CT Biz Blogs

I said I’d do it, and I did.

Thanks to It’s So Fantastic for the challenge and for showing the way. And thanks to Problogger for providing the inspiration with the post on battling blogger’s block.

That’s a wrap for 2005. It’s been a wild, crazy, and fun ride since I started CTBizBlogs, and I’m looking forward to more of the same in 2006.

Happy New Year to one and all!

For my final post in the 20 blog types marathon, I’d like to talk about blog etiquette and call for blog civility.

I firmly believe that weblogs represent a new opportunity for everyone — blog software has lowered the barrier for publishing on the web. It’s now so much easier than ever to add your voice to the distributed conversation.

But I’d like to remind everyone that once you publish your blog, you can’t take back what you’ve said. Cruel words, written in haste or anger, will be available for everyone to see. Even if you take back a post, chances are good that Google has cached it, or someone has seen it in their RSS feed reader and saved it before you could take it back.

It’s ok to be goofy, to make a mistakes, even to be boring from time to time. You can recover from that, should you care to (I’m all in favor of more goofiness). But cruelty lives on, even after apologies are made.

This goes for comments as well. I’ve been lucky so far, and I haven’t been slammed yet. But I’ve certainly read plenty of rude and uncalled-for comments in other blogs. As a blogger, you’ll need to learn not to take it personally and not to respond (or to respond instead to the ideas, not to the manner in which they were expressed). And as a commenter, if you’re angry or upset, write your words in a text editor like Notepad first, walk away, and then read them before you copy and submit.

That way, you’ll have added something worthwhile to the conversation.

Upate: This just in– here’s another blogger who’s got the right idea.

The blogosphere is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is.*

In this big ol’ blogosphere, it’s easy for little blogs to get lost, and easy for blog owners to abandon blogs without needing to drive to a farm in the country.

Blogs can be abandoned for several reasons. Maybe the blogger started with a fit of enthusiasm, then realized that he or she has nothing to say, or no time to say it in. Or perhaps the blog is forgotten; the owner just starts a blog on one of the free services, makes a post, and then gets busy and forgets that idea. Six months later the owner finds a note in his or her PDA with the blog’s name and the password. Or perhaps someone got a blog for Christmas, and finds that taking care of it as it grows is just too much work.

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If you’ve never had a blog, it might be hard to imagine what it would be like if you did. So here are a few hypothetical situations you might find yourself in, if you were blogging about your business.

• You would get an email from someone saying, “I just read your article about incorporating a business. You’ve raised some issues I hadn’t even considered. I’d like to come in and talk to you about it.”

• You would get a phone call from someone who found you on the web, saying “I dropped my watch into the ocean. What can I do?” But you wouldn’t just tell him over the phone, you’d use the question as the basis for a post. You’d include that post in your FAQs. And you might even offer that person a small discount on a new watch, as a thank you for inspiring the post.

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The post for today in the 20 blog types marathon is the debate. Here’s what Darren Rowse at Problogger has to say about this type of post in the article about battling bloggers block that started it all.

Debates do well on blogs and can [be] either in an organised fashion between two people, between a blogger and ‘all comers’ or even between a blogger and… themselves (try it - argue both for and against a topic in one post - you can end up with a pretty balanced post).

I could find a debating buddy, or even debate myself, but that takes time, and thought. Technology to the rescue once more! Why try to think about the pros and cons of an idea or issue, when you can find a search engine to do it for you?

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(Thanks to Immanuel Kant for the title idea.)

The next blog post on our list of 20 types of blog posts is the critique. Mine is more of a critique-ette.

By “pure blogging” I mean the blogs done for the sheer exhuberant joy of sharing your thoughts with the world. No ads, nothing to “sell.” That sounds good, doesn’t it? Noble and above the fray somehow?

There’s only one problem — a lot of those are awful!

Here’s an exciting example :

Whee!

Actually, there’s nothing wrong with this, really. I wouldn’t want to read it, but this blogger probably has lots of friends who do. There’s plenty of room on the internet, so blog on, person who writes in pink.

However, I’d much rather be reading a blog such as Problogger , with lots of ads, but also lots of worthwhile content!

