Take a Walk on the Blog Side, Part III

Remember when I said that a blog is a dialogue? Not only do I encourage you to read other blogs out there in your industry or for your personal development, but I would encourage you to take the time to comment.

If you were reading here last week, you would have seen a call to action... a Point To Success challenge. The only one who took me up on the challenge was Troy Aeby of Duralum. Congratulations Troy! Your comment earned you a ticket into a drawing of one...and a pair of pearl earrings from Tesori Trovati...and two truffles from Sugar Cubed!

Bloggers thrive on the comments from their readers. We are all hoping that the readers will not only come to visit our little corner in the blog-dom, but we hope that what we have said will resonate with them enough to inspire a comment. When I write a post I have a plan....all my posts begin with a title to entice the reader, a quote to intrigue the reader and a post that ends with a call to action. Specifically, I will ask the reader a question related to the post so that I can ensure that there is a thoughtful answer. While I am happy that people stop by, I am happier when I receive a comment that tells me the reader is paying attention and stirred to action by what I have to say. Leaving comments like, "Hey, nice post today!" are really not effective.

There are some benefits from taking the time to write insightful comments. Most of my 67 followers on Treasures Found have leapfrogged to my blog from other seemingly unrelated blogs that I have taken the time to post an intriguing comment on.

Just yesterday I received a comment from Dr. Liara Covert from New Zealand. How did she find me? By clicking on my name in the comments of a daily inspirational blog called "The Jungle of Life." So now I have started an email conversation with Dr. Covert halfway around the world. And she is not the only one who has reached out to me from across the globe...I have regular readers/commenters from New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Nigeria, UK/Wales, France and Germany...and that doesn't include the North American reach that I have. And each time that I write I use it as an opportunity to further my brand. They may never buy something from me, but then again, they might.

Another benefit I have found is that all the comments I have made, if I sign them as Tesori Trovati, land me on search engines. Ever Googled yourself? I have found links to all sorts of comments I have made on other blogs. This exposure helps my company to grow in the search engine rankings as well.


If done correctly, a blog can attract a dedicated audience to your brand. How many of you wouldn't want that on a regular basis? So how can you boost your business with a blog and accelerate your online success?

1. Humanize your brand.
We all want people to be our clients. But blogs create a familiarity with a company and the author that borders on friendship. And that connection is what turns consumers into friend-sumers. Blogs should be written in your unique voice and give your brand a human face, this in turn assures your readers that there is a real person who cares about their needs. Promoting your company, product or service by creating a blog that features how-to advice, news and other information of interest to customers makes them want to follow you in turn they can post testimonials, feedback, questions and comments, plus participate in surveys. By taking an informal, non-sales approach, you can interact with customers, gain useful feedback and build an online audience that can ultimately be directed to your company's main website. And that blog allows you to put your personality into your brand much more personally than any website will do.

2. Provide exceptional customer service.
Think of your blog as an interactive FAQ as your customers can submit questions and you can answer them. Each post can share information of relevance to your customers through how-to articles and behind the scenes facts. And by showing that you have a commitment to carrying on a dialogue with your customers, prospective clients will be encouraged that you are providing good customer service.

3. Increase your credibility.
A blog is an ideal tool to position yourself as an expert in you field by sharing your thoughts, knowledge, experience and insight. Obtaining expert status can increase your earning potential, and help attract new customers. When you provide a well-written, regularly updated blog, you will build a following of loyal readers who will come to see you as a reliable source of good content. And with the built in archiving feature of blogs, by date and category, it will be easy for you to post new content on a regular basis and easy for your visitors to jump to the information that they want to find. And if they believe in you as an expert, they will feel more confident to buy from you.

4. Gain more exposure.
A website is essential to your company's image, but a blog can boost your traffic levels. When new visitors come to your blog, it is important to have your website prominently displayed so that they can hop over to check out the main sales website. You can entice the readers with links and even special offers. And it should work both ways. You should have a link on your website that takes visitors to your blog. Just as you should always sign emails and letters and even your business card with your name, company, website, email and blog. Never lose that opportunity to connect.

