Filter The Noise

I got to your website and really liked what I saw and wanted to subscribe to your RSS feed, but couldn't find one. So I wanted to contact you and couldn't find where to do that, then I tried to comment on a current blog and you needed to moderate my comment. REALLY??

Sorry, today I have had it! I am on a rant! I am going to point some "general fingers". I have been a Certified Inbound Marketer, trained by the best at HubSpot and their partners! I learned that a Blog is soooo very important to you getting found. Why? Because of all the Remarkable Content you have put into it. So, I think I have a pretty good knowledge of what I am talking about.

On with the story. Okay, so I am a wine enthusiast for some time now. Particularly with Colorado Wines, if you are interested in my passion, Cheers!, if not keep reading. So, I get ahold of some blog articles that really spoke to me. What is the natural thing to do if you like something? Follow it, Like it or Subscribe to it, right? Right, but in this case the RSS feed link just went back to the blog, or sometimes there are no RSS feeds. I have even sent a comment asking where the Feed is and nothing. Or what is even better is when I make a comment and it says, "Your comment will display after it has been moderated", REALLY?

What ever happened to spontaneous and true emotion? If I leave a comment, good, bad or indifferent, suck it up and take it!

Don't make a post or ask a question if you can't take the answer!

So with that all said, am I on target or did the rules change and I missed the boat? Do you find that people who try to Blog and do Social Media don't always do the necessary things?

Kinda goes back to a blog I read from Todd DeFren "Social Media Training on the rise". He said that more companies are doing it themselves instead of hiring consultants to do it for them. This is all fine and good, but maybe companies just need to hire a consultant to be trained the correct way.

Thanks for listening, please give me your feed back. I promise my reader works, you can leave a comment and I won't moderate it except to provide a response! "I can take it, I am a BIG Girl"!

Photo Credit: Bank Innovation

Blogging is one of those things that we hate to do and struggle and complain and moan all the while we are getting ready to do it and even when we are doing it and then when it is done, we think wheew, that wasn't so hard.  I equate it to working out at 5:30am (I do this EVERY morning, except weekends). I know I need to do it, I know it is good for me, but I really don't want to get up that stinkin early to work out.  Then after it is all over, I am all happy and chipper and ready to face the day.

Why do we fight what we know is right?  If we all would succumb to this necessary evil, we would all be better off.  To help make you feel better and to encourage you to Blog, here is why it is so EXTREMELY important.

Blogging gives your company a voice - Really?  Yes, really.  Alot of companies outsource the content of their blog to 3rd party companies, which is fine EXCEPT...your voice, the voice of the company is never heard.  Here's what I mean.  I have a totally different writing style than my husband.  I am more jovial and I write as if I were talking to my friend about the subject.  So you will see lot of ! from me and lots of ... My husband on the other hand is very formal in his writing. You would definitely be able to tell if he were to start writing for me. (I hope)

Starting a blog no matter when it is - Start a blog when the "shit hits the fan so to speak".  If you can be the first to start talking about a situation, then you become the expert.  For example.  The housing industry really SUCKS right now.  Why don't home builders blog about how it is a good time to buy because interest rates are low or How someone can capitalize on this economy.  If you tell people what they should know, then they will know it and act on it. Kinda like the BBQ place that says "Best BBQ in town" We tell everyone they are the best, why, because they said so.

Blogs get indexed faster than your website - I know, you spent a lot of money on your site and you want people to go there and see how beautiful it is.  They will in time.  When you write a blog, you create remarkable content by default because you are writing "Topic" specific. Google indexes these quicker because the content constantly changes.  From your Blog, you can direct folks back to your site, but remember, direct them someplace specific so they don't have to figure out where you want them to go.  Remember, tell them what they should know and they will know it. :)

Blogging promotes respectfulness - It is always a great sign of respect when you read your fellow bloggers blog and leave a comment.  Shows you are interested enough to read and provide valuable input.  It also makes the author feel validated.

Blogging withstands time - Blogging will always and has been around for a very long time. Tools come and tools go, but blogging is definitely here to stay.  Maybe we should coin a new phrase "Blogging is forever" instead of diamonds.. I hope I didn't upset the ladies.

Blogging enforces content creation - When you write good content it creates buzz, when you have buzz, you get traffic, and when you have traffic you create leads.. Get it..

Which reminds me: If I haven't mentioned it, blogging is good for SEO? Blogging will get you indexed faster... Most times faster than your website.

So here is my one last and final plea!  If you aren't blogging you are being left out..Don't be the kid that lets blogging pass you by.  This is one of those times where if you want to be the "Cool Kid", then do what the Cool Kids do and get a blog. If you need help, get ahold of me.

I would love to hear how you or a client is dragging their feet, kickin and screaming "I don't wanna Blog, and you can't make me"!

If we believe God can help us in our every day life by asking for help for what may seem silly to some, then I would like to ask God to help me with my Blogging.  I don't think it is too much to ask...People circle the parking lot at stores saying "Oh God, please help me find a parking spot".  

