Business Blogging - How to Build A Better Blog

Blogging Masters Telesummit Kicks Off on November 1

I'm wondering if you realize that I'm kind of a "big deal" in the blogging world today. LOL! At least that's what David Frey and Maruxa Murphy believe because they chose to invite me to be part of a week long Blogging Masters Telesummit. Maruxa "Muh-Roo-Shah" Murphy interviewed me recently and from November 1st through 5th, we are looking to connect with business owners and entrepreneurs who want to learn more about the power of blogging for their businesses to increase sales, attract more clients, and build your online presence.

There are 13 of us "big deal" experts sharing our passion of blogging, each with a different angle or perspective, but all working together to help you get practical, step-by-step advice on turning your blog presence into something more, something bigger, and something that helps more people in the long run. Though I am kidding about the "big deal" title, I really am honored to join some highly regarded industry leaders through this series.

Here's our lineup:

    * Jack Humphrey of FridayTraffic.com
    * Denise Wakeman of BuildABetterBlog.com
    * Chris Cree of SuccessCreeations.com
    * Gideon Shalwick of RapidVideoBlogging.com
    * Erik Deckers of ProBlogService.com
    * Elisa Camahort Page, Co-Founder of BlogHer.com
    * Barry Chandler, author of TheBarBlogger.com
    * Regina Smola of WPSecurityLock.com
    * Rich Brooks of FlyteBlog.biz
    * Vinil Ramdev of StartUpGrowthExpert.com
    * Matt Trainer of TheMarketingMoron.com
    * Kary Rogney of KaryRogney.com
    * Bill McRea of McreaSite.com

I personally know several of the experts and can vouch for the high quality content they are sharing. You'll learn a lot of new tips and tricks. I highly recommend you joining us since it is free to register. I know these calls will help you think more clearly about your blog, inspire new action, and help you make more sense of how to reach more people with your message.

Here is the link: Join the Blogging Masters Telesummit!

By the way, my presentation is on "4 Simple Ways to Multiply Your Blog Content." Some of the sessions I'm planning on attending are:

Gideon Shalwick
"The 7-Step Video Blogging Blueprint That Helps You Dominate The Search Engines, Drives Massive Traffic To Your Blogs, And Positions You As The Industry Expert"

Jack Humphrey
"How To Become A Local Business Celebrity Through The Power Of Blogging That Attracts All The New Clients, Sales And Partners You Can Handle"

Chris Cree
"The Beehive Method: The New Media Marketing System That Gets New Clients And Prospects Buzzing About You And Swarming To Your Business"

Rich Brooks
"How To Quickly And Easily Turn A Boring Business Blog Into A Powerful Lead Generation Machine That Brings You A Flood Of Highly-Qualified Prospects Like Clockwork"

As I reviewed the list of presenters and topics, I realize I'll probably attend them all! I invite you to join me.

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Friday Feature - Kathleen McDonough's Social Media Success Story

It's Friday! And that means it's time for my new Friday Feature Spotlight on a social media success story. This week, Kathleen McDonough shares her story.

NOTE: When I put a call out for social media success stories, I was not soliciting testimonials. I won't say "no" to a testimonial though, and Kathleen shares her experience of putting my Online Visibility Secrets program into action. I am ecstatic to hear about the results she's getting from the program.

Kathleen McDonough, Kevin Lee Allen Design, Inc. (KLAD)
Website/Blog: http://klad.com/blog

In a nutshell, what success did you have as a result of your blog/social media?

When I signed up for OVS [Online Visibility Secrets], I averaged 682 visitors per month to my blog. I now average over 3,700 visitors per month. Via twitter, I connected with a well known food writer and TV personality with whom I have worked on designing a landing page for his award winning food and wine newsletter. Working LinkedIn, Twitter and our blog, I have connected with potential clients in film, TV, Theatre, and corporations where our helpful expertise is creating interest in our work.

What was the obstacle that you were facing in your business?

I had no idea how to find people to engage, I felt like I was writing to no one, and my blog had no focus.

What did you find as a result of using a blog/social media?

