A Blog is Not a Dead Bug on Your Windshield

A couple of day ago I was at a friend's house when he and I began talking about our respective blogs. His granddaughter a precocious child of 6 years old, said, "Whats a blog, it sounds like a dead bug."  After we all had a good laugh, I said to myself, "Self, out of the mouths of babes, comes truth.

Yes, Megan, some blogs really are dead bugs on a windshield; some lose the reader in about 30 seconds and some are so inconsistently posted that they look like a static web page.

But here you are facing another Superbowl weekend, struggling to come up with a great offer in the face of [past failure.  the responses I get are as follows

• "Whatever we tried, it didn't work. people stay home on Superbowl and have their parties at home."
• "Nobody is coming out. we've tried for 6 years and get no more than 6 lanes going."
• In the face of all the money we spent, I'd sooner just close at 5pm, go home and watch the game with my family."
• And on and on

Here's what I hear when proprietors tel me that, "Fred, no matter how much we cut the price or offer free food, NOBODY comes and we have NO other ideas.

So in the light of that here are some ideas to sell a Superbowl party at your center:

1. Sell the party and the bowling as an out of home experience that wont leave your home in disarray because your buddies messed up your sofa or couch spilled salsa, chicken wing sauce or beer spillage. and worse, with a very aggravated wife.
2. if you are not into football and could care less about the Superbowl  then come on out to happy Lanes, we're having an anti Superbowl party
3. Free touch football game in the parking lot when you come to our Superbowl party and get free pizza, chicken wings and soft drinks when you donate to XYZ local charity $10 or more.  Bowling is regular price

OK i know you can think of other stuff to promote, but the only way you're gonna get this out is with a blog to your list and the 5 key elements your blog must have are as follow:

1. A Great Headline  that draws me in. Words like "Warning, This could be your house!!!" And a corresponding picture of a house with salsa and guacamole and beer stains all over
2. Content that sets up a proposition; "IF this happens then this will happen.  and of course what happens is bad
3. Set up the solution to the problem.  Your solution IS our product and or your place of business which can solve that problem, Demonstrate it  with a story about a customer. A "story" is one or two SHORT PARAGRAPHS.
4. Tell the customer what action he or she should take and by what date.  Provide sense of urgency.  Reserve by February 1st and "save $10 on your bowling." or "get FREE shoe rentals"
5. Summarize the deal/offer and end with a catchy phrase or funny little joke.  "if the Superbowlniks in your family drive you crazy, come on out to Happy lanes and have a SUPER TIME with people like you...without the stress

"Innovate. Create. Focus"...and the solution will appear.