Creative Business Blogging

I am quite excited because I am seeing more and more folks using blogging in new and creative ways to promote their businesses. Here are TWO innovative and engaging examples:

Example ONE

This weekend, I discovered a new author, Vivki Petersson. I read her first novel, The Scent of Shadows and enjoyed it thoroughly. The opening scene involves a blind date from H**L… to raise interest, Vicki had a Blind Date from H**L contest on her blog:

http://vpettersson.livejournal.com/

What works - Her publisher is bringing out the frst and second book (a series) backto back in successive months… I am already waiting breathlessly for the second book. If there had been a long wait between the two, I would not have been nearly as involved. As it is, I plan to play hooky for the afternoon it will take to read the next one!

What doesn’t work - She needs her own blog with her name in the domain, hosted with her own hosting company… she needs complete control and needs a WordPress blog that has been tweaked for the search engines. As it stands now, I found her blog by following a reference to her in another blog… NOT good!

Example TWO

Joan Hawley, of Lazy Girl Designs, a friend of mine, has just started a 12 day event called the Day Z Dozen Blog Hop. Here is the event, described in Joan’s own words.

http://www.lazygirldesigns.com/blog/

What is the Day Z Dozen blog hop? It’s a ’show’ of new projects from a number of designers. ’Hop’ online each day to see a new project and hear the story of the design, as told by the designer.

Is there a theme for the Day Z Dozen blog hop? Yes! A few months ago I had the chance to play with the new ‘DayZ Deux’ fabric collection from LakeHouse Dry Goods (floral fabric shown below).That was before the fabric was widely available. Now, however, it is available. The fabric is shipping to stores or already in stock. So Holly (LakeHouse) and I called the girls (see below) and told them we would like to have a little show of the projects we made a few months ago.

How does the Day Z Dozen blog hop work? ’Hop’ online and visit our blog each day from March 5 - 16, 2007, as we share a new project as told by the designer.

What projects are in the Day Z Dozen blog hop? Hey, that’s a secret! You’ll have to tune in each day to see what’s new.

Who is participating? We have dubbed ourselves the ‘Day Z Dozen’, and you’ll have a chance to meet all of these fabulous Lazies, oops - DayZies, and hear the story behind their beautiful creations.

I am sooo excited to see these creative thinkers using blogs in new and different ways!

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