Barbara Casey's "Messages from the Soapbox"
(formerly Niche News Marketing E-zine)

Vol 6, No 2 - October 10, 2006

In This Issue:

- Your Blog is Your Soapbox
- A Few Cool Blog Ideas
- Two Resources for Getting Known Online
- List Your Self-Published Books on Dan Poynter's Website
- Make a Big Splash Selling Your Books on Amazon


~ Your Blog is Your Soapbox ~

One of the easiest ways to gain an international audience these days is with a blog.

I have started a new blog about... how to set up and promote your blog. Many of the readers of this e-zine are creative types - and right brain thinkers. The idea of "learning how to blog" may not sound too appealing.

But I've made it very easy, with step-by-step instructions on how to set up a Typepad blog (easier than most) and even more important, I'm posting ongoing lessons on how to promote your blog, ways you can earn income from your blog and interesting-sounding blog ideas.

If you're not sure what a blog is, here's the scoop.

A "blog" is a shorthand way of saying "web log." The log part refers to entries you make that are dated and sequential, kind of like a ship's log.

In addition to the continuous nature of the entries (posts) in a blog, these commentaries can be archived (stored) by month and by category, so even if people don't learn about your blog right at its start, they can read your posts any time they choose.

A blog is a less formal website, in many ways. You can "be yourself," however that self chooses to present itself to the rest of the world. Even a business blog can be less serious than a typical website.

But your blog should also be part of your "brand" identification and should really reflect the way you do business or exhibit yourself on a normal basis. It's a conversational extension of yourself, your thoughts, your passions, your teachings and your new ideas.

My blog (www.bloggingwithbarbara.com), for example, is a way for me to get basic information out to people in a more detailed fashion than I can on my website www.newradiance.com. My website has well over 90 pages of marketing resources and self-promotion tips for authors, coaches, women business owners and entrepreneurs.

One of the self-promotion tools is the blog, which all of us can use to spread our ideas and information globally.

Seth Godin says that blogs work best when they are based on (1) candor, (2) urgency, (3) timeliness, (4) pithiness, (5) controversy and (6) utility.

Blogging with Barbara is a "utilitarian" blog with, hopefully, pithy instructions that get your blog up and running easily and quickly.

There's a whole introductory section that tells you what blogs are, how you can use them to inform others and make a name for yourself, and how you can make money blogging.

The reasons for blogging are many.

1. You can create an internet presence - a blog website - for free or for as little as $4.95 a month. In other words, a blog can be a website substitute.

2. Even non-technical people can easily create and post to a blog - no need to hire a webmaster. (Typepad blogs are especially easy to work with.)

3. Blog tools and add-ons keep multiplying... and most of them are f-r-e-e to use.

4. You can "point" a domain name - one that suits your business or interest - directly to your blog, so it acts like a website URL.

5. You can easily create and host multiple blogs. For example, with Typepad, $14.95 gets you an unlimited number of blogs written by an unlimited number of authors - great for schools, businesses, churches, entrepreneurs, authors of numerous books, network marketers promoting niches within their field and more.

6. A blog keeps your information current. No need to wait two weeks or a month for your next newsletter to get urgent, time-sensitive material out to people who need it.

7. You can use a blog as an alternative to a newsletter. If you speak to a particular audience about a topic they want to stay on top of, you can obtain as many subscribers to a blog as you can to an ezine... more, even.

8. With the spam problem and the blocking tactics of email filters, many ezines are having trouble being delivered. The way blog updates are sent and received eliminates this problem, and gets your news out immediately.

9. Your blog messages are available to everyone in the world with a computer, and not just the few hundreds or thousands on your email list.

10. Your blog can be your soapbox. Because a blog is so easy to create and update, you can get your message out to more people quickly - every time you feel the urge to convey new information to your blog's readers.

11. A blog is interactive, if you allow "comments." You can converse with your blog readers and develop relationships with them.

12. It's easier to promote a blog than a website these days. With a website, you have to keep adding fresh content for the search engines and be constantly finding new places to promote your site. With a blog, you also have to create fresh content, but your blog posts are automatically announced every time you update. With Typepad, most of this capability comes built-in with the blog. I have instructions in the "Create Your Blog" section on how to activate your feeds.

Learn how to blog at www.bloggingwithbarbara.com


~ A Few Cool Blog Ideas ~

The information you post on your blog will depend on your area of interest or passion, your business niche, your teaching expertise -- what you feel compelled or drawn to talk about. (One of my women friends wants to teach manners to teenagers ;-)

If you're new to blogging, then you may not be aware of the multitude of business, political, entertainment, news, hobby and personal commentary blogs that currently exist (to merely scratch the surface).

