This post comes from my colleague Donna Gunter from her Blog Get More Clients Online

The blogging platform, WordPress, has proven itself to be a robust host for an online content management system (CMS), especially with the development of new WordPress themes and plugins.  I was skeptical at first, as I was a devout user of Typepad and kept hearing of so many tech troubles that people were having with their WordPress blogs.

However, in the last year, WordPress has exploded as the primary web site design platform.  I became convinced to switch all of my sites to WordPress when I saw so many developers creating fee-based themes and plugins for the platform.  Now, WordPress can do almost everything except clean your house and cook you breakfast!  The number of free themes and free plugins number in the thousands, and the number of fee-based ones are quickly rising to that number, as well.

Since I’ve been creating many, many WordPress sites as of late, I’ve discovered that there are a few themes that I routinely use again and again.

Here are my top 5 choices for WordPress themes for service business owners:

1.  Socrates:  Originally developed for affiliate marketers, I’ve used this WordPress theme again and again to develop full-fledged web sites that include static pages, squeeze pages, and a blog.  The theme offers a built-in header creator, which makes it attractive to those who are graphically-challenged.  Tech support for this theme is amazing, and I’ve often asked other WordPress-related questions there and have gotten answers to those, as well.  The theme offers flexible layout options, along with a number of page templates. The instructional videos are top-notch, and if you’re looking for a robust workhorse theme, I highly recommend this one.

2. Optimize Press:   This is the WordPress theme I come to time and time again to create squeeze pages and product launch sites. The number of options offered here is overwhelming, but once I took the time to begin to review the video training, I was amazed at how easy it was to create a squeeze page and a membership site. One of the unique features it offers is all of the short code options to help you create downloads, testimonials, and guarantees. You have a number of options from which to pick to display on a page, without any heavy lifting involved.  If you need to create quick squeeze pages, this is your go-to theme.

3.  Profits Theme:  I really like the layout and options of this WordPress theme for membership sites. Whether you offer a fixed-term membership, a recurring membership, or just want to create a membership login option for the information products you sell, profits theme readily lets you do all of the above.  While Optimize Press also handles membership sites, I find the membership site layout of Profits theme a little more to my liking. Optimize Press and Profits Theme will both serve you well, and there’s not really any need to buy both.

4.  Artisteer:   This is really a web site design program, rather than a theme.  Artisteer lets you create a customized WordPress theme, including header, colors, navigation menu, etc.  Once created, you export it as a theme and then import the theme into WordPress.   What I don’t like about this program is that once you have imported the theme into WordPress, you don’t have the flexibility of changing the theme colors, header, etc. like you do in other theme programs. Well, actually, you can if you speak CSS stylesheets, which I don’t.  Instead, you have to go back to Artisteer, update your theme, and upload it as a differently named theme to WordPress.  It offers an amazing number of suggested templates, so I highly recommend this program if you like to change the look and feel of your site often.

5. The Client Machine:  This is an amazing theme that incorporates a great portfolio, invoicing system, and proposal system, as well as the ability to add testimonials to the sidebar or footer..  If you’re a freelancer who does any type of project-based work, you may want to check out this theme for your web site.  It’s got unique features and functions that make it very easy and fast for freelancers to build a website that attracts leads, captures prospects, and compels visitors to hire them.

Bonus:  WP Twin and WP Twin Auto Backup:  While not a theme, I think this software is essential if you are maintaining your WordPress blog or regularly create new blog sites.  This software has saved my bacon on more than one occasion when I’ve goofed up when updating a site and have blown out the formatting.  I simply go into my hosting account and pick up the latest backup of the site, reinstall it, and I’m good to go again.  It takes only a few minutes to create a chron job to backup the site on your hosting account, and because it backs up EVERYTHING, including all of your plugins, settings, users, etc., there’s really nothing that has to be reinstalled when you “deploy” the clone of your site.  And, if you create sites based on a template them with a defined set of plugins, it’s very handy to create a new duplicate site in a matter of minutes rather than hours.

If you haven’t yet changed your static web site over to a WordPress, now is a great time to do so.  With an abundance of themes to choose from, you should have no problem finding a WordPress theme that’s right for you.

My colleague David Newman at www.doitmarketing.com shares this exceptional list of  ideas with you.

As John Jantsch likes to say, “social media is a tactic, not a religion” and I have to agree. Here are 10 social media tips for professional speakers that will help you balance your mix…

1.    Youtube One Of Your Speeches – The best form of advertisement when it comes to professional speaking is showing your abilities online. When people have seen your electrifying speeches, they will be more likely to want to book you. Adding in a small link to your site during your Youtube video also will bring traffic to your website. Adding your Youtube video to your website will also get buyers more confident in your skills. After all, with many decision-makers and meeting planners, even the most eloquent writing will mean nothing to them if they cannot watch you in action. Try and get video in front of a high-octane audience. The more excited the audience is, the more dynamic your video will be.

2.    Post Blogs On Related Subjects – If you are a professional speaker who makes a living from leadership speeches, having a blog that offers daily leadership tips will get more targeted leads to your site. Moreover, having extremely good leadership information and articles will also get people spreading the word about your site. There are plenty of authors out there who were able to sell books through their blogs; why should you be any different? As a general rule of thumb, the more content that you generate, the better your marketing results will be.

3.    Podcasts Are Your Best Friend – Audio recordings of some of your shorter speeches or “snippets” are a great way to advertise your expertise. Including these in a feed will keep fans and customers updated on your latest work, and also will help spread the word about your speaking abilities. Even better, selling audio programs on your site might just make you a little money. Remember to add a little audio blurb in each audio program telling your audience how to book you for their next event!

4.    Link It All Together – On each of your social media profiles, add your website link, your blog link, and upload some videos, photos, and audio recordings if possible. Making yourself as accessible as possible will let people know that you are serious and open for new business. People also will enjoy the convenience of having everything linked together in an easy-to-access way no matter where they may land in your web empire.

5.    Get As Much Social Bookmarking As Possible – Got videos online? Get them ‘liked’ on Facebook. Encourage your audience to Tweet links to your website, blog, or show pages. Whenever possible, install as many social bookmarking tools as possible, and try to use all of them (Digg, Delicious, StumbleUpon). The more that you can get people to share with ease, the more your expertise will spread.

6.    Twitter Is Great – Tweeting your updates is an easy way to keep people informed about your latest thoughts, insights, and audiences. However, the best way that you can use Twitter is to engage your fans and prospective clients. Being able to chat with you via Twitter will show people that you are still a real person, and that your fans/followers matter to you!

7.    LinkedIn Is Best For Corporate Speakers – LinkedIn has long been known to attract professionals in just about every field. For business speakers, it’s a smart move to put your biggest social media efforts into LinkedIn. Then take those relationships offline – perhaps even networking with local managers in your area to get you some steady gigs as their favorite professional speaker.

8.    Keep It All Short N’ Sweet N’ To The Point – No matter what social media tool you are using, make sure to be direct and impactful in your communications. No one is going to read a page and a half of advertising. No one is going to show up at one of your events if you forget to give the date and time. Expect people to have short attention spans.

9.    Use Each Form Of Social Media To Strengthen the Others – For instance, using Twitter to get more Facebook likes will give your Facebook advertising more power. People who have friends on Facebook will see your ad, and then ‘like’ it themselves. Getting people to post your YouTube videos on their walls will make your YouTube marketing efforts more successful.

10.    Search Engine Optimize Your Blog – If your blog gets picked up by search engines like Google, using your social media tools to market yourself will be easier. The best part of using SEO to increase your hits is that you can often do it yourself combining titles, tags, and key words into some simple strategies to greatly improve your organic web traffic.

Speaker Services is coming to Atlanta,

September 30 and October 1, 2011

Calling all Speakers, Authors, Consultants, Coaches, Experts, Entrepreneurs, CEO’s

See a short video that  panelist Keith Ivey prepared and why he thinks you just might want to be at this event. http://youtu.be/8mrewimiuvk

If you’re a would-be speaker, a business hotshot, an entrepreneur or a network marketer; if you have a product, service or about-to-be-realized dream; you absolutely need to be speaking about it, do seminars & workshops about… you need a kick-butt website, you need to blog about, to social network about, to get great publicity about — and you definitely need to know all the up-to-the-minute marketing tricks!

In short: to truly make a lasting impact, you need to be a media maven: a compelling presenter…a website wizard…a publicity hound…a master marketer.

Speakers: Rick Frishman, Jack Barnard, Susan Levin, Daphne Bousquet and guest panelists.

DISCOVER the niche that suits your passion and skills — and what’s uniquely marketable about your mission

• PRODUCE presentations that captivate and attract attention…motivate Action and get Results

• LEVERAGE the profitable difference between branding and Command-Branding

• EXPLORE the top ways to make money by speaking

• LEARN marketing secrets and strategies that attract your ideal clients

• DISCOVER how to put butts in seats

Take advantage of the early bird rate. $147 after 8/30 $197

Check out vendor and sponsorship possibilites

Susan Levin and Jack Barnard are the Holy Grail for speakers, whether they are just beginning or already making good money. Great training in everything you need to know: putting your presentation together, writing a book, getting speaking leads and especially how to market yourself in the most current ways, including video and social media.
- Barbara Niven, Actress, Media Coach, Speaker
______

The Summit brought together all the resources that a speaker needs to represent themselves and their products. The value was truly in the speakers and the quality of their information.
- Betty LaMarr, Executive Coach, Nadisa Associates

Go to the website:

http://www.speakerservices.com/talkupyourbiz

Now that everyone who owns a business seems to be building Facebook Pages (also known as Fan Pages, Like Pages, and Business Pages), the next inevitable dilemma that we face is what to do with those pages once they’re  created and how to drive traffic there.  I’ve seen companies popping up all over with offers of “1000 new Facebook Fans for $xx.”  I’m not sure that type of strategy is reliable or even works.

What I’ve often seen business owners do, and what they’re encouraged to do, are three things:  1.  Ask questions to promote discussion; 2.  Hold contests; and 3.  Offer regular discounts or coupons.  None of those gets my attention as someone who is a “fan” of many Facebook pages, although sometimes I do check out the discounts or coupons.

However, recently I’ve been paying attention to what attracts me to fan pages.  I am juggling many balls during the day, so any strategy to which I pay attention has to have a very high WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) factor to lure me away from the million other things I have to do.

Here are 5 unique ways I’ve seen others use to drive traffic to their Facebook pages:

1.  Promotion Day:  Consultant Biana Babinsky runs a monthly promotion day where she invites her list and followers to post info about their business and their Facebook page on her business page’s wall.  It’s a great strategy — business owners love the opportunity to talk about themselves, and they get a little free promotion in the process.

2. Brag About Your Blog. Blogging expert Denise Wakeman invites her followers to brag about their blogs once a month on her business page. She is getting amazing results with this strategy, recently reporting over 300 shares when she wrote a follow up post about this strategy.  She encourages business owners to come up with a clever hook that is all about them.

