What’s an elevator pitch?
An elevator pitch is an overview of an idea for a product, service, or project. The name reflects the fact that an elevator pitch can be delivered in the time span of an elevator ride (for example, thirty seconds or 100-150 words. – wikipedia
So, how well can you explain what your blog is about in 30 seconds or less?
Today’s Learning Lesson:
Today’s task is to identify what I like to call your 3 Core M’s (before launching your next social media strategy) and to craft an Elevator Pitch for your blog.
What are the 3 Core M’s?
A blog is going to attract the kind of business that you’re writing for. So, if you’re writing content for buyers, you’re going to attract buyers. If you’re writing about foreclosures, you’re going to attract buyers interested in foreclosures. If you’re looking for certain type of business, then what you want to do is write content as if you’re speaking to the type of client you’d like to work with.
The 3 Core M’s is an exercise (I learned from my friend @ChaoticMark) that will help you identify “Who” you want to reach, “How” you’re going to reach them, and the “Message” your trying to communicate.
For the perfect “Market-to-Message” match, you first want to focus on “WHO” (you are talking to; your audience), then “WHAT” (what’s the message you are trying to communicate). In the process, you’ll determine your “How” (how you’re going to reach that audience.
When you get to your Message (“WHAT”), practice saying it out-loud. This is the part where you come up with an elevator pitch…
Crafting An Elevator Pitch:
In the process of identifying your 3 Core M’s and writing your Elevator Pitch you will have learned how to communicate the type of business you’re after and the purpose of your blog quite effectively.
See, many business courses teach students to develop an elevator pitch for themselves (and their business) so that they have something quick and sharp to say about themselves whenever an opportunity arises at a networking event (or other related-type of event; I’m thinking LinkedOC here). The idea is that you don’t want to miss an opportunity by failing to succinctly communicate what you do. The goal instead is to effectively communicate what it is that you do and get people to want to learn more.
Ever go to a networking event and get tongue-tied when someone asks you what you do or what your blog is about? C’mon, admit it, I know you have… 😉
What is an elevator pitch going to do for you?
As a Real Estate Blogger (or entrepreneur), an elevator pitch is going to help you in a couple of different ways. For one, it’s going to help you get some real good clarity one what it is you do (what you write about for your blog etc.). Other things it’ll help you with include:
- Writing Fresh New Content – If you’re clear on your blogging goals and objectives, it’ll be easier for you to come up with new content ideas.
- Finding New Readers – Again, if you can communicate what your blog is about clearly, it’ll be easy to connect with and find new readers.
- Developing Your Personal Brand – Having a clear idea on what your blog is about will make it easier for you to start developing your personal brand. Think of a tagline (heck, I need to work on mine, any ideas?)… Having a short, descriptive tagline makes it easy to communicate what your blog is about to other readers.
Having a good elevator pitch will essentially serve as the foundation for building out your content, developing your brand and attracting loyal readers interested in hearing what you have to say. The easier it is for you to communicate that, the easier it’s going to be for you to start growing your Tribe.
Action Step(s) for Today:
In identifying your 3 Core M’s you will have begun to develop writing your elevator pitch. Your tasks for today are to grab a sheet of paper (or a Word Document will do just fine) and write out a list of characteristics that make up your perfect buyer/your ideal client/your ideal reader. Then, determine (and provide answers to) the following:
- What kind of content do they respond to?
- What kind of questions are they asking that “I” can provide answers to?
In the process of writing out the answers to these questions, you will have creating a few blog post titles and/or outlines for new posts 
Then, go through the process of writing out your elevator pitch and use it in drafting your “About Page”. If you have an audio recorder, it might be a good exercise to use it as well. Answer the following questions:
- Am I solving a particular problem or need?
- What makes me unique?
- Who is my specific audience?
When you’re done going through some of these steps, come back here and share your elevator pitch in the comments below for the rest of the group to see and share. If you already have one, share it with the rest of us anyway. And you know what would be awesome? If you took the time to help someone else out on theirs 🙂
Feel free to Tweet it when you’re finished:
Click Here to Tweet & Share Your Elevator Pitch!
Photo Credit: bogenfreund
ok @ribeezie here it goes: “I write The South Beach Condos Blog. It is a blog for people interested in South Beach and Miami Beach real estate. The blog focuses on providing quality and timely real estate information. The information is meant help buyers and sellers quickly assess market activity –so that they can make better decisions concerning their real estate—all without needing to rely on a real estate agent or a gatekeeper of information.”
Hey Kevin,
Great job! Short and concise, just the way it should be.
See you at RETechSouth! Let's hear your pitch live and in-person 🙂
Okay, I'll give it a go. “Inspiration is everything. By sharing what inspires us, we help each other be the best that we can be. Life is a gift and I try to convey that message through my photography, writing, and workshops.”
What really helped me in your post was identifying the type of content and, especially, the questions I can answer. I remember reading somewhere that you should think about delivering “massive value.”
I consider this first six months on my blog as an experiment in answering these questions about what people want and need and what I can deliver. I believe that true inspiration makes people want to be the best that they can be. So, questions they might be asking include,
Where do you find inspiration?
How will it help me?
What do I do with it?
Hi Kim,
That's right, value comes first! Unfortunately, most people lead with the product first (and that's where they fail, in my opinion).
