Successful Blog

Blog-to Show? Showcase Your Blog at Successful-Blog July 26-27

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It’s Like an Auto Show for Blogs This Weekend

blog-to 50

At Open Comment Night last night, we talked about Creative Networking. Lots of great ideas were gathered, and that conversation got me thinking about more of them. Two years ago, we had a weekend showcase for blogs. I thought it might be fun to try it again.

So this weekend is a Successful-Blog Blog-to Show. It’s a Virtual Auto Show for Blogs. Detail your blog. Polish the trim and come show it off. We’ll line them up, look them over, and get to know each other and our blogs just that much better.

Here’s what you do.

Write up the following information:
Blog Title
Blog URL link:
Blog Tagline
A sentence or two about what makes your blog worth visiting.

A brief paragraph of blogging advice or a short bloggy quote that shows a little personality.

E-mail that information to Liz at lizsun2@gmail.com with BLOG-TO SHOW in the subject line before Saturday July 26. (GMT -6 hrs. See clock in the sidebar)

Please note: The Deadline for Submission has passed.

Click here to go to the Aggregate Post. It’s up already!!

OPTIONAL: You might want to write a blog post for the weekend that introduces folks to your most popular posts content with links to take them there.
OPTIONAL: Stumble this post so that lots of folks will be there to see what you bring.

I’ll feature your blog in the Blog-to Showcase on Saturday with a linkback so that folks can come visit.

It’s FREE PROMOTION and visibility for your blog and your brand. It would be silly to pass it up.

Summer and social gatherings go together. Whatever the season where you are now, online it can be a summer Blog-to Show on Saturday!
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

The Bigg Success Update

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Greetings once more, and welcome to the next SOBCon 2008 Update.

@Stephen’s mug@Stephen here again, to share with you some of the projects and business development that is happening in and around the SOBCon Community.
Today we are featuring Mary-Lynn Foster, the VP / Executive Producer for Bigg Success “THE HOW-TO, CAN-DO PLACE FOR PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.”

Bigg Success

Target for Bigg Changes

One of the sessions from SOBCON that really hit home for us was the one Lorelle hosted. She asked everyone to present a tagline about their blog in 10 words or less. To be honest, we couldn’t do it. We sat at a table of bigg thinkers like: Anita Bruzese, Kristin King, and Steve Sherlock.

We already knew we needed to niche down our concept more, but this session really fortified that for us.

We decided to “Work with Liz”…the great thinker, Liz Strauss, and we recently completed our 6 session consultation. We are so excited for what is coming to Bigg Success!

– a unique platform to stand on
– direction for setting up offline revenue
– a simple tagline that tells you what we are about and how we can help you (yes in UNDER 10 words!)
– an addition to our logo that enhances our tagline
– a fun way to personalize our blog better (think twitter). We were challenged with this b/c it is a two-person blog
– we’re now thinking vertically and horizontally with our upcoming content for better re-purposing
– we are thinking differently now…we see a bigger picture

We have a lot of work in store for us, but our target to have our bigg changes in place in the coming months.

We’ll let you know here and we can’t thank Liz enough!

I just have to add, if you are looking to lift your online business to the next level, Liz is an amazing person to work with!

One more thing, SOBCon was so good for us. We are so close to our business, this brand we have built. It really helped us to have professional outsiders looking in and sharing their insight.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the feed, more updates are on the way, at least two each week! Click here to subscribe.

The Mic is On: We’re Talking about Creative Networking!

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It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

The Mic Is On

Here’s how it works.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

Social Networking Taking Too Much Time?

Are you spending lots of time social networking, but starting to wonder whether it’s worth the time you’re investing? Do you have lots of friends, but don’t seem to be getting closer to where you want to be going? We’re going to explore other ways to share what you’re up to.

Tonight it’s about creative networking:

  • how to get the most out of Twitter conversation
  • how an eBook might help build your reputation
  • the idea of ezines and manifestoes
  • guest posts and writing projects
  • other ways to get your ideas out there

    • ahem . . .

Network of Light from sxc.hu

And, whatever else comes up, including THE EVER POPULAR, Basil the code-writing donkey . . . and flamenco dancing (because we always get off topic, anyway.)

