Blogging has significantly increased business for many consultants and professionals represented on the panel. Several key benefits of blogging for business mentioned include: - Blogging grows website traffic and email lists, bringing in many new clients and opportunities. - Blogs are used as a content marketing strategy to attract clients, get found online, and generate more business than can be handled. - Consultants build their expertise and stay top of mind through blogging, leading to referrals and opportunities like speaking engagements. - Clients often find professionals through blog-related Google searches, then hire them after reading their blogs.

1. Women Whose Blogs Mean Business For the Women in Consulting panel August 21, 2008 Slides prepared by Sallie Goetsch (rhymes with “sketch”)

2. Blogger

3. TypePad

4. WordPress

5. Windows Live Writer

6. BlogHer

7. Elisa’s Blog

8. Colette’s Blog

9. Karen’s Blog

10. Author-izer Blog

11. FileSlinger ™ Backup Blog

12. Patsi Krakoff & Denise Wakeman

13. Denise Wakeman When we started blogging in 2004 we were blogging about writing and internet marketing. As a result, traffic to our “regular” websites grew enormously; our email list grew about 300% in 6 months. Blogging has attracted new clients, many, many speaking gigs, participation in books; development of new products and more opportunities than I can name. In a nutshell, blogging has exploded our business in a way neither of us EVER anticipated.

14. Patsi Krakoff Denise and I can definitely add our blogs to any list of successful blogs that are used to build consulting business results. We use a strategy of content marketing—no ads—to attract clients, get leads, get found and get more business than we can handle. It’s the number one source of new business for our company The Blog Squad.

15. Henriette Weber

16. Henriette Weber On the European side, you might want to check out Marjolein Hoekstra (Netherlands) and Henriette Weber (Denmark), both of whom have built consultancies pretty much on the backs of their blogs. Marjolein, in fact, is seriously “post-blog,” now, and pretty much is only on IM and Twitter. Allan Jenkins

17. Donna Papacosta

18. Donna Papacosta My modest little Trafcom News blog and podcast have definitely generated contacts and tangible business for me. Many times a client will find me through a Google search, then poke around my blog and podcast sites to read and listen to my work. One of my major podcasting clients came on board this way. Another time, someone found my blog, read about my webinar, attended it, then hired me as a consultant.

19. Trish Bertuzzi

20. Trish Bertuzzi Our Inside Sales Experts blog has doubled the traffic to our site. Through the use of effective SEO strategies, we now have a global presence we did not have before. Additionally, we have been able to use the blog as the main form of participation and communication for the 900+ member LinkedIn Inside Sales Experts group so it serves multiple audiences!

21. Liz Guthridge

22. Liz Guthridge With my blog, I’m reaching many spheres of influence, namely consultants who work in different spaces than I do. The combination of my blog and Twitter postings—combined with my e-zine—helps me stay more top of mind, as well as demonstrate what I’m thinking and doing. One consultant, who thought my lean communications would be a good match for one of his clients, referred me to HP. And yes, HP hired me for a significant project.

23. Penny Haynes

24. Penny Haynes Blogging and Podcasting are definitely how I have received a lot of business for my consulting and product businesses. I became Podcasting Consultant for Lifetime Television For Women because of my Brain Storm! Business Podcast. The IT Director listened to my show and suggested my name when Lifetime was looking for someone to help them include podcasting in their re-branding initiative. I now use my Online Community Magazines Blog to keep potential and present customers up to date on the latest findings.

25. Lara Wellman

26. Lara Wellman My former colleague Lara Wellman and her friend Vicky started an online clothing company for kids bolstered by Lara’s blogging, and they just opened a bricks and mortar store here in Ottawa, Onatrio. Bob LeDrew

27. Lea Woodward

28. Lea Woodward My semi-professional blog is one of the primary marketing tools for prospects considering my consulting services (I’m a former management consultant from Accenture and currently on a temporary project for Cape Consulting in South Africa). I’ve also used a more popular blog (in terms of subscriber numbers) about running a business whilst travelling permanently (being location independent) to promote our online marketing/web design consultancy services.