3.  Speed Coaching.  Internet marketing expert Ryan Lee recently let his followers know that he was on a plane to an event and would do speed coaching for them from his Facebook page. A number of people (me included) took him up on his offer, and we got our questions answered while he enjoyed his flight.

4.  Virtual event checkins:  I was on a teleclass recently with Online Business Coach George Kao, and he encouraged us to introduce ourselves and our businesses and interact with each other on his host’s (James Roche) Facebook page.  It was a pretty cool experience, as I connected with some new folks and, in one case, with a current newsletter subscriber.

5.  Host a Q&A day: I’ve watched Social Media Examiner do this every Friday, when they invite an expert on social marketing to be their guest and answer fan questions on their Facebook page.

Take Action Strategy

Don’t take the usual, boring route to engage your Facebook page fans.  Take some time to think about what would really engage them, and implement that on a regular basis. Watch your fanbase grow, as well as your expertise and credibility.

Introvert Marketing Coach Donna Gunter helps professional service businesses stop the client chase and create online businesses that drive clients to them. Want to learn specific Internet marketing strategies that get results for introverts? Discover how to increase your online visibility in this free ecourse, Introvert Marketing Toolkit: 9 Strategies to Make a BOLD Impression Online, at ==> http://www.IntrovertMarketingToolkit.com

by Donna Gunter

I actually have several installation checklists set up, depending on the nature of the site.  I divide my sites into the following categories:

• Product (to promote and deliver an information product)
• Affiliate marketing (to promote an affiliate product)
• Membership
• Blog
• Web site/ Blog site

After determining the use of the site, I then determine if I will need a squeeze page, and if so, whether it should be placed as the home page of the site or as an internal page.  My installation checklist may vary slightly, depending on what type of site I’m creating.  The primary differences are in the plugins that I install, as all sites don’t need all the normal plugins.

Here’s my 15-point WordPress installation checklist:

1.  Nameservers.  Change the nameservers of your domain name at your domain registrar to those of your hosting account.

2.  Add domain.  If you have a hosting account which hosts unlimited domains, you’ll need to add your domain to your account.

3.  Install WordPress on domain.  Many hosting accounts now offer a 1-click WordPress install using Simplescripts on cPanel.  All this requires is for you to choose the domain on which to install WordPress, and the script program does the rest. Be sure and pick the most stable (no beta editions) of WordPress.

4.  Add new user.  I recommend that you create at least one other administrative user on your account and delete the Admin user.  After you create the new administrative user, log out and log back in again to ensure that your new login information is accurate.  Once you have confirmed this, delete the orginial admin account and record your new login credentials.

5.  Install your theme.  I’ve worked with a number of themes in the past few months, and I have my favorites. Install and activate your theme.

6.  Install and activate any stand-alone paid plugins.  I have found that it pays to install stand-alone plugins after your install the theme because if you do it in reverse, one or the other won’t show up in the dashboard.  I don’t always need these, but I may install them depending on the type of site I am creating.

• MemberChamp
• Easy Redirect Script
• WordPress Manual

7.  Update your Settings.  Under Settings -> General, change your site title to your blog name, which should contain your primary keywords.  In Site Description, include a short description also containing your keyword.  Make sure your email address is in the Email field, and change the TimeZone to your timezone.

8.  Update your permalinks. Under Settings —> Permalinks, change the permalinks to Custom Structure by entering either  /%category%/%postname%/ or /%postname%/

9.  Set your Discussion parameters. Under Settings —> Discussion, change it so an adminstrator must always approve a comment and that it will always email me. Do not allow pingbacks & trackbacks for discussion posts.

10.  Update your Reading settings. Under Settings —> Reading, determine if posts or a static page will be your home page, and if your home page is a static page, what page will contain blog posts.  Also pick how many blog posts to show on a page, and whether you want to show the full post or a summary.

11.  Update your Categories.  Under Posts —> Categories, change the default “Uncategorized” category to your main phrase for the site.

12.  Blogroll. Remove all default Blogroll links from Dashboard.

13.  Delete Hello Dolly plugin.  I’m not sure why this plugin exists, as it drives me nuts, so I delete it from the list immediately.

14.  Select and activate free plugins.  I’ve written before about lists of plugins I use for WordPress.  Rather than writing about them individually, I’m going to list the ones I commonly use by category.  This list will change depending on the use I have determined for the site.

Comments/Discussion

• Askimet
• Disqus Comment System

Social Networking

• Facebook Social Plugins
• SexyBookmarks
• TweetMeme Retweet Button
• ShareThis

Blog Management

• Exclude Pages from Navigation
• Admin Favicon
• cbnet Ping Optimizer
• My Page Order
• Widget Context
• Robots Meta
• Easy Privacy Policy
• Google XML Sitemaps with Multisite Support
• WP-DB-Backup
• Flexo Archives
• Broken Link Checker
• WP-Sticky
• WP Super Cache
• WordPress Related Posts
• TinyMCE Advanced

SEO

• SEO Ultimate
• All in One SEO Pack
• SEO Friendly Images
• SEO Smart Links

Audio and Video

• Smart Youtube

Tracking and Measurement

• FeedStats
• WordPress.com Stats
• WP-Stats-Dashboard
• Ultimate Google Analytics
• Google Analyticator

15.  Insert your content.  Now that you have completed the setup stage, you will begin to create your pages and your posts.

Take Action Strategy

Create an installation checklist for each type of site that you create so that you or your team can easily install your new WordPress site and get it up and running.  This will make your life so much easier!

Introvert Marketing Coach Donna Gunter helps professional service businesses stop the client chase and create online businesses that drive clients to them. Want to learn specific Internet marketing strategies that get results for introverts? Discover how to increase your online visibility in this free ecourse, Introvert Marketing Toolkit: 9 Strategies to Make a BOLD Impression Online, at ==> http://www.IntrovertMarketingToolkit.com

Post by Donna Gunter

by Judy Cullins,  judycullins@cox.net

Want a lot more book sales? Want your business to stand out from the crowd?

A blog, one of the best content marketing techniques, can give you much higher results than you imagined. It helps you build a following, build a reputation as the savvy expert in your field, and make increased book sales!

The most important thing to remember is to write at least two entries a week, and make your posts compelling, professional, and inviting. Remember to ask people to leave their opinions, and get some buzz going. If you are an author, post points or tips that relate to your book. If you are a service business, give how to’s that you also give as a consultant or coach.

How Can You Keep your Blog Fresh?

Look at other places or blogs in your field to gain ideas. My favorite is joining Linkedin groups that relate to your expertise. These people post discussions that they want info on. So, it makes sense to stay abreast of these, and comment as often as you can with useful tips. These discussions or news articles keep my blog alive with always up-to-the-minute good information on about book writing, self-publishing, and book and business online marketing.

And, when people are ready, they will contact you for specific help from your books, teleseminars and coaching.

What are the Big Rules of Blogs?

1. Keep improving your blog. Get educated with books and take teleseminars. Get a short phone coaching session for feedback to see if you are on the right track.

2. Make sure your content arouses a discussion. Ask questions at the end of the blog. Elicit opinions that keep it fresh.

3. Keep it simple. Do what you can, and if your blog needs some graphics, or style, contact a webmaster who does this kind of work. You’d only need him/her for a few sessions.

Read more at http://bookcoaching.com/wp/blog-marketing-books-business/

By Eric Gruber, Your Article Marketing Expert www.articlemarketingexperts.com

How to Sell Your Ebooks and Reports in Amazon’s Kindle Store by Denise Wakeman

How to Get Published on Amazon Kindle from Denise Wakeman on Vimeo.

Have you added your ebooks to the Kindle Store? Share your links here in the comments so we can check out what you’re doing!

Read more: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/6254/The-Next-Big-Thing-for-Marketers-Social-Magazines.aspx#ixzz0uLch6JMf

By Mari Smith @marismith
Published April 27, 2010 in Social Media Examiner

If you build a Facebook Page, will fans come? This is the great hope for many businesses. However, fans do not magically appear from the Facebook mist.

People must be lured to your fan page. And there are some good and bad ways to go about doing this. In this article, I’ll share a big myth and 21 ways to drive more fans to your Facebook fan page. (Though Facebook recently changed the “Become A Fan” button to the new, omnipresent “Like” button – and a fan page is called a “Business Page” or “Facebook Page” – we can still call them fan pages and people who join are fans!)

The Big Myth
There’s a great myth that once you create a Facebook fan page for your business, the first thing you should do to get fans is invite ALL your friends from your personal profile using the “Suggest to Friends” feature.

Unfortunately, this strategy may not be that effective and can, in fact, often backfire. I have seen many industry gurus complain that when they decline a fan page request, it’s frustrating to continue to be asked again and again.

There are several reasons not to use the Suggest to Friends feature:

Facebook users can only like up to 500 pages and may wish to be selective. (Though I have seen it’s possible to go over this limit)

Fan page suggestions may often build up, unnoticed. (At last count, I have 593 overlooked fan page suggestions and am already a fan of 500!)

To aggressively pursue all your friends to join your fan page – for no apparent incentive – is counterintuitive to the nature of social media.

So, the good news is there are many ways to promote your fan page and proactively increase your fan base without bugging all your current Facebook friends, and also by thinking wider than just Facebook.

Here are 21 ways to get more fans for your Facebook fan page:

#1: Embed Widgets on Your Website
Select from a number of the new Facebook Social Plugins and place them on your website and blog. The Fan Box widget is now the Like Box and it works well to display your current fan page stream and a selection of fans – see screenshot below with Whole Foods Market Facebook Like Box. I would recommend adding a title above the box encouraging visitors to your site/blog to click the “Like” button (which makes them a Facebook fan).

Whole Foods Market Facebook Like Box.

You might also consider the Live Stream widget for more advanced uses, particularly on an FBML custom tab of your fan page itself. The Live Stream widget allows Facebook users to add their comments to a live event, for example, and that activity pushes out into their stream.

#2: Invite Your Email and Ezine Subscribers
Assuming you have an opt-in email list, definitely send out an invitation to your subscribers via email (several times, over time) letting them know about your fan page and encouraging them to join. Ideally, provide them with a description of the page and an incentive to join.

Be sure to have the Facebook logo/badge appear in your HTML newsletters. Instead of the usual “Join our Fan Page,” say something creative like “Write on our Facebook wall,” or “Join our Facebook community,” or “Come add your photo to our Facebook group” (where “group” is actually your fan page). Users have to be a fan in order to interact with your fan page in this way.

#3: Add to Your Email Signature Block
Instead of promoting your Facebook personal profile (if you do), include a link to your fan page in every email you send out. If you use web-based email, check out the Wisestamp signature addon.

#4: Make a Compelling Welcome Video
Create an attractive landing tab (canvas page) with a video that explains exactly a) what your fan page is about, b) who it’s for and c) why they should become members.  The result: you’ll increase your conversion rate from visitors to fans. One of my favorite fan page welcome videos is by Steve Spangler, the Science Guy! After watching his video, you can’t help but want to join!

