RAVPower Filehub RP-WD02

Every now and then, an interesting accessory comes along and gets us all excited. The RAVPower Filehub RP-WD02 did just that when it arrived at our doorstep. It’s a power bank, WiFi router and media center in one portable package.

• Stream movies and view photos on any device
• 6,000 mAh power bank
• Wireless Router and Repeater
• Power: Input 1.5 amp; Output 1 amp
• Up to 2.0 TB for USB drive
• Up to 128 GB for micro SD card
• Dimensions: L 2.75 x W 2.95 x H 0.90 inch

Handy

Coming in at 2.75 x 2.95 x 0.90 inches, the RAVPOWER FILEHUB is small enough to find a place in your bag, but maybe not inyour pocket. It has a simple and straightforward design that focuses on its functions. The body of the device is made of plastic, with soft rubber caps protecting the ports. Our review unit is colored white with green rubber caps, but their website has a black variant as well. Overall, the RP-WD02 is well built and feels solid.

Functional ports

The RP-WD02 has multiple ports to service its various functions. The bottom has a USB port along with the power button. On the left side is where you’ll find the pinhole for the reset button, a microSD card slot and a micro USB port. And on the right you have the cable port (WAN). All the ports are covered with soft rubber caps to protect it from dust and splashes (and no, its not water resistant).

Portable Media Center

To fully use the RP-WD02, it is recommended that you download and install the RAV FileHub app. It is available on both Android and iOS. It acts as a gateway to access the device’s settings, and functions as a file explorer as well.

Using the app, you can transfer files between smartphones and tablets regardless of OS. All you need to do is plug in a microSD card or a USB thumb drive on the device, connect to it via WiFi, and access through the app.

I played a movie stored on a thumb drive through the app. The experience was good. The 1080p video streamed well, with no lag or slow downs. As long as the format is supported by your device, it will have no problems playing it.

Router and Repeater

If you have a DSL connection at home but don’t have a wireless router, you can easily use the RP-WD02 as a temporary WiFi router. I mentioned temporary because you might be better of with a real WiFi router in the long run. Just plug a LAN cable directly to the device. You just need to set the SSID name and password to protect the connection.

WiFi range isn’t that impressive, especially if you’re trying to get a connection from another room. But still, the convenience of having a temporary wireless router cannot be ignored.

Power bank!

This is where I think versatility comes in. The RP-WD02 has a 6,000 mAh battery. It acts as both the power source for the device and the power bank function. So basically you could charge your phone and while streaming videos, photos or music stored on a connected thumb drive.

In terms of battery life, streaming a movie through the device can give you up to 6 hours of use, most likely outlasting your smartphone.

Verdict

The combination of WiFi router, media center and power bank seems to work well for the RAVPower FileHub RP-WD02. Portability and versatility are its biggest assets. And while it’s just average-to-good in terms of the performance of its other features, having it all together in one device more than makes up for it.

Samsung's latest accessory boosts your phone battery life massively in a portable, handy package

Something that made many people fans of Samsung phones for years was how the firm clung on to the removable battery design long after everyone else was doing sealed unibody handsets. This ended, however, with the Galaxy S5; the Galaxy S6 and onwards have been sealed devices with non-removable battery cells. Naturally, this has annoyed anyone who loved removable batteries.

Portable and re-chargeable battery boosters are nothing new, of course, but Samsung seems to almost be making a nod towards this mindset with its newly launched, own-brand battery pack (for example: 

GOAL ZERO SWITCH 10 MULTI-TOOL KIT )

The Samsung Battery Pack is a particularly small and slim-line model design wise, presumably in a bid to keep it as handy as the old practice of carrying spare cells. It's a large cell in terms of charge, however, with a 5,100mAh rating, and it supports Samsung Fast Charge.

It has two USB ports, one is standard full-size USB and the other is USB Type-C, however, to make matters even more versatile it ships with a microUSB-to-USB cable and a microUSB-to-USB-C adapter included. It also has a handy strap, and if your phone doesn't support Fast Charge it will charge at standard 2A output.

