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e_Marketing Blog Free Blog or Your Own Domain? Once you've decided to create your own blog, the first question you have to address is whether you want your blog to be hosted on your own web hosting account or be part of an already established site like wordpress.com, blogger.com, or one of the many other free blogging sites. If you use one of the free "hosted" blogging sites (Wordpress.com, Blogger.com, LiveJournal.com, Blog.com, and many more) you can create a brand new blog in about 15 minutes. When you choose this option you become part of a larger site such as wordpress.com and your address will be something like http://yourtownrealestate.wordpress.com or http://yourtownmoneymanager.blogspot.com The advantage of this approach is that it is fast and cheap. Plus you will get some traction and search engine exposure for your blog because it will be part of a much larger network that gets crawled by the search engines on a regular basis. But in my estimation, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. What Makes A Good Blog? Since I'm writing a series on "Creating A Successful Blog" I've been looking (not very diligently) for other opinions on what makes for a successful blog. One thing I've discovered is that there is no magic answer to this question. First of all, every blog speaks to a different audience in a different tone of voice. So what one group likes another group will find boring or maybe even overtly aggravating. I stumbled on an instance of this today when I followed a link from Lisa Barone's post called "Six Kickass Writing Resources for Bloggers". First on her list was "What Makes a Good Blog?" by Merlin Mann. Now I must admit there are several things in Merlin's list which I agree with, but I find the overall tone fairly aggravating. For instance, he says, "People start real blogs because they think about something a lot...They make and consume smart forebrain porn. So: where do this person's obsessions take them." Frankly I don't see why "obsession" is a necessary part of blogging. Is it because in order to do real blogging we must express our personality; and expressing our personality necessarily involves creativity; and because creativity is so relatively scarce and difficult that it will not happen without an obsessive focus on something? Or is this just the way an obsessive person looks at it? Of course it takes all types. But there is a certain arrogance and air of superiority about talk of obsession and creativity that I can do without. Squidoo New Look Squidoo seems to have a new edit and publish interface. I've always found it a bit clunky in the past, but now it seems quite a bit easier to add modules. The process makes more sense to me. I just created a lense about Car Repair for a client. |
Cottage-Sales.com - Looking for a cottage or summer home in Canada? You've come to the right place. We have valuable background information on cottage sales and what to look for in a summer home. If you've done any searching for cottages or summer homes, you know this market changes daily. Cottage-Sales.com is a member of the Linknet network of websites. Why Aren't You Using Freebies to Get More Customers?May 10, 2006 - Linknet Marketing Trade Show Displays - Trade show displays and exhibits. Need items for trade show displays, expo, or convention exhibits? We offer solutions from design through delivery. Awesome Display Graphics - Popup displays with full graphics, replacement graphics for your old display. Why Aren't You Using Freebies to Get More Customers? by Alan FairweatherDon't you just love a freebie? I know I do. I've been in two situations recently as a customer, when I received an unexpected freebie. After ordering my usual bagel and coffee at the Bagel Bar, the girl behind counter offered me a free bottle of mineral water. I was about to ask for a glass of water anyway, so this came as a welcome surprise. A few days later found me buying a steak at the meat counter in my local supermarket. I was having a chat with the guy behind the counter about the fact that there didn't seem to be too much meat for so much money. He obviously took pity on my miserable face when he said - "Tell you what sir, why don't you have this other steak for the same price" and he slapped another one on top! So what's the customer service lesson here? The lesson is that most customers, love a freebie and if they receive one from a supplier it builds a positive relationship. As customers, we're more likely to return and do business with people who give us freebies and we're more likely to tell other people about our positive experience. I once read a story article about a restaurant owner who would occasionally give people a free meal. When a group of diners or a family asked for the bill he would spontaneously announce that on this occasion they were his guests and they didn't have to pay for their meal. Can you imagine how these people felt - what they said to friends and work colleagues the next day? That free meal probably cost the restaurant owner a lot less that advertising in the local newspaper and it also brought in a lot more new customers. The Law of Reciprocity states that - "If you give someone something or do something for them - they will want to repay you - to give you something." Why don't you think of some little unexpected freebie you can offer your customers that'll encourage them to return and also tell others about their positive experience. And while we're at it - why not try the same thing with members of your staff. Even your personal relationships - a small unexpected gift or an act of kindness can do wonders for any relationship. Believe me, once you start to do this, you'll have many more satisfied customers, happy staff and appreciative friends. Alan Fairweather -"The Motivation Doctor" - is the author of "How to get More Saleswithout Selling" To receive your free newsletter and free ebooks, visit: http://www.howtogetmoresales.com Article Source - Trade Show Tips
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