Archive for Branding
The Best Way for a Blogger to Connect with the Press (Guest Column)
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Lee Block, Guest Columnist
This is a guest article by Lee Block. If you would like to submit a guest column, please check out our guest post guidelines.
Whether you have a blog where you review items, or a travel blog or even a basic business blog, it is always great to be connected to the press. But, how do you go about getting those public relations firms to even give you the time of day?
First, sign up with HARO. There are two sides to HARO. One side is the Public Relations, or those who respond to the queries to get their news or ideas published, and then there is the side that is seeking information. If you are looking for information, such as items to review or information about resorts, this is a great resource.
There are some things to know though before you submit a query to HARO. First, you must have an Alexa ranking of fewer than 2,000,000. You can check your ranking with Alexa by going to their site and typing in your URL. If you do not have a ranking under that 2 million mark, HARO will not put out your query.
Next, be careful how you word your query. If you are looking for products, do not put that you want to review products, but that you want to know about the latest trends in say, travel. Not only does HARO not like to send out queries that ask for reviews of items, but you will not get very many responses.
If you word your query right, you should get on average 50 – 100 responses. Although time consuming, respond to all with a thank you, even if you are not going to use their information that they sent you. It is always wise to say that you will keep their information for potential articles, and to please add you to their email list for future press releases.
You will find that many of the companies and PR firms that contact you will offer to send you merchandise. You see, you are opening a door for them to spread the word with free advertising. They will bend over backwards to provide you with the material, pictures and many other things that you need for your article or review.
If you form a great relationship with a PR firm, it is invaluable, as they will continually send you information, which is more research for future articles.
And, finally, when you do use the material you get from the PR company, let them know with a link to the article. Don’t be shy; ask them to put it on the Facebook page and to tweet it! It will bring you great new traffic and followers.
Lee Block is a professional blogger and writer for others. She also is following her passion for travel and cocktails on her travel site, The Travel Connoisseurs. You can follow her on Twitter @TrvlConnOsseur.
Do You Have a Social Media Support Group?
Posted by: | CommentsEvery day on the Blogging Bistro Facebook page, I post a “social media tip of the day.” Monday’s tip says:
Expect it to take 6 months to 2 years to build a fan base of quality online followers.
Mary Beth Smith responded:
Laura, thank you for pointing that out – this is not instant pudding – it takes time to build that audience, and is the most fundamental task of beginning a social media presence.
I love Mary Beth’s “instant pudding ” analogy. [Aside: my 14-year-old recently discovered how easy it is to whip up a box of JELL-O instant chocolate pudding; we're buying a Costco-sized pallet of it.]
Should we invest less effort in nurturing online relationships than we do in-person relationships? I believe all valued relationships require a long-term commitment. And because we don’t see most of our online contacts face-to-face on a daily basis, it’s safe to assume that virtual relationships take longer to build.
I propose a forming a social media support group for small business owners and solopreneurs. The group would be comprised of people who are committed to helping each other build our brands online. When we post an important article, video, or update, other members of the group can share the link with their networks.
As I was mulling over how a support group of this nature could work, I thought, “Why not create a Facebook Group?” So I did. It’s called Social Media Support Group, and it’s open to anyone who’d like to join.
Head over to the Social Media Support Group and you’ll see a sample update to give you an idea of how to share your links.
And because I know some of you prefer LinkedIn groups, I created a duplicate Social Media Support Group at LinkedIn.
Join now from either Facebook or LinkedIn — whichever network you use most often.
Questions? Suggestions?
Memorize English Phonetic Spelling With Me
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When I’m listening to the radio, the hosts and advertisers often rattle off website addresses so quickly that I can’t figure out what they said.
You may have experienced the same problem during phone conversations, when spelling a name or address.
Whenever this happens to me, I guess at a word to substitute for the letter. And I end up sounding stupid when I say things like, “P is for… er… potato. Or is it panda?… or preposition?
