Welcome to Day #1 of the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge. As on each day of this project today I’d like to present you with two things:
- Some Teaching/Theory
- A Task to go away and Do
Teaching
Today’s task (outlined in full below) is to develop an Elevator Pitch for your Blog. Let me explain why.
What is 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
Many business and self improvement type courses teach students to develop an elevator pitch for their business (and even for themselves). The idea is to have something short and sharp that you can say about yourself when the opportunity arises instead of bumbling your way through explaining what you or your business does (and miss an opportunity).
The goal is both to communicate what you do and to get the person you’re communicating it to to want to know more.
Elevator Pitches for Bloggers
While the idea of an elevator pitch is usually something that start up entrepreneurs are encouraged to do when looking for investors – developing an elevator pitch for your blog is also a smart move also.
One of the most important reasons to do this exercise is that to develop an elevator pitch YOU as a blogger to have thought through and crystallised in your mind what your blog is about.
If you’re fuzzy on what your blog is about it’s unlikely than anyone else will have much of an idea either.
Knowing what your blog is about helps you in developing every aspect of it including:
- Writing Content
- Promotion and Finding Readers
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Networking with other Bloggers
- Branding
- Design…. the list can go on.
In fact almost every task that we’ll be doing in this next 31 days should flow from this task.
Other Reasons for Developing an Elevator Pitch
Of course coming up with an elevator pitch is not just for your own benefit. Once you’ve got one it is brilliant for communicating what your blog is about to readers (both the ones you already have and potential ones), other bloggers, potential partners, media/journalists, advertisers and even to friends and family members who might not get what you’re doing.
Once you’ve got your blogs elevator pitch there’s no limit to the places and situations that you can use it (either part of it or in its entirety). Here are a few that come to mind:
- Your blogs tag line – having a short, sharp and descriptive ‘tag line’ for your blog can be a powerful technique for quickly communicating to new readers to your blog what it is all about. Readers who don’t get a sense for what your blog is about are in danger of leaving quickly – so a tagline that is displayed prominently on your blog can be a great way to hook them in.
- Your about page – the about page of a blog (if you have one) is one of the most read pages of a blog by first time visitors. It is an ideal place to communicate what you’re about and to ‘sell’ to potential readers why they should subscribe and come back.
- Real Life Conversation – whether it be at a conference, in business interactions or just in everyday conversation, the topic of your blog is likely to come up from time to time and these interactions can be an ideal moment to pull out the elevator pitch to describe what your blog is about.
- Business Cards – I get a lot of business cards given to me at conferences and to be honest at the end of the day I can’t remember who gave me most of them. Adding an elevator pitch to a card can help trigger who you are and what you do in the mind of those you chat with at these busy types of events.
- Pitching to Media – One of the things I’ve noticed about many journalists is that they’re very busy people who are constantly being pitched with ideas for stories. Having a thought through and effective ‘pitch’ can help you get noticed and give a journalist a reason to listen to what you’ve got to say.
- Pitching to Other Bloggers – Similarly, I find that if I’m being ‘pitched’ to as a blogger that I take more notice if the person pitching to me gives me a brief insight into who they are and what they do.
- Email Signature – many people have links to their blogs in their emails, but a link can be somewhat meaningless on its own. Why not add your elevator pitch? Similarly signatures in forums can be a good place to have a short description of what you do to motivate people to check you out further.
- Social Media Profiles – the same thing goes for all those social media profiles that you have. Why not use them to not only point people to your blog but to give them a reason to go there!
Where else would you use an elevator pitch? I’m sure there are so many more times to pull them out! Feel free to share other places you’ll be using yours.
Your Task for Today
Take some time out today to develop an elevator pitch for your blog. If you’ve already got one take a few minutes to review and refine it.
How to Write an Elevator Pitch for Your Blog
I’m sure there has been much written on the topic online but here’s some starting points that I use when doing this type of thing.
- Solve a Problem or Need – I’m a big believer in developing blogs that fulfil real needs and solve problems that people have. The problem need not be a big one (like World Peace) but you should be attempting to create something that people need on some level. Communicate this in your elevator pitch.
