Successful Blog

SOB Business Cafe 07-23-10

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SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking — articles, books, podcasts, and videos about business online written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Awake @ the Wheel by Alexis Neely
If you are reading this blog, it means you are a pretty smart cookie. You love to read, think, critique, improve. Me too.

Reading at three. High school and college, a breeze. Graduated first in my law school class (more to do with over-studying as a result of massive fear that I was the dumbest person in the room than to innate smartness).

A smarty-pants.

The Brand Builder
Point: Knowing full well that a method, tool or model no longer yields the desired outcome (assuming it ever did), some organizations will continue to bet on it, in the hopes that the laws of the universe will shift in the night and miraculously turn a completely ludicrous project into success.

Geoff Livingston
Ever interrupt a conversation with people you don’t know at a party and start talking right away, only to find the members leave? It sounds crazy, doesn’t it? No one likes to have their conversation interrupted, and normal conventions are to walk up, listen, introduce yourself, maybe even ask a question, and then participate after listening for a couple of minutes.

Listening Comes First

Note: You can download the first drafted chapter of the new edition — Welcome to the Fifth Estate — for free.

Digital Peas & Carrots
How We Shop in 2010: Habits and Motivations of Consumers, the latest report by eConsultancy, takes a look at consumer behavior in both the US and UK with a focus on 1) how consumers interact with e-commerce brands 2) how consumers conduct product research and 3) how consumers are affected by different factors in the buying decision-making process.

Carol Roth
After I stopped rolling my eyes, I realized it was such a great reminder of how you need to sell your products in a location and manner relevant to your customers.

Thought Gadgets
Web stats go up and down, but it’s noteworthy that Google’s share of total U.S. search volume has plummeted since it redesigned its main page back in May. In April, just before adding bells and whistles to its search venue, Google led U.S. search volume with 71.4% share. In June, its share had fallen to 62.6%. Third-place chaser Bing is gaining fast, up from 9.4% to 12.7% of all U.S. searches in the same period.

Related ala carte selections include

SOBCon COLORADO CONTEST
Win! Win! Win!

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like. No tips required. Comments appreciated.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

I’m a proud affiliate of

third-tribe-marketing

Cool Tool Review: LegalZoom

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Todd Hoskins Reviews Tools for Business

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Todd Hoskins chooses and uses tools and products that could belong in an entrepreneurial business toolkit. He’ll be checking out how useful they are to folks who would be their customers in a form that’s consistent and relevant.

Cool Tool Review: LegalZoom
A Review by Todd Hoskins

If you are in business management, there will come a time that you either have to interact with or hire an attorney. The time I’ve spent discussing contractual minutiae with lawyers now could be measured in weeks rather than hours.

Fortunately, of the four guys I grew up with, one is an attorney. The other three are an investment banker, a doctor, and a plastics engineer. Quite lucky, especially considering the engineer is also a car enthusiast who tells me what’s wrong with my aging automobiles. Money, body, car, and the law – I’m covered.

But I’m limited in how often I can get free advice from my buddies. Good thing that not all legal issues require the services of an attorney, and that’s why I love LegalZoom. For entrepreneurs, LegalZoom not only gives you a library of standard forms, it files them for you with the appropriate entities.

For example, if you are looking to incorporate, LegalZoom will ask you all the necessary questions to complete the paperwork (think TurboTax). LegalZoom will not only file the paperwork with your state, it will also give you the option of applying for a business license and allow you to submit the required annual report. Bylaws, resolutions, and agreements – if it’s standard legal fare, LegalZoom likely will allow you to get it done more quickly and more cheaply.

Think you may have some intellectual property or an invention worth protecting? LegalZoom will allow you file a provisional application for a patent, or do a patent search and apply for a utility patent.

I have used LegalZoom twice in the past four years, and found it both affordable and easy.

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Summing Up – Is it worth it?

Enterprise Value: 1/5 – If you can afford to employ a corporate attorney, you probably don’t need LegalZoom

Entrepreneur Value: 4/5 – Doesn’t do everything, but for a startup saves time and money

Personal Value: 4/5 – Wills, divorces, power of attorney, real estate leases, even bankruptcies

When Someone Blindsides You With a Negative Blog Post

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On a phone call last week, my friend, Zena Weist and I were discussing incidents such as the Motrin Moms and the Nestle-Greenpeace crises that happened last year or similar circumstances when a person or a group attacks another online.