(By the way, with the new Facebook changes, if your custom welcome tab and video talk about clicking the “Become A Fan” button, you may want to change the wording to “click the Like button” now).

#5: Use Facebook Apps
I recently tested a new live video-streaming app called Vpype. The app adds a tab to your fan page called “Shows” and when you broadcast as your fan page, everyone can view by default. (You can also broadcast as your personal profile and selectively invite friends/friend lists). I wrote up a review of this app here. By announcing via Twitter, your personal Facebook profile, your blog and your email list, you can broadcast regular live Internet TV shows from your fan page and create much buzz.

Another example of app integration is Target’s “Bullseye Gives” campaign. Target had their fans vote on which of ten charities they most wanted to see the company donate to. By voting, a post goes out onto your Facebook wall and into the News Feeds of all your friends, thus providing Target with valuable exposure. (For custom apps, see companies like Buddy Media, FanAppz, Wildfire Apps, Involver, Virtue.)

#6: Integrate the Facebook Comment Feature
My favorite example of this is the t-shirt company Threadless. On their landing tab (canvas page), you can view and purchase t-shirts as well as Like and comment on any item and choose to have that comment posted to your Facebook profile, as shown in this screenshot:

(Screenshot of Threadless Facebook Fan Page landing tab)

Threadless actually has their landing tab set up so visitors don’t have to become a fan to purchase/comment/interact. Yet they have organically built well over 100,000 fans.

As users comment on items, that activity is pushed out into their stream (profile wall and their friends’ News Feeds), which creates valuable viral visibility for your fan page.

For further information on adding the comment box to your FBML page/app, see these pages.

#7: Get Fans to Tag Photos
If you host live events, be sure to take plenty of photos (or even hire a professional photographer), load the photos to your fan page and encourage fans to tag themselves. This, again, pushes out into their wall and friends’ News Feeds, providing valuable (free!) exposure. And, a picture says a thousand words – we notice the thumbnails in our feed more than text. (Props to Nick O’Neil for this tip.)

#8: Load Videos and Embed on Your Site
Facebook’s Video feature is extremely powerful. You can load video content to your Facebook fan page, then take the source code and embed on your blog/website. There is a “Become a Fan” button right in the video itself. For an excellent tutorial, see Nick O’Neil’s post: How To Get Thousands of Facebook Fans With a Single Video.

#9: Place Facebook Ads
Even with a nominal weekly/monthly budget, you should be able to boost your fan count using Facebook’s own social ad feature. It’s the most targeted traffic your money can buy. To buy an ad, scroll to the foot of any page inside Facebook and click the link at the very bottom that says “Advertising.” From there, you can walk through the wizard and get an excellent sense of how many Facebook users are in your exact target market.

Then, when you advertise your fan page, Facebook users can become a fan (click the Like button) right from the ad as shown in the screenshot below. Additionally, Facebook displays several of your friends who have already liked you, thus creating social proof.

My book with Chris Treadaway, Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day (Sybex) contains comprehensive instructions on maximizing your marketing through Facebook social ads.

#10: Run a Contest
This is somewhat of a gray area because Facebook changed their Promotional Guidelines last year. Essentially, you need prior written permission from Facebook and need to be spending a significant amount on ads per month. However, you CAN require Facebook users to become a fan of your fan page in order to enter a contest, sweepstakes, drawing or competition. See these two posts for further explanation. PLUS, good news: you CAN run contests and sweepstakes with the use of the apps created by Wildfire App.

Read more

ABOUT THE AUTHOR, Mari Smith
Fast Company calls Mari Smith “the Pied Piper of the Online World.” She’s a relationship marketing specialist and social media speaker, trainer and consultant with particular focus on Facebook and Twitter

Post by Larry Brooks

First, let’s get one thing out of the way. A blog alone, no matter how popular, isn’t enough to score you a book contract. It’s not quite that simple.

In other words, it doesn’t quite work the way it does on television.

“Did you hear that Random House gave me a million dollars for a book based on my blog?” chirps the hipster starlet as she emerges from a crowded Starbucks, caramel macchiato in hand. “And we’re working on the movie rights. Hey, let’s go for a ride in my Jag.”

But you already knew that real life is more complicated than a sit-com. So let’s talk about the critical role a blog does play in securing a book deal.

Here’s how it went down for me.

A book deal is made up of several moving parts

First, any successful book proposal needs a credible, straight-line, value-promising connection to a hungry target audience.

In other words, exactly the same kind of well-defined niche expertise that makes most blogs work.

Remember our sit-com blogger with the book deal? She got there because she’s oh-so-witty and wise. Think Carrie Bradshaw.

That’s not the real world. Unless your book is about collecting Manolo Blahniks, real-life book deals are about having something valuable to offer a reader, not how fabulous you are.

And because of that, you don’t need huge numbers to make it happen. What you do need is cachet within the niche you’ve defined.

Before my own deal, I’d assumed I would need a subscriber base big enough to fill the Rose Bowl. Why else would a publisher be interested?

And sure, a massive Feedburner number helps.

But in my case, my subscriber base today would fill the conference room at your average Marriott. Not that I’m complaining — after only six months it’s growing just fine, thanks.

But it does illuminate the point: Raw numbers aren’t as important as making a solid connection with a well-defined audience around a valuable niche topic.

My own blog-to-book deal

Before my site launched I was just a crusty old copywriter and a mid-list novelist who had almost, but not quite, hit it big. Not John Grisham big, more like Kyle Mills or Lisa Jackson kind of big.

There are lots of us in that category. Fiction has more near-misses than an American Idol audition.

Lucky for me, though, hardly any of those writers are blogging about it.

While teaching writing on the workshop circuit, I developed a proprietary story development model called The Six Core Competencies of Successful Storytelling.

My blog is about that well-defined niche, within the larger topic of writing. And without that angle, no matter how popular a blog I might build, there would be no book deal.

One quickly notices that my book deal isn’t about my brand as a fiction writer, which frankly has seen better days. It’s not even about my journey as a writing instructor.

It’s about my story development model. My niche expertise.

Neither my blog nor my forthcoming book are about me. Never have been. They’re about you, the writer with a dream.

In other words, people don’t come to my site (and they won’t read my book) because of my novels. They come because of their novels.

A platform is essential

Today, you need an “author platform” to successfully pitch a book to a publisher.

What’s an author platform? It’s how you’ll be doing the promotion for your book. Nine times out of ten, it means your blog.

No blog, no deal, unless you’ve got another great way to get the word out about your book. (For example, you’re a celebrity or a popular speaker.)

That wasn’t the case as little as two or three years ago.

These days, you don’t just pitch a detailed idea for a book. You also pitch the audience that’s going to buy that book. Not only does your platform provide a built-in group of buyers, it also shows the publisher that your ideas resonate with the audience you’ve defined.

The formula for a successful blog-to-book deal

Solid author platform plus unique value proposition equals marketable book. The formula is really that simple.

If both are in place, you don’t need to be a famous blogger with big numbers to score a book contract.

You just need to write a killer proposal, with a well-defined niche topic focusing on your audience, fortified by a successful author platform in the form of a growing blog.

This formula might not get a book publisher to throw sit-com dollars at you. But it gives you a much better chance than even the most fabulous designer wardrobe.

About the Author: Larry Brooks is the creator of Storyfix.com, an instructional resource for novelists and screenwriters. His book, The Six Core Competencies of Successful Storytelling, will be published by Writers Digest Books in early 2011.

Post by  Penny C. Sansevieri, penny@amarketingexpert.com
THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

Embarking on an Internet marketing campaign doesn’t have to be difficult, tricky, or complicated. Here are a few simple ways (twenty in fact) that you can easily implement to get tons of traffic to your site right now!

1) Write articles: believe it or not this is an incredible tool for driving traffic. Well-written, relevant articles can net you quite a bit of activity to your website. Don’t forget to add your URL in your byline. Articles should be 500 to 2,000 words in length. You can send articles to sites like: articlecity.com, goarticles.com, submityourarticles.com and ezinearticles.com.

2) Social bookmark *everything* – and I do mean everything, you can bookmark each page of your site and each blog entry you post. While this might seem tedious it’s worth it. You’ll see a strong increase in traffic if you social bookmark each page on your site and each of your blog entries.

3) List yourself in the best directories - you’ll have to pay for this but since most people don’t do this (since everyone’s looking for a freebie) you could really enhance your traffic by getting a listing: http://dir.yahoo.com,  botw.org.

4) Get yourself listed at: DMOZ.org – it’s not easy to get listed there but worth the effort.

5) Review: if you can review hot new products or books within your market, head on over to Amazon.com and start positioning yourself as an expert. In order to do this effectively you’ll want to create an Amazon profile and make sure and sign each review with a reference to your URL (your website). You can also go to epinions.com and revoo.com to review products as well.

6) Offer a freebie on craigslist: you’ll be amazed at how much traffic you get from a single craigslist ad. They key here is to send people to a page on your site and make sure they have to sign up for something (like your email newsletter) before they can grab their freebie. That way you’re not just getting traffic, you’re also building your list.

7) Create a “recommended by” list on your del.icio.us page – you can do this by logging on and creating an account at del.icio.us and then tagging articles, blogs and other content you think is important to your readership. Then offer this page as a resource site. You can add a link to this page in your email signature line or on your website.

And speaking of your email signature line – do you have one? If you don’t, create one. Believe it or not, people do follow these links. You’ll be amazed how many folks read email signature lines. I have one and change it several times a year, depending on what we’re doing or promoting or what books I have coming out.

9) Lend a helping hand: you can be an answer person at Yahoo Answers http://answers.yahoo.com/ – you don’t have to spend hours on there but maybe a few minutes a week. Make sure and include a link back to your site by your answers.

10) Set up a social networking site using Facebook.com, Linkedin.com, or Squidoo. It’s free and easy to do, just don’t forget the all-important link back to your site!

11) Make sure your blog has an RSS feed so if you capture a reader you don’t lose them if they forget to bookmark your site or blog.

12) Join relevant groups at Yahoo groups http://groups.yahoo.com/. You’ll find everything from groups on growing your small business, writing books, finding your passion, even underwater basket weaving. I dare you to find one that isn’t right for what you’re promoting. When you do find the right group, join and participate as you can!

13) Podcasting is another great way to drive traffic. Start a podcast by going to AudioAcrobat http://bookmkr.audioacrobat.com/ – yes, this is our affiliate link. There are other programs you can use, but I love AudioAcrobat. You can record the podcast over the phone quickly and easily and then hit the “send” button on your computer once it’s recorded and the system will syndicate it to 27 podcast directories including iTunes. It’s a great way to let people know about you and your website!

14) Start a blog and then once you do, start commenting on other people’s blogs, linking to them from your site or adding them to your blogroll.

