5 Big Worries of a First Time Blogger – And How to Overcome Them

May 10, 2010 Filed under: Blogging — Tags: , ,
  • What if I blog and no one cares what I have to say?
  • What if I run out of interesting things to say on my blog?
  • What if customers post negative comments on my blog posts, in front of all my other customers?
  • How can I possibly find time in my busy schedule to author a blog?
  • Aren’t most blogs just insiders talking to insiders?  My customers won’t care.

Sound familiar?  Have these fears kept you up at  night as you weigh the decision of whether to join the ranks of bloggers?  These are the very real and understandable concerns of clients we’ve worked with as they face the decision of whether to blog.  To blog or not to blog – that is the question.

It’s a good question, and one that any potential blogger should think through carefully.  The above list of worries, while they are often just a case of the jitters, deserve serious consideration before taking on the considerable commitment of becoming a blogger.  Rather than brushing away these fears, I typically encourage clients to dig in and think them through, as the answers will give them important insights into whether they should blog and what kind of blogger they should be.   So, here’s a paraphrased conversation I had recently with a small business owner who is currently wrestling with this very decision. (more…)

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How to Guest Blog

March 19, 2010 Filed under: Blogging — Tags: ,

I’ve recently been working with several clients who are thinking about starting their own business blog but are either not ready to make the time commitment required, or are looking to share the responsibility with other “contributing writers.”  Guest blogging is a good way to make a partial commitment or to share the load .  If your plan is to ultimately author your own blog, but you need some practice to find your voice or to build your comfort level, guest blogging on someone else’s blog can be a terrific first-step opportunity.   Even if you have your own blog and post regularly, guest blogging can give you an opportunity to expand your audience and send more traffic and links back to your blog.  Or, if you’ve decided to take the full plunge and author your own blog, inviting other guest bloggers to contribute will give your readers some variety of perspective and give you some breathing space and some new content to build from.

The trade-off, of course, is control.   The beauty of authoring your own content on your own site is that you have full control of the brand you put forth.   If you’re guest blogging on someone else’s blog, you’ll need to select the site carefully so that it’s consistent with your own brand and its readers are an audience you want to reach.  If you’re inviting someone to guest blog on your site, again, select carefully.

I found a post that I think does a terrific job of covering the what, why,  and how of guest blogging — so I’m pointing you there rather than trying to say it all myself.  Check it out — Guest Blogging, the Ultimate Guide – and consider guest blogging yourself!

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Welcome to the Sound Web Solutions Blog

October 15, 2009 Filed under: Internet Marketing — Tags: , , , ,

Sound Web Solutions blog

 

 

 

 

We publish this blog to share our insights and commentary about Internet Marketing.  Why? Because we work with many clients, partners, industry insiders and Internet Marketing practitioners, and blog-writing helps us distill those experiences into valuable learnings and practical advice we can share.   Because we’ve done marketing and website optimizing for many years, and a blog lets us share our experienced perspective and hard-earned wisdom.   And most importantly, because we want to be accessible and responsive to our clients. This blog — and our linked Facebook page – gives you the opportunity to talk with us, share your ideas, give us feedback, and stay in touch.   Welcome!

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