I like your elevator pitch however, if you're at a networking event, I might try opening with: “Life is a gift and I try to convey that message through my photography, writing, and workshops.” It sounds more natural when you open with that part first (IMO).
I think you have the right idea going here and it's going to be great to see you develop it. Start with the questions your audience is asking, and focus on writing answers/responses to those questions. Do that and I think you have the beginnings of an excellent blog!
Thanks for participating Kim!
I write the DesignByOne.com blog. It is where I keep my clients and acquaintances up to date on my projects. The blog focuses on my design and photography. The information is meant to generate new projects and to help designers and photographers with the techniques I've learned along the way.
Kirk,
I love your blog (well, I'm a fan of red so of course I like it, heh). Also, love how you've described it as a place for you to keep your clients and acquaintances up-to-date on projects!
In writing this is a great description. Did you try rehearsing it out-loud to see if it comes out naturally? Also, you mentioned your using as a way to generate new projects… Besides the contact form at the bottom, how are you capturing new leads? Registration form via the blog sidebar? What are your Calls To Action (perhaps a subscription form at the end of each post, etc.).
Just some ideas to get your creative juices flowing… Thanks for participating in today's task!
Hi Ricardo,
Since I am a lender, my elevator speech would sound a bit different. “My blog, SanDiegoMortgagereports.com was developed to provide consumers and Real Estate Agents alike with up to date information about our local markets. Every market is different and by becoming a trusted source in my local market I can help my community.”
My goal here is to convey the information that I will do the heavy lifting for the local market and as a team we can accomplish the recovery and thriving of the real estate activity.
Hey Michael,
In writing, this sounds great. But what if you were at a networking event, would it come out as naturally when you say it out-loud?
Looks good, I'd just tighten it up a bit so it rolls out naturally 🙂
Also, I noticed you moved the blog on over to the Genesis Framework! It looks fresh and I like it! If I may recommend however, consider removing the tag cloud and replacing it with categories (more efficient for consumers to search through your content).
Thanks for joining Michael, lookin' forward to having you work through the other exercises as well!
I love the input Ricardo!! Thank you for taking the time.
My pleasure Michael! When you have a moment, see if you can offer some input on some of the pitches submitted by others 🙂
Nice Job Michael! – by the way thanks for tweeting about this…because of that Bonnie and I both signed up
Happy to hear it Richard! And great to have both you and Bonnie on-board 🙂
Ok here's my pitch:
“Blogging is mandatory to today's marketing. You need to be a good blogger to be a good marketer. My blog shows you how revolutionize your digital marketing from mediocre to excellent using content marketing.”
By the way Ricardo, I've come up with an awesome solution for better podcasts. Pop in the earbuds, hook up with skype, and start recording using QuickTime (or a Windows equivalent lol.) Have the person(s) on the other end do the same, so each of you is only recording your own voice. Then, put the recordings all together in GarageBand and wham! All of the voices are super crisp. You'll never have to put up with Skype crackling up, either.
It's awesome.
Short, simple and concise. I dig it Martyn! I'd try: “In today's digital landscape, you need to be a good blogger to be a good marketer…” (Just a kind suggestion but otherwise, looks good).
Thanks for participating in the 31 Day Challenge! Lookin' forward to having you on-board through the other tasks!
P.S. Thanks on the tips for the podcast.
I'm thinking about sneaking the word “renaissance” in there. It's what Mitch Joel calls this period of digital transition. He says that we don't realize what we're going through, but we'll look back and call it a renaissance.
Yeah some folks (like Mitch!) don't have a problem with just recording the show on one end. But then there are podcasts like CopyBlogger where you KNOW they're doing more than that. Depends on how lazy you feel about it, I suppose. 🙂
My blog http://www.westernmahomes.net is there to help home buyers and sellers in Western Massachusetts get the information and education they need to make smart real estate decisions. I try to share myself, the best of Western MA as well as real estate news and advice through my posts.
Lesley: (Hiya!) This is great. But let's pretend for a moment that we don't know each other and that we were meeting in passing at a networking event. How could you package this up (your elevator pitch) and deliver it in a short, fun and concise way to grab my attention and make me want to visit your site?
I like the first half of this… Now let's bring out that personally of yours with a good close…
hmmmm ok:
I hope that when you read my posts you will get a better sense of the services I provide to my customers and clients. Go read it and leave me some comments to let me know what you think!
I like a elevator speech with a challenge or call to action at the end… ; ) Gives you a chance to touch base after the initial contact.
Ah, yes, can't forget the “Call To Action”!
Lesley: I was just skimming through your blog. How about closing each post with a signature line. I'm thinking something along the lines of what @mizzle does on her blog: http://coloradospringsrealesta…
Anyway, just an idea…
Here's my pitch: “Hi I’m Debbie Kirkland, I’m a Realtor and I write a blog called Talk Tallahassee. I’d love to have your input on my posts so that I can help people learn what makes Tallahassee a great place to live and why it’s a great place to call home. Here’s my card, can you take a look at it sometime this week and give me a call?”
Debbie, I would like to see the link to your blog…love the name Talk Tallahassee…
http://www.TalkTallahassee.com Thank you Richard. It's a part of my real estate website. my articles link to pages, listings, neighborhoods there, or at least I try to!
Speaking of writing about neighborhoods, etc. I love what Irina at http://www.pasadenaviews.com did to create local neighborhood pages. For example: http://www.pasadenaviews.com/a…
Done right, I think it could be quite effective! Just an idea… 🙂
Thank you Ricardo!