I’ve decided it’s time to memorize the English Phonetic Spelling (also called the NATO Phonetic Alphabet). A phonetic alphabet is a list of spoken words substituted for letters of the English alphabet. It helps prevent confusion between similar-sounding letters (m and n) and to clarify potentially garbled transmission.
If you don’t already have this list memorized, I invite you to join me in this quest. Someone suggested to start by spelling your name, than your company or address. Soon, you’ll know the whole alphabet!
I’m starting with my first name, Laura: Lima Alpha Uniform Romeo Alpha
English Phonetic Spelling (Print and carry it with you)
A Alpha
B Bravo
C Charlie
D Delta
E Echo
F Foxtrot
G Golf
H Hotel
I India
J Juliet
K Kilo
L Lima
M Mike
N November
O Oscar
P Papa
Q Quebec
R Romeo
S Sierra
T Tango
U Uniform
V Victor
W Whisky
X X-ray
Y Yankee
Z Zulu
Anyone have other great memory devices to share?
Are You Selling ‘The Whole Experience’?
Posted by: | CommentsThe iPad is taking the world by storm, with U.S. sales topping 1 million in less than a month and predictions that Apple may sell 8 million iPads in 2010.
So, what makes this new category of computer a must-have for so many?
It is because of its 9.7-inch touch-screen?
… because you can easily read digital books and magazines? (People who own both an iPad and a Kindle tell me it’s more versatile than the Kindle.)
…because you can watch videos? Play games? Surf the Internet?
…because it’s easy to use?
…because there’s nothing on the market to rival the iPad?
Probably all of the above. Apple isn’t selling technology – we already have access to all the technology included on an iPad. Apple is selling an experience – a lifestyle.
Apple has worked very hard (and spent billions) to create a brand experience average folks can’t resist. It’s paying off.
What about you?
- What “experience” does your business or non-profit “sell”?
- How can you craft a brand story that compellingly sells that experience?
Please share your thoughts so we can learn from each other.
8 Great Reasons to Embed Your Blog on Your Web site
Posted by: | CommentsThis is a guest post by Mark T. Hancock.If you would like to submit a guest article please check out our guest post guidelines.
The explosive growth of the blogosphere remains more than impressive. BlogPulse estimates that there are currently over 126 million blogs, with over 42,000 new blogs added to the mix each day.
Most blogs are hosted with a sub-domain address like MyBlog.blogspot.com or MyBlog.wordpress.com. But more people are recognizing that to stay above the fray, to take advantage of SEO opportunities, and to build an online community presence that can be enhanced it may be advisable to transfer content from the free blog hosting services (like Typepad, Blogger, or WordPress.com) to a self-hosted Web site.
Recently I considered making the switch from a free blog to a dedicated Web site that would host my blog. I gathered my research and came up with my pros and cons. I hope these notes are helpful for you.
Pros for transferring my blog to a Web site:
1. I Can Prepare Myself for Expansion
On a self-hosted Web site, my blog can be one tab amongst a number of tabs that my reader can find. I can even post to different tabs, based on the content of the post, as another way of presenting my content and of keeping my reader on my site.
I will be able to add an unlimited number of tabs to pages with elements like forums, a store, a photo archive, a speaking engagements calendar, audio and video promotional tools, online small group studies and more, all aimed at broadening my exposure to my reader and improving on their experience.
2. The Respect Factor
My own dedicated Web site address immediately adds credibility to what I am doing. It is like the difference between having an office and working out of my home.
3. Email Address Link
Every email I send out will carry the URL of my site in its address. If someone gets an email from me and wants to know a little more, they can easily find my Web site. They are less likely to follow a link to a free-hosted blog because they already know what they will find – a blog! But the Web site address holds some mystique that might be sufficient to get them to see what I am all about.
4. Free Ads
Some Web site host companies give credits for advertising through Google Adwords and others. This allows me to promote my site in exchange for contracting with the host. This exposure will increase my presence on the Web.
