Business Blogging - How to Build A Better Blog

Categorizing Your Blog Posts

Are you using the Category function wisely?  If you're not sure why and how you should be using categories to organize your blog, read Paul Chaney's post on the subject.  In his Mechanics of Blogging series, he clearly explains how Categories can help both you and your readers navigate through your content AND get better search engine rankings.

After reading his post, I realize I have waaaay too many categories and now I'm faced with reorganizing or just leaving the way it is.  I have been creating categories as I posted if I felt an existing categoried didn't really fit, but in fact I could probably pare them down.  When I have some time.

Blogs Buzzing Books

Blogs are being used more and more for building buzz for books, both before they're published and after.  Steve Rubel has a post about seeding the books throughout the influencers of the blogosphere to create buzz (read:  sales!).  Stay tuned to this blog for further information about books and blogs -- an announcement is pending in the next couple of weeks...

Smart Marketing To Women Online

Smart Marketing to Women Online
Wednesday, June 1, 2005, 8:30 p.m. ET - FREE
Guest Expert:  Yvonne DiVita of Smart Marketing to Women Online, featured in the Build a Better Blog System

Yvonne DiVita will show you the power women have online—via their willingness to shop online and why they are so willing to do so. Women go online not only to buy shoes and dresses, but also to purchase technology and do business research and check out their finances. In addition, women are more likely than men to look for business solutions online, and, today, more women research car-buying online before visiting their dealership to buy a car.

We hear the word “relationship” bantered about when people talk about marketing to women, but few marketers are able to show online merchants how to build a relationship with their female shoppers.  Finally, Yvonne will tell you about some fantastic, ground-breaking business women:  Martha Matilda Harper, Myra Hart, and Kitty Van Bortel.

Yvonne DiVita is the president and founder of Windsor Media Enterprises, LLC, which includes WME Books, an author services company to help writers produce, print and sell their work; Smart Marketing to Women Online, which helps online merchants reach the largest, most wealthy demographic in the world – women; and the Business Blogging Boot Camp, where Yvonne and her team teach small business owners why they should be blogging, and then teaches them how to blog.

Register:  www.ConversationsWithExperts.com

Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line
Hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff and sponsored by Build a Better Blog System.

How to be a More Productive Blogger

Do you feel overwhelmed by blogging?  Wonder how to stay motivated and creating new content on a daily basis?

I love getting my Bloglet updates every day.  I learn about great new blogs and find links to excellent content all the time.  Today, I followed a link from Steve Rubel's excellent Micro Persuasion blog, to an article on how to be a productive blogger. 

If you're stuggling with finding enough time and inspiration to blog, read this article now.  Even if you are blogging everyday, read this article now. You'll get 13 excellent tips about how to maximize your creativity and become a successfull blogger.

Here's Keith Robinson's first tip:

Set aside time for writing (or podcasting, etc.) and stick to it. Sounds simple, but life (and work) has a way of intruding on these times. You need to hold on to your creative times at all costs!

Vote for Best Blog of 2005

Marketing Sherpa has been running a survey to determine the best blogs of 2005.  The nominations are in and you can place your vote now.  Here's the info:

Thanks to all of you who nominated your fave Blogs
on marketing, PR, and advertising for our 2005
Readers' Choice Awards. Now, it's time for you to
vote for the winners at:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=333931095143

How it works:

1. We've included hotlinks to the nominated Blogs
so you can quickly check out the ones you don't
already know. (It's a very fun surfing project.)

2. If your time is limited, that's ok. Just pick
the category of Blogs you're most interested in
(such as PR or b-to-b marketing) and vote for
the Blogs in it.

3. Yes, you can pass this email and link to other
marketers. You can also post the link on your Blog.

4. Winners get fame, hotlinks from MarketingSherpa,
an icon to post on their Blog and a special coffee mug.

5. MarketingSherpa employees and contractors may not vote.

6. Voting ends Wednesday, June 8th, 2005.

7. No ballot stuffing please -- we can spot it and extra
votes will be disqualified.

Please note: All Blogs were nominated by our readers and
qualified by the rules (must have been written regularly since
Jan 2, 2005; must be on the topic of marketing, PR, or ads).

Yes there is a write-in vote if you'd like
to add a Blog that our readers overlooked.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=333931095143

Thanks for your vote,

Anne Holland, Publisher
MarketingSherpa
feedback@marketingsherpa.com

B.L. Ochman: Are Blogs A Passing Fad?

Here is the seventh in our series of Conversations with Experts, featuring B.L. Ochman of What's Next Online and What's Next Blog.

This was a no-holds barred conversation with B.L. as she discussed why companies should or should not use blogs; how to get started and what's necessary, as well as several companies that missed blogging opportunities and how that can create PR damage.

Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Offline is sponsored by Build a Better Blog System and is hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff.

UPDATE:

Due to rising costs to record, edit and stream the audio from the calls, we are no longer giving free access to the audio.  We invite you to join our NEW Conversations Club and get access to the audio on our private blog.  The membership fee is $9.95 per month for access to 4-5 interviews each month plus access to all previous Conversations.

You are also welcome to purchase individual audio  programs for $4.95.

Join the Converations Club here

As always, attending the LIVE Conversations is free and we remind you the live call will be your only
opportunity to hear the Experts unless you purchase access to the Conversations Club.

2 New Blog Directories

There are two new blog directories on the scene, both for small business blogs.  Add these links to your blog directory submission list:

Blog for Small Business

Business Blog Directory

(oh, and add your blogs today!)

Interview with BL Ochman

If you want to learn more about BL Ochman of What's Next Blog, before our Conversation tomorrow night, you can read an interview she did with e-consultancy.com last week.

BL Ochman is the next Featured Expert

Is blogging a fad that will pass or a sea change in corporate communications?

Tuesday, May 24, 2005, 8:30 p.m. ET - FREE
Guest Expert:  BL Ochman of What's Next Online, featured in the Build a Better Blog System

The conversation with BL Ochman will cover a range of topics from what your company could do with a blog, why blogging is not for everyone, how to write for your blog, to building an audience and why blogs are good buys for advertisers.  BL will also reveal 10 companies that missed good blog opportunities.

Blogger, corporate blog coach, Internet marketing strategist, and journalist B.L. Ochman heads the creative team of whatsnextonline.com

She helps companies including Ford, IBM and iFulfill.com to develop and execute marketing programs to increase their website traffic and sales; writes compelling, search engine optimized content; is a corporate blog coach; and covers Internet marketing and trends for a variety of online and traditional publications. She writes the popular What’s Next Blog, publishes What’s Next Online and is the author of What Could Your Company Do With a Blog?

Register:  www.ConversationsWithExperts.com

Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line
Hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff of Build a Better Blog System

Anita Campbell | The On Again, Off Again Entrepreneur

Here is the sixth in our series of Conversations with Experts, featuring Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends.

Anita covered a range of subjects from defining an on again, off again entrepreneur to how all professionals need to maintain their web personae as one never knows when one will shift from employment to self-employment throughout a career. Anita offered great advice and many resources to build an maintain your social networks.

UPDATE:

Due to rising costs to record, edit and stream the audio from the calls, we are no longer giving free access to the audio.  We invite you to join our NEW Conversations Club and get access to the audio on our private blog.  The membership fee is $9.95 per month for access to 4-5 interviews each month plus access to all previous Conversations.

You are also welcome to purchase individual audio  programs for $4.95.

Join the Converations Club here

As always, attending the LIVE Conversations is free and we remind you the live call will be your only
opportunity to hear the Experts unless you purchase access to the Conversations Club.