You're welcome!
Sorry to be giving away your trade secrets but hey…”sharing is caring!” 🙂
Richard: Agree with you 1,000%! Talk Tallahassee is a name that totally stands out to me (it's memorable). Kudos to Debbie for snaggin' a good domain 🙂
Hey Debbie,
Stopped by your site (love the job Dakno did on it)… First thing I noticed is the “My blog can beat up your blog” t-shirt. Love it!
Now, regarding your pitch, I love the name: Talk Tallahassee. Totally recognizable! Would love to see what your business card looks like. I've seen some really neat cards hi-lighting the blog and connecting the brand across all other social networks.
I love your pitch, but perhaps I'd close with something a bit softer. Something like: “Here's my card, feel free to connect with me on the network of your choice”
The idea is that I want people to make a decision to want to visit on their own without feeling like I'm forcing it on them. Otherwise, I love it! Great job!! And thanks for being a part of the challenge and offering others your feedback 🙂
365 Things To Do In Costa Mesa is all about the city I live in, love, and sell homes in to fellow adventure seekers and curiosity buffs. It offers up events, hidden gems, shops, deals and more for everyone who lives in, works in, or spends time in my neck of the OC. I love interviewing people about their fave things too here
and often do contests that feature local stuff.
Holly,
If you could recite that verbatim at the next LinkedOC event I catch you at, you got me hooked! I love your opening line and well, you make it about the community (which as a local, I have an interest in). Basically, you answered the WIIFM (What's In It For Me) right off the bat.
Great job and thanks for joining us on the 31 Day Challenge!!
Love your blog, Holly! It's such a great hub to learn about all the cool stuff going on locally. I've learned about a lot of things I wouldn't have otherwise known about through your blog and I think the “365 Things to Do” idea is an awesome concept.
My pitch.
My site http://www.martawalsh.com is a non-traditional REALTOR site, showcasing my work in the Scottsdale and Paradise Valley luxury real estate market. It is a mix of video, pictures, blogging and real estate information. My concept is to let people know as much about me, my values, and what interests me to allow potential clients work out if they would like to connect with me.
Hi Marta,
I like this. It looks like you have a clear idea on what it is you're trying to communicate (you have your message defined and your audience, which is great). But, let's tackle this from another perspective… Pretend I'm standing right in front of you. We're at an event. I introduce myself and I ask you to tell me more about who you are and what you do. How would you introduce your blog and yourself to me then?
Practice saying it out-loud a few times and I'm sure you'll nail it!
Oh, and by the way, “my name's Ricardo, it's a pleasure to meet you!” 🙂
Ok, first day and I’m stumped…I have no real clue what the blog is for…I want readership, but am not overly thrilled with were the blog is at…the original goal was to attract new mortgage clients, but quickly changed as I had a couple of authors join from across the country…it’s a blog on Real Estate and Finance called MoneyPress (http://www.moneypress.com). At this point I’m not sure of its direction…either to attract new mortgage clients or a larger readership of real estate and mortgage professionals. Clients obviously respond to things that educate them on home buying, real estate and mortgage professionals tend to respond to things their clients can use and things that can make them more productive. At the end, I would like the blog to make money. So I guess I’m stuck and need direction…really looking forward to day 2
Richard, I have been blogging since November 2010 and I am still undergoing the process of really discovering my audience, what posts or interests they like, how I can translate that info into revenue. All I can say is that it's an ongoing experiment. They say “practice makes perfect” so each day, try and ask yourself the questions we've been assigned here. The more you post and examine stats, keywords, comments, analytics, the more potential for clarity regarding your audience, monetizing your blog, etc. Pat yourself on the back too for participating in this challenge. Ask and you shall receive the information you seek in due time!
Hey Richard,
First off, awesome to have you (and Bonnie) on-board! (Remind me for thanking Michael on Tweeting details about the contest out, heh).
Now, trust me, I totally get how this can all seem a bit over-whelming. I've been there (as a lender too). Here are some sites that come to mind right off the bat that I hope might spawn some ideas and get your creative juices flowing:
http://www.myfhamortgageblog.c…
http://www.themortgagereports….
Dig through their sites, skim through their content. Get a sense for what they publish, how they share their content, etc.
The next step, is finding your own voice, your own (unique) communication style and rocking it from there! (I know, I know…easier said that done). Here's the great thing tho…
1.) I love that you're rocking the Genesis Framework on WordPress (very flexible),
2.) You have a GREAT domain name (it's memorable in my opinion),
3.) You have authors who are willing and ready to help take the load off when it comes to creating content!
You're going to have readers. Just because they don't always comment doesn't mean they're not reading. This is true for both Real Estate Blogs and Mortgage Blogs. I see that you have a subscription option enabled (via Feedburner) and that's great. You can track subscribers/progress that way. Know that it's ok to get off topic and have fun with your content and mix it up with media from around the web (whether it's video, a podcast, etc.). Just look at what Tyler Wood does with video while he's driving around town: http://www.thetimwoodgroup.com
Only other thing I'd change off the bat is I notice a subscription box but no other “direct”, easy, Call To Action. Consider using a contact form the way Dan Green does on “The Mortgage Reports” and placing that just below your subscription option. Track that for a few weeks and see how it converts.
