Posts Tagged ‘just good business’

Five cures for blog writer’s block

04.30.10

You have a blog. You’re committed to writing posts. But you have NO IDEA what to write. Now what?!

1. Find your voice

You may have an inkling of the tone of your blog even before you begin writing. But after you have a few posts under your belt, you should be able to identify your own personal writing style. Maybe it’s cool and casual. Maybe it’s professional and serious. Maybe it’s instructive with a different how-to post each week. Knowing your individual technique should help you recognize new and suitable topics when you encounter them in everyday life.

2. Write what you know

You are a wealth of knowledge. Think about various aspects of your business and your expertise. Break them down into topics. If your business sells cork screws, you could blog about different types of cork screws, the history of bottle stoppers, local restaurant corkage fees, corking vs. screw caps, high-end cork screws vs. the ones that come free with a large wine purchase at the liquor store… See? The possibilities are endless! Pick and choose what makes sense for what your blog is trying to accomplish.

3. Look at the world

Take a current event and write your own op-ed piece as it relates to your industry or business. If you are an IT services firm, perhaps you want to write about the slow death of popular browser, Internet Explorer 6. This technique is handy because there will never be a shortage of international, national or local headlines on which to comment.

4. Look around you

You may not have to consult a newspaper to find what you’re looking for. You’d be surprised how incidents in your own life can be turned into blog posts. You just have to be open to recognizing them. Before you go to bed each night, ask yourself: Did I learn any lessons today? Can anything I encountered be related to the variety of subjects that make up my blog? Sometimes, it may not be obvious. Maybe your four-year-old asked you why the sky was blue. If you are a business consultant, you could angle a post on the top ten abstract questions your clients have ever asked you about running a company (and maybe you can even answer them, too!).

5. Read other blogs

The World Wide Web is filled with people giving away free information. Read blogs written by professionals in your own and other industries. You are bound to be inspired. Just remember that while you may link to and reference others’ articles, be sure you don’t copy their exact ideas or content (um, that’s called plagiarism).

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Five ways to make time to blog

04.15.10

So you have a blog. But are you actually posting? Keep reading for tips on following through with your company’s blog.

1. Keep your promises

Determine a posting schedule. It can be daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly… Whatever it is, stick to this timetable so that your readers’ expectations are met. If you are having your hip replaced or going on an extended vacation, consider a guest blogger to fill in so that your readers aren’t disappointed by your blog’s sudden absence.

2. Record ideas as they occur

Whenever an idea for a post comes to you, write it down. It doesn’t matter if it’s not a complete thought.  Even just a word or phrase can be developed into a full article later on. Don’t assume you’ll remember an idea you had in the shower by the time you sit down to compose a blog post next Tuesday. Write it down now! Keep all these ideas on a topics list and refer to it when you are ready to write a post.

3. Write now, publish later

It’s like blogging on credit. During downtime (if you have any) write as many posts as you have ideas for on your topics list. You can assign dates for them to automatically post in your WordPress or Blogger blog, or you can manually publish them when you’re ready.

4. Put it on your calendar

If you’re like many solopreneurs who take on every role from president to administrative assistant, you may never have downtime! In this case, you must schedule time for writing, as you would for any project or meeting. Whether it’s something you take care of first thing every Monday or last thing every Friday, dedicate one hour to your blog each week (and maybe more if you’re aiming for several posts a week).

5. Don’t waste a moment

Use the time you squander in the waiting room at the doctor’s office or in line at the grocery store to jot down notes that you can later expand into posts. Spending otherwise wasted time wisely will cut down on the actual writing phase and take less time away from your work.

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Five reasons your website needs a blog

04.01.10

You know you should blog. Here’s why.

1. Freshen things up

It’s imperative to keep your website content fresh if you want to give your site visitors a reason to come back. Think about it: would you return to a website that never had anything new to say? Can you imagine going to cnn.com to read news from a year ago? Absurdity.

2. Drive traffic to your site

Oftentimes, small business websites are only a few pages (About Us, Our Services, Contact Us… sound familiar?). Having such modest content makes it hard to compete with bigger companies in your industry when it comes to search engines. One way to overcome this scenario is to build a blog full of keyword-rich posts. This doesn’t mean each post you write should include the word “flip-flops” 30 times (assuming you’re selling flip-flops, that is). But if you write tips of your trade, you will naturally embrace the words people are searching for, and over time, your website’s pages will multiply, attracting new visitors to your site via search engines.

3. Build consumer confidence

Before you hire a contractor to remodel your kitchen, wouldn’t you want to know that he knew a thing or two about cabinets and floors? A simple way to stand out as an expert in your field and earn the trust of prospects is to take some time to express your thoughts and knowledge on issues you are passionate about. Your blog’s sole purpose shouldn’t be focused on gaining new customers, but it certainly can be a bonus.

4. Become an expert (if you’re not already one)

When you have a small business, you may not know everything, especially when you’re starting out. A blog commitment will force you to research and write about relevant topics on a regular basis. Eventually, you’ll be the authority on your subject matter.

