Successful Blog

Here is a good place for a call to action.

Go ahead and start something

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Rumblings, grumblings, blogging is dead. Social media is saturated. There’s too much “content.”

I call nonsense on all of this.

If you have an important message inside you, and a burning desire to write, you should go ahead and do it.

There’s never been another you. And until cloning becomes a thing, there will never be another you again.

The cool invention, business concept, painting, movement that’s been percolating in your brain? Let it out.

Stop judging it in the darkness of your head and let the rest of us check it out in the daylight.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Don’t Turn a Simple Disagreement into a Social Nightmare

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How much time as a business owner do you spend on social media?

That is a question that oftentimes will elicit a variety of answers. Some spend a sizable amount of time using social networking to promote their brands; others use it sparingly or even not at all.

No matter which camp you end up in, it is important to properly use social media when the time comes. Yes, if you have not been using social media to give your business some publicity, consider this task long overdue.

Come Down on the Side of Caution

When it comes to properly using social media for work, there are several important factors which come into play, most notably being professional.

Sure, one or more visitors to your social page or pages may get under your skin from time to time, but you must always remain in control. If you slip up and start engaging them in a volatile verbal disagreement, you run the risk of damaging not only your brand, but also your own reputation as a business owner.

With that in mind, here are some tips to avoid the down side of consumer interactions:

  1. Take the high road – When one or more people are verbally attacking you and/or your brand on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or other such sites, down go negative on them. Try in a simple and direct response to remedy the problem. If that does not work, look to take the issue private. The more people who see you battling online with one or more individuals, the more people who are likely to gain a negative view of you and/or your brand;
  2. Solve the problem – In some cases, the issue might be something as simple as bad customer service etc. A matter like that is something which generally can be overcome by offering an incentive for the individual to want to continue doing business with you. If it is a sales matter and they want to work with another customer service rep, take that under consideration. Maybe they simply did not like the product or service they received and figured going social about it was a way to vent. Offer them a replacement product or service at no extra charge. Simple actions like these can oftentimes be the answer to the problem;
  3. Be timely – Finally, it is always important that you respond to any and all consumer inquiries in a timely manner. With millions and millions of people using social media on a daily basis, it can seem a little overwhelming at times to stay abreast of all that is occurring. Still, delayed responses spell nothing generally but trouble. If you don’t have the time personally to respond to the inquiries, make sure you dedicate someone on your team or even outsource your social media needs.

When you offer consumers a social media campaign large on responsiveness and short on confrontation and delay you and your brand stand to benefit from it.

As a business owner or marketer, how do you make sure your social media campaigns are working to bring out the best in you and your brand?

About the Author: Miguel Salcido has been a professional search marketing consultant for over 11 years. He is the founder and CEO of Organic Media Group, a content driven SEO agency. He also likes to blog atOrganicSEOConsultant.com and share insights into advanced SEO.

Is Your Authentic Hustle Evident on Social Media?

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By Lindsey Tolino

We have to see it to believe it, don’t we? Maybe we want even more proof than just seeing it, but we at least need to see it.

This is so evident on social media. If people don’t see it, they don’t believe it’s happening. We may be doing a ton of work, but if we’re not sharing what is happening, people may not think we’re doing anything.

The people that you think are successful are the ones whose work you see. Subconsciously, we may know that there are plenty of other people out there doing great work, but because we don’t see it, how can we be sure?

Sure, you share your perfectly-manicured blog post or your colleague’s article, but do you share sneak peeks of what you’re working on?

Basically, you have to answer this question – can people easily tell you’re hustling through your social media alone?

If it’s not obvious that you are, you’re missing out. People won’t believe it’s happening unless they see it. They won’t have any inkling unless you’re sharing it.

In January I interviewed former Pittsburgh Steeler and current artist Baron Batch. His experience really hit me:

“It was kind of like this light bulb went off – at the time I was doing a ton of art projects and different collaborations but I just wasn’t getting credit for the amount and quality of work that it deserved. And it hit me – no one knows. No one knows. I’m not showing anything. That opened my eyes – you have to promote yourself while you work. To show your progression.”

And this isn’t about self-promotion. This is about sharing value. It’s about allowing people to see you and your business in an honest and authentic way.

If we filter our social media presence to simply the perfected pieces, people will only see the outcome, not the process. When you showcase only the outcome, people may value it, but they will not easily identify with you. The reality is that we all struggle, working hard on challenges every day. If you don’t show the struggle, if you show only the perfect, it’s harder to identify with you.

The tweets and posts that I have greatly valued are the authentic ones.

The irony of me writing this is that I’m totally hypocritical in this area. I fix myself on the work to be done and neglect to share the process with others. I struggle with it because I want to be fully present in my work instead of thinking about how I’ll share it on social media. But I’m missing out on serving others by being authentic. I need to integrate sharing into my process, instead of treating it as an afterthought.

Can we do this together? Can we be more authentic? Can we share the process?

What tips do you have for integrating sharing into your process instead of treating it as an afterthought?

Author’s Bio: Lindsey Tolino comes alongside artisans, craftsman and people monetizing their passions to help them create healthy, structured businesses. She writes business musings and tips at ToBusinessOwners.com. Follow her on Twitter @LindseyTolino or connect with her on Google+.

The magpie and the docent – a tale of two writers

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Magpie – a person who collects things, especially things of little use or value, or a person who chatters idly.
Docent – a person who acts as a guide, typically on a voluntary basis.

