Blog Post Comments - 4 Ways to Make Yours Better For Internet Marketing Success
Commenting on other blogs is one of the great ways to do no cost internet marketing--if you know how to do it right, with intelligence and proper netiquette. Here are four ways you can learn to do a great job when you do your blog post comments:
1. Say something constructive!
Kudos are always nice, and even an intelligent opinion from someone who disagrees with something that's said is okay, but don't just make general bland blog comments like "nice blog". All bloggers know that you're probably just seeking a link back to your own web site, but have some point of view that showed you bothered to read the Gratis Prono Film Otherwise, you may also be considered a spammer and your moderated blog post will never see the light of day.
2. Keep it on the short side
Make your points a paragraph, or two maximum, unless you really have something very significant and different to share. I've seen people try to write "War And Peace" at times in their comments it seems--maybe just a tad overkill.
3. Don't put a web site URL or your e-mail address at the bottom of your comment
99% of all comment forms on blogs allow you to hyperlink your web site from your name, so no need to repeat it. If people want to see who the cool comment is from, they'll click on it. And never do a visible e-mail address--you'll just get spam galore with e-mail address harvesters giving each other high-fives all over the internet.
By the way, I think it's okay for authors to indicate that they are, as well as to note their book title at the bottom of their comment (e.g. Jane Doe, Author of "The Jane Doe Chronicles"), especially if it helps establish your credibility for making a certain point.
4. Mention your own product, service, podcast or blog if it truly is a helpful resource specific to that blog post, otherwise let your hyperlink take care of it.
Case in point, it's okay to mention you liked the blog owner's post and thought the point on "X" was great, and on your own blog you've got a post on 5 more ways to do that same thing. It's not okay to say "have you tried my MLM's product" when it's a health drink, and the blog post you commented on was about electronics. Doing so makes you look dumb, and it's downright rude according to netiquette. Be better than that!
And now I'd like to invite you to check out my What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know Podcast that teaches you more no cost internet marketing tips like these, as well as how to make the maximum possible money from what you know, working legitimately from home as an infopreneur. You can get free, immediate access to all the episodes by going to http://Podcast.SunLoverPublishing.com
Copyright 2008 SunLoverPublishing LLC
More Than an Oracle - The Employee Engagement Practices of Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett is in the news these days after publicly expressing his confidence in the future of American corporations and recently investing $8 Billion Dollars to purchase interests in GE and Goldman Sachs. With the recent stock market turmoil, many look to the world's wealthiest man for guidance, and rightly so. Buffett is widely recognized as an exceptional judge of corporate value. "The Oracle of Omaha," as he is known, is arguably the most successful investor in history. Corporate leaders regularly make the trek to Omaha, Nebraska, seeking his wisdom. With so much attention on Buffett's investment acumen, it's easy to overlook another talent: motivating people. It's one of a host of reasons his investments tend to outperform the market.
The talented managers who run Buffett's companies remain with him because he keeps them engaged in their jobs. In Buffett's own words, "Charlie [Charlie Munger, Buffett's longtime business partner] and I mainly attend to capital allocation and the care and feeding of our key managers . . . Most of our managers are independently wealthy and it's up to us to create a climate that encourages them to choose working with Berkshire over golfing or fishing."
A closer look at Buffett shows, at least in part, how he does it.
He imparts an inspiring identity to members of the Berkshire Hathaway family. The vision he constantly communicates is that Berkshire companies are well managed and have great people. It's not unusual to hear him tell employees to "just keep on doing what you're doing . . . we're never going to tell a .400 hitter to change his batting stance." Who wouldn't be flattered to be praised by Buffett?
Buffett shows that he values people in several ways. He is trusting and forgiving. By investing for long periods in the companies he owns, Buffett indicates that he trusts his managers. He delegates decision-making authority, in his own words, "to the point of abdication." And when a manager makes an honest mistake, he keeps it in perspective. One manager who informed Buffett that his business had to write off $350 million was stunned when Buffett told him, "We all make mistakes . . . if you didn't make mistakes, you can't make decisions ...You can't dwell on them."
Buffett models civility and respect for others. His secretary has said she hasn't seen him mad once in the nine years she has worked for him. The one time I met Buffett at a meeting in New York City, he patiently waited around to speak with everyone who wanted to meet him. He was attentive and focused on them, never projecting the slightest hint of self-importance.
He is confident, yet humble. Buffett knows he's very good at what he does, and he projects an easy confidence rather than superiority or arrogance. He credits his managers for his success, remains plain spoken, works in a modest office, lives in a modest house, and proclaims thrift as a virtue (the vanity plate on his former car read "Thrifty").
Compare Warren Buffett to Donald Trump, for example. It's hard to imagine Buffett prominently displaying his name all over everything he owns or relishing in telling someone "you're fired." Instead of everything being all about him, Buffett insists it's all about others. He appears to be guided by the Golden Rule rather than Machiavelli's The Prince.
Given the way Buffett treats people, it should come as no surprise that some private company owners report turning down more lucrative offers to join the Berkshire family. It is telling that no manager who sold a company to Buffett has ever left for a competitor, and several continue to work well into their eighties. Put simply, "people want to work for him," proclaimed another satisfied manager, Rich Santulli, head of NetJets.
Buffett promotes communication by being approachable and candid. At the annual meeting he hosts in Omaha for Berkshire shareholders, Buffett and Charlie Munger sit on a platform, listening to shareholder opinions and answering questions for hours on end. In dealing with his managers he follows the data they provide him in periodic reports and makes himself available if they want to talk. Buffett writes and speaks with candor, even pointing out mistakes he made and what he learned from them.
Warren Buffett's ways make the managers of Berkshire Hathaway feel proud to be affiliated with the company, feel valued as human beings and feel they can communicate openly and honestly with Buffett. These feelings (or emotions) make people want to give their best effort in their work and make them more energetic, optimistic, trusting and cooperative. Warren Buffett's behavior reflects common sense and yet studies have shown that such behaviors are uncommon in practice among those with power in organizations. It is yet another reason why Buffett deserves to be called the Oracle of Omaha.
Michael Lee Stallard is president of E Pluribus Partners, a leadership training and development organization whose clients Accident Car Houston Lawyer both Fortune 500 and middle market companies. He is the primary author of "Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team's Passion, Productivity and Creativity," which has been endorsed by such leaders and thought leaders as Marshall Goldsmith, Frances Hesselbein and Russell Reynolds, Jr.
Michael is a sought-after speaker and executive coach. Michael has spoken at conferences organized by Fortune magazine, the World Presidents Organization, and the Corporate Executive Board. He is a guest lecturer on employee and customer engagement at New York University's Stern School of Business and the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. He is a regular contributor on leadership and employee engagement to The Economic Times, India's largest circulated daily business publication, and a contributor or commentator to leading publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Leader to Leader, and Leadership Excellence.
http://www.MichaelLeeStallard.com
Email: mstallard@epluribuspartners.com
Telephone: (203)422-6511
