Hopefully your virtual front door (i.e., your blog’s home page) looks nothing like this brick-and-mortar one:
Claim Your Authority In Your Niche
May 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Cousin Eddie: I don’t know why they call this stuff Hamburger Helper. It does just fine by itself. I like it better than Tuna Helper, myself – don’t you, Clark?
Clark: You’re the gourmet around here, Eddie.
You may or may not recall this scene from the 1983 cinematic classic Vacation, in which Chevy Chase plays Clark Griswold (family man on the summer road trip from hell), but the point remains: In your niche, whatever it is, you’re the gourmet around here.
What does this mean for your blog? A bunch of things, actually:
- Don’t hedge your opinions. If you believe something to be true, state it absolutely – even if (especially if) it’s an unusual stance.
- Don’t continually cite other “experts.” I’m reading your blog because you’re an expert on the subject matter it covers.
- Don’t give me a bunch of choices without a specific recommendation. As an expert in this field, what would you advise me to do?
- Don’t hide your light under a bushel. If you received top honors in your graduate program, or the endorsement of your peers with a recent community service award, tell me that on your “About” page.
- Don’t explain what you do in a “whatever-you-want-it’s-your-call” sort of way. Offer me specific courses of action, the ones you know to be the most effective for what I’m trying to achieve.
- Don’t apologize for not knowing everything about a given area. You know far more than me; again, that’s why I’m reading your blog.
- Don’t ever assume that “common knowledge” within your field is all that common. To your clients and potential clients, the “obvious” can often be brand-new, highly valuable info.
Like Cousin Eddie – and hopefully this is the only way you’re like Cousin Eddie; those of you who have seen Vacation will understand why - you’re the gourmet around here.
The Customer Service Department Is You
May 2, 2012 By 4 Comments
My summer job during high school and college was working in the ticket office of a sightseeing boat, the m/s Mount Washington, that cruises around New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee.
We got, as you might expect, some interesting questions from the happy vacationers we saw every day:
- “When does the boat get to the top of the mountain?” (Um, you know it’s a boat, right?)
- “When do we pass by the Kennedy compound?” (Hyannis Port is on the ocean, not a lake, and in Massachusetts to boot.)
- “Where’s the scenery?” (Someone must have told him there would be scenery; I think he may have been expecting the painted backdrops you see in plays. “Sir,” I replied grandly, spreading my arms wide, “it’s all around us.”)
My favorite customer service experience involved a handwritten letter accompanied by a Polaroid photo of an unassuming blue “Mount Washington” coffee mug. The letter was written by a lifelong Mount Washington devotee who had honeymooned at the lake some 30 years earlier. During that trip, he and his new bride had purchased matching mugs at the dockside gift shop.
Tragically, Mildred had recently dropped her mug on the kitchen floor, where it shattered into a million little pieces. Harold had enclosed a photo of the surviving mug – might we be able to send him a replacement for its fallen mate? He’d be willing to pay any price.
Somehow the plight of the missing mug was delegated to me. I wasn’t quite sure how we’d get the correct payment from Harold – he’d provided only a mailing address, not a phone number – and of course the mug in question had long since fallen out of production.
I decided the easiest course of action was to buy two new matching mugs for Harold (using my employee discount, of course), and simply send them to him on my dime “compliments of the Mount Washington staff.” Harold and Mildred quickly responded via return mail and could not have been more pleased; you would have thought I’d sent them the crown jewels.
The experience taught me that sometimes the “official” thing to do (my boss wanted me to track down Harold’s credit card number and get a firm estimate of shipping costs before forking over the mugs) isn’t the right thing to do when it comes to making your customers happy.
How, you may reasonably ask, does this rambling trip down memory lane tie into your business blog?
Well, when you’re a solo or small business, the only person making the customer service calls – every day – is you. And your blog readers are “customers” in the sense that building strong relationships with them is what it’s all about. These relationships are what set your business apart and ultimately lead to real, dollars-and-cents business for you.
So respond promptly to all comments and questions. Check out their blogs and leave comments of your own. Get involved in the online community of the industry you serve. Go the extra mile – oftentimes you’ll find, as I did, that something requiring a minimal amount of effort at your end means a great deal to someone else.
These tactics not only pay dividends in boosting your future business, but also just plain feel good. All these years later, Harold has surely forgotten the circumstances surrounding his “new” matched set of Mount Washington mugs. But I haven’t. And I still smile when I think of him and Mildred sitting down to coffee each morning.
