How to Start a Business Blog

January 6, 2008 3 Comments
remarkablogger logo How to Start a Business Blog

In the spirit of trying to help you build a more effective business blog in 2008, I offer you another great free ebook that can help you do more with your blog. Michael Martine is known as the Remarkablogger because he offers remarkable blog consulting and coaching that folks like you and I can understand. I’ve worked with Michael, and he knows his stuff.

So when Michael put out a free ebook called How to Start a Business Blog, I knew I had to download it, and if it was as good as I expected it to be, share it with you my fantastic Make It Great! readers.

The book is BETTER than expected, and offers a 12-step process for starting a business blog.

The table of contents reads like this:

  1. Understand blogging in general
  2. Know the benefits of blogging for business
  3. Understand who you’re blogging for
  4. Determine the purpose and goals of your business blog
  5. Determine the authors of your business blog
  6. Determine the business blog’s policies
  7. Determind blog platform and blog/website integration
  8. Design Considerations
  9. Choose blog categories and tags
  10. Write the initial content
  11. Draft a comment policy
  12. Develop a crisis management plan

Not only is there information but there are EXERCISES! Exercises at the end of every chapter to help you implement the suggestions Michael makes!

So whether you’re already blogging or just getting started, this is a GREAT guide for you! 82 pages jam packed full of information and ways you can take your blog to the next level.

Pick up your free copy of How to Start a Business Blog today, and take your blogging from good, to remarkable!

Creating an Effective Internet Presence

January 5, 2008 8 Comments

One the most web 2.0/Internet/blog savvy people I know is Ted Demopoulos, author of 2 really important books if you’re looking to learn more about the web: Blogging for Business and What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging and Podcasting. You can learn more about both books at Ted’s Blogging for Business book site.

Ted1 Creating an Effective Internet Presence

Recently Ted released a new complimentary ebook called Effective Internet Presence that tells you everything you need to know about creating and developing an effective Internet presence. With Ted giving this stuff away, it’s a wonder he sells any books or gets any consulting gigs, but he loves to help people understand the power of the interconnectedness of the Interweb.

The ebook is a fantastic primer for all who are getting started developing their web presence, and I recommend you download it and read it right away. It’ll only take 20-30 minutes to read, and then more time to follow Ted’s suggestions, but it will change the way you think about your Internet presence.

If you just want to learn more about how to be a successful blogger, Ted also created a “Secrets of Successful Blogging System” that costs a few dollars, but is worth every penny. I think of myself as a pretty savvy blogger, and I learned something from Ted. I liked these so much, I offered Ted this testimonial for those who want to purchase this system: “These CDs are GREAT! For new bloggers, they’ll shave years off your learning curve. For experienced folks, there are many tricks to learn from this excellent CD set.”

So check out the complimentary Effective Internet Presence ebook, or Secrets of Successful Blogging System today, and learn how you can do a better job of leveraging the power of the Internet for you and your business.

Disclaimer: I get no money for recommending Ted Demopoulos to you. I recommend Ted because he is someone I have learned a LOT from, and I think you can benefit from him too. Not to mention, he’s a super nice guy who I happen to like a lot, and that I’m happy to help by sharing his information with you.

Do you see the connection?

December 13, 2007 6 Comments

Rules, brands, authenticity, customer service, and moving outside our comfort zone. Unconnected? Not really. Read on, and see if you can make the connection. Tell me what it is in the comments section when you’re done.

Leading us off this week’s 5 for Friday is Craig Harper, who shares 25 Rules for Life. It’s well worth a read and the rules are definitely worth following.

“We’ve all got rules that we live by. Consciously or not. Some of them empower us and propel us towards happiness, significance and fulfilment, and others paralyse us and restrict us to a reality that we don’t really want or enjoy. I always get asked about my beliefs, standards and values; the ‘life rules’ which I do my best to live by. I say “do my best”, because I fail to live up to them on a semi-regular basis. Like you, I’m a work in progress.”

Ron “Buzzoodle” McDaniel encourages us to Explore Personal Brands

“Consider this a tour of personal brands – and if you want to post this article on your blog and add some other examples, you have my permission. The only thing I ask is not to add someone JUST because they have their picture on a blog. They have to really be working on branding themselves.”

NOTE: Ron included my brand among the tour. Thanks!

Andy Sernovitz reminds us about Authenticity in Blogs, and I would argue that you can replace Blogging with Life in his quote.

No teaser, just check out Authenticity in Blogs.

