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8 Secret Fears That Stop Smart Business Owners From Blogging, and How to Overcome Them

October 17, 2011 By 30 Comments
Guest Post by Michelle Shaeffer

Are secret fears holding you back from jumping head first into blogging? Don’t let them! Blogging is nothing to be afraid of, and nothing has done as much to boost my business and my visibility as blogging has.

So let’s talk about some of those fears that might be holding you back from blogging:

1. I’m not sure I have anything to blog about…

Everyone has something to share. If you’re an entrepreneur and you’re in business for yourself, then it’s safe to assume you’re passionate about something, right? Blog about that! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Improving your web site, Making money from home, Marketing/Public Relations, Working at home Tagged With: , ,

Believe it…You Can Make Your Blog More Credible

June 23, 2010 By

You can spend hours a day working on your blog, pouring your heart out or sharing everything you know about your area of expertise.  But how do you make your readers believe what you’re saying or feeling? Darren Rowse’s ProBlogger blog post, “12 Ways to Make Your Blog Posts More Credible,” will give you a few clues.

  • Use rich, vivid detail. When you use rich, vivid language, words that paint vivid pictures in your reader’s mind, she tends to believe what you are saying because she can see it for herself. Storytellers are amazing and can draw in their audience with their words. It’s a skill that takes time to master (I’m still working on it) but being able to illustrate a story with [Read more...]
Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Improving your web site, Marketing/Public Relations Tagged With: , , , ,

Is Blogging Dead?

January 19, 2010 By
Is it time to bury your blog?

Is it time to bury your blog?

Is it time to dump your blog? Steve Rubel, Senior Vice President of Edelman Digital, thinks so. In an interview Rubel did on Social Media Examiner (an awesome site worthing checking out), he explains why blogging is dead.  He feels site visitors don’t have time to read and would rather watch a video instead. And he stressed that video is mandatory, not optional.

During the interview, Rubel shares valuable info about how to measure social media metrics, why you need to be on all social networks where your clients are hanging out, and more.

After watching his interview, I’m not convinced that it’s time to bury blogging forever, but I agree with him about video. It’s easier to watch something (gotta love fast-forward) than to take the time to read it.  Unfortunately it can take longer to tape a video than to write a blog post.

Filed Under: Working at home Tagged With: , ,

What Do I Write About Now?

January 8, 2010 By

working from homeYou’re sitting in front of your computer and you can’t think of anything to write.  We’ve all been there.  Lisa Barone comes to the rescue with her blog post “100+ SMB Blogging Ideas to Kick Start 2010.” Most of her tips make sense, while a few of them are a bit too warm and fuzzy. After you read her tips though, don’t be surprised to see your fingers dance across the keyboard or at least take a few blog-starting steps.  Check out a few of Barone’s better tips.

  • Write 10 ways your industry will change this year
  • Attend industry events and blog about them
  • What someone needs to consider before getting involved in your industry
  • Interview someone well-known in your world and profile them
  • Publish a presentation you gave somewhere else (with permission)
  • Search Google News for relevant press releases and news about your industry. Write your own take.
Filed Under: Working at home Tagged With: , , ,

Pump Up Your Blogging

December 17, 2009 By

Typing is easy. Knowing what to write...not so much.

I often compare writing a blog that no one reads to having a party no one comes to.  Just as you can plan an awesome party with no guarantee anyone will show up, you can write what you think your readers want with no guarantee anyone will visit your site.

Today I ran across a blog named Copyblogger, the party planner of blogging. The site offer tips that will make your readers hunger for more.  Some of the tastier nuggets of info were in their articles: “The 7 Deadly Sins of Blogging,” “The #1 Conversation Killer in Your Copy” and “10 Effective Ways to Get More Blog Subscribers.” Copyblogger is filled with useful blogging tips and great examples of what works and what doesn’t work in the blogosphere.

The site follows its own recommendation that if you offer valuable information, you’ll bring readers back.  I’m coming back right after I plan my next party.  I hope everyone shows up.

Filed Under: Working at home Tagged With: ,

If You Write It They Will Come

December 11, 2009 By

iStock_000006066744XSmallYou may be a top public relations expert, ace realtor or inspiring motivatlonal speaker, but how do you let others know about your amazing skills? Start with a blog.  If you’ve already taken the time to set up a blog, written your heart out and told everyone you know to read it, that may not be enough.

Professional blogger Yaro Starak’s post “10 Blog Traffic Tips” has several practical and more importantly, useful tips for helping you find readers.  Some of my favorite tips are:

  • Write at least five major “pillar” articles. Generally they are longer than 500 words and have lots of very practical tips or advice. I write a mix of pillar articles and posts like this one where I find articles of interest, summarize them, and then share them with you, my readers. [Read more...]
Filed Under: Home office technology, Making money from home, Working at home Tagged With: , ,

Weird is Good

October 27, 2009 By

Who isn’t looking for a way (or hundreds of ways) to improve their blog?  In the article, “Steal This Trick: The #1 Secret of Confident Bloggers,” writer Sonia Simone goes beyond the expected tips: use strong headlines, review the latest technology and tell stories, among others, and suggests you go for the unusual to draw in readers.  Her tips offer a different view of how to blog.

  • If you’re a blogger, look for a topic that lots and lots of people want to know more about.
  • Instead of being a big fish in a small pond, allow me to suggest another approach. Be a small, ridiculously evolved, very rare and weird fish in a great big pond.
  • If it’s not working, get weirder. Because the Internet is really big, and because you chose a gigantic pond, there will be a fair number of people interested in your topic who also resonate with your particular brand of weirdness.
Filed Under: Working at home Tagged With:

Writing the Right Way

October 13, 2009 By 1 Comment

What separates good writers from those who should go back to writing in a diary that no one reads? Actually there are several things…21 to be exact.Blog notes on Laptop

The article, “21 Must-Read Tips To Write Better Web Content,” includes a detailed list of 21 links to articles that will help you improve the way you write, what you write, and what you post online. You can read all of the articles at one sitting or read only the ones that apply to you. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Working at home Tagged With: , , , ,

Perfect PR and Better Blogging

September 18, 2009 By

(Almost) free PR
Those of us working naked don’t have large (if any) budgets for publicity. We throw things out there hoping they’ll stick like spaghetti on the wall (a way of checking pasta that I’m not planning to pass along to my sons!). Sometimes an expensive PR plan with no room for failure tanks, while a low-budget, seat-of-the-pants campaign can spread your name all over the Internet. Go figure.

The Small Business Trends article, “Top 10 Publicity Tools for $1 or Less,” offers some information I already know and use, but there are a few tips I hadn’t thought about trying, but will. All but one of the tips (a whopping $1) is free to implement.

Boosting your blog
The article, “6 Tips for Customizing Your Small Business Blog,” is a must-read if you want to improve your blog. Even if you like your blog the way it is—most of us consider them our babies—you’ll discover tips that will make you rethink the way your blog looks and functions.

Filed Under: Working at home Tagged With: , ,
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