Entertainment has always been a very social, personality driven business. Prior to OVS, I disliked writing and engaging people via social media or networking events. Working through each lesson, I've gained confidence as a writer, and a networker, as I've learned to engage people and converse. Nothing like a 140 character limit to sharpen one's communication skills!

What specific feature do you like most blogging/social media?

Using OVS, I've found a mix of blogging and tweeting both informative business related information and purely social commentary has opened many doors. My firm's activity has increased so much that I've not been able to finish OVS, I'm only on lesson 16!

More info about Kathleen McDonough
KLAD creates scenery and lighting for entertainment industries, special events, museum exhibitions, specialty interiors, commercials, TV news and corporate events/trade shows. Kathleen McDonough can be reached at km [at] klad.com, 973.477.7973, and twitter: @KathleenMco

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Read more Social Media Success Stories:

Jospeh Ghabi, Author

 

Do you have a social media success story?

I would love to hear it. Fill out the form on this page and I'll add it to the queue.

Friday Feature - Spotlight on Joseph Ghabi, Author

Recently I've been soliciting social media success stories. It's something I've been thinking about for awhile and finally got my act together to put the word out. The reason for doing this is two-fold:

1. There are so many amazing people doing amazing things, using blogs and social media tools to make their dreams come true. I want to meet these people, hear their stories and share them with you.  Selfishly, I also get the satisfaction of shining the spotlight on great people and giving them and their business more visibility. And, maybe you'll be inspired to try a new tactic or two and achieve your dreams as well.

2. I like to practice what I preach. One thing I preach around blog content is to leverage other people's content, whether as blog posts or interviews. This is a hybrid approach. I directed people to fill out a form. Then I review, get a photo, do some minor edits for readability, then post. I'm a filter and it helps bring new voices into the mix. I'll post the stories every Friday until I run out!

I'm pleased to introduce the first Friday Feature (a hat tip to Friday Follow on Twitter!). Joseph Ghabi was the very first to respond and submit his story...

Joseph Ghabi, Author
Website/blog: http://theblueprintofyoursoul.com/

1. In a nutshell, what success did you have as a result of your blog/social media?

I have 5000 friends on Facebook. I am a Numerologist. I have published a new book titled 'The Blueprint of Your Soul.' So what I started doing on Facebook since June 16, 2010, is to post on each one of my friend's birthday a few words wishing them happy birthday, giving them a free chapter from my book on the 9-Years Cycle, and a link to my new fan page for them to join me and their friends to pick up. The result is very interesting... An increase in my book sales, more traffic for my website, more people are liking my fan page, building my e-mail list and some private Numerology consultation by spending 10 to 20 minutes a day doing those  posts and it has become a habit now like brushing my teeth... Cool!

What's Your Social Media Success Story?

Do you have a social media success story?

I have an offer for you.

How would you like to tell your story and get more visibility for your business? I'm looking for social media and blogging success stories to feature on my blogs in the next couple of month.

If you have a success that was a direct result of increased visibility on the web, I'd like to know.

• Did you land a new client from your blog?
• Get a speaking gig from something you posted on Facebook?
• Sell out your teleseminar from tweets you posted on twitter?

Submit your story and it could be featured on one of my high-traffic blogs.

I'm doing this for several reasons both selfish and not so selfish:

1. I'd like to help you boost your visibility, and a guest post or feature story on a blog other than your own can help that.

2. Sharing success stories helps others see the possibilities for success in their own business. People like to read about people who are like them and face similar challenges. They don't want to only hear about me and what I'm doing.

3. Selfish - I'm going to be traveling a bit in the next few months and want to have inspiring content on my blogs for the times I'm not able to post.

Between blog subscribers, organic traffic, twitter and Facebook, I reach over 30,000 people. Would you like to get in front of these people?

Post your story in the form on this page: http://denisewakeman.com/story/

I've been rolling out this announcement to various groups of clients and mastermind partner. I've received some great stories and would love to feature your's too. I'll be posting them on Fridays beginning this week.

Before you fill out the form, you can prep with these questions:

1. In a nutshell, what success did you have as a result of your blog/social media?

2. What was the obstacle that you were facing in your business?

3. What did you find as a result of using a blog/social media?

4. What specific feature do you like mostblogging/social media?

5. What other benefits did you experience from blogging/social media?

6. Is there anything you?d like to add?

7. In 25 words or less, please provide a short bio and contact info to include with your story.

I can't wait to feature you on my blogs and share your story...blog on!

