Blogging Consistently

Altruism and Usability for Business Bloggers

December 21, 2013 By Linda Dessau

Here are the most recent guest posts I have written for other sites around the web. If you want to receive all of my latest posts by email, click here to subscribe to the Blogging Tips newsletter.

In each of the Google+ posts below, you can click the Follow box to add me to your G+ circles, click the +1 box to like the post, or click the speech bubble to add a comment.

12 Most Altruistic Reasons to Keep Blogging

You can read a preview of the article in the Google+ box below.

Visit 12 Most to read the full article.

Are These Usability Mistakes Undermining Your Business Blog?

You can read a preview of the article in the Google+ box below.

Visit SteamFeed to read the full article.

Usability Tips to Keep Blog Readers Happy and Returning

Hint: Be sure to click “Read More” in the Google+ box below to see Tema’s tips for checking the readability of your blog post in MS Word.

Visit SteamFeed to read the full article.

How to Keep Your Blog on Track and Keep Your Readers There With You

November 10, 2013 By Linda Dessau

Freight train on the track If your company is considering starting a business blog, one of the possible blogging objections might be concern about whether you’ll be able to keep the blog going.

This is a valid point, and definitely not one to gloss over. It’s crucial to have a solid blogging plan that will carry you through the start-up of a business blog, especially through those first three months when so many blogs are abandoned.

On your blog just like anywhere else, the customer (and prospective customer) comes first, so let’s start with five ways to keep your readers with you and then we’ll look at ways for your company bloggers to stay on track.

Five ways to keep your blog readers with you

Identify the key topics your ideal customers are interested in. Consider frequently asked questions. Think about where people are in their business or life when they might be considering products or services like yours. Scan similar blogs or other industry publications for recurring topics or themes you can personalize for your own business.
Use that information to create a clear, focused category list and stick to your categories. Avoid the confusion and clutter that’s caused by creating new categories on the fly as you’re publishing your latest post.
Pay attention to positive responses. Set up Google Analytics or other monitoring tools to see which topics are being read, opened, shared and “liked,” as well as any direct comments received on the blog or through email. Notice which posts tend to encourage people to spend more time reading other content on your site. Use these insights to create similar posts that give readers more of what they’re already enjoying.
Respond quickly to any public or private comments. This shows people you’re listening and that you care about their insights, questions and opinions. Try an email-based tracking service like Nutshell Mail or mention to monitor responses.
Survey your readers, informally or formally, about questions they have or topics they’d like to read about on your blog. You can use Survey Monkey or a similar service, run a poll on a social media page, create a contact form/page on your site specifically for questions (a “Dear Abbie” approach like the Socially Stephanie column), or simply ask people directly.

Five ways for company bloggers to keep on track

Use your natural energy. Notice when you’re more jazzed for writing tasks versus when you might get a boost from web research like finding photos, ideas or statistics.
Give yourself the gift of time. Work backwards from your publication date so you’re not trying to start, finish, publish and promote a blog post all in one sitting. Plan for all steps of the process (brainstorming, drafting, writing, editing, formatting, publishing and promoting).
Read more. Find inspiration from other experts by following them on social media. Reading their ideas will expand your mind and lead your blog in new directions.
Get out and about. Look for opportunities to mingle with your contacts in person as well. Presentations at events and conferences can stimulate topics for future posts, and so can informal chats in the hallway. Even when you’re not at a business-related event or meeting, if you wear your blogging antennae you can still pick up plenty of blog-worthy ideas.
Be patient for the long haul. Trust that over time, as you build a goldmine of useful content people can discover when they arrive at your website, blogging will help ideal customers find you, learn more about you, and decide your company is the right choice to solve their problem.

How have you kept on track through a blogging slump? How do you retain blog readers? I’d love to hear your comments!

Feed Your Blog Like a Pet, Not a Beast

October 13, 2013 By Linda Dessau

Patch the greyhound — Photo credit: Jacob Brickman

Keeping your company blog up to date with fresh content can be a source of stress and pressure or a source of warm leads – prospective customers who are already interested in and knowledgeable about your business.

It’s time to stop thinking about your blog like it’s a hungry beast demanding to be fed, and treat it like a faithful companion whose only wish is to earn your praise.

Step into the role of alpha dog – Just as a pet needs to know its place, so does your blog. Be sure everyone on your team understands where blogging fits into your overall business goals and marketing strategy. Then show your blog who’s boss and remember that it works for you, not the other way around.
Get on a schedule – It’s easier for the whole family when a pet’s sleep and bathroom routines are predictable. Though an editorial calendar can make you feel boxed in at first, over time you’ll appreciate how this external structure helps you avoid sleepless nights or thrown-together posts that look like a dog’s breakfast.
Practice positive reinforcement – Most dogs thrive on positive attention and learn quickly to repeat whatever they did to get it. Track which of your posts and promotional methods get the best responses, and keep doing more of the same. While you’re at it, acknowledge yourself and others for your hard work.
Give enough exercise, discipline and love – Cesar Millan of TV’s The Dog Whisperer says dogs need a balance of all three. Exercise your writing and editorial skills and they will get stronger. Discipline your team to adhere to your schedule and blogging strategy and you’ll get higher quality posts. Focus on content that is relevant and helpful to your customers, and they will feel the love.
Encourage socialization – Socialization doesn’t always come naturally (Patch the greyhound learned how to play with other breeds at Thee Place for Paws). Posting links to your blog posts gives you a head start on your social media conversations, but don’t stop there. By commenting, liking and sharing posts from other business blogs, your company becomes part of a network of valuable thought leadership in your industry.

Successful business blogging is as much about mindset as it is about tactics. The next time you feel like the beast is raging at the door, shift your perspective and see your blog for what it really is – a tool that fetches your company’s unique message and drops it at the feet of the people who need the solutions you provide.

