|
|
e_Marketing Blog What Makes A Good Blog? Since I'm writing a series on "Creating A Successful Blog" I've been looking (not very diligently) for other opinions on what makes for a successful blog. One thing I've discovered is that there is no magic answer to this question. First of all, every blog speaks to a different audience in a different tone of voice. So what one group likes another group will find boring or maybe even overtly aggravating. I stumbled on an instance of this today when I followed a link from Lisa Barone's post called "Six Kickass Writing Resources for Bloggers". First on her list was "What Makes a Good Blog?" by Merlin Mann. Now I must admit there are several things in Merlin's list which I agree with, but I find the overall tone fairly aggravating. For instance, he says, "People start real blogs because they think about something a lot...They make and consume smart forebrain porn. So: where do this person's obsessions take them." Frankly I don't see why "obsession" is a necessary part of blogging. Is it because in order to do real blogging we must express our personality; and expressing our personality necessarily involves creativity; and because creativity is so relatively scarce and difficult that it will not happen without an obsessive focus on something? Or is this just the way an obsessive person looks at it? Of course it takes all types. But there is a certain arrogance and air of superiority about talk of obsession and creativity that I can do without. Free Blog or Your Own Domain? Once you've decided to create your own blog, the first question you have to address is whether you want your blog to be hosted on your own web hosting account or be part of an already established site like wordpress.com, blogger.com, or one of the many other free blogging sites. If you use one of the free "hosted" blogging sites (Wordpress.com, Blogger.com, LiveJournal.com, Blog.com, and many more) you can create a brand new blog in about 15 minutes. When you choose this option you become part of a larger site such as wordpress.com and your address will be something like http://yourtownrealestate.wordpress.com or http://yourtownmoneymanager.blogspot.com The advantage of this approach is that it is fast and cheap. Plus you will get some traction and search engine exposure for your blog because it will be part of a much larger network that gets crawled by the search engines on a regular basis. But in my estimation, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Squidoo New Look Squidoo seems to have a new edit and publish interface. I've always found it a bit clunky in the past, but now it seems quite a bit easier to add modules. The process makes more sense to me. I just created a lense about Car Repair for a client. |
Ezine-Network.com - This site contains information about getting published — submission of articles, photographs, ebooks, and other special features for a growing number of online publications. It also contains significant amounts of information, resources dealing with, and examples of blogs and blogging. Ezine-Network.com is a member of the sbo-linknet.com network of websites. More Advice for Using the Media to Promote Your ProductsJun 23, 2006 - Linknet Business News Make Money at Home - Follow 3 easy steps and he will build a money making home business website for you that's 100% ready to take orders and pull in massive residual profits. Trade Show Displays - Trade show exhibits and booths, Pop-up Displays and exhibits. Need items for trade show displays, expo, or convention exhibits? We offer solutions from design through delivery. Business Card Printing - Full color business card printing at PrintPelican.com Car transport service - Auto transport and car shipping to private individuals, corporate movers, auto brokers and used car and new dealerships. More Advice for Using the Media to Promote Your Products by Rick HendershotOne of the most effective ways to promote new product launches is to use the media properly. This usually means issuing press releases, giving interviews with media reporters, and supplying the media with material for articles about your product. This is also one of the most underutilized areas of promotion because it takes a bit of creative thinking, stepping outside of your normally comfortable box, and "schmoozing" with people not part of your normal crowd. But when you make an effort to work through the media the payback can be very significant. Just one carefully prepared article published in a trade publication that reaches your target market can result in a stampede of inquiries. Here are some tips for cultivating relationships with media people. First, get to know editors and writers who work for publications that are important in your field. Reporters need sources of information because they constantly need new material. Once you are on their "source list" and establish a track record of providing interesting stories you will become one of the people they turn to first. Second, create a good press kit for each new product. It should include interesting and timely information about your company, its background, products, people, and sales figures. It should also contain good product photos and all the relevant specs about your new product. Don't fill your press kit with fluff. Reporters and writers want succint information they can trust. If you can think of a "human interest" angle to your new product that will probably help get a story published. Third, research your media opportunities. If you are exhibiting at a trade show, find out how to get involved in any media events hosted by the show. This is a great place to meet local and industry media people. Always have plenty of press kits available, and post your information online so it can be accessed before, during and after the show. Fourth, be prepared to provide real-world applications for your product. Most reporters are not technicians. They will probably not know much about your product, so it is up to you to "bring it to life" for them. For more articles on trade show promotion see Trade Show Tips.
Linknet-News.com provides daily news summaries in article and RSS format.
|
|
|