How often should I update my blog?

This probably the question we get the most. We recommend that you update your blog at least once a week. That ensures there is fresh content for both your readers, as well as the search engines. We write our business blogs because we want potential customers to do something – hire us, buy from us, etc. Make sure there is a call to action in everything you post – such a “Contact Us to Learn More” and make it easy to do o by adding a link to your email address or to your website.

Creating fresh content tip –

When you write an article – break it up into sound bites (say 250-300 words) and then post it as installments on your blog – a 1,200 word article can yield 4 blog entries.

Another time saving tip is to write 2 or 3 entries at a time. When the ideas are flowing go with it. You can then schedule the posts for various times during the week ensuring fresh content for the next week or two.

How do you come up with fresh content for your blog?

We asked, here’s what you told us –

• I would suggest having guest bloggers and interviewing people for you blog. Doing so will give you exposure to their following and they benefit from the exposure to yours. Paul Castain Consolidated Graphics
• Keep looking at related websites and news for ideas. Do not write long posts or don't try to write everything under one heading. You can make more than one post out of one big post by dividing the content in parts/headings. Babar Hussain B2B Trade International
• Constantly think about how you can add value to someone, something, somebody in your target audience. If you are seen as adding value, then your creative juices will start flowing. Ian Piddock Lansa

We do it so you don't have to . . .

OK, actually we do it so that we can pass along our experience to you -

We tweet, there we said it. First step is acknowledgment, right? I like Twitter. It allows us to post links and messages when we update the blogs. We can be found there as FitBizTools.

New to Twitter - these Ten Top Twitter Tips should help you get started.

It seems to be the "gadget" of the moment - MySpace is so 2007! Passing fad? Internet Revolution? We wanted to know what you thought and here is what you told us -

• I used twitter for a few months, but I ended up deleting my account. I don't mind a bit of social networking, but Twitter, as someone else said, seems far too invasive and high-maintenance. Posting once a day, sure, but then I want to post something meaty. Posting 20 times a day with 140 characters strikes me more of a waste of time, or at least a non-significant method of information propogation. "At work. Have coffee!" "Accident on way home. Avoid I-40." etc. just isn't what I'm looking for -- or giving out -- as far as my interests are concerned.
• Some people have said that "old-fashioned" (can something be "old fashioned" if it's only a few years old?) blogs are dead, but I love them. Give me a good blog any day, rather than Twitter, Facebook, or Myspace.
• I love Twitter! If you want to find out more about it and what it can do for you, I suggest you follow @guykawasaki. He is really sharp, and has great articles about promoting yourself or your business, as well as posting links to some funny or interesting articles or websites.
• Totally! I'm always looking for new and interesting things in the world blog about.
• Twitter is like going to a party and walking around. Some people never stop talking, some say one interesting thing as you pass by, some are just Oscar Wilde witty or down right funny (a nice break in information flow), some make you stop and chat for a minute. I follow some people for fun, some for sustainability, some for marketing, some for technology, etc. Most, including me, tie it to other networking sites. It is a tool to be used in networking, not an end unto itself. It keeps me up to date with a group of people, and I can look into their blog posts if I like, email them for more info, and keep them abreast of what I am doing. If you are doing something cool, you are likely to get more attention from your twitter group that a press release. For it to be of benefit, you have to keep your end of the conversation going and tell other people when you see one of your group doing something great-otherwise you are just the wallflower at the party that everybody wonders about. As we see the death of print media, and the rise of web 2.0, those on the cutting edge of things like twitter are leading the way, and coming late to the game will force you to play catch up. Additionally, twitter has connected me with some great people, whose calendars would have made a meeting impossible.
• I have used Twitter professionally and currently use it personally. On the professional side, I found Twitter to be a useful tool in promoting website content. Build a strong network of following and followers in your topic area. Write witty and interesting one-liners with links to the content. Track your referral hits to that content to evaluate how effective your tactics are. Twitter takes little time and effort to use in this manner and every little bit of traffic helps!
• I think Twitter has its place and there is a growing community of people who want their information in bite-size (140 characters max) pieces. I tweet, but not for professional purposes, more for the challenge of making short interesting observations. I have only done it for a month and a half and, already, total strangers are finding me and following me. You can also control how many people you want to follow, keeping it manageable. I think there is potential here.
• I'm not sure what it will add to my networks. It seems rather invasive. Although my friends tells me I'll be a confirmed user at some point, but I need some down-time from the constant flow of information. But then again, I just use my cell phone as a phone!

Feeling the Love, NOT!

Part of my morning ritual is sipping coffee and glancing through the blogs, as I try to jolt myself to consciousness. It’s a good way for me to keep up with what my competitors are up to. So, imagine my surprise when I realized I was the main topic of a competitor’s blog and that he hated me. Seriously, he wrote that he “hated” me and went to go on to say he hated all SF bloggers. And get ready for this, he says that the only reason we blog is self-promotion. Well, duh!

Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy blogging. But, let’s be honest it is about self promotion. I blog with the hopes that you find my insights so profound that you can’t get to the phone fast enough to hire our firm. No need to push, there’s plenty to go around . . .

In his diatribe expounding on our negative virtues, he managed to mention our company name twice, our blog three times and was even kind enough to offer the respective URLs. Normally, I have to beg for such coverage. And while some make take his word for our evilness, others will visit us to see what the fuss is about and ultimately drive traffic to our site. Cool.

If you’re like me, your first instinct is to respond. Don’t, unless there is something factually inaccurate. He is simply stating his feelings, nothing to negate there. Don’t try to fix it. While to the best of my knowledge, I’ve never met this person – I doubt there is anything I’m going to say that will change his mind about me, SF Bloggers or SF in general (which is quite lovely for the record!).

If someone blogs negatively about you –

• Respond only if there are any factual inaccuracies being conveyed.
• Avoid a flame war; you only get dragged into the mud.
• Remember, it’ still publicity!