Recently, I finished reading a biography of Ann Landers, giving some thought to how this self-educated upper middle class Jewish woman managed to make herself an indispensable part of America’s national consciousness. What can today’s small business owner learn from this advice powerhouse who turned a series of advice columns into a lasting, profitable business and a nationally recognized personal brand?

In Ann’s day, she and her twin sister (Abigail Van Buren – Dear Abby, in case you weren’t aware) used the advice column format to reach out to people who had questions in need of solutions. Both sisters always used their columns as platforms to make important public announcements, supporting national holidays and Veterans’ association causes, championing for a non-partisan greater social good. Similarly, in the world of Event Planning, I and other Event Planners can and do use blogs as ways of getting the word out when it comes to our projects – whether they are small private gatherings or charity events or fun events like the Frock Swap or socially aware as in Women In Transition Hudson Valley’s Spa Events I’ve been involved with in previous months.

When people asked Ann a question for her column, she often consulted experts whose knowledge could be used to enlighten her audience, while she made sure that the explanation was in plain and readable English. In the internet age, we use quotes and hyperlink references to prove our points. And we quote other named gurus to go viral with our message.

What other similarities do my fellow bloggers and I share with the great advice columnist? Many of use work from cafes, shared spaces and home offices; Ann Landers was known to work from home in a nightgown and robe! While we measure our impact through the use of Google Analytics, she had a syndicated readership of over 100 million people. Her visibility, perhaps best outlined by the fact that during an appearance on What’s My Line she proved to be the highest rated guest ever, made a huge impact into an overwhelming market segment – something the Facebook and You Tube celebs of today – not to mention we humble small businesswomen – can hardly hope to replicate. And oh by the way, many of her friends from kindergarten found and re-connected with her..after 35 years!