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Where Do You Blog?

May 8, 2012 By Linda Dessau

Clip_holding_papersWith mobile idea catchers and connections everywhere, you never know where you're going to come up with your next blog post. But where will you settle down to finish it and go through the other steps to writing an article?

I first explored the topic of the creative environment in a 2005 article about how creative artists can connect with their surroundings, which then became a chapter of my book, Ten Ways to Thrive as a Creative Artist. 

In the article, I discuss several factors, including how you can use "deliberate decorating" to inspire your creativity and how too much clutter or not having a dedicated writing space can hinder your creative efforts.

One of the things I noticed about my own creative space was that my idea catchers were making my desk too chaotic and messy. You see, I often capture my ideas for blog posts or my business on small pieces of paper (I don't want to waste paper by using more than necessary). 

These piles of paper collect on my desk in between blog writing sessions or other times dedicated to catching up and working through my ideas. Yet if my notes were scattered all over the desk, that caused my mind to feel scattered as well.

Just the simple act of straightening the pile of papers changes how my desk looks and how focused I feel. And when it's time to turn my brainstorm of blog ideas into the draft of my next post, my notes are neat and easy to work with.

The more deliberate you are about when, how and where you sit down to blog, the more successful it will be as a marketing activity.

I am working on creating an optimal blogging environment for you at a future series of blogathon events. Stay tuned to http://www.businessblogathon.com for information and announcements about upcoming virtual and live blogathons.

Filed Under: Blogging Basics, Productivity, Writing Tips

Get Bossy with Your Blog: Five Ways to Boost Your Blogging Confidence

April 22, 2012 By Linda Dessau

Bossy-girlIn a recent newsletter, publishing and strategy consultant Janet Goldstein wrote about the concept of getting “lovingly bossy” with your book. Janet has given me her permission to share some of the article here, and explore how we can apply it to business blogging as well.

Janet writes:

So many writers and experts I work with (myself included) feel intimidated by their work. But you’re the boss. We can get our ideas and writing to work (and we can get the help we need if we have the clarity and the bossy-ness to move forward).

If the book and ideas aren’t coming, you can give yourself and your pages a talking-to. There’s the stern, “I can figure this out and I can write 2 paragraphs or 2 pages or 20. I can get this concept down on paper right now and I can go back and revise, add, disagree, improve.”

I loved this idea, especially in conjunction with the Barrie Business Blogathon event that I presented on Saturday, April 14th, 2012 (the first of many!).

One of my goals for the event was to inspire confidence in the bloggers to move forward with their blogs – whether they were just starting out with blogging, or they had started blogging and then stopped.

I hear from many beginner bloggers that they’re intimidated by the process, whether they’re recovering academic writers, brand new to the blogosphere or they’re just plain stuck about what to write.

Here are five simple ways to boost your blogging confidence and show your blog who’s the boss:

  1. Am I blogging about the right thing? Come up with one frequently asked question and answer it in your blog. You can be sure that if a few people have asked, there are many others who are wondering the same thing.
  2. Is my writing any good? Ask someone whose opinion you value to listen as you read your blog post out loud (this is also a great way to catch typos – see #3).
  3. Have I made any embarrassing typos or writing errors? Have your work professionally edited by a blogging expert (hey, we do that!). At the very least, proofread before publishing and review your post again after you’ve taken a break.
  4. Is blogging worth my time? You may have some preconceived notions about blogging that have convinced you it’s not possible to make money from blogging. Browse these articles about the benefits of blogging or read this study about one company that discovered just how much of a difference blogging can make.
  5. How do I ________ (insert technical blogging task here)? If the mechanics of blogging are holding you back, search online for tutorials. I do this all the time for cooking and other household tasks. It’s amazing what you’ll find just by typing “how do I ___?” You can also hire someone to manage your blog for you (hey, we do that!).

Like any other task, your blogging skills and confidence will grow with time and practice. Until then, even if you don’t feel like it, you’re going to have to pull rank on your blog – because you’re the boss!

Filed Under: Blogging Basics, Blogging Consistently

Getting to Know Your Clients – Just One of the Benefits of Blogging [Infographic]

April 2, 2012 By Linda Dessau

The anatomy of content marketing - the heart of online success

In their comprehensive and well-researched infographic (shared with permission), UK-based company Content+ share that 70% of consumers prefer getting to know a company via articles rather than ads. 

It makes sense when you consider the alternative, as I shared in a previous post about why to write an article, not an ad. Ads can feel intrusive and come at us on their timeline, not ours. Information, on the other hand, is something we actively seek out. 

Making it easier to get to know your prospective clients is just one of the many benefits of blogging. I’ve been tweeting about some of the others lately:

Benefits-of-blogging
Which one of these benefits makes the most sense to you? If you’re already blogging, which benefit do you see happening in your own business? If you’re not blogging yet, which benefit is most appealing? Add your comments below or tweet your answer.