- Define Your Audience – who is your blog for? Who are you attempting to attract? IF your blog is targeting a certain demographic or type of person (and it may or may not) – include this in your pitch. If your blog is for teens, don’t develop a pitch for grandparents – target the reader you want.
- Be Clear – don’t leave people second guessing what you mean or interpreting jargon – make your elevator pitch crystal clear.
- Keep it Short – People have limited attention spans and capacity to absorb lots of information. Get to the point, eliminate unnecessary words and make it punchy!
- Stand Out – be willing to use humour or powerful imagery to grab the attention of those that hear your elevator pitch.
- Be Intriguing – your elevator pitch is unlikely to ‘convert’ people to read your blog all on its own – but it should entice them to learn more. You don’t need to say everything in it – but attempt to write something that is still in the mind of those who hear it long afterwards.
- Be Energetic but not Hyped – you convey more than just dry information when describing your blog – but you also convey what YOU feel about it. This is important – if you ‘pitch’ someone with language and a voice that is dry and uninspired you’re unlikely to convert anyone into a reader. Show people that you love what you’re doing, that you’re passionate and that you care about your topic. But don’t go too far and hype it up beyond what it is!
- Consider Using a Question – people are wired to answer and engage with questions. Ask them, even just rhetorical ones, in your pitch and you’ll hook people in.
- Be Ready to Expand Upon Your Pitch – at a recent conference I had someone come up and give me what seemed like an elevator pitch about their blog. It worked really well, they got me interested – so interested that I asked them to tell me more. The problem was that they didn’t really have much else to say about their blog. See an elevator pitch as a conversation opener – something designed to lead into further interaction with people. You don’t have to say it all in your initial pitch – but you should be ready to say more if people are interested.
These are just the thoughts that come to my mind on elevator pitches (what would you add?). Not everyone will be able to incorporate all of the above points but I hope that some of it will help you to develop yours.
My Elevator Pitch
I have a couple of elevator pitches my blog here at ProBlogger. One’s short (just 6 words) and one’s a little longer (a minute or so). I use one or the other of them depending upon the circumstances and opportunity to share.
My short one is very simple – ‘ProBlogger helps Bloggers Build Exceptional Blogs’. I’ve used others over the life of this blog (and continue to evolve it) but have settled on this one for the time being because it is so simple, to the point and clear.
The longer version expands upon this and shares some of the ways that the blog helps bloggers improve their blogs by talking through a few of the main topics I cover.
Write Your Elevator Pitch
Once you’ve got an elevator pitch for your blog write or print it out and put it somewhere near your computer so that as you blog you can be reminded of it. You might also like to start to incorporate it into your blog as a tagline or in your about page – or even to write a post about it on your blog to communicate to your readers what you’re on about (the appropriateness of writing it as a post will of course vary from blog to blog).
Once you’ve done that – feel free to share what you’ve come up with in comments below. I’m looking forward to reading yours.
Tomorrow on the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge – tomorrows task is a writing task that will have you writing a particular type of blog post to use on your blog in the next few days.
Sign up for 31DBBB
If you’re not already signed up for the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog challenge you can find more information on what it entails here.
Update! Get feedback on your results, and see what others are doing over at the forum: Day 1 – Create an Elevator Pitch for Your Blog
Want More?This task is a sample of one of the tasks in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Workbook – a downloadable resource designed to reinvigorate and revitalize blogs. Join over 14,000 other bloggers and Get your Copy Today. |
I completely forgot that this series was starting today
This is an incredible post and was really helpful for me and my entrepreneurs blog
I am looking forward to building my blog and making it better over the next 31 days. I know that all your advice will be extremely helpful
Sorry to double post but I just wanted to expand a little bit.
I really like the point that says Stand Out
I think one of the things that makes A-List bloggers so successful is that they stand out from the crowd.
If you are just a copycat then you are not going to stand out.
You need to come up with something original and pave new ground, that is truely the way to become successful.
I also like the point about having a shorter and longer one. At the moment I have a short saying “The Smarter Way To Wealth”…but it doesn’t really explain my site.
I guess I could just say my website “teaches people the smarter way to wealth”.
