2008 May

Blog comments position you as an expert, pull traffic

5/17/2008 By Joan 7 Comments

Here’s proof that spending fewer than 15 minutes a day posting comments to other people’s blogs is well worth it.

I’ve set up a Google Alert for several keywords or keyword phrases related to my area of expertise. I’ve trained my virtual assistant to go through the emails Google sends me, read the blog postings and let me know if the blog would be a good fit with my comments. If it is, I visit the blog, post a quick comment, and that’s it.

One comment that took less than a minute to write resulted in an invitation from Steve Kayser to write an article titled Promote Your Expertise and Help Build Web Traffic for Expert Access, his 135,000-circ. B-to-B ezine. I almost forgot it until just now and didn’t want you to miss it.

Filed Under: General

Write better blog posts and never run out of content

5/14/2008 By Joan 2 Comments

If I had to choose only one strategy that would help Publicity Hounds pull more traffic to their websites, establish themselves as experts, build a loyal following and sell more products and services, I’d choose blogging—without hesitation.

This blog is on track to pull in more than 20,000 unique visitors this month alone. Not all of them are staying, of course, but those who are read my blog posts and sometimes end up at my website where they sign up for this newsletter. Others buy products, and call for consulting services.

Some follow me for several months or years, and then join my mentor program.

My blog has also led to invitations to be a guest expert on other bloggers’ teleseminars and radio shows, provide commentary for newspaper and magazine articles, and even write for a 140,000- subscriber ezine.

Other bloggers aren’t as fortunate.

After blogging for only a month or two, they bail out, frustrated because their blogs aren’t pulling traffic. That’s like starting a work-out routine at the gym on Monday, and calling it quits by Friday because you haven’t developed six-pack abs.

Many bloggers complain that their biggest problem is finding enough content to write about, or enough time to write it.

I find content everywhere. The best place is in my own email, where readers ask questions and pass along articles of interest. I make time by forcing myself to blog almost every day.

Other bloggers lament the fact that nobody comments at their blogs. Once way I encourage comments is by commenting at other blogs. That lets bloggers discover me and comment at my blog.

If you suffer from the blogging blues, more help is on the way.

Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, aka The Blog Squad, are presenting two 90-minute teleseminars next week, designed to help struggling bloggers find more time to write, create cornerstone content, find sources for ideas, create compelling headlines, and persuade readers to take action.

If you’re already blogging with less-than-spectacular results, or you’re planning to blog, don’t miss these two sessions on “Better Business Blog Writing” at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, May 19, and Wednesday, May 21.

Denise and Patsi are the real deal, and I can’t think of two better teachers.

Filed Under: Blogs

Piggyback onto ‘Hug Your Kids Day’ July 21

5/13/2008 By Joan Leave a Comment

Publicity Hounds hate it when they create their own day, week or month of the year, and then see other people piggyback onto it for publicity.

Not Michelle Nichols, a former writer for BusinessWeek.com, who created National Hug Your Kids Day on July 21.

Michelle is inviting Hounds everywhere to generate publicity for their own companies or organizations by tying into Hug Your Kids Day. Already, she has generated lots of interest.

“A Realtor in Reno had 1,000 pens made that say ‘National Hug Your Kids Day, July 21′ with her name, company and phone number,” Michelle said. “A non-profit consulting company in Maryland is sponsoring an event. An expert on happy post-divorce families in Red Bluff, California is putting together an event. A luxury toy company may have its mother cat stuffed animal be its ‘spokescat’ for the day.”

She asks, however, that the events and other promotions encourage parents to hug their own kids, not other people’s kids. And she’ll even send a copy of her new book, “Hug Your Kids Today! 5 Key Lessons for Every Working Parent” as a thank-you to Hounds who participate.

Learn more about her project and email Michelle.

Don’t have your own day, week or month of the year yet? If not, see “Special Report #45: How to Generate National Publicity from Your Own Holiday (or Day, Week or Month of the Year).”

Filed Under: Nonprofits, Pitching the Media, Publicity for Niche Markets

Help promote ‘Say Something Nice Sunday’

5/13/2008 By Joan 6 Comments

Mitch Carnell of Charleston, South Carolina writes:

“Last year, we celebrated the first Say Something Nice Sunday on the first Sunday in June. This is now an annual event.

“We want churches and denominations of all faiths to join in. This is a Sunday when Christian will say nothing negative about any other Christian or Christian group or organization. It originated from my little book, Say Something Nice; Be a Lifter.

“We have put together an ecumenical group to promote this. It started at First Baptist Church of Charleston, the Charleston Baptist Association, the South Carolina Baptist Convention, the Charleston Atlantic Presbytery and CBF of South Carolina. Next year, we will sponsor a poster contest with middle and high school students.

“We are looking for ideas to get individuals and churches involved. We’ve provided some promotional ideas for them. Can your Hounds help with other suggestions?”

Filed Under: Holidays, Newspaper Publicity, Publicity for Niche Markets