3 Rookie Blog Writing Mistakes To Avoid
April 25, 2012 By 2 Comments
We’re talking specifically about blog posts here, but there are some basic guidelines that will serve you well in any kind of writing you do, with the possible exception of your grocery lists (those are pretty foolproof – unless your handwriting is so bad, as mine is, that you sometimes can’t decipher what you’ve written and return home with Eggos instead of eggs).
Here are 3 things to keep in mind, whether you’re writing a blog post, an email to a client, or an advertisement for your professional services.
1. It ain’t all about you. This is a classic mistake people tend to make over and over, in all types of writing.
“I’m looking for new clients in the tri-city area…”
“My firm focuses on…”
“We offer life coaching in the areas of…”
Your readers – your clients and potential clients – don’t care at all about you and your company. (Your mom does, because she loves you, but the rest of us really don’t.) Remember that your reader is always looking at your blog – and your professional services – from a WIIFM (“what’s in it for me?”) perspective.
2. Don’t get all fancypants. Solo professionals, in an effort to look “legitimate,” have an unfortunate tendency to write in circles, to use big words when little ones would do, and to try to come across as educated and important.
The best bloggers do just the opposite – they write in clear, unpretentious, conversational language. Sometimes it’s not even grammatically correct, which goes against everything we’re taught in school. But it works.
3. Remember to hit the benefits. Copywriters often talk about features (what a product/service has, is, or does) and benefits (why the features are a good thing). The rest of us tend to focus on the features to the exclusion of the benefits, which is a mistake because the benefits are what really get people excited and involved.
To take a simple example, some of the features of your spa could include weekend hours, a new facility, and a location right off the highway. Some of the accompanying benefits would be:
* Weekend hours – set up an appointment at a time that’s convenient for you
* Brand-new facility offers the latest in luxurious spa treatments and expanded locker room space
* Easy-t0-get-to location means no wasted time on the road; start your pampering right away
The benefits are harder to write about because they require an additional level of thinking, which is why they can get overlooked. But if you don’t do this work for your readers (and explain it clearly – refer back to #2 above), it’s going to be harder to get them on board with what you’re offering.
How Blogging Is Like Dieting
April 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment
If you’ve ever been on a diet, you probably did something like the following:
1. Decided, for whatever reason, that you could no longer go on consuming entire boxes of Twinkies in the afternoons.
2. Set a date and time for your new, Twinkie-free life to start.
3. Created a detailed and stringent list of new menu items and/or food rules going forward, including (but not limited to) such items as gluten consumption or lack thereof, guidelines for the timing of alcoholic beverages, and some permutation of the old “8 glasses of water a day” adage.
4. Engaged in a final Twinkie binge.
5. Awoke excited and eager for Day 1 of Twinkie-free living.
6. Found yourself, at some point prior to the conclusion of Day 1, guiltily licking the crumbs from one or more Twinkie wrappers.
We’ve all been there – maybe not with Twinkies specifically (Jax cheese curls are my particular downfall), but with some exciting new initiative, be it personal or professional. Why do we do this?
In our eagerness for change – in the immortal words of Queen – we want it all and we want it now. But we’re just not equipped to go from 0 to 60 all at once, and we’re setting ourselves up to fail every time we try.
In the world of business blogging, the Twinkie cycle manifests itself as the blog you excitedly launch, create perfect posts for six days in a row, and then abandon forever.
Here are 3 tips for avoiding this:
1. Wade – rather than cannonball – into the pool. With blogs, as with Twinkies, an all-or-nothing approach is doomed to end badly. Start gradually. Cut back from 8 Twinkies a day to 6, and then 4. Start with 2 posts a month, and then move up to once a week if it feels right. There’s no rush.
2. Don’t get hung up on perfection. Getting hung up on the “perfect” post has been the downfall of many a blogger. Remember: Better done than perfect. Don’t just put up any old thing, but also don’t forget that even a pretty good post is far better than no post at all.
3. Remember that you’re in this for the long haul. Slow and steady wins the race, whether you’re building a blog or weaning yourself off sponge cake and marshmallow cream filling.
Blog Marketing for Introverts
April 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Last week, my ex-husband hit the wrong button on his cellphone and accidentally called me. What was really funny (to me, anyway – he was completely mortified) was that he didn’t realize his mistake until I told him after a few awkward minutes of conversation that I was not the Jen he was looking for.
Now, I know we haven’t spoken to each other in a few years, and I have a very common first name. But still – we were together for over a decade; you’d think there would have been some glimmer of recognition there.
Then again, I’ve known for a long time that I’m a forgettable sort of person. Really.
I’m the person you meet at a party, instantly forget, and re-introduce yourself to a half hour later. I’m the person you may later vaguely recall as being someone else (“Aren’t you Samantha, the dog groomer from Seattle?”). I’m the person who tends to hear, “Oh, were you there too? I don’t remember seeing you” a lot.