Samsung Battery Pack Specs & Features

• 5,200mAh capacity keeps your device going longer, even when you are on the go
• Lightweight and portable at less than 145g and only 9.8mm thick
• Easy to read LED battery level indicator
• Rigorously tested for a reliable, safe charge
• USB port for charging any device, including tablets

The long and the short of it is a design which seems to function a lot like old hot-swapping of battery cells on the go, except in this case you plug it into your phone and boost it back up.

Of course, this is only one dimension of the removable battery appeal.

The Battery Pack doesn't solve the other perks a removable battery used to offer such as a battery pull when the phone misbehaves, or more importantly, the ability to replace the entire internal battery if it becomes faulty - AND quickly, cheaply and easily at that; you can replace a faulty battery on a sealed phone but you have to take it to a shop, it takes time, and it costs money.

This is what most people who liked the old swappable design seem to miss; the peace of mind that they can change a faulty battery with no hassle.

Still, there's a lot to like about the Samsung Battery Pack if your main issue is needing spares to boost longevity on the move.

Amazon Fire Stick Review

When Amazon launched its subscription-based streaming service Prime Video in India late last season, one of our main gripes -- apart from its perplexing position on censorship -- was the fact that there weren't a convenient means to acquire the experience on your own large screen. You either had to rely on an Apple TV because of its AirPlay attribute, or fall back on hooking your computer up to your TV using an HDMI cable - maybe not ideal whatsoever.

The reason for that is Amazon's decision to not play nice with others. It doesn't create a program for Apple TV, and it does not support Google's Chromecast on Android. Instead, the organization prefers that users buy its hardware -- the Amazon Fire Stick jailbroken with Kodi lineup. You couldn't buy one of them in India for the longest time, but that changed every week, with the coming of the Amazon Fire Stick with Kodi.

Amazon Fire Stick jailbroken specifications and attributes

The Amazon Fire Stick Kodi seems like an oversized USB thumb drive, using an HDMI connector on one end and a Micro-USB socket on both sides. You plug it directly into your TV or use the included HDMI extension cable when it will not fit. To power, it, connect the added Micro-USB cable into a number of your TV's USB interfaces (or some other charger). On first boot, even if it warns you that it can't draw enough electricity, you need to use the supplied mains adapter rather. If your TV is wall-mounted and doesn't have recessed ports, you'll have to deal with the ugliness of this electricity cable monitoring out.

If you are wondering why the device needs more power in contrast to some Chromecast - which will play fine with practically any USB port - that's because the Amazon Fire Stick jailbroken for sale includes a quad-core processor and 1GB of memory. It's sufficient processing power to play H.265 (HEVC) documents, which only the costlier Chromecast Ultra is really capable of doing. With this capability, Amazon can deliver your videos quicker -- H.265 is heavily compressed and needs less bandwidth than H.264. On our 25Mbps house broadband line, Mr. Robot jumped to 1080p -- that the maximum resolution output supported by the Amazon Fire Stick hack -- over a couple of seconds.

The heavy compression doesn't affect video quality, and ought to let other family members enjoy the Internet when you are viewing full-HD video streams, depending upon your connection speed of course. On the side, you receive support for both Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.1. The latter has double benefits -- you don't need to point that the included remote at the TV for it to work, and you're able to hook up a pair of Bluetooth headphones.

The voice distant is one of the greatest things about the Amazon Fire Stick fully loaded, something that you do not get with a Chromecast. The nice curve on the back lends itself to an easy grip, and the button at the center of the navigation pad has a beautiful ergonomic feel for this. Amazon used to provide an inferior remote using the original Amazon Fire Stick unlocked, but that really is actually the second-gen version, and it contains the exact same remote as the more expensive Amazon Fire Stick unlocked.

