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Are You The Worst Enemy of Your Business?
My 14 year old son attends classes at a martial arts center. The martial arts center is run by a 30 year old man. He is by all means a successful business man for his young age. He stood in front of his class and asked them if they knew what...
Free Program Removes Spyware not Detected by Premium Security Scan
What is Spyware?
Spyware monitors your surfing habits and sends the data off to some remote server in cyberland. Your computer can get infected with spyware easily by visiting a web page or installing a software program. Kazza is a classic...
Hassle-Free Homebuying
Perhaps you’d like to take advantage of today’s great buyer’s market in housing but feel a little intimidated by everything that’s involved.
You know the routine: finding the right locale and the right house; negotiating an agreement; putting...
Revenge of the Sith – Creativity and Structure
The common belief is that lack of structure and randomness enhances creative output, whereas in truth, creativity is enhanced when it is organised, systematic and based on highly structured processes. This article will use Episode III of the Star...
Wake Up! -- You Are Asleep!
WEEKLY WISDOM NEWSLETTER Wake Up! -- You Are Asleep! November 6, 2003 I'd like to welcome our new subscribers! If you've been forwarded this article and would like to subscribe.... click here.I am working on assembling a 3-month Group Coaching...
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Small Business: To Blog or Not To Blog
A weblog, or "blog" started out as a personal journal on the Web. They have evolved far beyond that initial concept. Now, weblogs cover as many different topics as there are people writing them. Some blogs are highly influential and have readership which exceeds most traditional newspapers, while others are mainly intended as personal journals to be shared with only family and friends. So, should you consider blogging?
The power of weblogs is that they allow millions of people to easily publish their ideas, and millions more to comment on them. Increasingly people write, read and comment on blogs. Many people mistakenly believe that blogs are only personal diaries. More and more, blogs are being used by businesses to attract customers. Since blogs now come in all flavors, let’s look at the basics of blogging.
A blogger is someone who writes a blog. The “Blogosphere” is a word used to describe the online community of bloggers and their writings.
A blog differs from a website only because it is a website that is updated frequently, most often displaying its material in journal-like entries. An entry, a post, or a posting, are the terms often used to refer to a specific article or commentary written by the blogger on his or her blog. Many weblogs allow readers to write a reaction to what was written in the blog entry. These comments can often be found directly following the blog entry.
For millions of people, blogging is a hobby. For some, like journalists, writers, business leaders and political leaders, writing blogs enhances their professional careers. A blog gives the voice a broader audience and allows more direct and interactive contact with the readers. Some bloggers have readership numbers approaching that of big media and are able to earn income from their blogs. But potential profit should not be the primary motivation for blogging.
Why should a blog be part of your business’ marketing strategy? The blogging movement is picking up speed, particularly for businesses. Blogging is one arena where the size of your company won’t matter. A blog is NOT the place to promote your product or company. It is a place to promote your ideas, provide tips, and express yourself in the hopes of building an audience. That audience may , in turn, become customers.
There are two key concepts to keep in mind when deciding whether you will launch a blog or not;
providing quality content and blogging regularly. These are critical to creating an audience for your blog.
A successful blog is written with a distinct audience in mind. In this way, you can provide content that is unique to your audience’s issues, needs, or desires. If you create content they like and wish to return to read, you will produce quality content. Successful bloggers have a focused topic and a unique personality.
Both your topic and unique style will cause your audience to return to your blog. When they return, it is critical to stay true to your audience and tone of your blog. If people are reading your blog, it’s because they like your topic and tone. Try not to stray from your typical topics and style too much. This will give your readers a reason to link back to your blog on an ongoing basis. But your content and tone are just one element to consider. Also critical to your ongoing blogging success is how frequently you update your blog.
If you don't update your blog often enough, blog readers will move on to other blogs. There are too many blogs out there competing for your reader’s attention. Blog readers will go where the content is.
Successful blogging takes a commitment of your time. When you begin blogging and wish to capture an audience, you should be prepared to blog every day. In this way, you can develop an audience who counts on you to help them begin or end their day. This means you should also try to post at the same time each day. Your readers will get accustomed to your schedule and check your blog at the appropriate time. The time of day is not as crucial as the consistency in your posting.
So, is a blog right for you? You tell me. Do you have a distinct topic in mind? Do you have a strong opinion or passion for the topic? Do you know what audience you are writing for? Do you have the time to commit to regular postings on your blog? If so, see you in the blogosphere!
About the Author
Michele Schermerhorn calls herself a “Corporate Freedom Fighter” dedicated to freeing cubicle prisoners. She has over 30 years experience in the business world. She is President of Online Business Institute Inc. (www.obinstitute.com), authors a sassy marketing blog (www.imarketblog.com), and regularly conducts free online seminars. Online Business Institute Inc. exists to “Create Successful Online Business Owners One Person At A Time”.
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| Motivation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Article giving an overview of the concept. Includes history, information on human psychological drives, and applications in business and education. |
| en.wikipedia.org |
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| Motivation 123. Motivation Techniques & Tips for Your Happiness ... |
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| Motivation |
| Goal Setting is extremely important to motivation and success. So what motivates you? Why are you in college? If you are in college because that's what your ... |
| www.d.umn.edu |
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| Employee motivation. Motivation in the workplace- theory and practice |
| Employee motivation in the workplace article. This article focus on aspects of employee motivation, theory and practice as applied to in the workplace and ... |
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| Motivation Point. Motivation Advice for Your Achievement and Success |
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| The Motivation Tool Chest |
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| Seven Rules of Motivation |
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| Motivation |
| MOTIVATION CHECKLIST. The following checklist may prove helpful in getting at the ... If you want to improve your motivation you may want to choose a ... |
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| GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF MOTIVATION |
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| TIP: Concepts |
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| Motivational Quotes, Motivational Quotations, motivation quotes ... |
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| Motivation & Inspiration from The Daily Motivator® |
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| Pages tagged with "motivation" on del.icio.us |
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| Mental Help Net - Psychological Self-Tools - Online Self-Help Book ... |
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| Teambuilding Inc. Article - Team Motivation |
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