Yes, Kelly is presenting satire, yet the techniques he’s illustrating work.

When you look at some of the most celebrated artists, you’ll see they adopted techniques to buck the norm after learning and demonstrating an ability to portray realism. Effective organic gardeners base much of their practice on old world tradition (after trial and error fails that prompt a taste for research). Actors study techniques others have proven effective prior to honing their style. Smart small business marketing strategists know what works and why before they get wildly creative with breakout ideas.

While this wasn’t likely an intended take-away from Kelly’s presentation, part of what I saw (beyond a talented presenter who’s taken the art of style to mastery level) is a formula breakdown – albeit staid – that’s proven extremely effective for speakers, particularly those participating in the esteemed TED Talks. He illustrates it in a way that’s fun and easy to digest, poking fun, of course, but it works even for him with content he purports to be meaningless. But is it?

Truly talented speakers are rare and a special treat. I’ve highlighted a couple in prior blog posts, including Bill Bradley in a short post and again in one where I spotlighted Roman Mar in a masterful TED Talk. The speech I witnessed by Bill Bradley as a United States Presidential candidate in a small college palestra at the University of Rochester in 2001 became the benchmark for all others. None have yet met his mark.

What do you think of this Pat Kelly presentation? Do you see the hidden beauty in how he scoffs? Have you seen a speaker present so well it’s become a memory you’ll never forget? Please comment below and look left to like and share if this post resonates with you. Thanks!

The female Olympians compete with a primary emphasis on brawn. Floor routines are all about the tumbling lines with little attention to the presence and poise in between that used to separate winners from the rest.

Parallel bars focus on big moves rather than muscle control, agility and beauty.

Competitors today are expected to master all six disciplines, instead of being great in one. Height, power, muscle and precision have overrun the dance.

The gap that made women’s gymnastics distinctive from men’s is narrowing. Ordinarily, in our contemporary world where equal rights is a target, that would be a good thing. In this case, I don’t think it is. Women are built to excel at different things than men. That compelling choreography that evoked an emotional response made the routines special – and something men could never achieve.

Here’s a neat montage (about six minutes), chronicling the evolution of the uneven bars from the 50s through 2010:

As I watched the women gymnasts compete in the Olympics this year, reflecting in my own mind of how this has changed from years past, then cued this video, I felt a bit sad. Sad not only for a bygone era where differences were embraced and proudly broadcast but also for the current state where bigger, faster and higher – and sameness – are seen as better in all things, including small business marketing tactics.

The loudest and most visible (men) are swaying the masses toward template brawn small business marketing tactics. Being distinctive is still better in the small business realm. The artful dance of empathetic listing is what sets women apart (and some really savvy men too). Consider being attractive with your selling strategy. The world has become more equal, but that doesn’t mean different is wrong. Embrace the art of subtle sales that’s the beauty of relationship building.

Perhaps it’s this whole connected era where people want everything fast, big, screaming and exciting in 140 characters or less than two minutes that is contributing to this conviction that bolder, bigger and broader is better. Sometimes subtle and soft brings loads more revenue than brash.

Want a different perspective? Just take a look at how the balance beam competition has evolved as a women’s only sport. The increased degree of balance required (not something men often excel at) has resulted in more beautiful and breathtaking routines over the years:

Still think it’s best to be equal? Better to be outstanding independently to my mind. Have you taken a divergent path that’s proven to be more artful, eloquent and rewarding? Please share in the comments below. If you liked this post, please also consider clicking on the social buttons to the left. Thanks!

Recently, I attended Toastmasters leadership training workshop. The trainer for the Vice President of Public Relations role defensively stated PR isn’t marketing. Sure it is. Everything promotion oriented comes under the umbrella of marketing including research, strategic planning, sales, and yes, public relations. That’s not a bad thing when done right.

What’s unfortunate is, many equate marketing with the 70s used car sales man persona. That’s inaccurate. Masterful marketing is subtle – and rewarding for both buyer and seller.

