Have you launched your blog yet?

Blogging has so many important benefits and it’s no wonder that huge corporations and megastores are getting into blogging. Even WalMart has a blog! Especially for the micropreneur, blogs have several distinct advantages. Here are a few of them.

1. Blogs provide search engine food. Google loves fresh, relevant, and frequently updated content. A blog can help you get free search engine traffic.I experienced a powerful example of this recently. One week ago, a reporter from NBC news called me. He found my blog doing a Google search on a topic he was doing a story on. That evening, I found myself on national television. You can see a portion of the MSNBC news cast here.
   
   
2. Blogs create community. Because they are interactive, a blog draws people back to your site again and again. Your visitors will read your post then leave their comments, read comments left by others, and come back to see how the conversation is flowing. Message forums can also accomplish this, but blogs are much easier to manage than message forums, which attract a lot of spam. With RSS (Real Simple Syndication), people can subscribe to your blog feed and be notified automatically when you update your blog.
3. Blogging puts you in control. Posting to your blog is as easy as typing an email or a word document. Why pay a designer to add a page to your website when you can update your site whenever you like, easy as pie? You can blog as often or as rarely as you like to serve your particular needs.
4. Blogging grows your profits. There are many ways you can add additional monetization streams to your blog so you can make more money in your business without working harder.
5. Your customers love blogs. On your blog, customers can ask you questions, read info about your products and services, and share their opinions. A blog has a more friendly feel than a website.
6. Blogs help you know your target market. As you observe who is leaving comments and linking to your your blog, you get to know your target market better. This information helps you be a smarter, more effective marketer.
7. Blogs = easy market research. A blog is an easy way to conduct surveys and polls to help you get inside the mind of your customers. This information is invaluable to you.
8. Blogs help your customers get to know you. A blog gives your customers a chance to see your personality shine through. They’re able to get a glimpse of who you are as a person, not just a business. People buy from people they like!
9. Blogging is free. As a small business owner, you have a limited marketing budget and have to make your advertising dollars stretch. Blogging is a free marketing tactic - it only costs you a little of your time.
10. Blogging is fun. I’ll admit it, blogging is addicting once you get going! It’s rewarding and fun to express yourself and be part of the new media. With so many benefits to your business, what’s not to love?

So, have you launched your blog yet?

Please leave a comment and let us know what your challenges, concerns and experiences are.

This post was submitted by Carrie Lauth.

The Joy of Connecting is a wonderful community representing amazing women.  This is a great opportunity for us to be ‘connected’ even though we are located nationwide.  Please share your experiences, your connections and your comments so we can exchange ideas, resources and shorten the physical distance between us!  I’ll be on the lookout for your submission.  Let your JOC participants know we want to hear from them as well!  Bonnie, CEO/Founder The Joy of Connecting.

CONSISTENCY | INTERNETWORK MARKETING | RELATIONSHIP | TRAINING

5 Tips: You will be amazed at the difference being consistent in this way will change - well, just about everything in your life.

by Andrea Goodsaid

________________________________________

As I sit here chowing on a bag of Peppermint Patties, after just yesterday getting pretty clear on the idea that ‘I want to get thin again’, I’m reminded of a little twist of the Law of Attraction that’s easily glossed over in the daily practice of it.

The Law of Attraction is all about “intention” and ˜focusing on what we want”, right?

Well, intention has to meet

consistent action in the right

direction to work out the way we

want it to. Or no go.

Luckily, I’m tuned in enough to know better than to focus on the unwanted behavior and am instead (out of habit now, which is awesome to realize) appreciative of this moment of clarity and can giggle at myself, shake my head and put the candy a-w-a-y.

Eternally grateful, that my bag is still half full.

Which turns me to thinking about consistency and the juggling act we can create for ourselves in the process of marketing via social networks online (I know, crazy segue but hey, welcome to my brain - grin).

It’s all too easy to get caught up in the social side of online communities and forget about our networking intentions. Who hasn’t blown an hour (or three) following what I like to call “he said she said” threads - I know I sure have.

Or on the flip side, been overly focused on the “marketing” side of things and totally missed on the gems to be found and relationships that can be built when we remember to take the focus off of ourselves, putting aside all agenda, and find ways we can add value to the lives of others.

Better to focus most on the

NETWORKING aspect of the

beast and take consistent action

in that direction instead, yes?

And leave the pure “socializing” and “marketing” to the distracted, to those who don’t care who they interrupt and to people who have yet to become clear on the niche they want to attract.

Recently in a conversation on a new site that was created to be supportive of what is now being termed ‘Networking Naturally’, the question of being consistent and ‘genuinely’ social in this brave new world of Web 2.0 and social networking came up.

My general comment was as follows:

Drive by forum posters and people who never expand their profiles or take the time look around to see what they have to offer others are just missing the point (in my humble opinion).

And yet how to be consistent in your networking over time remains the challenge. Or at least it may seem a challenge if you are not in the habit of it.

It’s actually really easy and doesn’t have to be time consuming at all. Once it becomes second nature, my guess is you’ll wonder how you ever built any lasting business online without it.

So what is the definition of “networking” exactly?? And how do we make it a habit?

Networking is the art of building

relationships. And the habit

part comes by taking consistent

action in the right direction,

which in this case is ANYTHING

that builds a relationship with

another.

So where does that leave us?

Well if our intention is to become a better online networker, the way to do that is to take daily consistent action doing things that build relationships with others. And web 2.0 has provided the perfect vehicle.

Nothing too strenuous - these

consistent actions are more

marathon material than sprint.

And so are the results you will

get.