5. Promote your products or services...with a whisper.
There are some out there that use a blog as little more than a thinly veiled attempt to get you to buy something. I don't put much stock in those. I don't regularly follow the blogs that a just a steop up from a telemarketing call. Sure, I have come there voluntarily but I will just as surely leave when confronted by post after post touting the products or services as the best. And that is not positioning yourself as an expert and giving me something to think about. Rather, I prefer those that show the process behind the creation, the methods used in manufacturing, the thing that sets the raw materials apart from the rest....in other words, show don't tell. If you show me why your products are worth buying I will more likely buy from you. On my own blog I made a conscious decision that it would never be used to sell. Instead I prefer to focus on the inspiration behind a piece of jewelry or the technique that sets my work apart. I have driven customers to my website and more importantly engaged them in a personal conversation that has led to a custom creation. They want to buy from me when they see how I go about it and what makes me differnt. That is how I promote my products and services with a whisper.

6. Generate extra income.
A blog can be monetized using the advertising programs that are already in place in the blogosphere. Google AdSense is one such program, and each blogging platform will have another. I personally have chosen not to clutter up my blog with ads from other companies. I feel that my readers deserve that from me and I know they appreciate that sincerity that I am there for them not to make a buck.

Once you have decided to host a blog (and I hope that I have given you something to think about in that regard), you need to decide if you would like to host the blog in your own website environment or in an externally hosted server. Just pick whatever is best for your commitment level, talent with all things technical and corporate structure. Posting content to any blog platform is generally very easy, but maintaing it yourself can be a challenge, so choose a platform that fits your budget and level of technical experience.

Free developer-hosted platforms: Easy to use, low-cost or no-cost options that will have you setting up and launching a blog in as little as 5 minutes. Some even have features that allow you to customize aspects of your blog's appearance, address and functionality.

Try these:
Blogger.com
Wordpress.com
Blog.com
Vox.com
Typepad.com
Livejournal.com

Premium developer-hosted platforms: You will pay for premium features for a developer to host and maintain your company's blog. They will likely have online tools to customize the functionality and look of the blog. Those listed above will surely have options to pay for the premium features while still being hosted on these external sites.

Stand-alone platforms: The greatest degree of customization will be with stand-alone versions that you host on your website yourself, but this will also require the greatest degree of technical expertise. Usually, you will need to consult with a website developer to integrate this effectively into your blog, but there are platforms out there that allow you to use their software to host your blog yourself. You will need to manage your own domain name and troubleshoot on your own, but sometimes that might be worth that added cost.

Building that blog may take only a few minutes, but developing that blog into a living, breathing extension of your brand will take more time and thought. Isn’t that a risk that you are willing to take? Who here doesn't see the value in reaching out to your clients and connecting with them on a personal level all while positioning yourself as a subject matter expert and encouraging them to not only buy from you, but carry on a dialogue that will lead them to become your friend?

Take a walk on the blog side with me....and let me know by your comments how it works for you!

Working Words of Wisdom:

(in honor of my son hitting his very first out of the park homerun last week!)

“Progress always involves risks.
You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first.”
~Frederick B. Wilcox

Take a Walk on the Blog Side, Part II

If a website is your brand's face, a blog is like the intellect.

A good website is like the storefront...you can have the cleanest stoop and the most dazzling window displays and a clearly placed sign, but once that customer walks through the door, they are not likely to stay if you never speak to them, or tell them all about your goods, or show them that you have a unique passion for your product or service and convince them that they cannot leave without buying something.

Once you entice people in with your branded website, then what?

As mentioned before, a blog is less like a diary and more like a book. But one that can engage and encourage your clients in ways that you may never have thought.

That is why a blog can be called the intellect.

Since I started researching this topic a week and a half ago, there have been two more articles written on the Entrepreneur.com website alone. One just yesterday titled, "Recruit a Virtual Sales Force With Your Blog." Sounds intriguing, right?

Mark Stevens writes that "catching a virus can be the best thing you can do for your business." What?! (Don't get excited, Hugh!) He is talking about the phenomenon of viral messaging in the whole social networking craze. The kind that rolls out like a growing wave reaching tsunami heights. The kind that happens when one person tells two friends who each tell two more friends...and they all are talking about how great your blog is and posting links on their blog and writing about you and your products and...well...doing the viral marketing for you. That is gold. You don't have to know how they find you to know that it is great and it works. You just need to be ready to pan the prospects.