Thanks for everything you have shared and like I said before I look forward to the next 31 days
My blog is called Spud On The Run. My short elevator pitch is “The Couch Potato’s Guide to Weight Loss and Fitness” and it is the tagline of my blog along with a picture of Mr Potato Head running wearing joggers and carrying a water bottle.
I was looking forward for this article from quite some time. I am happy that the wait was worth it. I generally don’t comment on your blog, I am a silent visitor but today I thought I will just drop by and say
“Thanks to you”
Waiting for other articles in the series.
Hi Darren,
Nice 1st day tip – a question: Is being controversial help at this stage?
The elevator pitch can also be recorded on video by the blogger and imbedded in the blogs launch page!
I appreciate the concept of Elevator Pitch. It shows who are, and what you do. Many times, I get disappointed when I ask people what do they do, with some hackneyed phrases like: I work for a real estate, as a reporter, a teacher. I bet they do much more than what they do – just sell, just write….etc. We need to say what our labour is going to benefit in the longer run.
If I have to say about my blog: “I try figure out what branding is, and help make it brighter” Similarly, if I have to say about PROBLOGGER – it helps you dream and helps realise your dreams. :)
I appreciate all the points so elaborately listed which sure help bloggers how to go about it.
I lookforward to the rest of the days to grow wiser and richer!
Thanks for the great post!
Solomon
Thanks so much for this first post and indeed an advance thanks for the rest of the 31DBBB!!
I am really looking forward to this :)
Tag line – Tips for a profitable (and sane) work at home business.
Speech – I help work at home mums build profitable businesses while staying sane! (add a wry smile to the last)
Finally, this series starts. A few hours ago, i’m questioning my self, is this an April Fool – answered soon by the First Task.
And, i’d like to point the Tagline. A little problem that i found, a phrase of lifehack. Many people already recognized it, but most people questioning, what lifehack is. Is it a kind of hacking activities which stereotyped a negative point, or else.
I knew that it gives a bias perception, but ahead, it will give a unique brand to our blog.
So, i thought, by having a clear tagline isn’t always correct, in general.
Any idea?!
Noobpreneur – I probably wouldn’t use controversy in my elevator pitch, but I guess it could be tweaked to include some depending upon the situation you use it in.
Fantastic just awesome first post!!
I though it would be for a true blog beginner and I just wanted to skip this post but, this guy this different!!
Will finish today’s task and I will wait for tomorrows post!!
I really looking for this series because I believe that my blog still have some weaknesses and leakage which I have do not come into my mind but have significant impact to my blog. I am sure that this series can give me some lights about this issue.
Thank you, Darren.
Btw, I definitely agree with the point about the business card and people who meet us. Sometimes, everybody are scared to be themselves and be remarkable as compared to others. The prefer to follow the ‘acceptable standard’ and the way how things ‘usually works’.
I am listening audio book – Purple Cow by Seth Godin. This book really support the issue of this problem. He says:
The opposite of remarkable is really good, not bad. But why there are still a lot people scared of being remarkable.
We have to go extra miles to be seen and notified by others. We have to be open to criticism as it will make us better.
For example, why we should make our business card to that standard size, shape and be horizontal. To be notified, we must be besides all those thing.
We can make it slightly bigger, have rounded corner or be vertical. It will show us that we are different form others and worth to be taken account.
If not, how can we be notified? How can the people who received our cards to know whether are we good or not?
The only solution is being remarkable – different from others.
We will get their attention – they will pick our card first as compared to others and from that stage, we have been ahead as compared to other ‘competitors’.
Hello Darren
Thanks for this 1st installment,
“elevator pitch” that something new for me never heard of it before on problogger or any other blog, the concept is new and promising.
Well this is a clever exercise, really made me stop and think.
My elevator pitch would be: Communicating with the public.
I am positioning myself as a Public Relations advisor and sharing my impressions and experiences.
I’m sure that may change in time, but for now I think that sums up where I am.
Chris
Clearly it’s going to be that much harder to this for a multiple niche or eclectic personal blog.
be entertained
Looking forward and exited to see the betterment of my blog and it is about programming and testing.
Adding an elevator pitch in your email (for example) next to your blog address is a good idea, especially considering that a lot of us uses our own names as domain for personal branding.