Here are five simple things you can do each day to get into the relationship building habit on social networking sites:

1. Leave sincere comments on the profiles of three new people each day.

2. Leave sincere comments on the profiles of three established friends’ profiles.

3. Visit three of your favorite groups and offer value by replying to a thread (or start a new one that will stir conversation) - remember to include a curiosity stirring signature file.

4. Write a short blog or journal post that lets people feel like they know you better.

5. Follow up privately with three friends — either ask for help or offer it.

That’s it.

You will be amazed at the difference being consistent in this way will change - well, just about everything in your life.

Now, to get out and be more consistent myself!

I appreciate you.

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Andrea Goodsaid is a writer, networker, small business brainstormer and online community builder. She’s been online and networking, one solid relationship at a time since 1996. Most recently she is co-creating a community that is open to anyone who practices or would like to learn to apply the Law of Attraction to their marketing efforts. You’re invited to come see if it’s a fit for you too - www.NaturalNetworkers.com

by Dory Devlin

You know if she knows you’re feeling the pinch this year with rising gas prices, job uncertainty, and all-around-everything-is-so-expensive anxiety, Mom is not going to want you to spend a ton on her this Mother’s Day.

The market analysts who watch just how much we spend on what predict fewer dollars will be spent on Mom this May, though not in a big way. The National Retail Federation says, on average, we’ll each spend $138.63 on presents for mom, down from $139.14 last year, which still adds up to $15.8 billion. Tons of dough, which most moms would rather you not spend.

With that in mind, I thought my obligatory Mother’s Day post on Work+Money would focus on what working moms could use for Mother’s Day. If you ask any working mom, top of her list would be time. More time to get everything done that needs to be done. Time to just stop and be with our families.

Since my blogging roots are in tech, I always think of tech-related ideas first because tech is supposed to help us be more productive at work so we have more time for the other parts of our lives. So here a few tech ideas, and more importantly, ideas to give mom some time apart from all of her demands, and some other great ideas from the women of Shine.

Smartphone for a smart mom: Okay, if your mom is looking to make the leap from basic flip phone to a smartphone that will allow her to text and email with a full QWERTY keyboard, check email easily while on the road, the iPhone is all the rage and is very cool, but RIM’s BlackBerry Curve will do everything she needs. If you go the BlackBerry/iPhone route, take a tip from my chat with Lisa Belkin on her Life’s Work XM radio show the other day: Tell her to turn off the beeps and sounds that let you know when every single email has arrived so it doesn’t make her less productive and stressed. (Lisa does.) If you’ve got an older mom who is having trouble seeing the tiny, tiny print on her mobile phone, I recommend the Jitterbug phone, which is so intuitive to use, has large type on the screen, and can always reach a live operator by pressing zero. After the initial $147 purchase price, you can tailor monthly plans to how you use the phone, for as low as $10 a month. Continue Reading »

by Diane K. Danielson

Sometimes the best role models for business and networking don’t come from the business world at all. One such role model for me is my friend’s mom, who was a master of “the greeting.” She greets everyone she meets with the biggest smile and with such excitement, you’d think you were the most important person in the world. And, for her, at that moment, you were (or at least she always made me think so).

She was so good at this that I’m sure even the garbage men had to like coming by her house. It didn’t matter who you were, what you wanted, or when she’d last seen you, she’d make you feel like you had brightened her day just by being in it.

In truth, she brightened everyone else’s day, because smiles and enthusiasm are contagious, as is paying special attention to someone. While you don’t know my friend’s mom, you probably know someone like her. So, the next time you’re at a networking event, think of them and turn on the smiles and enthusiasm!

Diane K. Danielson is the ceo of www.downtownwomensclub.com, a women’s business network and career website, and the co-author of The Savvy Gal’s Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?) , available on Amazon or free with a Downtown Women’s Club DWC+ membership.

By Elizabeth Gordon

You often hear about entrepreneurs getting lucky - getting on Oprah or selling their business for $50 million to a big conglomerate. When you hear these stories of seeming overnight success, it makes you think, “Wow, they are sooo lucky.” But what sometimes appears to be luck is actually the result of a well laid plan and strategy that is finally coming to fruition. Every time you hear the story of an entrepreneur’s big win, you are probably not going to hear about the 100 times before that they failed, but trust me, they did.

What allowed them to eventually get to their big win? They didn’t beat themselves up after they failed, nor did they let it make them fearful of taking future risks. Instead, they viewed each small failure as simply a stepping-stone on the path to success. The good news is you can improve your luck. When you recognize that there is no such thing as “the overnight success story” and instead make the goal of each day to move the ball one step closer to your goal, you’ll increase your odds every day. If so-called good luck is really just persistence, creativity and determination that have finally paid off, there are some ways to stack the deck in your favor.   Continue Reading »

I recently attended Atlanta Women’s Network “WomenUp 2008″ and in the program there was an excellent article on Facts on The Status of Women.  Some include: In 2006, women earned $ .77 for every $1 men earned.  Women make over 85% of consumer purchases. In 2006 in the US, there were 10.4 million firms owned by women employing more than 12.8 million people and generating $1.9 trillion in sales. 

The article went on to say women have lower expectations than men.  They ask for less and take less! It is more critical than ever that women stand up for what they want. They continue to be a major economic force. We must support one another, do business with one another and insure that women achieve greater and greater success in the workplace. We must learn to negotiate. We must not only negotiate regarding money (compensation), we must learn to take care of ourselves in relationships on and off the job, seek resources and endorsements and obtain support from families, colleagues and friends.  

Bonnie Ross-Parker, CEO/Founder The Joy of Connecting