What Clients Say

Want proof that content marketing with blogging pays off? Here are a few client testimonials…

Bud Bilanich is The Common Sense Guy.  He was also one of The Blog Squad’s early blogging clients.  It was some time in 2005 that we set up Bud’s blog www.CommonSenseGuy.com on TypePad.com. Bud took to blogging like a duck to water.

Bud Bilanich sent us a copy of an chapter he is contributing to a book called One Great Idea. His great idea is that he decided to use a blog to brand himself and his business. And he credits The Blog Squad for teaching him everything he knows about blogging. 🙂

Bud says:

As a small business owner whose brand is me, I have recognized the importance of personal branding. I am a keynote speaker, executive coach, organization effectiveness consultant, and author. I am my business; therefore, my brand needs to speak for me.

…it’s my blogs that have helped me the most with my branding efforts. When I decided to begin blogging, I went to the experts, The Blog Squad.  They helped me set up my www.CommonSenseGuy.com blog on TypePad. 

This blog, and another one I added, helps me reinforce my common sense message everyday.

Bud’s blogs have helped him gain international exposure, get more consulting jobs, attract more speaking gigs, and develop joint venture partnerships. What more can we say? Every business, big or small can benefit from the branding potential of a blog.

Bud has given us permission to share his article. Download Branding by Blogging and learn more about Bud Bilanich’s success using a blog to build his business.

Blog Commenting: A Testimonial that It Works!

Recently Tim Wright completed our Law of Action mentoring program. He
was kind enough to share some of his blogging success with us…

YOU ROCK!

I’ve followed as much of your advice as time (and the rest of my
business and life) allows. Most significant, thus far, has been that
I’ve relentlessly posted comments on blogs comparable to mine.

I’m having separate phone conversations w/ the two bloggers I admire
most, of those whose blogs I’ve left comments. I see all sorts of
interview, shared article, blog cross-fertilization, and teleseminar
possibilities in our future.

Did I already say YOU ROCK?

Both conversations went divinely. We shared common interests, compared
and contrasted our expertise, and ventured into the
how-can-we-help-one-another-be-more-successful area. I already foresee
tele-interviews to increase our mutual visibility and credibility and
probably to initiate shared product.

Additionally, I’ve been, thanks to my blog and the 3-posts-a-week
advice, invited into a strong and getting stronger subject area
community that will substantially increase my blog’s visibility.

Tim Wright, Culture to Engage Blog

Blogs Build Your Business: You Want More Proof?

Later, Tim sent another email letting us know about more success he attributes to blogging:

The good news just keeps on happenin’!

Thanks to my three-a-week commitment and a number of your other recommended tactics (like commenting on others’ blogs, joining cyber neighborhoods and networks, spicing up the titles, working on keywords and phrases), I had this great thing occur y’day:

An e-mail from an online company that does audio conferences to educate the HR market. They needed a stand in for an audio conference scheduled for next Wednesday. When they started searching (God bless Google!), my Culture to Engage blog appeared.

Result? I’m standing in next Wednesday and I’m offering an audio conference all my own the day before.

And is it remunerative? (Or as my granddad would say, “Does it bring in the bucks?”)
You betcha.

One audio conference: $750.
Affiliate to sell their follow-up “hard” product: 20%
Visibility among their audience: priceless.

Have I said lately, “You ROCK!”?
Tim Wright, Culture to Engage Blog

Chris Baggott on Business Blogging

Last week we spoke with Chris Baggott about search engine optimization and business blogs (audio and transcript available). Overall the response was excellent, though a couple of bloggers didn’t like the “corporate” approach of using a blog to generate leads. 

Chris sent us this comment:

I just wanted to thank you both for a great session last week. Your questions were insightful and I really appreciate your open-mindedness for some of these new concepts.

A successful relationship requires direct communication. To get the right to build a relationship with a customer or prospect you have to first be found, second build credibility that a relationship with you will add value to the prospect or customer. Blogging is spectacular for this stage of the relationship.