And I’m really okay with it – it’s kind of fun to fly under the radar, unobserved, and watch the world do its thing. You learn a great deal about people and what makes them tick (not to mention their pets, with whom you tend to spend a lot of time at parties). This is just the nature of being an introvert.
But being forgettable is the kiss of death when it comes to marketing a solo business. If people don’t remember you – the main or only person involved in your business – well, you’re really kind of screwed.
Which is why, if you too suffer from “Aren’t you Samantha from Seattle?” syndrome, you need to get your blog up and running ASAP:
- A blog means never having to worry about damp palms, or spinach in your teeth.
- A blog allows you to collect your thoughts and present them coherently, rather than trying to look impressive while you’re juggling a sweaty drink and a crumbly canapé.
- A blog lets you go deep into your field of expertise and show off what you know, rather than trying to come up with a memorable one-liner on the fly.
- And, most importantly, a blog gives you the space and time to develop a readership of loyal clients – and potential clients – who really understand (and like) who you are and what you offer. It’s about substance rather than flash.
This is good news indeed for those of us who tend to come away from a social gathering with a sweater full of dog hair rather than a fist full of business cards.
Is Your “About” Page a Waste of Space?
April 4, 2012 By 1 Comment
The informal, first-person nature of blogs means that readers generally like to know at least a little something about the blogger. So if you have a blog for professional or personal reasons, it should include an “about” page.
The good news for solo professionals is that your “about” page is a prime piece of real estate that can help establish you as a likeable, knowledgeable expert in your field. The bad news is that this is an opportunity that too many people squander.
Here are four tips for making the most of your “about” page.
1. Write it in the third person. Even if your business is just you, I recommend that you write this page in the third person (e.g., “Polly Jones is an orthodontist with ten years of experience” vs. “I am an orthodontist with ten years of experience”). It comes across as more professional that way and also enables you to talk yourself up a little more than you might otherwise feel comfortable with.
2. Be the best version of yourself, but be yourself. This is a page that people will visit often, and one that directly reflects on both you and your business. The tone and feel of this page should match the rest of your blog persona – so if you run a brownie delivery service as “Auntie Susie,” don’t include a lot of corporate-speak about “moving product” here. Similarly, if you’re a financial advisor, you may want to avoid references to your passion for beer pong.
3. Omit the nonessential. Your “about” page is not the place to provide a rundown of your entire professional resume. Instead, hit the highlights – and in this context, “highlights” means the skills and experiences most relevant to your solo business. It’s certainly impressive, for example, if you’re fluent in four languages – but if you’re a landscape architect, that info has no place here.
4. Include a photo. As I mentioned earlier, people like to get to know the person behind the blog. So even if you’re shy, or uncomfortable about your crooked smile, or feel like your left ear sticks out in a funny way, get over it and get a photo up there. It doesn’t have to be professionally done, but it should be clear and recent and friendly-looking. Update as needed.
Whatever You Do, Don’t Do This…
March 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment
As I mentioned last week, I was recently in Florida for a family vacation. The trip itself was a lot of fun. The trip part of the trip was not.
We made the mistake of booking tickets on a cut-rate airline.
Red flag #1: Said cut-rate airline offered a $10 discount on checked bag fees if you “declared” (i.e., paid for) the checked bag in advance of your trip.
This itself was not problematic, but the fact that this discount was buried in teeny-tiny print on their policies page was. I mean, who looks at the policies page? (I was there only because I was wondering if I’d have to pay to bring our stroller along.) Sneaky tactics like this mean you’re hiding the ball from the vast majority of your customers – and penalizing them for it. People don’t appreciate this.
Red flag #2: It was nearly impossible to get through to a real live person on the phone and “declare” our checked bag. They didn’t just put you on hold – they played an automated message that all agents were busy and hung up. When I tried calling at oddball times, I got a message that the office was closed.
I know the value of my time and aggravation is worth far more than $10, but because I’m stubborn (and sensed a blog post coming on), I stuck it out until I finally got through. It took me 24 tries over a two-day period.
Red flag #3: The person I finally reached was about as professional, courteous, and competent as a 3-year-old with a raging double ear infection.
Red flag #4: The official departure time of the flight was delayed a half hour before we even got to the airport. No reason for the delay was ever given.
Red flag #5: The flight sat on the runway for an additional hour after we got on the plane. Again, no reason given. We entertained ourselves by coming up with new taglines for the airline:
- It wasn’t us who said that “getting there is half the fun.”
- For people who value money over peace of mind.
- When getting there…is optional.