5. Interact with readers

The best part about blogs is their two-way communication. Engage your readers by asking questions and encouraging comments. Show them there is a real person behind your company’s website. Be sure to connect with your active readers by responding directly to their comments and writing follow-up posts based on feedback.

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Struggle of the Juggle: how to stay on task while working on your own

03.08.10

As a small-business owner (coincidentally, I’m also a small business-owner; what a difference a hyphen placement can make!), I know how hard it is to do it all alone. I am the sole employee of this operation, which means I’m in charge of getting new business, following up with prospects, coordinating with printers and other vendors, sending invoices, following up on unpaid invoices…the list goes on. Oh, not to mention, actually doing the work that is my business! Sometimes, it can be difficult to keep it all straight, and get it all done.

Below is a list of tips for my fellow solopreneurs. If you have any to add, please comment on this post.

  1. Make to-do lists. This is my absolute favorite thing to do (sorry, I couldn’t help myself). I love the rush of having a long list of tasks, and then individually crossing off each item as the day goes on. Your list doesn’t have to be old-school like mine, on a real piece of paper. Make use of the tasks function in Microsoft Outlook or other online and electronic tools. It’s almost as much fun to check them off with a click of the mouse.
  2. Automate your processes. If there is a task that you do regularly, help yourself by simplifying the process. When I get a new project, there are a number of questions I need answered before I can get started. Instead of having a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants conversation with every new client, and having to call them back because I forgot to ask if they have a color scheme in mind for their new logo, I have developed questionnaires for the most common types of projects that I work on. Need a website? Let’s fill out the new website questionnaire. Need an email newsletter? Let’s complete the email newsletter questionnaire. Get it? Reinventing the wheel every time = bad. Figuring out the most efficient way to do something, and doing it once = good.
  3. Schedule your time. If you know you have deadlines, put them on your calendar. Figure out when you can fit these projects into your busy schedule, and mark that time. When someone calls you to grab lunch for a time when you are supposed to be working to meet a deadline, the blocked out time on your calendar will keep you from being tempted to blow it off and save it for later. Because guess what? Later, you have something else you need to accomplish (just check out your newly filled calendar and all the reminders that keep popping up)! It can also be helpful to schedule tasks that are not time-sensitive, such as networking, reading industry blogs, and taking breaks (yes, you must schedule your breaks or you will forevermore work through them).

I’d write more, but I’m itching to cross through “blog post” from today’s to-do list, and I have a phone call in five minutes for which my calendar just alerted me with its no-nonsense reminder ding. Until next time, stay organized and productive!

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Why your business needs a website

01.09.09

So your company has a logo. Now what? Before you can even order business cards, your company NEEDS a website. Notice how “needs” was emphasized back there—that was no accident. In this day of technology and consumers’ online habits, a website is not an option. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling products to infants or services to seniors. It doesn’t matter if your inventory contains one simple item, if your catalog features a wide variety of complex service options, or if you’re a non-profit with the goal to raise money and awareness. You NEED a website.

Baltimore Outreach Services websiteLet’s do a quick, informal survey, just to prove this point. Our sample size will be one (you).

  1. Where do you go to gather information and read reviews about products you’re thinking of buying?
  2. How do you prefer making charitable donations?
  3. Where do you go to communicate with friends and colleagues?
  4. When you want to know more about something, what is the first thing you do?
  5. How long have you been online so far today?
  6. What are you doing right now?

I may not know you personally, but here’s my guess for your answers.

  1. online
  2. online
  3. online
  4. Google it
  5. since you got to work
  6. surfing the web

Was I close?

If you’ve never built a website, don’t be overwhelmed by the massiveness of the task. Here are a few simple steps to get you started.

  1. Determine your website’s primary audience (consumers, donors, board members, the general public, etc.) and purpose (to inform, to educate, to generate leads, to sell products, to collect donations, etc.).
  2. Gather existing content about your business (from brochures, white papers, press releases, business plans, introduction letters). Re-purpose that content so that it’s appropriate for your website’s audience. Figure out where your existing content is lacking, and make notes of what needs to be developed.
  3. Get in touch with a web designer/manager who can help you with the following tasks:
    1. Create a reasonable timeline for getting your website live. It’s important to allow enough time for each task along the way, and it’ just as important for both you and the designer to stick to the deadlines so that your content doesn’t become outdated before it’s ever online!
    2. Create a site architecture, which outlines your site’s content, and serves as the foundation for building your site.
    3. Design a user-friendly site that uses intuitive navigation and has the ability to grow with your business. Be sure your designer is up-to-date on the latest web practices and standards-compliant HTML and CSS.
    4. Build out pages that comprise a comprehensive site and incorporate your website’s goals.
  4. Unlike a print piece that is marked “complete” as soon as it’s approved for the printer, your website will be a work in progress forever. Remember to keep it up-to-date as your business expands or takes on new projects. Give your site visitors a reason to come back often.

If you need help creating a new website or redesigning an old one, please contact LBK Designs. We’ll be happy to put together a project proposal based on your needs and timeline.

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