That conversation reminded me of a negative blog post a few months ago that a fairly known blogger wrote using my name in the headline with two other key words as a obvious SEO ploy to get traffic. I say that because he ignored similar situations with other folks and didn’t attempt to ask me about the event. Nor did he respond to any conversation about it.

These sorts of confrontation can evoke a passionate response.

In the fast web culture, our senses get heightened by the idea that a wide audience of people we don’t know can be reading that bad press about us. It’s only natural to want to to set the record straight.

It’s at times like those that I try to remember this saying,

The more I want to run, the better it is that I walk slowly and with thought.
Passion rarely fuels grounded thinking.

Of course, a great social media team is hired to be mature and is prepared with a plan to handle a crisis such as those I just mentioned. But a knee jerk reaction can foil even the best plans. Realize that it’s happening. Often we sense a bad conversation before it’s really gone wrong. It might be our mood or the mood of the person we’re talking to. Unconsciously we rise to the bait and respond by making things worse.

So … Breathe. Before your hands touch the keyboard to respond realize that you’ve got a few minutes to go with your best reaction, not your fastest one. Take time to think of your best options. We can’t take back a bad response, but we can reconsider our options before we act like a jerk.

  • Own your part of what derailed. Apologize for your behavior not circumstances around you.
  • Diffuse any personal response you’re feeling before you respond.
  • See yourself on the other side of the conversation.
  • Find a way to say “thank you” for the information.
  • Don’t feel compelled to counter every point. Trust the people who know you to know what you stand for. Realize that some folks won’t listen anyway.
  • Get curious about finding common ground — make a goal to meet somewhere you agree. Ask them what they might do in your situation.
  • Live the example you respect. Choose thought-filled words that come from the heart.
  • Keep the conversation limited to the person who brought it and take it offline or private as soon as possible. If
  • In the case of folks who are simply inventing something to hijack your name, answer once, clearly and with grace. Then simply ignore the conversation or enlist your friends to set the situation straight.
  • Know the difference between a stampede of elephants and a flea who’s just irritating.

Of course, the best response is to be solid about what you stand for, willing to listen to questions about it, and open to other’s concerns. Then when things get confrontational, you can simply point out that the behavior, not the discussion, is inappropriate.

Have you ever been blindsided by a negative blog post? How did you handle it?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

I’m a proud affiliate of

third-tribe-marketing

26 Needle In The Haystack Blogging Topics

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By Terez Howard

If you’re just starting out blogging or you want to create an additional blog, here’s a word of advice:

Find a needle in the haystack.

Beginner bloggers probably have heard the terms “niche” and “micro niche.” A niche is a distinct segment of a market, while a micro niche is a more specific form of a wider market. For instance, green living is a niche, and green living with pets is a micro niche.

As a blogger, you want to find a topic that you already have contained a wealth of information, or at least you have a lot to say about the topic. Sounds easy enough, right?

It is pretty simple. Keep in mind that you not only go as tight as possible, but also make sure that you’re writing about something that people want to read about.

That’s where research comes in. Pay a visit to the Google Adwords Keyword Tool. Type in a desired keyword to get an idea of what people are searching for, and then head over to Google to see what you’re competition is like.

This method does not always give you a clear picture, though, since you’re keyword might be too broad, but you’re topic could be perfect. So check through several keywords and remember that a keyword alone should not decide the fate of your blog. It is just a piece of the puzzle.

There are various free and not free software programs that go into greater depth in spotting a niche. You could choose to invest in one if you plan on using it to generate blog topics or post ideas. However, in my opinion, it isn’t necessary.

