Have you hit a blogging wall? Out of ideas? Not comfortable with writing in general? You’re not alone. Small businesses have plenty to do–online and elsewhere–and we tend to avoid something that “feels like work.” There is another way around this dilemma and generate an online presence that’s beneficial to you.
How? By visiting other blogs and leaving comments. You’re networking, passing along helpful tid-bits in much smaller writing quantities than blogging yourself, and leaving a trail back to your site. Smart, huh?
First, you have to find relevant blogs and website content to comment about. You do this by creating Google Alerts. Take your keywords and keyword phrases and visit Google Alerts and set up an account. Google will send you email updates on when anyone writes about the keywords you listed. Google Alerts will list newspaper and magazine articles, television and radio announcements and recaps of shows in which those topics are discussed, and it will also list blogs that mention the words you listed.
When your email box fills up with Google Alerts, you’ll feel a little overwhelmed at first. That’s okay, it’s worth it to start reading. The online world has just opened up to you. You will literally see how relevant your topic is. You’ll be able to start to track who’s hot, which keyword/topic phrase generates the most hits, who your competition is and who you should be networking with. In the beginning, you need to dedicate some time every day, or a large chunk of time once a week to begin to gather information and know who’s out there and who is making it happen on the Internet.
Create a folder of the best Google Alerts and save the ones you want to get to know.
Follow your gut reaction and visit the blogs or articles that pique your interest. Did you know that you can leave comments on many newspaper and magazine sites as well? You can, and they get read by thousands, and get indexed well because these companies have the money to spend to get that valuable SEO (search engine optimization) placement needed to get noticed online.
Next, leave a comment–and not just “Fantastic!” That won’t get you much. Leave a couple of sentences that actually has to do with the subject they wrote about. Comment about something they said, specifically. Add to the conversation–in a friendly tone. Don’t sound like a know-it-all. Sound humble. Sound generally interested. Sound like you know what you’re talking about and you’re glad to be a part of scene, but you’re not taking over. Sound nice.
How? Tell them something they said or did right. Tell them you like their blog and their content is good. Leave one or two small bits of info that’s helpful. You can even politely disagree or offer another opinon, but do it respectful. You can even comment about another comment, which can create a conversation. At first, keep it simple and get used to the system. Your goal is to make connections, get known, and quietly point someone your way. At the end, sign your name, and under it leave your website, and that’s it.
Can you link back to your website within the body of your blog comment? Yes, but don’t go heavy handed, and only if it’s not really relevant. But sometimes it really is relevant. You have content on your site or blog that adds to the conversation–then go for it.
Chances are, the blogger/owner of the site is going to come over and check you out. They do–a lot of the time. Be sure to respond, say thanks for stopping by. This is n’etiquette. People online like to know their effort isn’t going unnoticed.
It might even lead to a guest blog. If you like someone else’s style, invite them to guest blog on your site–or you guest blog on theirs. This gives you fresh content, and it also does something else that’s really cool. They’ll advertize it on their site, and their readers will come over to your site. Cool. If you do decide to guest blog, or ask for another blogger to guest on yours, talk about how to handle links and promoting ahead of time so that everyone’s on the same page.
Another great way to build an online relationship with another blogger is to request to use their content on your site. Ask ahead of time. Tell them that you really like their blog on X, and can you quote part of it and link to their site. Nine times out of ten they’ll say yes because you asked ahead of time, complimented their work, and will attribute them.
Commenting is so smart and so easy. Three to four sentences on other blogs allows you to respond to a topic already generated, network, get your name out there, and build an online presence. The old adage, “Work smarter, not harder” definitely applies.
Why are blogs appealing? When they’re done right, they give you great information, insight and direction. You can read a blog in five minutes or less–and then go on with your day. Small businesses are perfect for blogs. Why? Because you’re a customer expert. All you do all day–online or in a brick-and-mortar store is talk to, sell to, and think about customers. You are driven to be effective. You already have that natural tone, candor, and appeal customers are looking for.
