Blog Challenge #2 - A Quarry
(businessandblogging.com) Shannon Cherry of StartupSpark (or more accurately Shannon’s husband) challenged the Business and Blogging team of “experts” to come up with a suggestion for how a quarry could use a blog as a low-cost, high-return marketing tool.
I took on this challenge, but I must confess, I only had a vague idea of what a quarry does or who their customers would be.
To my good fortune, I discovered Pit & Quarry Editor’s Blog. No, this isn’t a blog for a quarry, but it is a blog in support of the entire aggregates industry.
I had the opportunity to interview Mark Kuhar, the author of the blog, who is also the Managing Editor of Pit and Quarry magazine “The magazine for the aggregates industry, serving producers of crushed stone, sand and gravel, non-metalic minerals, portland cement and ready-mixed concrete “.
Mark, Tell me about your blog.
The Pit & Quarry editor’s blog was started as a means to report snippets of information, breaking news, economic indicators, gossip and offbeat news to the aggregates industry — To fill in the gaps between the material that appears in the print edition and on our web site. We also post several blog items each month in the print edition to drive more people to the blog. And because I needed an excuse to have my picture in the magazine.
Who is the target market of your blog?
The target market is quarry site management and production personnel, equipment manufacturers, and anyone who takes an interest in the U.S. Aggregates industry. I get a lot of stockbrokers too. They’re too lazy to do their own work so they cherry pick mine.
What topics are the most popular on your blog?
Any time I post a juicy rumor it gets a response. But overall, I think my readers appreciate the materials pricing posts, and general industry economic information. The blog is a veritable one-stop shop of mostly useful items. Emphasis on mostly.
You have been blogging since 2005 - that’s a long time - what motivated you to start and what keeps you motivated?
We started the blog because we wanted a place to report information that we don’t otherwise have room for in the print edition of the magazine, and to do so in a quick-read, colloquial manner. And of course to take advantage of my quirky personality.
Do you know of any quarries that have blogs?
I don’t. But based on some of the people I’ve met in the industry, there is a vast untapped resource of great potential bloggers out there. I am toying with the idea of starting a second blog which essentially would act as a conduit to report the musings of others who don’t have time to commandeer their own blog.
Do you believe a quarry could benefit from having a blog similar to yours?
Yes. Both as a means of providing relevant information to their customer base, and also as a means to tell the community more about what they do, how they operate and the value that they (and the aggregates industry as a whole) provide to society. A blog can be a real image builder, and a fun communications tool as well…. Now please point me in the direction of that person who said a quarry wouldn’t benefit from a blog. I have a thing or two to tell him (or her).
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So there you have it. A quarry could develop better relationships with its customers and with the community through blogging. Blogs breakdown barriers and put a human face on an otherwise faceless business : Already I can tell Mark is a warm and fuzzy kind of guy…but don’t worry Shannon, we won’t tell him where your husband lives!!
So, keeping score that’s: Business and Blogging “2″ Challengers “0″.
Now it’s your turn - Go ahead! Try and stump us by identifying a small business that couldn’t benefit from a blog - if you do, we’ll profile your business right here on business and blogging.
Just post your idea in the comments or drop us an email.
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POSTED IN: Business Blog Challenge
4 opinions for Blog Challenge #2 - A Quarry
Shannon
Jan 11, 2008 at 4:43 am
WOW! This was much more than I expected. Great job. Matt, my husband had thought he stumped you, but I’m happy to gloat -even just a little- with you.
Liz Fuller
Jan 11, 2008 at 4:48 am
Hi Shannon
Glad you liked it! And if Matt would like another shot at stumping us - we’re ready for it!!
Liz
Phil Gerbyshak
Jan 13, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Let’s see, how about a stump grinder? That’s what my dad does up in northern Wisconsin, and as most people don’t have computers, I’m not sure how a blog would benefit him.
Another I thought of would be a funeral director.
Fun question!
Liz Fuller
Jan 14, 2008 at 2:27 pm
A stump grinder, eh? Interesting. Have to give that one some thought….
We’re doing an independent embalmer next week so we might incorporate funeral director into that as well.
Thanks for playing!!
Liz
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