Corporate Blog Tip #7 (make yourself accessible)

This tip is easy: make it easy to get ahold of you. Especially if you ever want something nice to happen to you. I've been trying to get ahold of bloggers lately to do various things with them (and even hire some of them) and often it's hard to find a way to contact the blogger.

On my blog I put my cell phone number so people can get ahold of me. One Saturday afternoon I was at mini golf with my family and I get a call.

"Hello, is this Robert Scoble?"
"Yes."
"Hi, I'm the design producer for ABC's Extreme Home Makeover show."

See, you never know who wants to get ahold of you. How they'll change your business. How they'll change your career. But you'll never know if you don't have at least an email address on your blog. And, as ABC's producer shows, some people just don't have time to wait for email, so a phone number is helpful.

Amazingly in years of having my cell phone out in public I've only gotten a couple of crank calls and I've made a lot of friends and made great business relationships that continue to pay off.

Comments

[david parmet]

So what did they want? Extreme Home Makeover I mean....

[/pd]

ABCExtreme home makeover wre doing a show and makeover for a family. Family needed computers and software etc. Next thing we know , is the Robert blogs this request, and blogsphere chips in for that family directly to the producer of extreme makeover.

I remember this case well. I participated by sending an LOTR s/w pak for em kids.

[Tod]

Hmmm, I'm not sold on the idea, at least for personal blogs. I can understand putting an alternative email address (Hotmail, GMail, etc.), but not my cell phone or my corporate email. Outside of co-workers, those are reserved for family & close friends.

And yes, I'm curious too...what did Extreme Home Makeover want? :)

[Gary Potter]

Thanks for the push.

[Steven Streight aka Vaspers the Grate]

I want to know the phone number for the brain cancer of the Talking Moose blog and Ghost Blog Central Command Headquarters so I can send them a telepathic brain wave explosion.

[Robert Scoble]

Extreme Home Makeover was trying to get ahold of Microsoft PR to get them to donate some equipment for a home they were rebuilding in our area. This was on a Saturday afternoon. By Monday we had a team assembled and put together a whole bunch of stuff for the family.

Sean Alexander has the details:

http://blog.seanalexander.com/PermaLink,guid,405b7eae-8f61-44d2-a7c3-8f7bf2603863.aspx

and

http://blog.seanalexander.com/PermaLink,guid,bcbe21d4-03ac-4717-9202-42864212f957.aspx

[Robert Scoble]

Tod: an email address would suffice for most personal blogs, although it's amazing how many family members use my blog to find my cell phone address.

[Robert Scoble]

By the way, this is the event that got me to write this tip: http://www.evhead.com/2005/04/dinner-with-jim-allchin.asp

I tried to invite several other bloggers to this dinner but couldn't find a way to get ahold of them on their blogs.

[david parmet]

well I've taken your advice and put my number on mine - just in time for my battery to die.

[edwina t. bryant]

I need an extreme home makeover in my 1700 sq.ft. condo
located in Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois. I'm a Special Educator for The Chicago Board of Education for the last 30 yrs. I have spent all of my savings educating my 3 kids. They are adults and have moved on. I want to up grade my bathrooms and Kitchen and decorate my house before I retire. Help! My 95 yr. old mother lived with me and died 2-2-05. I want to re-do my house. My address is 5220 So. Blackstone Ave., Chicago, Illinois. My work phone number is 773-535-9230,Homephone#is7737520425

[vicky rhein]

HI im trying to tell someone a story about my cousin who lost her only son to a accential overdose who is trying to get threw it i moved in with her to help her she is going threw a divorce right after she buired her son yes there is more please eamail me back and tell me how to send extream home makers a letter. she is a big fan of this show we love what they do to change someone life she could use some changes please email me vicky rhein

[joe verrett]

Hi,
I dont know what to say other than I need help!

My wife had brain surgary 3yrs. ago at Shands hospital in Gainsville fl.

They done a wonderful job getting the tumor.
She is doing well for a person that has had such a envasive thing done to them.

She has seizers still and has to take medication to try and control them, she is a trooper.

We have 5 children, 2 boys, 3 girls, 4 grandchildren, that love their mom/nana.

I am a cabinet maker/foreman, for the best people I have ever worked for in my life, they are good people with a big heart and would do anything they could to help me.

My credit is about as bad as it gets.
I work everyday and never lay out of work, we dont have much but what we do have we try to take care of.

My main reason for this letter is to see if i can get any help with making my wife have the best life she can have, she never complains, we are renting a trailor on panama city beach, we buy a house because of credit problems and i cant fix the credit without hurting my wife.

My wife was 100% disabled by her doctor 3yrs ago, but she went back to work about 4months after her surguary, well as of last thursday she had to quit, she just cannot keepup with all the things she needs to at her job, and her health is showing the strain.
To look at her you would think she is just fine and healthy but that is very decieving, she will never be the same Pattie she was but I love her more now than ever and I feel like Im not giving her what she needs for someone who have given so much and never takes.
She tells me that she needs nothing, but I know better, she will only take part of her medicen at times and some she had quit taking, until I found out about it, I ask why she would do such a thing... Her answer was I didnt want you to have to work so hard just for me.

