Now what was I going to do? Be bored out of my skull for the next 85 days?

• exactly what to include on your card
• how to organize the cards you collect
• how to take advantage of our affordable business card design, printing, and shipping service

I challenged him to a hundred yard run with the steakes being a stake dinner for two at the restaurant of the winner's choice.

The writer demonstrates a common problem: homophone confusion.

Today, we look at the ever-evolving "perfect" length for a blog post. You'll learn three benefits of writing long-form posts, and will get three tips for writing your first mega post.

I've been blogging steadily since 2003. In this article, I'll share the evolution of my own thinking about this question.

Plus, get a FREE printable cheatsheet that outlines the differences and includes helpful links.

Turns out, Twitter is very much alive, particularly for those in the writing community. It's a great place to network with writing peeps and grow your platform. In this guest post, Robyn Roste shares the five most important things to pay attention to on Twitter if you want to connect with agents, editors, publishers, publications, authors, and freelance writers.

Today's guest columnist, Susie Crosby, learned that as she diligently pitched her book idea at writers' conferences and blogged her way to a book contract, one word at a time.

Should serious bloggers avoid Blogspot?

Learn the pros & cons of free blogging platforms vs. hosting your blog on your own self-hosted WordPress website.

In this case study, you'll learn the exact steps we go through when we design a logo for a client.

In my guest post on the Communicator Academy blog, I tell all!

Plus, I have an extra-special free Website Page Planner for you.

In this guest column, Patricia Forrest helps you discover the benefits of investing time and resources into blogging.

Could you be making one or more of these five mistakes that send visitors running from you instead of to you?

Learn the benefits of detoxing from digital devices – whether it’s for a day, a week, or longer.

In this review, guest contributor, Jill Phillips, explores the features, strengths, and limitations of Asana.

Learn 40 brilliant ideas to build your own image library from guest columnist, Edie Melson.

BONUS: Free printable PDF of the article. Use it as a checklist!

In this guest post, Pierre de Braux shows you four ways to get the word out.

This illustrated tutorial plus video will get you up and talking in 5 minutes or less.

Plus, you can sign up to receive a handy checklist that includes everything you need to do before publishing your next post. Yep, it's free.

This article + infographic identifies weak words and phrases and introduces an editing technique to help you eliminate them.

In this post, I reveal the top 12 novels I read in 2015, and why I liked them. I'd love to hear what you read and loved!

“Why do I need to edit my blog posts? It’s JUST a blog.”

Doug attended "Take your blogging and social media marketing to the next level," a course Laura Christianson taught recently.

During the past year or so, one-page websites have exploded in popularity. Now, instead of functioning primarily as a sales tool, they’ve morphed into full-featured websites.

One-page websites work well for brands in their infancy and for sites that have a small amount of content.

This article shows you one-page websites we have developed for clients, and details two common problems with one-page WordPress themes.

Why?

Because most email marketing services (such as MailChimp, AWeber, and Constant Contact) base their monthly fees on the total number of subscribers.

This article explains how BriteVerify works and includes examples of how two Blogging Bistro clients used the service to axe the deadwood from their email lists.

In this tutorial by guest columnist, Bruce Harpham, you’ll learn a simple technique to quickly identify influential people in your field.

How to Target Influential People

1. Learn Their Language: Once you find an influential person, you can study what kind of language they use. This information shows you what kind of terms and words are popular.
The post How to Use BuzzSumo To Find Influencers first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> By Bruce Harpham
Guest Columnist

The right person at the right time can transform your business. Influence can be as simple as a friendly journalist who writes an article about your company.

In this article, you’ll learn a technique to quickly identify influential people in your field.

How to Target Influential People

1. Learn Their Language: Once you find an influential person, you can study what kind of language they use. This information shows you what kind of terms and words are popular.
2. Listen To What’s Popular: imagine attending a cocktail party of heavy hitters in your industry where you could sit back and take notes about what’s popular – that’s what you can accomplish by virtually listening in on influential people in your field.
3. Start The Relationship Building Process: Once you know who they are and what they’re talking about, you join the conversation. In my experience, I like to start by following the influencer on Twitter or sending them an email. Where possible, send an email for the best results.