Filed Under: Attracting Local Clients, Benefits of Blogging, Content Marketing Ideas

Is Your Blog a Ghost Town?

March 19, 2012 By Linda Dessau

Tumbleweed

Did you know that a 2010 IBM research study revealed that about 80 percent of corporate bloggers never post more than five entries? (Here’s the gigaom story, via Joe Pulizzi.)

The Internet is littered with these abandoned blogs. If you have one on your site, it could damage your reputation and scare away potential clients who may think that you stopped blogging because:

  • You’re no longer in business
  • You don’t have any information worth sharing
  • You don’t care about your business or your clients
  • You start things and don’t finish them

None of that is true, but how do you get back on track once your blog has become a ghost town?

Just start again! It’s as easy as one, two, three:

  1. Step back and look at the big picture of your blog and consider why you’re blogging in the first place. Think about the blog categories that intersect your own interests, passion and experience with the specific problems your ideal clients are trying to solve.
  2. Rekindle your romance with your editorial calendar or start one. Don’t let this be a source of pressure, rather use it as a guide to make sure that blogging gets its fair share of your work schedule. Blogging is a valuable marketing activity that WILL help you attract you new clients if you do it well and keep it up.
  3. Explore the different types of blog content, by writing a combination of “how to” posts, thought leadership posts, connective content and personal posts (just make sure there’s always a business reason for telling your personal story and that you’re not confusing a business blog with a diary).

If your blog is a ghost town or if you’re hesitating to start blogging because you’re not sure you can keep it up, check out the next Barrie Business Blogathon event.

Filed Under: Blogging Basics, Blogging Consistently

Why Your Business Blog Needs to be More Than a Diary

March 12, 2012 By Linda Dessau

Writing_outsideAs your business grows (and grows up), it can be inspiring to look back at a chronicle of what you’ve accomplished and how far you’ve come. Having that record is one of the benefits of blogging, and a reason to continue dating your posts.

But when business blogs are completely filled with announcements and personal musings from the business owner, that’s a missed opportunity to connect with your prospective clients.

Sure, your family, clients and other supporters will always be thrilled to hear of your latest successes, accomplishments and lessons learned, but what about someone who is just getting to know you? Will those things mean as much?

Let’s say you have a prospective client named Rosanne. She’s at a networking event and tells your friend Jeff that she’s dealing with a difficult situation right now. “I’ve got just the person who can help you!” Jeff says. He hands her your business card and tells Rosanne that you provide services and solutions for people just like her.

When she gets home, she visits your website to find out more about you, and sees a link to your blog. Here are five possible reasons that Rosanne might check out your blog, and how your “personal update” posts might meet her needs (or not):

  1. To see how active your business is, and the current state of operations. Congratulations, your personal updates will do a great job with this one. Be sure to create a category that makes it easy to find your latest news, such as “News,” “What’s New,” “Announcements” or “Updates.”
  2. To get to know the voice and personality behind the business – who is the person (or people) she’ll be receiving services from? Great, your personal updates can definitely deliver this, as long you write authentically while staying consistent with your brand.
  3. To get a sense of how well you take care of people, including the care you take to provide helpful information that is clearly written and easy to find. Uh-oh, personal updates won’t help you much here. You’ll want to add some client success stories as a glimpse into your approach to client care.
  4. To learn tips she can use immediately to relieve her problem. Hmm, I don’t think your personal stories will help here, either, unless you combine them with “how to” articles that break down her complex problem into bite-sized pieces. Of course you can’t diagnose or help Rosanne until you get to know her, but you can start caring for her with these basic solutions and resources.
  5. To assess how knowledgeable you are. Rosanne wants to know that you’re an expert she can trust with her problem. After all, she may be considering investing her time, money and energy into working with you. For that you’ll need to share your expertise, not just your experience. At this point, Rosanne doesn’t want to hear funny stories, rants or creative musings. She wants reassurance that you know your stuff!

(These points were adapted from my previous article, Should You Call Your Blog a Blog?)

Personal reflections are just one example of what I call “connective content.” Ideally, you’ll want to balance your blog between all three main types of content.

If you do want to share a personal story on your business blog, think about how you can turn that story into a lesson that highlights your expertise and reinforces your brand. How can you make a connection between your experience and the problems you help your clients solve?

Getting people to visit your website is a pretty empty goal for your blog. Make sure you’re helping them once they get there. By doing that, you can turn someone from a stranger into a prospective client. From there, you can work together to decide whether you’re a good fit.

At the very least you’ll attract new readers who are likely to come back (and maybe even bring some friends) – as long you continue to invite them.

Filed Under: Blog Planning, Blogging Basics, Blogging Consistently

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