It’s good, but isn’t always really explicit as what we are doing and what our blog is about.
It was easier for me to work on the longer elevator pitch….
Educating Germany…
discusses arguments for and against legalising home education in Germany. It reports on human rights violations; provides translations of media articles, interviews, court hearings and personal stories into English; and suggests practical ways we can ‘make a difference’ to our fellow human beings.
Goes back to do homework….
Thanks for this wonderful post .Though have worked couple of blogs before never been successful in getting the required clicks to motivate me . I guess just with one article i found what i was missing thanks and would be in touch with all the lessons .
Reagrds
My blog, “Some Assembly Required”, is the harmony of my thoughts, ideas, hopes, dreams, desires, opinions and pontifications. It is intended to motivate, inspire and touch the soul of those who yearn to achieve “solutions oriented communications”.
http://www.thomsinger.blogspot.com
Tag Line; Law of Attraction In Action your Journey to Freedom
Speech” Learn the tools to attracting abundance in your life instinctively: Become a Divine Deliberate Attractor
Hey Darren:
For The Harvey Journal my elevator pitch is simply: “The best online political journal on the web.”
wow this is the only first day of 31 DBBB and Darren you teach that much of useful blogging tips.
I’ll be checking the Elevator Pitch in my blog and spend some times to refine it.
Thanks Darren!
Regards,
Lee
Great post to kick start the challenge. I used my about me page http://whattheprosdo.blogspot.com/2009/01/about-what-pros-do.html as a start and have come up with the below…
What The Pros Do is a compilation of reviews, tips and advice I have picked up on my journey to become a makeup artist.
What The Pros Do is my way of paying forward the advice and lessons that have helped me get where I am today and I hope that the blog will continue to grow into a useful resource for newbie’s, beauty junkies and other artists collating all types of information on makeup and the industry in one place.
I think I covered most of the points you raised but not sure if it sounds abit dull…. I think my about me page has more personality but I guess its how you deliver the ‘elivator pitch’
Still working on a shorter tag line, everything i come up with sounds cheesy.
Hi Darren, thank you for this series, I am eager to get going with this. I recently did a new header for my blogs, very simple, it says “real estate, real photography, real life”. I decided I liked that, rather says it all about what I am doing. Selling real estate, taking tons of local pictures, and talking about local happenings and more. Just need to make sure my market area is included in that. Now I need to expand on that on the “about me” page I suppose.
I each others’s about having a “elevator pitch” for their business, I never thought about having one for my blog.
Tag Line: Helping Small Business Owners Become Big Business Owners
Longer version – my audience is comprised of small business owners, with a core expertise (other than marketing) who want to learn how to use marketing tools ( pr, networking, branding, social media, and planning) to grow their business.
This was a great exercise, because have gotten a bit off track lately, focusing too much on impressing other bloggers, rather than my audience!
Great Day One activity!
A morale booster on an otherwise dull Monday. Thanks Darren, I will give some time to this.
Cheers,
Elevator Pitch ranges from once sentence to few sentences.
So do you mean to create two types of Elevator Pitches for my blog..
Hummmmm. Excellent first day assignment! As a multi-tasker & foodblogger with diverse interests, you’ve got me thinking hard. Thanks!
An Information Yard @ internet
This is my “elevator pitch” , how is it Darren :)
Initial dose was excellent. waiting for tomorrow to come.
Great start to the 31DBBB (what an acronym)! A singular focus is important in so many ways: for writing content, for garnering long tail search results, for building a focused network. A good thing to have set up from the very beginning.
The inability to do this easily can also be a great red flag for more established blogs.
HI, thanks for the first posting. I have always understood that a strap line was important for a website but didn’t even consider extending to a fuller description.
This is something for me to work on. Homework here I come.
Darren,
Thanks for the post! I have been contemplating on developing an elevator pitch, and you definitely gave me the final push. :)
I would also like to share a wonderful research that I have found about elevator pitches. It’s called 15 Second-marketing. You can find more info at 15secondmarketing.com.
I have heard amazing things about this resource, and the principles that he offers for free are very insightful. Developing an amazing elevator pitch becomes that much easier.
You can find a review of it at stevepavlina.com.
Thanks!
