iUpload sells hosted blog services. Some customers are doing very interesting things with the firm's Community Publisher (https://www.iupload.com/products/communities/index.asp).
This is sold to businesses. They use it to create a community of bloggers, and these can generate very valuable content for the business concerned. They also present good opportunities for selling services to the bloggers, and facilitating transactions.
For example:
- A regional newspaper, Northwest Voice (https://www.northwestvoice.com/) gives its readers their own blog. Editorial staff can use such content for the main paper. The paper can also advertise to bloggers.
- Cannondale Bikes (https://www.cannondale.com/bikes/index.html), which manufacturers bikes, gives biking enthusiasts their own blog. That generates lots of useful information, and provides more a more effective way of communicating with customers than via spam-suppression-liable emailings.
- Stillwater National Bank (https://www.banksnb.com/stillwater/default.jsp) uses the blog to divide up loans with third party lenders. A lending officer posts the details to his blog. Each transaction has its own blog discussion. Access is restricted to appropriate lenders. The blog acts as a quick way of parcelling out the deal and negotiating it.
Author: David Ferris