5. SEO
This industry buzzphrase is the key to making my site more visible through search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc). There are plenty of SEO plug-ins available, particularly for WordPress Themes, that will increase my visibility in cyberspace and will drive interested readers to my site.
6. Ownership
If at some point I build up a good amount of traffic but want to move on to something else, my Web site domain address will actually have a monetary value. It’s like the difference between owning and renting. I own it, so I can sell it.
7. Design
Free and low-cost template designs are available. The ones I am familiar with are through WordPress.org. These can be personalized rather effectively into a fully-functional website at a fraction of the cost of a site from scratch, and they are built with bloggers in mind. I will have much greater control over HTML and CSS through a self-hosted Web site.
8. Monetization
There are a multitude of ways to profit from drawing traffic to my Web site and then letting folks click through to view something else or to make a purchase.
Cons for converting to a Self-Hosted blog or Web site:
1. Learning Curve
Although WordPress.org provides content management software (CMS) for websites, including the familiar blog interface that is on their free side (WordPress.com), I will want some pizzazz on the new site. Dealing with flash, banners, widgets, plug-ins, etc. can be time-consuming if I want to supercharge my site and take advantage of the enhanced possibilities. Do I have the time to do this?
Unless I am willing to get experience with HTML and CSS I should probably hire a professional to help set up my blog on my site. BloggingBistro.com can be a great partner in getting me going.
2. Cost
In addition to optional design fees, there are annual domain registration fees and monthly web hosting fees.
In case you are wondering, I determined that the promise of greater SEO, enhancements, and design possibilities was worth it, but a big risk that I still had to consider had to do with my archived content, my base of current loyal readers and SEO, each of which I had been developing over time.
Fortunately, WordPress allowed me to import all of my postings from Blogger, and the Theme program (I use Thesis, which is not free, but offers lots of options and built-in SEO) allowed me to post the entire blog to my new Web site easily.
But what about my established readers? I addressed this by continuing to post to my Blogger site at the same time that I post to my self-hosted site. On Blogger I post only a little of the post, usually the first sentence or two, then I provide a link to “read more” that takes my reader to the new site.
My new site is still under development, as some pages are being withheld as I wait to contract for the publication of my first book (this book project is the reason I needed to consider the switch in the first place), but I am already seeing the daily readership catch up to my Blogger site and I look forward to seeing it grow into the vibrant community I envisioned.
Mark T. Hancock, MA spent 15 years as Founder and President of Mark One Advertising. He also was in private practice as a Mental Health Therapist, traveled internationally as a Global Event Director, teaches college, runs a small finance company and manages a portfolio of investment properties with his wife, Michaell. He has two boys and lives in Port Orange, Florida, patiently waiting the publication of his first book. Visit Mark at www.LeaveTheGate.com and at Facebook: www.facebook.com/MarkTHancock
Curb Appeal Case Study #2: Weekly Life Clip Blog
Posted by: | CommentsThis month, we’re working on adding Curb Appeal to our blogs and Web sites. I published a call-out for BEFORE and AFTER screenshots, and several brave folks volunteered to share their works in progress. Our first volunteer was Carla Williams, The Spiritual Mom.
Today we’ll look at Angela Bryant’s blog, Weekly Life Clip.
Angela is a writer, musician, sometimes artist and photographer who aspires to write a garden-related devotional and gardening-themed children’s books. Angela has the great fortune of living in the San Juan Islands in Washington state — a mecca for gardening! On her blog, she shares photographic and written “clips” from life, from a Biblical and island garden world view.
Here’s Angela’s BEFORE shot:
And here’s her AFTER (in progress) shot:
- The major change Angela made was getting rid of the hard-to-read gray-on-black type. She replaced it with a more fitting green background (to promote her brand message).
- She had a lovely banner designed; it visually depicts the San Juan islands and further solidifies her “green” gardening brand.