Blogging is like praying.  It takes patience, diligence and obedience. We don't always get instant feedback when we post a blog or pray. This I have learned..

I have come to find that the more I hope and pray that I become a better blogger, the worse I get.  I just have to "shut up and put up"!  I have to be more diligent and maybe do what the expert bloggers say instead of ignoring them and that is to create a Blogging Schedule.  That's right.  Write time in on my calendar and stick to it.  You have plenty to talk about.  

Along with Blogging, Checking on our stats is just as important.  Blogging is great but if you are not monitoring your stats, you may as well just not Blog.

There are tons of platforms to start a blog on.  Do a google search for "Blog Platforms" and find the top ones.  One thing to remember is that you want your blog to have its own name.  So instead of wordpress.companyblog.com, you want to have the domain be www.companyblog.com.

There are also tons of tracking tools for blogs available.  Do a Google search on "blog tracking tools"

Blogging seems to be the Elephant in the room.  We all know we need to do it.  We know it is good for our business, yet it is the one thing on our todo list that just gets moved each day until we "have time".

Well, "It is time" to quote the Lion King.  Blog is not a bad 4 letter word.  In fact it is a great word! Think of Blogging as a "ray of sunshine" or that ahhh you get when you have that first sip of coffee in the morning.  

What is blogging?  Blogging is writing about something you are passionate about or are well versed in the subject matter.  When you blog about something you know and love, people look to you as a Thought Leader in that subject matter.  The biggest fear I hear from people is that they have nothing to write about.  I beg to differ.  If you have a business and you offer a service or product, you have something to say.

I read a newspaper article the other day and in the article, one of the people being interviewed talked about how if you are not on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, then you will be left behind.  Well, let's add Blogging to the mix.  Blogging, I would say is more important than the others because it is creating remarkable content on your site.  Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are avenues to tell people about your great content.  

Blogging is the Mojo of Online Marketing.  If you aren't blogging, I challenge you to start.  If you are blogging, KUDOS to you!

I would love to hear your thoughts on how you think Blogging is or isn't beneficial to your business.

I hear people making this comment often "This Social Media Stuff isn't going to last". Really? Sounds like a similar comment that people made back in the 80's about Personal Computers not making it. So, knowing what we know about computers these days, that everyone has one or maybe two in everyone home, I would rethink that comment about Social Media and start the acceptance process.

Social Media is not a fad, in fact it grows every day.  Watch this video and leave a comment on what you think about Social Media.  As someone who is doing Inbound Marketing through Social Media daily, you should be rethinking your online marketing strategy. If you are not in tune with what is being said then you are out of the conversation, it is like being stranded on an island by YOURSELF!

Please leave a comment (hint: it provides an Inbound link to your site)

If you like what you read, please subscribe to our blog as we put out Tips, Tricks, and all around good ideas for you to use in your business.  Make sure you turn up the volume on this video.. The Music alone is inspiring.

How many times has someone asked you this question, "Who are you and What do you do?" And how many of us can nail the answer each time without causing a blank stare from the person who asked the question?  This should be easy to answer, right?  It is the elevator pitch that every good Speaker tells us we should have. 

Being a Web Design & Inbound Marketing Firm, we tell our clients that "Content" is King.  Even all the expert Bloggers and Social Media Consultants will tell you this.  It is a true and valid fact.  The problem is, is that it is really easy to tell someone that content is King and that you should have no problem coming up with "Who You Are and What You Do, after all it is YOUR story, right?  WRONG!

We recently redesigned our website and going back over all the content we had to "Freshen" up, was a big process.  Oh, I can tell you exactly what we do and who we are, if you are standing in front of me so I can speak to you.  Writing it is a different animal all together.  When we get a new client and tell them that they need to go through their content and get rid of stuff that doesn't matter or outdated and replace it with new, fresh content, it is one of those items that gets put off until the very end.  Or worse... A client has no website and then has to come up with ALL the content for the site.

I have a new appreciation for this process.  It is always easier to tell someone how to do it, but when it comes to actually doing it, that is the problem.  Here are some tips I tell my clients to help in the process:

• Start with the pages you have or think you want, the Contact Us is a good place to start.  Why?  Because you know the answer!  It is an easy score.  
• Move onto the About Us page.  Most people can talk about themselves.  Just tell us everything there is to know about you. Then go back and weed out the wordiness and stuff that really isn't important, like the time you were in the Boy Scout's and you actually got the fire started with 2 sticks.
• If you have a portfolio of projects, this is usually easy, especially if you are showing a picture or even adding a little text about what the project was.
• If you offer services, this can be a hard or easy page.  Start with what you know and are confident about.  Then fill in the rest
• The Home Page should be last unless you just have that one down.  The Home Page brings all of what you do and who you are together.  It is the page that needs to be the most captivating and inviting.  You want people to get to this page and say "Wow", I want to know more.  This will probably be the hardest page to complete.

