Shooting Straight Part I – Both.

Steve Rubel and Brian Clark, both excellent and valuable reads, have just met at intersection. 

Steve says "It’s Not About the Traffic" in response to Brian’s recent report, Viral Copy. Brian asks if Steve’s just having a bad day.

As we’re rubberneckin’ past this fender bender, here’s what to take away.

Steve’s right. It’s about the conversation. Yet…

Brian’s right. It’s only human to wonder about traffic – especially at the beginning. Why do blogs die after only weeks? People wonder why nobody’s coming to their site.

Might sound too diplomatic – but it’s true. I’ve seen preachers cancel services because there were only three people (say, what?) and they were wrong – but they are human. We’ll always wonder if anyone’s listening (reading).

The key is to engage in the conversation – and improving both voice and mechanics as you do so.

Read Steve Rubel regularly. Read Brian Clark regularly. They travel the same path on the blogosphere.

Technorati Tags: MicroPersuasion, Copyblogger, Traffic Generation, Conversational Media

You start a business blog for your small business. You have a target audience you want to reach, but the glitz and glamor of being an A-lister keeps tempting you to talk nationally.

Don’t be so tempted – if it happens, let it happen naturally.

The folks at Aldo Coffee get a national audience because of the content they write. However, the focus is on their core customers – in Pittsburgh. (By the way, good luck to Belle, Andi and Melanie this weekend).

Talk about your area of expertise, but also talk about your area. Joe Kristan at Roth & Company Tax Updates in Des Moines does a great job of that. He shares views on national news, but shares his passion for the local as well – after all, that’s where his customers live.

I’m getting a kick from the A-list debates. I’m thankful they’re writing, because I’ve learned a lot. Frankly, they’re probably having fun with it too. Is it for your business? That’s up to you.

Small business? Local Business? Focus on your audience.

Technorati Tags: Small Business, A-List, Business Blog, Des Moines, Pittsburgh

Susan Getgood at Marketing Roadmaps has back-to-back thought provokers as she prepares for a Business Blog Workshop in Wisconsin on March 17th.

Susan also points to Elizabeth Albrycht’s When is a Blog Really a Blog from last month – and still worth reading (comments too).

While there’s still much hoopla regarding corporate blogging and whether mediocre blogs will die, small business blogging will be big. Soon (?), having a company blog won’t be such a big deal.

That’s why I always ask if a company’s audience is regional/local or national. It helps us to create a strategy of engagement. A small, local company should ALWAYS respond to relevant comments on its blog.

On larger scale blogs, especially solo-preneurs or consultants, I use a metaphor of a radio talk show host and their audience. Sometimes, not every caller gets on the air.

The difference with a blog? If a comment is relevant, someone reading it will benefit – so add to the conversation. If the host (blogger) doesn’t respond, it doesn’t mean you’ve wasted your words.

If you’re in the Wisconsin area on March 17th, make sure to check out Susan’s workshop (and wear green!). If you’re in Iowa on March 21st, check out the Iowa Blog Workshop (and get advanced reading copy of Career Intensity).

Other events in March:

• New Communications Forum – March 1-3, Palo Alto, CA
• Essentials of Business Blogging – March 16, Los Angeles, CA
• Blog Marketing at CASMA – March 21 -22, Vancouver, BC
• Blog Hui – International Blog Conference – March 17-18, Wellington, NZ

If I missed one, let us know in a comment. If I don’t respond, someone will benefit.

Technorati Tags: Blog Workshop, Small Business, Business Blogging, Corporate Blogging,

Sometimes, I can see light bulbs going on over people as I reply to the oft heard statement, "I just don’t get this whole blogging thing."

When I tell them to forget the technology and just remember that there’s a human being on the other end of the computer, barriers start to fall.

Many successful small business owners are good storytellers. Good storytellers make great bloggers. And great bloggers will share your story – it’s natural for them to do so.

Everyone has a story to tell. A blog is just a way to get that story delivered. Instead of talking on the phone or across a desk, you talk with your hands using a keyboard.

Forget the technology. Remember the people. Tell Good Stories.

Flickr photo by Ukahbob

Technorati Tags: Business Blogs, Storytelling,

Before we begin blogging, I ask each person/company I work with to answer six questions:

• What are three main goals for your business?
• What are three business objectives for your blog?
• Who is your audience? (Prospects, Current Clients, Colleagues, Internal)
• Are you targeting a national or regional audience?
• How do you want your audience to respond?
• How much time are you willing to devote to the conversation?

These questions have given pause to some business leaders – and that’s a good thing.  Tonight, I’m going to start giving the following two posts as handouts (after I get permission from the authors):

1. Kami Huyse provides The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Blogging. Great Purpose Statement, Kami!
2. Martin Gordon elaborates on Steve Rubel’s 4 P’s of Blog Marketing – and here’s why the elaboration works. I still run into old school marketers who are looking at the traditional 4 P’s. Combining Steve’s outline and Martin’s elaboration, there may be less of a battle.

If you’re trying to convince your company to being blogging, grab these posts.

One other note: Both Kami and Martin included a comment of mine within their posts. That’s how I found them. That said, this isn’t just a reciprocal posting – their items are keepers.

Technorati Tags: Blog Strategy, Blog Marketing, 4P’s