- She changed the justification of her main content columns to flush left, which creates an informal feel, and she standardized the font and font size she’s using within her content area.
- Angela continues to work on creating keyword-driven headlines so Web searchers can find her posts easily.
- Many of Angela’s readers are from other countries, so she added a language translator widget so they can continue to enjoy her site.
What do you think of Weekly Life Clip’s curb appeal? What would you suggest Angela do next?
Join in the fun! Submit your own BEFORE and AFTER screenshots. If your site is a work in progress (and whose isn’t?), that’s okay. We’ll give each other suggestions for the next step.
‘The Spiritual Mom’ Adds Curb Appeal to Her Website
Posted by: | CommentsThis month’s theme is how to add Curb Appeal to your blog or Web site. I published a call-out for BEFORE and AFTER screenshots from those of you who are improving your site’s curb appeal, and several brave folks volunteered to share what they’re doing.
Our first volunteer is Carla Williams, aka, The Spiritual Mom. Carla is an author, speaker, editor, and most importantly, a mentor to women who seek a spiritual role model for their parenting journey.
She’s in the midst of updating her Website and would like your suggestions about other things she can do to improve her site’s curb appeal.
Here’s Carla’s BEFORE shot:
And here’s her AFTER (in progress) shot:
Note that Carla kept her color scheme and the swirly effect, but she moved her picture to the right side of the page so we first notice her logo. After we get that initial brand impression, our eyes are drawn across the banner to her picture.
- She moved her tagline (helping families create a spiritual legacy) into the logo itself, which strengthens her brand message.
- Her navigation buttons are bold, and she added social media icons inside the main navigation area so people can instantly follow her on Facebook or Twitter, or subscribe to her blog via e-mail or feed reader.
- She changed the headline font, size, and color to make heads more prominent, and she changed the color of the type in her main content area (as well as the background color).
- Carla shrank the width of her main content column and added a second sidebar, which features links to other key pages on her site. One of her sidebars features clickable icons of some of the social media sites in which she participates, but those community links appear “below the fold” so they aren’t distracting and don’t clutter her layout.
What do you think of The Spiritual Mom’s curb appeal? What would you suggest she do next?
Join in the fun! Submit your own BEFORE and AFTER screenshots. If your site is a work in progress (and whose isn’t?), that’s okay. We’ll give each other suggestions for the next step.
Need to Invent a Name for Your Business or Product? Try This Tool
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Zillow.
Zune.
Napster.
Simpy.
Ning.
They’re all made-up company or product names. Some of them resonate with us. Some don’t. But one thing’s for certain: made-up names are the rage.
Wordoid is a free online service that makes inventing a catchy, made-up name for your business or product a bit easier (not to mention less expensive — brand development companies charge big bucks for inventing names).
- You can create Wordoids in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German.
- You can generate Wordoids that sound “natural, “almost natural,” or “hardly natural” in any of those language.
- You can put another word (or sound) somewhere inside your Wordoid, at the beginning of the Wordoid, or at the end of it.
- You can set your Wordoid length limit anywhere between 5 and 15 characters.
Just for fun, I generated some wordoids with “bistro” in them. Some of my faves:
bistroyed (what happens if my business goes belly-up)
cubistro (the space where my employees work)
bistroduce (the act of meeting a new client for the first time)
habajapambistro (the Spanish version)
obistrovoisons (French)
azionibistrollo (Italian)
ersterbistrott (German)
You try it! Share a couple of your Wordoids with us.
Here’s a great related article I found on how brand names are categorized. http://www.thenameinspector.com/10-name-types/
Behind the Scenes at a Writers’ Conference
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Members of the branding course who were still left standing at the end of our fourth day together.
People who’ve never attended a writers’ conference often ask, “What goes on at these conferences? Do you go to workshops and panel presentations all day? Do you have the opportunity to meet editors?”
My answer: Yes and yes.
Last week, at the Florida Christian Writers’ Conference (where I taught a 6-hour course on branding), we had daily large group sessions during which we listened to a keynote presentation.