The remote's most important feature is its voice button -- you simply hold down it, name a movie, TV show, or app, and Amazon may look this up. It is a fantastic feature but doesn't work exactly the same in India as it will abroad - more on that later. If your TV supports the HDMI-CEC standard (HDMI Consumer Electronics Control), then you may turn it on by pressing any key on the Amazon Fire Stick jailbroken for sale distant and also use your TV's remote to command the Amazon Fire Stick jailbroken for sale port.

Should I repair roof myself

The average lifespan of a roof repair Bronx is 30 years - provided it had been well-constructed with the quality product. Homes are nonetheless, prone to weather injuries because they are essentially the most exposed a part of a residence, therefore, more frequently than not, homes need repairs in certain components.

Taking care of your roof contractors Bronx NY is vital. Doing repairs when essential reduce leaks in stormy climate. Leaks lead to the advancement of humidity that could hurt the wooden construction of the home. Not waiting until it is too late to possess repairs done will even help you save plenty of cash.

For most DIY people, the most obvious action to take is always to repair the Bronx roofing contractors themselves. But roofing Bronx, it should be noted, can be quite tricky and until you are a Bronx roofing company yourself, you need to arrive at conditions using the proven fact that you might need to hire a professional roofers Bronx.

While in the following small document, you will discover practical reasons why  roofing Bronx NY must be left to the pros just, the benefits of employing roof contractors in Bronx New York as well as the 5 important things you must realize before calling the neighborhood roofing company.

In Case You Diy?

Many individuals decide for DIY repairs since it saves plenty of money, also it might be fun sometimes. However, you'll find basically some assignments that must be managed just by skilled contractors and brick pointing Bronx is one of these simples.

You will find plenty of mistakes that one who is not well versed in performing cement sidewalk repair can devote... And these errors can be definitely expensive and also deadly!

Listed here are the most frequent faults DIY individuals make as it pertains to NYC sidewalk violation:

They ignore security precautions

Roof repair Bronx and installations are one of many most risky professions of all time. There are certainly a lot of hazards involved in it such as drops, resource risks, incidents like puncture wounds and cuts, electric and fire hazards and natural risks like powerful winds, snow and lightning. Can it be worth it to reduce branch or lifestyle simply to save a little amount of cash?

1. Fasteners end up in the wrong place

Just one fastener out of place may set you back numerous dollars plus more repairs. This oversight is easily avoided if you understand what you are doing or if you employed a person who does.

2. They purchase the improper roofing systems

A poor decision in roof repair NYC process advances the challenges currently associated with sidewalk violation. Steel homes become smooth together with the slightest number of humidity and road roofs need a specified pitch to stop leaks. Talking about mountains, you can find needs that must definitely be considered and just a roofer understands these.

Mistakes in sidewalk repair Queens or installations may result in the necessity of replacing the device again, thus the need to spend more income. Added expenditures can be prevented by employing a reliable roofing company.

Why It Is Best to Employ a Professional Roofer

Apart from the reduction of errors and unnecessary expenses, there are additional rewards to hiring a professional roof repair NYC:

• the proper type of concrete sidewalk repair is employed. Since there are many various kinds of roofing components (metal, aluminum sections, wood drinks, concrete shingles, clay tiles, rubber slates, etc.), selecting the most appropriate it's possible to get complicated. By hiring a roofing contractor, you're spared from making problems that you'll soon regret.

• The old cement sidewalk product is appropriately disposed of. Most of the roofing contractors will protect everything from removing the aged concrete sidewalk, replacing it and losing the old product.

• Expert installation. You are sure that the waterproofing Bronx is fitted safely and weather tight.

• Harm To the roof system is avoided. Roofers have scaffoldings that they utilize to repair or install roofs without imposing injury to the rest of the brick pointing NYC or household.

• Your roofer will help you determine if your new roof needs to be mounted or if some repairs are it will take.

• Get suggestions on the side. Excellent suggestions about brick pointing contractors attention is a reward you obtain from your brickwork pointing contractors. An expert roofer can inform you strategies to take care of one of the most open elements of your home and make certain that it will last provided that it may.

