Small Business Blogging Blueprint eBook

Small Business Blogging Blueprint e-book
by: Kelly Watson

I’d like to create a business blog, but I don’t know where to start.”
“I don’t have the technical skills to build a blog.”
“I have a business blog, but it doesn’t get any traffic!”

Sound familiar? As an online marketing consultant, I’ve heard countless versions of these statements. Each week I meet more small business owners who want to start a business blog, but something gets in their way:

• Lack of time
• Lack of technical expertise
• Lack of a plan

I, too, struggled with these problems when starting my first business blog in 2007. I had to focus not just on blog creation and maintenance, but on generating targeted traffic, capturing leads and making sales … all within the unique blog format.

I read every blog book I could get my hands on. But most were outdated, and none addressed how blogging could grow my business. So I spent two long years in trial and error, testing out one technique and abandoning it for another until I discovered exactly what worked.

(And let me tell you: you’d be amazed by all the blogging advice that’s just plain wrong. Hiding keywords at the bottom of every page, for example – while that may have gotten you search traffic in 1997, it could get you blacklisted from Google today.)

As my blog’s popularity grew, people began asking me:

What blogging software should I use?
How do I customize my blog design without spending a fortune?
How do I integrate a new blog with my existing web site?
How can I get more traffic, and how do I turn that traffic into sales?

I started wishing I had a book with all the answers – a step-by-step guide to successful business blogging, so I wouldn’t have to keep responding to the same questions.

Then, after spending yet another afternoon talking with a small business owner about the benefits of blogging, I realized I needed to hurry up and write it myself.

What I thought would be a three- or four-page report eventually turned into a 68-page e-book filled with:

• Tips on outsourcing the writing, design and setup affordably (pg. 14—15)
• Easy search engine optimization strategies for targeted blog traffic (pg. 27—30)
• Ways you can use your business blog to grow your mailing list (pg. 31—32)
• A fill-in-the-blank workbook with 36 questions to help you set goals, avoid problems and streamline the blogging process (pg. 61—68)

But following written instructions can be confusing, you may be thinking. I know. That’s why I also created six step-by-step videos to help you set up a hosted blog on Wordpress and Blogger. You even get written transcripts of each video, so you don’t have to take notes.

Each time I thought I was done writing, I remembered one more tip or resource that would further simplify blogging for small business owners. Then I sent the e-book to friends and colleagues, who wrote back with more helpful tips and resources of their own.

I also sent out several review copies of the e-book. Here’s what readers had to say:

“The Small Business Blogging Blueprint is a mega-hit! I just finished your e-book and am quite impressed. I’ve been referencing “The New Rules of Marketing & PR” by David Meerman Scott as my blogging bible. Your book is easier to understand. I especially liked your step-by-step guides and links throughout.”
—Mark Zinda, Owner of ZAP and Co. Marketing

“Kelly has put together a comprehensive resource that’s also super easy for anyone to follow. If you’re thinking of starting a blog – or even if you already have one – this guide will steer you clear of common blunders and help set you up for blogging success.”
—Lisa Banks, Marketing Director at SEO Advantage

“You’ve done an amazing job pulling this all together. I think it is presented very comprehensively, yet the info is manageable. You get the sense of being able to pull it off because things are presented in such a clear, step-by-step fashion – almost like a workbook. There’s so many resources presented that can help any blogger.”
—Lori Baer, freelance writer and blogger

Worried the e-book in will go out-of-date? Don’t be. When you purchase the Small Business Blogging Blueprint, you get free access to updates and revisions for the life of the product. That means if I come across a great new resource for business bloggers, or receive questions about a particular topic that warrant an addition to the material, you’ll get a copy of the new “Small Business Blogging Blueprint” absolutely free. You’ll also receive exclusive discounts on future e-books and online classes.

The Small Business Blogging Blueprint also comes with a 30 day, 100-percent satisfaction guarantee. If you purchase the Small Business Blogging Blueprint and it doesn’t help you build a successful business blog, contact me for a full refund. No questions asked.