Marketing, done right makes everyone smile. It’s not about manipulation, aggressive selling or dishonest behavior. It’s about understanding. Knowing what your customer wants but can’t find elsewhere then providing it in remarkable ways is the foundation of good marketing. A product or service exchange should be a happy experience for all parties in the transaction.

Marketing is the big picture thinking. It’s about seeing communications through the customers eye’s – and supplying what they want most with alacrity. It’s about being real, caring and often, humble. It requires keen listening skills. It’s personal, measurable and creative.

If you’re marketing to everyone, you’re reaching no one

Lately, I’ve been attending a good number of networking meetings. I’ve moved to an area I know nothing about so it’s a necessary activity in my quest to get a lay of the land while building relationships with other area business owners. Often, half the attendees claim “everyone is my market” when they introduce themselves. That’s a mistake.

General marketing messages don’t allow prospects to identify with you or envision your product or service as being made especially for them. Sure, you’ll sell some, but you’ll generate a lot more revenue by designing your message to appeal to a specific audience.

This doesn’t mean you can’t sell to people who are not in your defined marketing niche. What it does mean is your strategy and message should be designed for an audience that will most appreciate what you can bring to their lives.

Niche marketing for success

For twenty years, five hours each morning were dedicated to what I dubbed my paid health club – a Thoroughbred racetrack. My morning smiles came from vigorous exercise training and conditioning these horses as an exercise rider.

Injuries and age caught up with me in the form of increased issue recovery time. It was affecting my performance – and income. I became irritated enough to seek a new solution.

Ultimately, I found a message therapist who’s specialty was professional athletes. He was able to keep me in the saddle with weekly sessions. His fees were easily justified because I earned it back immediately with quicker recovery times that involved decreased pain and increased agility during heal times.

Was I a professional athlete? Technically yes – I was being paid for my physical prowess. Many would argue this status (I wasn’t competing). Did this provider limit himself to those making a living from sports activities? Of course not, but while he enjoyed a full schedule of clients, his competitors were struggling to make a living.

This wasn’t a matter of merely claiming it was so (although sometimes it can be as simple as that). He understood anatomy, identified root issues by recognizing how muscles were connected, kept up-to-date with his education and had the strength and precision to go deep for immediate results. Part of his service included discussing strategies to maintain better physical health between visits. This specialist status allowed him to command higher fees and to keep his practice at capacity from word-of-mouth alone.

I tried other providers prior. Their approach was a feel-good moment (there’s a market for this too – I just wasn’t part of it), rather than a solutions approach to injury issues.

Marketing is about understanding

Smart customer building strategies involve an empathetic mindset. If your mind doesn’t see how what you’re doing is going to help people, your business prospects are poor.

There’s a saying about trying to please all the people all the time (you can’t). Being a generalist is akin to this rhyme. Better to strive to please some of the people all of the time. To do so requires narrowing your prospect focus and crafting a marketing message that appeals to the needs of a select audience.

Today, the hype is on size. Bigger lists are better. More Facebook likes are finer. Stronger social share is smarter. Wider Website reach makes you richer.

I disagree. For small businesses, the typical numbers game is unwise. We don’t have the time or the budgets to go wild with mass appeal that has a tiny percentage return.

Consider instead, finding a message and niche that’s focused and smaller to bring bigger income results. By having a specific audience you’re speaking to, you can craft messages and create products or services designed just for them.

Admittedly, I’ve been wooed by the larger audience, my product’s for most mindset too, and failed each time I lost sight of the beauty niche beachheads provide. It seems counter-intuitive, but striving to reach a smaller audience nets bigger returns.

Have you shifted tact from generalist to specialist or vice versa? Please share in the comments below discoveries about what works and what doesn’t. If you’re stymied with how to identify your ideal market, shoot me an e-mail at NLevin at FulcrumNY.com and I’ll try to help you find the fix.

