When you sound like a broken record about something, that’s what we call a niche.
I write about business blogs. A lot. But I realize that I’ve been running along with basic assumptions in place. I want to address those assumptions in this post. I’m going to make this post as basic an explanation [...]
Yeah, I’m pushing the hell out of Gateway Blogging.
New post there today: Gateway Blogging 101. This isn’t just a blog, although, since it is about blog marketing for a business, it would be silly for it to not have its own blog.
Gateway Blogging is both a set of blogging techniques and methods designed [...]
I wrote a post for PureBlogging, called 3 Ways an Editorial Calendar Improves Your Blog. It came out pretty good, I think. Go read it, because only then will you get the full impact of what I’m about to say next. I’ll still be here when you get back.
You’re back? Ok, here’s the deal. The [...]
Some of you may have noticed that blurb in the upper right corner of the page for Gateway Blogging. That’s no ad for a mystery product, it is a project of mine.
I think it just might be kind of a big deal.
The funny thing is, I almost killed it. We all have ways in [...]
Today I’m going to be all lazy and just point you to what I wrote at PureBlogging today: 5 Killer Blog Networking Tips - How to Network your Blog for Beginners.
Hope you enjoy it and all my American peeps have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!
I am no longer requiring RSS or email subscriptions in exchange for the How to Start a Business Blog ebook. It’s yours to freely download or even embed on your own site (at the bottom of this post). If you find it valuable, you will subscribe to my blog anyway. Valuable content is incentive enough. [...]
Social media helps grow your blog in several important ways. With all the social media hoopla (and in some cases, backlash), I wanted to write a clear explanation for you about the relationship between social media and blogging. If you’ve just recently discovered blogging, and are still puzzled by social media, this post is for [...]
Linking to your own previous posts to help a commentator is a powerful blog commenting strategy. It drives traffic deeper into your blog and strengthens your relationship with readers. We are often dashing off quick answers to comments and we forget something. Something very important.
Comments are content.
And, as we all know, content is king.
I first [...]
Since I announced this promotion and had two drawings, I’ve had two winners. That means there are four spots left, and I just drew new numbers! If you have my business card from SOBCon 08 and one of the numbers in the headline is on the back, you have won an hour of free phone [...]
Note: You may want to watch this at full screen. Click on the 4 arrows in the player’s upper right corner.
Twhirl is a rockin’ desktop program for Twitter, the part micro-blog/part chat web service started by the guys who created Blogger. Twitter is taking the blogosphere by storm, but using it over the web is [...]
Meeting and talking with Brian Clark of Copyblogger and Teaching Sells was one of the highlights of SOBCon 08 for me. Brian is one of the nicest dudes you could ever meet. He answers a question I had for him after he had just delivered his presentation: what was the most important take-away point from [...]
I just found out that, according to newly improved Alexa rankings, Remarkablogger is in the top 100 Internet Business Blogs. But since I’m number 48, you could say it’s really the top 50. This is a list compiled by Business Opportunities and Ideas blog, who took the time to look at the Alexa numbers. The [...]
Photo credit: First People
A blog pack is my way of describing a group of bloggers who agree to help each other:
Get established
Build personal networks
Increase traffic
Increase RSS subscribers
Get organic backlinks
Being part of a blog pack helps you and your fellow pack members get some momentum going for your blogs together as a group. It’s a [...]
“Marketing channel.”
“Public relations.”
“Get the message out.”
“Creative should handle this.”
Are you speaking the language of the dead? Your blog is not a marketing channel. It is not a one-way message delivery service. Blogs (and all social media) are two-way conversations. Public relations is a euphemism for corporate propaganda. Ever notice how in classic public relations there [...]
If you attended SOBCon this year, you may have received my business card. On the back of that card was a number. If that number matches any of the numbers above in headline, you just won yourself an hour’s worth of free blog consulting by phone! The only way you will know if you’ve won [...]
Christine Kane graciously gave me permission to post video I shot of her performance at SOBCon 08. Watch the video in order to get the headline of this post.