My advice for any page you start, is just puke it out onto the screen and then re-read, fix, and repeat.  Have someone else read it to see if it makes sense. Sometimes we know what we are saying because we actually do the work, but get someone who doesn't and you will have a different perspective.

Hopefully this helps.  I would love to hear other people with their best ways to write content.  Like the saying goes "A Gardner's garden is never green, but the rest of the neighborhood is beautiful."

Over the last 10 months I have watched a variety of people in what and how they post.  Let me do a disclaimer right now.  I am not a perfect blogger, nor do I want to be.  I am a "Balanced Poster", but like to be an "Original Poster".  I have my favorite ways to post and am not being critical of anyone. All I have to say is "You Are What You Post"!

Here are my views of the different kinds of posters out there.  This could be posting on a Blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

• The Re-Poster -  This is the person that finds an article that someone just nails, and you think "I wished that were my idea".  You repost it as a sign of validation to the writer and to your friends that you have found an incredible article you want to share with them.  
• The Re-Purposer - This is a person that finds a great article, but thinks a little different take or explanation will expand on the article or give it a different view point.  
• The Original Poster - This is the person who takes time to think about what they want to write.  They write from their experience or about their industry.  
• The Balanced Poster - This is the person that plays with all the cool kids above.  They have re-posted a great article, re-purposed information to write a great article and they have come up with their own original thoughts.

What kind of Poster are you?  Do you have any additional Posters you think I should add?

Are you still dragging your heals on getting into the Social Media world?  Have you started a Blog yet?

As you know I have been on this blogging kick of late.  No, I have not made my goal of blogging every day, but I have definitely written more than I ever have.  Today, I write this blog because I had a really awesome experience that I wanted to share.

One of our clients called me today to tell me what a great job he thought I was doing on blogging.  He said that he felt that they really hit the point for someone struggling or just getting started.  He said he didn't comment on them because he felt there was nothing to add and that instead he wanted to call and tell me this. He said "Kim, I know many people read your blog and I too read everyone, I just wanted to let you know that I think they are great and that although I don't comment on them, know that I really liked them."  He said that he was in the "silent majority" of people who often read blogs and really feel impacted but that don't leave a comment.

I did explain to him that once his blog is up that he will indeed want to leave the "Silent Majority" and start leaving comments on the blogs he reads and feels impacted by, as this leaves inbound links back to his site. He was way excited about this new discovery that I am sure he will be leaving his comments behind from now on.

I just want to "Thank Joe" for sharing his thoughts with me.  You really made my day.  Like I said, most people will probably not receive a call thanking them for their posts, but I am sure you will receive an email or a comment left by someone that let's you know that you are indeed doing a great job!

So, what is the take away from this...BLOG! BLOG! BLOG!  People are waiting to hear what you have to say. For the skeptics out there, here is quote from one of my favorite authors (Avinash Kaushik) who says, "If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do succeed.”  Because if you never suck at something, then how do you ever improve it?

Has anyone else had any really cool kudos they want to share?  I would love to hear them.

Blogging, why is this such a scary concept to a lot of people? If you can write an email, you can blog! Remember that Life Cereal Commercial, where the two boys don't want to try the cereal, so they get Mikey to try it? That was one of my favorite commercials growing up. It was catchy and you remembered it. Just in case you are too young to remember the commercial, I have included it in this post. Mikey wasn't afraid to try the cereal because it was good for him and you shouldn't be afraid to try blogging, because it is REALLY good for you. Blogging is one of the greatest ways to increase your search results by Google. When you blog, because you are talking about a specific topic, you tend to use all the keywords you need to have google index your site for relevance. Most times your blog will be found before your website will be. The reason is because the content on a blog is always changing. By people commenting on your blog causes the content to change. Commenting on blogs you read that provide you with remarkable content is another way to increase traffic to your site. By commenting on a blog you leave behind, your name, email, an the option to enter a web address. Don't pass up this free opportunity to link back to your site. So, how do you get started Blogging?

• Find a blogging platform. Wordpress.org is a self hosted solution that many bloggers use and are very happy with. Wordpress has zillions of templates to choose from so you could be up and running in minutes. It also has a CMS built in so you can actually create pages. We call this a Blog First website.
• Go out and find other blogs that you find interesting and start subscribing to their feeds through RSS. As you comment on other blogs and your leave behind remarkable content, you build a reputation of being a "Thought Leader".
• START BLOGGING and COMMENTING.
• Submit your RSS feed to Technorati. Technorati is also a great blogging repository that indexes tons of different blogs. Go search and find some to subscribe too.
• It is recommended that you try to blog at least 3 times a week. Do what you can, once you get into it, it will become habit.
• Don't make your blog posts too long. Try to do about 400 words. Blogs that are too lengthly can lose the reader and they will abandon your post. Or break it up into multi blog posts over time.

I hope this helps those that haven't quite bought into the whole Blogging thing. Please let me know if you have questions or if you want to leave some of your wisdom for others to read. Enjoy this video (thanks panbiscuit for sharing)