As I reflected on his brilliant branding idea of anthropomorphizing your small business, I realized that my business personality was different than mine in many ways. In this current realm of authentic rules, many would claim that’s disingenuous. I disagree. Crafting a small business personality with wisdom and honesty doesn’t mean it has to mimic your mindset to be real. Sometimes, recognizing our flaws and combatting them with marketing and delegating strategies that are better for everyone is a smart small business – and sanity – strategy.

Here’s what Mike asks:

If your company was a human being, would it be:

An introvert or an extrovert? I’m an introvert, my company is an extrovert. I’ve developed approaches that are comfortable for me to address my introvert challenges with networking. This has provided an effective growth opportunity on both fronts (in short, I assume leadership positions to interact in smaller groups while building relationships with the most influential people in an organization).

Masculine or feminine?  The company started out as masculine at a time when that was the only avenue to success in this industry. It’s morphing into a more feminine entity as time passes (although clients are still predominantly men and my style probably tends more toward a man’s mindset on strategic development – it’s always been a woman’s for discovering the most effective message).

Artistic or athletic? Artistic on both counts in a big way. Guess that’s a part of me that can’t be compromised on any level.

Blunt or nuance? I tend to be blunt. The company is definitely nuance (and I’ve adopted my professional self to accommodate this) .

Formal or casual? That’s a hard one. The company was kind of a hybrid to start and continues to be so. With a small business and not-for-profit focus, casual conversation is critical, but so is a formal company image that connotes professionalism. Me? If I’m not engaged in business meetings or public appearances, I’m happiest clothed in as little as possible (although am a huge fan of cozy sweaters in the winter). Business attire is still more formal than most.

Cool or passionate? The answer is most certainly passionate on both fronts. As much as I strived to be embraced by the cool kids in high school, I never quite cut it. The business was built and will always be about passion with clients, their customers and my solutions.

Ostentatious or understated? This one logs strong in the understated category. I cringe when I see manipulative, overt or pushy marketing or sales tactics. The company is all about building relationships, including creating smart strategies for clients to get and keep customers. This often involves a give-first approach that requires some time and thoughtfulness, but is extremely effective.

All that said, recognizing your flaws is a good thing. Knowing business success comes from a marketing (and communications) strategy that’s geared more toward your customer’s needs than yours is wise. Using that information to craft a small business personality is a fun way to engage your mind in creative ways, get your prospects and customers nodding with you and to be considered brilliant when compared to others who mostly get yawns.

Being in business is about understanding who your prospects are, providing services (or products) that address their needs and adopting a message that makes them comfortable and confident about your ability to help them. Sometimes, delegating, adapting or inventing a company personality separate from your own is the best way to keep you and your clients happy.

Have you ever thought about your company’s personality as a branding strategy? How different is your company persona from yours? If not at all, how’s that working for you? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Alternatively, three sentences ought to do it.

Keep a hopper file of quotes and use Quizio as a generator.

Most people misunderstand the terms introvert and extrovert. Simply put, extroverts are energized by being around other people. Introverts recharge when alone.

No matter your nature, everyone finds some facet of networking uncomfortable.

Part of the problem is, contrary to popular belief, networking is not selling. Think about it. Do you cringe when that hardcore promoter or guy with a speed dating mindset approaches you at a business gathering? Will you buy from him?

9 non-salesy tips for small business networking success  

1. Speak

Being a featured speaker is an easy way to gain credibility at an event. Why not pitch a presentation to the organizers of the national meetings you plan to attend? Not only will you (usually) reduce or eliminate participation costs, but you might get paid.

Know your stuff and prepare your comments carefully to ensure those listening leave impressed. That’s not difficult if you’re willing to devote the time necessary to understand what solutions and approaches will best resonate with your audiences’ issues.

The beauty of being a featured speaker is you don’t have to work a room to find people to talk to. Everyone comes to you.

2. Listen

The most memorable conversationalists are the best listeners. It’s easier for most introverts to ask probing questions than to talk about themselves (and a better way to sell). Everyone learns more about what a prospect needs – and how to couch comments to solve the challenge – by encouraging another to talk. You can build instant rapport and a stable of great referral agents by listening and showing you care.