From that point however 99% of the time that relationship is going to evolve to leverage some other medium…which might include face-to-face, email, telephone or even paper based things like catalogs.

You guys are a perfect case to show that a successful blogging program shouldn’t be measured by the number of comments…but from the amount of traffic and conversions.

Thanks again,

Chris Baggott, CEO
Compendium Blogware
Related post:
SEO Blogging vs. Community

GolfAsian Blog: 3 Years Old & Still Posting

Just have to share this email (with permission of course) that arrived in our email box last night, from client Mark Siegel. We frequently point to Mark Siegel’s business blog success when we present to groups and we love that he sends us unsolicited progress reports from time to time. Here’s Mark’s latest business blog success story…

Hi Denise and Patsi,

The Thailandgolfzone is 3 years old today and still remains the single best investment I have made in marketing and client communications, by a long mile. From your excellent set-up work and encouragement my blog has grown to over 387 posts (and counting), generated new leads that resulted in $2,000,000 US dollars (yes 2 Million!) in new business, and even catapulted me into becoming the “Thailand Golf Guru.”

For the latter I have been asked to write for Asian Golf Monthly, a major golf publication here, invited to speak on golf tourism at the Asian Golf Business Summit, interviewed by Forbes magazine along side of billionaire Herbert Kohler, and even contracted by the Thai government to be Thailand’s golf ambassador to the world! Wow, now the fun really starts!

Who would have imagined that a small one man operation like Golfasian armed with great service and a Blog Squad business blog and a customized newsletter to get the word out could have achieved so much success and fame in just 3 short years, and this is in spite of the world’s economic and equity crisis.

Well once again I have to thank you, Denise and Patsi, for your initial consultations, advice, and encouragement. I am 100% convinced that without your assistance on the Thailandgolfzone, these accomplishments over the past 3 years would have not been realized.

Keep up the great work, count me in as a true believer in your services, and feel free to use me as a reference for business blogs as well as your current venture, social networking for business success.

Best Regards,
Mark Siegel
Managing Director
Golfasian Co. Ltd.
+66-(0)2-714-8470
http://www.golfasian.com,   http://www.vietnamgolfvacation.com, and  http://www.thailandgolfzone.com
The golf experts in Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia!

Blogging Success Story: Mark Siegel

Mark Siegel is a blogging success story. Mark runs the Thailand Golf Zone blog which we helped him set up and optimize about two years ago. Periodically Mark sends us updates about the success of his business which he attributes to the success of his blog.  In January we got an email from Mark saying he could directly attribute $875,000 in new revenue to his blog.
 
Yesterday, we got another raving (in a good way) email from Mark Siegel:

It’s me again, Mark Siegel, and I just wanted to say keep up the great work on blog education! What you did to help me create the Thailand Golf Zone, continues to be the single biggest marketing action that has helped fuel my Golf business’ (Golfasian) yearly TRIPLE DIGIT growth.

That’s right, even in these uncertain economic times, the advantages I have over my blog-less competitors, trust I have developed with my clients, and expert reputation I have earned with the press has come in large part from the Thailand Golf Zone blog which the Blog Squad helped set up for me 2 years and 344 posts ago.

I can not thank you both enough for this and as you can see you have turned a somewhat skeptical thinker into a blog and Blog Squad champion!

Thanks again,
Best Regards,
Mark Siegel
Managing Director
Golfasian Co. Ltd.
+66-(0)2-714-8470
http://www.golfasian.com and http://www.thailandgolfzone.com
The golf experts in Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia!

Got a Blog? Guest Author Bea Vann
i Shares Her Blogging Success

The following article by Bea Vanni, was originally published by The Well Fed Writer. Disclosure: Bea Vanni is a member of our Blogging and Beyond Mentor program. She does give The Blog Squad credit for contributing to her blogging success, but we did not lobby for inclusion in her article! We’re reprinting this article to give you a perspective about business blogging other than our own. Enjoy!

