I have been so inspired by Mitch Joel over at Twist Image.  He has started publishing a list of links that he finds interesting on his blog.  The point of it is that if he finds it interesting then others might too.  And it’s true!  I find so many of the items that Mitch links to quite fascinating.  So, I thought, I read a lot and I’m sure my blog audience does so as well.  Now, I’ve decided to put up my own link or two. 

This week I’m starting with this one that I found within the 10 Business Models that Rocked 2010 link on Mitch’s blog.  Ok, I know technically Mitch found it but it has become my favorite link this week.

My favorite link is called Quirky.com. 

Have you ever had an idea for a new product to solve some problem you’re having?  I know I have and then I just sit there with that idea so frustrated because I know it can work but I need help and feedback.  Well, Quirky is just the place to get help or help someone else out with their new idea and make money too.  Nifty!

I tell you, that Mitch Joel is like my Oprah.  I really listen to him.  Another thing he does on his site is a list of books that he thinks should be read.  I read a lot of books too.  In fact, Six Pixels of Separation, was a favorite of mine last year. 

The book I’m reading now is called Content Rules, by Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman. 

Has anyone else read this book? 

Well, I got so stuck on the Quirky site that it is the only one I’m listing this week but check back now, you hear.

What are your recommendations for links and books that  are a must read?

1. Content is king.  People have questions and you have answers.  Plus, the search engines love variety.  When you post frequently, your SEPR (search engine page results) will continue to rise.
2. Blogs are interactive.  When you have interesting, educational, entertaining, or inspiring posts, people will respond at length.  This creates conversation of a caliber that doesn’t happen anywhere else other than eye to eye networking.
3. As a blogger, you become an author. There’s no need to get a publishing house involved.  You publish your own material and your reach is just as far as any established author.  As people get to know you through what you write about, you’ll gain a fan base.
4. Blogging helps you to develop your reputation as an expert in the industry.  Why should your friends and family be the only ones to benefit from your deep knowledge of your trade? Share it with the world. We used to say that everyone is only separated by 6 degrees, now it’s 2 or 3.
5. Links are love.  Linking is when another site actually puts your URL on their site in some way.  Maybe another blogger links to something you wrote in their blog post or perhaps your blog shows up on another blog’s roll.  Also, whenever you comment on someone else’s blog that links you to them.  So, getting linked to high traffic, high quality sites improves your chances of being found too.

I hope this helps you make the decision to start blogging today.  What are your questions about getting started and developing strategy for blogging?

In today’s market, every business knows that blogging is a very effective tool to use for finding and converting more leads through inbound (online) strategies. No matter whether a company is B2B or B2C, blogging can help reach more people who will turn into leads to be converted. 

So, why does blogging continue to be so important for businesses these days?

First, blogging generates more leads.

 A lead is someone who comes to your site and leaves their information.  Blogs provide a great reason why someone would want to visit a company’s site again. The more the visitor returns, the more opportunity the company has to convert them for whatever goal.

 Source: State of Inbound Marketing Lead Generation Report – http://bit.ly/cVMpkn

Second, blogs do well with the search engines.

That is active blogging does well.  Search engines are looking for new, fresh content that matches what the searcher wants.  Blogs are easy to update so there can always be delicious content for hungry little web crawlers.  A website is standard, but it should include a blog so that it does not become stagnate.  There is no dyed in the wool standard number of times to update a blog that stands out as the magic number for being findable with the search engines.  So active could be once an hour or once a month.  The key is to be consistent.  

Third, and perhaps the biggest benefit of blogs, is that they provide visibility.

We are talking mainly about blogging for business but it is fair to say that individuals could benefit from blogging as well.  After all, we all have a story to tell and if we do not tell it, someone else will.  In the past, it was a little harder for others to spread stories about us or our company.  The storytellers had to have enough influence themselves before the story spreaders like journalists and news reporters would even pay attention. Today, anyone who wants can put up a blog, video, newsletter, etc, and actually gain attention very quickly because of the internet and search engines. 

Blogging increases the chances of being an expert in your subject or industry.  Even if you work as a clerk in the payroll department, there are many aspects of what you do that brings others to you when they have questions.  The same goes for the CEO or entrepreneur.  When you are already telling others who you are and what you know, the storytellers job becomes more difficult as they have to revamp what people already believe.

Here are three best practices that you could adopt to make your blogging strategy more effective.

Make good use of the sidebar.  Do you have a fan page?  Then put a badge in the side bar and tie the two together.  The same goes for Twitter.  This is a good place to put video such as a welcome message for your readers.  The goal is to create interest or perhaps invite your readers to other relevant sites.  So, don’t overload the sidebar just try to have a plan for what you put there.

Increase your activity.  There’s nothing worse than going to a blog, enjoying it, then coming back time after time for nothing.  Make a commitment to blog on a regular basis.  Readers and search engines will love it.

Ask others to be guest bloggers on your blog.  This is a great way to increase the activity on your blog without it becoming an increased burden for the blogger.  One word of caution though, be very selective about who you accept because this person will now be linked to you. 

Blogging may not be for every business or individual, however, because of  it’s highly positive impact, it should be seriously considered and not summarily dismissed as a great tool for finding and converting leads that meet your desired goals.

Here’s another reason why I am super excited about the internet and social media.  I found out about the New Media Atlanta Conference online while I was surfing the web.  So why was one of my favorite people in the social media game right now, Chris Brogan, speaking?  Because he’s great!  At least I like his way of being very real when talking about social media.  His book, Trust Agents, is a New York Times bestseller.  In the book, he talks about how to be human from a distance.  This is what I say too, you know, that one of the big points of social media is to just be social.

Anyway, I was bummed because by the time I found out about the conference in Atlanta, it had already started at 8:30 that same morning.  But alas, here is why I love Web 2.0 and the internet and social media.   Because of it, I don’t really have to miss anything!  And you don’t either!The guys over at Run Level Media videoed his talk so I got to hear it today.  I’m stoked simply because of the speed in which they put this info up and the way in which news can really bypass all the traditional ways that we have depended upon in the past.  So I didn’t have to wait (or hope) for a major newspaper or TV news to tell me what happened. 

You can listen to the Chris Brogan Speaks at New Media Atlanta video, however, it is the full session and it is rather long.  So here are a few tidbits that I got from listening:

• Although traditional marketing tools and tactics have not gone out of style, it is important that you answer the social media call
• Social Media shouldn’t be easy, it’s not a magic bullet
• Start using social media tools and tacticts early like now rather than later; like job hunting, it’s easier to find a job when you have one
• Cultivate your database; fill it up with diverse contacts; if all your contacts are in your same industry then if it sinks you are in the same boat with people who can’t help because they are drowning too
• Very important – talk more about others than yourself in the social realm; connect people to others who will benefit them and freely share; it’ll all come back to you

Chris if very funny and interesting.  For this very important conference though, I believe he toned down his language, somewhat.  Atlanta is the South after all.  We have to watch our manners.   Be that as it may, he does know a lot about marketing and social media and he’s not afraid to share.