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Where do you blog? The obvious answer is “on my blog,” right? That should only be one answer. The real answer should be, “wherever anyone will let me.” You should be posting your message everywhere like blog grafitti.You do this with a method called guest blogging.

When I suggest this I get one of two responses; “Why would someone let me write in their blog?” and “Why would I want to write for someone else for free?” These questions are often followed by a bunch of other little questions that simply support the idea that they just don’t see the point in guest posting. Guest posting is an easy and most awesome way to get in front of a new audience and possibly grow your own traffic.

So how do you get traffic by guest posting on blogs?

1. Identify blogs that jive with your style

What blogs do you currently read?  Identify what blogs you love the most. You probably read several that are related to your own niche, that’s where you want to get started. If you are part of the audience of that blog then you are also most likely similar to other readers of that blog, who in turn would likely enjoy your blog.

2. Peruse topics previously posted on said blog

Make sure you are super familiar with the blog’s tone, subject and previous topics covered. How can your expertise complement that blog? Is there something that would fit in but isn’t there? Take note of what’s missing or hasn’t been covered but relates to that blog’s niche.

3. Start writing and write well

If you have an idea for a good blog post, simply write it up. Write it for the target audience of a specific blog. Make sure it’s your best stuff however. Don’t be greedy and save it for your own blog. After all, more people will read it on the blog you are hoping to guest post for, right? Make sure you also include a photo to illustrate your topic.

4. Create a great tagline with a link to your site

Write a short summary bio of who you are and where people can find out more about you. This is a great way to get a quality backlink to your site.

5. Pitch the post

Email the owner of your intended blog and let them know you have a blog post written that you would like for them to consider running on their site. Attach the post (and include it in the body of the email in case they can’t open the attachment). Tell them it’s exclusively theirs to use as long as they let you know they are interested in using it within 3 weeks (or whatever time limit you want to set). Tell them that after that time you will assume they are not interested and therefore will pitch it to other bloggers.

6. Put great posts on your site

If your guest post is accepted make sure that you find out the approximate day it will run and post some really awesome stuff on your site that day. You should be posting awesome stuff on your site anyway, but this day put y0ur best effort forward.

7. Reply to comments about the guest post

Be all over your guest post on the day it runs. If anyone posts a comment, reply to them. This is a great chance to interact with potential readers.

8. Repeat often

Guest post anywhere someone will let you. Readers will start seeing you everywhere and the thinking will generally be that you must be somebody, that you are an authority on your subject. Soon you’ll have your own readership base and people will be asking you to guest post.

Shelly Cone is a journalist, public relations professional, and press release writer. She is also the owner of Beach Betty Public Relations, a California lifestyle design company offering press release services, media relations and collaborative marketing events to help you design your life by growing your business.

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By now, it’s pretty common knowledge that having a blog is good for business. It is. But why stop there? A blog can be used as a very straightforward tool or it can be used to annihilate the competition. Or, depending on your aggression level, leave them in the dust. When you plan is internet domination for your keyword or industry then one blog just won’t do. You need to get vertical.

How to dominate your market with niche blogs

Chances are your product or service can have multiple uses. One of my clients sells a product that keeps ice from forming under boat docks in the winter. That same product is also used by duck hunters to open up holes in the ice of a frozen pond. Another product they have prevents condensation in boats that are covered up in the winter. That same product is used for keeping mold and mildew from forming in RVs, cabin closets and gun safes. When you can identify other uses for your product or services then you will start to see vertical markets that you haven’t taken advantage of — yet.

At the heart of my business is writing. I’m a writer when you boil it all down. But I have three distinct markets I deal in. I have a market with internet marketers who are great at selling but not so good at the writing part. I provide the content they need to sell their products. However, I also cater to small and mid-sized businesses. Same thing. They are good at their business, they outsource the rest. But I also have a market in other public relations companies. Larger PR firms specialize in media campaign strategy that I don’t deal in, so they often outsource the writing work and concentrate on the real hand-holding and complex marketing that big corporations need. These are merely the three markets I choose to engage, there are many more out there that I could target if I really had the time.

