Monitor conversations about your brand, and join them to your advantage.

A recent article in CNN Money’s Small Business section acknowledged the power of consumer-generated content. I always read blog posts and customer reviews before trying a new product or service.

Are people talking about your small business? Do you have any control over what’s being said?

Check out John Curran’s article: Track what your customers say about you.

And after that, set up a Google Alert for your brand to monitor the conversations…

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1. 24 Quick Fixes to Get Your Customers to Buy Online

• Log in to your Facebook account.
• Near the top right side of the page, go into “Settings > Application Settings.”

• Click on “Notes.”

• Click on the “Import a blog” link.

• Enter the blog feed where it says ‘enter URL’ and click  ’Start importing’. (Figure out what your blog RSS feed URL is here. Or, you may just enter your blog’s URL — like www.mindspringdesign.com/blog/)

• Preview the content and then confirm.

Hope this helps!

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1. Get Website & Graphics Tips for your Small Business via RSS Feed
2. Does My Small Business Need a Blog?
3. Think Twitter is for the Birds? Think Again!

A pro blogger:

• Posts a couple of times per day (I know not all will agree with this one, it really depends on the nature of the blog)
• Posts lots of pictures (where applicable)
• Writes about a popular, niche market, filling a need for information
• Invites other voices/writers on the blog
• Holds contests and giveaways
• Stays up-to-date on the industry buzz, even attending/participating in professional events
• Develops series of posts that can be repeated with new information (informational series, story-telling series, tutorial series, etc.)
• Has personality
• Invites comments
• Invites photo submissions and stories
• Shares personal emotions, experiences, thoughts and mistakes
• Has many different, appealing categories listed in the sidebar
• Is a cheerleader for her supporters and views information sharing as a labor of love
• Coins her own terms, gaining an internet following and building a brand
• Stays mainly positive in tone

This is what I’ve noticed about this successful blogger. I will remain a loyal reader until she stops posting — who knows what valuable beauty tips I’ll miss if I don’t! Hopefully you can use some of her blogging secrets to breathe life into your blog.

Let me know what works for you…

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1. Does My Small Business Need a Blog?

Many small businesses are using social media (like Facebook, Twitter, and blogs) to drive sales. One firm has their sales targeted to reach $1 million this year.

Here are a few excerpts:

Two-thirds of all online users visit social networks and blogs, according to data from Nielsen Online.

There’s no better reference than your friends telling you about something. It’s that exact interaction that happens on Facebook

Read the entire article here.

Mindspring Design can help you to establish and design your blog, and link your website to Twitter and Facebook accounts.

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1. Recommended Reading: Hubspot’s Internet Marketing Blog