Finding Influencers With BuzzSumo: What To Look For

BuzzSumo is a free marketing research tool that helps you identify influential people quickly. Influence can be defined in many ways. For our purposes, there are three criteria we will use to find influencers on BuzzSumo:

1. Twitter Followers: The number of followers simply suggests how many people pay attention to the person.
2. Type of Influencer: I suggest focusing on individuals rather than companies or organizations – it is easier to build a relationship with an individual.
3. Not A Broadcaster: Filter out people who tend to ignore questions or messages on Twitter.

Your First BuzzSumo Influencer Search



1. Sign up for a free account on BuzzSumo.com: http://app.buzzsumo.com/users/register
2. Go to the Influencer search function of BuzzSumo: http://app.buzzsumo.com/influencers
3. On the far left hand side “Filter by Type,” I recommend unchecking companies and checking off “ignore broadcasters.”
4. Enter the keywords that describe your customers: in my example, I searched for “project management.”
5. In the “Sort By” drop down menu on the far right hand side, choose “Number of Followers” rather than the default setting of “relevancy.”
6. If the resulting list looks interesting to you, you can click the blue EXPORT button and export the list as a Microsoft Excel file.
7. (Advanced Users Only): You can run additional analysis using Microsoft Excel. For example, I have done analysis to find influencers in my region – Toronto, Canada.
8. (Ed. note): Click the “Top Content” tab on Buzzsumo to find articles, infographics, guest posts, giveaways, interviews and/or videos in your niche. This is a great way to see who’s doing what, and to give you fresh ideas for your own content.

With that short exercise, you can quickly identify numerous influential people in your industry. Your next step is contact them to start a conversation.

---

Bruce Harpham is the author of Project Management Hacks, a leading resource for ideas to improve your results at the office tomorrow. He lives in Toronto, Canada.

The post How to Use BuzzSumo To Find Influencers first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-use-buzzsumo-to-find-influencers/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/awesome-plugin-displays-bible-references-as-pop-ups/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=awesome-plugin-displays-bible-references-as-pop-ups https://bloggingbistro.com/awesome-plugin-displays-bible-references-as-pop-ups/#comments Mon, 17 Mar 2014 12:00:11 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=15396 Author Sherri Sand regularly includes scripture references in her devotional blog posts. She asked me whether there is a WordPress plugin that will automatically search her posts for scripture references and display the text of the Bible verses in a pop-up box.

Sure enough, there is! It’s called ESV CrossRef (or just CrossRef, once it’s installed on your site).

Read on to learn how it works and how it looks.

The post Awesome Plugin Displays Bible References as Pop-Ups first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Author Sherri Sand regularly includes scripture references in her devotional blog posts. She asked me whether there is a WordPress plugin that will automatically search her posts for scripture references and display the text of the Bible verses in a pop-up box.

Sure enough, there is! It’s called ESV CrossRef (or just CrossRef, once it’s installed on your site).

How it works

ESV CrossRef scans your site for Old and New Testament Bible references. Once it finds a Bible reference on the page, it converts the reference(s) into a hover-able link. Each time a converted link is hovered over, a small pop up will appear containing the scripture reference.

As Sherri and I were chatting on the phone, I searched for this plugin, installed it, activated it, and we immediately evaluated the results. We were pleased with how it “grabbed” verses from her most recent blog post as well as from EVERY post and page that included scripture references.

How it looks

Read Sherri’s post, “The Great Exchange” to see the plugin in action. Here’s a visual example of what the pop-up verse reference looks like in Sherri’s post:



If you include Bible references on your website or blog, this plugin is a huge time saver. Instead of manually linking to the passage on a Bible website or typing in the verses by hand, the plugin does the heavy lifting for you. You can also customize the color, size, and font of your links.

Since the plugin is called “ESV,” I’m making an educated guess that it displays verses from the English Standard Version of the Bible. The ESV is a revision of the 1971 edition of the Revised Standard Version.

If you’re comfortable with that translation, give the plugin a whirl.




Click this image to download your free checklist that includes EVERYTHING you need to do prior to publishing a blog post! Or simply text PREPUB to 44222!

Tweet It!

