The Tin Shingle Blog - #Blogging

If I had a dollar for every small business I encouraged to create a blog, I'd be getting myself a little "high five" in the form of this sassy little puppy.  But alas, I personally feel like all too often I see companies that aren't taking advantage of this powerful, free and brand-directed business tool.  Don't get me wrong, I, like many of you, feel that if you're not going to do a good job at something you best not do it, and I know that lack of time often makes you think you won't be able to create a blog for your company and run it well.  That said, I believe in business we make time for what is important, a priority and what could bring our company great ROI.  I think for many of you, a blog is one of those things.  As part of my campaign to get you to begin thinking strategically and creatively about a possible blog (or more stratetgic use of your blog if you already have one) I've laid out a few -  well eight reasons (plus bonus one 'cause I love ya) - blogs are one of my favorite buzz building business tools.

What’s the point of having a blog as a business?

1. You can create quality and shareable content that can be passed along to social media, customers and more.
2. You have the power to drive traffic to different parts of your company’s website that you want to give attention to.
3. Having a company or personal blog lets you control and maintain your image.
4. A blog lets companies "pull back the curtain" and show people about who they are.  People love seeing the face or team behind the brand - that can keep them passionate about your business and mission like you won't believe!
5. Helps you improve brand awareness and engagement with current and future customers and clients.
6. Helps new customers & clients find you through key word searches. BAM! That means you're getting buzz while you sleep! Literally!
7. Experts can prove they are valuable source of information. 
8. Newsworthy interviews or content on your blog can lead to pick up in other blogs and media outlets, further growing your brand's visibility, traffic and name recognition!

Bonus idea? You can make content work double time and turn the tips you created for your blog into a service/expert based pitch!  Both ways of sharing your knowledge show you are an industry leader!

I hope I've planted the seed - blogs can be your sercret weapon for public relations, SEO, sales and more! I'm so geeked out about them I'll be back to share more reasons soon along with some of my favorite examples of small business owners like you putting their blog ideas into action.
 

Entrepreneurship can be lonely. And if you're looking for 'friends' there are plenty of networks that you can join. But if you're looking to grow your business, to increase your exposure, to improve your sales, to get more press and to establish your credibility in the marketplace, then Tin Shingle has your back. 

What makes 'PRENUER unique is that we were founded by real experts in the areas of business strategy, marketing, online media, public relations and SEO. We leverage our more than 30 years of collective business experience to give your brand, your company and you the edge you need as a small business owner. 

We don't just send you a list of PR leads and hope for the best, we connect you with the people who are writing the stories that are going to bolster your sales. We don't just tell you that search is important, we actually work our SEO to help improve YOUR site traffic. And we don't just espose business theory, but we give you real concrete guidance and strategic tools that you can use to make an impact in your business.

It's all about real people helping real businesses.

So if your business could use a leg-up, an extra edge and some real solutions, come Tin Shingle with us.

It's a small investment for a lifetime of rewards

Ever wonder if there is another entrepreneur experiencing the same highs and lows, ups and downs, success and challenges that you are?  Ever curious about what the path you’re on looks like, say, one or two years down the road?  We’re guessing you have, and you do, and as entrepreneurs we do the same thing too.  Because of these sentiments, and because of our love of the stories we hear from so many of you on a daily basis, we’re proud to announce our newest blog series launching next week: Diary of a Small Business Owner.

In this series you will follow the stories of three entrepreneurs:

A virtual assistant from Michigan who relaunched last spring after taking some time off to get clear about the kinds of services she wanted to offer and who her ideal client was. It was a much needed break that has proven to be exactly what she needed at the time to kick things into high gear. Things have been taking off ever since she is ready to kick it up another notch and plan some big changes in her business in the very near future including some rebranding and new plans to service people locally and virtually.


 

Two fashion savvy female entrepreneurs – and close friends – from Georgia who designed a pair of must-have “little black pants” that combine fashion and shapewear in a stylish compression garment.  They’re just out of the entrepreneurial gates and are in the launching process, reaching out to editors, sending out samples and running their own DIY PR campaign, learning social media and getting ready to see what the world thinks of their pants!


 

A product designer from New York City who produces problem-solving gear for parents inspired by her own experiences with her children.  A brand that started by accident, it is now currently selling in national retailers while trying to maintain a work-life balance between raising three children and “raising a business”.

You can look for them blogging weekly about their entrepreneurial journey right here on our blog beginning next week as well as follow snippets of scoop to hold you over until the next week via our @collectivee Twitter via the hashtag #smallbizdiary.  
 

I wanted to think of a sassy title for this blog but then I decided forget it, I want you to know exactly what you're getting - great advice from a fellow entrepreneur!  

Tin Shingle member Judy Goss, founder of the Over Forty Female Movement, has a special place in my heart as I not only count her as a friend and colleague, but I've watched her grow as an entrepreneur and leader since I met her a few years ago while she was working at More Magazine.  Since then a lot has changed, and one of her biggest projects (and I'd say fastest successes) was the launch of her website, Over40Females.com.

Why do I see her launch as a great success?  Well beyond the fact that I think any woman (or man) taking a risk, launching a good or service or website and striking out on their own is a success story in itself, Judy launched her website with NO press coverage and on it's second day she had already garnered over 2,000 hits a day (and it's still growing) for this online home to her Over 40 Females Movement.

After I congratulated Judy on the successful launch, I immediately wanted to know "how did you do it?" and my suspicions were fight - a lot of it had to do with her mastery of social media.  I asked Judy for her tips and she obliged.  You can find these tips below.....

How I Got 2,000 Hits on My Website's Second Day Live (without any press), by Judy Goss:

Begin building your fan base and buzz on Facebook & Twitter prior to your launch (for Judy this was months prior).

Always be consistent in your postings, always (try as best you can) answer people when they "@" you or "friend" you, and definitely when they message or direct message you.

Created a Fan Page only for the upcoming website - not a personal page.

While building my website (a good 2-3 wks before launch) I "ramped up" the interest...made a simple blog that I forwarded from my main domain "Over40Females.com".  In other words, when you typed in "www.over40females.com the site would forward to a free wordpress blog, until I got the official site launched.  This kept the buzz building.

While ramping up, I posted things on FB and Twitter that piqued interest like "Professional experts waiting for you on OFF.com" and had a countdown for the launch, etc.
(*note from Sabina: My interest was captured just by trying to figure out what Judy's OFF teasers meant - I wanted to know too!)

When people joined my FB fan page, I thanked as many as I could and mentioned the launch of OFF.com, AND friended all the people that weren't my friends on my personal page.

I made sure to update my Tin Shingle member profile and share the launch with other members and on the website.

At launching time, I emailed my friends who had a lot of members and asked them if they wouldn't mind posting my site on their FB page, Twitter, etc.

Most important thing for social media - be consistent, to the point, and humor & giveaways are the icing on the cake.

Good Karma:  Whoever r helps you out with a Twitter or FB or whatever, make sure you return the favor if you haven't already!! Or at least thank them.

One more thing - if you are a Tin Shingle member and would like to share your story with Judy (first check out the site to see if you're a good fit), send your information to prleads@tinshingle.com and we'll pass it along!  You can also send it along our PR Leads Submission form.