29. Kimberly Kralowec

30. Kate Spelman

31. Kimberly Kralowec Kate Spelman These two legal bloggers have small firms or solo practices. They have done an excellent job of being “the” expert on their niche fields, and I know that they often get clients who come to them after reading their blogs. Colette Vogele

32. Sara Shendelman

33. Sara Shendelman People often go to my blog due to a Google search and are impressed with the beautiful letters couples have written to me after their weddings. Here they see a description of how my work affected people, or how the couple felt about the process and they realize that this is what they, too, are looking for. And instead of giving people the uncomfortable task of calling strangers to ask for a reference or trying to crash someone else’s wedding, the letters make it clear that I do wonderful personal work that has pleased every kind of family.

34. Monica Flores

35. Monica Flores I’ve been using my blog to market my web design company’s services. There’s been synergy between the two because on the blog, I can discuss web design, but I can also bring up issues like parenting, relationships, success-oriented thinking, as well as business building practices. The blog receives about 1000 unique visitors each month, predominantly women interested in business. I’ve also collected a number of my blog posts into a book which is now selling!

36. Jill Konrath

37. Jill Konrath It’s significantly increased my visibility as an expert in my field. Prospective clients always check it out before they contact me. When they do call, they are naturally the right “fit.” They see the world the way I do and want me to help their salespeople be more successful. It’s connected me with others in my field & related fields, thus opening up additional business and promotional opportunities.

38. Kathie M. Thomas

39. Kathie M. Thomas My Virtual Assistant blog was designed to bridge the gap between educating VAs about their industry and teaching the general public how to use a VA. There are a number of VA forums out there to help new and existing VAs but the clients don’t benefit from what is learnt there so I thought my blog could assist in that area. It’s been running for over 3 years now and it has brought me new Virtual Assistant members for my team, new clients, and sold books also. It also helped me get into the Top 100 Aussie bloggers list.

40. Denice MacDonald

41. Denice MacDonald I have been very successful with my blog, which concentrates on providing value and knowledge to interactive marketing and business-to-business professionals. My blog site has connected me to many similar freelancers, consultants and professionals who have a difficult time cutting through the clutter relative to the amount of content and knowledge we need to stay current. By doing so, my blog concentrates on topics that are relevant and SEO friendly.

42. Heather Smith

43. Heather Smith I have used my blog to show our commit-ment to the community, educate, share stories, and articles of interest. Many clients have told me they read the blog before calling us. I feel that the blog is an important way to touch our clients, and prospective clients. I am however not a savvy blogger, I do not know all the tips & tricks & it is time consuming.

44. Judith Rubin

45. Judith Rubin My blog has been a huge boost to my business in terms of reinforcing my identity and professional standing, and giving people an idea of the scope of my work and background. Primarily, I use it to link to my articles and press releases that have been published elsewhere. I occupy a specialized niche of the entertainment industry and serve many inter-secting fields, and it is easier to show what I do than to concisely explain it. Also the blog has served to get additional visibility for my clients.

46. Krishna De

47. Krishna De Possibly the most exciting opportunity for me was a speakers bureau contacting me from the US for their client, a Fortune 20 company, asking me to speak at an event for their executives in Rome. They found me, researched my background and selected me through the content on my blog and other websites. Blogging is not for everyone, but I for one can not imagine another way to make my experience and insights to people interested in the subjects I write about available with little investment other than time.

48. J. P. Stein

49. J. P. Stein I use blogging to build my business. It allows me to be of service so I build relationships with readers. Down the road, the blogs may lead to business but that’s not my intention. I love sharing what I’ve learned and keeping others from having to re-invent the wheel.

50. Nancy Friedman

51. Nancy Friedman I started my blog, Fritinancy , in 2006. It’s now my primary marketing tool. It’s not always easy to make direct connections between the blog and new business, but I can easily point to a couple of non-monetary benefits: I “met” a trademark lawyer through the blogosphere, enjoyed her blog (and learned a lot from it), and as a result have used her services on two recent projects. My daily reading includes MANY blogs (more than 100). This reading constitutes my continuing professional education; it helps me stay up to date and knowledgeable.

52. More About Blogging

53. Contact the Panelists Sallie Goetsch: www.author-izer.com , sallie[at]author-izer.com Karen Greenwood Henke: www.nimble-press.com , henke[at]nimble-press.com Elisa Camahort Page: www.blogher.com , elisa[at]blogher.com Colette Vogele: www.vogelelaw.com , colette[at] vogelelaw.com