This DIY Publicity Blog is One-Year-Old Today and One of the Best Initiatives I’ve Launched to Build My Own Buzz

Have you been wondering about launching your own blog?  Are people telling you you should?  Does the word “BLOG” make your eyes glaze over because you can’t possibly take on another new initiative to build the buzz about your own business when you already have so many pots on the stove?

These were the questions I was pondering well over a year ago as people I liked, trusted, and respected continued to tell me that blogging would be a powerful tool to spread the DIY publicity message.  It wasn’t until Michelle Price of A Third Mind spoke in very plain terms to me that she really caught my attention.  She said that without a blog, one arm of my potential success would be tied behind my back.

Something about that plain talk struck me right between the eyes and compelled me to get into action. With Michelle’s help,  this blog launched one year ago today.  Since that time, I have made 247 posts within 19 categories.  I have received 132 comments.  Webalizer reports show that unique site visits have grown from 2,598 in September of 2007 to 12,017 as of August of 2008.

The blog is enabled with e-commerce and makes it easy for my readers to register for upcoming Publici-Tea™ Workshops, purchase Media-Savvy-to-Go information products, sign up for my Media-Savvy-to-Go ezine, and sign up to receive my blog posts by Real Simple Syndication (RSS Feed.)

Most importantly,  I have a powerful avenue at my fingertips by which to share my readers’ DIY publicity success stories, offer tips and resources to empower their success, offer insights and stories that inspire more DIY publicity success, and share what is on my mind with immediacy.

Have I received multiple invitations to speak as a result of the blog? Yes.

Have I been invited to participate in joint ventures with nationally recognized PR experts from other parts of the country as a result of the blog? Yes.

Have I sold more products and invited more event guests to my events as a result of the impact of the blog? Yes.

Is my business earning more money and gathering more influence as a result of the blog? Yes and Yes.

And these are just the tip-of-the-iceberg benefits I’ve enjoyed over the last year.

The media are changing every day.  I am jumping into new media with both feet and having more success with greater ease, even though “tech savvy” is not my middle name.

Am I glad to have launched my DIY publicity blog? Absolutely.  Do I think you should, too?  Only you can decide.   When the timing and opportunity are perfect and you can make your own best case about why now is the perfect time to jump in, you will.

Be clear about what you want the blog to accomplish.  Support that mission with every post you make.  Post regularly — at least 3-5 times a week.  Add visuals to lend interest to your words.  Have some fun, and make a difference in only the way that you can.

As for me, I am going to keep blogging.   Thanks to Michelle Price to kicking me in the behind to get going on this powerful initiative.  Thanks to all of you who continue to read my posts and offer your comments, share your DIY publicity success stories, and track back to my posts.

My audience is growing, and the best is yet to come.  Thanks for tuning in.  Thanks for lettings others you know that DIY publicity support is waiting for them right here at Main Street Media Savvy.  My enthusiasm to serve is high, and I can’t wait to see what happens as a result of the blog in Year 2.

Want to Blog About Eastside Life? Here’s an Opportunity

Eastside Business is a newspaper that serves business owners in the Bellevue area. The cover story is about The Village Bellevue — a fantastic new co-working space that is serving small business owners on the Eastside in a very winning way. I host my Bellevue Publici-Tea™ Workshops there just about monthly, and the setting is just perfect to invite connection, collaboration, and great publicity ideas.

The August issue announces that the Eastside Life community blog is looking for bloggers from all backgrounds to blog about what interests them. Here is a great opportunity to blog about entrepreneurism, small business, networking, women in business, health and wellness, technology, or anything that interests you and that would be of interest to others. You can join for FREE at this link or write to blog@TheEastsideLife.com for more information.

By the way, seats are filling fast for the August 15 Publici-Tea™ in Tacoma, the September 10 event in Portland, and the September 12 event in Bellevue.   If you have been toying with the idea of making a reservation, don’t wait too long.   These events are kept to 15 or fewer people to invite great connections, collaboration, and DIY publicity inspiration.   Don’t miss out.  Register to attend today.

The Hot Tub Bliss Blog is “Live” and Ready to Inspire You

Blogs have fast become powerful venues through which to share ideas, inspire action, and build community. Today, Alice Cunningham, co-owner of Olympic Hot Tub Company, launches her new blog at www.HotTubBliss.com. I invite you to check it out and explore the journey from “ahhhh” to “aha” you can experience by jumping into the hot tub way of life with both feet. And consider sharing a comment, compliment, or idea about how your hot tub has made a difference in your life. Alice has mentioned that customers are vocal and enthusiastic about the impact their hots tubs have on the quality of their lives. Now, they have an easy way to share their stories, connect with Alice, and build a community of advocates for the hot tub way of life. Alice is proud that hers is the first blog dedicated to creating hot tub evangelists all over the world. Now, that is thinking big! Alice intends to post to her blog several times each week, and her own enthusiasm for this powerful way to share her message is high.

Have you considered launching a blog of your own to bring your particular brand of magic to an to the World “Live” Web? If you’d like a special report prepared by Blogging Expert and Founder of Delegate Now Betsy Talbot, send me an email at nancy@nsjmktg.com, and I’ll send her “Blogging from Start to Finish” report your way. By the way, Betsy Talbot will be among the fabulous co-presenters at the August 15 Publici-Tea™ Half-Day Workshop in Tacoma from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Learn more and sign up now at this link.

And, here’s to more “ahhhs” and “ahas” for all of us.

Blog Your Way to Greater Influence in Just 15 Minutes a Day - Actionable Tips from Publicity Hound Joan Stewart

Now that blogging is an essential element of my own buzz building strategy, I visit the blogs of some of my most respected colleagues in the world of free publicity to see what I can learn and find new ways to contribute. I’ve been invited to participate in webinars and teleclasses as a result of my own blogging efforts, and I’ve received a number of invitations to speak. What I notice the most is how dramatically blog traffic continues to grow as I contribute to the conversations taking place on the World Live Web. Web traffic has increased five-fold since my blog launched in September of 2007.

If you are serious about building the buzz for your own expertise and business, I invite you to get into action to enjoy similar benefits. To make it easy, here is a link to an excellent article by Publicity Hound Joan Stewart that outlines how blogging for 15 minutes a day can deliver powerful dividends for expanding your influence and building the buzz.

For many of us, blogging is a brave new world. I don’t claim to understand it. But I have experienced the benefits and am convinced of the value. The most important thing to keep in mind is the mission you intend to accomplish by blogging so that every post you make supports that mission. In my case, I am on a mission to empower business owners everywhere with useful tips and resources to support their do-it-yourself publicity success. Every post I make at this blog and the blogs of others is related to this mission. I am contributing to others’ success, and my own growing success is a reflection of that commitment. I am sure there is plenty more to understand about blogging, but by focusing on the basics, meaningful rewards are flowing to my business. When you jump into the blogging pool with a similar commitment of your own, you will experience the benefits for yourself. Please do, and share your success with me here so others can be inspired to follow your lead.