While the website you have created might entice someone in the virtual door, it is what you do for them while they are there that makes them want to stay and, more importantly, come back and bring friends. So think of a blog as a way to connect on a personal level with every one who comes to your virtual storefront.

To be effective, a blog needs to be these things:

Educational not Commercial. This is not the place to sell everything for $9.99 or posting obvious sales pitches like that guy who screams at you on t.v. about everything from insurance to laundry soap. Blogs are a conversation, not a commercial. You need to inform your clients and show them the reasons why they should buy from you. Remember that you are the Subject Matter Expert (SME) and you have a lot to say about your product or service to those who are listening. That being said, you need to stay on message and keep building that brand with every word you write. But there are plenty of ways to show and not tell that get your message across while taking advantage of that teachable moment when you have them reading.

Compelling. We are bombarded daily by things to read every where we turn. So keep that in mind when you write. I believe that people are seeking community and will come back time and again if you are seen as writing something worth reading. You will be surprised at how much you have to say. It doesn't have to be long, and it helps to have pictures to support your writing. But there are all sorts of industry-specific updates and even your own personal insights and customer testimonies that are important to your target audience and can give you a boost in keyword search engine rankings.

And once you start making connections you might find that someone else is a great ambassador for your brand and can be called upon to write a guest post or regular column. Or how about switching perspectives with others in your company to keep the voices fresh? I am currently a contributing editor at the Watch Me Create blog and I will be doing four guest posts in the month of June for the Art Bead Scene blog. Each time I post to one of these blogs, I find that I get a spike in readership and new commenters. But the best part is that people like what they read and sign up to be a regular follower. Today I am at 63. Last week I had only 54. Pretty good for only posting once last week.

Frequent & Timely. I know people who write a blog post a day. Usually, they are really short posts that are fun to read, but that sort of pressure might just be too much for most. I personally have a Blogging Without Obligation button that basically frees me from feeling that it is necessary to stick to a hard schedule. I have an imaginary schedule, but it is pretty loose and based on the fact that something needs to spark my creativity for me to write about it. A blog is a periodical. If you only write once a month, why bother. You do have to keep to some sort of timeline, and I have found that once or twice a week is ideal. Too much and you are saturated. Too little and people won't let the door hit them on the way out as they seek inspiration elsewhere.

Exuding Your Distinct Voice. I asked several people why they haven't considered a blog. Several said that they don't have time (you don't have time to connect personally with your clients and potential customers?! Really!?), but most often I was told that they felt they couldn't write. You are the greatest ambassador of your brand, and your clients deserve to hear from you. It will personalize and humanize the experience of buying from you. From Derek Gehl at Entrepreneur.com, "You don't need to be a brilliant writer; you just need to be able to relate to your audience and give them good content."

For my own blog, I decided against making it merely a sales pitch for the latest creation that I made and instead focus on the mantra "inspiration is everywhere." I have found that there are a lot of people who are seeking connectivity on that very subject, and there is infinitely more to write about than just what beads I used in a piece. From there they see my creative process and a finished piece. I actually do get a lot of requests for purchase, and I try to connect with every regular follower through email as well, and some of the leads have turned into sales or sales-in-progress. All because I regularly share my passion and knowledge as a SME, and I have enticed people with my content and easy conversational style. They want to comment. They follow me. They come back. And they bring friends. And that is the sort of virus that I don't mind catching.

While you can start a blog in as little as five minutes, to truly be effective and to keep people coming back again and again takes a lot longer. But armed with a little thought and effort you can turn your blog into a strategic tool that drives traffic and sales to your online and in person business in a uniquely compelling manner.

I have heard it said that there are too many blogs in the world. I agree. Everyone with a soap box and a keyboard can have one. But really there aren't enough great blogs. If you keep those tips in mind, you cannot help but having one of the greats. (And I promise to be one of your first followers!)