15) Inbound links: don’t squander your time (or a perfectly good link) on smaller low-traffic sites. Instead spend your time going after high traffic, high quality sites. Good sites should have a PR (page ranking) of 4-6 depending on the market. You can find out what a site’s page ranking is by downloading the Google toolbar, which comes with a PR feature built in.

16) Start an email newsletter: while it may not seem like a newsletter that you email can drive traffic to your site, you’d be surprised at the effectiveness of this type of promotion. If your newsletter (like your articles) is interesting and relevant to your audience you’ll find that it has a huge pass-through factor. Meaning that it is passed from one email subscriber to another. Also, if you have an email newsletter you should never, ever go to a single event without your handy sign-up sheet. Yes, you can even use offline events to drive traffic to your website.

17) And speaking of offline efforts: if you’re ever quoted in a magazine or other publication, make sure and mention your URL as it’s appropriate to the topic. Don’t be too pushy about this, but do not forget to tell folks you have a website that may be a great resource for the topic of your interview.

18) If you have products to sell why not get a store on eBay? This site gets a tremendous amount of traffic, and on your sales page you’re allowed to list your URL. Another great way to get an inbound link and a way for people to find you.

19) Load a video on YouTube and 57 other video sites – if you don’t have a video or don’t know how to create one, contact us and we’ll refer you to our fabulous book video people!

20) While this isn’t a tip per se it’s still important. If you’re going to go through all the trouble of getting traffic to your site, make sure your site is converting this traffic into something. Get folks to sign up for something, your newsletter, the RSS feed on your blog. Whatever it is, getting their email address will help you re-market to them when the time is right. Studies show that visitors landing on a site often don’t buy the first time. That’s ok! You want to get them into your marketing funnel so you can market to them again and again – not in a way that’s obtrusive, offensive or downright annoying but in a way that is helping them with their own mission. An example of this might be an email newsletter. A helpful, informative newsletter is a fantastic funnel.

A blog is another great way to keep people in your marketing loop without bombarding them with “please buy my stuff” email messages. Also, make sure you know what your traffic numbers are before you launch into any Internet marketing campaign. By traffic numbers, I mean how many people are visitingyour site. You want to know this so you can gauge a before and after view of your marketing efforts.

Reprinted from “The Book Marketing Expert newsletter,” a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com

Post from Denise Wakeman- Internet Marketing Tips

Susan note:  Video is all the rage and my colleague Denise offers the latest cutting edge suggestions.

You know how I’m always telling you to integrate video into your marketing mix? Well, what do you do with all those videos? On Build a Better Blog I shared my system for distributing my video tips for broad-based visibility, but I forgot a very important site and I thank my client Dr. Steven Park for bringing it to my attention…[click here if you can't see the video]

http://blogsquad.audioacrobat.com/rss/ovs.xml

I wrote a title (name of podcast) and keyword-rich description. There’s a specific section to set up distribution for iTunes since they require the promotional description in a very specific way. Don’t forget to include a link to the site you want people to check out if they want more information. In this case, the link I use goes to my Online Visibility Secrets program. Once that’s set up, you have to submit your podcast feed to iTunes for review.

If you don’t have an iTunes account, you set one up (free) and then click through to the Store, click on Podcasts, then click on Submit a Podcast. That’s it. They will notify you in a couple of days about whether or not it’s accepted.

You can check out my Online Visibility Tips video podcast here. I went a step further and had a small graphic image designed to help promote the tips. Again, from a visibility perspective, it helps with brand and name recognition.

I have to say it was kind of cool to see my own videos on my iPod

I upload the video to my account and assign it to the podcast I’ve created.

The cool thing is that when you upload your new video, you can select the date you want it to be distributed (I have about 6 in the queue right now) and they will automatically be published on your desired date.

Now you can take my video tips on the go with you. Pretty convenient! I catch up on a lot of content when I travel and being able to watch videos from my favorite experts is really helpful.

Remember, video can have a very big impact and you can see that with so many simple distribution methods, you can have tremendous reach online and attract many new people into your world.

If you’re still on the fence about video, I encourage you to dive in now. As my gift to you for reading this post, here’s a $50 gift coupon when you invest in Online Video Made Easy, a self study video program for newbies, taught by me and the Online Video Guy, Lou Bortone. Use coupon code OV50 (25% discount) when you check out.

Finally, I’m curious to know how you’re using video to boost your visibility. What tips do you have and where else should I (and everyone!) be syndicating their videos?

Related Post:

Visibility Via Video: How to Extend Your Reach Online

The New Frontier Workshop with Susan Levin

Saturday, October 24, 1-5pm, $99,  Marina del Rey, CA

Social media has profoundly altered the way we market and communicate.

Social Media Marketing is the use of technology combined with social interaction to create or co-create value.

Content + Context + Connections + Community = Social Media Marketing

Marketing on social networking sites like Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter can help increase the size of your email list and grow your business. The key to success is making sure that members of your target market are in your network.
 
In the workshop you will learn tools, tactics and implementation techniques to:

- Build your business with social networking and increase your online visibility
- Develop a social media strategy presence across the key social media platforms
- Leverage and create content, connection, and community
- Explore why it’s never about the sale, it’s always about the relationship
- Produce and distribute content that can be shared and extends the voice of your brand, product and company
- Discover how articles writing, blogs, utube can create brand awareness and buzz

Susan Levin is the owner of Speaker Services and a marketing strategist, Her expertise includes: speaker marketing materials, lead generation, building and boosting an online and social media presence, creating speaker products and creating multiple streams of income

______________

Register: http://www.speakerservices.com/teleclasses/detail/151

310-822-4922 PST

Susan Note: Great post it is all about relationships.  All about the connection.  And connection is the new currency.  Read on…

BTW: Speaker Services offers up to date media lists so that you can reach reporters directly with your pitch letter.  See http://www.speakerservices.com/services/media-lists.html

This post was co-written by Len Kendall and Dave Fleet. Dave heads the Social Media Practice at Thornley Fallis Communications in Toronto, Canada. You can find him at davefleet.com or @davefleet on Twitter.

As a public relations professional, it’s easy to get caught-up in the importance of a news release. You spend hours writing it and tweaking it; the client obsesses over every word of it; it becomes the focal point of your announcement.

This tends to apply to any document that gets put into formal writing in PR. News releases, social media releases, letters to editors, you name it. If it’s going across the wire, or into a journalist’s hands, it gets attention.

The reality, however, is that the formal materials are only one piece of the media relations process. They’re important, but they sit alongside many other aspects of the media relations function. Your pitch, your story angle, your careful timing and more all play a role.

Perhaps the most important of these other aspects is the relationship you have with journalists (or bloggers). A good relationship will get your email read when it might have been deleted or your call answered instead of sent to voicemail.

In this respect, the ideal pitch isn’t really a pitch; it’s a timeline. It’s a long-term process of building a relationship; identifying the journalist’s needs and preferences, and building familiarity so you can make their life easier while achieving results for your clients. The pitch is just one stop along that road.

Who has time to do this?

Developing a relationship takes time. Developing relationships with many people takes even more time. And time is not something that agency folks have much of. So how does a person in PR manage the task of gaining the support of influential entities without dedicating unrealistic resources?

Be Informed:
Whether it’s travel, consumer goods, auto, etc, you NEED to be up-to-date in the latest trends in the industry you’re helping promote. Use tools like Snackr, Google Reader, or FriendFeed to know what conversations are taking place within your category. By passively using the tools above you’re not going to become an expert, but you are going to be aware of the major news that affects the people you’re going to be pitching. First of all, it will help you avoid making ignorant statements when approaching a blogger (if they see you’re not informed, they aren’t going to spend time to hear you out) and secondly, by being informed you have something in common to speak to. Without a common item of news to discuss, you’re just another PR person pitching.

Optimize:
Being informed is a precursor to streamlining your search. When forming a consideration set for an outreach program, a significant amount of time goes to taking a large group of subject authorities and shaving them down to a more refined set. If you’re staying active in the niche you’re promoting, instead of starting with a list of 200 bloggers, you’ll be able to start with 100. Anyone who has gone through this process will know that focusing on a well targeted group of blogs can get better results and avoid negative feedback from a broader outreach.

Contribute:
In the past, many PR Professionals traditionally went to Journalism school and thus were better equipped to talk to Journalists. Unfortunately there’s no such thing as “Blog School” and because of that it’s important that the industry takes time to expand its own curriculum. It isn’t necessary to be a full scale blogger in order to know how to communicate with one, but some involvement is needed. Commenting on other’s work or spending time with microblogs or lifestreams will help familiarize you with the attitudes and culture of the blogging community. The more familiar you are, the less time you’ll need to spend getting caught up when you have timely campaigns to launch.

Automate:
There are times when an all-encompassing press release or social media release makes sense but don’t let them take up all your time. Tools like PRWeb or CNW Group help in expanding your reach and are built to reduce the effort needed to create what once was a very time-consuming task. This isn’t going to eliminate the legal review of course, but it will help streamline your structuring, seeding, and measurement. However, this shouldn’t detract from the next point…

Customize:
The bulk of your time doesn’t need to go to building a press release (as we discussed above) but building a connection in the playing field that makes the most sense for the person you’re trying to engage with. The idea of “Blogger Outreach” has picked up steam over the past few years in PR and has caused us to sometimes forget that although a person might be a blogger, they might be heavily invested elsewhere. Instead of spending time to make sure your release gets seen everywhere, it may serve you better to make sure it gets heard where a blogger spends most of their time. If they’re a heavy Mahalo user, try initiating a conversation there, if they spend much of their time within a specific Ning network, try that. You may discover that the place that your key blogger spends a fair chunk of time, may be a place where the masses don’t. Forutnately for you, that means a better chance at grabbing their attention.

The Perfect Pitch is a Timeline
What ratio of time do you spend on your final release vs. establishing relationships with the audience of those communications? Because the PR business is built on a framework of Journalism majors, we often forget that our job isn’t to write the news, it’s to encourage that others do it on the behalf of our clients. This means focusing your energy and time where it matters. Use the amazing tools you have to your disposal in 2009 to deal with the aesthetics. Devote the majority of your resources to the aspect of the business you’re an expert in: people.

by Donna Gunter, The Online Biz Resource Queen (TM)

Amazon’s Kindle is a electronic book-reading device that allows people to purchase and download electronic versions of books, newspapers, and magazines. Now, you can have your blog available to Kindle readers, as well. Best of all, you can get paid for this strategy. However, you don’t get to pick the price Kindle owners pay to subscribe to your blog. Amazon chooses the price, based on what it believes is fair. This means $0.99 or $1.99 per month for most blogs. There is no way to distribute your blog for free.

The downside? You get only 30% of the subscription revenue. For example, if your blog sells for $0.99 cents and 1000 people subscribe to it via the Kindle, you’ll receive $297 per month rather than the full $990 per month paid to Amazon. International publishers must receive their funds via a U.S. check, which comes with a hefty international transaction charge.