Red flag #6: The captain got on the intercom and announced that, given atmospheric conditions and the load the plane was carrying, we’d have to make an unscheduled stop in Myrtle Beach to refuel (I guiltily wondered if the added weight of me and my fellow preggo sister-in-law across the aisle were to blame). The plane was still sitting on the runway at this point.
The captain added that he didn’t “like this any more than you do,” which I found hard to believe, given that he at least was being paid to lead the journey from hell, while those of us in the passenger section of the plane had paid to take it.
Red flag #7: Actually, there were no more red flags. Just an announcement two days into our trip that the airline had gone under and would not be running any more flights. People all over the country were stranded for days. We made it home on time, luckily, via the grace of jetBlue (which, funnily enough, is currently experiencing its own customer service nightmare).
The business lesson here? For me, it was a valuable reminder that you get what you pay for. It’s also an (admittedly extreme) example of the proposition that your customers are your greatest asset. And when you’ve lost their goodwill, you’re screwed.
It seems obvious that you should never trick them, ignore them, or treat them like an imposition…but it happens every day.
Sell the Manatee
March 21, 2012 By 3 Comments
Last week, I went to Florida with my entire extended family. It was fun and exhausting in that singular way that only travel with two children under the age of 2 (my daughter and her cousin) can be.
One night, after Lorelei had had a busy day of building sand castles and trolling the ground for lizards, my husband and I made the chilling discovery that we’d forgotten lovey and blankie at my parents’ house instead of bringing them back to the hotel with us (blankie is self-explanatory; “lovey,” for the uninitiated, is a sort of soft handkerchief with a head that’s all the rage for babies and toddlers these days. It’s only odd when you think about it too much).
Lorelei sleeps with lovey and blankie every night, and we were worried about how well she’d go down without them, especially since she was in an unfamiliar room and a portable hotel-provided crib that smelled a little weird.
We didn’t have lovey and blankie, but we did have a plush souvenir manatee we’d bought her earlier in the trip at a roadside citrus shop. (We also had a bag of tangerines, but that somehow seemed less promising.)
My husband, Eric, is an accounting student with the soul of a marketer. “I think the key is to really sell the manatee,” he said as we were prepping for bedtime.
So when it came time to put Lorelei down in her funky-smelling crib, we didn’t apologize for the mysterious absence of lovey and blankie. We didn’t hem and haw. Instead, we made a grand announcement: “Look who you get to sleep with tonight!” Eric exclaimed, as he produced the manatee from behind his back with a flourish. “It’s manatee!”
Lorelei eagerly took the manatee and promptly sacked out for 12 blissful hours. The next morning, she woke up clutching it like a prized possession.
All too often, solo professionals feel the need to make excuses or apologize for what they’re not:
–It’s only me, so I’m afraid I can’t give you 24/7 service…
–I don’t do graphic design work, only copywriting…
–Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to start on your project until the end of July…
Instead, your focus should always be on highlighting your strengths. This doesn’t mean lying – not at all – but merely presenting yourself to best advantage:
–I work independently, so I can personally guarantee the quality of the work I do for you…
–I have a partnership with a great graphic designer; let me show you some of the pieces we’ve done together…
–I’m really good at what I do, so there’s a bit of a wait for my services – but it’s worth it. Shall I calendar you for the end of July?
Whenever you’re feeling like you’re not enough, always remember to sell the manatee.
Are You a Sylvie?
March 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I’ve been seeing Sylvie, my hair stylist, for about a year now – ever since my last one disappeared without a trace (I suspect she ran off to be with her boyfriend in Hawaii, though I have no firm confirmation of this).
Over the course of the year that Sylvie’s been cutting my hair, she’s been at three different local salons:
–The one where I was originally transferred over to her when hair stylist #1 disappeared,
–An odd French/Moroccan-hybrid-themed place, with an in-house poodle, located behind an auto parts store in a desolate corner of town, and
–The place over the Starbucks where she cuts hair now.
I think she’s staying put there for a while. I think.
I wouldn’t bother playing this sort of “Where’s Waldo?” with any other hair stylist I’ve had in the past, but Sylvie’s great. It’s not even so much that she’s technically skilled at her work – which she is. It’s more that she’s passionate about what she does, and very easy to talk to, and makes me (and everyone else she comes into contact with) feel special and valued.
I wouldn’t say I’d follow her anywhere, but pretty close – even though there are several other salons in town to choose from, including a few that Sylvie has not even worked at (yet).
Are you a Sylvie? Would your clients stick with you through thick and thin, through inconvenience and weird French/Moroccan-themed poodle salons?
It’s worth thinking about.