Roof repair isn't as basic a task as much may consider. There are plenty of small facts that really must be regarded if you would like your brick masonry contractor to become good as new. A reliable contractor might help you find out what must be done and just how much everything can cost you.

The 5 What To Know Before Hiring a roof repair NYC

Now that you understand some great benefits of choosing Bronx roofing contractors and also the risks required to performing the repairs or installation yourself, there are still a few things you need to comprehend before picking up the telephone and calling your neighborhood roofer.

Upon selecting to engage professional Bronx roofing contractors, your first thought may obviously be to call the nearest contractor and obtain a quote. Not all roofers will be the same of course if you intend to get the best company for your income, you'll find items you need to consider. You'll find negative roofers and there are the reputable people. Of course like any satisfied homeowner, you'd need to be sure you offer solely using a reliable contractor.

The Best Headlamps for 2017

Even well-planned hikes can end up taking much longer time than anticipated (due to weather, injuries, blocked trails etc.) and to ensure that you don’t end up being stuck in nature in pitch-black, it is crucial that you bring a headlamp in your backpack. A headlamp ( for example: SUNJACK USB RECHARGABLE HEADLAMP also gives you possibility for planning activities in the dark, such as taking a run after sunset or simply getting an early before-sunrise start of your hiking trip. Old-school flashlights are not appropriate for hiking, mountaineering or other demanding outdoor activities as they don’t allow you to use your hands while illuminating the surroundings. When you are on the trail you need your hands free in order to do different tasks such as reading the map, getting things out of the backpack and so forth. Also if you like outdoor adventures solar power panels will help you to charge your devices, solar energy is best solution for campers.

Many hikers get confused when faced with the task of buying a headlamp as there are so many different headlamps on the market. In this review we selected the best five headlamps currently available. Our selection includes everything from the simplest headlamps for basic needs to those suitable for tough expeditions in extreme conditions. The qualities that these headlamps have in common are reliability, durability and good value for the money.

1. Buying a Headlamp – What is important?




Weight:

As a headlamp is carried on the head, it should be as light as possible. We did our best to only select lightweight headlamps – all headlamps listed in this review weigh less than 300 grams.

Battery Life:

A hiking headlamp should function for a reasonable amount of time without needing to have batteries changed or recharged. Some headlamps are equipped with rechargeable batteries while others use disposable batteries. If you are buying a headlamp that uses rechargeable batteries and plan to use it for long hiking trips in remote areas, check that it also works with disposable batteries – it’s easier to carry additional batteries with you than a (heavy) power bank or a solar charger.

Brightness and beam distance:

A hiking headlamp should provide good brightness and a decent beam distance in various conditions. Our selection consists of headlamps that offer brightness of at least 100 lumens and a beam distance of at least 70 meters.

Water resistance:

As hiking is not limited to dry weather, a hiking headlamp should be water-resistant. All headlamps in this review can withstand heavy rain.



Petzl Reactik+

The Petzl Reactik+ is a very innovative headlamp which in late 2016 replaced the highly popular Petzl Tikka RXP headlamp (still available at some retailers). The Petzl Reactik+ headlamp is perfect for hikers and mountaineers who often spend a night in nature and thus want a reliable and powerful piece of lighting equipment. In comparison to the discontinued Tikka RXP, Petzl Reactik+ features higher brightness (300 lumens compared to Tikka’s 215 lumens), longer maximum battery life (15 hours compared to Tikka’s 12 hours) and Bluetooth which allows you to adjust the headlamp’s beam pattern, brightness and battery burn time from your smartphone (the Petzl app is available for iOS and Android devices). Nevertheless, the beam pattern and brightness can also be adjusted on the headlamp without the app. The Petzl Reactik+ headlamp has a sensor which analyses the ambient light and adjusts the beam pattern and brightness automatically (reactive lighting mode). Therefore, you don’t have to worry about the brightness regulation in relation to battery consumption; the headlamp will adjust itself to achieve the optimal results. However, you can still choose between 3 different battery modes – Max Power, Standard and Max Autonomy. The battery modes come in handy as you can quite accurately predict how long the battery will last; in Max Power mode the battery will last for approximately 2.5 hours, in Standard mode for approximately 5 hours and in Max Autonomy mode for approximately 10 hours. The brightness sensor operates in all three modes. The reactive lighting can also be turned off so that the headlamp provides stable brightness despite the ambient light and surroundings. When the reactive lighting is turned off, the maximum battery life is 15 hours. As the Petzl Reactik+ headlamp features constant lighting technology, the brightness and beam distance don’t decrease when the headlamp is running low on battery. The headlamp is also equipped with a lock feature which is useful when you carry it in a backpack. The Petzl Reactik+ can be used with a night vision device as it is equipped with a red lighting feature. The battery is rechargeable by a micro USB cable but the headlamp also works with disposable batteries (adapter is required). The Petzl Reactik+ might not be the cheapest headlamp in this review but as it offers incredible performance we would recommend it to every outdoor enthusiast.