Just my two cents… Hope it's helpful and that it spawns some ideas!
Thanks again for joining us and look forward to connecting tomorrow!
I like the idea of a contact form – do you have a sugestion of which one to use?
Perfect reader or following: Those who are interested in learning more about herbs and nutrition from a perspective of already knowing how beneficial they are and those who are clueless about it, but are looking for answers because they are experiencing health issues that they cannot shake and that are not being resolved by conventional medicine.
What kind of content do they respond to? Content that provides practical nutritional advice, and for those more familiar with good nutrition and herbs, content that gives
some “how to” for using these tools.
What kind of questions are they asking that “I” can provide answers to? How to feel better, how to improve my immunity, how to make and use herbal product, how to improve my health through proper nutrition
Hey Bonnie,
I love it… You're on exactly the right track! Here's what I would do, grab a notepad and a pen (hey, I'm old school like that sometimes), and sit there and write out some questions/post titles. Basically, as you said, wright out some thoughts on the kinds of questions people (your intended audience) are asking. Then, scribble down some notes below those post titles (in bullet form) formulating your answers. And bam! You have a blog post and some cornerstone content developing. Speaking of which, here's a great post from Copyblogger: http://www.copyblogger.com/cor… “How Cornerstone Content Gets You Traffic and Subscribers
Anyway, you have the right idea here and I love how you're piecing it together. It's be great if you can through some video into the mix (I'll have to find some examples from other sites for you). But if you do go with video, I'd keep it somewhere between 30 seconds to 1.5 minutes. Oh, here's an example from my friend Kirsten Wright and her weekly Friday Series “Wright's Ramblings”: http://wrightcreativity.com/20…
Think about it, how can you come up with your own weekly web series in a similar fashion but for your specific audience?
Thanks for joining us Bonnie! Love to have you here!
Hello everyone. My blog is not Real Estate related so it would be interesting to receive some feedback.
Elevator pitch: The purpose of my blog, http://www.thejaclynofalltrade… (I won't recite the URL), is to motivate people through my daily real life stories and experiences, to go for THEIR dreams and follow THEIR hearts desires then share their accomplishments and lessons learned with other people through the use of social media.
Non-elevator pitch related: Social Media is a stage that allows us to not only understand our audience but to truly interact with them as well. We all know this, after all, we're doing this challenge, right? But how many of your peers, colleagues,(or even yourself) find social media to be intimidating at times? There is a reason why the word SOCIAL is a part of this new messaging. My goal with my blog is to provide inspiring and entertaining content while teaching people on all levels of social media a new tip or tid bit. To elaborate, I earned the name Jaclyn of All Trades because of my ability to challenge myself, to learn new things and continually acquire new skills. Right now, I am trying to launch a business, taking a stand up comedy class, writing and growing my blog, you get the picture. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail–but I always try.
I just want to encourage people to at least try and not fear failure. Having said ALL of that, HAHA, does my elevator pitch fit the purpose I've detailed here? Thoughts and input welcome.
Thank you so much! This is a great way to kick off February. Good luck to you all!
Hi Jaclyn,
Re: “Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail–but I always try.” That's just the right kinda attitude! You have to be willing to try new things and go with it (adjusting here and there along the way). It's ok if you make mistakes, you just pick up and keep moving forward.
Now, if you can recite your “elevator pitch” in those words (your opening paragraph) and with that bright smile on your face, I'd say you done good!
One thing I would change on your blog…on the sidebar, move your subscription options further towards the top (above the fold) just below your “About” section. Otherwise blog on and can't wait to see you for tomorrow's challenge!!
Awesome! Have you heard of Tiny Buddha? They're pretty similar and post really great daily content on life.
Hi Debbie, I had not heard of the site but since we are to analyze a successful blog, I will check them out.
Can I ask the group a question–this challenge is opening up my ability to connect all the dots utilizing my blog. What I mean is, I love offering advice and consulting and want to make a living from it while also inspiring people. That said, should I change the name of my blog to http://www.askjac.com or http://www.askjaclyn.com or do you like the JaclynofAllTrades??
A friend of mine always jokes that I should write a book “How to Save the World and Still Make Time for the Spa” which translates to we can offer people help, advice and consulting while still being able to enjoy some of life's finer pleasures.
I think http://www.askjac.com would open me up to a broader audience and allow me to CONVERT my content into e-books, webinars, consulting opportunities and speaking gigs.
Thoughts? Advice? HELP! lol.
Jaclyn:
Your blog is engaging, inspiring and informative. I am going to call you to find out how I can hire you to help me use social media to grow my presence and business
http://www.freelancetourist.co…/
Freelance Tourist helps people be a tourist at home.
Hello, I am Eileen. I love being a tourist in whatever town I live. People can be tourist both at home and away. Showing them places of interests, reviews of hotels, or movies, or activities helps others know they can have a mini vacation right close to home.
Being a Freelance Tourist means I am working but enjoying myself through the eyes of a tourist. Discovery of interesting low costs ways of enjoying parks, movies, or food is something to share. Having Fun is essential to good health of your body, mind, and spirit.
When I see you taking a picture of your family, I jump in and offer my assistance, knowing you will go home with a great picture of all of you in my current home town or whatever town I am traveling through. It is fun to take pictures of others for their enjoyment at home.