3. Seek to give not get

Don’t’ go to a networking event trying to sell. Instead, identify respected referral agents (Pareto’s Principal or 80/20 rule applies) to discover what’s important to them. Mail a newspaper clipping, refer a prospect or send a thank you note mentioning an interest gathered during your dialog. That’s memorable.

Resist the temptation to ask for referrals from another – send leads first. You’ll be remembered when a prospect needs what you offer. It’s human nature to reciprocate.

4. Dress sharp – or different

This is important when you’re new to a group or trying to build credibility with centers-of-influence. Your attire should reflect group norms, stepped up just a little bit. You don’t want to wear a suit at a conference for plumbers, but a clean, crisp shirt with a logo can make you shine.

I attended many national NAWBO meetings over the years. Lois Goetz (I still remember her name – see how that works?) always wore hats. No one else did. She wore them well.

5. Get, don’t push business cards

Do you roll your eyes when someone you don’t know is shoving a business card in your hand before a conversation starts? Have your own professionally designed cards, but strive to get more than you give. It’s a lot more effective for small business marketing.

Jot a quick note on the back of the card (wait until your contact leaves) to remember for follow up (snail mail is better).

6. Get your own hotel room

This tip is for introverts especially, but important for everyone. What you’ll save doubling up on a room will be lost in the costs of down time being dictated by others.

If business building is your primary conference focus, use evenings to go through business cards, identify tomorrow’s want-to-meet targets and write while your mind is fresh. Capturing ideas, roughing up content for blogs and crafting media outreach strategies is best done onsite.

Introverts will also need this time alone to recharge. Without it, full focus tomorrow will be difficult.

7. Decline the social dinners

There’s always someone organizing a gang non-event meal. Usually, these are too crowded for meaningful conversation (often at an outrageously priced restaurant where all pay equal shares, drinkers included). Few notice whether you’re there or not. Choose one night to be social, but consider using other evenings to review your material, collect your thoughts and plan strategies to capitalize on the contacts and information you gathered during the day.

8. Join a committee or a board

This is a great strategy if you want to move from the seeker to sought-after (locally too). Members of an organization gravitate toward leaders. Being a decision maker also offers regular face time with the most active members (and usually most successful business owners).

You’ll be amazed at how credible you become and how easy it is to network when with the general membership.

9. Value time

It’s important to recognize your time matters; the same holds true of the people you seek to influence. Be careful what you commit to (or how much time you waste on less important activities) because that takes away moments from other things.

Small business networking can be easy

Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, these tactics are effective. Make your marketing easier, faster and more rewarding with smarter strategies for small business networking.

Have creative ideas for rising above the crowd? Please share below. Need help being seen above the crowd? I can help.

There are things in life we never question because “it’s just the way it is”. Much of what the masses have come to accept is backwards.

I now have cable for the first time (too many Mennonites between me and any village population at my former farm to make access fiscal cable company sense). At first, I couldn’t figure out why I was challenged getting the guide to scroll the right way. Then it dawned on me – the plus sign brings you to lower numbers; the minus sign to higher ones. That’s backwards.

Why does the icon on online videos say play when it’s actually paused? That’s backwards.

How am I supposed to contact online support (the suggested help menu action) to fix the fact I can’t get an internet connection? That’s not only backwards, it’s infuriating.

I’m left-handed. Any mass-marketed tool I pick up with my dominant hand doesn’t work right. I’ve adjusted with ambidextrous (although far less comfortable) solutions. So maybe I’m backwards by nature.

Firefox (my preferred browser for a long time) switched to Yahoo search. Curious decision for an entity purported to be focused on forward thinking (yep – seems they’re going backwards). I’m switching to Chrome.

Still, during more than 25 years of creating small business marketing support strategies, I think the most wrong-mindedness (or backwards thinking) comes from precepts still focused on corporate ideals.