Secrets to Writing a Great Blog:
Name your blog something that has to do with your company name. Make it easy for search engines to find and connect you to your line of work. How? Know your keywords and use them in your header and in your blog.
The old KISS rule. Keep it Simple, Sweeheart. Blogs are not supposed to be complicated. Short–250-500 words. That’s it. Simple–Keep your focus simple. Talk about one thing. A promotion, a discount, feature a customer, a helpful suggestion. Don’t leave the topic.
Write Tight–Lots of white space. Keep your paragraphs down to 4-5 lines. That’s it.
Make sure your headlines say it in a nutshell. If that’s the only thing that gets read, will it makie sense? Make those headlines slightly larger–or bold to catch the eye.
Don’t go crazy with expressions. Emoticons don’t look professional–and neither do misspellings, exclamation points, or abbreviated words (4 for for, 2B for to be).
Use bullet points for how-tos. Bullet points tend to get read when nothing else does.
Simple words and simple sentences. Online viewers scan. They don’t really read–they’re busy. Their blackberries buzzing, they have 2 monitors going, a pile of paperwork next to them, and three files open. You’ve got seconds to grab their attention and if you’re lucky, you’ve got 3-4 minutes for them to “get” what you’re trying to say.
Think nouns and verbs. You’re the noun (your business) and what you’re offering is the verb–sale, promotion, upgrade, help hints.
Online readers like images. Use a few to allow their eyes to rest–and associate you with a visual.
Link–link back to your website and other pages. Try to keep them with you as long as possible–have good content to refer to. These deep links help get you indexed, which means search engines can find you and point others your way.
By creating a clear, dependable writing style, your blogger gets to know and trust you. You can still show personality, tell a crazy story, and be personable with your audience. Blogs are long enough and have enough content for you to express who your company is and what you have to offer–and that it’s more than just hard sales–it’s a relationship.
In today’s fast-paced, media driven world, businesses have to be on top of their game. One of the best ways to create a conversation with your business clients and associates is by using Twitter. Small businesses will find Twitter easy and fast to use–and a great way to network online and build amazing connections.
Twitter is a lot like texting. It’s technically micro-blogging, and you can only type up to 140 characters–which is great for busy people. Your “posts” are called tweets, and you can even do them from your mobile device or computer. It’s actually addictive. You can break down your message into bite-size morsels, and respond to client’s comments and questions in a flash.
What’s so great about Twitter? I’ll tell you!
Twitter is a great place to make announcements about products and promotions, ask questions, answer questions, give great how-to hints, and use your humor and personality to really kick start a dialogue with your business connections.
A hit is a hit is a hit…or is it? How many hits does your website get? You’ve probably been asked that before, and even if you can brag you get a million hits a month, does it mean what you think it means? How do you measure traffic on your small business site, and more importantly, how do those hits turn into sales?
To understand how to track your website traffic, you have to understand what a hit is.
A website “hit” isn’t as simple as you think. It’s not when someone types in your website name, or find you on Google, Yahoo, or MSN and clicks on your site. That’s not the only definition of a hit.
A hit is a file–and your webpage may contain one, or one thousand. A hit can be an image, written content, or order form. One of your webpages could contain many “hits.”
But what matters is not how many hits you get, but if the hit leads to interest–a sale, a contact, or a networking opportunity. A simpler page with only one hit might just do the job.
Ways to Gauge Your Site Traffic:
Visits, Pageviews, Unique Visitors, Time, and Referrers.
Visits, also called sessions are when a visitor comes to your website. Whether they stay one minute or one hour, it counts as one visit.
Pageviews, is when a visitor looks at any one of your website pages. That’s why it’s important that each of your pages has a unique URL, or address–so that they’re indexed separately.
Unique Visitors, are “first time” visitors. If I return to your site, I’m no longer a unique visitor. Unique vistors isn’t as important (per say) because they might have looked around, realized it wasn’t what they were looking for and left.
Time, refers to how long a visitor stays on your site during any visit. By knowing how long a visitor stays, you can tell how valuable that page is. Are they reading content? Placing an order? You want to create pages that are interesting and helpful so visitors stay longer. The longer they stay, the more they’ll remember you and refer you to others.