————-
Eileen is founder, editor, and photographer of FreelanceTourist – Digital Photography and Multimedia Art – Web Design School – Social Media School – Each are in different stages of development or recently moved and need links updated. Follow on Twitter at @EileenLudwig
Hey Eileen,
Welcome to the 31 Day Challenge and congrats on completing the challenge for Day 1! Gotta say, love your tagline and what your blog is about. Though what I'd love to see to take things a step further is some photos to complement your description! Tell me more about what you do but share those stories through photos where you can.
Thanks for joining us and congrats on completing Day 1!
This is a really cool idea! If you come across any venues that use social media, I would love to blog about them for my social hospitality blog. Keep me posted!
My pitch is “I am an advocate for single women looking to purchase a new home with the least amount of stress.”
My blog is new, but I want it to evolve into a resource for women home buyers. I hope this will allow me to break out of the mold of writing a typical blog or fear of doinf it wrong.
My twitter @JustHerNest
JustHerNest.blogspot.com
Tracey: I love it! Straight and to the point. Now, put yourself in their shoes… What kind of questions are they asking that you can provide answers to? What emotions are you going through as a first time home-buyer, etc.?
Then, how can you compile all of that into a “Best Of” landing page or an FAQ page? Here's a good one that I came across this morning: http://www.miamiapartmentfinde… Let me know what you think and maybe you can rock out to something similar 🙂
I grew up in Northern VA and my mom and step father have a place in VA Beach! Gotta love the 'net for connecting us all. I love this blog idea and will def tell my friends about it. Have you thought of marketing yourself to a women's networking group? In LA, I belong to Step Up Women's Network http://www.suwn.org Perhaps in Newport News they may have a Ladies Who Launch or something similar. We could all use your help in first time home buying for sure!
Hi Tracy – I just checked out your blog…I grew up in Springfield and have relatives that were stationed in Washington and the big secret military base by you – lol…best of luck to your blog
Small world eh 🙂
Tracy, I love your blog! As a single woman contemplating a first-time home purchase in the coming years, it's definitely something that, the thought alone, stresses me out and it's so cool to have a specific resource for such a niche, especially as women are staying single longer. You should eventually branch out to lots of cities; I'm sure lots of women would use your site!
Tracey:
I appreciate your authenticity and clarity about whom your target customer is. I believe to create a blog that engages and dosen't put people to sleep, we all need to have the courage to be ourself and not carbon copies of who think we ought to be
Sorry I'm a little late. Here's my pitch. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!
My blog, http://socialhospitality.com, is for hospitality professionals to learn about the various ways social media can help their respective venues. Social Media has changed the ways businesses are able to interact with their customers, providing a unique ability to actively engage individuals before, during and after their experience with a particular brand. The hospitality industry in particular has an enormous opportunity to market in new, innovative ways.
Sounds like a great niche! – Looking forward to seeing your list-post (day 2) and having you catch up with us – welcome aboard
This is a VERY great target market since customers tend to rate hotels online and the hoteliers can't keep up since they are often busy servicing more customers! You can give hoteliers pointers with regards to setting up Google alerts, monitoring their online reputation and using social media to interact with their customers. Tagline could be something like: Socialize.Satisfy.Strategize. since there is fluctuation in occupancy at hotels and they can use their social media marketing to improve that.
Thanks so much for the feedback, Jaclyn! You bring up some great points and I really like your tagline idea. I haven't solidified a tagline yet but was contemplating something with the definition of the word “hospitality”, which is “the welcoming reception of guests or strangers” as it's broad and correlates perfectly with social media's initiatives as well. Let me know if you have any blogpost requests/ideas!
I saw your post on Southwest airlines, another airline that is great with their use of social media, particularly Twitter, is Virgin America. Maybe you could point out the top 3-5 successful hospitality social media stories and feature 2 hotels, an airline, restaurant and area attraction?
Other idea is How to Improve Occupancy Using Social Media then spell out: Twitter to promote room rates, Facebook for people to share with their friends and family, foursquare check in to promote location and Youtube to show different events and ways to utilize the property.
Lastly, you could do one post alone on the benefits of Yelp. Get started with a free listing, encourage customer reviews, etc etc.
Thank you, Richard! Your blog seems like a great financial resource. Looking forward to blogging with you this month!
Hey, better late than never, right? But seriously, welcome aboard and by the way, love the way your blog has come together 🙂
Now, let's think about how to turn that pitch into a tagline shall we? Noodle on that for a bit and then start asking yourself: what kind of questions is my audience asking that I can provide answers to? Do that, and you got the foundation of a great blog forming.
Congrats on submitting Day 1 Debbie! Lookin' forward to seeing your blog grow!
Thanks, Ricardo! It's still a work in progress but I'm so excited to have it up and running and participate in this month's blog challenge.
Thank you, too, for the feedback. I'll have to ponder the tagline a bit more. I just commented to Jaclyn below that I'd been debating something with the definition of “hospitality” — what are your thoughts on that? What did you think of her proposed tagline? I really like it; I just overanalyze everything so I'm always scared to commit to one out of fear I'll find some “flaw” with it later.
Hey, better late than never, right? But seriously, welcome aboard and by the way, love the way your blog has come together 🙂
Now, let's think about how to turn that pitch into a tagline shall we? Noodle on that for a bit and then start asking yourself: what kind of questions is my audience asking that I can provide answers to? Do that, and you got the foundation of a great blog forming.