Before I left for SOBCon 08, I announced a promotion. I gave away business cards at SOBCon, and each one had a number written on the back of it. When I left for SOBCon, I had 100 numbered business cards. When I returned to Vermont, I had 45 left. I gave out 55 business cards. [...]
I’ve never done this before, and I realized it was high time I showcased some posts from my blog consulting clients:
Cousin Meag’s Killer Party Tacos by Sue Bette on Feelgood Eats
Anybody There? by Steve Yastrow.
Drinking and Mothering - Where do You Stand? on MomTini Lounge.
Video Sneak Peek of Classes at SAFS by Aaron Cohen of [...]
Blogging firecracker Lorelle took the mic and immediately challenged everyone. She went around the room asking SOBCon participants what their blog was about, and could they explain what they did. As you might imagine, most people stammered something vague.
The big takeaway from her workshop was an exercise in which we had to construct a statement [...]
Note: My editing skills and tech are not up to the point of bleeping out swearing, which this video contains. I find it a better general policy overall to allow, rather than to censor or restrict.
How many blogging conferences do you know of where there’s a river boat cruise? I bet not too many!
The cruise [...]
Wendy is giving a very heartfelt speech about how she got where she is going from eMoms at home to the new Sparkplugging.
The hardest thing to do give up control in order to grow and scale up.
Getting outside your comfort zone is not pretty but it’s really critical.
Transparency, authenticity, and passion only matter to people [...]
How to get comments on your blog:
Don’t write for your 8th grade teacher she’s not reading your blog.
You never give a complete top ten list (put 7, the audience will think of the other 3).
Blog your experience.
Most important sentence in a blog post is the last one: ask a question (and know your own answer).
Liz [...]
David Bullock gave a rockin’ presentation on business development.
Speak/Write the Process
Determine Outcome of every step
Set the Sequence
do the Process
Refine the Process
Rinse, Repeat
Flowcharting tools:
flowchart.com
simpleflowchart.com
gliffy.com
Your Major Marketing Channels
Your customers
Your List
Your Identity (offline, online, speaking, podcasts)
Your Successes
Internet
Offline
What Are They Saying…
About You
About your company
About your service
Your audience will educate you with feedback - positive or negative will teach you.
Repeat yourself, reiterate, people learn through repetition.
It’s difficult to be brief, do your best, put real thoughts out there, pose questions.
A really good question is often better than a good statement
Generating Content
Keep notes
Mind maps are useful
Business Process
You can get content out of [...]
You can write a blog post in five minutes. I’m doing it now. Here’s how you do it:
Start with your main point and work backwards from that.
Figure out the headline afterwards
Don’t worry about being perfect
Don’t be complete, but let your readers have room to speak in the comments
This is based on something Chris Garrett mentioned [...]
Brian Clark delivered a fantastic presentation on business models. This is really important for people who are starting a business or looking for ways to expand a current effort. This will be especially helpful for freelancers and small businesses. It fits in well with the coaching component of the blog consulting services I sell.
Often, people [...]
Anita Bruzzese speaks about online reputation management and journalistic standards which bloggers can benefit from. I’ve said in the past that blogging has a lot to learn from journalism (and vice versa).
What is the source of your information?
You are known by the company you keep (links and blogroll)
Is the information credible?
How do handle corrections? Make [...]
Here’s some non-incriminating footage of two meetups that happened last night. The first was a SOBCon meetup at Bella Bacino’s with a small SOBCon gang. The second was sponsored by FuelMyBlog, and you can read more about it here.
I had a wonderful time with everyone. It was fun chaos. In spite of what I said [...]
Beautiful Chicago at dusk
Me and Liz Strauss
Stephen Hopson, Ruth Marie Sylte, Liz Strauss, Terry Starbucker, Joanna Young, and Vicky H at Bella Bacino’s.
Many of the SOBConners are posting the blackmail photos and video from last night. Mine are coming soon, but here are some others:
Chris Garrett - SOBCon Report Day -1
Lorelle on WordPress
One [...]
I shot some video of my trip to Chicago for SOBCon 08. In the video I said I would take a cab or something. Well, it ended up being “or something,” since a cab ride from O’Hare to the Loop would’ve been about $50 (so I was told). The Airport Express shuttle bus was $50 [...]
