Rent My Brain

Search Engine Optimization, Content Creation and Blog Development

Jonathan Ginsberg

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Add Audio and Video to Your Blog Easily

I have long been a proponent of including audio and video in blog posts and on web sites. Although there are number of audio and video plug-ins for WordPress and other blogging platforms, you must have some familiarity with programming to make these plug-ins work.

Here is a better solution. Noted search engine expert and Internet entrapreneur Brad Fallon has developed a service called FreeIQ. Brad sees FreeIQ as the "YouTube for business." Like YouTube, FreeIQ offers an extremely easy interface whereby you can upload audio and video files. You can even mail in a cassette tape, video tape or disk and the FreeIQ staff will upload your content to your FreeIQ page. You can join FreeIQ for free.   FreeIQ storage is free and all you need to do is post a link to your blog and you’ll get a player just like the one here.

What you see below is a live example of the audio application. I’ll post a video shortly. Again, the audio and video files are hosted on the FreeIQ system at no charge to you. If you want an easy way to get your audio and video on the web, you should definitely check out this resource.

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Free Publicity Is Easier Than You Think

If you have limited time to promote your web site, you may find that you gravitate towards "obvious" sources of web traffic – including pay-per-click, web page optimization and offline advertising of your URL.  You would be making a mistake, however, if you do not regularly use press releases and public relations techniques to drive visitors to your web site.

The experience of my old college friend David Schwartz serves as a good case study to demonstrate the power of public relation.  David is a solo practioner lawyer in San Diego and he has a number of interests outside the legal profession.  Several years ago, David came up with the idea for a product that would eliminate the need for an indoor cat litterbox.   He explains that cat owners frequently have to dedicate a bathroom or small room in their homes to the cat litterbox because of the unpleasant odors.

David built a prototype of what he calls the outdoor litterbox for indoor cats.  It consists of a tunnel connected to a pet door, and an enclosed outdoor litterbox.  Cats exit the home through the pet door, travel through the short tunnel into a small enclosed space where they "do their business."  Since the litterbox remains outside, all the associated odors stay outside as well, allowing the homeowner to recapture his cat litterbox room.

David discovered that there was no similar product on the market, so he enlisted the help of a patent lawyer and obtained a patent for his idea, with the idea of licensing the patent to a pet product manufacturer.   David found that potential manufacturing partners expected him to have a web site for his invention.   At that point, David contacted me and I helped him put together a website for his invention – the Outdoor Litterbox for Indoor Cats.

Because David does not have a product to sell, he did not want to spend money on pay-per-click to drive traffic to his web site.  Further, since his invention was new, keyword optimization would be something of a challenge.   After discussing these options we decided that public relations would make the most sense for him to build a little "buzz" about his outdoor litter box.

About three weeks ago, I ran across an article by a humor columnist in San Diego who was looking for "offbeat" gifts.  I forwared this blurb to David, who responded and ended up being interviewed and published.  CNBC then picked up the reference and one of their reporters wrote about it.

Last week, David got a call from a talk radio station in Montreal, and he was interviewed on the radio for an entire 16 minute segment about his invention.

Note that all this free publicity has been generated in less than two weeks.

Now, David is looking into the possibility of manufacturing his outdoor litterbox independently.  I can’ t say for certain, but I suspect that the positive reaction David has received in print and on the radio has motivated him to take his business to the proverbial "next level."

Only time will tell if David will be crowned the nation’s "litterbox king," but I know he is having fun with his invention and I am sure that this experience will open many new doors for him.

[tags] public relations, David F. Schwartz, free publicity, outdoor litterbox, cat products, doggie door [/tags]

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New Wiki for Websites – AboutUs.org

If you publish one or more websites, you will always look for good ways to get the word out about what you are doing.  This afternoon, I ran across a new wiki designed specifically for web sites – AboutUs.org.

For those not familiar with the concept, a wiki is a web site that may be edited by anyone.  The most well known wiki on the Internet is Wikipedia, but there are numerous other wikis using the same type of technology.

Because Wikipedia is so big and pervasive, it is very hard to edit.  In addition, Wikipedia editors frown on any text that appears self-serving in any way.  Wikipedia bills itself as the world’s largest encylopedia and its focus remains on providing extensive information.

AboutUs.org encourages web site owners to describe and promote their web sites.  While it is too early to tell whether AboutUs will have any marketing value, it is a good place to learn how to use a wiki and it may very well provide a good promotional outlet for your web site.

[tags] Wikipedia, AboutUs, wiki, web site promotion [/tags]

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New Wiki for Websites – AboutUs.org

If you publish one or more websites, you will always look for good ways to get the word out about what you are doing.  This afternoon, I ran across a new wiki designed specifically for web sites – AboutUs.org.

For those not familiar with the concept, a wiki is a web site that may be edited by anyone.  The most well known wiki on the Internet is Wikipedia, but there are numerous other wikis using the same type of technology.