5 reasons industry precepts won’t work for your small business marketing

The feature vs. benefit mantra: This assumes you have a big budget. Relationship building is the best way to foster small business growth – particularly if you can identify and impress centers-of-influence. Your best clients don’t care about features or benefits – they want to know what makes YOU special.

Conversion rate of 1-3% are good: Are you kidding me? Small business owners don’t have the time or money or audience to mess with such abysmal returns. Look to convert at least 20% of your prospects or rework your strategy. Think niche. That’s a bit backwards for conglomerate thinking, but an effective approach for small business owners willing to put feet on the ground.

Be First: most Fortune 500 Companies can’t hold this ground. Why would you consider such a daunting task as a small business owner with limited financial resources? Instead, find something another has done well and improve on what they offer in ways only you can do.

Position against the completion: NO – these people (at least on the small business owner front) are your best allies. Spend some time discovering who is better than you and collaborate with them to wow clients. They’ll appreciate the business you send (and might even refer some back that better aligns with your special talents) and make clients remember you for the find.

Work a room: This idea of passing out as many business cards as possible during minute-or-less conversations is ludicrous for any small business owner seeking to maximize limited time. Instead, think Pareto’s Principle (the 80/20 rule) to determine who in the room is key. Take time to leave a positive impression on the movers and let the rest scurry with a get mentality driven by ineffective sales pitches.

There are so many more reasons most of what you hear is backwards when it comes to small business marketing (perhaps I’ll expand in another post), but that’s enough to get you started.

How about you? Do you find things everyone accepts as normal in life backwards? Have you bucked purported marketing wisdom to find greater success with a contrary approach? Are new ideas starting to swell in your head? Please share in the comments below and look left to your social media favorites to spread the word if you liked this post. Thanks!

These can be delivered as written, audio or video presentations based on what you’re most comfortable with (that’s primary) and what your audience is most likely to embrace. In fact, you can offer all three without much more effort with tools like Camtasia (audio editing – something you might consider doing for your video too) and Dragon (voice recognition transcription tool).

The thing is, the impression you make with your guest can be even more important than pleasing your audience. Choose the right people to feature and you can expand your reach substantially – so long as you don’t do dumb things to make them feel insignificant in your busy schedule. This applies as much to interviews done through written e-mail exchanges as it does to audio and video.

We’ve all watched or heard interviews where it becomes clear pretty quickly to host didn’t “read the book,” or even take a vew minutes to chat prior to hitting “record”. That’s not a smart way to excite your guest or your audience.

It’s not that hard to do your homework, especially with today’s put-it-all-out-there internet mentality. Give your guest the honor she deserves by spending some time getting clear about what moves her prior to turning on the mic. Respect your audiences’ time by tightening up what you deliver.

This is something that’s easy to do, but also easy not to. Why not put a little extra effort into ensuring what you offer makes you proud, your guest flattered and your audience charmed?

How to prepare for an interview

Ideally, you’ll have an opportunity to dialog with your guest prior to the event (e-mail, phone, video call, etc.). Don’t make the mistake of starting this phase cold. If you’re asking someone to spend their time to help you, it’s important you demonstrate your appreciation for this by doing a little research prior to first contact.

Review their website. Google them (it’s amazing the surprising interests – and accolades given to your now more esteemed guest – you’ll find with a simple search). Have discussion themes and/or questions in mind before you reach out with your request for interview time.

Years ago, I hosted a radio show (five years, three different stations, same boss). Not having a radio background (my voice spurred the station manager to ask for a meeting, then he hired me), I didn’t know protocol. My approach was to allow as least as much time for talking to the guest prior to recording as we’d spend taping the show. I learned later, this was not the way it was usually done. At that point, it didn’t matter to me. It worked on so many levels.

When you show you care enough about your guest to understand them, they’ll not only give a better interview, but also be more compelled to share delightful tidbits, tell others about the show and repeat your name as a great resource. Your audience will sense rapport. The final product will be more brilliant – and timeless.