But (1) if you have something of value to contribute to others and (2) if you know enough about your subject that you can write about it (at least) weekly and (3) if you can write in a voice that your readers can relate to and (4) if they agree that there is value for them in reading your words -- then you really should consider starting your own blog.

You just need to decide what your blog will be about (its focus) and who it is likely to appeal to (its audience).

Here are a few ideas to think about:

1. Teachers can write free mini-lessons on their blog to attract students to their paid teleclasses.

2. Channelers can post their channeled information and sell their compiled works as e-books.

3. If you're in the blessing business, you could post a blessing every week on different topics and offer your book of blessings for sale.

4. Healers can post healing tips and sign folks up for distance healing sessions.

5. Authors can gain a following for their new books by creating a "blook" (i.e. posting chapters of their book on a blog). In essence, they are writing their book in public to obtain feedback and book reviews as they're writing. Seth Godin works this way. He already has his audience of buyers lined up before the book is sent to the printer.

6. Cooks and food lovers can give away recipes on their blog and sell their cookbooks or recipe files (a cook blook?).

7. Natural living experts can educate many people through a blog, and sell organic products on the sidebar.

8. Nutritionists can post information about specific products for various ailments and sell the same products on the blog.

9. Astrologers can keep interested people up to date on planetary happenings for free and offer their services for personal astrology readings for a fee.

10. Ministers can blog their weekly lessons and sermons, for parishioners who missed church. They could actually create a blog ministry or "blog church" this way (a blurch??). With audio capabilities, they could even include the hymns. Or why not create a podcast RSS feed each week of the entire service? Most churches have some type of recording capability.

11. Blogs are terrific tools to send uplifting messages out into the world, whether you choose to earn income from them or not. On the other hand, take a look at Steve Pavlina's blog to see how he makes thousands a month on a personal development blog.

12. You can deliver prayers, meditations, class lessons, business information, predictions, speeches and more using podcast RSS feeds via your blog.

13. You can highlight customer success stories, giving your clients extra internet attention and yourself a pat on the back at the same time.

These ideas are just for starters.

Click here to find out if blogging is for you.


~ Two Resources for Getting Known Online ~

A couple of months ago, I discovered a neat business forum that is no cost to join and has lots of options for making yourself known.

The focus of the forum is to help business owners earn more from their business and the people who congregate there tend to be business-oriented. You can ask questions, answer questions and each time you do, your "signature" shows up with a link to your blog or website.

One of the forums is called "Mind Warriors - Success, Power, Self-Improvement" and you can learn and teach through this one.

There's a joint venture forum, where you can ask for JV partners and work with others asking for help promoting their products.

Another to check out is the Warrior Special Offer Forum. If you can make a special "forum offers" page on your blog or website, you can offer a discount to forum members and post it there. You'll get visits and sales - no kidding.

You can read the posts without creating a username and password, but if you want to reply to posts, or start a new posting thread, you'll need to join.

It's worth taking a look. Visit the warrior forum at:
http://www.warriorforum.com/forum

Another resource is the very new www.work.com. It's a site of how-to guides for running your small business. It's also a place where you can submit your own articles (guides) on a number of business-related topics.

They had found my niche marketing blog recently and I'm now one of their "Best Blogs and Forums" for niche marketing. You can find this page easiest by going to the site and entering "niche marketing" in the search box.

You can learn what you need to know or share your expertise. It's another way to get your name out there, especially if you have business knowledge to pass along.

Discover the resources at www.work.com


~ List Your Self-Published Books on Dan Poynter's Website ~

Authors - you can list your self-published books (and e-books, too) on Dan Poynter's self-publishing website.

This is a great way to create a "backlink" to your book's web page from a very popular website. And everyone who adds a book will see your title there, too.

Here's where you can find the categories to list your books in: http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/successstories.cfm


~ Make a Big Splash Selling Your Books on Amazon ~

If you want to jumpstart new book sales, or revive sales of previous titles, you can learn how the big name authors do it with my e-book "Make a Big Splash Selling Your Books on Amazon."

Over $550 in thank you gifts with your purchase.

Click here to learn how to become an Amazon bestseller.


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Barbara Casey's Messages from the Soapbox:
Self-promotion tips and business ideas that get your message heard.

PO Box 86674, St. Petersburg, FL 33738 ~ (727) 397-2702
Copyright 2006 Barbara Casey
www.newradiance.com