Tuesday, May 20, 2008

GETTING BLOGGED DOWN WITH IT ALL......

Hmmmm. Apologies for any blog-ologists out there, but my journey into the world of two-way cyber-conversation isn't going too well so far.

The reason I never leapt whole-heartedly onto the blog bandwagon in the first place was because I couldn't really think of anything to say in connection to my business.

But then the way people bleat on about them in a kind of Facebook-for-Intellectuals kind of way, it makes you feel that you've got to keep apace with potential business rivals and to display hard evidence of an awareness of the latest methods of global communication.

So far, the only thing I have come up with is the idea of giving everyone hints and tips about commercial writing, persuasive web copy, etc. - but then what kind of a reply does that merit? None that I can think of. Which destroys the point completely.

At the moment, I feel like I am sitting here talking to myself, but I can't stand these set up situations where you forward someone your blog just to get them to comment on it. Who you gonna call? Mates? Hmm, no, they may say something highly entertaining but equally inappropriate for a business website. Clients? Nope, too busy and they would probably wonder why on earth I was asking them in the first place. Complete strangers who just so happen to have strayed onto my site....? Well, looks like it's got to be. So, where are you all, then?

The only other technique I can think of to get this whole blog thing going is one which I know works for other people, but one which makes me cringe: All of a sudden, you start commenting on someone else's blog and then ever-so sneakily drop into the conversation that you too have a blog in equal need of responses.

To me, that just wreaks of pointlessness and the kind of contrived scenarios that make me colour up with embarrassment.

But I guess I am missing the point here - I mean, how could "The World's Top 30 Bloggers" (sic) be wrong? I started reading this similarly-entitled bestseller to get a handle on the whole damn thing, but so far I've just discovered that half of those interviewed in the book started blogging by accident, most of them don't know how or why so many people started reading them and there is actually very little by way of actual hands-on advice as to how to get people to read what you're saying. Cosmic.

So there you are. That's the basis of my blog. That I have nothing really to blog about on a business level and no one in particular to blog to.

Any suggestions as to how to change this pointless situation will be gratefully received. I may even reply to your blog as a return favour.....

Thursday, May 8, 2008

SLOW BUT STEADY BLOG PROGRESS

Today is an historic moment, as John Cleese announced in Clockwise. Why? Because I have just written my first ever reply to a blog.

Fair enough, you may think I am incredibly slow to respond to a form of communication which is currently taking the cyber world by storm. But as with anything like that, I like to sit back and observe for a while - and I won't join in unless I think it's my kind of thing, regardless of what anyone may say about blogging's potential to send your Google rating sky-high.

Anyway, unless you're into diet and nutrition, you probably won't find it all that interesting, but you'll find it at Vanity Fair (www.vanityfair.com) in response to a feature about Dr Nish Joshi, who has tailored the diets of the likes of Kylie, Kate Moss and Gwyneth Paltrow.

As for my blogs, it's work in progress - to be brutally honest, I'm not even sure what to write about, apart from giving people my tips on better writing in business, etc. But that's hardly going to set the world on fire, is it? Oh well, we'll have to see if anyone out there wants that kind of thing. If they don't, then my business is in serious trouble!

If anyone wants to make any comments about the importance/non-importance of effective language in contemporary business, please feel free....as soon as you're ready!

Friday, April 25, 2008

WHAT’S NEW…?

So far, I’ve enjoyed working alongside numerous and varied clients, covering sectors including the property market, public relations and marketing, computer software development, the regional press, the catering and hospitality industries and motorsport.
I’ve worked on projects ranging from advertorials and advertising features, to helping achieve nationwide publicity for several PR clients, event publicity in the local, regional and national press and motivational sales material and marketing literature for a leading Leicestershire estate agent and a well-known Leicestershire publican.
In short, it’s been a busy time since I left the Leicester Mercury after six years.
I am proud to report that more than 80 per cent of my clients have offered me repeat business.
By far the greatest challenge which lays ahead for me at the moment is writing my first book – not the kind of thing a journalist would perhaps go for in their first year of going solo, but as people are always telling me, I love a challenge.
My subject is Ginny Patterson, who I first met about five years ago, when I went along to one of her psychic workshops to write a feature on my experiences.
Ginny’s list of skills and talents is impressive: she is a clairvoyant and psychic medium, a Reiki master, an animal healer and communicator and a horse whisperer, to name but a few.
This book is in its absolute infancy, but it will focus on Ginny’s work with animals, from dogs and cats, to horses and rescue animals.
It will be a real learning curve for both of us, but we are sure it will result in a book that believers and cynics alike will enjoy. But in the meantime, read all about her through my Links page.