.
Black Diamond ReVolt

The Black Diamond Revolt is a simple but very effective rechargeable headlamp. It doesn’t provide as good illumination as the Petzl Tikka RXP but on the other hand it’s also half the price. The headlamp runs on 3 AAA NiMH batteries which can be recharged with a USB cable. However, the headlamp can also run on 3 disposable AAA alkaline batteries. This is a great feature as it allows you to simply replace the batteries on multiday hiking trips where it might be hard to get access to electricity. Additionally the headlamp features a three-level power indicator which shows the remaining battery life. Illumination is assured by one TriplePower LED, two SinglePower LEDs and two red SinglePower LEDs. The Black Diamond Revolt allows you to switch between 6 different modes – proximity, distance, dimming, strobe, red and lock mode. The red mode can be activated without going through the white modes, thus making the headlamp appropriate also for hunters and military personnel that require a headlamp for concealed use. In addition to that, the headlamp is water- and dirt-resistant. The Black Diamond Revolt is a great product for recreational hikers as well as for more experienced outdoor enthusiasts as it offers great performance for a relatively low price

Seven Things to Consider Prior to Launching Your Business Blog

In many ways building a business blog is like designing a rolling ball sculpture. Rolling ball sculptures also known as kinetic sculptures are so engaging because of the visual and aural spectacle -- following intricate roller coaster paths, clinging and clanging along the way. But the basic element is they are designed for perpetual motion.

The same goes for your business blog and the basic key to success is to plan for it to be a perpetual outlet for remarkable content. When planned right blogs end up with the appeal, rhythm and engagement found in rolling ball sculptures.
Here are seven things to consider prior to launching your business blog:

1) Set aside time
Blogs fail because businesses cannot keep up with them. Blogging requires frequency and commitment. You should think about how frequently you want to blog and how much time you need per week to write. Then set aside that time and stick to it.

2) Build a network or following
Your blog has a greater chance of succeeding if you have a larger community to share your content with. Plan to build up a network or following prior to launching your blog. That way it will have a wider reach from the get-go because more people can share it.


3) Keyword research
One of the biggest benefits of creating content is the search traffic it will attract to your site. Do some research so you are targeting keywords that will bring in good qualified traffic to your site. If you are struggling with what to write about this is also a great way to queue up some ideas for articles.

4) Queue up articles
It never hurts to stay ahead of the curve. If you plan to write once a week it may not be a bad idea to queue up four to five articles so you have a month's worth of content ready to go. This way you can stay consistent and keep up with your established publishing frequency.

5) Create calls-to-action
You should take the time to think about what calls-to-action should go into your blog posts and create them. If you want to derive business value from your blog in the form of leads and customers you need good, relevant offers to go along with your content.

6) Set up RSS/Subscriber feeds
If you want to grow your business blog you need to build a subscriber base. Think about how to position your RSS feeds or email opt-in on your blog and your website to maximize subscriptions.

7) Ways to promote it
Lastly, it is critical to think about ways to promote your blog. Will you tweet your articles or include them in your company newsletter? How often? How about sharing them on Facebook or LinkedIn? You might want to include your RSS feed on each of your profiles. Spend some time on figuring ways to get the word out there!


