Blogs are a great way to Demonstrate Your Knowledge.

In fact, outside of becoming a regular guest on big TV shows and writing columns in a newspaper, I would say that it is the next best way.  And the blog can certainly land you those kinds of opportunities in the future.

Many people think they have to come up with new, creative articles for their blog every day.  Instead, you have to remember that the people that are reading your blog probably know less than you and are looking for insight into your topic.  All you need to do is demonstrate your knowledge on the topic by writing good, informative posts about thing you already know.  You may even find it a bit boring, but your readers will not.

By demonstrating your knowledge in a clear, professional manner, you will be building your visibility and personal brand.  The result will eventually be:

• Sales
• Invitations to speak
• Partnerships
• Job Offers
• Other writing opportunities
• And many other things

There are a huge number of opportunities to build your personal brand online.  However, if you want to build expert status, a blog is the best way to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise, coupled with email integration. (You want to build your list as well as build blog traffic)

Don’t get hung up on writing.  Just look around at what you are currently doing and write about it for someone that has never done that before.  Your blog will be packed full of valuable information in no time.  To demonstrate your knowledge you only have to be consistent writing the things you already know.

As I crossed the border into Mexico, I could not help but think about Macro Marketing.  First, let me say I really love coming to Mexico and I have spent nearly two years of my life living in Mexico on and off.  But since I have specialized in marketing, this has been my first trip back.

Never before have I thought about marketing in such a broad sense.  Forget advertising.  Forget social networks.  What is the macro experience you are creating?

The moment I crossed the border into Mexico I experienced uneccessary stress.  Poor directions, rude behavior (that I never encounter further south) and extra expenses and hassles.  Certainly getting back into the US is not always a picnic either.

I applaud Mexico for the commitment to create great, safe highways.  I would also make the experience of entering Mexico one that made people feel welcome and wanted. 

Marketing is as much the product as it is the message.  When you have a big, complex product such as a country, focusing on first impressions seems essential.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

This is not a book review of Twilight by Stephanie Meyers.

No, this is not a post about a blog that tells you how to dress.

I actually was helping someone roll out a new blog and they wanted to post a lot of promotional things. They could not quickly grasp that the blog posts should be more conversational and less promotional, yet never forgetting that there was a goal.

Then I used the analogy that websites are formal business attire, and blogs are business casual.

She got it right away.

Business Casual in the land of blogs means:

1. Letting people get to know you without disclosing your party behavior.
2. Talking about topics without selling.
3. Creating a give and take, less formal way to communicate.
4. Putting a face on the stogy business identity.
5. Showing real people’s success are behind the business.

Your business blog should be business casual to be effective.

This post, Web Marketing Nonprofit Organizations is written by guest writer Hans Strock.

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Non-profit organizations need marketing, and luckily for them, it can be done online for less. It just takes some time to develop. Here are some things charity and non-profit groups can do to spread the word. We’ll Use African United Partnerships for these examples.

1. Start a blog. Yes, this is obvious, but the way you craft it really counts here. To be really effective, talk about what you are doing. Tell stories about what is going on. Most importantly though, show the results that donations are doing. Keep it positive and show people that their donation money is being put to good work, and to make them feel good about helping out.
2. Fundable.com. This site is totally dedicated to fund raising. It allows users to set a timeline and dollar amount for your cause. Its quick and easy to use, to boot. The only thing to be aware of is that if you don’t meet your goal within the deadline set no money gets donated at all. If you are confident you can make it though, this is a great, easy tool to use. For an example of this, check out the page for African United Partnerships .
3. Squidoo. This was originally started for charity groups, so this should be a no brainer. You can eve submit your group to be added to their list of charity/non-profit groups. This means that any user creating a lens can have a portion of any profits made on it go to your group. Be sure to join groups to take advantage of this. Once again, check out the lens from African United Partnerships to see how it’s done.
4. Blog Networks. Once you start a blog be sure to claim it on a blogging community like MyBlogLog.com and BlogCatalog.com. Be sure to follow other blogs here to grab their attention as well.

5. Mingle. Don’t just build these things and sit on it. Talk to people! Read other blogs and comment on them. Send them emails with helpful things. Make them see you as valuable. When the time comes, they will return the favor.

6. Main Site. Make sure you have a professional looking main site that details your cause well. Also, make sure there is a very clear, easy way to donate. It doesn’t help to get people rallied for your cause, but be confused on how to help. Here, we see that AUP (http://africanunitedpartnerships.org) has a professional looking site with big donate buttons on every page.