Next up in the 20 blog posts in 20 (business) days marathon, is the predictions and reviews post. I don’t really feel qualified to prognosticate, so rather than hazard a few random guesses, I decided to ask a professional. Here’s what I learned:

O wise and wonderful Magic 8-ball, we bloggers have many questions about 2006. Please share your insight with us.

http://www.magic8ball.net/

1. Will TypePad recover from their latest problem? You may rely on it.
2. Will Google be evil? Don’t count on it.
3. Will there be more multi-million dollar sales of blog networks? You can count on it.
4. Will small businesses in Connecticut get blogging? Don’t count on it.

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One of the big issues in blogging these days has to do with content theft. Content theft happens when someone takes a post from your blog and publishes it on his or her blog, in its entirety.

This happens because, with RSS (web feeds), it’s easy to import posts into a blog and publish them — there are actual software products out there which will automate the process. Low-life bloggers steal content so that they can use it on their blogs in place of any original content. They’re using it as filler between the ads, essentially — something to make the blog look good. These RSS bandits sometimes link back to the original blog and keep the attribution, and sometimes don’t.

Here are the views of two bloggers who have had their content stolen:

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Dan C. Hamilton, of Columbus, Ohio, is a realtor who just started blogging. He’s hoping that blogging will make a difference when you choose a realtor in his area.

[B]logs are going to be a critical asset to successful Realtors of the future. A blog allows readers like you to get inside my head. It is also a forum for me to provide you with tips or notices that may be important to selling or buying your home. If you’re researching which Realtor you would like to sell your house or find you the house of your dreams, you want someone you can trust and someone you think you’ll get along with. Blogging, while it doesn’t tell you exactly who I am, gives you a little more insight the type of person I am. It shows of my personality a little. You see how my mind works and you see my sense of humor. It builds a small trust between us.

Is he right? Only time will tell — it’s early days yet for Dan.

But out of curiosity, I did a little research, trying to find some numbers, just to see if blogging does actually help build business. (more…)

Scenario #1: Imagine that you are a PR and Marketing guy, and you’re really into blogging. You and your co-writer (who writes a popular blog for a large software company) have decided to write a book about why companies should embrace blogging.

You want to build some buzz for this proposed book, you want to share your ideas, and you hope you’ll get some feedback, info, and advice as you write the book. So you decide to blog the book. On the blog, you write about the initial premise and finding a publisher. As time goes on, you ask your readers for suggestions for the book’s title for names of people to interview. You post your complete notes from interviews, and full drafts of your chapters, asking for help with corrections. As the chapters approach final form, you post them as well. Finally, you ask for people who might be interested in reviewing the bound galleys of the book, for final proofing and error-checking.

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I really don’t think there’s anything wrong with ads on blogs. In fact, I toyed with the idea myself. But since one of my aims is to use this blog to communicate with clients, I decided not to go that route.

Back in the days when Google first bought Blogger (only about a year or two ago, but that’s forever in internet time), ads were mandatory — they were on the very top of the blog, above the name. That was ok, because the blog was free, after all. They’ve since changed that policy, because they are heavily promoting AdSense.

Now we find that AOL is putting ads on their member’s blogs. That’s just plain wrong. But that’s not what I want to talk about.

There are three things about ads that bug me: ad-encrusted blogs, ads in RSS feeds, and sneaky ads.

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Maybe you’re thinking about getting into blogging, but you’re not sure. How can you tell if blogging your busuiness is for you?

Or maybe you think it’s a fad, and if you wait long enough, it’ll go away?

Well, even if it were a fad, it’s one that is very beneficial to small businesses. so what’s wrong with that? Done right, it can help you connect with customers, share your expertise, and build your business. It’s cheaper than a radio ad, and lasts longer.

So here, for my contrasting two options post (#9 of 20, if you’re counting), I give you: To blog, or not to blog.

To blog:

1. You can afford to spend some time each day or so (anywhere from 1/2 hour - 2 hours, depending on your ambition and energy) or you can get someone to help (employee, family member, client).
2. You are passionate about some aspect of your business and want to share the details of how you do what you do.
3. You are free to do what you want, in terms of a web presence.
4. You have a unique product and need some unique marketing.
5. You are willing to hear negative comments, to be proactive about problems.
6. You are comfortable with computers or willing to learn.