Congrats on submitting Day 1 Debbie! Lookin' forward to seeing your blog grow!
Hello fellow bloggers, my name is Mitchel Groter and I am the CEO of Quantum Achievement Programs. http://www.quantumachievement…./ Here is my elevator pitch;
The purpose of my blog is to provide professional, personal and spiritual insight for people in transition.
My goal is to create motivating and relevant content that helps people get honest Now and get busy living.
These people can be Creative Professionals. Executives. Business Owners, and Entrepreneurs who want to grow their business and live fulfilling and inspiring lives.
Elevator pitch is a bit long but here it is on my about page
http://www.freelancetourist.co…/
http://www.web-designschool.co…
Starting again with a another blog
After reviewing my elevator pitch on my about page (http://topekaism.com/about/) I think I like it. BUT, I need some advice. I wrote it in the third person. It’s about my reasoning behind why I created the blog and how others probably are looking for the same thing.
Do you think it being written in the third person good or bad? Your opinions and comments would be appreciated.
Hey John, you know, that’s a great question and I’m sure we can debate this one with people all day long.
Personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the way you’ve written it. I would however make a few changes:
–
Get rid of the iFrame. It doesn’t rest well with the rest of the
content. Instead, work on posting the photos, links and content so it
sits right on the page. Technically, this is also better for SEO.
–
Add some links in the sections where you reference how you like to talk
about the local community. Maybe do a “Best Of” and link to some of
your best articles hi-lighting the local community?
Other
than that, you’re all good. I went ahead and posted the question in
regards to the bio so I’ll share the results here in a moment. Cool?
Okay, I’m lost – how come most of these comments are from 5 months ago?
Hi Evelyn, I ran the same challenge 5 months ago. Rather than re-write
the same duplicate content, I thought I’d use the same entry. Sorry for
the trouble/confusion, but I hope that makes sense.
Okay, so I’m going to write this just like I was saying it to someone – here goes –
HI! I’m Evelyn Cucchiara and I’m a blogger. My blog’s called – Best Organizing Tips and I do exactly that – give out easy to do tips to make your life better. I smooth out those bumps that always get in your way, like
you can’t find your kitchen counter cause it’s covered with junk,
your kids can’t find their shoes and the bus is beeping
the dog knocked over the piles of paper on the table right before your dinner guests arrive.
When you read my blog you can learn how to make sure these never happen to you again.
And, I’ve also written a book for anyone who wants to take control over their clutter. It’s called 30 Days To An Organized Home. Here’s my card with info about both the blog & the book. My last blog topic was (fill in the blank). I’d love for you to check it out and tell me what you think!
So there’s my elevator speech. Now I just have to memorize it!
Evelyn
http://www.bestorganizingtips.blogspot.com
http://www.organizingwithevelyn.com
@organizingwithe Hi Evelyn, I ran the same challenge 5 months ago. Rather than re-write the same duplicate content, I thought I’d use the same entry. Sorry for the trouble/confusion, but I hope that makes sense.
@Topekaism Hey John, you know, that’s a great question and I’m sure we can debate this one with people all day long.
Personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the way you’ve written it. I would however make a few changes:
– Get rid of the iFrame. It doesn’t rest well with the rest of the content. Instead, work on posting the photos, links and content so it sits right on the page. Technically, this is also better for SEO.
– Add some links in the sections where you reference how you like to talk about the local community. Maybe do a “Best Of” and link to some of your best articles hi-lighting the local community?
Other than that, you’re all good. I went ahead and posted the question in regards to the bio so I’ll share the results here in a moment. Cool?
If I was going to explain my blog I would say this “My blog is called “Be the Domino”. The entire basis of my site is to be the domino that God uses to touch the lives of others. Think domino effect. One of the main goals of my ministry is to highlight the work that God is doing through others. My ministry is focused on prayer and helping each of us to grow as Christians.
@RicardoBueno Ok – got it now. Thought maybe I was joining something already in progress…….
No worries, you’re all good 🙂
@RicardoBueno @Topekaism Thanks for the tips, easy changes can make a difference. I wasn’t even thinking SEO when I did that. Thanks.
No problem, happy to help.
@organizingwithe No worries, you’re all good 🙂
@Topekaism No problem, happy to help.
I’m sort of struggling with the ‘who’ for my personal blog. I taglined my site ‘a little bit about a lot of things’ because I’m a jack of all trades kinda guy. I love to explore, to learn, to share, etc. http://rickmanelius.com/about
Another blog I follow that has the same, all encompassing theme:
http://thepracticaldilettante.com/
There are times I want to write about poetry, self-improvement, drupal programming, etc. I know I’m going to have a hard time building a single focused audience, but that’s not my goal (I think). I’m trying to think of various ways to engage an audience of similar people (those willing to stop by and discuss anything).
I’m just getting started on today’s task, so don’t mind me if I’m late to the party… but if anyone has any initial advice/suggestions, I’m all ears. My current about is ok, but I know it can be better.
Utilizing the theory that less is more, here is my elevator pitch: As a participant in this blog the real estate consumer will be able to explain the requirements of a short sale or foreclosure; describe common problems inherent in the distressed property market and evaluate for themselves the value of a property being sold or purchased.
Note to participants: I am thinking through domain names and any suggestions that you might have would be appreciated. I work in an affluent county just outside Nashville and many of the distressed properties here are of high value. The target readers will be people interested in picking up a “bargain”, smaller investors who are looking to augment their portfolio or consumers who are over their head in debt and are looking beyond strategic default to a short sale. Also, banks.