Thanks for a great start to 31 days. My Blog “Juicy Pomegranate Bits” has the tagline, “Savoring Life in Albania one kernel at a time”. I’m writing as an expat living in Albania about the ups-n-downs of life here, trying to take a positive outlook in a post-Communist country in transition.
Hmm, looks like the 1st Day is quiet easy for me (hope so).. guess I have to start working now so I can share it here also.
I have small set of tiny phrases that I combine to describe my blog as needed.
So
– tone (and tagline) of my blog is “cynical thoughts”
– core content of my blog is “software and web service reviews”
– how I make myself stand out is “without hype and fluff”
So I take this parts and mashup as needed.
For blog introduction I can use “cynical thoughts on software and web”.
For short description of blog content I can use “software and web reviews with personal thoughts on top”.
For competitive blog description (on social sites, etc) I can use “tech blog without hype and fluff”.
For extended description I can fit in sub-topics such as freeware and portable.
As long as I have threee core parts (tone, content, advantage) defined I can easily combine and expand to what I need at moment.
very informative, surely each blog post could be considered an elevator pitch since it might be the only chance you get with your current visitor
Thanks for a great start
Blog named ‘Changing times’
Creating new perceptions to improve your performance and enhance the profitability of your business.
I modified my tag line based on your suggestions for my blog Simple Tech Today –
Making the world of technology available to novices – computers, electronics, gadgets, software and the internet
My long elevator pitch is:
“SimpleTech Today is designed to help make the world of new technology more accessible to all of us, especially novice users. Think of it as a community where we share advice, answers and reviews about computer software and hardware, the Internet and the latest gadgets. To start things off I will share what I know but in order to deliver the best information I need help from you by sharing your experiences, suggestions and opinions on what I write.
Ask me a question about any topic related to today’s technology and I will find an answer and share it with the community. Just fill out the Contact form and I will research the topic and write my findings. From there I hope that readers will add their knowledge as well to create a complete picture.
To begin with I will share a lot about my own preferences. I am hoping as Simple Tech Today takes shape I will be exploring more and more of your questions and suggestions.”
I hope this is along the lines of a good elevator pitch. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Hi Darren,
I’ve come up with:
Intelligent Workplace Management Tips that will help to optimize facilities management and real estate performance of businesses around the globe.
Yours Sincerely,
Steven
Green-Change.com documents an average Australian family’s journey towards a sustainable lifestyle without leaving suburbia. It’s easier than you think!
Just stumbled into your 31 days course and I am really happy I did. It will be a great help to enhance my new blog Zen Life.
I have already followed your suggestions and created a new About page.
I am looking forward to the rest of the course.
Thanks for writing this today. Although I have the tagline “he rocks, I rule” my About Me is lame and has needed some attention since Day 1. Thanks for forcing me to address this.
Until this first lesson dropped into my inbox I hadn’t realised just how useful this series would be. Of course I have (or had) no elevator pitch and no well thought out tagline for my site either.
Now I have a draft elevator pitch that I’ll keep refining, add it to my About pages in some form, and work harder on a proper tagline as well.
Great start Darren, thanks a lot!
Hello Darren after your great book Problogger it is another great start.
I am confident it will be a great success like Problogger book.
what about Arabian blogs.. Is there a place for us ??
Darren,
This is a great starting point. I am just starting my blog and felt that I needed to strengthen my “About” section in order to entice readers to stick around.
My blog title is “the behr essentials” with the tag line “live well, laugh often, love much”. It is the message I want to convey, but it is a little trite/overworked, so today’s lesson will get me to refine that as well.
Thanks for a great start.
Jeanne
I think for me the hardest part is to communicate the information briefly AND make it unique and interesting. I have been toying with an idea to draw a comparison that is easily understood.
One iteration I have come up with is “I’m like Dear Abbey for Business Owners.”
However, since I probably cannot use Dear Abbey, it would have to read “I’m a self-help columnist of business owners.” I think that loses some of its punch.
So I have decided to go more vanilla for now (until lightning strikes) with “All Business Answers helps business owners solve problems and build amazing companies.”
Great post by the way. This helped me freshen up my about page. I hope there is more information on About pages to come, because mine is pretty weak.