Lawlady's Divorce and Relationship Blog

Biznik is Amazing

I remember many years ago being invited to a Biznik event.  I showed up to a dive restaurant in Ballard at 7:00 am and sat alone for an hour eating a greasy egg breakfast.  I was stood up for my first Biznik event.  They changed the date or time or something. 

I didn't go back for about two years.  And then a friend inticed me back and I slowly started becoming active on line.  They have a great website layout that's fun to use. 

Last night I attended their "Shine" event. It was an amazing event of many hundreds of entrepreneurs.   They set up 12 video stations and members were interviewed for an upcoming documentary about self-employment and being an entrepreneur.   Really, it was a miracle.  All these hundreds of gutsy, effusive professionals telling a shared story.  We speak with many voices but the tales are similar.  I'm excited to hear the unified voice.

It got me thinking that this half-breed "party-film" documentary style is a masterful film-making style.  It could easily be structured to capture other stories:   abortion,  divorce, crime, frustration with the fast, modern world.

 

Seattle Divorce Attorney Stefani Quane says...

My blog's daily visitor count increased recently.  I've learned how to play the game a bit better than I did before.  I'm also on Google's radar more than I used to be.  I'm coming up in the first five entries for odd searches, like break up parties and Robert Scoble's divorce.  Someone told me years ago that if you want to get famous in the blogosphere write about the topics that you think your ideal clients will Google.  I didn't quite follow the advice.  Not the first time I've  disregarded good recommendations. 

In a fit of greed I sat down several times to write "divorce attorney Seattle" stories.  You know, something blathering like, the "Seattle Divorce attorneys and  I were having lunch today and we discused this compelling divorce issue ..."   Or,  "as a Seattle Divorce Attorney, I recommend..."   My writing went dry. I couldn't write for such a purpose.  My subconscious reigned  me in. 

So, instead I write on fairly odd topics like "diplomatic language" and do well on the search engines attracting happily married people (who hopefully will someday need a divorce). 

If you want to increase your blog ratings do, however, write on your topic often, and rather than give your pieces cute names, give your pieces names that will likely convert well into web search terms, like "Seattle Divorce Attorney, Stefani Quane says...."

Prenuptial Ad on Craig's List

Did you know that Craig's List has a section for services?  Wild.  It's got all sorts of lawyers, paralegals and on-line document prep services listed.  I've even been told that if you list your services on Craig's list it can help you gain ranking on search engines since web crawlers spent a lot of time hanging out there. 

Here's the ad for prenups I just posted. 

Do you know that you really should be negotiating your prenuptial agreement several months before the wedding? Prenups that are signed at the eve of the wedding are not as solid as ones signed months before the big event.

If you are curious if a prenup is right for you, call Lawlady.com to discuss your situation. Know what you are agreeing to before you sign that marriage contact. Typical prenuptial agreements can range from $250 to $2,250 in most cases. Take the fear out of "what if" as you prepare for your wedding.

Marketing shifts frequently.  You can't rely on old media and methods to get the message across.  You've to keep trying new things.  We'll see with the prenup ad.

LaPlant's Excellent Blogging Example

Check out the very nice photography site of  Jeff LaPlant.   Wedding photographer, although he might take other kinds of photos.  What is particularly interesting is to follow his blog.  He started one in 2004 with a simple entry that reads sort of like, "Well, everyone's got one. Here I go.  I'm not much of a conversationalist."  Then eventually he gets his blog-legs and starts to hone it down to a fairly consistent professional message.  I think his site is very strong and demonstrates Seth Godin's principle  that visitors want to see their topic of interest from all different angles, including the inside view from the professional.  What does the photographer, see, hear and notice?

Referral Partner Culling

I am in the process of rewriting my recommendation list.  This list is known as the Green Sheet around the office, although I believe it's been a while since it was actually printed on green paper.  It's my list of preferred providers and I pass it along to clients and colleges to make referrals to the network of professionals I think are shining gems.  I'm scouting the horizon to find new professionals to admire and promote.  I think it's important to cull your list of preferred providers every once in a while.  Who best supports your customer or client now?  Your business has changed; your referrals need to change to. 