Here are a couple of ready-made tweets so you can share what you just learned:

[Tweet “Discovered an amazing WordPress plugin that displays Bible references as popups “]

[Tweet “Display Bible verse refs as pop-ups with this cool WordPress plugin”]

The post Awesome Plugin Displays Bible References as Pop-Ups first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/awesome-plugin-displays-bible-references-as-pop-ups/feed/ 4 https://bloggingbistro.com/5-fantastic-url-shorteners/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-fantastic-url-shorteners https://bloggingbistro.com/5-fantastic-url-shorteners/#comments Mon, 13 Jan 2014 13:00:50 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=15020 Have you ever received an email with a super-long link in it—a link so long it was unclickable? I certainly have.

Enter the amazing URL shrinker, a handy tool that shortens lengthy URLs (web addresses) to 25 or so characters.

In this article, we look at the pros and cons of URL shorteners, and review five excellent services:

1. bitly
2. TinyURL.com
3. is.gd
4. goo.gl
5. su.pr
The post 5 Fantastic URL Shorteners first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Have you ever received an email with a super-long link in it—a link so long it was unclickable? I certainly have.

Enter the amazing URL shrinker, a handy tool that shortens lengthy URLs (web addresses) to 25 or so characters.

Pros

There are several good uses for URL shinkers:

Twitter: Twitter allows 140 characters per tweet. Since most tweeters refer their followers to new blog posts, it makes sense to compress links to posts.

E-newsletters: Many services require you to write out the entire URL to sites you’re linking to. Compress the URL, and you’ve got a nice, clean-looking address that doesn’t scare people away.

Affiliate links: These links are usually dozens of characters long. Some people use link shorteners to get rid of all those extra characters and/or disguise the fact that they’re sending people to an affiliate link (we believe it’s wise to be above-board about disclosing affiliate links).



Click this image to download your free checklist that includes EVERYTHING you need to do prior to publishing a blog post! Or simply text PREPUB to 44222!

Cons

The downside to most URL shorteners is that they replace the originating website’s domain name with their own company name. For example, here’s a link to one of our articles that we shrank, using TinyURL.com:

Original (84 characters):

https://bloggingbistro.com/blog-the-most-powerful-tool-in-your-marketing-toolbox/

TinyURL version of the same link (26 characters):

http://tinyurl.com/mucdx7w

With some services, however, you can customize your short URLs. Bitly.com, for example, gives you the option to create a custom short domain for personal or business use. (See Bitly’s Advanced Settings for instructions.)

Shrink Those Links!

These services are free, and for most you do not have to register.



1.  bitly

Bitly is the compressor we use most. Not only does if have an attractive, easy to use interface, but you can track your links and see statistics like which of your links have been clicked. Bitly can also create QR codes and has a browser extension for Chrome, which means you can create a shortlink with the click of a button.

2.  TinyURL.com

TinyURL also has a one-click link compressor browser extension, but unlike bitly, TinyURL’s extension is compatible with any browser. You can also create a custom alias (URL) if it’s available, allowing you to have a say in what the finished URL shortlink looks like. Another cool feature is the pop up preview, which lets your readers see a preview of the original URL when they hover over the link.

3.  is.gd

is.gd (think “is good”) is a basic URL compressor, but offers a neat feature: pronounceable shortlinks. The algorithm behind the URL creation doesn’t necessary create real words, but they are at least pronounceable and therefore more memorable. Is.gd also offers QR code creation at the click of a button.

4.  goo.gl

In true Google fashion, goo.gl is a simple, efficient link shortener. Links are easy to create, and the “Details” page provides a QR code and stats of your link’s clicks. A Chrome browser extension is also available.

5.  su.pr

Su.pr is a top-rated compression service from the people behind StumbleUpon. Su.pr tracks the click-through rates of your shortened links and makes suggestions for the best time to post based on your history. Su.pr links have the added benefit of gaining exposure on the StumbleUpon platform, but you do need to create a free account with StumbleUpon to use su.pr.

Try it.

1. Click this post’s headline to get its permanent URL. If you’re feeling lazy, the URL is https://bloggingbistro.com/5-fantastic-url-shorteners/
2. Choose a service from the list and shrink the URL.
3. Write your own Facebook update or tweet, linking your readers to this post using the compressed URL.
4. Let us know which service you like best.

Tweet it!