The Magpie

The magpie flits from branch to branch, picking up shiny objects (the latest app) and sharing them randomly (G+ one day, Tumblr the next).

She has no routine writing schedule, and her audience/customers have no idea what to expect next.

She occasionally shares something brilliant, and then disappears for weeks at a time.

The Docent

The docent has a clearly defined area of expertise.

She shows up on time, and is able to clearly teach her audience within her niche.

Her customers rely on her as a resource and trusted guide.

She leads her readers in an engaging conversation about the chosen subject.

Your Writing Style

If you want to build something of lasting value, consider yourself a docent, not a magpie.

Whether you’re writing for business or pleasure, there should be a thoughtful through-line in your work. Your audience will recognize you from a mile away if you do it correctly. Further, they will grow to rely on you. And trust is the foundation of every successful business relationship.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Are You Successful at Gathering Quality Leads?

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Many businesses focus on gaining new leads. The problem is that they don’t determine the difference between any lead and a quality lead.

A quality lead is anyone that is a good possibility of becoming a sale.

It is essential that businesses find more online leads to increase growth against fierce competition.

Think Long-Term

To build more leads that will turn into customers, you must think past the immediate future to the long-term.

Blogs and social media are two good ways to do this.

While they might not garner you immediate results, you will see the benefits when you do it right.

What this means is putting value in your posts or tweets. Think about what your audience wants to see instead of just posting whatever comes easy.

Quality over Quantity

It’s easy to create a product to add people to a list.

Many marketers think that they more people they get on the list, the more they will sell. They choose a product that everyone wants as part of the freebie without putting thought into whether those same people will invest money and become customers.

Instead of trying to win numerous leads that go nowhere, choose a freebie that complements the product the business sells.

While you may not end up with as many people added to your list, you will have leads that are interested in what your business offers.

Try Something New

Be willing to try a new way to reach people.

If you have been using your blog or white papers, do a video instead.

Make it fun and get people’s attention. You won’t know if it will work until you try it. Don’t let the fact that you have never done a video keep you from moving to a profitable marketing option.

If you can’t get in front of the camera, find someone who will. Take advantage of the latest trends to capture people’s attention.

If something doesn’t generate the results you want, move on to something else. That being said, make sure you give each method enough time.

As the following article looks at, some options generate results quickly while others take longer to increase leads online.

Look to Your Current Customers

Your customers can be the spokespeople for your products. If they like what you have to offer, they can convince their friends.

Give them a reason to promote your business, and you will see results. Since people who are alike tend to spend time together, their friends will be more likely to be interested in your business.

Check out the most effective ways to spread the word.

For instance, a Share button on Facebook can get attention. Encourage others to tweet or retweet. You never know when one lead will generate many other secondary leads.

Generating quality leads online is essential for the survival of any business. Be willing to invest time and thought and be open to change.

When you find the right formula, be dedicated to following it to ensure that you always have new prospects that turn into sales.

About the Author: Joyce Morse is an author who writes on a variety of topics, including running a business and marketing.

Why Google is Forcing You to Become Your Own Publisher

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By Mickie E Kennedy

The algorithms at Google HQ are moving and shaking again, and they dramatically affect how you’ll approach public relations and press releases moving forward. If you’ve been using the more traditional routes to get noticed “newspapers, magazines, other journalists, etc.“ then you may want to start rethinking your strategies.

That’s because a new update to Panda 4.0, Google’s controversial search algorithm update, came down the wire recently. One of the original Panda’s big changes was a step away from press releases, but the search engine company has changed its tune as of late.

So while Google is now new press release about your brand new smartphone and tablet app called “Monkey Business.” In the past the process would be to send the release out to as many places that would take you. Local newspapers, for example, or if you think the app is worth it to magazines, blogs, and other sources that specialize in phone apps and electronics.

Now, though, the process is a little different. As soon as you write it (and edit the heck out of it so it’s perfect) you want to publish it. Why? Because the first place to publish it gets the results on Google. Anybody else who publishes it afterwards, even with edits or added material, will get pushed way down the results list.

So no more blasting out the release as far and wide as you can make it and sending to everyone on your email list. Keep it on the down-low so you can reap all that sweet attention for yourself. On top of that, you really need to utilize all the resources at your disposal. Link to your website, social media, and other material so your readers will stick around and see what you’re all about – and hopefully download your new app.

What’s the Same?

Don’t take this as a chance to blast as many press releases as possible. Flooding the airwaves with poorly written, unfocused copy won’t gain you any advantage. Panda 4.0 still values quality over quantity, which was the whole point of the update in the first place. It’s just that Google has conceded that press releases are actually worth paying attention to.

“Driving clicks and earning a solid reputation always comes back to one factor – people,” said eReleases founder Mickie Kennedy. “Influencing discourse and becoming the subject of conversations online and off is the only thing that’s ever going to earn you an organic foothold in the search rankings. So what better way to do that than with a well-written press release targeting actual, living, breathing journalists?”

So rather than focusing less on quality, you should double down on it. Make your press releases not just interesting but truly captivating. Give people a real reason to check out your story and your business. Otherwise, there are tons of other places on the web for them to visit. Don’t give them that chance!

How does your business plan on taking advantage of these changes to Google’s algorithm?

Author’s Bio: Mickie Kennedy is founder of eReleases PR in Baltimore, MD, and author of The Advanced Guide to Writing Powerful Press Releases.

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