All Kindle Blog subscriptions start with a 14-day free trial. Subscribers can cancel at any time during the free trial period. If they wish to continue their subscription, they do nothing and it will automatically continue at the regular monthly price.

How can you get your blog distributed on the Kindle? Here are the 6 easy steps to Kindle publication:

1. Sign up. Go to Kindle Publishing (Amazon) to sign up.

2. Create new account. Your existing Amazon.com account information will not work here. You’ll need to create a new account. Because you are eligible to receive payments for subscriptions, you’ll also need to provide some banking information and a tax ID number. Unfortunately, they don’t pay commissions via Paypal.

3. Add your blog. You’ll need the following information to complete your submission.

RSS/Atom feed for your blog (be sure that your posts appear as full posts rather than excerpts or your blog will fail validation)

blog description

blog screenshot

blog masthead/banner

blog keywords

4. Review your entries. Double-check your entries before publishing the results.

5. Publish your blog to Kindle. Once you hit the “Publish to Kindle” button, it will take 48-72 hours to appear in Amazon.

6. Promote your Amazon status. Once your blog is published, you can ask your blog readers to go to Amazon and rate your blog as well as review it.

In all honesty, you’re not going to make much money from Kindle for the moment. Even though images are black and white and video won’t play on the Kindle, it’s a convenient way to read blogs on the go. However, I believe that the more methods of distribution you provide for your content, the better. Follow these 6 steps and become a published blogger on Amazon today!

Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps baby boomers create profitable online retirement businesses by demystifying the steps needed to successfully market a baby boomer business online. Would you like to learn the specific Internet marketing strategies that get results? Discover how to increase your visibility and get found online by claiming your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, at == > http://www.TurbochargeYourOnlineMarketing.com

Great post by Penny Sansevieri

If you’re trying to pitch yourself to bloggers you may have found the dead silence at the end of your email exchange. Why? Well, let’s face it. The top bloggers in any market probably get a ton of email. Most of it fairly useless. I know this for a fact because I get pitched all the time for reviews, interviews, all sorts of things. Ninety-percent of the emails are useless form letters, ninety-nine percent of the pitches are from people who don’t even read my blog.

In a world where bloggers are quickly replacing media it’s amazing to me that pro-media pitchers don’t get that regardless of the person you’re pitching, the same rules still apply. Let’s do a quick run through in case you’re unsure.

1) Customize, customize, customize: I delete every email that starts off with Dear Sir or Madam. First off, I hate the term “madam” and second, my picture is posted right on my site. If you can’t tell from my photograph what sex I am we have bigger problems than a generalized pitch.

2) Personalize: ok, I know this is repetitive but let me clarify: personalize the pitch. Talk about their blog, a recent posting, how long you’ve been reading. Now don’t gush on and on like you would brag about Junior’s first baby steps, but show that you know who the blogger is and what they blog about is important. We love it when you read our stuff and when you tell us what we talk about, we love that even more.

3) KISS: Keep it simple. Very simple, short and sweet. Don’t meander on through pages and pages of your pitch. If I have to scroll through an email to find the point of your message I probably won’t read it. State your goals right up front, in the first paragraph. Don’t bury your reason for targeting them somewhere in paragraph four. Chances are the email will hit the trash bin before the reader hits paragraph four.

4) Don’t be a stalker: if you haven’t gotten a response from the blogger there’s probably a reason. They are either too busy, haven’t gotten to it, filed it away for later or aren’t interested. Yes, you’re allowed to follow up, but only once. Any more follow ups and you become a pest. No one likes a pest.

5) WIIFM: don’t forget the “what’s in it for me” factor. What’s in it for the blogger? Hint: bloggers love scoop and exclusivity so if you have someone no one else does, by all means tell them. If there’s another reason for sharing this with them then by all means tell them.

6) Figure out what you want: See #5, keep it simple but also don’t just email a blogger with a “whatever you’re willing to do” type of message. Ask for what you want, if it works for the blogger and if your pitch is good it’s likely you’ll get it.

7) Don’t send attachments unless you’re asked to. I don’t think this needs any further clarification but keep in mind: unless someone says “Yes, please send me more info” don’t load their inbox with attachments. Not only is it rude but I’ve found that attachments often end up in my spam filter where they stay until the spam filter is emptied, often without even seeing the email or associated documentation.

Mention your blog: bloggers love other bloggers. Let them know you have a blog, include a link to it, possibly even to a recent post they might be interested in.

9) Add a link: bloggers love incoming links. If you’re pitching particular bloggers you should have a link to their blog on your site. No exceptions.

10) Ask good questions: if you’re pitching a blogger for an interview but they don’t do interviews you’ve just wasted a valuable communication. Don’t assume that because you contact them about an interview: “I know you don’t do interviews” that they will make an exception for you.

Remember that much like pitching the media, it’s all about relationships. The more you can cultivate relationships with bloggers, the better your online campaign will be. Also, consider that future campaigns will also be affected by relationships you build now. Media may come and go but bloggers tend to own their market and stay put, having a solid contact is always a good place to start. Regardless of the campaign.

Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a book marketing and media relations expert whose company has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. Visit AME.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=235902&ca=Internet

Denise Wakeman

Biz Tips Blog: Internet Marketing Tips

Use of social networking sites has exploded during 2008. Millions of business professionals are now connecting through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other sites that make it easy to post messages and attract like-minded people.

While no one really knows which sites will end up being staples in your business’ marketing tool kit, and which ones will become extinct and ignored, one thing is for sure: Internet marketing is changing rapidly. Online networking is here to stay.

It’s easier to get your messages out there and attract the kinds of people you want to do business with. At the same time, it’s messier, more crowded, and noisier. We all need to tame the beasts, or we’ll drown in information and connection overload.

Remember a few basics.

Here are 7 savvy mindsets for approaching social networking wisely:

- Treat your blog as your hub, where people can go deeper into your content, get to know you better and join your mailing list.
- Everything you write, say and do should support your core values, purpose and brand.
- Building connections that turn into relationships and clients and colleagues takes time and care. Participate and be patient.
- Always strive to be authentic and honest.
- Never misuse or abuse relationships in order to make a sale.
- Always respect others and offer to be of service first.
- It’s not about you, it’s about your community.

As The Blog Squad, we are learning along with millions of others on the Internet how to use all these new tools for marketing our business without wasting time or energy. We want results from our efforts.

Even though it’s a lot of fun to connect on Twitter, we’re not there because we have nothing else to do with our time. We’ve learned there’s a way to use these sites productively so they bring better results for our business while building solid, lasting relationships.

It all ties back to our blogs which are our major lead generators for clients and business. There’s a method to our madness!

And just like anything, there are best practices to learned!

To get an idea of best practices for using twitter, read this excellent post by Liz Strauss:
25 Traits Of Twitter Folks I Admire and 25 Folks Who Have Them

For best practices on Facebook, read Mari Smith’s blog Why Facebook.

Follow SpeakerSevices on Twitter.

Connect with me on Facebook.

The following post if from my colleague  Donna Gunter, The Boomer Biz Queen™

Increasing online visibility is the goal of most online business owners.  After all, without visibility, you have no traffic and thus no business. However, when you start to research how to increase your online visibility, you discover so many options, yet have so little time for research and implementation.  Where does an online entrepreneur turn first to get the visibility (and traffic) you seek to help you promote your online venture?

New tricks and gimmicks come out every day, but unfortunately, most of them are like so many recording artists and become one-hit wonders.  In my business, I’ve discovered that there are a handful that are able to stand the test of time.  Some have been around for as long as websites have been around, while others are newer kids on the block.  Here are my 10 most effective strategies to massively increase your visibility online:

1.  Press releases.  Press releases are a well-known marketing strategy that has worked for years with print and broadcast media.  In recent years they have found new life as an online visibility tool. Just like in the old days, your release should carry some newsworthy angle that has been optimized with a select few keywords by which you want your business to be found.  Don’t waste your time submitting your release to the free press release sites — the release simply sits on the site and goes no where else.  Instead, invest in a fee-based service (I prefer PRWeb.com), which will ensure your release gets the recognition it deserves.

2.  Social Networking.  A “johnny come lately” to the online visibility scene, social networking now ranks near the top in terms of attracting much visibility to your business for a very low cost. If you don’t yet have accounts on the two most popular social networking platforms, Facebook and Twitter, today is the day to hop on board and begin to network. Choose 1-2 social networking platforms where your target market hangs out, and then begin to work it by making connections, joining groups or networks, sharing resources, and asking questions.  Dedicate 15-30 minutes each day to your effort to begin to see results.

3.  Article Marketing.  Writing and submitting articles to major article directories has definitely stood the test of time for online visibility.  Article marketing will drive traffic to your site, establish you as an expert in your target market’s eyes, and give you valuable content to repurpose into information products. For maximum effectiveness, your article needs to contain a strong resource box (author’s bio) that drives traffic back to your site, needs to contain useful content that solves a problem of your target market, and is written in a tips-based fashion, like this one, as they are the easiest for a website visitor to read and digest.

4.  Blogging.  Business blogs (a web log or journal), have gained popularity over the last few years as an online visibility tool. Blogs use RSS feed technology to immediately get new posts and updates out to your blog subscribers through a feed reader. Unlike ezines or traditional websites, search engines index blog posts almost immediately, which help you generate traffic to your website. To use effectively as an online visibility tool, you need to post 2-3 times per week to keep your readers interested and coming back.

5.  Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  Optimizing your site or your blog for organic (naturally-occurring) searches has been around from the beginning of Internet marketing.  Use a keyword research tool and create a list of keywords applicable to your business.  Don’t forget to add things like “how to”, “tips”, or short descriptions of your target market’s problems to your research. Then, take a look at your page titles, page descriptions, page headlines, and formatted text on a page (bolding, italicizing, underlining) and include your keywords in those areas, as well as sprinkling 1-2 keywords throughout the content of your page.  Make the SEO appear to be natural, not forced, and the search engines as well as your visitors will love you.

6.  Email Newsletter (Ezine). Regular publication of an email newsletter (weekly is most effective) will enable your prospects to get to know, like and trust you and have you be top of mind when they are ready to solve the pressing problems that fall within your line of expertise.  If you make opting into your ezine list the primary call to action on your website, you continually build your list with prospective customers.  Best of all, if they like what you write, they are more likely to pass along the issue to their contacts, thus increasing your visibility yet again.

7.  Signature Teleseminar/Speech.  Have you created your signature speech or teleseminar that you can present whenever you’re asked to speak to any type of group (face-to-face or virtual)? If not, design a signature speech or teleseminar that demonstrates your knowledge and expertise without giving away the store (focus on the what and the why but not the how) that compels your listeners to visit your website or request your client attraction device and get on your list.

Then, begin to research groups that contain your target market both in your geographic area and online. Once you’ve landed a speaking gig, strategize your best call to action for the group — do you want participants to sign up for your email list, purchase a product, or book a consultation?  Add that call to action to your presentation.