30 Day Blogging Challenge - Interview with Connie Ragen Green

Writing and blogging challenges have become popular over that last couple of years. Not only do they help you hone your writing skills, participation can generate a lot of buzz, traffic, visibility and opportunities for your business.

One of the most popular blogging challenges that I'm aware of is run by Connie Ragen Green. During a private Q&A call for Online Visibility Secrets students, Connie talked about how her blogging challenges have helped bloggers double traffic to their sites. I've known Connie since 2005 when she first started blogging and decided this was a good time to do a quick interview with her about her 30 Day Blogging Challenges. 

You can listen to my 20 minute interview with Connie Ragen Green or read the transcript below.

Problogger - Interview and Q&A with Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett

If you publish a business blog, you probably know about and read the blogs of Chris Garrett (ChrisG.com) and Darren Rowse (Problogger.net). They are two of the most popular bloggers on the Web. In 2008 they co-authored Problogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income (aff).

Now, 2 years later, they have released the second edition of Problogger, updated to include a new chapter on social media and a thorough case study about Darren's Digital Photography School blog and how he has achieved success and a 6 figure income with that blog. The case study alone makes it worth investing in the second edition of Problogger.

My colleagues were kind enough to agree to a blog -based interview and will also answer any of your questions posted in the comments. This is a great opportunity to connect directly with these two very smart business bloggers. So, without further ado...an interview with Chris Garrett and Darren Rowse...

1. The second edition of Problogger has just been published. Backing up a bit, what inspired you to write Problogger originally and what is the primary take-away you want readers to get?

Chris: I guess the main inspiration was that people really wanted to know how to make money from their blogs but were struggling to piece the information they needed together. We wanted to put everything into one complete package, give people a step by step guide.

Darren: one of the challenges of producing a 'how to' blog on any topic is that over the years you write a lot of content that becomes a little dated, that becomes 'lost' or unseen in your archives or that is presented in an illogical order for someone reading in a chronological order - this book was an attempt to update, reorganize and unearth the 'gold' in the archives of ProBlogger the blog.
 

Probloggers Chris Garrett and Darren Rowse Will Be Featured Blog Interview on June 4

Save the date! I've been in email conversation with my colleague Chris Garrett and have confirmed that he and Darren Rowse, co-authors of Problogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income (2nd Ed., aff), will be my featured blog guests on Friday, June 4.

I'll be posting their answers to your questions (and mine) about business blogging, how to make money by blogging, and anything else you want to know about blogging.

Post your questions for Darren and Chris in the comments of this post by Monday, May 31. I'll review them and select the best of the best for them to answer.

You're also welcome to post your questions on the interview post on June 4 since either or both Darren and Chris will be checking in through the day to answer your live questions.

Related Interview:
TypePad for Dummies: Interview and Q&A with Authors

TypePad for Dummies - Interview and Q&A with Authors

What's your burning question about blogging?

It's my pleasure to introduce you to Shannon Lowe and Melanie Nelson, the authors of the just-published TypePad for Dummies [affiliate link]. What better way to learn about why and how this book came about than to have a blog-based interview on a TypePad blog!

On April 7, 2010, you are welcome to post your blogging and TypePad questions for Shannon and Melanie. You can ask any questions, their expertise is not limited to the TypePad platform. Be sure to read the entire interview...there's a gift for you at the end of the post! And don't forget...post your blogging questions in the comments section below.

Without further ado, here's my interview...

1. What inspired you to write TypePad for Dummies and what is the primary take-away you want readers to get?

When Wiley approached us to write the book, we were excited because, although TypePad has an extensive help section (called the Knowledge Base), we knew there was an opportunity to give readers a little something extra, like advice on blog etiquette, using Google Analytics, and basic mistakes to avoid as a new blogger. TypePad is an excellent platform for bloggers who want to have more control over their blog than Blogger allows, but not quite the responsibility of a WordPress.org blog. TypePad allows you to customize your blog without doing any actual coding yourself (though that's an option too).