Well I hope someone out their can help me, I love Pattie with all my heart and I would take her pain if I could, GOD knows!, She is the most loving, caring person I have ever known, the world needs more people like her, I have two wishes, 1st-for Pattie to have a home of her own. 2nd-that GOD could make me more like her.

Thanks for your time
Joe

[Jessica Ward]

I would just like to say how I think this show is made of angels.I would like to tell you about the inspiration you give me. I would also like to say that the families you pick seem to be truly worthy and I do know someone who would benefit from your service but I will not ask at this time.Keep up the good work and GOD bless you and everyone that has ever been involved with what you do and accomplish.Thank you for doing what I can only dream of for others .All my best Jessica Ward

[Natasha Carrera]

My name is Natasha and I have 6 children- 2 girls and 4 boys. I live in Watervliet, NY.

I love the show Extreme Makeover I find myself crying everytime I watch it because I want a house so bad. It is my ultimate dream to have a house. The design team on the show is so great because they now exactly what the family likes. They pay attention to every detail. Right now my family lives in a 3 bedroom apartment I made 4 bedrooms by using my livingroom.

I'm writing you to give you a look at what I have been through in my life. And tell you a little about my family. I don't know alot of my family, my mom was adopted. Years ago we found out my mom has other siblings but they said her adoption records are sealed so we'll never get to meet them. I don't know who my biological father is. I was raised by my daddy(mom's boyfriend) who kept me very fulfilled as a child with both parents at home. At 14 yrs old I became pregnant with my first child, at 15 I was a mother. I had no idea what I was going face. I had my oldest son 1 1/2 years later & I was 16. Then I had 4 more children. The worst day in my life was the day I kept my kids inside so they wouldn't know it was Christmas because I had no money to shop for them. Back then I was on welfare off and on for about 13 years & one day I said enough I need to provide for my family on my own. As of today, I have been off for about 7 yrs. I got a job & I did 18-22 hr shifts sometimes.

I tried to purchase a home through a lease purchase but after the weather started getting cold I discovered there was no heat. One room we couldn't use because there was mold in the bedroom ceiling floor & walls from the rain falling in the bedroom. With 2 days of carbon monoxide leaks and heating the house with the stove I had to let it go and plenty of money also. I had to stay with my cousin for a couple of months my 5 kids, my mom and I shared one room with one full size bed and a twin bed put side by side we slept together.

I had set alot of goals for myself as a parent. One- to always show them how special they are to me & to raise my children to be the best they can be at whatever he or she chooses. Two- that one day I will able to have a home that I can will to them when I am no longer around to care for them, a place they can call home, a safe haven. Three- that one day my children will see that mom didn't struggle for nothing, "Dreams Do Come True", even if you have to put your pride aside & ask for help. I cry all the time because I don't have perfect credit & it is very hard to save money when you have six children.

My mom has been living with me the last 11 years or so and she keeps my children while I work 60 hours a week or more on my job working for the Center for Disablility Services. I have been working there for 7 1/2 years that's the longest I ever worked at a job. I've never enjoyed working at a job until I started working with the physically & mentally handicapped. I work so hard to get ahead & try to achieve homeownership but something just stands in my way.

Please help my family, Extreme Home Makeover. I'm in a different situation than some of your other shows, I don't have a home to makeover. I need your help! I have so much more I could tell you please call me at home 5182731748 or work 5182710299. Thank you for listening.

[Natasha Carrera]

I gave the wrong job number it is
518-271-0199. I just found out Extreme Home Makeover is in my area in Colonie, New York. I will be going there today. I hope it's not too late.

[Natasha Carrera]

I went to watch them build the house in Colonie, NY. It was very rainy and muddy but I didn't care I was just glad to be there and continue to wish that maybe one day it will be me the next time they come to the area. It was a great experience and I plan to be there when they say, "Move That Bus"! I'm 34 years old now and I can't wait for the day I step foot in a new home. I will be there screaming with Ty Pennington and the designers.

[Natasha Carrera]

Hi! It's me Natasha again. I am going to continue to write until someone sees how serious this is to me by keeping hope alive. I know tons of people are writing and it's really a chance out of millions to be heard. But if this is what I need to do to get help for my family, I am going to do it! Please help me.. If you can.

[shel israel]

Natasha,

I'm sorry but first this is an old post and no one is reading it anymore. Second, my post was not intended to give you a conduit for fundraising. I will take down any further attempts of this nature on your part. I will also remove the ones you have already posted and I will ban you from posting on this site. Please stop.

[Natasha Carrera]

I apologize I thought this was the right site. No offense.

[alexis]

i wanted to help a family with there home how can i do that?

[shontell cooper]

hi i am a mother of 3, with two grandchildren. i have lived in the same house for 16 years; and i have never had any work done, My roof has caved in causing two ceilings to fall inside the home the exterior of the house is in desperate need there are no gutters which has caused extream water damage to the out side. please forward or show me how to reach extream home makeover for a complete home makeover