A couple of weeks ago, my Circle Business Network group meeting was held at Parmasters indoor golf training center in Noblesville.  The dozen of us in attendance were treated to some delicious muffins and coffee, then to a simulated tour of the famous Saddlebrook golf course with pro Clayton Meeks.

An absolutely abominable golfer myself, I still got a big kick out of seeing the wonders of modern computer technology put to the task of teaching a skill.  Parmasters is amazing! The part of Clayton’s talk I found to be the most interesting had to do with the golf teaching system used at Parmasters, called Straight-Line Golf.  This is a system that allows the player to consistently hit the ball straight.  Straight Line, (and this part  was significant to me as a seminar presenter and former teacher), in contrast with traditional golf instruction’s focus on correcting a player’s faults and weaknesses, takes all players through the same teaching track, focusing on the golfer’s getting the ball straight to its target.

My “Say It For You” ghost blogging for businesses is, in a way, based on the same “Straight Line” principle.  Search Engine Optimization consists of  “driving” (pun intended) traffic to your website.  The straight line begins when someone browses the Web searching for information about a topic related to your company’s expertise, product, or service.  Your blog contains recently posted, relevant information.  Since you’ve been consistently posting good, frequently updated material, the search engines have rewarded your efforts by putting your blog closer to the top of their search list.  The browser spots your blog (because it uses all the search terms he/she’s designated), then finds what you have to say compelling enough to continue along the path – straight to your website. 

So, thanks for the memories, Parmasters!  And thanks for setting a good example for “straight-line” corporate marketing through blogs.

Next time you’re taking the scout troop on a campout or playing Do-It-Yourselfer around the house, reach for a Swiss Army knife.  The Wenger Company sells one of the latest versions of this all-purpose tool-kit-in-one, called the Giant Swiss Army Knife. This gizmo boasts no fewer than 87 different pop-up attachments, including a flashlight, tire gauge, wood saw, golf divot repairer, and laser pointer.  It seems you’d be hard-put to come up with a task your Wenger super-knife can’t handle.

I remember my grandmother teaching me to learn from everyone, but then adding that sometimes what I’d need to learn is what not to do.  As a professional ghostwriter of business blogs, I think blogging might be one area in which Gran’s advice could come in handy. You don’t want your blog to be an all-in-one marketing tool that forces a visitor to spend a long time just figuring out the 87 wonderful services your company has to offer!  Your business blog is short by definition, offering just a “peek”, enough to convey to the individual browsing the Web that he/she’s come to the right place, and to invite him/her to move on to your website to learn further details.

On the other hand, what you can do with the blog is offer different kinds of information in different blog posts.  In a way, each time you post (or have your ghost blogger post), you’re pulling out just one of those attachments on your Giant Swiss, offering some valuable information or advice relating to just one aspect of your business. Another day, your blog post can do the same with a different “attachment”. 

So, thanks, Wenger!. Your Giant Swiss Army Knife is awesome, but, thanks to Grandma, I’m learning what not to do, at least when it comes to business blogs!