2. The book is really a very detailed tutorial. How long did it take you and what were the challenges you faced while writing the book?

We were really lucky to be working together. Melanie's a technical writer and thinks in bulleted lists so the instructions were second nature to her. Shannon's gift is to soften Melanie's terse instructions and make them interesting and fun to read. We started writing the book in July and everything went to print in December, then hit bookstores in February.

Writing the book was challenging at times, as all worthwhile projects are. The biggest challenge we faced was that TypePad was literally changing the software as we were documenting it. There were several times we had to re-write whole chapters to correspond with the new features. Of course, it was worth it because this was the first significant upgrade to the TypePad software.

TypePad for Dummies - Blog Interview on April 7

Attention TypePad bloggers:
Save the date - Wednesday, April 7

I'm hosting the authors of TypePad for Dummies in a blog interview on April 7 (the Q&A will be posted here) and authors Shannon Lowe and Melanie Nelson will be answering your questions as well.

You can submit your questions between now and then in the comments on this post and/or you can post them on the interview post on April 7. Shannon and Melanie will be popping in throughout the day to address your questions about TypePad and blogging in general. I may even jump into the discussion! :-)

The TypePad platform has evolved tremendously in the last year and it's not even recognizable from the platform I started on in 2004. If you're an old-timer trying to figure out all the new bells and whistles or a new blogger looking for guidance, this is a great opportunity for you to engage with two people who know the ins and outs of the TypePad platform better than most people.

By the way, no matter what platform you use for your business blog, you're most welcome to post your questions for Shannon and Melanie - they know blogging and use multiple platforms themselves.

As of writing this post, TypePad for Dummies is doing really well on Amazon. Out of millions of books on the site, it's #3315, a remarkable achievement.

So, what are your burning blogging and TypePad questions? Post them here and I'll make sure they get addressed or come back on April 7during the TypePad for Dummies blog tour stop on Build A Better Blog.

Your Business and Your Blog - Interview

Last night I had the pleasure of being a guest on the Profitable Social Media Show hosted by Warren Whitlock. The subject was Your Business and Your Blog with a focus on how authors have successfully used blogs to market their books.

I was especially interested to hear the stories from three authors in the last 20 minutes of the show...definitely tune in to learn their strategies for using blogs to leverage their books.

Promoting the show was done very effectively. I've known Warren Whitlock for a few years, both online and having met him a couple of times at BlogWorld Expo. My invitation to be on the show came about after Warren made a comment on something on my Facebook page wall. The comments evolved and he mentioned something about his show and why I hadn't been on it. I replied that I had never received an invitation and promptly got one!

We followed up via private email and Warren asked if I had an article he could post on his Best Seller Authors blog. Even though I was pressed for time, I realized (as you should too when asked) it was a great opportunity to get in front of a new audience so I went through my stash of articles and found one I had written specifically for authors and sent it to Warren for a guest post. 

13 Mistakes Authors Make on Their Blogs

Wow! Got a great response from the guest post. I added a call to action to get my free blogging videos and as a result added a lot of new people to my database. Warren heavily promoted the post on Facebook and twitter; I retweeted and shared his posts, as did many others who follow each of us. This gave both me and Warren additional visibility. Warren even urged his fans to connect with me on LinkedIn and I got several new connections there as well.

What's the point of all this?

To illustrate that visibility and opportunities are created in circuitous ways. You've got to be out there (and for an introvert like me that can be a challenge) at live events, blogging and demonstrating your expertise, connecting on various social sites and the opportunities will show up.

Maybe someone who listened to the show and opted in for my free videos will love what I share and decide to register for a program or attend my live event in Raleigh or hire me to coach them on how to optimize their blog for their business or become an affiliate and promote my products and services or refer me to a colleague or interview me for another show or publication...you never know.

I do know though that if you do not take action and do not participate and do not connect and do not create a lot of content, it will be whole heck of a lot harder to build your business and attract the opportunities you want.

By the way, the show was a lot of fun and I'm happy when the host and the audience are happy!

How can you put these tactics into practice for your business? What can you do this week to expand your reach and create more visibility and opportunities?