Referrers, is a way for visitors to get to your site. A refer might be a search engine such as Google, or Yahoo–or it might be a link from another site.
These five tracking tools are essential to any website owner. You need to know who comes to your site, how many times they return, how long the stay, and how they got there. Take a few minutes and visit your dashboard and take note of who your visitors are. This knowledge can help you create a website that’s worth visiting. and is a great marketing and networking tool.
The world’s gone Twitter crazy. Every television and news show ends with “Follow us on Twitter.” So are you? Twittering, that is? Twitter is great for small businesses. If it weren’t, then every celeb, big business and entrepreneur wouldn’t bother. Twitter gets your message out there–in bite size bits–again and again with lots of chances to update. What better way to reach your audience?
“I can’t figure out Twitter about!”
Understandable, so let’s break it down:
Twitter is like snippets of a bigger conversation.
First, open your Twitter account, and invite your friends and family–and a few work associates. Start slow and learn to be consistent. Twittering does take a committment. It works best when you “tweet” (Twitter’s word for post) often.
Fill out your profile and make sure your website, phone, and other pertinent information are all listed.
Be patient. Like any new application, it takes a while to get the hang of it. Others will begin to follow you–which means every time to “tweet” they’ll get an update.
“Tweet” from your Blackberry/phone. It’s just like texting, and this freedom lets you update wherever you are–which might be your topic of conversation.
Don’t hide that you’re a business. It’s okay that you are so be up front. Be helpful. Be of service. Don’t hard sell.
Carry on a natural conversation. Ask questions. Mention your contest or new product. Answer a question. Solve a problem. Share a work situation you recently encountered. Share a funny story.
What would someone ask you if they walked into your store? Break down that question–and answer–into several “tweets.”
Mention where you’re speaking or if you’re at a seminar or workshop.
Announce your e-newsletter or webinar or new video. And yes, link to it.
Be sure to mention on your blog that you’re on Twitter. And mention it at conferences or other business gatherings. Twitter is hot right now, so let others know you’re on the Twitter train.
It takes time to get the hang of Twitter, and the more you “follow” other small businesses, the sooner you’ll see how to do it–what you like, and what you’d do differently. It’ll take a few months or so to build a decent size following, but most people start to enjoy Twitter, so it’s worth the effort. You’ll make new connections and promote your business–in small increments you can manage.
“Do you really want everyone to like you?” That’s what I told my teenagers when they were feeling the need to cave into peer pressure. Sometimes trying to fit in costs you your true identity. It’s the same for small businesses. Sometimes we try to cover too much territory. Our true power lies in what we’re good at. You’ve earned the right to call yourself an expert–by hard work, dedication, and doing one thing well.
If you haven’t honed in on your area of expertise, ask yourself:
What makes my company unique?
If I had to only do one thing, sell one item, what would it be?
If I had to let go of one line of service or product, what would it be?
What do I do/sell that no one else does? (Or very few)
What services do I offer that fills a real need or void?
If someone introduced me/my company at a party, what would they say?
What other business is the most like mine?
Does my website really state your expertise?
Do my keywords reflect my products or services accurately–or are they only close but not spot on?
What segment of the market have I not quite tapped into yet?
What do I enjoy doing the most? What’s easy for me?
Once you answer a few of these questions, then make sure you input these changes into your online marketing, local marketing, and traditional marketing plans. What good does it do to specialize and then not let people know what you’re good at!
Ways to promote your expertise:
Do a news release (also known as a press release)
Start a separate website that focuses on your expertise–and list is as a separate page on your main site. Besure to list your new site on the various directories. Go to OpenDirectory.com and register your site. Now that you’ve learned a thing or two about websites and SEO strategies, implement your knowledge.
Begin to blog about your expertise–what you have to offer, how you got to be good at this one area, and focus on how you can help others.
