Woo-hoo! Meet our latest “Contributor of the Week,” Ileane Smith.
Ileane started her small business adventure two years ago when her daughter Nikki convinced her to start a blog. Since that time, Ileane hasn’t looked back.
Though she originally began her blogging efforts as simply a way of relating stories and connecting with others online, it didn’t take long for Ileane to identify a real need in the online community, basically a source of blogging and social media tutorials for people just like her.
Ileane describes her epiphany:
“After a few weeks, I became frustrated as I searched for blogging and social media tutorials and all I could find were long-winded support threads and dead-end forum posts,” she said.
In answer, Ileane created Basic Blog Tips, a Website dedicated to delivering tutorials in a variety of formats including blog posts, audio and video podcasts. Though Ileane has created much of the content herself, she has also hosted over 30 guest bloggers who have also created quality content for the site.
While building her business, Ileane has been quick to use resources like BizSugar.com too.
“I’ve always been an advocate of small business and BizSugar helps put me in touch with how businesses can successfully leverage social media and email marketing campaigns,” Ileane said. “Recently, my daughter launched Estava Morioka, an online clothing store for women along with a companion magazine-style blog, and I’m able incorporate the lessons I learn from BizSugar and apply them to help build effective strategies for the business.”
So, how can you become a BizSugar “Contributor of the Week” just like Ileane? It’s simple, really. First, if you haven’t done so already, sign up for a free account on BizSugar.com and begin posting helpful tips and information on small business either from your own blog or Website or from other authoritative online resources by following our guidelines.
Then be sure you “like” our Facebook fan page, comment on and share posts you find there with the rest of your Facebook network and who knows! You could be our next contributor of the week. We’ll see you right here on BizSugar!
Congratulations Ileane! One of the great things about BizSugar is it’s focus on excellent content — thanks for being a part of that!
Ileane,
Congratulations! Your blog has a great role to play in the jungle out there with all the jargon and tech language. It is great to have a source for basic blogging tips!
Congrat Ileane, for being the Bizsugar of the week.
Congrats Ileane. Glad to know more about you!
Yay! Ileane, we’re delighted to have you as our Contributor of the Week. You’ve been such a positive contributor — thanks for all you do.
– Anita
Ivana, Martin, Amanda and Anita – thanks so much for your kind words. I’m honored to be BizSugar Contributor of the week. This is a wonderful community.
Ileane, so nice speaking to you this week for our interview. So happy to have you be a part of our small business group. We all enjoy your Website too! Cheers. 🙂
Hi Ileane,
First – congrats! Second – your blog is a great source of information on audio and video podcasts, something I’m just getting familiar with.
Ileane,
Congrats!
I really like your blog, as it’s a much-needed one for blog newbies.
Great work is fun to watch.
The Franchise King®
Hi Ileane, congratuations on becoming Contributor of the Week, very well deserved!
Heather, Vedran, Joel and Niall I’m glad you’re finding the blog useful and if you ever have any questions about WordPress, podcasting or social media, please feel free to ask. Thanks everyone!
Ileane is a Class Act!! I enjoy her posts – and I find her voice very pleasant in her videos.
How nice of you to say that 🙂 I try to talk in a way that will be calming to make it easier for people who are learning how to do something new.
Congatulations to Ileane, well deserved she puts out some great work.
Thank you Jackie. It feels good to see you saying that.
Congratulation Ileane. It is honaray mentions and bragging rights like these that help us stand out from the crowd. Have a wonderful day. I am looking forward to you sharing an article on how you got here.
Eddie, I could go on and on about my daughter all day long. I’m so very proud of her. It’s amazing how she inspired me to start blogging and now she’s asking me questions about how to get things done. But I still go to her for all the Facebook stuff.
Awesome Ileane!
Congratulation on being featured on BizSugar 🙂 Your blog content is top notch 🙂
Cheers,
Ming
Hi Ming, thank you for taking the time to come by and leave a comment here. I appreciate it.
Congratulations Ileane,
When you get recognized for all your efforts you just know you have been doing this right!
Craig
Craig, you are so right! Nice to meet you and I look forward to chatting with you again. Thanks for stopping by the blog too. I’m off to respond to your comment now.
Congratulations Ileane, this is an honor well-deserved. Many blessings to continued success.
Hi Marcie, I appreciate that and I look forward to working with you. Feel free to get in touch if you’re still interested in guest posting. I’d love to host you over on Basic Blog Tips.
Hello Ms. Ileane,
Congratulations, Ileane, on being named BizSugar contributor of the week. (And thanks to BizSugar staff for acknowledging your contribution to the community.)
Your tutorials are not only informative, but it’s enjoyable to hear you add your unique personality within each and every one. I appreciate you being on the cutting edge — finding the latest and greatest so I don’t have to (as Stella can say, for us “lazy bones”).
Will you be attending the Small Buxiness Influencer Awards in New York?
Hi Vernessa, I appreciate you for sharing this on Google+ and for all of your support. I try to keep up with just enough so I’m not totally lost but when it comes to the technical side of things I’m glad I can reach out to my friends like you 🙂
Nikki will be in town for a visit at the same time as the awards and unfortunately I will not be able to attend. I’ll be following along in spirit though. How about you? Will you be in town to attend the Small Business Influencer Awards Gala?
Have a great weekend and I’ll chat with you soon.
Congrats MsIleane! Although i havent been around in a while its good cominh back to see you’re well on your way to becoming a superstar in the blogosphere 🙂
Hey Will, great to have you back! We missed you 🙂 Have you joined BizSugar yet? Please be sure you do.
Congratulations Ileane! You deserve this recognition. You’re one of the first bloggers that I started following when I started my blog. I learned a lot from you then and I’m still learning. It’s great to see you here and on so many of the other social networks that I participate in. You’re always one of the first people that I look for when I join.
Sherryl,
Wow, that’s great to hear. Ironically I just left your blog and retweeted one of your excellent posts. I’m glad to know you found me here on BizSugar! Thanks for your support.
Congratulations Ileane! Your hard work is definitely paying off. You deserve every ounce of recognition you get in the online community and off. Thank you for helping so many of us with our blog issues.
Brace yourself! Cause this is the beginning of many, many more recognition and success to come your way.
All the best!
Hi Genie, what a lovely thing to say. Thanks so much!
Great job Ileane!! So glad to a woman doing her thing and succeeding. I wish both you and your daughter great success and I will certainly become a subscriber. Congratulations on your feature.
Much love
Good Day, Ileane!
I was just browsing some of the contributors of the week, and stumbled upon you– I must say that I am happy to see such progress that you have experienced in your two years+ of your blog. Out of curiosity– do you ever think what if your daughter didn’t offer encouragement, where would you be?
I am asking, because I just started my blog, and it seems more therapeutic for me than anything else. I am hoping that others can find my content helpful. Did you ever have similar thoughts?
Congratulations!
-XO,
Nerissa
Who is Ileane Smith?
Kidding.
Good to see her as a contributor of the week here at Bizsugar community. She deserves it!
Congratulations on being the BizSugar contributor of the week Ms. Ileane.
Congratulations Lady.
Am happy with your work. Keep growing.