Help Rick! I never did an elevator pitch for my blog. What a great idea! Where do I put it? My about me page is about me and an elevator pitch is supposed to be how I can help you…?
“I help my friends, speakers, and small business owners learn Attraction and Marketing Psychology. Social Media is one piece of the pie. My company presents small workshops where qualified people learn and DO the 8 marketing steps so they leave with samples and an action plan. What would a published book or TV show do for your business?”
Thank you for the first day of great content!
Joy~
Jeanette
Hi Jeannette!
I dig it, but I would close with, “think about it… What would a published book or TV show do for your business?” 🙂
In addition, I’d add some of your past accomplishments as a bullet list to your About page. That works as great social proof that gets people to subscribe, stick around and follow you along for the journey.
I have had an elevator pitch for my business but never my blog and am finding it difficult. Yikes!
“Hi I’m Mindy owner of a small, in-town Atlanta Real Estate Brokerage and Property Management Company. My blog answers questions asked during the buying and selling process, provides updates on issues affecting the real estate market and highlights our in-town communities.”
@organizingwithe Evelyn, first of all, I love the title: “30 Days to An Organized Home.” It’s has a great ring to it so it’s very memorable. In fact, (and this is just my opinion), I might start my opening line with that. Then follow with… “I give out easy to do tips to make your life better…”
So basically, lead with the book, then the blog as the free follow up resource. But again, that’s just my personal opinion.
Other than that, I love it! Well done!
@mindyg Hiya Mindy, great to see you here!
See, I think you should have one for both. Because here’s the thing. As a new site visitor, I want to learn more about you. Two things I’m looking for are:
1.) answers to whatever information I Google’d to GET to your site in the first place,
2.) More information about you.
Heck, when I look at even my site stats, I’ve noticed that people click on my “About” page about 14.7% of the time after landing on a post versus any other page on my site. That tells me something. It says, they’re looking to discover more information about me. I know this to be true on the stats for a few real estate sites as well.
So, that said, I think it’s important that not only are you able to verbally tell me about you, but your site should be able to communicate your goals, what the reader can expect to find and a little more information about you as well. And, as clearly as possible.
All of that said, how can you expand on the intro you left here in the comments? Look at Copyblogger’s site as reference 🙂
@RicardoBueno Thanks – I’ll try switching it around. I’m never sure what to lead off with, so thanks for the input. Looking forward to the next lesson!
My pleasure… Again, I really dig the “30 Days to An Organized Home” line 😉
Ok, here goes!
Fine Print Large Font answers the age-old question “what’s the catch” by providing reviews of as seen on TV products and giving consumers some behind-the-scenes insight on the fine print of the offers themselves.
Jess
@FPLFJess
Hey Jess,
I dig it! But, do you have this posted on your “About” page or homepage somewhere on your site? In other words, this communicates it pretty clearly to me here on the post. But we want to make sure you’re communicating that clearly through your website content as well so new visitors know what your content is specifically about.
Well done!
You know, I think it’s in there, but it’s buried under a ton of other words. I’m going to add it into the top and see what happens. Thanks so much for the feedback!
You’re welcome Jess!
You know, the more I think about it and after looking at your site, I can’t help but think that your “pitch” serves as either a good tagline, or it would render well in the sidebar with a widget to subscribe by email.
Here’s why I say this… You have about 3-5 seconds to capture and earn someone’s attention. In other words, people pass judgement on your site within those first couple of seconds. They either know what your site is about, they’re interested, and they stick around. Or they don’t and they take off somewhere else.
That said, if you can find a way to create a tagline, that would be awesome. Otherwise, I think it serves as a great description in your sidebar, above the fold.
Typically an elevator pitch is where I start stammering and can’t say anything coherent. Obviously that is why we need to practice and revise.
My first effort is:
Hi I’m Joanne Erickson a lucky local in Steamboat. I’m a realtor and write a blog about the Steamboat lifestyle and how anyone can become a Steamboat local
Joanne my dear, you and I both! I can’t tell you how hard it’s been to write my About page (which I think still needs revision) and even my Twitter bio. I stutter and second guess like you have no idea 😛
As for your quick elevator pitch… I dig it! A lot. It’s brief and to the point and if we were meeting at a local networking event, it’s enough to catch my attention to ask a few engaging follow up questions. And that’s what you want!
Now, as for that About page. Is this what your currently using? If so, I’d expand on it to include some of your past experience. Include information about he community. Link to some of your best posts, and encourage people to follow you along for the ride by subscribing!
Otherwise, well done!
Okay -this was interesting. I went back and read the 2 places I generally direct people for About Me / Elevator Pitch and realized that’s why I signed up. When they changed the laws on April 1st, I went from needing to target Government Loan Seekers to targeting Conventional business… which means more rate sensitive clients, Investors, people who are buying foreclosed homes – not necessarily folks who are driving 30 miles to work (with Gas still near $3.75) looking for a USDA Home Loan. I also need to bring more about our Area into this – because I know from past experience that writing about Economics, and Economic Forecast for Interest rates does not “draw” an audience.
Hi Eleanor,
Re: “writing about Economics, and Economic Forecast for Interest rates does not “draw” an audience.”