If you sit down and think about it there are probably several markets that you haven’t even thought about breaking into. Identify those markets and start blogs in each.

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Let’s break it down step by step

1. If you sell flowers, along with your company blog, start a Wedding Flowers blog. Focus it on everything you ever wanted to know about choosing flowers for your wedding.

2. Make a list of about 50 different blog posts you could write. Don’t worry about writing them now just list the topics. For example, “Choosing flowers for a winter wedding,” “The top 10 wedding flower trends of 2010″ “Flower meanings” “Silk vs. fresh flowers” etc.

3. Start writing or hire someone to write them. Try eLance or oDesk for freelancers that can write those first 50 articles for you.

4. Buy a domain as close to the subject as possible. It should have nothing to do with your company name. So in this case it will be “Wedding Flowers” or “Wedding Flowers Ideas”.

5. Slap together a pretty generic blog that focuses on the content of the blog posts. You can pretty it up but you really want it to serve as a valuable tool for visitors not necessarily sell to them or get them lost in widgets and gadgets.

6. Link to your blog. Within the posts link to other helpful blogs and websites (not competition) but also link to your main website. You can do this with a blogroll but you really want to link to it within the posts. Don’t be overzealous, but do sprinkle in the links when you can. For instance the posts all talk about wedding flowers but say you mention something about finding flowers to match your wedding dress. Link “wedding dress” to a bridal shop or an article about finding wedding dresses and link the words “wedding flowers” to your own company site.

7. Schedule the 50 posts on the site and then get started on the next 50. You want to keep your site updated as much as you do your main site or blog.

8. Identify the next market, maybe it’s funerals, maybe it’s a series of seasonal sites (Christmas, Valentines Day etc.) that posts hard and heavy during that particular season, and repeat the steps above for that market.

To gain total control of your market you want to reach your customers from various directions, give them the help they need and be there for them when they are ready to buy.

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When you’re dealing with an online business it’s easy to stay safely invisible behind your computer and let your business do the talking. Sometimes people who feel uncomfortable selling or networking offline start businesses online because they believe there is anonymity in cyberspace. They are right to an extent, but to see real gains in your business or in brand recognition you’ve got to get out there and be social. Yes, I’m talking network, same as you would do in the offline world. You’ve got to pound the pavement so to speak, except that you’re pounding bandwidth.

The benefits of social networking for online businesses

1. You will gain traffic–Traffic is good for business. The more traffic the better right? By getting out there and getting to know people interested in your particular niche you will attract them to your site as well. Visit blogs related to your business. Leave genuine comments or add to the conversation. Interact with your business’ Facebook fans. Make sure you are active on your own blog as well promptly responding to comments and questions. The more you reach out the more people will start looking for you.

2. You will build brand recognition–When you start networking online it’s like you are leaving a cyber calling card everywhere you go. Suddenly people are seeing you on Facebook then they are seeing you commenting on one of their favorite blogs. Then they see you on another blog. All of a sudden it seems like you are everywhere. Your brand will stick in their minds and it becomes recognizable. The best part is you didn’t have to shell out big bucks for advertising.

3. It’s free–Like I said, you don’t have to spend advertising dollars to use social networking to your advantage. It’s completely free. The only thing you have to invest is your time.

How to maximize your social networking time

Of course, you do still have a business to run and you can’t be a social butterfly all day long. So you maximize the time you spend social networking with a strategy. You want to make the biggest social network impact in the shortest amount of time.

1. Identify related blogs–This could be blogs that are competition. Well you definitely want to check out what the competition is doing but you can also want to find blogs that relate to your industry. So if you sell silk flowers maybe you want to hang around some bridal blogs. Right? Just like you would do in the offline world. Identify 10 blogs/businesses whose radar you’d like to cross and start networking. Comment on their blogs, add valuable comments.