What are some of the preemptive things you have done to help the success of your blog? Please share your experiences in the comments. Thanks.

Guest Post: Pre Owned Luxury Watches: Stylish, Classy - And Often Counterfeit

Pre owned luxury watches are like a slice of history, and when you wear one, it's like you're wearing a part of history right on your body. The intricate tiny engineering contained inside is a thing of beauty, and for those who appreciate it, antique watches are an enjoyable fashion piece to wear.

Others don't so much get their enjoyment by wearing the pre owned luxury watches as they do collecting them and the stories and history surrounding them. And still yet, others resell them, turning a tidy profit by investing and reselling them to other vintage time piece enthusiasts and collectors.

Antique watches come in many shapes and sizes, but whenever buying one, you need to be mindful that some vendors out there are looking to sell you fake copies of pre owned luxury watches--counterfeits--hoping to turn a quick buck while conning you with a fake product. It's in your best interests to take a little time and educate yourself before buying: the fake watches tend to use lighter, cheaper components; they typically don't have the bevelled logo like real antique luxury watches; and they don't have a serial number that checks out in the official database of that particular watch company--which you can often check out on your own, online, with a quick search by going to google.com and typing in the name of the watch company, followed by the words "serial number", and then clicking one of the listings that appears that will give you either an option to search for any serial number to see if it's an authentic or else a listing of all the authentic watch serial numbers ever in production.

It's best to get a lot of info about the watch you want to buy upfront when dealing with a seller and make a choice after everything checks out and you're convinced the watch is an authentic. But again, to be able to do that, you must first educate yourself on the product and familiarize yourself with it as much as you can, so you're able to see if you're dealing with a fake when you're shopping around or if it's the real, authentic product.

One more thing to keep in mind with vintage watches is that they typically require a little more maintenance than modern watches. For one, you usually have to wind them up regularly. You must also care for them better by keeping them cleaner than an ordinary modern watch because of the delicate internal system of gears and fine parts housed inside the casing. If the inside gets dirty, you're basically hosed until you can get it cleaned by a watch repair center. Pre owned luxury watches are a bit higher maintenance like this, but for many, they're more than worth the extra effort just for how much more character and charm they have over the army of plain, boring watches being spre owned luxury in stores today. Just make sure that, if you're going to buy an antique watch, you do your research first and ensure that you are getting a genuine product and not inadvertently supporting and propagating the black market industry of counterfeit watches.

Forget Community. Forget Conversation. Business Blogging Is About SEO.

If you're not in on the whole business blogging scene, you're probably tired of people telling you why you should be.

The blog-pushers who insist it's a great way to create a community around your product.

The evangelists who argue blogging is a great way to create conversation.

The practical folks who tell you blogging is a better way to publish your press releases.

You don't dispute any of this. You just find it wishy-washy.

Your business is a data-driven machine. You live and die by leads and sales. You don't have time for unmeasurable, time-consuming concepts like community and conversation.

Fine.

Forget community. Forget conversation. There's a far simpler, far more measurable reason to blog: search engine rankings .

If you publish a regularly updated, well-written blog on your company's site, it will show up more often in search engine results.

Most marketers miss this. They focus on the sexier social, networking and thought-leadership aspects of blogging. These are all very important reasons to blog (you can't reallyforget community and conversation), but they're complicated to measure.

Great search engine ranking is easier to measure. Just consider how much you'd have to pay to get equivalent ranking on a pay-per-click basis.

If you write a post about your fantastic windmill consulting firm and it shows up in the search results for "new windmills", your blog will get lots of new traffic and leads that you'd otherwise have to pay to for.

This blog is another great example. It drives three times as much traffic from Google to HubSpot as HubSpot's traditional company site. To purchase the same kind of traffic (and the leads that come with it) we'd have to pay Google millions.

Think about that -- our blog is giving us millions of dollars worth of free advertising andgenerating leads we can count.