Don’t expect your guest to carry the conversation – that’s your job. Be careful, though, about being too verbose. People are tuning in to hear what your featured speaker has to offer. The artful interview is about being prepared enough to lead the conversation in a way that puts you in the background – even though you’re orchestrating what’s being delivered. That involves not only having a keen understanding on how to get your guest to reveal interesting things that others haven’t been able to draw out, but also recognizing what information will be most appreciated by your audience.

Your goal should be to make your guest shine with a polished presentation that has your readers/listeners/viewers wanting more. Preparation makes it easy (as so few do it right). Think about why you chose this guest and what you want the interview to accomplish before you ask for their time. They’ll be impressed with your attention and your audience will delight in what results.

Have you ever participated in a great interview as a guest or host? Please share in the comments below with your thoughts on what made it so special. Also, if you liked this article, look left and click on your favorite (few ;-)) social media icons. Thanks!

The fact that it’s March 22^nd with grass blades reaching young hay height had me doing the happy dance. Outdoor exercise that’s not about shoveling snow is a delightful change of pace.

Having left all my lawn care equipment in the Northeast, I had some decisions – and purchases – to make with this glorious Virginia spring forging full-force. Today, the lawn mower priority won out in serendipitous fashion.

I was considering a rotary mower. These have three horizontal blades with a human brawn power source. Buying gas cans, oil, mixers and dealing with annual maintenance hassles that come with a gas-powered machine was not appealing. Plus, the sound and smell of these tools is grating.

In strolling the isles at Lowe’s®, however, it was hard to justify the $199 price tag (particularly looking at it next to the fancy mowers costs). When I went to the department desk for help (it’s been a long time since I’ve made such a purchase), there was a box on the floor – my preferred mower marked “used” and priced at $50. After chatting with the clerk about the pros and cons of engine vs. muscle powered and learning the discounted item was “leased” (“someone buys it because they have a one-time need then bring it back saying it doesn’t work”), I decided to take it home with me.

I was able to assemble it and finishing the lawn in less than an hour.

That wondrous sound of the birds chirping over the subtle spinning blade hum was priceless. Watching the cut grass scatter healthy mulch in front of me was fun. The workout was exhilarating. Smelling nothing but nature instead of gas exhaust was breath-giving.

Of course, there was a bit of a learning curve. I had to adjust the blades a few times. Instructions say “remove all debris from yard”. There’s a reason for this. Branches, rocks or other items too tough for the blades lock them up. It’s not easy to get them out. A fast pace was best. The blades wouldn’t cut through the already 8-inch high wild onions in the yard (that’s OK – they’re good eating).

As I reflected on this situation, I realized this experience as a lot like small business marketing.

Small business marketing smarts

1. Sometimes the solution you know in your gut is right, needs reinforcement – or opportunity. In this case, the price was a stopper for me. Now that I’ve tested the product, I’m a believer willing to pay list for an experience that excited me in more ways than I imagined. Do you offer introductory pricing for prospect “test-drives”?
2. Asking for help is wise. My gut went to this particular machine, but I don’t know lawnmowers. The employee consultant offered some great reasons to go with what I was considering over more popular choices. Do you ask for help to convince your prospects?
3. There are always issues when testing something new. By investigating challenges immediately (instead of forcing forward movement when a jam occurs) and finding a fix, you can smile at your skills to quickly solve a challenge. Do you make it easy for people to get answers when they think something isn’t working?
4. Being able to do the assembly then finish a job in reasonable time is gratifying. I feel dumb when I can’t figure something out. The instructions (in words with illustrations – please don’t give me a graphics-only assembly guide) were easy to understand and detailed enough to ensure I didn’t do anything wrong. Do you help clients implement what you offer in a way that makes them feel smart?
5. Trial and error is a part of any small business marketing success story. You learn as you go then improve with adjustments. After my first stick crippled the mower, I pulled out a rake for a wiser foundation. Do you beat yourself up when you make mistakes or happily adapt with a better approach?
6. Smart preparation can make all the difference. Dislodging the wedged wood took time. Sometimes, even when you know better, you skip steps thinking it will be quicker. It usually isn’t. Do you map out a plan before you launch?
7. This experience fed my senses, mind, body and soul. It was wonderful to be able to take the DIY route and credit for the results. Plus, everything about the implementation experience was more pleasing than imagined. Mowing the lawn will never be a chore again. Quite the opposite – the added benefit of experiencing many wanted things simultaneously – good exercise, a connection with nature, fun sights and sounds, a more ecological approach to one small aspect of my life . . . – makes it an experience to relish. How do you help your clients get excited about change?