2. Find out where your customers are socializing–Where are your customers going for information. If they are going to bridal websites or forums that offer resources or tips that’s the perfect place for you to hang around and contribute. Offer to guest post something about your industry, like “Why silk flowers are a better choice for your winter wedding.” The important thing is to find out what sites your customers are visiting and be there. They’ll see you.

3. Set aside a finite period each day to  participate in social networking–Maybe it’s just an hour a day, maybe it’s two, but be consistent. Another approach is to set a goal for the number of comments you want to leave or how many tweets and retweets you want to post. Start out by promising to visit 5 blog sites and leaving five valuable comments a day. Then adjust from there.

The internet makes it easier to be even more social than offline marketing does. It may seem overwhelming at first but setting a plan and getting social can reap big rewards for your business.

There is one space on the Internet that every business owner covets–The top section of the first search engine results page. There is one easy way to get there and it doesn’t even require a website. Claim your Google Places Page.

You want to claim your Google Places Page to get killer results in local search engine listings. For example if someone is looking for a flower shop in San Luis Obispo Google will often show a listing of several local flower shops next to a map of where they are located. These listings appear usually below the sponsored listings but above organic search results. This is prime search engine results page real estate!

The best part of it is that you don’t even need to have a website.

How to claim your Google Places Page

Simply go to Google Places

Click on “List Your Business”

Enter your phone number to see if you business is already listed. If it isn’t you’ll be given the opportunity to list details, like your address, hours of operation, etc., But you’ll also get to enter up to 10 photos and up to five YouTube videos about your business. This is a great way to enhance the listing. Your can include pictures of your storefront, your products or videos demonstrating your product or just introducing your services.

Once you’ve entered your information Google will call you (or you can opt for a postcard, which takes a few days) to provide you with a pin number. Enter that pin number on the screen to validate that you are the business owner. Then in about a day your listing will appear in the Google Places map.

The very best part about this is that few business owners are taking advantage of this free way to draw attention to their business. Maybe you’ll be the first in your city. If you have questions about the best way to enhance your Google Places Page, give me a call or drop me a line at beachbettypr@verizon.net

Is the press release dead? You know what I’m going to say. However, there was actually a declaration made by Simon Dumenco at AdvertisingAge yesterday that the press release is officially dead.

And why? Because celebrity reporters have turned to Twitter to get real time news. Also JetBlue skipped an official press release about its flight attendant melt-down situation and instead posted to Twitter. The article also points out how BP issued a formal press release apology but didn’t go to Twitter therefore leaving themselves wide open.

I’m thinking this guy has never been a real reporter. Reporters–even the millennial type–rely on press releases. Twitter is fine and I’m all over social media for my Beach Betty PR clients. But for my job as a reporter I still rely on press releases. Twitter and other forms of social media are wonderful for quick consumable soundbites and celebrity real-time news that quickly reports on the fact that Lindsey Lohan picked her nose, then moves to what she’s eating at lunch.

Social media is also great for networking with reporters and pitching them a story. However, unless you are feeding them a groundbreaking, juicy tidbit, most reporters are going to want the long version. I get inundated all day long with emails pitching a story. Usually they are one or two lines asking “Would you be interested in a story about …” To which I reply, “Send me a press release.” Why? Because no matter how poorly they are written, I don’t want to waste my time tracking down every possible story idea that more times than not is going to be about someone’s enchilada bake sale. I want the details. I want to know why it’s important that I stop working on the story I’m writing and talk to someone about their story idea.

Again, this goes for most story pitches and announcements. Not all of them. The really groundbreaking news never comes in the form of a press release. Then again, the really groundbreaking news doesn’t happen with great frequency.