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This is a problem that all small businesses that have blogs will run up against from time to time — you are already busy, and now you’re adding another thing to your hectic schedule. How can you possibly keep up the pace?

There’s no simple answer to this, but there are tactics you can use to help you when you’re stuck and just don’t have time. Here are a few:

• Get help. If you have employees, perhaps one of them would like to blog. Or ask other people — clients, vendors, family.
• Take pictures. “A day in the life” is always popular, or post pictures of your employees, workbench, or coffee pot. See Signs Never Sleep for examples on that.
• Write a link post. If you have a list of online resources that you check regularly or can recommend, share them.
• Clean out the storage room. You should keep a backlog of post “inventory” for busy days. Drag them out, dust them off, and put them on display. And you can write ahead. Just because a post is time-stamped when it’s published doesn’t mean you have to write it on that date. You can keep a draft in your blog application and quickly post it when the time comes. And many blog applications allow you to pick a date in the future, and the post will automatically publish at that time (not Blogger, Google’s blogging platform, however).

If you’re just beginning, here are a few tips to get you on the right track so that you won’t reach that no-time panic point right away:

• Start small. When you take the plunge and begin blogging, don’t start with an aggressive schedule. That will give you time to learn how you work best with blogging, and what you’ll need for support.
• Have a plan. Create a list of ideas for you to use in a crisis. Have an emergency plan and have a backup plan.
• Have a schedule. Monday - Friday, only on weekends, whatever. If readers know what to expect, they’ll be fine with it.
• “Borrow” from other collateral. Don’t just reproduce your brochures, that’s boring. But you can quote and make a comment or two about what that section means. Here’s a chance to add more depth & the personal touch.

If all else fails and disaster strikes, and you really, really don’t have time — write about that (briefly, of course). Bloggers often say things like “this will be a quiet few days — need to take care of x” and things of that sort. Don’t do it too often, but as my mother would say, “If it happens, it’s not the end of the world!”

Ok, I admit it; I don’t know all there is to know about blogs, marketing, PR, and small business issues.

But I do know where to find out: other blogs, of course. Here’s a round-up of some blogs I read regularly, and highly recommend.

Marketing and PR:

• Micro Persuasion Steve Rubel’s ground-breaking weblog. He’s VP of Client Services at CooperKatz & Company, a mid-size PR firm in midtown New York City.
• Church of the Customer Blog Ben McConnell & Jackie Huba write “All about word of mouth, customer evangelism and citizen marketers.” Check out their Essential Reading links on the sidebar.
• Duct Tape Marketing John Jantsch writes on a whole range of marketing ideas for small businesses.
• Seth’s Blog Seth Godin is a marketing & ideas whirlwind — thought-provoking books, essays, and ideas on the new way to market. This is the place to learn about the larger issues and how to use them in your business.
• Solo Business Marketing Blog Shirley George Frazier’s blog is a relatively new entry in the blogosphere, although she has been in business for some time, and has a “regular” website, too.

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For today’s entry in the 20 types marathon, I’d like to profile bloggers. It turns out that bloggers are very easy to depict.

He/she/they are:

• short/tall/fat/thin…
• American/Iraqi/German/French/Chinese….

Their blogs are always:

• personal/professional/political/polemical/pedagogical…
• entertaining/engaging/enraging/encouraging/enlightening…

Bloggers tend to post often/post frequently/post rarely/abandon their blogs, which have no ads/have a few ads/are ad-encrusted and booby-traps for the unwary…

Bloggers got into blogging eagerly/anxiously/after much pushing and prodding by friends/relatives/employees/bosses/other bloggers…

I think you get the idea. If you’re not a blogger, you should think about it. After all, you fit the profile!

For my case study post (for the 20 blog types marathon) I want to take a look at Andrew Ewalt’s Law Blog. One reason is that he’s a CT lawyer from near my old stomping grounds (he’s in Manchester and Storrs; I lived in that area for many years). For another, he’s a good subject for my experiment — he’s headed in the right direction with his blog, but it could use a few tweaks. For a third, I’m in the process of redesigning this blog, and thinking objectively about someone else’s blog is easier than thinking objectively about my own. This will get my brain going in the right direction. So, I have a few thoughts on Andrew’s blog that I’d like to share. Do with them what you will, Andrew.