8.  Videos.  With the popularity of broadband Internet connections, it’s much easier for almost anyone to view online video these days.  And, with high-quality yet low-cost web cams, video cameras, and screen capture software readily available, anyone can make a video today.  You might record a live Q&A session on UStream.com and post it on your site.  Or, perhaps you want to record a “how to” tutorial using screenshots from your computer and upload that to yourYouTube.com channel. Remember to include your call to action in your video so that you drive traffic back to your site.  Just think — your video may cause you to become the next YouTube star!

9.  Expert question sites.  Most people conduct online searches to find free information that answers their questions.  Many online entrepreneurs are registering as experts on an expert or answers site, likeYahoo Answers orAllExperts.com, in an effort to get visibility online. To be an effective expert on these sites, you need to seek out questions that you can knowledgeably answer as an expert. Your answer needs to be very detailed and as specific as possible. The more thorough your answer, the better chance you’ll have of getting chosen as the “favorite” answer, which is the one rated highest on the site and in the search engines.

10.  Viral marketing.  Viral marketing involves creating a marketing piece (ebook, video, software) that gets passed along fr*ee of charge from person to person. Publicity Hound Joan Stewart does this quite effectively each year when she compiles the best tips she’s written about in the previous year in a “best of” ebook compilation that she gives away free of charge on her site.  She also encourages her list and website visitors to “regift” it.

You’ve got two options when you try to get online visibility:  the “steady and effective over time” method or the “quick and short and probably get banned” method. I prefer to use methods that have stood the test of time and won’t result in my site being removed from the search engines.  Use one or more of these time-honored strategies to get you the visibility you deserve online.

Internet Marketing Strategist and Boomer Biz Coach Donna Gunter helps baby boomers create profitable online retirement businesses that they love by demystifying and simplifying the tools and strategies needed to market and grow their businesses online. To claim your FR*EE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, visit her site at OnlineBizU.com. Ask Donna an Internet Marketing question at  AskDonnaGunter.com

The following post comes to us from http://www.marketingprofs.com by Brent Altomare

What first started out as a consumer phenomenon has turned into a growing corporate trend: Blogs now provide opportunities for organizations to interact and share their stories and thoughts online. As of 2007, there were a reported 100 million blogs; and as of July 2008, some 15 percent of Fortune 500 companies maintained one.

Accordingly, many marketers are now wondering how to create even more dynamic content and “stickiness” through this medium. Meanwhile, that next level of intimacy has already started to emerge—via video blogs, or vlogs.

Vlogs provide companies a way to foster a greater connection with their visitors when words tend to fail. These outlets offer an opportunity for customers to put faces, voices, and personality to the content. More importantly, vlogs are successful marketing tools that can increase online traffic and repeat business while also raising brand awareness and affinity even more so than text blogs.

Some companies looking to take the online video plunge may feel that doing so is too expense or time consuming. In fact, organizations of all shapes and sizes can launch a vlog for very little cost, because the quality of personal video production equipment has increased significantly over the past several years without a similar rise in prices. Some may also look toward outside firms for help.

Regardless of how a company goes about it, here are five rules that should be followed in order to create a successful vlog.

1. Be Honest

Business leaders are expected to uphold the highest level of integrity. Any type of posting or claim that a company makes in a vlog must be accurate; once it’s posted, there’s no turning back.

Be certain that the information conveyed won’t cause harm to the organization’s reputation afterward. Once lies are uncovered, it’s difficult to recover. Should an accidental error in fact surface on a vlog posting, it is imperative to address it immediately.

2. Update Regularly

To maintain continuous communication with customers, companies should update their vlog as often as possible: monthly at a minimum. Long lapses in communication can cause customers to drift away, forget about the organization, and never return.

Individuals responsible for maintaining vlogs should keep a running list of “anywhere, anytime” topics to avoid the online version of “writer’s block.”

3. Allow Commentary

One of the most worrisome aspects of communicating with an audience online is the fear that negative comments will be posted in response. No company wants to be criticized, especially when the entire world can see, but allowing customers to formulate an opinion and speak their mind is essential.

Businesses need to understand that by allowing commentary, they are opening up the lines of communication and creating a stronger sense of trust by asking visitors to contribute their thoughts.
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With strong communities, unwarranted criticism will undoubtedly be silenced by the leaders of your group, while constructive comments can provide organizations the opportunity to correct deficiencies before it’s too late.

4. Take risks

Often, companies are also worried about throwing in humor or divulging personal information. However, both approaches have proven effective, and they allow businesses to build relationships with their audience on a more intimate level, revealing that they are “real,” everyday people too. Using other approaches may keep them coming back for more.

5. To Thine Own Self Be True

Not only is it imperative that an organization be factual in its vlog, but it must also remain true to the “soul” of the company. Adhering to an organization’s core value proposition is essential.

Businesses are built on their culture, and it’s imperative that they not stray from their ideals. Going against a company’s principals can be detrimental—and easily considered to be on par with lying.

* * *

If thought out properly, vlogs have the ability to increase brand awareness, Web site traffic, and personal bonds with customers. People tend to gravitate toward and do business with people they like.

Creating a vlog allows organizations to communicate directly with their audience and form a stronger connection. In addition, vlogs provide visitors with more online content, making their site more “sticky” and giving the impression that the company is up-to-date with the most current trends—a trait valued highly by consumers.

As vlogs become more mainstream, organizations will find out that launching one will be not only a good way to communicate with their stakeholders but also very good for their business.

Brent Altomare is owner and executive producer of Groovy Like A Movie (www.groovylikeamovie.com), a multi-media production company in San Diego. Reach Brent via brent@groovylikeamovie.com.

Great tips from Donna Gunter, The Boomer Biz Queen™

“So, what do I blog about each time?” is a question I often get from clients.  To keep your blog active and healthy, I recommend blogging at least 3 times per week.  However, that notion is overwhelming for many.  Even though you may be an expert in a topic, your mind may go completely blank when it comes time to blog, and then at other times when you’re not blogging, your idea cup runneth over.

The primary thing to remember is that blog posts don’t have to be long and complicated.  You’re not writing an article, a report or a thesis.  Many times a blog post is only a paragraph consisting of a few sentences that contain your thoughts about something.  Now, doesn’t that sound easier than composing a 600-word post each time you sit down to blog?

Here are 20 ideas you can use to help you create a blog post when you’re stuck for an idea:

1.  Current events.  Can you link what you do in your business to a current event?  Open up your daily newspaper or your RSS news reader and see what’s happening in the world, your country, your state, or your city. Give your opinion about the event and a solution, if you have it, and relate that to your business if you can.

2.  Trends in your industry.  I read constantly and subscribe to more industry publications than I have time to review. However, there are a handful that I do regularly read, and it’s to those that I look to for what the trends seem to be.  When you blog about the trend, put your unique perspective on it, or write a rebuttal post, disagreeing with the relevance of the trend.

3.  Get personal. Tell a story about what’s happening in your life or in your business that would be useful or instructive for your readers. Chronicle both your highs and lows, your wins and your struggles.  One key to successful blogging is getting personal with your readers. The more “real” you are with your readers, the better your reader gets to know you and begins to like and trust you. You become a “real, live” human being to them who faces similar issues that they face.

4.  Top 10.  Most of my writing is in the form of a Top 10 list because it’s an easy way for me to outline the points I want to make and then go back and fill in the details for each point. In this case, each of your points for a topic can become an individual blog post, and when all the points are complete, you can compile the full list for an article for your ezine or website.

5.  Frequently asked questions.  If you’ve been in business for awhile, you know the questions that clients and prospective clients ask you to answer over and over again. Instead of repeatedly responding to the same questions, write a series of blog posts that answer your target market’s most frequently asked questions.

6. How you helped a client solve a problem.  Clients hire you to solve a specific problem they’re having, whether they do that when they buy your service or your product. List 3-5 most recent problems that you have helped your clients solve. Create a post that talks about the problem and the solution you provided (either with your client’s permission, or by making it generic enough to hide the client’s identity) that becomes a learning experience for your readers.

7.  Interview an expert.  What people do your know and admire in your industry?  If you admire them, chances are that members of your target market do, as well.  Contact them for a short email or recorded interview and ask them 3-5 questions that you’d like to hear them answer about their lives, their businesses, industry trends, or how to solve a particular problem.  Publish the interviews as blog posts, adding audio and graphics if you have them.

8.  Solicit and answer questions.  Ask your ezine subscribers or blog readers to ask you their most pressing question related to what you do. I do this and get questions for 1-2 blog posts per week, and it helps me stay in touch with the needs of my readers, as well.  You can ask me your most pressing question at AskDonnaGunter.com.

9.  Review something.  Read a good book lately related to your industry?  Just purchased a product to help you solve a problem?  Reviews aren’t limited to the critics at the New York Times. Blog about your experience with a product, book, or service, highlighting both the high points and low points, and whether you would recommend that others use or purchase it.

10.  Read other blogs.  Go to Google’s Blog Search or Technorati and find other blogs related to your industry or your target market.  Add those to your blog reader and take an hour or two each week to read the posts on those blogs.  Do you agree or disagree with the post?  Have another point of view?  Think the blogger was on target but you want to expand on her point of view?  Reading other blogs is a great way to generate ideas for your own blog.

11. Keep an idea file.  Sometimes a blogging idea or concept will strike you when you don’t need (or want) to blog.  Begin a blog idea file by creating a document or spreadsheet to track your ideas and thoughts.  If you’re in the zone, go ahead and write the post, and then you can post it to your blog on a day when the idea well is dry.

12.  Create a tutorial.  There’s always something you can tell your target market how to do.  Create a written, audio, or video tutorial of the process as your blog post.  Depending on the complexity of the tasks, the tutorial may need to created in multiple parts, like Part 1, Part 2, etc., which would make for multiple posts to your blog.

13.  Share a positive/negative email.  I often share exceptionally positive or negative emails I receive from people (without names to protect their identity as appropriate) either to celebrate kudos I’ve received or to demonstrate how I responded to a particularly nasty or upsetting comment.  I get the most mileage out of the negative emails, and I often ask for feedback about how my readers might respond to the situation.

14.  Take a tour.  Take a self-made in-person or virtual tour of something useful to your readers.  For example, if you’re a dating coach, tour the top 5 online dating sites and report your experiences as a client in each.    If you’re a restaurant consultant, visit 3 local restaurants and evaluate what’s often overlooked in staff training based on your experience as a customer.

15.  Write about a Twitter or Facebook update.  You only get 140 characters in Twitter to write about something.  If you need more space, or want to respond in greater length to someone’s Tweet or Facebook status update, do so in your blog.  Thought-provoking questions are often asked on Twitter, and the answers may inspire you to blog.

16.  Create a “Best of” list.  What are the top 7 blogs to read in your industry?  How about the top 5 people to watch?  What about the 10 most useful online tools you use?  Nothing attracts attention on a blog quicker than a list, so create one yourself or ask your readers to help you in the process.