Here are few reasons why the press release is still relevant:

1. It gives reporters easy access to the facts, the who, what, where, when and why
2. Reporters are too busy to track down every vague lead. A press release gives us something more to go on.
3. It lets us decide how newsworthy the story idea or pitch is. Sometimes stories are turned away because the person pitching the story emphasized something that the reporter didn’t think was important while neglecting to mention the item the reporter thinks is the true story. Having all the facts lets us decide.
4. Having contact information available lets us know that it’s probably credible, especially after we verify it. A social media post is too easily manipulated by anonymous sources.
5. A press release is a means for the little announcements to get noticed. You may not be a high-profile celebrity, let’s face it you probably aren’t, but you still want some attention for your newsworthy item. Do you think some big-time reporter is going to jump on it because you tweeted about it? No. Because he is watching Lindsey pick her nose. A press release across his desk is a tangible, physical thing, that in a world of social media stands out because it’s different. Different but definitely not dead.

Social networking doesn’t happen in a vacuum. You really need to get out there and be social. To that end, I think steering people from your website to your blog, your blog to your Facebook account and your Facebook account to your Twitter account is a great way to help grow that sphere. Directing people to your other social sites is pretty easy with badges and widgets. One that I like is the Twitter Widget.

The Twitter Widget as I have on the right hand side of my blog offers a peek into what you are doing on Twitter. It displays your latest few posts right there for anyone to see. You can opt to either display the box on your website or on Facebook. You can also personalize the appearance of your Widget box and you can choose whether to display your posts, your favorite tweets, search results for a certain keyword or your favorite tweeps.

To get it go to www.Twitter.com/widgets

• Then select whether you want a widget for your site or Facebook.
• Select the type of widget you want.
• Then personalize your preferences and appearance, and even the size.
• Click Test Settings.
• Then click on Finish and Grab Code.
• Post that code to your website’s homepage.

Pretty easy but it gives you yet another way to be social. Have fun with it.

One of the things I do for clients who hire me to write their press releases is submit it to online press release submission sites. When you submit to these sites you usually have the option to submit for free or to pay to have upgraded service. This could mean that your press release gets looked at and approved in a speedier fashion or it could be that you get to add hyperlinks or it could mean preferred placement. It all depends on the online submission site and the level of service you are willing to buy.

That’s the key. You’ve already spent money for press release writing and for someone to actually take the time to submit it to each online submission site and now you are looking at paying to upgrade the ranking of your press release. Are you willing to spend your money for one of the premium press release submission services or should you stick with the free press release submission?

For the most part, I think the free online press release submission service is sufficient for most small business needs. I say that because for the most part your announcement probably won’t be Earth shattering. I’m being honest here, not in any way trying to make small of your company but let’s take a look at your marketing goals. If you are a small or mid-sized business, more than likely you are announcing something like a new product line, an additional store, new employees, maybe some awards you’ve received. Your target is a slim slice of the Internet pie, the slice that can use your products, the slice that needs your product but may not be aware of your products. Your target is not everyone on the Internet.

Since you have a target audience it should make the most sense to actually target them, right? So while you do want to get your name out there as much as you can, you want to spend your money on efforts that actually directly reach your target demographic. I don’t believe online submission sites do that effectively. You can pay to have your press release moved up to a higher position but you are still filed under a category that may be a little vague and may be hard to find you.

Getting your press release out there is still effective however, but as part of your overall marketing campaign. It will still help you turn up in search engines — even if it’s a free submission — and help people who are searching via your keywords, find you.  After all, that organic Getting your press release out there is still effective however, but as part of your overall marketing campaign. It will still help you turn up in search engines — even if it’s a free submission — and help people who are searching via your keywords, find you.  After all, that organic traffic is ultimately what you want, right?

The way people use the term public relations often varies significantly, I’ve found. Some businesses  will talk about their public relations plan and will instruct their employee to do ad buys, others will be referring to press releases, others will talk about putting flyers on cars.