Oh, and bring example links to share.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
image: sxc.hu
Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Open Mic 7pm Chgo Time: Tonight It’s Creative Networking!

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Join Us Tonight

Social Networking Taking Too Much Time?

Are you spending lots of time social networking, but starting to wonder whether it’s worth the time you’re investing? Do you have lots of friends, but don’t seem to be getting closer to where you want to be going? We’re going to explore other ways to share what you’re up to.

Tonight it’s about creative networking. We’ll discuss how to get the most out of Twitter conversation, how an eBook might help build your reputation, the idea of ezines and manifestoes, guest posts and writing projects and other ways to get your ideas out there.

Oh, and bring example links to share.

The rules are simple — be nice.

Do be nice. 🙂

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

How to Write Ideas that Lift Themselves Off the Page — Every Time!

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Even the Humblest Star Still Shines

Shine!

A writer makes meaning by giving thoughts structure and expression. Whether we write to inform, entertain, or inspire, we hope our message will leave the page or the screen to be received in a reader’s mind. It’s no easy thing to connect simple words in ways that have life and meaning. It can seem that we’re at the mercy of an unfriendly muse who is stingy with ideas and generous writer’s block. That’s just not so.

Writing isn’t the luck of ideas. It’s work. It’s also knowing how to access ideas.

A photographer knows that the best light will offer the opportunity to shoot the fabulous picture. A composer knows that the right sort of silence will allow him or her to hear music no one’s heard before. In the same way, writers know that making room to think makes masterful writing is easier.

We write best when we have room to think long, deep thoughts.

Self conscious and selfish ideas need small spaces to thrive. Stressed and cranky tones and sloppy logical fall away when we give ourselves room to think. Our minds can’t hold fear and think long and deep and wide at the same time.

Thinking long thoughts is like deep breathing or stretching with a yawn. In a writerly way, it’s a shot of oxygen to our creativity.

Put on music on to write or sit with the sounds outside your window. In some way give myself room to listen. Wait for the words and ideas to fill the space where you are.

Listen for a rhythm. Thoughts will start occuring. Listen until they do. When they do, the words come on their own. Those words will sneak past your internal editor.

Think those long, deep, and wide thoughts. Then write with abandon. Now that you can see what you’re thinking, take away all of the words your readers don’t need. You’ll know when you feel the ideas lifting themselves up — they’re the ideas that you want to read over again because they say something right and well.

Notes lifting off the page from sxc.hu

Whether you’re writing a blog post, a business plan, or love letter to your worst critic, if you want your words resonate — to lift themselves off the page — give yourself the space and oxygen.

Do you think that time and space when you write make a difference in how your writing is received?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

image: sxc.hu

Connecting with Customers: Mack Collier SRO

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A SERIES in the quest to know more about the offline world

Part 3 in (what is now) a 4-Part Interview with Mack Collier

Last Wednesday we continued the a conversation with Mack Collier about connecting with new customers. The interview has been so popular that I’ve asked Mack to return for a few more questions and answers.

Hi Mack! Thanks for agreeing to talk some more!
Could you bring us back to a description of your typical client?

Right now it’s mainly small businesses. But have also noticed some corporations aren’t ready to put plans in action, but want to get some general Social Media 101 advice. Am also noticing that now most of the clients I come in contact with already have blogs and need help with them, instead of needing to know how to get started blogging.

Many people get a mindset that the Internet is one thing and offline is another. How do you fit social media into the whole of a marketing mix?

Here’s an example I use alot; if you sell anything online, then why wouldn’t you want to better connect with and communicate with your online customers? Social media can help you do that. Now if you run a auto repair shop, you might not even have a website. But if you do any business online, then you have customers online that you can better connect with via social media.

What is the most natural first small step for most companies to take? If you’re getting someone to ramp up slowly, what’s the first thing you suggest they do to learn the culture and why that?

I always advise clients to start monitoring the existing conversations. Figure out first what is being said online about your business. And I will show companies conversations that happened maybe last year, and ask them to think about how that exchange (especially if it was negative) could have been different if the company would have responded. When you know what is being said about your business online, then you can respond. Doing so makes you more comfortable with the space as a whole. Which makes it easier to start blogging and using other social sites/tools.

. . . More on Wednesday — We’ll talk tools, timelines, and clear results!

Thanks, Mack!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!