DM News).

•   My blog brings in prospects.

•   Clients ask for additional services from Netconcepts, based on tips and ideas I've posted.

Of course none of this is happening through a "hard sell." Indeed, I don't have much respect for bloggers who are just a shill for their companies.

 

One thing that has tangentially come out of my experience with blogging is great depth in understanding how to apply blogging, RSS, tagging, trackbacks and other Web 2.0 technologies in innovative ways to e-commerce sites. By becoming so immersed in the blogosphere, In fact, I am excited to say that I've drawn on some of these things in the process of inventing an online retail technology (which is still currently under wraps). Suffice it to say, though, that tagging in particular has amazing potential for online retailers interested in mining "The Long Tail."

 

I suppose I should give you a little more background on me! I founded Netconcepts -- an SEO specialist web agency -- 11 years ago, and it is still going strong. As the business evolved I was able to relieve myself of a day-to-day role and instead focus solely on the stuff that really interests me, the strategic stuff. Things like inventing new products, speaking at conferences, writing articles and, of course, blogging. About seven years ago I decided to move to New Zealand. So many people were telling me "You're in the Internet industry; you can do that from anywhere" (in response to me telling them that Netconcepts was based in Madison, Wisconsin), that I started believing it. I decided I really could live anywhere and set off to prove it. Of all the places I could live in the world, I chose New Zealand as my ideal locale. And thankfully my wife and daughters were in agreement. We arrived in late 1999 and I went about establishing a New Zealand office to serve as the production facility for our US clients. This office is a block from the beach, I might add. ;-)

 

The one downside to living "down under" in paradise is that I am quite far away from the U.S,, so speaking at conferences is quite a mission for me now. The great thing about blogging is that you really can do that from absolutely anywhere; there's no negative connotation to blogging from some remote corner of the world. You can hobnob virtually with the digerati in Silicon Valley, New York, London, and wherever else they may be. I am grateful that I have been able to network and build relationships in the blogosphere in ways that, before blogging, would have seemed like pure fancy if not done in person at conferences, cocktail receptions, and so on.

In addition to maintaining my own blog, I contribute regularly to several other blogs, including Business Blog Consulting, Natural Search Blog, and Changes For Good. The latter is my small attempt to make a difference in the world, by sharing ideas for ways to make the world a better place. I'm in need of additional contributors to this blog; so if you're a creative thinker and you're interested in sharing your ideas, please contact me at sspencer@netconcepts.com.