My short blogging topic list

I was thinking about topics that I would like to write, as well as blogs that I would like to see and/or enjoy reading. I came up with the following list of topics about blogging:

  1. Blog writing tips
  2. Blog design
  3. Unpaid blog marketing
  4. Paid blog marketing
  5. Sponsored blogging
  6. Blogging for businesses
  7. Blogging as a source of income
  8. Blogging with babies
  9. Blogging basics
  10. Corporate blogging
  11. Video blogging
  12. Blogging for fun
  13. Blogging about news
  14. Blogging for newspapers
  15. Where to find best blogs of a certain topic
  16. Affiliate marketing and blogging
  17. Social media marketing
  18. WordPress plug-in reviews
  19. WordPress template reviews
  20. WordPress graphic designer reviews
  21. Ghost blogging
  22. Before you blog, you should know
  23. The blog that responds to the best bloggers
  24. Personal branding
  25. Blog that reviews blogs
  26. Blog strictly about blogging topics!

Within my list, I can see these topics can be even tighter. A blog about unpaid blog marketing could be cut down to only include how to market via Twitter. A blog that focuses on affiliate marketing on a blog could solely discuss using Commission Junction.

Are you thinking that a super tight micro niche blog will run dry on topics? It may. But the odds are slim because within one topic is the possibility of hundreds of posts.

So yeah, you’re trying to find a needle. It’s also a needle with a billion atoms on its point. You won’t run out of material.

What kind of blogging topics would you like to read or write about?

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Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility. She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas . You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger

Thanks, Terez!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Social Media Book List: #BOOKTITLE tweet and Groundswell

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors to help manage their online book promotion. As part of my job I read a lot of books (and I love to read anyway!). I am here to offer a weekly post about one book author I am working with and one book I have put on my reading list. This week I will be highlighting ‘#BOOKTITLE tweet’ by Roger C. Parker and ‘Groundswell’ by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff. The books I discuss will cover a range of topics such as social media, marketing, blogging, business, organization, career building, networking, writing, self development and inspiration.

‘#BOOKTITLEtweet: 140 Bite Sized Ideas for compelling article, book and event titles’ by Roger C. Parker

booktitletweetmid

“Save yourself a lot of time and heartache; the right title is absolutely crucial for any book. Roger crams lots of info into a small canvas.”
Shel Horowitz, award-winning author of ‘Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers’ and co-author of
‘Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green’ and six other books;
http://www.frugalmarketing.com

Here are a few tweets to share from #BOOKTITLEtweet:

#2 Target your readers by identifying whom you’re writing for, e.g., ‘Red Wine for Dummies.’

#16 Choose titles that promise complete information, e.g., ‘The Copywriter’s Handbook’ or ‘Encyclopedia of
Natural Medicine.’

#28 Add “latest information” appeal to your titles, e.g., ‘The New Rules of Marketing & PR’ or ‘The New Influencers.’

#49 Target your readers by identifying their situation, e.g., ‘The Single Mother’s Survival Guide.’

#75 Issue an engaging command and explain it, e.g., ‘Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach
to Web Usability.’

#95 Indicate a fresh look at your previous book, e.g., ‘The E-Myth Revisited.’

About the Author:

Roger C. Parker, is a “32 Million Dollar Author,” book coach, and online writing resource. His 38 books have sold 1.6 million copies in 35 languages around the world. About his ‘Looking Good in Print’ the New York Times said, “…the one to buy when you’re buying only one!”

Roger has interviewed hundreds of successfully branded authors. He distils his experience in this book and shares what he learns at Published & Profitable, and on his Writing Tips blog.

You can purchase a copy of ‘BOOKTITLEtweet’ online at ThinkAha Books or at Amazon.

This blog post is part of a virtual book tour done by Key Business Partners, LLC and I have received a complimentary copy of ‘#PROJECT MANAGEMENT TWEET’ by the authors.

‘Groundswell’ by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff

Now I would like to highlight a book on my “review” reading list–‘Groundswell

Groundswell provides practical advice on how to stay nimble and flexible in an ever-morphing digital world. Enabling your company to respond to change quickly especially when talking to and supporting your consumers is essential for business success.
-Cathie Black, President, Hearst Magazines

About the book:
Corporate executives are struggling with a new trend: people using online social technologies (blogs, social networking sites, YouTube, podcasts) to discuss products and companies, write their own news, and find their own deals. This groundswell is global, it s unstoppable, it affects every industry and it s utterly foreign to the powerful companies running things now.

When consumers you ve never met are rating your company s products in public forums with which you have no experience or influence, your company is vulnerable. In Groundswell, Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff of Forrester, Inc. explain how to turn this threat into an opportunity.

