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Seth’s Book and Reaching the Reachable

Filed Under Business Life, Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 5 Comments

Reaching You

The Living Web

During my trip to the UK, I was rereading “Meatball Sundae,” Seth’s book about the New Marketing. Certain pages have become thoughts that I like to share with folks who are new to the blogosphere. Seth’s book is one that folks helps bridge the gap to the blogosphere through a lens they understand.

Of course, I was rereading Seth’s book for me too. I find every time I revisit a favorite book with a new problem on my mind, something I hadn’t seen before shows itself to me there. Once again, that proved true. . . .

My thoughts were on how easy it is to have ideas and build products without knowing how to reach the customers those products will serve. My instinct kept pointing to the folks who sit right at our doors.

Do we overlook the customers we already know? Or do we surround ourselves with people doing the same things that we do?

My memory kept returning to Dave Bullock’s declaration at SOBCon08, “You have the community and the relationships . . . I want what you have.”

While reading, I stopped at a passage from Seth’s book (also on his blog)that shone brightly like it was brand new.

. . . start making products, services and stories that appeal to the reachable. Then do your best to build that group ever larger. Not by yelling at them, but by serving them.

Dave and Seth were saying the same thing. Recognize what you already have. Reach out to the folks you know. Make products and services for them.

In response to that idea, I started Models and Masterminds, and it’s getting a fine response. (woo!hoo!)

Glen Stansberry and Leo Babauta have launched an ebook publishing house for the folks they know best.

Reaching the reachable also means keeping fresh and keeping up with them . . .

Roger von Oech has published this generation’s

A Whack on the Side of the Head!

What new offer have you made to the reachable customers you already know? Go ahead. Promote it here.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Check out Models and Masterminds too

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Traffic, Readers, Colleagues — Are They Customers?

Filed Under Business Life, Strategy, Successful Blog | 46 Comments

Reaching Customers in the Offline World

The Living Web

As I put together the SOBCon materials for Models and Masterminds course, I’m thinking about the folks we call visitors and whether they’re really customers.

When I first started my writing blog, I had one reader, a friend who likes to read. Then I joined a “click traffic group” and as long as I clicked other blogs I got a related number of pageviews. Those clickers became the first visitors to my blog. I’m fairly sure few actually read anything.

At day 21, a comment appeared. Shortly after that a few folks started coming back. I had regular readers. Then I had 10 subscribers. I even knew who some of them were. When page views reached 1000/day and comments were plenty and regular, I put up some ads. I thought I’d make some holiday money.

I was confused.

I hadn’t really been looking at who was visiting my blog.

Traffic, Readers, Colleagues — Are They Customers?

When you look at the people who visit your blog, what do they do and how long do they stay?

  • Traffic - If they come in swarms following a link or bookmark and leave in a few seconds flat, it’s traffic. If someone stumbles a page and thousands come only to go away, isn’t that the same as people visiting a store because they were downtown to watch a parade? Traffic is noise unless convert it to readers or customers.
  • Readers - If each visitor reads 1.5 pages or more, you’re building a community of readers. If an audience is your goal, you’ll well on your way. If selling is what you’re about, you’ll need to convert readers into customers. Readers ignore ad that sit in the sidebar. To sell to readers, talk about what they want. Be helpful in solving their problems with products and services that naturally draw from the content you discuss.
  • Colleagues - Being helpful and solving problems can convert readers into customers. But look closely at your audience. Are they potential customers? If you run a “trade” blog — one that discusses the ideas, trends, and people in your industry — your discussions might be with an audience of colleagues not potential customers. Colleagues are unlikely to buy your products and services, at least not long enough for your business to thrive.

We can build a thriving blog that knocks everyone’s socks off, but it can be an investment of love and time that has no customers.

In a world where mostly bloggers read blogs, it’s a good habit to watch our audience. Unless we’re selling specifically to bloggers, our businesses will grow faster if we connect to customers outside the blogosphere.

How would you help a new blogging business connect to customers in the offline world?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Models and Masterminds begins with offline connections to customers.

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Is It Time You Rewrote Your Blogging Goal?

