Don’t read this blog if you:
- are trying to get rich quick
- need to improve your AdSense or AdWords effectiveness
- want to increase your number Twitter/Facebook followers/friends
- hope to find out how to use Digg or Reddit to jumpstart your traffic
- expect to find shortcuts for generating traffic/buzz
There are probably another dozen or so topics that I’m not going to cover on this blog.
However…
What you can expect to find here are answers to questions like:
- What is Twitter and can it help me with my blog or small business web site?
- Should I even have a blog or web site for my small business?
- How do I set up a blog or web site?
- When should I consider using AdSense on my site and when should I avoid it?
- Is Facebook the best social networking tool for my particular project?
- What is SEO? Digg? Reddit? Facebook? Twitter? And what are you talking about?
- How do I integrate social networking into my site or blog?
- What are the best tools and services I can use to build my site or blog today?
The Why and The How is primarily intended to provide a roadmap of Web 2.0 (blogging, social networks, wikis, etc.) technologies to small and personal business people. If you’re running a small business or if you’re considering starting one, you probably already know that participating in the web is important. You may even be reading or hearing that if you’re not on the web that you’re less relevant or falling behind.
Sound familiar?
Here’s the good news: you’re not. You’re not the only person out there who still doesn’t know what a tweet is and you’re not the only person who doesn’t create YouTube videos to promote your idea/product/service. You’re not even the last remaining person on earth you doesn’t have a Facebook page.
(If you do tweet, create videos and participate in every known social network, you may be ready to dismiss this blog. Feel free, but there is another secondary goal for this blog that you might want to stick around for. That’s another post, coming very soon.)
Now the reality check: the web is relevant to you and your business — and it’s becoming more important every day. Participating in this evolution of interaction isn’t hard. It may be unfamiliar, but it’s not hard.
Feeling overwhelmed by all the buzz?
Don’t. You’ve already started. You use email for personal and business correspondence already. You’re here reading this, so you use the web to find new information. And remember, everything you already know about using a computer you learned since 1985*. Everything you know about email and the web you learned since 1995*. Everything else builds on what you already know.
Getting the most out of this blog
If you’re serious about learning how to integrate your existing business with the web or if you’re interested in starting a web business, blog, traditional web site or integrating with existing web services, you need to be prepared to invest some time. There are no silver bullets, no magical golden geese and no shortcuts. You’ll need to be prepared to read, participate and ask questions:
- Read: For the most part, my blog posts are going to require actual reading (i.e. there will be lots of words). You should also read other blogs and follow the links in my posts. I’m not going to write everything when I can refer to such greats as Seth for marketing, Brian for copy writing and Rob for how-to. Follow the links and learn more.
- Participate: Comment. Tell me and tell others what you think. Let me know when I’ve nailed it and let me know when I’m completely off base. Whether you love or hate my ideas, style or recommendations, tell people and enhance the conversation. I’m learning at least as much by doing this as you are by reading it, so let’s all help each other.
- Ask: Send me a comment through the blog or to me personally at blake.schwendiman@gmail.com with your questions. I want to know what you want to know.
* Unless you were a very early adopter, you probably didn’t have a PC at home or even use it daily at work before about 1985. Likewise, the Internet was essentially the realm of the scientist, researcher and computer nerd until the first browser was released in 1995. (see Intel computer timeline)
Comments:
