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Where Does Your Blog Fit in Your Business?

August 30, 2007 by Liz

Blogs Are Tools, Not the Core Business

Two days ago, Steve Broback and Teresa Valdez Klein announced that Blog Business Summit Chicago would not be happening after all. In its place they have launched a new blog called Web Community Forum. Steve explains their reasoning this way.

Our conferences have always relied heavily on local participation, and our feeling is that Chicago has been very well served this year by at least two excellent, and very reasonably priced blogger conferences: SOBcon and BlogHer. A third event close on the heels of these other shows is obviously a tough sell. In addition, itâ€™s clear from discussions with local marketers that blogging has normalized and is not the disruptive force it was back in 2004 when we launched the BBS.

I applaud Steve and Teresa for their insight and courage.

I think they’re right. Blogs shouldn’t be the center of what we see anymore.

Where Does Your Blog Fit in Your Business?

In February 2006, I posted that blogs are technology. At the time, I didn’t take the idea as far as I might. But I’ve been thinking about this since SOBCon07. My thought is that we don’t talk about computers, spreadsheets, or pencils the way we talk about blogs. Yet to me, all are tools we use to get our work done.

Unless we charge a subscription, blogs are not our businesses. They help us advertise, communicate, teach, interact, meet with our customers, but they are not our product or service. They are not what we do or sell. A blog is a business support not the business itself.

My point is this:

Just as knowing how to lay bricks, work with wood, paint walls and decorate can make beautiful store, but does not ensure a thriving business. Having a beautiful blog with wonderful content is not having a thriving business either.

The design, the usability, and the words on our blog are merely a vehicle to sell the products, ads, or services that are our real income streams. Knowing how business works is still key.

A great business uses a blog, but is not merely a blog.

So I leave you with these questions.

How would you describe your blog’s place in your business?

If you could get one all-important question answered about your online business what would it be?

Thank you for your answers.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

10 Expert Strategies for Finding Customer Needs

August 29, 2007 by Liz

SIMPLE SALES SERIES

Customers Are the Only Ones Who Count

Yesterday I wrote a recipe for a product offering that sells. Of course, it really was about paying attention to customers — customers are the only ones who count.

4.1: The Recipe for a Product Offering that Will Sell

Before we leave the topic, I did some research to offer you the points of view from some experts on the subject.

10 Expert Strategies for Finding Customer Needs

Read to find out how to listen to your customers and how to know when they are right.

pdf 6 Customer Expectations.
a most readable pdf with solid explanations of how customers think.

video Asking Customers What They Think Has Long-Term Benefits
The benefits of asking

A Customer Feedback Tip – Are You Asking The Right Questions?
Well-written article on making sure we know what we’re asking

To Charge Up Customers, Put Customers in Charge
Uses the great example of Threadless.com an online business.

Create Successful Products by ‘Getting in the Van’
The benefits of going to where the customers are

Customer Satisfaction Tips Links to 18 articles on the subject of finding out what customers think

Finding Hot Selling Products to Sell
The basics of supply and demand

Successful products through observation
Why simply watching ourselves and our customers is valid too.

Tips for e-mail marketing in a spam-filled world
Once you have a list of customers hw you might use it to ask them what they think.

How to Find High-Demand Products That Sell Like Hotcakes
Some nontraditional places to research online

Now take a look at the products you own. What thinking made you buy them?

How will that help you decide what you offer?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

Five Original Must-Read Articles by Liz Strauss

August 28, 2007 by Liz

From the Thinker Himself

My friend, Ilker, has sent me a challenge as a writer. It’s one that appeals, because not too long ago Lisa Gates remarked at how my writing style has changed over time. The challenge Ilker sent was to select five original must-read articles that I wrote throughout history (so to speak).

Five Original Must-Read Articles by Liz . . . um, er, . . . me

Ilker’s challenge meant spending a while digging through the 2000 posts on this old blog. It was reliving the time I grew up here. I saw faces of the people who’ve passed through these posts and the so many others I considered including.