Change or add pertinent keywords and keyword phrases
Pitch yourself to a radio show. Start using your voice and stating that you’re an expert in a given field. Don’t consider it arrogant. If you’re really good at something, then it’s a service to offer your advice and direction to others–as long as it’s presented in a way that’s helpful.
Do a search on your area of expertise and check out the competition. You should have less now that you’ve narrowed your focus. What are they doing right? How can you tweek your site to offer something slightly different?
Mention your expertise when it’s appropriate on your social media–especially in your profiles on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Author Marcus Buckingham reminds us in his book, Now, Discover Your Strengths, is that we shouldn’t try to be good at everything. Our brains are even hardwired at birth to begin to pull away from the less strong connections, and that our neurons bundle around one strong cord–that’s how we begin to specialize–and why some of us can play the piano and others can whiz through calculus. By fleshing out and then promoting your expertise, you begin to define your small business and discover your true market.
A Favicon. is an icon you can place beside your site’s name in the favorites list. It comes before the URL in the address bar, and is used as a bookmarked website on the desktop, in the “Links” bar and on the windows taskbar. Favicons are a great way for people to follow your small business website.
The Basics of Creating a Favicon:
Make sure that the bookmark icon you choose is obvious and clear
16x 16 pixels is best
You can name it what you want, but Windows recognizes “faviconâ€
Save your bookmark icon with 16 colors as favicon.ico and upload it to each of the directories in your website
Upload it to the root of your site (also known as your index page)
Place it between your head tags in the HTML of all the pages on your website. This works for Internet Explorer and many other browsers, so give it a try:
You can make sure it works by typing in your url (www.yourdomainname.com/favicon.ico)
You can also create a favicon at favicon.com
Hey, go crazy and create an icon library! Download a free trial of IconWorkshop by Axialis and have at it
Favicons are a small added feature that makes it easier for your readers to return to your small business site again and again.
If you’re not living under a rock, then no doubt you’ve heard a lot about Twitter.
It’s everywhere–mentioned on CNN, on the Today Show, on Ellen, on MSNBC News. Celebreties are twittering, sports figures, CEOs, and soldiers–and it’s perfect for busy small businesses.
Twitter makes microblogging and social media easy. You only post 140 characters at a time–2-3 sentences. You can read a tweet (post) in a sec–from your phone or laptop. No wonder Twitter is now seeing close to 10,000 new accounts per day. An extimated 4-6 million people follow Twitter worldwide, which makes it a marketing opportunity goldmine.
Small businesses have found that SMS devices such as the iPhone and BlackBerry increase their efficiency and productivity and allow them to stay connected. Twitter is perfect for smartphones because you can market on the go–and because your tweets (posts) are short, you don’t have to overthink.
How Businesses Are Using Twitter:
Offer discounts to those who Twitter.
Offer helpful hints, tid-bits, or ask for questions.
Stay in touch–running late to a meeting? Post a tweet and you don’t have to send out individual emails. Wish a client happy b-day. Give a “good job” to an employee.
Promote a contest.
Connect with other businesses. Share ideas. You might even find a partnership.
Too intimidated to blog? Do it one tweet at a time. A sentence or two is all you need.
Keep in touch with your suppliers.
Take an informal poll–people love to post their opinion and you can improve your sales by knowing what customers want and need.
Announce speaking engagements, and other special events.
Post a link to your webpage, but make sure it’s relevant to what you’re talking about. People like Twitter because it’s light,, so don’t get heavy-handed. Just post a link and say check it out.
The Internet thrives off of what’s new and what’s relevant. Don’t miss the Twitter “boat” There are too many great small business networking opportunities. Twitter makes it easy to be casual, connected, and helpful throughout the day.
Keeping your customers satisfied in these economically hard times is the smartest investment of your time and efforts. As a small business, you are in a unique position–you can show you care. Larger businesses don’t have the one-to-one relationship you do. Now is the time to think about your customer’s needs and take the time to reconnect.