Because Wikipedia is so big and pervasive, it is very hard to edit.  In addition, Wikipedia editors frown on any text that appears self-serving in any way.  Wikipedia bills itself as the world’s largest encylopedia and its focus remains on providing extensive information.

AboutUs.org encourages web site owners to describe and promote their web sites.  While it is too early to tell whether AboutUs will have any marketing value, it is a good place to learn how to use a wiki and it may very well provide a good promotional outlet for your web site.

[tags] Wikipedia, AboutUs, wiki, web site promotion [/tags]

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How to Be a Good Citizen in the Blogosphere

Future lawyer Andrew Flusche has written a very useful post entitled "Top 11 Ways to Give by Blogging" on his Legal Andrew blog.  Andrew is both a programmer and a law student at the University of Virginia and he concisely sets out eleven specific actions that blog visitors can take to support their favorite blogs.

As the editor and publisher of several blogs, I can say from first-hand experience that feedback from readers is always appreciated. 

Active participation in the blogosphere can also be good for business.  When I started publishing my Atlanta bankruptcy blog, for example, I was quickly discovered by fellow attorney Scott Riddle, who publishes the Georgia Bankruptcy blog.  Although Scott and I have never met in person, we email regularly and speak on the phone as well.  I have referred him several cases and he has reciprocated.  I also recommended him to appear as an instructor for an upcoming CLE program where I will also appear.

My bankruptcy blog also led me to attorney Ken Brock, who practices bankruptcy law in the Middle District of Georgia.  I expect that both Ken and I will benefit from the relationship.

My work as a bankruptcy blogger also brought me to the attention of New York bankruptcy lawyer Jay Fleischman who recently started a very interesting project – a multi-lawyer bankruptcy blog.  I became one of the charter members of the Bankruptcy Law Network, which I hope and expect will grow and thrive as an extremely valuable source of consumer bankruptcy information on the web.

My two Social Security blogs – ssdAnswers and 4SocialSecurityDisability.net/disability blog and my Social Security disability podcast support several of my Social Security web sites and have resulted in new clients and sales of my Social Security books. 

Blogging is an ideal platform for service professionals to engage in a time and cost effective interaction with potential clients.  As bloggers, we need to educate our readers about the power of this tool and Andrew’s post is a great resource for any active blogger.

[tags] blogging for business, law firm blog, Andrew Flusche, blogosphere [/tags]

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Content Really is King – Three Sites on 1st Page of Google for Competitive Search Phrase

Content really is king!  It is always good to have confirmation of a theory and I do.  Search engines like Google look for meaty, relevant content.  As part of my bankruptcy law practice, I have published three web sites and a blog.  As of this morning, my sites are #1, 3 & 9 for the terms "Atlanta bankruptcy."   I think this is the case because all of these sites offer unique, extensive and informative content.  Click here to view a screen shot.

Many sites on the Internet exist primarily to generate AdSense income.  They provide no real information and exist only to achieve high rankings to generate AdSense revenue.

Google hires some very bright people whose main job is to create algorithms that filter out fluff.   Sites that have no real value may achieve high ratings for a while, but inevitably they will fail.  Quality will win out.

Need a site optimized – call me at 770-393-4985 or email me using the Contact Form (on the right of this page) and we can discuss.

[tags] search engine optimization, Google algorithm, AdSense sites [/tags]

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Another Reason to Backup Your Data

Burned up computerWe all hear warnings about data loss and the need to backup.  Fortunately, I have never experienced a catastrophic loss.  However, noted affiliate marketer Chris Carpenter recently did experience a complete loss of both his laptop and both of his external backup drives.  Chris used two external backup drives for redundancy in case one of them failed, but he did not plan for a fire.

The lesson – back up your data to DVD or to an external drive and keep your backup in a separate location!

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Creating a Blog for Your Business – Does it Make Sense?

Does it make sense for you to create a blog for your business? Because blogs are in the news and because they are much easier to create and update than web sites, you may be tempted to jump aboard the bandwagon. When you browse the blogosphere, however, you will discover that many business blogs serve little purpose. Your blog is only valuable if potential customers or clients read what you have written. A boring or silly blog will waste your time, your customers’ time and may cost you credibility.

Ideas for Blog Posts That Work 

As a lawyer who blogs regularly for my own practice and as a consultant working with other law firms and small businesses, I believe that an effective blog needs to have a "voice" and the posts need to fit within certain guidelines. Here are the approaches that I believe are most effective:

1) Use your blog to chronicle case studies. Everyone likes stories and you can use your blog to describe both positive and negative experiences. At my Social Security disability blog, for example, I frequently discuss my experiences representing clients in Social Security hearings. I speak about both positive and negative experiences and I use these case studies to explain what I am learning from my experiences.

If you are in sales, you might describe a sales call or a presentation. What went well and what surprises did you encounter? If you are writing about an experience that did not go well, describe your errors or problems in terms of a learning experience. Humbleness and a willingness to learn from mistakes can be an appealing trait and a blog can be an appropriate platform for addressing your experiences.

Be aware that all of your case studies should not describe negative experiences, but do not feel that your blog has to paint you only in a positive light.