The important thing to note is that you really have to focus with these and take the time to cultivate them. Use the powerful social aspect of these tools to build links and relationships with other people. It is also important that you look professional. People want to make sure their money is going to a good cause. Leverage the power of relationship building combined with good design on your sites to build that trust and audience. The web has some powerful methods of reaching people around the world. Take advantage of it to spread the word.

Jill Lublin Questions & Answers for Buzzoodle – Jill has a new book about referrals.

Q: Jill, please tell us how you got into helping people build their
personal brand?

A: I got started because I was in the music business and discovered
that publicity and promotion was really my true talent and the
music business is so powerful because it’s all about branding and
imagine.  I worked for an underdog record label that didn’t have
large budgets.  We had to figure out very creative ways to gain
visibility.

Q: What roll does social networking now play in building exposure?

A: Social networking is huge right now in terms of promoting
yourself through the networks. I’m still a believer in the
traditional role of publicity to help build a brand.  People
still read newspapers, listen to radio and watch TV.

Q: If someone wants to start building their personal brand but only
can do it 30 minutes per week, what would you recommend as the
best things to do with that time?

A: I think they should write an announcement that specializes in
something good that’s happened to them.  Do that every 60 days.
Also look for trends that are happening right now and see if your
story can fit in.

Q: Tell me what would surprise me from your book.  I know  about
blogging, press releases, etc.  Do you have an unexpected secret
you can share?

A: The most obvious one is get back to Belly to belly marketing
which is about leveraging your circle of influence.

Q: What roll can a virtual assistant play in helping someone build
visibility when they are too busy?

A: A VA can stay on the phone and on the internet one hour per day
by creating desire in the community so you have more exposure in
the market place.  A VA can also facilitate in networking
opportunities because they connect with so many different circles
and clients.

Q: Can you give me an example of someone you have worked – along
with their success story?

A: Ryan Yee – Ryan is an instructional designer. He needed to get
noticed as an instructional design; that subject wasn’t
interesting.  I listened to his story, a story about being fired
from his job, about the fact that him and his wife were pregnant
with their third child on the way, that he had just bought a big
house with a big payment; and was unemployed.  I recreated his
story into him being a virtual office warrior, taking a VOW (The
acronym for being a virtual office warrior- never to work in an
office again).  That story got him into multiple national
magazines like Entrepreneur, Home Office Magazine, and multiple
daily newspapers, radio, and television. It also landed him a
book contract. Recreating a story is sometimes what will get you
your best success by using everything you’ve got.

Q: Who should buy your book and why?

A: Anyone who owns a business and wants to “Build your client base
and your business by making a name for yourself should by my
book.

Thank you for visiting with Jill today. We invite you to visit her on other days of the tour. For complete details about the tour and her full schedule, visit http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/06/jill-lublin-author-of-get-noticed-get.html. For full details from Amazon, visit http://www.amazon.com/Get-Noticed-Referrals-Business-Yourself/dp/0071508279. Jill’s website is www.jilllublin.com .

Want to create buzz? 

Without a strong dose of personality and passion, it is a hard road to walk.

Today I was doing a speech someplace and the person I was sitting with before I went on was full of passion, energy and enthusiasm.  And he had a personality.

I mentioned he seemed to have everything required to become a speaker – and that would grow his business even more.

He said he’d given it some thought for quit a while, and that other people has suggested the same thing.  There was only one problem….

He is too committed to his family and church to take the time necessary.

So I asked him, “Why do you think you need to talk about copiers just because that is what you sell? Wouldn’t you server your mission better by speaking on behalf of your church, and at events you could take you family to?”

Sometimes something little like that can be powerful.  He did not need me to explain that it would generate sales anyway.  He got it right away.  When people like you are respect you, they want to do business with you.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO COMMUNICATE ABOUT WHAT YOU SELL!

• Selling insurance does not mean you need to start an insurance blog.
• Selling copiers does not mean you need to speak about copiers.
• Being good at technology does not mean you need to write a technology book.
• Financial Planners do not have to do podcast shows about financial planning.
• And real estate agents do not have to spend 100% of their time showing homes.

How you make money may be one dimensional, but you most certainly are not.  Let your personality show and do things that you are passionate about.  The great relationships you have from your effort will pay off.

Because online marketing is newer than other forms of marketing, it is easy to think of them as two different worlds.  However, if you think of business being about relationships and providing value, that barrier breaks down right away.