Four Keys to Connecting With Your Customers:
1. Send an email or pick up the phone. If you have clients you’ve known for years, now is the time to check on them. Don’t solicit new work. Ask if how they’re doing, and if they’re satisfied with your product or service. Take the time to listen. If they’ve recently been laid off, they might appreciate someone who lets them vent for a few minutes. This is about support and connection. Ask if there’s anything you can do to provide them better service. It’s much harder to let a service go if there’s a strong connection.
2. Redefine Your Focus. It’s time to get really good at what you’re good at. By that I mean, let go of what isn’t working. It’s time to streamline. Upgrade, update, and become relavant to the new market. What’s in? For some businesses, it’s all about going green. For other businesses, it’s on specializing. Find out what’s relevant for you.
3. Join forces. Partnerships just make sense. You have products, services, and business goals in common and complimentary to other businesses. You might find them in your own or nearby community, or you might find them online as you blog, do keyword searches, or on a forum. Get to know them and find out what’s working and where you can join forces. When forming a partnership, be clear. Know what you have to give, and what you expect in return. Start small and build. Trust is built one rung at a time.
4. Get active on the ‘Net. It’s time to shore up holes in the wall. You may not be booming with new customers, so when you’re not, use your time to finish your web pages, adding content, keywords and links to every page. Consider your next online step. Start with direct customer interaction. Consider an e-newsletter, or regular emails with coupons, discounts, and helpful how-to hints.
Yes, these are economically challenging times, but don’t lose heart. Many economic gurus believe that small businesses will come out on top when it’s all said and done. It requires a crazy mix of taking one day at a time and having a really solid game plan. Connecting with your customers might just be the determining factor–so be consistent, call or email. Be of help, and do all you can to keep your small businesses name on your customer’s mind for all the right reasons.
Small businesses provide services and products that keep the world going ’round. Many small “potatoes” later grow into big businesses because they were ahead of the curve and provided something new that filled a need. Enter the World Wide Web. You’re a small business, but now, you have the chance to be viewed by millions. That’s impressive, by small business standards. People have questions, and you’ve got answers, and one of the best cites for people who have questions is Yahoo Answers–and that’s where you come in.
Yahoo! Answers is a great place to share what you know and help folks out. It’s an active communitiy and it does have a devoted following. Yahoo! Answers is now the the second most popular Internet reference site–second only to Wikipedia.
On Yahoo! Answers, people from all over type in a question, and it’s categorized on Yahoo! Answers, and people like you find those questions and answer them–and these are your potential customers who have just “found” you–because chances are, if you have one question, you might be in need of a product or service. These questions are short and to the point–and your answer should be as well. You can spend as little as a half hour to a couple of hours a week answering a few questions, which will lead people back to your website/blog where they can learn more about you.
Yahoo Answers is easy, and many people use it as an alternative social media site–for networking purposes. As on any site, be polite, be helpful, cite your sources (including your own website and blog)–and be professional. Also check under varying categories. People are supposed to ask questions and then place them in the appropriate category, but let’s face it–things get misplaced, so check around.
Yahoo! Answers Basics:
You must open Yahoo! ID, using either a Yahoo! avatar or Yahoo! 360° picture. You can also create a profile that will contain your website, email, and other info such as your blog.
You can ask a question by having a Yahoo! account–but you have to have at least 5 positive points. Questions are open for four days–unless the poster takes it down–and it can be up for as long as 8 days.
Another interesing aspect of Yahoo! Answers is that you can earn points. The best questions are featured on Yahoo!’s 360° blog page. The points system is weighted. This is meant to help encourage users to answer questions. There are levels that have point thresholds, which then allow great site access. give more site access. “Best Answer” for a question answered gets 10 points, which is voted on by the comnunity, and yeah, you can vote for your own answer. All this is meant to encourage involvement. If you do really well, you’ll receive an orange badge and named “top contributor” in that category–which means your answers are respected.
Is all this worth it? Yes, it is. While some people follow Yahoo! Answers as a social network, other people are really there just to get a questioned answered. There are many categories, and it’s quite likely that you can drop by and answer a few, and then watch your small business website and blog traffic increase–and that’s not a bad thing.