17.  Report from an event.  Attending a professional trade show, conference, or networking event?  You can report live about your experiences at the event on your blog.  Talk about the workshops your attended, the vendors you met, the speaker you heard — the sky’s the limit!

18.  Debunk a myth.  Each industry is plagued with myths and fallacies about success/failure or what does/doesn’t work that the industry professionals would like to see vanquished once and for all.  Use your blog to  debunk some of the most common myths/preconceptions/notions in your industry and set the record straight.

19.  Talk to newbies.   Picture yourself as a newbie in your industry once again. What do you know now that you didn’t know then? What questions did you ask? What knowledge do you have that you think everyone knows? Getting back to the basics can help bring all of your blog readers up to speed.

20.  Write about a client conversation.  Many times I’m inspired to blog as an expansion or continuation of a conversation I had with a client. The blog post focuses on a topic of the conversation, not the conversation itself. Typically the strategy/idea/technique you’ve discussed with one client will benefit your blog readers as well.

This is just the tip of a very large ice burg of ideas for posts to your blog.  Take a look around your life, your business, conversations with clients and colleagues, and what’s happening in the world around you. You’ll soon begin to see more potentials for blog posts that you ever thought possible!

Internet Marketing Strategist and Boomer Biz Coach Donna Gunter helps baby boomers create profitable online retirement businesses that they love by demystifying and simplifying the tools and strategies needed to market and grow their businesses online. To claim your FR*EE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, visit her site at OnlineBizU.com .

Angela Wills

Looking for a quick, easy and low cost way to get a website up and running?  Then you really should consider using WordPress.

You’ve probably heard of WordPress as one of the most popular blogging platforms but it can do so much more then use let you post a few entries to your blog.  Using WordPress as a Website or CMS (Content Management System) has many advantages, here are some to consider:

- Easy Setup:
Setting up WordPress is easy.  If you have fantastico in your domain’s control panel then in a few clicks you’ll have WordPress up and running.  If you don’t have fantastico then you can do a manual install, which takes a little more time but isn’t complicated if you follow the directions.  If you are uncomfortable with either of those options you can always hire someone to do it for you.  It won’t be pricey to do this as it doesn’t take a long time for someone who knows what their doing.

- User Updates:
If your website is build through a designer using a program like Dreamweaver or Frontpage then you will need to pay someone every time you want to change even the smallest thing on your site.  Using a system like WordPress is much more user-friendly and easier to learn.

You can be updating your own site in no time and changes are instant – you don’t have to wait for a designer to have time to do the edits for you!

- Easily Outsourced:
If you want to have someone else add content to your website or update some of your pages this can easily be outsourced when you use WordPress as a Website.  You can set your virtual assistant up with their own username and password and all she’ll need to do is log in online to work on your site.  No making sure you have the most recent version of a website or making sure you
don’t overwrite someone else’s work.

- Management of Content:
A great thing about using WordPress as a website is the use of the Categories and Archives that are built into the program.  You can categorize your content into different sections and WordPress will automatically sort it for you.

- Search Engine Friendly:
Search engines love websites that are frequently updated.  Because of the nature of blogs and WordPress you’ll likely be updating very frequently and this is good news for your search engine rankings.

You’ll also be found in the blog search engines which can also give your site a boost.

- RSS Feed Subscriptions:
When you use create a website using WordPress you also get a RSS feed.  Now readers of your site can subscribe to your RSS feed and be notified every time you add new content to the site.  This is a great way to keep your website ‘sticky’ and have people coming back for more information.

That should give you just a few ideas on how you can start using
Wordpress to create a website that draws in more traffic and makes your life easier.  If you need any help getting started, we offer a full website design package at Star VA:
http://starva.com/website-design
905-716-2995-  angela@angelawills.com

The following post is from Denise Wakeman of the Blog Squad.

When you think of Twitter, you may not think about list building. You probably think about instant messaging on steroids, building relationships via 140 character “tweets” that connect you to your followers and allow them to get to know you and your business.

And, Twitter can be used as a tool to build your email list as well.

Just like offering an “ethical bribe” to your web/blog visitors if they sign up for your ezine, you can offer Twitter followers a free report or e-course as a thank-you gift for following you. What’s the difference? Following you on Twitter is much the same as subscribing to get your ezine.

The reason to get followers on to your list is so you can develop an even deeper relationship with and help move them to engage with you deep by becoming a client or customer.

So, how to you put this in place?

Here’s how I’ve done it.  I just set this up so I don’t have numbers to report yet, so we’ll see how it goes.

First, you need to set up an account on Tweetlater.com. This great application allows you to set up what is essentially an autoresponder for Twitter and send an immediate welcome message to new followers. 

NOTE: you can set up the welcome message to be delivered as a public message or a direct (private) message.  Set it up as a direct message.

What are you going to give away? I decided to offer a report that we normally only sell, so it’s not available anywhere else for free.  It’s a 44 page, detailed, edited transcript about how to use a blog to write and market a book. We, The Blog Squad , were interviewed by our mentor Tom Antion. The value is $37.

Whether you’re selling or giving something away, you need a system to collect email addresses and deliver the product.  We use KickStartCart. I set up:

• A series of autoresponders to thank the person for requesting the report plus 3 follow up messages with more useful info and ways they can learn more about The Blog Squad
• A $0 product that delivers the report digitally. It’s secure so only the person who makes the request can download the report

I also created a simple web page where the new follower is directed to get info about the complimentary report and a second web page they are directed to after they submit their contact info, thanking them for getting the report and giving them an unannounced extra bonus!

Next, I logged into my Tweetlater account and set up my welcome message. You only get 120 characters so you must be creative, especially since you have to include the URL for the web page that they go to sign up for your report.

Thank the person for following and give them the info to get the report.

Subscribe to the Blog Squad

Follow Speaker Services on Twitter

post from Denise Wakeman, The Blog Squad

Seth Godin does it again. Here’s a brilliant lesson from the master of permission marketing and author of Purple Cow.

A couple of months ago I received an email inviting me to apply to be a member of Seth Godin’s new social networking site, Triiibes – For people who want to lead a tribe and make something happen. 

Of course I responded, got accepted and set up my minimal profile (really need to get that done).

All this is in anticipation of Seth Godin’s new book, Tribes, being released later this month. I preordered the book too.

Here’s where Godin’s marketing lesson comes in, beyond what he’s doing with Triiibes. Yesterday, I received a copy of the new book in the mail. It’s not the copy I ordered. That’s hasn’t been shipped yet. It was an advance copy of Tribes with a letter from Seth Godin, thanking me for taking a chance on signing up for Triiibes.com and for preordering the book.

His request…to give the book I ordered away to someone else. He gave me (and probably thousands of others) a free copy so we will give away the copy we paid for, so his ideas spread to even more people.

Here is what’s going to happen…

All the early Triiibes adopters buy a book and get a free book.

We give a book away to a friend, colleague or client.

More people join Triiibes.

People begin talking about the book, Triiibes and Seth Godin.

Readers start writing reviews on Amazon.com, on blogs, in ezines.

Readers starting posting quotes on Twitter (already started).

More people buy the book.

More people join Triiibes.

More people talk about Triiibes.

How can you implement this strategy for your own products and services?

It’s not really that difficult. You don’t have to start your own social networking site, but you could. You can also have a Facebook group for your book or product or service.

You can do a buy one, get one free to spread the buzz. Why not?

I posted the following question on several social network sites.  LinkedIn, Twitter, FaceBook and to my e-mail list after I had blogged about it.

Q: Know what blogging and speaking have in common?  Find out http://tinyurl.com/53tqll

I noticed it caught a lot of interest and varying points of view.

Here are some of the responses or comments that I received.

See if you can figure out how my outreach created a win win for everyone and also the author of the post Mark Hayward.  Comments are appreciated.

Jon W. Hansen

From my perspective, the blog is the ideal venue to introduce the concepts presented in my seminars to a wider audience. It is also a means of providing additional information (including reference material) to those professionals who do attend the conferences.

What is interesting is that collectively the blog-speaking tandem creates the critical mass that maintans momentum and drives sustainable activity.

For example, my speaking engagements more than tripled last year, while my blog (Procurement Insights) which was launched in May 2007 now reaches 300,000 syndicated subscribers each month worldwide and is available in English, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Finnish.

The writing style and subject matter are of course a key elements of the blog, as is the speaking style and subject matter relative to the seminars.

The highest standards have to be maintained at all times. With a blog, this means that you must have at minimum 3 to 5 new posts every week.
___________

Trisha Torrey

I wholeheartedly agree, although until you suggested it, I hadn’t given it any thought.

I speak several times each month. I find my preparation for my talks often provide me with topics and fuel for my blogs. And I find my blogs, and the comments and email I receive in response, often provide anecdotal support for my speaking opps.

Great point. Thanks for raising it, Susan.

Every Patient’s Advocate
Blogs: http://patients.about.com and EveryPatientsAdvocate.com/blog

_______

Terry L. Sumerlin

Motivational Humorist (leadership, team building, customer service, networking) at Sumerlin Enterprises

Susan, You are absolutely correct. Thanks for pointing it out the connection between speaking and blogging. I speak what I write and vice versa. It is such a natural combination. The writing helps me clarify my thoughts for speaking and keeps me in touch with those I speak to. Thanks!

Terry L. Sumerlin – The Barber-osopher
Author/Leadership Humorist
http://barber-osophy.blogspot.com/

_______

Frank Feather

► CEO + Business Futurist + ex-Banker ► Keynote Speaker + Strategy Consultant ► “A Future You Can Bank On!”

Very interesting observation, Susan, that I have not really thought about, except that when I write (e.g., on a blog, in an article, in a book, or answering a question on LinkedIn), I do very much tend to write as I would speak.

The blog you cite makes the following point:

Dynamic public speakers and bloggers typically:
* Know their topic and are well prepared
* Display confidence when speaking or writing
* Take command of the audience
* Speak with an authoritative voice
* Engage the audience
* Add a touch of humor
* Maintain a high level of energy
Additionally … top bloggers (and public speakers) are able to communicate their message in a succinct and easy to digest manner. That sums me up pretty well.

I also think that writing about a subject helps you to crystallize your thoughts and actually to learn your subject matter more thoroughly. It also forces you to make your point succinctly, and to learn to leave out extraneous materials.

All that said, there is still a big difference between writing a Blog in private, editing and reworking it until you are satisfied, and getting up in front of a live audience of thousands and delivering a flawless presentation.
________

Jon W. Hansen

Hansen Consulting & Seminars Inc.

From my perspective, the blog is the ideal venue to introduce the concepts presented in my seminars to a wider audience. It is also a means of providing additional information (including reference material) to those professionals who do attend the conferences.

What is interesting is that collectively the blog-speaking tandem creates the critical mass that maintans momentum and drives sustainable activity.

For example, my speaking engagements more than tripled last year, while my blog (Procurement Insights) which was launched in May 2007 now reaches 300,000 syndicated subscribers each month worldwide and is available in English, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Finnish.