Filed Under Business Life, Successful Blog | 7 Comments

My Blogging Goal Updated May 27, 2008

The Living Web

It was a turning point for this blog when I took up Darren’s Challenge and wrote my blogging goal. Friom that day forward, every decision I made was easier, faster, and more purposeful. I knew the direction I wanted to go.

People who succeed are directed and “in with both feet.”

We built an online community on conversation. But we’re having most of that conversation with each other . . . and the occasional random folk who join us along the way.

Now it’s time to open up the conversation to the offline world — to reach out and invite them to join in.

Business online is affecting offline business models. At the same time, we’re at risk of ignoring business wisdom collected up to now.

Online and offline businesses have so much to offer each other, yet we don’t compare notes nearly often enough.

As Terry and I build out SOBCon to a yearly conference and a Models and Masterminds business, my blogging goal has grown. I work with businesses, universities, and entrepreneurs who are welcoming their online communities into their culture. I work with individuals who are fitting their jobs to their strengths rather than the other way around.

My blogging goal is to connect the online conversation to offline businesses so that we can work together in a profitable way.

What are you doing to connect your online conversation to readers who work offline? Is it time you rewrote your blogging goal?

Drinks and snacks are still available in the sidebar.

Thanks Todd Jordan for the conversation that inspired this post.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Check out Models and Masterminds too

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Great Find in Chicago - Bridge2Growth: UK Market Opportunities

Filed Under Business Life, SOB Business, Successful Blog | Leave a Comment

Mitch Arnowitz emailed me about a meeting being held June 4 in Chicago. Small and medium Businesses can gain a foothold in the UK market with the help of this upcoming seminar. So I offered Mitch this opportunity to extend this invitation.

Bridge 2 Growth: A Quick Start, Low Risk Program for Pursuing UK Market Opportunities by Mitch Arnowitz

Bridge2Growth is a new UK government sponsored program designed to facilitate and complete the UK company start up process for small and medium sized Chicago companies with European expansion plans. The program brings together UK bankers, lawyers and property advisors, giving you access to them for your evaluation, questions and consultation. And it’s free! Join us on June 4th at Intercontinental Hotel. Register now to learn how to grow your business in the UK.

Visit the Website Bridge2Growth, contact info@bridge2growth.com or call 866-625-5136. There is no cost or obligation to attend, but advance registration is required.

You can now check us out on Facebook and Twitter!

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=14645057982

Twitter @Bridge2Growth
—–

Thanks, Mitch!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

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UK Trip 3: The London Tour and the London College of Communication

Filed Under Business Life, Successful Blog | 5 Comments

Meeting Henry VIII and the Dean of the College

London College of Communication

On our return to London Thursday, we took a bus tour through the city. I’m not much of a tourist, but with my son along, asking questions I managed to take in some history. George the 2nd (or was it the 3rd?) died on the toilet. The area down by Westminster Abbey is by far the most beautiful.

We saw the movie, “The Other Boleyn Girl” in Leicester Square later that night.

On Friday I took the tube down to Elephant and Castle to meet with Sue Pandit, the Dean of the London College of Communication. (Diane Keaton will play her in the movie.) She explained that their history as the London College of Printing was still thriving the print shop that still offers students one-color, two-color, and four-color presses as well as digital printing to produce magazines as well as surface printing, such as fashion design.

As Sue and I talked about the social web, I mentioned that conversations and relationships are happening underneath the surface of the Internet. She mentioned that, like so many, she tended to read the blogs of people in her industry, but only the blog posts not the comments that followed. I could see her become intrigued with what she might be missing.

Later in our discussion, Sue invited Chris Linford, a senior professor and lecturer to join us. When he walked in he mentioned that he knew my blog. During our conversation, Chris said that each semester his first job is getting students over fear of html. Most of the students at the college who blog use WordPress 2.3. When I asked about WordPress 2.5, Chris said, “Our IT guys won’t let us use anything in Beta.” He also said they use Wimba.

Meeting Henry

Liz Strauss and HenryVIII

It just wouldn’t be right to visit London and not take my son to Madame Tussauds House of Wax. We went Friday afternoon. It’s there I met Henry.

A third university and picture with a king. (Do you think he’ll call?) Not a bad day.

The question of the day was: What place do you think print will have in future communications?

How would you answer that one?

More to come about UK universities. [Check back for my answer yesterday’s question from at Oxford. now.]

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

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