blog-promotion Archives - Page 74 of 78

Free Blogspot Templates

June 22, 2006 by Liz

Finally Free Blogspot Templates

I remember when I started my blogspot blog, how hard it was to find any good templates. Now you’ve got some great ones to choose from.

~~Great~~Questionable? Find: Free BlogSpot Templates
Type of Article: Resource of blogspot templates
Permalink:
http://freeblogspottemplates.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_
freeblogspottemplates_archive.html
Target Audience: Every Blogpsot user

Content: It’s about time someone had mercy on Blogspot users and made some templates with pizzazz. Finally Blogspot goes Web 2.0. This site has archives back to February and has some really cool choices. All they ask for their hard work is that you link back. Not a bad trade for the originality that is offered. Take a look by clicking the title shot below.

Why not take this weekend to re-brand your blog or your business? Try new a template to add life and maybe change a bit what you let your readers know about you. A new template can be a great way to catch the attention of new readers . . .

UPDATE: PLEASE READ THE COMMENTS TO THIS POST: mela Says:
That guy at freeblogspottemplates is taking templates found at other sites, stripping them of the link/credit to the site it was found at, and then inserting his own link/credit into the template.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

AT&T & ME w/o DSL — Why AT&T Won’t Fix Problems

June 22, 2006 by Liz

The Problem

5:30a.m. Up and to the kitchen. Turn on the coffee. To the office. Turn on the computer. Take a shower.

5:45a.m. Get coffee. Get to work. OR NOT!

Wait a minute. What’s wrong here? Walk to the router. I have no DSL. I have things to do. It’s still DARK OUT.

6:00a.m. Consider options. Start to execute. Then envision images of screwed system. Recall pact that I will die first, because I’ll never be able to figure out how this home network is configured.

6;30a.m Wake up IT husband. Tell him we have no DSL.
He gets coffee, looks at router, see light off, and confirms it.

6:45a.m. Call AT&T. Listen to recording. Punch in numbers. Answer questions. Find out that we need to call another number.

7:00a.m. Call AT&T Number 2. Listen to recording. Punch in same numbers. Answer same questions. Finally get a person on the line. Start by saying the following.

ME: Hi, before we begin, could I just say that we have a sophisticated system here, that it was working at midnight, that everything is correctly connected, and that I’ve turned things off and on again.

AT&T SHE: Can I call you by your first name? [Read more…]

Always Choose for Your Readers, Right?

June 21, 2006 by Liz

It Just Happened Again

I got a link to a fresh, vibrant article on how to make my business more fun. I wanted to leave a word, start a conversation, be a part of the discussion. Then I saw those words.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Why put a barrier to making a connection?

What I heard was I could talk, but only on the writer’s terms. I guess that’s okay. It’s his blog. but it didn’t feel very inviting. It didn’t seem like he cared much that I had anything to say.

I wondered what was going on. There was an About page, but there was no way to contact him. Maybe he’s new and left the login thing on by mistake. . . .

I left without him ever knowing.

I’ll tell the guy who had the link, maybe he knows.

I’m Still Hoping

I’m still hoping it’s accidental. I don’t want to think this fresh, vibrant writer has a secret club. That would blow my whole image of what he has going — friendly blog, fresh ideas, energy. He’s gotta know that you always choose for your readers . . . . always. Right?

Brand You and Me. Isn’t that how it goes?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
See the Customer Think Series on the SUCCESSFUL SERIES PAGE

6 Steps to a Branded Business Blog in Record Time

June 21, 2006 by Liz

Branding IS Who We Are

It’s enough to say that a person’s perception is that person’s reality. What a person believes is what that person knows. Most folks don’t think about a difference between the two. Why should they? That’s philosophy. Life works out just fine without having to stop to think about such things, doesn’t it?

What did I just say?

In my own way, I said that customers decide who we are by what they perceive. They are the folks who define a brand. So the best plan is to make sure their perception matches what we want our brand to be, because in their eyes our brand is who we are.
[Read more…]

7 Steps to Being Recognized as an Expert

June 20, 2006 by Liz

The Catch 22 of Being an Expert

One of the hardest parts of business blogging is finding a niche where you know you can write successfully. Once you find that niche, naturally you’ll looking to find readers. Those readers that you’re looking for are looking too. They’re looking for a writer they have time for — someone they can trust and rely on — an expert.

Becoming an expert seems to be a Catch 22.
You have to know your stuff to be an expert. But . . .
It seems that “expertness” starts out as not what you know, but what you’re known as.

You have be an expert, before folks will see you as one.
A Ph.D. helps, but it doesn’t automatically translate to expert. Testimonials from other experts help too, but they aren’t a magic entry to the world of experts either.

The problem for the most of us is . . . if no one will look at what I know, how will I ever be recognized as an expert?

7 Steps to Being Recognized as an Expert

There’s no question that to be an expert, you have to be knowledgeable, authentic, and hardworking at what you do. Everyone pays dues to get to the top, but knowing what to work at helps a lot too.

To be recognized as a expert, someone has to see your work and know its quality, see its value, find it relevant and worth coming back to.

These are the 7 Steps to being recognized as an expert when someone comes to look.

Be the expert you are, not the expert someone else is. You are the only you the world has. That differentiates what you offer from the start. Know your strengths and play to them.
Be an expert in ONE thing. Find ONE niche that fits your strenghs. People like a “go to” person for a specific need. Once they come they can find out about the other wonderful things you know about.
Write expert content. Readers want top-notch, quality, relevant content — information, answers, AND analysis. They can get news anywhere. Add your expert opinion, analysis, evaluation, synthesis, or predictions.
Be an expert at keeping track of your niche. Don’t overwhelm yourself with feeds, but have an aggregator. Follow popurls to get the latest on the social bookmarking services. Read the magazines and the blogs that talk about the topics you cover.
Be an expert at specialized searches. Make finding interesting content tidbits your expert quest. Get to be friends with Google Alerts and similar services. Follow terms around the Internet.
Be an expert at getting the word out. Get to know the other experts in your niche. Talk with them. Visit and comment on their blogs. Ask them for an interview. Volunteer to guest post now and then.
Be an expert at going deeper into your niche. Saturate yourself in the trends, but go deep too. Find out what researchers are thinking so that you can offer your readers the highest quality and most relevant information and analysis.
Plus one: Be an expert at having fun. Nothing is more appealing than an expert who loves what he or she is doing. Share the joy of your niche with the folks who come to see you. They’ll want to know more about what it is that you do.

Striving to be an expert in your niche lets your readers know who you are and why they should keep coming back to see you. It’s a key centerpiece of your brand — quality, knowledge, and credibility as promotion. If you’re ready when that person comes to look, the rest will happen. Just keep counting to seven — seven key steps to being an expert that is.

What better way to promote your brand and your business than to have everyone see you as the expert? How can I help you do that?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

b5media Announces Co-Branded Blogs

June 19, 2006 by Liz

24 Is My Favorite TV Show

Jeremy Wright announced today that b5media joined in partnership with VIP Fan Clubs to produce four co-branded blogs for Fox Media TV shows. The first four blogs will be for 24, Prison Break, Stewie’s Playground and Searching Bones. Click the logos to see the blogs and what they’re about.

Congratulations, b5media, VIP Fan Clubs, and Fox Media!

–ME “Liz” Strauss