The Reading Gets More Boring!

Trying to get Technorati to see me.  Still. 

Lawlady

Don't Read This!

For purely promotional reasons, and to try out the skills I learned at the Blog Business Summit, I'm adding myself as a technorati tag.  Technorati traces what blogs have cited a blog topic.  By adding a "tag," you create a category in Technorati that allows this web company to begin tracking posts about the category you have created. I'm making Lawaldy Technorati's 3,000,001 tag, if I'm doing this right.  Here we go:

Lawlady

Asking the Right Question

I want to introduce you to the website of David Lorenzo a marketing guy whose primary client is the Gallup Organization.  I wonder if that is an off-shoot of the Gallup polls people?  Well, anyway, I learned from him via Keith Ferrazzi's blog .  David Lorenz tried the following: 

I decided to try a little experiment. I went through a couple of weeks of local periodicals and I picked out people that were featured in articles and I send them each a handwritten congratulations note. I said something to the effect – “I saw the article on your business in XYZ Magazine. Congratulations on your success. I’d love to speak with you some time to hear the story of how you got to where you are.” I sent twenty of these notes.

 

I was astonished to receive seven e-mails, two letters and a phone call in return. Half of the people I sent the note to wanted to take me up on my offer to meet and tell their story! 

For the full text, click here.

I'm surprised he got such good results. I wonder if that is because he works for a big company, and is obviously a stand-out guy in his own right.  I wonder what the success rate would be for the smaller-fish? 

Nonetheless, the question he posed seems compelling.   According to Seattle therapist John Skandalis, "we live lives at the mythic, story level.  If you aren't happy with your life, change the story you are living."  I think when a person poses a question that provokes the recipient to comprehend and share his myth (his story, his essential journey) they are going to get a higher-than-usual response.  I'd say, Mr. Lorenzo's letter writing campaign worked well because he tapped a deeper, psychological well-spring.

 

Business Hall of Fame

My personal band of heroes at the moment are:  Seth Godin  (for marketing), Keith Ferrazi  (for networking),  Julie Morgenstern  (for organizing), and  Dan Pink  (for  business trends).  It's hard to find them presenting. They are not frequently scheduled to speak at events open to the public.  I wish they were. I'd like to see each one in person. 

But you are lucky if you live on the East Coast.  Seth Godin has just announced that he will be presenting in November  in New Jersey for $99.00. Here are more details about the half-day event.     I'm sure the event will be worth it.  Go if you can. 

Dan Pink has his own spectacular offer.  He is in the process of  supplementing his book A Whole New Mind and is soliciting input for examples to include in his revised edition.  If you do something wise and right-brained in your work, you might want to share your techniques with Dan for inclusion in the next issue.  His book is already in its 7th printing and there is every indication that his trajectory will continue straight up, so this is an excellent opportunity for some free PR.  He's taking new ideas through October 31st.  Check out his site for details about submitting an idea. 

(Are you enjoying my frequent usage of links?  I do believe that providing them has doubled the time of doing a blog entry!  I hope I can shorte my linkage time.  And for those of you following my tech-dilemma-- I JUST figured out how to do trackback. I had to sign up for PLUS service, to use it.) 

Bellevue Blog Business Summit

I am computer dsylexic.  I cannot master new computer tricks by reading the help folder. I need someone to put my hands on the keyboard and practice with me about 10 times before I get something.  Take Tracker.  I've written questions to typepad.  I've had my friend show me how, and someone else explain it over coffee.  Still not getting the mechanics of it. I get the gist, but not the way to make it happen.

But there is hope.

(Oh dear, maybe not..... if you click on the next question that asks if you would like to read more, you are going to be lead astray.  The link is incorrect.  So I advise against clicking that button.  I'll tell you the relevent information here.  -- See, I tried using the "quick post" option.... before I digress further, I've give you the bottom line.)

Bottom line:  On October 29, 2005 all day in Bellevue the Blog Business Summit  will be hosting a  big training event for $199 on business blogging.  It sounds relevant and useful for any skill level and taught by experts in the field.  Here is a LINK!!!!  (If I get it right.)  Blog Business Summit 

I hope to meet you there.