Public relations is just that, getting word out to the public about your brand. That can be anyway you see fit. The operative word here is “relations” and you need to build them. And that is specifically what public relations is about.

Often I get clients who ask about how their public relations plan will translate into increased sales. While there are all sorts of metrics to measure that, the focus really is on building relationships with the public, with customers and building name brand recognition. After that the sales will come and they will be repeat sales because they will be coming from loyal customers.

How does social media fit in to that? Social media is another way to reach those customers. Whether your customers are solely online or mostly off you should include social media as part of your overall public relations campaign. It’s simply another way to increase your relationships with customers. And it’s a free way at that.

What different ways are you reaching out to build relationships with your customers?

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If you are Tiger Woods or Jesse James and you’ve just had an affair, that bad publicity will probably only mildly tarnish your image but on the flip side it highlights that badboy image. If you are a former Disney starlet looking to drop your good girl image let a few sexting incidents or nude pictures taken on your cell phone leak and the hubbub is actually good for business.

Most businesses don’t operate in the same realm as Hollywood hotties. Negative publicity can be bad for business, so monitoring your brand becomes crucial. And the easiest way to monitor your brand is on the Internet. At the very least you should be doing a Google search of your name and business name. Set up Google Alerts to let you know when your name has been mentioned in cyberspace. You can also go over to Social Mention Alerts and do the same. If you aren’t participating in social networks (first of all shame on you) then you should at least be monitoring them.

You can search for your name on Twitter via keyword or hashtag.

Backtype.com and Cocomment.com can help you keep track of comments that mention your brand on blogs.

Yahoo!Pipes will email you alerts about what you are interested in.

Sites like Boardtracker.com and Boardreader.com will keep you informed of comments about your brand left on message boards.

Google Sidewiki is a toolbar that allows web surfers to leave comments that are attached to your website and can be seen by anyone else with a Google Sidewiki toolbar when they visit your site.

If you are tracking comments and you find something damaging is being spread about your brand how do you manage it?

Try to address any negative comments by engaging the person who made the post. You want to make that person feel like their complaint is being addressed and other readers to see that you are addressing it, but you don’t want to start an ongoing finger-pointing war or you risk damaging your brand further. If the comments are serious consider addressing the issue offline.

If there are many negative comments it can be useful. Analyze the comments to see if there is a common thread. Maybe there is a failure in your customer service department. Or maybe a defect in one of your products. Finding that commonality and fixing the problem you can then go back and publicize the fact that your customers spoke and you listened.

Heading off bad publicity can help you keep customers loyal and all it takes is a little monitoring and prompt attention to diffuse negative matters.

I was recently working on a blog I started for a client of mine. Since it’s new it has a small readership as of yet. And so logging in to the admin area and creating posts is kind of a lonely feeling. There is something cold and strange about it, and so I am always happy to get back to this one, and even more so to my personal blog These Are the Salad Years. It’s not just this client’s blog. I also have another client like that, as well as another blog I’m starting for my other business venture.

It’s strange to just put something out there in cyberspace. It’s strange to log in to your Dashboard and feel like you are a one man show. But it also reminds me of the early days of both my blogs. It’s normal to question why you are even bothering to blog. Whether your website will even draw traffic and why anyone would even care. But that’s simply a hurdle to get over. Every blogger out there–every single one, including the biggies–started out feeling like they were simply dumping their thoughts into some void. Maybe they didn’t hold that belief for long, but I guarantee that with those first keystrokes in that very first blog post that’s what they were thinking.

There is only one cure for that lonely feeling: be social. Yeah, seems obvious huh, but how often are you social? Is it enough? If you still have that lonely feeling and you’ve been blogging for some time, then you aren’t being social enough. Getting out there will do two things: first it will take the lonely out of you, and two it will drive traffic to your site.

Every blogger has felt the way you do about your early blog efforts, but what separates the big guys who aren’t lonely from the newbies who are, is their persistence and their level of social networking. So get your post done and get out there already!