Some are cheeky. Some are all business. One is off the charts (and not for the kids!). All are awesome, interesting women who have built a following for their businesses through great writing and building community. We’ve talked about a few a lot and some are probably brand new to our TVLAI readers. They are all great role models in the online business world. Enjoy!

1. Pam Slim. Pam has been highly touted here on TVLAI.com. She is an entrepreneur’s coach and a successful author. Here is one of my favorite posts about selling yourself.

2. Penelope Trunk. If you are a 30-something pursuing a career or entrepreneurial startup, it is hard to beat Penelope and her Brazen Careerist site. Here is a great sample of her advice and work.

3. Danielle LaPorte. Danielle and her “White Hot Truth” have become incredibly popular. She is also a business, entrepreneur coach and so popular that when she announced her “firestarter sessions” were going from $300/hr to $500/hr in 2010, she booked at the $300/hr rate for the rest of the year! Check out this awesome post.

4. Naomi Dunford. Naomi writes for all folks who run an “itty biz”, a really small niche business. With information on search engine optimization and general online marketing, she has superior content and e-courses available on her blog. She was also selected as one of the Top 30 Bloggers to Watch in 2010 by ProBlogger.

5. Carolyn Elefant (along with Susan Cartier Liebel) are the two cheerleaders for solo practicing lawyers. Carolyn writes killer content on her blog at MyShingle.com.

6. Lea Woodward. Lea, along with her husband, started Location Independent, a blog and site for virtual workers who travel the world. Highly motivating content if you want to break free and live a much more mobile, independent lifestyle.

7. Gina Trapini. Gina was the founding editor of the incredibly popular Lifehacker.com and wrote Upgrade Your Life . She has since spun out on her own and mostly writes about tech issues (impressions of the just announced iPad here).

8. Gwen Bell is really popular in the social media world, especially on Twitter. She writes on using this type of media in business effectively, is a yoga guru and excellent blogger. She is currently working on a media campaign for HP.

9. Arianna Huffington. Yes, this liberal powerhouse still writes for The Huffington Post which has grown huger than huge and is usually in the top 3-5 blogs most read blogs in Technorati’s Top 100. Interestingly enough, she’s been writing about sleep as well. You can read one of her posts about what she says should be the next feminist issue.  

10. The Bloggess. Oh ladies. She is handful but she says all of those things we wish we could. This one is for fun and to give you a laugh out loud break in your day. If you’ve ever ever been ready to kill at the movies, this post is for you. (It is NOT G-rated). She also writes a parenting column for a major paper.

Formal or informal, written or verbal, the ways in which you communicate set you apart from your competitors (or not). Regardless (NOT “irregardless”) of your exact profession, many of your competitors are leaving a space for you to really stand out because, well, they are so crummy at business letters, proposals, public speaking, PowerPoint presentation and more. Given that many of us are developing the majority of our own communications materials, it makes sense to do everything you can to improve this basic, but powerful, skill. Here are 10 tips and resources to help you brush up:

1. Be succinct. Review your post, letter, presentation and make sure you said what you needed to say in as few words as possible while still engaging your audience. Tell a story by getting to the point. We all have really short attention spans.

2. Edit and proofread. Write a first, second, or third draft, edit it for brevity and pass it off to someone else to review. Then proofread it again. It’s sort of like the carpenter’s mantra of “measure twice, cut once”, though you may have to cut more than that.

3. READ and WATCH others. Go to TED.com

Bark! video

The Saint trailer

and watch great speakers. Read literature and business books and magazines.

4. Watch out for common errors. It’s vs. its. Their and there. Have seen and saw. Ensure vs. insure., etc. If you need reminders, go here.

• download The Greatest Game Ever Played

The Journeyman full movie

The Cutting Edge video

5. Who knew a tiny little podcast about grammar would become such a huge hit, lead to a book and cd

305 full movie

Night at the Museum psp and speaking engagements for Grammar Girl

download A Bronx Tale movie

(aka Mignon Fogarty). Her podcast is entertaining and educational.

6. Ugh. I’ve sat through some abysmal PowerPoint presentations. You know the ones? Fonts are all over the place, too small, the presenter reads to me, totally amateur. There are some easy cures for this. See Guy Kawasaki’s (very funny) 10-20-30 commandment about Power Point presentations. Or get a copy of Presentation Zen

.

7. Get a good style manual. You need a basic guide and there are several classics available that are regularly updated. The Elements of Style, On Writing Well, and Grammatically Correct are all good choices.

8. Get free online mentoring. There are so many amazing sites offering you free professional level training. My favorites include Copyblogger, Problogger

Electric Dreams trailer

download Adam Resurrected

download Good Dick dvd download Final Destination 3 dvd

, and Remarkable Communication. Presentation Zen also has an informative site.  

9. Join a writing group and/or Toastmasters. The power of many people is always helpful. Go to Meetup.com

Ace of Hearts divx

and look for “writers” or “writing” in your area. Go to the Toastmaster’s site to find a group that will, gently, help you improve your public speaking skills.

10. Hire it out. Harder to do for public speaking (but impossible? who knows.) but you can find really good affordable copywriting fairly easily. If you need some referrals, let us know!

What parts of writing or public speaking do you really struggle with? Share your experiences below!

I’ve been blogging for TVLAI since 2007 and I can tell you that my blog readership has increased  significantly as has my list of contacts and business inquiries. The blog has been instrumental in exposing me to new potential clients in a way no other platform has. There are several reasons a blog can be key to increased success and exposure.

Well, it increases your exposure. I know. Redundant, but true. As a search engine marketing tool, a blog cannot be beat. Why? Your Web site is fixed on one topic (what you do) but a blog covers a variety of topics. What this means is if someone Googles a topic you’ve covered (like MiFi here), you have increased likelihood that they will “stumble upon” your site. In serendipitous moments, this could find you a new client.

It helps you develop your personal or company brand. Good blogging requires a specific “voice” which is the sound of WHO YOU ARE. This allows customers and followers the ability to get to know you and build loyalty towards you. It also helps you attract Red Velvet Rope

clients – those who’s philosophies and interests jive with yours.

If done well, it is a gift of information for your readers. Hopefully, a blog provides a service. Part education, part inspiration, a blog should provide value to your customers and value builds engagement and interest.

It isn’t necessary to blog 5 or more days per week. 2-3 times per week is plenty. But be consistent. You build a loyal readership by doing it week after week, month after month. Do allow yourself a break of a week from time to time to recharge your creative batteries. But don’t go longer than that if possible.

If you just feel like you cannot possibly blog consistently for yourself, this is something easily and affordably outsourced! A good writer gets to know your voice and can help you develop a strong online presence. TVLAI can offer some referrals if you are interested.

Feel free to promote your blog below. As long as it is of appropriate content, we’ll be glad to give you a shout out!

Nell