BusinessBlogAngel

Subscribing to a blog - web feeds and readers

One of the beauties of a business blog (or any website with a 'feed') is that each time fresh content is published, subscribers to the 'feed' get that content delivered straight to their desktop via a 'feed reader'.  In these days of full-to-bursting Inboxes and mad sp'am, the benefits of subscribing to a blog are clear:

• no need to keep checking a site for updates, or bookmark
• no need to divulge your email address and encourage even more email, and
• for publishers - no need to worry whether emails are getting through, or opened
  

Feeds come in 2 flavours - Atom and RSS but actually, unless you want to become a 'feed expert' that is fairly irrelevant, as is understanding what .rdf, .xml, .rss and .atom mean - they are simply feed 'file extensions'.  You see, just as you can turn on a light without needing to understand how electricity works, you can subscribe to and/or set up a feed without needing to know any of the technical stuff...

Keywords and Business Blogging - Is there such a thing as 'wrong' keywords?

I belong to a very active 'we'alth creation' Google group where people share learnings and knowledge on everything from investing to Internet marketing.  Business blogging and blog marketing is a common topic and I like to offer my two penneth where I can.  Today, someone was asking about blogging and keywords - how much research should she do and are 'wrong' ones a bad thing, as well as general advice on how to structure her blog or blogs in relation to her website.  I ended up writing a far longer response than I intended, but I figured that it was worth sharing with you as it raises a few important points on the subject of keywords - particularly if you are blogging for business, so here's the section of my answer on that topic:

"As for keywords - of course they are very, very important and in the main, I agree with everything Jason is saying, but (and this may cause a few ripples) you can get really (and unnecessarily IMHO) hung up on them and they can, do and will change!  The thing about blogging is that you can assign new keywords each time you post

Buzz Marketing Workshop

I am sooo excited - I've been bursting to tell you about this and now at last I can...

Podcasting expert "Coach Leesa" Barnes is coming over to the UK in March next year and, together, we are producing a unique event on how to use business blogs and podcasts to turbo charge your profits. The Buzz Marketing Workshop will be happening at the prestigious Queens Club in London on  23rd and 24th March 2007. By the end of the 2 days, you, and just 19 other entrepreneurs and small business owners, will:

• Really understand the power and impact of 'social' or 'conversational media' (blogs/podcasts)
• Easily be able to create a 'global micro-brand'
• Know exactly what to do and how - you'll leave with your very own personalised plan
• Be eager to reduce your marketing spend and increase your profits
• Look forward to igniting your sales!

Find out more about the Buzz Marketing Workshop here.

Sophie's Diary

From time to time I find a blog that has nothing at all to do with business or marketing, but that still gets my interest. Yesterday, I learnt about an amazing little girl, eight year old Sophie Huxley. Sophie is receiving treatment for Leukemia and is keeping a blog to stay in touch with friends and well-wishers. Check out Sophie's Dairy - she is a real trooper and an inspiration.

Web Wednesdays

Last night, I went along to a networking event called Web Wednesdays.  I tend not to go to these things as my past experiences of them have not been great, but last night was different...

Philly Richards and Paul Fuggle of TotalBusinessCart.com put me on to this group of 'web workers', so I met up with Philly beforehand and went with an open mind. And I'm so glad I did.  Hats off to co-founders Damien Senn and Rob Anderson who've done a great job of attracting some really great people to their group. Friendly, warm, fun and doing interesting stuff. 'Collaborative hotbed' rather than 'competitive pitchfest'.

If your business is online or uses technology or the web in some way, you might like to come to the next event. The group meets downstairs at the Alphabet Bar in London's Soho on the second Wednesday of each month, so by my reckoning, that's the 13th of December. I am moving house that week, so I'm not sure if I'm going to make it or not. I'll keep you posted and if I can delay the move date til afterwards I will! Check out WebWednesdays.com

UPDATE: Great news... the December meeting is on the 6th December, so I shall go to the ball!

Blog Reader Statistcs

Found some interesting(ish) statistics regarding blog readers today on Typepad's business pages...

Did you know, blog readers are:

• 11% more likely than the average Internet user to have incomes of $75,000 or more
• 30% more likely to live in a household where the head of household is 18-34 years old
• 30% more likely to buy products or services online

No nor me...
Here are more stats in case you are interested