There's nothing wishy-washy about that.

Business Blog: Answers To Common Objections To Starting One

I find myself having more and more frequent conversations with other small business executives regarding the topic of blogging. In these discussions, I’ve learned that there are a similar set of concerns and questions amongst these executives.

I thought I’d try and capture some of the most common patterns and share them with you.

Isn’t blogging just for teenagers and tech pundits? Not anymore. When blogging first became popular, it was often more like a personal diary on the web (the word blog itself is a concatenation of “web log” – a log you keep of your life on the web). This is no longer the case. All types of people blog now for all types of motives. The whole area of business blogging (the focus of this article) is continuing to gain traction. More and more savvy small businesses are catching on to the value of blogging.


What if I don’t care about driving more traffic to my website? Just like attending tradeshows are not just about handing out more business cards, blogging is about more than just driving traffic to your website. Blogging is about creating awareness for your offering and sharing what makes you unique. The idea is not just to drive more random traffic, but to increase the number of right prospective clients that find and select you. Blogging is a great way to increase the number of potential sales opportunities to grow your revenues.


What if I already have enough clients? I hear this all the time, particularly from professional firms (lawyers, consultants ,etc.). With these types of small businesses, the revenue is often a function of the number of partners and they often have more than enough business already. Even in this case, I would argue that blogging creates value. The reason is that you currently may be taking on clients that are convenientinstead of optimal . Convenient clients are those that just fall into your lap because it’s a friend of a friend or a referral from an existing client. You didn’t have to do much to “acquire” the client The optimal client is one that your offering is perfect for. This is the client that needs exactly what you offer and will place value on why you are different. If blogging can increase the quality of your client-base (even if you don’t want to increase the quantity). Increasing the quality of your client-base improves the quality of your business. Optimal clients stay longer, generate more revenues for you and tend to refer other optimal clients.


How often do I need to blog? I’ll let you in on a secret. Though it is always helpful to blog consistently and frequently (that drives the most value), you can get a significant amount of value by writing just a few articles (lets say 4 or 5) and then not blogging again for a while. Here’s what I would suggest: Start by writing just an article or two that is a personal and authentic message about what makes you different. What you are passionate about. Pretend as if you are writing directly to your potential optimal customers that are out there reading your content. What you will find is that just a few blog articles on your website that convey the right message will improve the rate at which you can acquire the right types of clients and generate more sales and revenue.


Example: Lets say you are a law firm and have over the past several years really done some exceptional work around patent law for biotech startup firms. Chances are, your website will have some generic statement trying to convey that you’re a “highly specialized patent law firm that has done recent work in biotech”. (Actually, chances are, your website hasn’t been updated in months and may not even say this much). In any case, now imagine a potential new client coming to the firm’s website. How likely is it that this potential new client (who would be just perfect for you) will understand how deep your knowledge in this space is? Do they know that you are perfect for them? Probably not. Now, if you had just two blog articles on your firm’s blog that talked about the two most recent engagements you had, the odds increase significantly. The two articles can describe the type of work you did, what some of the challenges were and the parts that you enjoyed the most. Even if you never wrote another article for the blog, just these two articles would close more business for your firm.



I’m already insanely busy, when will I find the time? First off, as noted above, there’s no rule that says you have to post every day (or even every week) to your blog. You can find a pace that works for you. Also, chances are, you’re already generating content that could easily be repurposed for a blog. For example, we have a new client that is coming on board HubSpot that was already writing a newsletter. The articles for this newsletter are perfect for posting on their blog. Same time investment, multiple channels of value. Don’t let the time investment scare you off. Just try it. Right just a few articles and see what happens.



I think too many small business executives are continuing to rely on just their Rolodex (i.e. their existing network) to drive new business. A business blog is a great way to start expanding that network, generating more prospective clients and improving the overall quality of your business.

So, what have I missed? What other concerns or questions are keeping you from kicking off a blog for your business?

In future articles, I’ll talk more about the how to (and how not to) aspects of business blogging.