The question is not whether online will work for you.  The very legitimate question is, Do you have the time and inclination to use online tools to extend what you are doing?

I do not do direct mail.  I don’t want to, and while I may be losing out on some clients, I do not care because I do not believe in direct mail as an effective marketing tool in most cases.

For many business owners, they have a website, but they do not believe in internet marketing.  That is fine as well.  It is your choice, and it is less about whether it works or not, and more about your inclination to try to do it right.

Something that is often lost is that online extends off-line.  Here are some ideas on how to use your real-world marketing and online marketing to form a great marketing alliance.

1. Speech Teaser – When you give a speech, mention the limited time but let the audience know where to go on your website to find a video of 5 more secret tips.  Ideally it is after they sign up for the newsletter.
2. Direct Mail – Go to the website and sign in to get your secret discount code – or to see if you have won a prize.
3. Brochure – Expand your paper brochure with a website address that has video of your product, service, etc.
4. Business Card – Don’t just list your main website.  List your blog or other resources.  Use the back of your business card to add value.
5. Networking – When you have a chance to meet people and work with people, use sites like LinkedIn to connect and leave testimonials and endorsements.
6. Cold Calling – When you call someone and they are interested in your offer, get their email and send them a link or two to video or resources that will interest them but not be too sales oriented.
7. Print – Always have ways to get more information by visiting the website.  I recently saw a whole proposal done as a public blog to demonstrate the companies commitment to social media.
8. Advertising – No matter what your advertising, they should be able to explore the topic more by going online.

If you are doing all of these things, you could say that you are doing Internet Marketing, you could say you are doing traditional marketing, or you could just say you are a damn fine marketer.

When you first started your business, it was simple.  You had a checking account and it had a few expenses every month, and if you were lucky, some deposits.

“Today you are trading in social currency.  You may be rich, or you may be poor, but it is the currency of the future whether you like it or not.”

If the IRS came knocking at your young business, you gave them the shoe box of transactions and brewed them some coffee while they sat at your kitchen table and reviewed a whole year’s worth of transaction.  If you have been in business for a while, you know how quickly that changes.  Multiple checking accounts, automatic transactions left and right, loans, credit cards, balance transfers….

For a more mature company, an audit is a hassle if you have to do it yourself.

Social Networking seems just as confusing and out of control as finances can be.  It all started out easy.  No need to keep lots of records, you are just trying out that new social media tool…

Doing taxes, and auditing your own financials is not fun.  But if you were not forced to do it periodically, imagine what a mess you could have after a few years.

Your Social Media Efforts Need Audited

Your social media efforts produce important things for you, even if you are not taking full advantage of them.

1. Connections – Also known as lists of people
2. Feeds – Avenues to publish information other people see
3. Access – Permission to publish on other websites

Much like scheduling auto-payments for a bill, many of these tools automatically publish information or grow your network.  It is easy to forget it is happening.

Here are recommendations to getting the most out of your social media effort.

1. Have a real strategy – Who would you like to connect with and what do you have to offer them?
2. Have a reason for them to sign up to an email list – Email is still #1 when used correctly.  What can you offer people in your many online groups to entice them to sign up directly with you for email?
3. Track all your accounts – Keep a spreadsheet of accounts, when you signed up, password, etc.
4. Audit your profile and settings at least twice per year.  You will find all kinds of things have changed, but you have not updated them.
5. Look for new integration opportunities – Social media is doing a better job of integrating and standardizing than financial tools are, in my opinion.  (Yes, financial is a bit harder, I know)

Perpetual Beta Social Media

Social media sites are constantly evolving.  If not the tool itself, then some other tool that will take data from a site and display it within another tool.  Crazy!

You have to keep up, or your image will get muddled or stale.  The good news is that there are social media bookkeepers.  A good virtual assistant can help you organize the tools, track progress and outcome, grow your connections and audit your profiles -  often in a few hours per month.  The Virtual Buzz Assistant network was created because of the incredible need for this kind of help.  It helps people develop their own Virtual Buzz Assistant business and help busy professionals that understand the importance of social media to find the help they need.

No sales pitch here – you can do it all yourself right after you update Quickbooks and finish your weekly payroll.

Steve Rubel has an interesting, if not shocking, post about practice and becoming and expert.

 Read it and think about how that technique could be incorporated in your organization.  Each employee should understand online media and deliberately practice creating buzz a little bit each day.  No, not two hours – don’t worry.  But a little bit every day, measuring it and reporting it.

Some will succeed, some will fail and a few will become rock stars.