Who knows how and why I chose these that I did? I guess it was a bit sentiment, a bit practicality, and a bit of “oh why not?”

Without further ado, here they are.

February 16, 2006 . . . Why Pete Townshend Doesn’t Need to Do Promotion From his days with The Who, it was clear Pete marched to a different drummer. When it comes to blog marketing and promotion, it seems the same way. As far as I can tell, Pete didnâ€™t follow any of the recommended wisdom.

March 16, 2006 . . . The 10 Skills Most Critical to Your Future Intellectual propertyâ€“contentâ€“is an asset that not only gets produced, but reproduced, reconfigured, and repurposed for variety of media. Those who produce intellectual property are builders of wealth. An original idea that solves a problem or presents an opportunity is worth more now than it ever has

been. Those who develop and mold original ideas are the new â€œkiller app.â€

June 24, 2006 . . . 9 + 1 Things Every Reader Wants from a Writer My experience is that beginners and experts are not that different when they read. They might choose to read different things, but we all do. Beyond that difference of content, beginners, experts, and those of us in the middle — all readers — want the same things from a writer.

July 31, 2006 . . . 10 Reasons Creative Folks Make Us Crazy What are the traits that creative folks have in common? Are we all creative? Is there anyone whoâ€™s not? Can I boost my creativity? Am I a creative freak? Questions follow creativity â€” what is it, how does it work, and how do we access our Creativity at Work to make our brand and business stronger?

January 26, 2007 . . . The Top 10 Ways to Start Living Your Life We donâ€™t measure life in hours and minutes. We measure life in memories and moments. What do you think of when you read this sentence? It was the time of my life. We donâ€™t say that often enough.

So there they are. Every one from over six months ago — a look into the past. Now I’m wondering what’s in your past? Are you still saying the same things? Will you share too?

Kirk, CK, Mike, Ann, Dave, Rick, Jeff, Chris B., Susan, Seth, and everyone else reading, which five posts would you pick from your history to share today?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

The 5 Hats of Graphic Designers

August 15, 2007 by Guest Author

Guest Writer: David Airey

Before computers entered the mix, the production of print material was firmly in the hands of graphic designers and printers. It took a very clued-in client to have any idea about the print-production process. Therefore, people were mentally prepared to pay substantial amounts for their logo designs, brochures and annual reports.

That was then. Now, however, things are very different.

Ask most people how they would design a logo or prepare a newsletter and they’d automatically point to the computer, placing their faith in software packages to do the job.

So if a novice can work their way around a photo manipulation or page layout program, why do designers still charge large figures for their services?

Today’s designer must wear many hats, and I’ll talk about some of them here.

The problem solving hat

Designers are presented with a problem, and it’s their task to find a solution. The problem could be to set a business apart from its competition by using an effective logo design, or to increase product sales with a cleverly designed advertising campaign. Whatever the initial brief, there’s a clearly defined problem and the designer puts on their thinking hat.

The teaching hat

By educating clients, customer-satisfaction is improved and the designer is more likely to be called upon in the future. What might a designer teach? File preparation is an important part of the print production process, and a lot of my time is spent educating clients about file types. You’d be surprised just how many of my clients don’t understand that a thumbnail image off a website can’t be used for a full-size A3 poster. This design guide for print provides a little more info.

The graphic designer hat

This is actually just one function of a modern-day designer. Ask any self-employed designer just how much time they spend designing and you’ll probably be surprised at the answer. I can’t say for sure how long I spend actually designing, but I think it’s between 25% to 40%.

The salesperson hat

Whether it be attracting new clients or selling an idea, graphic designers need to have enough confidence in their own ability to persuade a client that they’re making the right decision. Every design pitch must be treated like a sale. When meeting people for the first time, I make sure to focus at least my first three questions on topics not related to business. It’s much easier to develop a relationship with a person than it is a business, so don’t be pushy.

The manager hat

Accounting is a vital aspect of my business operations, and I’ve not yet reached the stage where I need to outsource, or take on an extra employee. I process my own tax returns once every year, and calculate my VAT returns every three months. This needs the manager hat, taking a step back from the creative side of work and focusing on the numbers. Time management and project management are also encompassed by this hat.

