Business Blogging Pros

What About Typos And Grammar?

Last week I spoke to a group at Arizona State University's Downtown Campus, and the question was asked, "What about spelling and grammar? Don't errors make you seem less legitimate?"

It's a good question and a common one. The answer is:

It is more important to be authentic and genuine than to be typographically and grammatically correct.

If you always use certain words in a certain way, use them the same way in your blog. If you always miss-spell certain words, people will recognize that in your blog and know that it's really you. For example, I have a LAzy LIttle FInger that just can't seem to get off the SHift KEy fast enough and the result is the FIrst TWo LEtters get capitalized instead of just one. Finding that same error occasionally in my posts, people know that it's really me and not some ghost writer.

On the other hand, if you strive for perfection in everything you write, then by all means do so in your blog too.

Just remember that your objective is to be real, be genuine, be authentic.

The Potato Chip Thing

2-Way Streaming Video with Chris Pirillo and Robert Scoble

Tonight's Social Media Club meeting was about monetizing social media. Our guest was Chris Pirillo via ustream live streaming video.

The really cool thing was that on our end I fired up my MacBook Pro, logged into my own ustream account and broadcast live streaming video from the meeting. Chris connected to my video stream and we actually had full 2-way video and audio. Not only could we see and hear Chris, but he could see and hear us.

The icing on the cake was that Robert Scoble was there recording his own video of Chris.

So there we were, Francine Hardeway, myself, and the rest of the Phoenix Social Media Club talking with Chris Pirillo and Robert Scoble. One interesting thing is that there were about 635 other people watching chris at the same time. I also noticed that a couple of them were interested enough to be also watching my video feed of our end of the conversation as well.

The ability to create these live real-time video/audio streams on demand with nothing more than a webcam and a broadband connection feels so empowering.

Blog Marketing Strategy and Mentoring

I have restructured my service offerings a bit and I thought it might be good to explain some of the rationale behind the change. The Blog Setup Service has not changed. What has changed is that I want to be able to provide more follow-on support for you, my clients.

The Blog Setup Service includes 2 hours one-on-one consulting. The second hour is focused on helping you understand how to use blogging for marketing and PR but my sense however is that for most, that second hour is like drinking from a firehose. I'd like to turn you into an expert blogger in just two hours but unless I learn the Vulcan Mind-Meld technique I don't think I can do it.

My intention therefore is to offer a service that is part mentoring and part 'doing the work for you'. We will meet anywhere from 1 to 4 times per month, depending upon the level of service you engage me for. I'll summarize all those blog posts, discussion boards, and news articles related to your business and deliver them to our meeting in one nice little package (This is a non-trivial amount of research, as you might guess).

I'll make recommendations and suggest strategy for which ones to respond to and how best to respond. And because writing a blog is different than any other form of marketing communication, each session will include helping you craft a good blog post or two.

It's almost like having your own Social Media Marketing Department.

I want to do this because I am invested in my clients' future. I want you to succeed. I know that done well, blogging can allow you to achieve things that big companies with millions to spend on marketing could never achieve. Most of you are not leveraging your blogs to their fullest potential, and I want to help you change that.

The prices you see on my services page for this service are introductory prices. Anyone who signs up will lock in that price for the entire engagement, even if (when) the published price goes up.

suggestions and comments (and criticism) are welcome.

Writer's Block

Your blog is all set up and you are about to write your first blog post.

You sit down at the keyboard and it hits you: OMG, this is going out onto the Internet. People will read this. I have to get this right. And you freeze.

Close your eyes. In your mind, sweep away the blog, the internet, keyboard, and screen. Imagine instead that you are at Starbucks or your favorite cozy spot with a good friend you have not seen in years. There, feel the warmth and friendship? Good, now imagine your friend asks, "So how did you get into this business?" Then you tell her the wonderful story of your adventure that brought you to this point.

OK, this is important: Don't think. Just type.

Write what you just said to your friend. Don't change a thing. If you do that, I guarantee that magic wil happen because everyone will see that you are writing from your heart.

Seminar: Blogging For Business

Ray Silverstein, founder of Presidents Resource Organization and I have teamed up to present a two-hour breakfast seminar on business blogging.

You will learn what a blog is - and what it is not. You will come away with six things that blogging can do for your business. You will learn how easy it is to get started.

Date:
February 28, 2008
8:00 - 8:30am Continental Breakfast & Networking
8:30 - 10:30am Seminar

Place:
Wells Fargo
8601 N Scottsdale Rd Suite 250
Scottsdale, AZ

Cost: $25 ($35 at the door)

For more information and to register Click Here

Workshop Date Set

The date for my new "Making Your Blog Work For You" workshop has now been set: Friday March 28, 2008 1 - 3 pm.

I hope to post a preliminary outline here within the next couple of days. I'm interested in what you want to learn in this workshop. Leave a comment or send me an email with your suggestions. After al, it really is YOUR workshop.

The Alternative Board

Business Blogging Pros welcomes Allan Himmelstein and TAB-Scottsdale as your newest client. TAB is The Alternative Board. I believe every business should have some sort of advisory board, whether it be formal or informal. I have one. A well structured Advisory board will be made up of business owners similar to yourself: people who can relate to your issues and circumstances.

I met Allan through a friend and found him to be a unique individual. Though he has been the CEO of some large companies, Allan is very entrepreneurial. COnversations with Alan are a lot of fun. We star talking about a subject and end up going off on the most interesting tangents - That's why I think Allan will make a great blogger.

Workshop: Making our Blog Work For You

Sometime late in March, I am going to hold a workshop tentatively titled Making Your Blog Work For You. The date has not yet been finalized, but it will be held in ASBA's (Arizona Small Business Association's) brand new computer lab.

For those of you who are my clients and have opted for my Blog Setup package, I know that the second hour of consulting was kind like drinking from a firehose. In this workshop we will cover some of the same material but in a great deal more depth. Not only that, it will be hands-on. Not only that, everything we do will be directly applicable to your business. No hypotheticals. When we create search terms, they will be for your business. When we build a reputation monitor, it will be for your business.

Now here is the important part: There are only twelve seats in ASBA's computer lab and so I want to make sure this workshop is valuable to you. I'm looking for input and feedback from you, my present and future clients about what you want to learn. Here is your chance to drive the content of the workshop.

Staging Solutions

Business Blogging Pros welcomes Cindy Kenna and Staging Solutions, LLC as our newest client. Cindy is a Home Stager. Almost everyone knows what home staging is, but for those that don't, it is a mild form of redecorating a home that is for sale with the intent of making it more appealing to prospective buyers, and many times with the added bonus of a higher sale price.

Home Stagers normally market their services to realtors. Our purpose with Cindy's blog is to talk directly to the home seller, educating them,opening their mind to staging's potential, and dispel some of the misconceptions produced by shows such as Designed to Sell.