I just had a conversation with Shawn Graham, and by “conversation,” I mean that I just finished reading his new book, “Blogging for Badass Small Businesses.”
My favorite business books are those that make me feel as though I’ve just had a chat with the author, learning a little about him while also learning more about the topic. Shawn, who I met several years ago at a Pittsburgh Podcamp, has written a nearly perfect guide to blogging and seasoned it with plenty of personality. His book is short and to-the-point, but comprehensive enough so that if you’re thinking about starting a blog for your business, you won’t overlook anything.
After an hour with this book, you’ll understand why blogging is important, how to plan content and create a writing schedule, how to choose the write blogging platform, how to create your writing voice and how to let people know about your blog. And if you’re uncertain about what to write about or unsure about your writing skills, Shawn has encouraging words to get you past those obstacles. He’s also added some of his great tips on how to find images to enhance your posts.
The book also includes plenty of examples from Shawn’s own blog at ShawnGraham.me, and each chapter ends with “stone cold” takeaways as review points.
Through the book, Shawn remains focused on the blogging end game — build your business. He constantly reminds his readers to keep their audiences in mind and to include calls to action (subscribe to my email, download this white paper, call for an appointment) in and around their blogs. He’s even got a few of those in the book.
Shawn’s own conversational writing voice makes the book an easy read, and by the time you’re done you’ll be ready to start creating your own badass blog.