Point to Success Challenge:

Let's start the dialogue!
I will give away a pair of Tesori Trovati pearl earrings to one lucky commenter this week.

Rules:

• Must be a member of the BNI Point To Success chapter.


• Must leave a comment on this post related to the challenge below.


• Must tell me what blog you found (just cut and paste a link in the comments).


• Must tell me why you like this blog that you found.


• The following blogs, while great examples, do not count since I have used them as examples in my article: Treasures Found, Watch Me Create, Art Bead Scene, Motivation Manager and Entrepreneur.com

Find at least one blog in the next week that you would enjoy reading regularly, whether for personal or professional reasons, and start reading their current and past posts. Make sure to add an insightful comment at least once on that particular blog. And leave a comment here to let me know that you are part of the conversation!

I will pick a winner on Tuesday, May 26th for our next meeting!

Working Words of Wisdom:

"I will prepare and someday my chance will come."
~ Abraham Lincoln

Choosing Your Best Dance Partners

KEY #4: NetWORKing=WORK

The fourth key factor in getting and staying motivated is networking with other small businesses. Of course, that is something we all believe in or we wouldn't be members of the BNI Point to Success chapter, would we? One of the most difficult aspects of being an entrepreneur or small business owner is the isolation. Mutual support can be very empowering and motivating. We each seek to make connections in our communities and neighborhoods, whether they are physical or online. And we all know that even if our business interests are unrelated we somehow find a way to stand on common ground and work together for the benefit of us all.

When we come together weekly we do so not only to bring each other referrals, but to help each other solve problems, share ideas of how to be successful and experience the connectivity that makes our little community so special. We have elected not to be wallflowers, but to get out there and tango with all those who would help us build our business.

Often it seems that the burdens of being a small business owner can be overwhelming, but by coming together and sharing our expertise and ideas we can be a stronger community than if we remained secluded in our own little business world.

Dr. Ivan Misner is a frequent contributor to Entrepreneur.com. He wrote a column titled, "What is Business Networking, Anyway?"

He tells us that, "Business networking is leveraging your business and personal connections to bring you a regular supply of new business." That sounds deceptively simple. In practice, it is a lot of work.

You have to be proactive to get the most out of the process but the returns can be great. It is not about going to an event, shaking hands with everyone there, gathering business cards that then become nothing more than recycling bin fodder.

So what is the secret to networking like a pro? The answer: Creating and building relationships.

Think about it...how many people do you know in your spheres of influence? And how many of these people really know and understand what it is that you do? How many of these people you know actually send you prospects? And how many of those turn into actual business?

Our resident expert is Dave Harvath of D & D Auto. Dave understands the value of relationships and seeks to make his customers his friends. I asked Dave to share with us his expert perspective on his success in networking.

Dave Harvath says that of those that pass through his door and drive into his shop, 10% are customers and 90% are friends. Dave makes it his duty to get to know those who take the time to come into his business. Dave doesn't just service their vehicles and take their money. He wants to know all about them and make an investment in their lives. He becomes their friend. He treats them with respect. He cares not only for their vehicles but for their lives as well. That makes him a trusted business man and someone that has established a thriving repeat business.

Dave tells us that he really does qualify all those referral slips that he passes. He will not refer a customer to one of his BNI partners. He only refers friends. He knows what they need, knows that they are a precious client of his and then will refer them to one of us, the referral partners that he believes in. In short, because he has taken the time to establish a trusted relationship with them, he can assure us of the quality of the referral. That is what relationship networking is all about. And Dave Harvath really lives that in his business.

Networking must be strategic and focused if you want to see growth from it in your business. While not everyone you meet can move your business forward, you never know where the next great referral can come from. Everything you do in your business should be founded on the idea that you intend to grow your business.

Networking is proactive. "The core of networking is doing something specific each week that is focused on networking for business growth," Dr. Misner says. I challenge you to think each week about one something specific that you can do and go and do it. Then come back and tell us how it went so we can learn from you, too. Because sharing our success is a part of growing our relationships with each other as well.

Working Words of Wisdom

"Opportunity dances with those who are ready on the dance floor."

~H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Now, get out there...and dance!