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Clearing Up the Confusion E-Zine Vol 01 Issue 14
------- Clearing Up the Confusion E-Zine -------
Vol 1, Issue 14
This newsletter is coming to you one day late. My apologies.
Yesterday was my fortieth birthday, so I hope you will cut me
some slack. Just because I was partying all day, though, doesn't
mean that I wasn't thinking about Web-related stuff. In
particular, my mind was on some of the techniques to improve your
Web presence that my hero, Scott Ginsberg, recommends. I'm going
to spend a couple of issues looking at the positives and
negatives of the ones I've tried so far.
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In This Issue...
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1. Article: Web Presence Techniques, Pros and Cons, Part 1
2. Blog Posts
3. Guest Article: 497 Reasons to Start Blogging TODAY
4. Shameless Self-Promotion
5. The Fine Print
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1. Article: Web Presence Techniques, Pros and Cons, Part 1
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Have you searched for yourself in Google or Yahoo recently?
Unless you've been making some effort at developing your Web
presence, don't be surprised if you aren't on the front page (or
the second, third, or fourth). I've been working on it for a
while, and I finally made it. Of course, it's for my Amazon.com
personal profile page, so I might still have some work to do,
too. Scott Ginsberg, author of "Make a Name for Yourself" has
written several pieces talking about a myriad of ways to improve
your standing (because if they can't find you on the Web, you
don't exist). I've tested a few of the methods and what follows
is the first part of my take on the pros and cons of each idea.
1. Have a Website. This is sort of the baseline whether you are
working on your personal Web presence or that of your
business.
Pros: You can put anything you want on the website. Pictures,
stories, links to other sites (including your own), articles
you've written, etc, etc, etc.
Cons: You *must* update it on a regular basis. If your site is
three months out of date, no one will believe you are real.
This either means dedicating time to learn how to maintain a
site by hand, or money to either pay someone to update it for
you or to build systems to allow you to maintain it yourself
without having to learn all of the underlying technology.
2. Write a Blog. Maintain an online journal of your thoughts and
ideas.
Pros: You can write about anything you want. Writing about
topics associated with your business makes you an expert.
Writing about your personal interests makes you a human
being. Either way it works to your advantage. You can also
write as short or long as you like. Both have their
advantages.
Cons: Requires time. To build any sort of audience, a blogger
has to post *at least* once a week. Daily is better.
Depending on your writing skills this might take up more time
than you have to devote to the practice.
3. Write an Ezine. Create an electronic newsletter to help you
maintain contact with your network. Just be sure that you've
asked permission to send it to them.
Pros: You can use each ezine issue as content for your website
(assuming you know how to add it yourself or have hired
someone to do it for you). A focused ezine helps improve your
reputation as an expert. It's an excellent way to draw attention
to your other materials online. You can often publish an
ezine far more infrequently than a blog -- as little as once a
month (though I prefer once every two weeks).
Cons: Because it can be less frequent, you have to be pretty
firm about maintaining the schedule. It's far too easy to skip
one and then two and then leave off publishing altogether.
Also, writing an ezine doesn't directly affect your standing
on the web unless you also post the issue on your website.
Google has a hard time searching your subscribers email
inboxes. We hope.
Next time I'll cover the joys of writing articles, social
networking sites, and maybe touch on fun with forums, too!
Copyright 2007, Greg Peters
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2. Blog Posts
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Links to posts on the "Clearing Up the Confusion" Blog from the last year:
Thursday, August 23, 2007 -- Helium Follow-Up
http://clearing-confusion.blogspot.com/2007/08/helium-follow-up.html
Tuesday, August 21, 2007 -- The Voice on the Radio
http://clearing-confusion.blogspot.com/2007/08/voice-on-radio.html
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3. Guest Article: 497 Reasons to Start Blogging TODAY
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By Scott Ginsberg
FIRST QUESTION: What do Cosmopolitan, FastCompany, The Wall
Street Journal, 20/20, and Inc. Magazine all have in common?
Each of those publications featured me as an expert because they
all read my blog. I didn't send them press copies of my books. I
didn't "pitch" them. They came to me. Because blogging gives
value.
So, why aren't you blogging again?
SECOND QUESTION: What does the number 497 mean to you?
Probably nothing, right?
Well, for mean, 497 is the number of times I've posted on my blog.
In other words:
o 497 hits on Google
o 497 (more) hits on Google than other speakers who DON'T blog
o 497 press releases (but better)
o 497 instances of delivering value
o 497 reinforcements of my brand
o 497 ideas for future speeches and products
o 497 validations of my expertise
o 497 expansions of my expertise
o 497 reasons for the media to inquire
o 497 opportunities to build community
o 497 opportunities to stay in front of fans
o 497 pictures of you giving speeches and working with clients
o 497 modules to be used for future books, speeches, products
o 497 (more) links to my website
o 497 moments of (not selling, but) enabling people to buy
So. WHY aren't you blogging again?
LAST QUESTION: Why would speakers post pictures of themselves on
their own blogs?
Five reasons.
1. The pictures show you doing what you do. This provides social
proof that you are a REAL speaker, effective and "out there."
Anyone can claim to be a speaker, but with pictures of you in
front of audiences, it reinforces what you do.
2. People see what they missed. Make your blog post almost like a
review of a concert that came to town. Discuss highlights,
funny moments, even screw-ups and interruptions. Make readers
say, "Wow, that sounded awesome!"
3. Content generation. By making notes about each speech and
recording them on your blog, you are managing you content for
future speeches and books. It's all about knowledge
management!
4. Attract new customers. When people read about how you helped a
certain organization, they're going to say, "Hmmm... I wonder
if he could do that for my group? Maybe I should give him a
call..."
5. Customer service. By blogging about your speech, the venue,
the client and the audience, you compliment your customer. Be
sure to email your main client/meeting planner and tell he or
she to read the post. It's the best thank you note in the
world!
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
Why aren't you blogging?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS...
Email me and I'll tell you how to get started.
Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved.
Scott Ginsberg, aka "The Nametag Guy," is the internationally
recognized author of four books, including "The Power of
Approachability" and "How to be That Guy." He delivers speeches
and publishes online learning tools that help businesspeople make
a name for themselves - one conversation at a time. He can be
reached at 314/256-1800 or you can email Scott
directlyscott@hellomynameisscott.com.
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4. Shameless Self-Promotion
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The "Clearing Up the Confusion" E-Zine is a production of Greg Peters,
owner, chief cook, and bottlewasher of Cyber Data Solutions. CDS has
been helping website designers develop better web presence for their
clients for more than a decade. Visit us on the Web at
www.cyberdatasolns.com to see how we can help your webmaster.
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5. The Fine Print
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