The writing style and subject matter are of course a key elements of the blog, as is the speaking style and subject matter relative to the seminars.

The highest standards have to be maintained at all times. With a blog, this means that you must have at minimum 3 to 5 new posts every week.

_________

Mary Collette Rogers

Great thought. I would never have thought of it. I do know, however, that the more I write about a topic, the easier it is to speak about it, as writing seems to discipline me to refine my thoughts on a subject. Thanks for the insights
________

Richard Kokholm-Erichsen

I do not personally have the experience that blogging and public speaking is the same thing. I am myself an experienced public speaker. I have been speaking to big assemblies and to smaller groups. I have never really been afraid of the speaking.
I feel however some fear when it comes to blogging, which I am still doing my best to improve.
To me the really big difference is the contact to your audience. When I am speaking I communicate directly with my audience and I can sense their reception immediately.

When I blog I am not in direct contact with my audience which means that I cannot perceive their immediate response.
The readers of the blog reads the information at their own time and within their own context. When I speak publicly we are all in the same context at the same time.

I agree with you that many of the basic requirements for the speaker or the blogger are the same. I believe however that the difference in time around the sending and the reading of the blog is a very important distinction.

So what did you learn from this experience?   Add your comments we can all learn from each other.

My comment: It is all about connecting with the audience.

by Michael W. McLaughlin, Contributing Editor of Rain Today

Many consultants ask if they should start blogging to add power to their market presence. Blogs certainly are pervasive. In fact, if you listen to the experts, you get the impression that everyone should be blogging.

It is tempting to jump on the bandwagon. But only you can decide if blogging is right for your business.

Max, a North Carolina-based blogger, authors one of the 100+ million blogs tracked by Technorati, the Internet search engine for blogs. Like many bloggers, Max regularly publishes short posts with his observations of daily life. Max’s blog has been featured on CNN and many other blogs, Web sites, and news outlets. He is a star blogger.

Max is also a dog—a Golden Retriever to be precise. He writes on subjects like his walks in the park, what it feels like to sit in a hot, parked car, and licking people’s faces.

I’m not sure if Max’s success is a sign that it’s time to get into blogging—or get out of it. But I am sure that blogs are here to stay. Look at the lineup of corporate bloggers and you’ll probably agree. CEOs of companies from American Ventures to Whole Foods count themselves as bloggers.

Bloggers have swayed political elections, consumer opinion, and the daily news. In a recent study, a majority of journalists said that blogs are especially useful in helping them understand the context of a story, or finding a new angle on one. Even the US presidential candidates stopped by a political bloggers’ conference, fishing for votes.

Blogging is the perfect Guerrilla Marketing tactic. You can reach a large audience quickly, and repeatedly. The cost of blogging is low, and the technology is simple to use. It’s an excellent way to stay in touch with your existing clients and help prospective clients get to know you.

With all that going for it as a marketing tool, shouldn’t every consultant be blogging?

Some blog experts will tell you that it’s foolhardy to pass up the opportunity to add a blog to your marketing mix. Before launching a blog, though, ask yourself a few essential questions. Your answers will help you decide if a blog is right for your practice.

Feeding the Beast

The marketing tools that work best are those that you can execute most effectively. If you get tongue-tied in front of an audience, it doesn’t make sense for public speaking to be the centerpiece of your marketing program. That just leads to foot dragging, and the results aren’t likely to be stellar either.

The same logic applies to blogs. Do you like to write—a lot? If you don’t enjoy writing regularly, or you aren’t very good at it, you may want to hold off on that blog.

The technical aspects of blogging may be a no-brainer, but content drives the success of a blog. Can you feed your blog with content that your clients really want to read? Finding relevant content takes time. Even if you have plenty to say, you still have to draft, edit, and publish, all of which are time-consuming.

You often hear bloggers say that blogs invite informal writing, and that typos and grammatical errors just come with the territory. Maybe that’s okay for Max the Golden Retriever, but it’s the kiss of death if you are marketing a high-end professional services business. Be sure you have the skills, time, and patience to write valuable stuff on a regular basis.

If You Build It, Who Will Come?

Once your blog is up and running, you have many choices for building your readership. The question is, can you attract not just any readers, but the right ones? You shouldn’t blog to win a popularity contest. You’re better off with a small number of readers who buy or influence purchases of your services, rather than a large list of non-buyers.

As you consider blogging, ask your clients if they read blogs and, if so, what content they prefer to see. You’ll find some clients don’t read blogs at all and have zero interest in them. Others have RSS newsfeeds for all of their favorite blogs.

The 1989 movie, Field of Dreams, popularized the phrase, “If you build it, they will come.” Is that true for your potential blog? Can you predict who will come?

Look to the Future

It’s not unusual for the initial euphoria of a blog to wane after several weeks or months. Busy consultants often find it tough to keep writing when client work takes so much of their energy. Other times, creative fatigue sets in and a blog can get stale.

If you do start a blog, how will you continue to generate content over the long-term? You don’t have to decide everything you’ll write about, but it’s a good idea to develop a basic strategy for the future.

If your practice includes other consultants, could you tap them for help with blog content? Would you be able to rotate the writing assignments for your blog with others?

What if you try blogging for a while and then decide to quit? Would that tarnish your image in the marketplace? What would you do with the content? Well, you can always reposition content for other uses, for example, articles, either for your website or other sites. The point is to think about if and how you will use a blog six months, a year, or several years from now.

What’s the Alternative?

Finally, before you dive into blogging, consider your alternatives. A blog can either be an addition to your current marketing tactics, or a replacement for something. Think about what other marketing tools you might add instead of a blog. Would other activities help you generate a better return on your investment of time and energy?

Beginning Your Blog

Blogging does seem like a natural fit for consultants. It’s easy to get started and offers a good channel for you to get your perspectives on key issues out to the market.

Before you take the plunge, just make sure you are willing and able to commit to keeping your blog fresh, and that your target readers will actually be interested in your blog.

Even if you start blogging before answering all the questions I have posed, you’ll still reap therapeutic benefits: Research published in Scientific American¹ shows that expressive writing improves memory and sleep, and speeds healing.

Footnote:

^{1 “Blogging—It’s Good for You.” Scientific American, May 2008: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-healthy-type.}

Mark Hayward

http://northxeast.com/blogging/like-it-or-not-blogging-is-public-speaking/

Do you get sweaty palms, an increased heart rate, or feel like you are going to faint when you have to make a presentation in front of an audience? Would you like to improve your public speaking skills and enhance your blogging at the same time?

Public speaking and blogging are similar in many ways and particularly because they both require you to make an immediate connection with your audience. Additionally, how you choose to present yourself, whether speaking publicly or blogging, will ultimately determine how people view your tone, your image, and your brand.Some other complimentary similarities between the two include:

• You are putting yourself out there in front of the masses (sometimes this invites criticism)
• Public speaking and blogging are both acquired skills (for most)
• You must be able to effectively communicate a message

So it would stand to reason that if you improve your public speaking skills then your blogging talents would be enhanced too.

How do you feel about public speaking? Would you rather be doing anything else other than standing in front of a group of people and delivering a presentation?

Now that we are into the New Year many of us (including myself) would like to take our blog to the next level in terms of gaining more subscribers and possibly increasing our online income generation. If you would like to really improve the overall quality of your site there is one skill that you can work on that can have a direct correlation with improving your blogging talents.

Of course, I am talking about the ability to effectively communicate a message and make a presentation in front of a group of people, or speak publicly with authority and confidence.

When was the last time you had to stand up and speak to a group of your peers or colleagues?

Many people are apprehensive about standing in front of a crowd and delivering a message but if you can conquer the fear of public speaking you can absolutely improve your blog. As noted above the two are inherently related.

When I was younger and in high school, and even into college, I was a horrific public speaker. I had NO idea what I was doing and I lacked the relevant skills that were required to be successful. For most, public speaking is an acquired talent. My ability to present to a group of people was gained as a Peace Corps volunteer where I was continually asked to make speeches to large groups of people, and in a completely foreign language. Attending graduate school also helped to increase my skills.

If you are not the most dynamic public speaker do not fret because there is hope. However, there are also a few tips and tricks that are specifically related to blogging and presenting, which can have you creating improved posts by the end of today.

Like it or not, blogging is public speaking

That’s correct, every time you publish a post you are speaking to the global public via the internet. The number of people in the world with online access is certainly a much larger audience than any of us will ever have the pleasure of standing in front of, so it is pretty amazing.

Take Darren Rowse, of ProBlogger, for example. I don’t know what his daily visitor stats are, but he has almost 40,000 subscribers, so everyday he is delivering a presentation to thousands of people via his blog posts. Pretty impressive don’t you think? When you approach it that way, public speaking isn’t so bad after all.

What traits do all great public speakers have in common and how does it apply to blogging?

All of the most effective public speakers that I have ever witnessed have some common qualities, and the same is applicable to blogging. If you have the time some day I strongly recommend that you watch one of the many Seth Godin videos that are available on YouTube.

Dynamic public speakers and bloggers typically:

• Know their topic and are well prepared
• Display confidence when speaking or writing
• Take command of the audience
• Speak with an authoritative voice
• Engage the audience
• Add a touch of humor
• Maintain a high level of energy

Additionally, along with the above, top bloggers (and public speakers) are able to communicate their message in a succinct and easy to digest manner. In the past I have had to present to many government officials and in a way they are a lot like bloggers because they don’t want to waste time and they typically have a short attention span. Rather, they are only interested in the valuable information that you have to tell them and they are not interested in fluff.

Successful blogging is no different. In fact, of all the blogs that I read daily; ProBlogger, Seth Godin, Doshdosh, AnyWired and Zen Habits, the writers are true masters of their craft. The authors consistently produce posts that are delivered with a commanding tone, an authoritative voice, a solid message, and they successfully engage the audience and make you think.

Practice makes perfect

If you are not too confident in your public speaking I would encourage you to practice as much as possible. There are Toast Masters’ meetings all over the world and if you are not familiar with them they are a group of likeminded people who gather together to work on their presentation and public speaking talents. In time, you can become comfortable in front of a crowd and even enjoy speaking to groups of people.

When I know that I have to make a presentation, or draft a blog post, there are some general guidelines that I always follow in my quest for success. Here are some tips to start you on your way toward improved presentation skills and blogging:

• Start with your title and create the post from there
• Use visuals as a support mechanism to enhance your post or presentation
• Get someone to provide constructive criticism by watching you practice, or proofreading your post
• Connect with your audience or readers immediately
• Never apologize if you are bombing (only apologize if there is a technical issue)
• Make your points and support them with examples
• Provide information of value
• Seek input from the audience or your readers

As a final tip I would like to add that there are always going to be negative people and naysayers who will try to criticize what you are doing, so whether you are blogging or presenting, don’t listen to them and focus on the positive every time!

Remember, presenting yourself in the public domain is nerve wracking but with a little attention to detail and the proper preparation you should be blogging and speaking in public like a professional orator in no time.