Blogging has become a serious marketing tool. Technorati claims they track over 50 million active blogs. Some are good and some aren’t. No matter, my guess is Blogging is here to stay.

Writing a Blog is not something most people enjoy doing. To illustrate, when we recently recommended to a prospective client that he post two Blogs a month on his website he physically froze and got that blank “How am I going to do that?” stare. After I explained that we would be writing the Blogs he was able to refocus on our conversation.  

If your boss commands you to write a Blog and outsourcing is not an option, here are 10 tips to remember:

1. You don’t need to be John Steinbeck to write a good blog. Most Blogs are written in a conversational style and getting professional writing help is much easier and less expensive than most people think.
2. Good blogs have a common denominator and that’s a unique individual voice – a personality. Don't shy away from a strong opinion.
3. To achieve that personality it is important that you don’t over-edit. A conversational style let’s you shine through. That does not mean poor grammar is acceptable.
4. Be consistent with your posts. People are creatures of habit and if your posts are good, they’ll adjust to your schedule. I post on Tuesdays and Fridays every week.
5. Keep your posts short and simple. Don't get caught up in length of your posts but somewhere between 300 and 600 words, less than a page, is the right length for most business Blogs.
6. Don’t feel confined to a single topic. It’s okay to veer off in another direction if the subject matter is timely and you believe your point of view is unique and interesting.
7. Allow comments even though most blogs get very few. People are a reluctant to put their name into the public domain or be critical.
8. Create an interesting title. People are busy and a catchy title helps you get noticed.
9. Inserting one or two (appropriate) images also helps your Blog stand out from the crowd since most Blogs are text-only environs.
10. Sending a link to your Blog is a great way to connect or reconnect with the people who you’d like to invite into your professional or personal network.

See you in the Blogosphere!

Steve

Everyone I talk to wants to create online videos to support their business. So I decided to put together some tips to help you get started. An expanded version of this post will be available, in video format, on Wednesday.

Here are the twelve tips to help you begin promoting your business through online video:
 

1. Buy yourself an inexpensive camcorder. I use the Flip Ultra HD. I paid $179.00 for it at WalMart. The picture quality is very good and it is super easy to use. Just plug it into the built-in USB on your computer and then watch, edit, or upload your videos. It really is that easy.
2. If you don't have a new product or a dozen video ideas banging around in your head, record your Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).  That way the most common questions you're asked by customer and prospects will have an entertaining way of being answered and your customers won't have to scroll through screen after screen of online text searching for answers.  
3. Another idea is to create a list of your 10 best tips for solving customer problems. Shoot a short video for each one, put them up on your site and be sure to share them through various video platforms such as YouTube and TubeMogul, and others.
4. Interviews make great videos. Interview industry experts, your senior executives, and your customers and then post them as outlined in the previous bullet. Note, you'll want to keep the interviews short so I suggest asking only one or two very specific questions to whomever you interview. Ideally videos should be under 5 minutes and many would argue they need to be under three.
5. Video your newest product being used or any of your product application scenes. Demonstrate why your solution is the best solution. You may even want to do comparisons between your product and your competitor's products.
6. Use several Social Media sites, not just YouTube, to promote your video. Tubemogul, which I covered in another blog post, is easy to use and an effective way to promote your video to a wide audience and measure the results.
7. Online videos don't have to have Hollywood level production value but you'll want to make a reasonable good impression. My suggestion is you hire someone to help you with editing if you're not comfortable with video editing software.
8. Record yourself reading your favorite blog posts and then promote the videos.
9. Have a good idea of what you're going to say before pressing the Record button on your camera. I like to use an outline but some people prefer a script, more of a teleprompter approach. The point is; be prepared.
10. Add some text when posting your video on your website so you can attract the search engines and be sure to write a description of your video when posting it on video sharing sites.
11. Include a clear call-to-action. Ask people to visit your site, call or email for more information, subscribe to your newsletter, or "click here" to buy your product (and "Get 10% off").
12. The most powerful videos are customer testimonials. If you can get a customer to tell the world how great you are then you will have one of the most powerful marketing tools available. If they don't have a camera, send them yours.

Bonus: (13) If all this sounds a little daunting and outside your sweet-spot, call me!

Steve
800-707-9150