This book offers:

-Build social technologies into your business including monitoring your brand value, talking with the groundswell through marketing and PR campaigns, and energizing your best customers to recruit their peers

-Determine how different groups of consumers are participating in social technology arenas

About Charlene and Josh:

Charlene Li is a vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research. She is one of the driving forces behind Forrester s Social Computing and Web 2.0 research.

Josh Bernoff is a vice president at Forrester Research and one of their most senior and most frequently quoted research analysts. He created the Technographics segmentation, a classification of consumers according to how they approach technology.

*courtesy of Amazon

You can purchase a copy of ‘Groundswell’ on Amazon.

I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them.

Who Won’t Let Your Business Fail?

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We Need Someone Outside the System We’re In

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Some kids learn to ride a bike by just getting on one. They ride and fall down until the falling down part stops. Other kids have the luxury of someone who runs alongside the bike helping them balance as they ride. Those kids get fewer bruises and meet the sidewalk head on fewer times.

Launching a new idea, product, or service is a lot like riding a bike, or maybe more like trying to ride a horse after you already know how to ride a bike.

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We have a grand idea. It’s a good plan. We’ve think through the audience, how we’ll reach them, and how we’ll connect them to each other and our grand service, amazing product or outstanding event. …

Whether we work alone or on a highly competitive corporate team, the hardest part of our work is to get a balanced appraisal of our idea before we take off on the ride.

Why is that?

Each of us is inside a system — a network, a business, a circle of family and friends. Shouldn’t we be able to find help there? Maybe not, because …

  • some people who helped build the idea — participated in the thinking. They can see how we got where we’re going, but not necessarily what we’ve missed.
  • some people in our system often want to maintain the equilibrium of our relationships. Unless we’re about to ride off a cliff or over broken glass, they’ll let us try what we might even when they’re not sure they can see any way it will work.
  • some people in our system have already decided about us and our ideas. We know the people in our system who always say, “that’s brilliant,” “that won’t work,” “we’ll see.” “just go for it,” and “where do I fit in?” to every idea we have.

The problem is that we can’t see the holes in a plan that we’ve made. What we need is the feedback of a naive intelligent customer who doesn’t know how we got to our idea.

Who Won’t Let You Fail

What every system needs is someone outside the thinking to come in at the end to say “Why that?” Imagine a guiding angel (not a devil’s advocate) who is 100% for seeing you and your team succeed with the highest quality result.

The businesses who do more of this are the ones who come to market with renewed confidence. Recently, Dell did a great job of seeking out this kind of advice with their #DellCap initiative. (thanks Dell!) Old Spice has been listening in lots of new ways. SOBCon owes much to so many people: Britt Raybould, Kevin Ferrasci O’Malley, Geoff Livingston, Sheila Scarborough, Chris Brogan, Becky McCray, Jason Falls, Carol Roth, Jonathan Fields, Stephen Smith, Chris Cree, and too many others to name– who have told us their truth while we were working on ideas.

What we need is someone who won’t let us fail. Do you have someone who will

  • keep you and your team focused on your end goal and your passion
  • hold you accountable for your goals.
  • stays out of the thinking and developing in order to question your decisions without prior knowledge of how you got to them.
  • point out hidden assumptions and risks
  • make sure you’re not underestimating your abilities or setting the bar too low.
  • tell you when you’re building for yourself rather than the people you serve.
  • won’t let you fail or limit reach and will tell when you’re in danger of doing so.
  • keep your confidence and trust as you talk about what your worries are.

We can’t be inside the thinking and outside the thinking at the same time. Having someone outside your system who won’t let you fail is the best investment a business can make. A few hours a month to check in on what’s planned can save thousands in time and resources invested in the wrong things because no one noticed the hidden assumption in your plan.

The question isn’t whether the outside source is paid. It’s whether the source can tell you the hard truth gently. The right source would risk your relationship rather than let you fail.

Some folks have it in their DNA that they can’t stand to watch anything fail. Find a few of them and get them on your team. Make them heroes. Listen to what they say or they won’t stay around long. What better safety net can a business have than people who won’t let them fail?

What companies do you know who have found a way to listen to folks outside the system who won’t let them fail?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!