Small business marketing is best done with a smile from all involved. Think about how you can make someone happier today with easier ways to implement, appreciate and expand on what you offer.

The premise behind “show, don’t tell” (particularly as it is used in modern marketing vernacular) is that people remember stories better than tutorials – or character descriptions.

This actually has a lot of merit – in moderation. Blog writers can be more effective in identifying with their audience and spurring that “stay tuned” reader urge when stories are included in content.

Does this mean it’s smart to make every blog post about your personal history? Unless that’s why people come to read your material, that’s probably not wise.

There are some who do this artfully, including a few homesteaders and humor-focused content writers. Check out Just Typikel, an Inspired Blogging Group member blog, as an example of the latter, done well.

During the month of May, we’ll be hosting a Blog Challenge on the Facebook Inspired Blogging Group (this is a closed group, but we’re happy to approve invitation requests from anyone who blogs regularly and is willing to adhere to our minimal rules – the most important being at least two comments on other blogs per week). Leading up to and during the Challenge, Amy Potkonen and I (the co-managers) will be providing ideas, quick tips and posts to help you enhance your blog experience. This article is part of that.

Blogging to affect your readers

For most bloggers, particularly those who seek to realize some revenue from their efforts, “show don’t tell” is something that should be about explaining things in a way that makes it easier for your readers to understand. This applies not only to your posts, but also what you include on the pages of your website.

This could involve testimonials. Depending on what you do, video can be very effective. If you have client challenge and solution examples you can use as content to help readers see how what you offer might pertain to them (be very careful here – helping is fine, bragging, not so much), that’s a great way to show. Occasionally offering personal anecdotes is effective too – so long as you make most posts more about your readers than you.

Good story telling is an art. Most draw on personal experience to craft the tale. The key comes in grabbing your readers in a way that has them wanting to know more. Offering stories to help the reader identify with you, better understand what you offer, more easily apply what you are suggesting and to better remember you and your advice provides a powerful tool in your blogging mix.

The challenge comes in knowing when such a device will enhance what you’re trying to impart without coming off as staged. Part of this involves writing talent. Most of it can be gathered by trusting your gut – and hearing the cues offered by your readers (or clients).

“Show don’t tell” is basically about offering ideas in a way that includes stories – and mood enhancing details. Think about how you want your readers (or watchers, or listeners) to feel. What do you want them to take-away? Can you include a story to help make your point easier to understand or more memorable? Can you use an analogy? Can you illustrate your point in a way that is less instructional and more personable?

Think about how you got excited about learning then sharing what you now know. Use that early excitement experience to offer insight for crafting blogging strategies that will have high appeal. Tell your story, share your client success trajectories (have you considered interviewing your clients for blog post fodder?), offer observations, build on a quote or find something most can identify with (traveling, animals, families, living space, retail outings, cooking, etc.) and use it as the basis for an analogy.

There are tons of ways to tell a story that can engage and fascinate your readers. Most don’t care what you had for breakfast (unless you’re a health professional offering recipes). Almost everyone will identify with something that’s written (or recorded) to provide fun and easy ways to solve frustrations with illustrative examples.

Inspired Blogging Challenge in May

If you’re interested in getting engaged with a supportive and inventive crew, the Inspired Blogging Facebook Group can provide this (you must ask to join and be approved for this private group). Now’s a good time to get to know the players prior to the May Challenge (participation is optional – but why wouldn’t you want to join in on the fun?).

Story telling will be a subject of discussion as part of this challenge. Why not share yours?