2) Use your blog to report and comment upon current news in your industry. No doubt your subscribe to one or more industry trade journals or online news sources. You can use your blog to summarize news reports from other places (with appropriate credit) and to offer your own commentary.

In my Consumer Bankruptcy Blog, for example, I frequently discuss new developments in bankruptcy laws and I frequently reference posts from other bloggers. Most blogging software allows you to notify another blogger about your use of his material through something called a "trackback." Since blogging tends to be a cooperative activity, appropriate borrowing of content usually will be appreciated and encouraged. You will end up creating ongoing relationships with fellow bloggers in your content niche.

3) Use your blog to make your readers aware of other resources. Think of your blog as a digest service and share what you discover. Remember, blogs have a subscription feature called RSS, which mans that your blog readers are probably consuming your blog posts on their custom home page (such as My Yahoo, or Personalized Google). They will only stay subscribed if you offer useful content. Unlike regular web sites, your blog readers may have only visited the home page for your blog once. You want them to subscribe to a feed of your posts; you do not need them to bookmark your site.

Blogs That Do Not Make Sense 

By contrast, a blog does not make sense if you plan to use your blog to vent about topics unrelated to your business. There is nothing more painful than to see a business owner using a business titled blog to discuss politics, religion or his personal taste in restaurants or movies. If you want to write about these things, set up a personal blog for that purpose.

Similarly, a business blog that exists only to sell something will likely garner very few readers. Blogs are about sharing ideas – potential customers are not going to give you valuable space on their custom home page or RSS readers and subject themselves to a hard sell. You can certainly mention what you do and what you sell, but doing so within a case study or a news update post will be much more palatable to your blog readers.

Finally a business blog that you do not update frequently – at least once a week – will founder. I use my personalized Google page as the home page for my browser and at any one time I may be subscribed to 20 to 30 blogs. If I don’t see some activity in a blog over the course of a month, I delete the feed.

Blogs can be a valuable component to your marketing arsenal but only if you publish interesting, relevant and timely material. Blogging for the sake of blogging will waste your time and possibly create resentment within your target market. Your blog is not something that you finish – it is an on-going process that requires regular care and attention.

[tags] blogging for business, blog mistakes, creating a blog for my business [/tags]

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Blogs a Great Way to Collaborate With Virtual Mastermind Colleagues

The more time I spend updating and tweaking my blogs, the more impressed I have become with the technology. Even though I create my own web sites with Net Objects Fusion and can update them anytime I want, I find that I rarely make any updates. Why? When you update a web site you have to worry about where the new page fits into the structure, you have to set up internal links and you have to really think about optimizing your content.

By contrast, blog software (I use the downloadable version of WordPress) takes care of the organization, linking and optimization automatically. I also think that the major search engines are adjusting their algorithms to favor blogs with real content as well as podcast. Interestingly, my podcast about Social Security disability rose very quickly in Google even though it had far less meaty content than my Social Security blog. My thought is that at this point there is no “blog and ping” type of automated posting software to populate blogs and the search engines may find it easier to identify legitimate and robust blog/podcast content.

In my law practice, I use my blogs to share ideas with other lawyers. For example, in the bankruptcy law world in Georgia there are very few bankruptcy lawyers with blogs at all. One of my fellow bloggers, Scott Riddle, has a well researched blog that focuses on important new bankruptcy cases. Although I have never met Scott in person and I did not know him prior to reading his blog, we have struck up a friendship and a kind of mini-mastermind group through our blogs. If I run across a strange fact pattern, I will either email him or post the issue on my consumer bankruptcy blog and he will usually respond with his take. He does the same on his end. The point here is that because blogs are by definition interactive tools, I get the benefit of another lawyer’s analysis and both of us can use our collaborative effort to create content for our respective blogs.

I therefore encourage my lawyer clients or any professional who publishes a blog to get the word out within their professional community. Potential clients and customers are not the only positive result from a blog.

[tags] blogging as mastermind tools, podcasts and SEO, blogging for lawyers [/tags]

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ProfNet Offers Unique Twist on Publicity/Press Release Action

I have been testing an interesting service designed to increase my exposure to the media. The service is called ProfNet and it offers an interesting twist on the traditional method of seeking publicity through press releases. Journalists and free lance writers use Profnet to find experts to use for quotes and background in news stories and features. I am one of those experts. The journalists log in to Profnet and posts inquiries (and example post might read – "I am looking for an expert to discuss company policy on employees who cash out 401(k) plans early"). For a monthly membership, I receive three or four of these leads by email four times a day. If one of these leads relates to something I can speak to, I respond directly to the journalist by email to set up an interview. At sign up, I was able to choose several areas that relate to my areas of knowledge, so I do not get leads about subjects where I have no understanding. So far, I have been interviewed by PayPal radio and I have an interview with a free lancer who writes a bi-monthly column for the New York Times. I have only been testing this service for a little over a month, but so far, so good. [tags] Profnet, PR Leads, Dan Janal, public relations, publicity, Paypal Radio [/tags]

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