You don’t have it, but you need it, here’s how to get one
posted by Mike Shur
You are reading a blog entry right now. For a business purpose. Voluntarily.
Your customers, your prospects, and your competitors (!) are also reading blogs. But they’re not reading your blog. Because if my guess is right, over 90% of the people reading this don’t have a blog for their business.
”It’s 2008, I’m in a people business, and I don’t have a blog.” Say that to yourself three times and realize this has to change if you are serious about continuing to grow and develop your business and your practice.
In 2005 BusinessWeek did an article on the importance of blogs for businesses and they have since updated as of February 2008 in their own blog). Here’s just one enticing tidbit:
The divide between the publishers and the public is collapsing. This turns mass media upside down. It creates media of the masses.
Think of it: CPP is a publisher who has traditionally had all the power of product development, delivery, and sale. But now you can go online and tell the world, and more specifically that part of the world that needs what you have and what you do, about your experiences with the MBTI(r) assessment, the CPI 260(r) Manual, or even the great idea for a report you had while perusing the CPP catalogue.
So how do you get started? There are countless articles online about starting your own blog and keeping it lively and alive. Microsoft offers some very solid advice from the marketing perspective. Here’s excellent advice from a business blog consultant about getting your blog started right.
You can even see how the Fortune 500 “big boys” do it on this innovative wiki page that tracks corporate blogs.
Here’s today’s challenge: start your blog. One entry, that’s all it takes. Post your blog URL as a comment to this entry. I will add you to the blogroll on this site so that you can form a strong readership from the first day of your blog.
Go to it!
bpotter
July 15th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
My favorite post ever!
I will personally offer my help to anyone wanting to start a blog. I taught myself how to blog through trial and error. There are tons of sites with suggestions as Mike pointed out. I personally like Blogger because it is so simple, but most of my colleagues use WordPress to host their blogs.
Also, once you set up a blog, I will link to your blog from my blog (see how this works!).
I think this post at http://hellomynameisscott.blogspot.com/ says it all:
Should I blog?
I get that question a lot.
So, as a writer AND entrepreneur, I usually tell people the same thing every time.
“Should I blog?” They ask.
“Well, that depends…” I say.
1. Do you WANT to change the world?
2. Do you WANT to grow your business?
3. Do you WANT to attract new clients?
4. Do you WANT to become better known?
5. Do you WANT to lower your customer acquisition costs?
6. Do you WANT to reduce your average sales cycle?
7. Do you WANT to sell more products?
8. Do you WANT to build a following?
9. Do you WANT to deliver constant value to your fans?
10. Do you WANT to boost your Google Juice?
11. Do you WANT to be interviewed by the media?
12. Do you WANT to share your philosophy with the world?
13. Do you WANT to have a platform on which you can define, refine and broadcast your voice?
14. Do you WANT to increase the depth and breadth of your expertise?
15. Do you WANT to attract new opportunities that just come to you out of the blue?
I hope you see my point.
See, if you answered “yes” to any of those questions, THAT’S why you should blog.
And, after HEARING all those questions, if you’re STILL not convinced that you should blog, then you probably shouldn’t blog.
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Why do you blog?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “10 Reasons (Excuses) You’re NOT Blogging Yet,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
scott@hellomynameisscott.com
bpotter
July 16th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
One last comment: I have a new favorite site for gathering new information about a topic. It’s alltop.com (as in all the top stories). Check it out.
Also, they have a whole topic on Social Media so you can investigate all of the newest articles on what Social Media is and how to do it. Enjoy!
http://socialmedia.alltop.com/
Linda McKenna
July 17th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I have been blogging for the past 10 months and never looked back since. I have a thinking blog and a feeling blog. When I recently became an MBTI practitioner two months ago, I created an MBTI blog named “In The Blink of a Mind.”
http://www.intheblinkofamind.blogspot.com/