By now, you may be wondering how much the e-book costs. Ask yourself: How much would it cost you to hire a marketing consultant for an hour? How much money would you save if you could knock a few months, or even just a few days off the normal blogging learning curve?

You probably answered more than $29, the price for the Small Business Blogging Blueprint and step-by-step instructional videos. Purchase them now for instant access.

Just keep in mind that $29 is the introductory price, and could go up at any time. Only by purchasing now can you lock in this low rate and receive instant access to my business blogging secrets.

Top 5 Premium WordPress Themes

Anyone who talks to me hears in my voice my excitement over the potential that WordPress has brought back to the Web for small businesses and Netrepreneurs.

15 years ago when I started this adventure it was a level playing field. Then the “big guys” got online and priced out the average Joes and Janes when it came to getting found and paying for advertising. Add to that the bar had been raised as far as design and functionality. Quality sites became increasingly expensive to have developed, implemented and maintained which for small biz folks like you and I, meant it became even more prohibitive to compete.

Then, Blogging and WordPress started picking up steam. 4 years ago I thought to myself “Self, why can’t you use WordPress as a content management system?” I answered, you can!

My site had grown beyond efficient manageability and was a PIA to to update and intuitively organize. WordPress solved that for me. But what was more exciting was the fact I could finally offer my clients a positive answer to their most asked question:

“Can I make changes and do site modifications myself?”

To which I can now answer with a resounding, and confident, yes! The next step is then determining the look and feel of the new site — which is always subjective because that is all in the minds eye and clients have to like how the site looks. That’s where premium WordPress themes are so very important. They cover all these bases — and then some.

Several years ago there were two guys who were leaders in this new direction — they were ahead of the curve and then became the curve. They saw this wave coming and started creating feature rich, visually appealing and solidly coded WordPress premium themes. Brian Gardner of Studio Press and Corey Miller of iThemes were definitely leaders in this regard and whose themes I recommend and have used most. Much credit goes to these two gentlemen who create a superior — premium — product and back up their work with friendly, experienced and approachable support.

You may be thinking, but what about all those free themes out there? Well, folks, you’ve heard it before — with free you get what you pay for. Not to say that there are not quality themes available at no cost, but based on my experience, you have to deal with issues that simply do not exist when you use a premium WordPress theme.

For example; footer links. I don’t mind giving credit where credit is due but many free themes have encrypted links (meaning you remove the code and the theme breaks) to the author’s various affiliate programs as well. Sites you may not agree with or want to have a link to at the bottom of every page of your site.

Then you have the issue of quality — just because it’s free does not indicate the developer is skilled and experienced enough in WordPress and PHP to create solid bug-free code. And last but not least, who is going to upgrade that theme to keep up with WordPress and web trends — for free? These considerations are enough for you to not want to waste your valuable time and money having to deal with.

Instead, choose your site’s theme from the 5 sites below and you’ll not only look spiffy and be able to truly take advantage of everything Web 2.0, but you’ll have the confidence in knowing you are using a quality product backed with the type of support rarely found online.

Top 5 Premium WordPress Themes

1. Studio Press
2. iThemes
3. Theme Forest
4. WordPress Remix
5. Woo Themes

Everything You Wanted to Know About Social Media but Were Afraid to Ask

I’m talking up the importance of social media use, marketing and networking all day long. When new clients contact me about a Web site, social media comes up. When current clients call asking about updating, upgrading or what their next step should be with their two, three, four or 10 year old sites — yep, social media!

Technology can be very frustrating for those who do not do this every day, all day like I do. I hear hesitation in their voices when I start talking about stumbling, digging and tweeting. They think I’m nuts!

To help get everyone exposed to the topic, the tools and the benefits that social media participation can bring to your Web program, I’ve assembled a few of my favorite sites and links on the topic for your reading pleasure.

If you do nothing but review these resources, I bet you’ll be hard pressed to not see the need to embrace this wave!

• Wikipedia: Social media
• Social Media Marketing FAQ
• Social Media Will Change Your Business
• Study: Company Blogs Lead Social Media Options
• Web Site and Social Media Metrics You Should Monitor
• 8 Essential Free Social Media Monitoring Tools

Time to get “social” folks!

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