I’ll be writing about three parts of Andrew’s blog:

1. The URL
2. The Header
3. The Posts

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For a while now, I’ve wanted to find out more about the Lincoln Sign Co blog, Signs Never Sleep, so I chose J.D. Iles for my interview post of the 20 blog types. I’ve never met the man, but I sent him an email, asking if he would mind answering a few questions about his blog.

He replied that he gets requests like that all the time, and doesn’t have time to do a full interview (between the signs and the blogging he’s a busy guy) but he pointed me to a series of posts he did in January and February of this year, on blogging and the SNS blog, and said he could answer a question or two in addition to that.

That’s fair enough, I think. So I decided to do a slightly different kind of “interview” and use the power of the blogosphere to pull from those posts. I don’t think I pulled anything out of context, but I recommend that you go read the entire posts for the full story. (more…)

There are many different types of businesses that could use a blog to help connect with customers or vendors, share their expertise, and build their businesses. These could be used in place of a website, or as an addition to the website.

As a challenge to myself (as if I’m not already challenged with this 20 types marathon), I brainstormed some ways four different types of businesses could use a blog. I’m sure there are many more that I haven’t thought of. The potential uses of a blog are only limited to the imagination of the business owner. I mean, who knew that a blog about a sign business could be so much fun to read.

How 4 types of small businesses could use a blog: (more…)

The popular blogging application, WordPress, now has a free, hosted version. This is perfect for folks who don’t want to concern themselves with getting a web hosting provider and messing about with domains and such.

It’s been out about a month, and I finally took a look.

It’s very easy to get a blog; you simply go to www.wordpress.com (as opposed to the .org domain for the version you can host yourself). There, you enter a name for your blog, which becomes the first part of the URL – in my case, it’s (what else) http://ctbizblogs.wordpress.com. (Read my views on having your domain name.) (more…)

The comment feature on blogs is the main way that readers can communicate with the blogger (and each other). I’ve written before about the amazing community that’s sprung up in the comments on Joel Achenbach’s Achenblog.

A post a few days ago on Successful Blog, about comments on posts, prompted Shirley Frazier to make the comment that bloggers shouldn’t make the assumption that readers know about the comments, and know how to comment.  So, I wanted to make sure that my readers know that comments are most welcome!

Comments are useful for a number of reasons. For the blog, they add more information or ideas to the topic. If I hadn’t read the comments on the Successful blog post, I would never have found the comment that inspired this post.  For the commenter, they represent another way to network, and get your own site linked to.  If I hadn’t read the comments, I’d have never have found Shirley’s site, which I’ve subscribed to. It looks very helpful and I recommend you check it out.

Here’s my comment policy, and a quick “how to,” if you’ve never left a comment before. (more…)

Following on my review of Writely, here’s a brief tutorial on how to use it to create a post and publish it on your blog. This is written for new or still somewhat inexperienced bloggers who are interested in trying new tools to help with their blogging productivity. Experienced bloggers don’t need my help.

1. Create a new document.
   On the Start page, choose “New,” in the upper left-hand corner of the window.



2. Enter your text in the new document field.
3. Add links.
   Not all blogs have links in every post, so if you don’t have any, that’s fine. However, Google does look at links when determining page rank, so if that’s important to you, link often, but appropriately. See my post on “How does linking to other blogs help me?”

   To add a link: (more…)

Mia, whose blog is called “It’s So Fantastic ” was inspired by a series of posts on Problogger, Darren Rowse’s business blog, about “battling bloggers block,” when you’re feeling less than inspired and all out of ideas. One post listed  20 different types of posts you can use on a blog. Looking at the list can help spark your imagination, and get your subconscious to kick out something that’s been hiding in the back of the mental closet.

Mia’s idea is to work through the list in a marathon — 20 blogs in 20 days.  She started with #20, and used that as a way of creating and spreading this marathon “meme,” and even created the above logo which she graciously shared with me.  She issued a friendly challenge, and I’ve decided to take her up on it. (more…)