This is very, very true. Here’s what I tell real estate agents all the time… Sell the community before you sell the house! Find ways to connect with people of common interests, by sharing interesting things in the community. Become the local community expert. Then, by default, you’ll become the local agent expert as well.
Does that makes sense? Hope it does 🙂
Spent more time than I meant late last night working on setting up a WordPress site dedicated solely to this 31 day challenge. I am having difficulty getting some of my pages set up and some plug ins to work with my theme. Guess I will spend the weekend getting this straightened out and ready for the next task in the blogging challenge.
Hey Paul,
Funny, I’ve been there. Heck, just last weekend I spent literally both days redesigning 3 websites. When you get hooked, you get hooked I guess. Period.
In any case, don’t get flustered. And if you run into any problems, give me a holler by relpying to any one of the emails. I’ll do my best to help in any way that I can.
I was quite surprised when I went to seek advice or help concerning having teenagers and a new baby that all I could find was books on siblings around the ages of 3-10. There are numerous books integrating a new baby into the family, or getting your child ready. However, I found nothing on preparing teenagers, nor on the heartache and headache mom feels during this process of having a new baby later in life. I write my blog about having two teenage daughters and being 37 with a newborn. I hope my audience is moms that can relate, or even teens that want to understand. I promote my blog on Facebook and twitter. So, my elevator pitch would be, “My name is Beth. I write a blog called newmomwithteens that talks of my experiences having an infant later in life with two teenage daughters. My readers are mothers and teenagers promoted through facebook and twitter”.
Hi Beth,
When I first started reading this comment, I was a little confused… But then I got to the end and read your pitch, heh. I like your blog title, and you do an excellent job of detailing what your blog is about.
Here’s my question, does your blog have a tagline? Otherwise, I think your elevator pitch reads very well. Great job!
Hey, just checked back here and don’t see my comment any more 🙁 I posted it last night and it was here, so wondering what might have happened? Could it be because I posted through my iPad?
Anyway, here my 2 About Pages again:
http://sanford365.com/about/
http://realestatewall.com/contact/about/
Elevator Pitch for Sanford365:
I’m the founder and editor at Sanford365, a blog about life in Sanford. The original idea is based on a challenge of taking a picture a day, but it has grown into so much more since I started it in 2008. As Realtors we get around quite a bit so my husband Jose and I are trying to highlight all the great things Sanford has to offer and want to make people proud about their home town. Sanford365 is full of pictures, videos and area info, including real estate. The most popular section of the blog is the events section, but the facebook community is growing fast too. You should really check it out, it’s easy to remember Sanford365.com
Elevator Pitch for RealEstateWall:
RealEstateWall is a blog for first time home buyers in Orlando. We are trying to educate (young) future home owners about the buying process. The blog shows off Orlando’s nicest neighborhoods through pictures and videos. And, of course, you are also able to search for homes on the site. We have integrated the best and most complete real estate search engine – you will find your dream home – guaranteed!
Worked through all the questions and wrote down a lot. It really helped to sort some things through, great exercise.
Hope this time the comment stays…
Hey Claudia, I read through much of Sanford365 and I think you are already doing a nice job. I was captured, however, by a link on the top of your landing page that went to new art gallery which has opened in my home town of Franklin, TN…it is located just a short walk from my office…do you have a connection there or just pointing out new and interesting places?
My audience is people who work in corporate IT (or who WANT to work in corporate IT), particularly focused on saving them some of the frustrations I’ve experienced. So my About page (also my elevator pitch) is:
I’m Fallon, I’m a girl, and I work in the Information Technology organization of a Fortune 150 company (opinions expressed are my own). Since it’s obviously a large corporation, I see lots of interesting but weird, sometimes frustrating and I-better-laugh-or-I’ll-cry, yet amazing and eye-opening IT stuff everyday.
So I decided to write about it and save you the frustrating part.
Possibly too brief…?
Hi Fallon!
Actually, I like it. I like the way it reads. To me, it sounds conversational and fun. Here’s what I’d add though…
– remove the “opinion expressed are my own” to the end somewhere.
– Add a “Disclaimer” section at the end of your About page that discloses anything you think needs disclosure such as employment, affiliate programs, etc. I have a page for this myself and I link to it at the end of my About page.
– Add a few links to posts that you’ve written on your topic with a link to encourage people to subscribe.
Basically, you’re elevator pitch reads well. Give it a little added “umph” by linking to some of your best content on the subject and encourage people to subscribe right then and there. Otherwise, well done!
Ladies love beer too, and those who don’t often just don’t know enough about it. Join us to learn basic, share experiences and connect over a beer, with our finest lipstick and in our finest stemware.
This is my elevator pitch for my blog… did I do it correctly???
Hi! Welcome to the Debra Ham Photography blog. This blog is about my
journey through life as a photographer. Here you’ll find my musings on
life and running a photography business, insights into photography and
of course photos from shoots & personal projects. I hope that in
reading my blog you will find that I am someone that you can relate to
and see that we’re really not that different from one another. I invite
you feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts, opinions &
insights also!
Currently, I am based in Houston, TX. I specialize in Portrait,
Humanitarian, and Event photography. Appointments can be made by
visiting my emailing me at debra (at) debraham (dot) com. I can also be
reached by calling 832.274.6666 (Houston) or 513.6028928 (cell).
I look forward to meeting you and getting to know you!
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
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