To summarize

Whilst it’s clear that the role of graphic designers has changed, it still remains an extremely creative industry. Of course, designers aren’t the only ones who must wear different hats in their profession.

What’s your line of work and how many different hats do you wear?

—David Airey

Thanks, David, for this grand explanation of what the folks in your profession do!
Come back again to tell us more, anytime.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Introducing: good to know

August 12, 2007 by Liz

SOB Hall of Famer: Martin Burns

good to know is the answer to all of life’s questions (well, as long as they’re semi-related to looking for a job, and assuming the blog’s author actually has an answer for the question). Beyond that, itâ€™s good advice for the job seeker, and the rest of us humans, from a recruiter thatâ€™s in the know. Martin Burns has 8 years of recruiting under his belt, from both the corporate as well as agency side of the business. Some of the things he’s seen job candidates do – especially the most common mistakes – are worth knowing about, either as best practice or (more often) as cautionary tales.

Slightly cheeky voice, good content, and taken from real-world examples (all identifying remarks removed to avoid nasty litigation).

Notes from Liz: Martin Burns is a recruiter who is a person first. His blog, good to know, is a hunk of humanity on the web. In the first few seconds, it’s clear that this guy doesn’t take himself too seriously, but that he is serious about getting folks the information they need. This blog is informative and entertaining — even for readers who are not looking for new employment. I keep reading because it’s so engaging.

Thanks, Martin! Nice to meet you,
–ME “Liz” Strauss

Has your SOB Blog Been Introduced to US?
Blog Promotion: May I Introduce You?

121: Help! I'm Lost — My Business Is Out of Control

August 9, 2007 by Liz

Wandering through the Woods

I just got done reading Dawud’s answer to my question . . . What advice would you give to a friend whose audience wasnâ€™t his niche market group? He laid out a set of six factors that the person might consider to refocus again.

At the end of his article, Dawud left me (and you) with a question.

So Liz, what would you suggest my friend do if they looked around and found themselves lost with their business?

Being lost is not a fun thing. I get that way on a regular basis, so I ought to know.

Whether we’re walking through the woods by the river in my old hometown, or navigating the issues of a business that seems out of control, getting lost is a real situation that we can only deny for so long. Walking in circles doesn’t get us anywhere.

If your friend is stuck, the first I would do is introduce myself and ask him to sit down. Then we’d take a moment to breathe.

I’d let him know that I’m on his side and that no one stays lost for long. He’d get a few minutes to tell me about his journey.

Only a few minutes. . . . no point in spending time talking about what isn’t working, at least not while we’re still lost.

If it’s possible, I get your friend out of his usual work environment. The best would be to get outside where there is sky and trees. Figuring out how to unbundle and unburden chaos is so much easier when we’re not surrounded by human-made things. As a second choice any neutral ground will do.

Then I’d ask, “Who are you What do you love doing? Who loves what you love to do?” My guess is that he’d probably try to tell me why he’s not doing it. I’m kind of relentless at times like that — I wouldn’t let him talk about how he got lost.

You can’t get “unlost” until you know where you are and where you want to go.

Some folks take longer than other folks, but we’d talk until I understood what his answers to those three questions are. All along the conversation, I’d keep checking to make sure that I was hearing what he said.

When we agreed that we both had a clear picture of who he is, what he loves doing, and who loves what he does, then we’d return to the state of his business now.

With the first part decided, the second part becomes easier. Hold up the business to day to see how it’s not doing what we’ve just defined. Then carve the path to bring reality back in line with the definition.

That’s how I’d start to help your friend who is lost.

Many paths lead out of the woods. How would you help a business friend who is lost?

And Dawud, I’ll leave you with this question for next week.

What do you do when your business is going well and close friend’s is not?

If youâ€™re reading this, Iâ€™d love to hear your answer too.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

One2One is a cross-blog conversation. Find the answer at dawud miracle on Monday. You can see the entire One-2-One Conversation series on the Successful Series page.