Every conferee selected a 6-hour Continuing Class to attend daily, and there were dozens of break-out workshops from which to choose.
The emphasis at this conference is on networking, so editors, agents, and freelancers made themselves available for 15-minute, one-on-one appointments with conferees. I met a conferee who had appointments with eight different editors! Mealtimes are also set aside for networking, with each faculty member hosting a table during lunch and dinner.
While a lot of writers and writers-in-training attend writers’ conferences, you’ll meet people from every walk of life. In my branding course, for instance, we had:
- Child psychologist
- Fitness trainer
- Teacher
- Dentist
- Life coach
- Journalist
- Salesperson
- Ministry director
- Librarian
- Motivational speaker
- Marketing business owner
- … and more
Here are some notes my students handed me at the conclusion of the branding course:
Thank you, Laura, for your knowledge and presentations that have led me through the maze of branding and challenged me to market my skills. – Joyce, South Dakota
Laura builds community. Whether in a class of thirty or in an individual setting, she makes you feel special. She is informative, knowledgeable, a catalyst for change, and entertaining. Her content is spot-on. – Donna, Ontario, Canada
I loved your approach to branding. I felt that you were challenging us to think of it as our unique call from God in how He has created us and in how He has worked in our hearts and lives and not just about marketing. – Robbi, Florida
I want to extend a huge thank you to the 25 or so conferees who hung with me during the branding course. We had a terrific time fleshing out our brands, and I feel so honored to have made a couple dozen new friends!
Am I a Motivator? A Weaver? Both or Neither?
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This is a guest post by Johnnie Donley. Johnnie read my post about The Strong Life Test for Women and volunteered to review the book it was based on.
If you’d like to submit a guest post to Blogging Bistro, check out the guidelines.
Am I a Motivator? A Weaver? Both or neither?
The online Strong Life test tells me that these are the roles I was born to play. But I’m not convinced.
The explanatory blurbs kinda sorta fit. I’m naturally optimistic and love to delegate (Motivator). I’m genuinely curious and trust my friends (Weaver). But the blurbs, so gregarious and outgoing, conflict with my introspective introvertism. (Or should that be my introverted introspectivism?)
I must also confess to an out-of-joint nose. Why didn’t I get Creator. After all, I’m a writer. Writers create. So where did I go wrong in answering the quiz questions?
There was only one thing to do – read the book. Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently, by Marcus Buckingham, presents nine Life Roles: Advisor, Caretaker, Creator, Equalizer, Influencer, Motivator, Pioneer, Teacher, and Weaver. The author, an expert on leveraging strengths, identified these roles from his analysis of two decades’ worth of personality test results. After describing each role, he lists suggestions for using it to create a meaningful, purposeful life.
Before getting to the roles, Buckingham writes about such topics as the female paradox (women, in general, become less satisfied with life as we get older) and the myth of multi-tasking. Using real-life examples, he demonstrates what a strong life looks like – and what it doesn’t.
After the chapter on the Life Roles, Buckingham advises women to “honor what is true about you” and to strive for imbalance, two keys for creating a strong life. His final chapters provide “Strong Life Tactics” for specific areas, such as career, relationships, and kids.
When I took the quiz, I answered the questions honestly – at least I thought I did. But after reading the Life Role descriptions, I can tell you, honestly and boldly, this gal ain’t no Weaver, someone described as “always planning whom you are going to introduce to whom” and “you often cold-call people you’ve heard or read about in order to connect them with someone you know.”
Nope. Not gonna happen.
Neither am I a Creator, though I do “read a lot of nonfiction” and love time by myself to read and write.
But enough about my roles.
Take the test. Read the book. Discover your God-given strengths and how best to use them. “Your strongest life lies so close to you,” reads the very last line, “familiar and startling, waiting to be found.”
Johnnie Alexander Donley shares her Novice Novelist Novel Notes at www.johnniedonley.com.