GOT A BLOG? ADD ONE AND YOUR BIZ COULD SOAR!

Got a blog? Just like milk builds good bones, blogs build good business. As solo professionals, we know information helps us cut through the struggle of marketing our business. Knowledge solves our challenges and also those of our clients.

As writers we live or die by the written word, and if a potential client hears the human voice behind our passion, they’re more likely to trust us. A blog can create that connection and trust if you share your unique perspectives and teach useful techniques to fix problems.

Did you notice that you aren’t in the business of doing that thing you do, but more in the business of marketing it? Does it make it you crazy? Well, a business blog drives more traffic quicker than a website and elicits demand for your services because you show how much you care by sharing what you know. That’s what happened to me.

When I began blogging in early 2006, I didn’t know how to build my business with a blog. I only knew I wanted to share my expertise and began writing on living and working in Turkey. I didn’t have a strategy or a niche, but on the way to the blogosphere, I got discovered. All of a sudden people wanted me for my expertise: Speaking engagements, interviews, and writing projects increased two-fold.

Today, I know a lot more about how a blog conveys credibility and expert status owed to the Blog Squad www.FixMyBlog.com, experts on building a blog for business. They taught me tricks and tools most don’t know about and set my blog on the fast track to double my traffic and knowability overnight.

A professional business blog offers repeat opportunities for you to hook up with your ideal prospects and allow them to sample you, your know-how and your commitment. A blog’s not for everybody, though, so be sure you’re on the right track before you begin. It takes diligence, time and a fount of ideas to ensure success.

If you decide to blog for business, plan a strategy first and target a niche, then write tips and tricks in ample quantities aimed at what your readers want to know. To create a business blog, always use a pro’s blogging platform, like TypePad. No need for techie skills, no wait for your webmaster to post updates, or a windfall of money to pay a publicist.

Be patient because it may take a few months of writing before you begin to see results in your knowability. Foremost, tack up a subscription box from Feedblitz for your readers to subscribe to your posts, and track your blog stats with Site Meter. Both tools are FREE!

Once you post regularly, both the blog search engines and your readers will put you in their blog funnel and visit more frequently. Take it from me; build your online presence with a business blog and watch how it can transform your professional image and credibility.

About the Author
Bea Vanni specializes in the design, development and delivery of high-quality writing, editing and business solutions for consultants and SMEs who want to gain more visibility for their work and attract more clients. Check out Bea’s blog at http://www.remarkablesolutionsblog.com.

San Francisco Chiropractor Boosts Business with Back and Wrist Pain Blog

“Blogs are user-friendly, and anyone can set one up and publish on
the Web instantly. But many business professionals lack blog marketing
savvy to get good results,” says Dr. Krakoff.

“Dr. Davis wanted to improve his blog so we did a complete analysis
of the blog’s usability, branding, design, content and search engine
optimization,” adds Dr. Krakoff.

Dr. Davis publishes a blog because he knows patients are using them
to help choose chiropractors. Since most other chiropractors in San
Francisco are using static template websites to promote their services,
he wanted to do something better, something more personal so patients
could get to know him better before they came in.

“We are ¾ of the way done with the blog makeover, and my blog looks
100% better than before, I am posting almost every day, and my blog
traffic has increased 500%. It is currently my #1 source of new
patients,” states Dr. Davis.

Not all businesses that jump into blogging experience instant
success. Like any marketing tool it requires time and energy. Although
it is one of the least expensive ways to reach a broad audience of
prospects, it requires frequent writing to get readers and new business.

“When a company doesn’t post frequently on their blog, and isn’t
using it well,” adds Dr. Krakoff, “It looks like a neglected store.
Visitors leave with a bad impression of the business. Most business
bloggers don’t realize that a few tweaks to a blog can make a big
difference.”

Businesses interested in improving their blog results should visit  www.fixmyblog.com for details on how to get started.