Whooah Biz

I was out about this weekend and was asked on more than one occasion why I blog. I blog for a number reasons. Some personal and some professional.

On the professional side:

1. It demonstrates expertise knowledge and expertise in chosen skill year.

2. Increases Google page ranking and key words with relevant fresh content.

3. As a sales marketing tool, to build references through comments and the online community for consultancy work.

4. Generate income through paid advertising.

On the Personal side:

1. As a personal development log

2. to give help and give something back to people trying to understand and use this technology

3. For personal enjoyment of developing writing and pr skills

Chris Brogan is highly accomplished writer and blogger he had this advice to say about blogging in different media spheres.

1. If your goal is to be an entertainment or news blog, be very clear that it’s that and not a “fun” blog. Consider splitting off your personal or fun blog.
2. If your blog is to be your business, treat it like that. Get into stats. Get into building audience. Get into delivering something unique. Don’t straddle back and forth on this.
3. If the goal is to be a great community resource, mix your blogging time with time spent reaching out to the community you propose to serve. If that’s an offline opportunity, like something local, be there. Be active. Be a connector.
4. If you’re going to be a professional about your blog, carve out the time to do it right. Never, ever, ever post a “sorry I haven’t posted lately” blog post again. Ever.
5. Up the ante on delivering original material. Get outside the echo chamber. Writing a me-too blog isn’t the way to build your blog to the levels you seek to attain.
6. It’s okay to use a personal voice. In fact, there’s no point blogging if you’re going to write like a cold robot. But keep personal and useful in balance.
7. If you are attempting to do real business via your blog, look for ways to convert readers into customers.
8. If it’s just an ad revenue business, compete, and be honest about that. Compete with others in your space for audience, value, and better deals. My point in this regard is that going halfway into the water doesn’t make you less wet.
9. If your blog is the premier source of information for nonprofits, for photographers, for whatever, then be sure you’re scouring news feeds and finding information outside the blogosphere to keep that relationship informed.
10. Make a point of engaging your community often in the comments section, on their blogs, on the other social networks where you cross paths.

chrisbrogan, 50 Ways to Take Your Blog to the Next Level, Sep 2008

Part of a Series from here: http://whooah.biz/2008/08/some-questions-about-social-and-business-media

I am lucky with this post, that my friend Sherrilynne over at www.Strivepr.com pointed me in the direction of this article. The article really says it all. While it is possible that one my think that social media’s biggest growing group is the twenty something’s or even the teens. The reality is that it is middle aged man. What a surprise Facebook for woman, Twitter for men. Surly something is wrong here Ed? What are your thoughts?

Article link here:

I asked these questions a couple of months ago, and today I posted the last answer. Enjoy.

How effective is social media?

Answer here:http://tinyurl.com/5cdt2y

How long is it going to be around?

Answer here: http://tinyurl.com/3o989x

How much does it cost in relation to other media forms?

Answer here: http://tinyurl.com/5znakl

What is the biggest growing age group?

Answer here:http://tinyurl.com/4lmpk5

What can it do for my company?

Answer here: http://tinyurl.com/4d3veg

What can it do for me as a director? Can I do it my self?

Answer here: http://tinyurl.com/3kk325

Last couple of days if would appear that we hear nothing else on the radio and TV other than the banking crisis that is happening around the world. It would seem unlike the days of old.  When things in the 21^st  century happen they happen at lightening speed. In the matter of 6 months I never heard so much analysis over the current credit crunch. The more we talk about it the less real it becomes.  Just today ideas are being floated for a government managed mortgage lending. In a free society this pushes beyond the realms of reasonable.  Is all this discussion helping us? do we need someone to make a decision? What do you think?

It is not particular hard to understand that what goes up must come down. We can not expect to have year after year growth in housing prices. It is just not possible. Of course the problem is nobody wants to feel the pain to put it right. Least of all the current Labour party, but I suspect for a lot people there will be real hardships in this changed environment.

What would be your strategy?

According to the stats these were the most popular pages:

A post about Mashable how are now reviewing Tech companies and website. http://whooah.biz/2008/05/the-startup-review/

A commentary about the changes in affiliate marketing http://whooah.biz/2008/05/an-interesting-email-from-thomas-cook-brand-keywords

This was the first real post after I had transferred all the blog posts to the site, a mountain of work. http://whooah.biz/2008/04/entre-card-is-it-the-best-business-website-card-yet

This post seemed pretty popular which was just a bit of email fun http://whooah.biz/2008/04/super-cool-inventions

My favourite post all about company cars and advertising http://whooah.biz/2008/04/company-car-advertising-the-minus-and-pluses/

Looking forward to next month…

I was surfing the internet this evening and it struck me how bloggers can give an entirely different image about themselves than what they really are. For example just recently a couple of blogs have been sold for $10,000. While it is nice pocket money, you are not going to be able to retire on it. Is the buyer buying a page rank or the personality. The other side of the coin is there are bloggers out there who have photos of themselves in big expensive cars on their blog with the promise of blog like me and you too can live like me. While the reality is they are probably scratching a living. Still it is better than mugging old ladies.

There is of course another kind of blogger who is totally nuts but their blog is very plain. I do wonder about interacting in this way what are the benefits and what are the pitfalls? If we keep it all in perspective I would not do business with somebody solely on their blog. Which is why executives still travel the globe. Face to face is the still the most trusted way to get business done. As I search the internet I wonder what blogs are telling us about their owners? and what are their reasons for blogging. For me personally it is a development tool.

There is nothing more true, than the expression if you want something doing give it to somebody who is busy.  Busy people get more done.

Why

Because they are busy.

Allowing enough time will help project management and probably save a lot of stress. Rule of thumb. Add another 50 percent of what every time you have allocated. and you will get done with a smile on your face.