Blogging to Inspire Creative Living

July 8, 2013 By Linda Dessau

The tagline: Fall in love with life

The motto: Inspiration for creative living

The blog: Sunday Crush [now closed]

Sunday Crush is a lifestyle and design blog that connects readers to resources throughout the Lake Simcoe, Southern Georgian Bay and Muskoka regions. The site includes a curated marketplace guide of shops, restaurants, boutiques, design services, resorts and recreational destinations. Sunday Crush was founded by cousins Jennifer Klementti and Jane Klementti.

I recently spoke with Jennifer about her blogging adventures, both for her professional photography business and for Sunday Crush.

Why did you start Sunday Crush?

JK: Jane and I are both immersed in the world of blogging. We’ve been reading lifestyle, design and fashion blogs for years and had often discussed ideas to create a blog together. One of our favourite things to do is go on day trips, exploring different towns in this area. We found it challenging to find information online about what to do and how to to plan our outings, so the idea for Sunday Crush was born.

We developed the site for over a year before launching in December 2012. We knew the brand and philosophy we wanted to have, and were clear about our mission to inspire creative living in our area.

We celebrate the individual style and creativity of local businesses. When you go into Bohemia in Barrie, for example, and connect with owner Jill Dyck or her staff, you take in the wonderfully creative atmosphere and just naturally want to slow down and enjoy the experience.

How does blogging help you accomplish this?

JK: We planned Sunday Crush as a blog right from the beginning. We love blogging, love sharing from a more personal rather than editorial level. What we blog about is how we live our own lives. We only share things we genuinely love, and we know that’s how we’re building trust in our readership.

What kinds of results and feedback have you seen?

JK: The businesses we’ve featured tell us that people have come in and purchased items they’ve read about on Sunday Crush. We also hear all the time from people who love learning about new people and places in their own backyard. We’re happy to help local businesses succeed and shine a global spotlight on the Simcoe, Muskoka and Southern Georgian Bay regions.

How do you keep up with blogging on a regular basis?

JK: As co-editors, Jane and I use Google Drive and produce an editorial calendar, always two months ahead of what we’re posting. We work on a yearly calendar, building seasonal themes, then break that down into monthly editorial calendars with specific topics.

Until recently we posted three times a week and the last Sunday of the month, and we have recently started posting five days a week. We try to leverage content by creating multiple posts from one photography session, interview, or visit to a place or town. That also really helps with time management. [Note from Linda: I agree – my interview with Jennifer yielded two fabulous posts!]

Where does social media fit in?

JK: Digital marketing, optimization and social media are a big part of what we’re doing to attract readers. We bring the conversation to life by connecting our readers to our advertisers via our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram feeds in an open, honest and meaningful way. Sunday Crush will really allow businesses to engage with our readers on an entirely different level, which will in turn better serve our communities. Our Pinterest page is the top source of referral traffic to our site, because our content is so visual. For example, people have pinned our recipes hundreds of times.

What’s next for the Sunday Crush blog?

JK: We’ve got some design changes planned for this summer to make the wealth of resources in our archives much more searchable, based on feedback from our readers. We already link back to previous posts in newer posts, but we want to do everything we can to help people find all the great content we’ve already posted.

Great content, indeed! Keep up the good work, Jennifer and Jane – I’ll be relying on Sunday Crush as I plan some day trips this summer!

Business Blogging Can Be Easier

May 25, 2013 By Linda Dessau

The two core messages that I share with business owners are that blogging is an effective way to attract new clients, and that blogging can be easier than you think.

If you’ve tried blogging and stumbled, or you feel stuck before you even start, these 10 strategies will make blogging easier.

Reading other blog posts. When you regularly visit other business blogs that you find helpful, you will have real-life models to inspire your own blog.
Repurposing existing content. There’s a good chance you already have things you could transform into blog posts, so why start from scratch? Here some tips for turning other materials into blog posts.
Interviewing someone. Choose an expert your readers would like to meet, and ask the questions your readers might be wondering. Instant content for you; instant value for your readers!
Answering questions. If there are things people are asking you over and over again, interview yourself and put your wisdom in writing.
Devoting time to get it done. Most people tell me this is the most difficult part of blogging – finding the time. Schedule blogging time into your calendar each week, book yourself a blogging retreat once a month, or join the Barrie Business Blogathon once per quarter.
Writing more often. Whether you’re publishing a new blog post every month (where I suggest you start) or every week (what I suggest you aim for), a daily writing habit – even just five or ten minutes – will improve your writing skills, discipline and comfort level.
Getting help. If you’re struggling too long or too hard with any aspect of the blogging process (whether that’s planning, writing, editing, formatting, publishing or promoting), outsource those blogging tasks so you can focus on your business.
Making it a team effort. If you have like-minded colleagues, inside or outside of your business, give them the opportunity to share their expertise on your blog. A group blog provides variety for your readers and gives each contributor a more manageable blogging schedule.
Planning ahead. Create a list of target topics (categories) that would appeal to your ideal customers, and a schedule with space for each category. Hint: Some blogs display the categories or tags of your published posts in a “cloud” shape, giving you an instant snapshot of any topics you’ve been neglecting (they will appear smaller in the cloud).
Using a formula. My favourite blog writing formula is the Top 10 list, like the one you’re reading right now. Try these step-by-step instructions for your own Top 10 list.

If you’ve struggled with blogging in the past, or if you’re hesitant to start blogging because it seems too hard, put these strategies to work and see just how easy – and effective – business blogging can be.

P.S. A summer vacation is no excuse to stop blogging! Check out “Summertime and the Blogging is Easy.”