Becky Carroll and Customers Rock! is giving away a free ebook; Customers Rock Tips

“Topics include:

* Taking care of existing customers
* Customer or client?
* Tips for listening to customers
* Stories and the personal touch
* Measuring customer relationships”

David B. Bohl takes us home with Moving Outside Your Comfort Zone

“Moving outside of your comfort zone is, by definition, uncomfortable. But it’s also the only way to grow. You’re not going to get stronger in, for instance, developing new relationships if you only spend time with people you’re already close to.

Yes, it’s hard to get out of your comfort zone, but I have three steps for moving out of our comfort zones and growing.”

NOTE: I recently found out David is from Milwaukee, so look for some collaboration on our front soon!

What are YOU reading this week? Share your favorites in the comments so we can all enjoy a GREAT weekend!

Pop Goes the Blog?

December 6, 2007 10 Comments

This is a hilarious video that you must watch and try to understand for your business.

If you’re looking for the reason that the technology bubble might pop (again), watch this video and think about how people are talking about blogs, social media, whatever the latest thing is, as your ONLY part of your platform. Use your blog as part of the platform, along with great content, in person events, books, videos, and more.

Do I think the blog/social media bubble is going to pop and stop being useful as your business strategy?

Absolutely…if it’s the ONLY part of your strategy. If it’s part of your strategy, and you want to build community, and develop great content, test ideas, make friends, and become a better writer/speaker/editor/designer, then absolutely not.

Thanks to Karl Long, throough Greg Verdino for finding and sharing this Pop Goes Web 2.0 video!

Collaboration in Action: 2007 800 CEO Read Author Pow-Wow

December 5, 2007 16 Comments

Picture this…

25 authors, full of energy and caffeine, most looking curious, though not knowing quite what to expect; mixed in are 11 business book experts, amped up and prepared to make an unknown world known; and then 11 book lovers, who do a variety of roles, all at the ready to spring into action at a second’s notice.

Everyone mixed together like a frog in a blender after about a month on my counter, in an oversized room with a randomly hand painted green floor, furniture from the TV show Bewitched, a hammock, mismatched coffee cups bought for a dime at a rummage sale, and brick walls that looked cold as a winter’s night in Milwaukee, yet a warmth that can only come from the closest of friends.

And then…

ACTION!

36 hours of amazing sharing, collaboration and questions, with people ranging from San Francisco, to Denmark, to Milwaukee, to Chicago, to Boston, and everywhere in between, at the great space that is Catalyst Ranch!

Wow!

I’ll share details soon, but for now, I wanted to share who was there, and some pictures that share much of the story, the energy, the passion, the compassion, and the helpfulness, of all those present.

2090462862 b5f2671afa Collaboration in Action: 2007 800 CEO Read Author Pow Wow

This photo summed up my thoughts on the experience at the Author Pow-Wow icon smile Collaboration in Action: 2007 800 CEO Read Author Pow Wow


First off were the authors

Erika Andersen
Greg Alexander
Jose Castillo
Kevin Eikenberry
Joanne Gordon (not a blogger yet)
Jackie Huba
Joe Heuer (blog coming soon)
Alexander Kjerulf
Steve Little (not a blogger yet)
Ben McConnell
Pamela Miles – (works with Jack Mitchell, no blog or website yet)
Robert Mintz (not a blogger yet)
Jack Mitchell (not a blogger yet)
Susan Quandt (blog coming soon)
David Meerman Scott
Michael Stallard (not a blogger yet)
Dan Roam
John Rosen
Rajesh Setty
AnnaMaria Turano
Bill Welter (blog coming soon)
Steve Yastrow (contributes to Tom Peters‘ blog, with a personal blog coming soon)
Mike Kanazawa

We had some remarkable publishing gurus

Ray Bard  – Bard Press
Mark Bloomfield – Harvard Business School Press
Shelley Dolley – Leap7
Barbara Cave Henricks – Cave Henricks Communications (blogging at http://blog.cavehenricks.com/, yeah, a blogging PR person! Cool!)
Mark Fortier – Fortier Public Relations
Nick Morgan – Public Words (who also blogs at http://publicwords.typepad.com/nickmorgan/)
Gerry Sindell – ThoughtLeaders INTL
Les Tuerk – BrightSight Group
Dennis Welch – Cave Henricks Communications
Susan Williams – Jossey-Bass

And last but definitely NOT least, the AMAZING folks at 800 CEO Read:

Jack Covert
Melinda Cross – Concepts Content Copy
Sally Haldorson
Jon Mueller
Kate Mytty
Joy Panos Stauber – Stauber Design Studio
Todd Sattersten
Aaron Schleicher
Dylan Schleicher
Rebecca Schlei

More content soon, I promise! For now, enjoy the pictures!