Here’s a ready-made tweet so you can share what you just learned:

[Tweet “5 fantastic URL shorteners reviewed”]

 

The post 5 Fantastic URL Shorteners first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/5-fantastic-url-shorteners/feed/ 14 https://bloggingbistro.com/blog-the-most-powerful-tool-in-your-marketing-toolbox/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=blog-the-most-powerful-tool-in-your-marketing-toolbox https://bloggingbistro.com/blog-the-most-powerful-tool-in-your-marketing-toolbox/#comments Mon, 06 Jan 2014 12:00:21 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=14899 Thinking about blogging this year?

Websites that include a blog integrated into the site (NOT hosted separately on Blogspot or some other blog hosting service) typically have 434% more indexed pages.

Blog posts are doorways to your business. Publish a blog post once a week this year, and give your customers 52 doors to open.

This article and accompanying infographic explains how to use the "doorway" method to help new customers discover you.

The post Blog: The Most Powerful Tool in Your Marketing Toolbox first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> By Laura Christianson

Thinking about blogging this year?

Websites that include a blog integrated into the site (NOT hosted separately on Blogspot or some other blog hosting service) typically have 434% more indexed pages.

Blog Posts Are Doorways to Your Business



Think of each blog post as a doorway to your business. Let’s say you’re an author. Your website includes the following pages:

1. Home
2. About
3. Books
4. Speaking
5. Media
6. Contact

That gives prospective book buyers six virtual doorways to walk through so they can get to know you.

Add a blog page to your site. You now have seven doorways.

Now imagine opening the door labeled “Blog” and stepping into a mile-long hallway with doors of all shapes and sizes lining both sides of the hall. Those doors represent each blog post you publish. Some of your posts are lengthy. Others are short. Some of your articles are how-tos. Others are inspirational. Still others are analytical.

If you publish a blog post once a week this year, you’ll give your audience 52 more doors to walk through. So, instead of having six doors, you now have 6 (pages) + 1 (blog directory page) + 52 blog posts = 59 ways for people to find you and meet you.

Blog twice a week and the number of doorways increases to 111.

Label Your Doorways



If I walk through your “Blog” doorway and meander down the long hall, I’ll likely open a few doors and peek in because I’m a curious, snoopy person. But I’d be more likely to open a door if it has a sign on it telling me what’s inside. After all, I don’t want to accidentally walk in on someone who’s using the men’s restroom!

In the same manner, you need to take a few minutes to educate Google and Bing about how to index each blog post your write. Install a good SEO plugin such as All In One SEO Pack or Yoast.

Before publishing your post, fill in the form fields on the SEO plugin (located directly below the post’s text editor) with the following:

• Keyword-rich post title (60 characters)
• Short description that includes an inviting call-to-action (160 characters)
• A few keywords related to your topic

You can also edit the Permalink for your post, to make it more searchable.

When you teach the search engines how to index your article appropriately, people searching for information related to your topic will be more likely to find your blog post. And when they find it, they may comment on it or link to it. Websites that include an active blog typically receive 97% more inbound links.

Blogging Builds Trust

Perhaps the best reason to blog is that blog posts help build trust.

Sixty-one percent of U.S. consumers have made a purchase based on a blog post.

Sixty percent of consumers feel more positive about a brand after reading their blog.

Recently, I met with a business professional who is spending $500 a month on yellow pages advertising. $500 a month! That figure does not include the other marketing this person does.



When was the last time you put your trust in a local business after stumbling across their ad in the phone book? Do you even know where all those phone books that mysteriously appear on your front porch are? (I know where mine are. I just dumped four of them into the recycling bin.)

I can’t remember the last time I used the phone book. When I need to find something, I might search the Internet phone book, but more likely I’ll google it.

And then I’ll visit the company’s website. I’ll read customer testimonials and reviews.

And I’ll look for their blog. I’ll read a few posts. If I like what I see, I’ll subscribe to their blog.

If I really like what I see, I’ll fill out the contact form. Or pick up the phone and call them.

Business professionals often tell me, “I’m busy running my business. I don’t have time to blog. And I don’t like to write.”

I reply, “Remember that $500 a month you’re spending on yellow pages advertising? For $500, you can hire a skilled freelance writer who will capture your voice and write interesting informational articles for your blog on your behalf.”

Instead of forking out $6,000 per year on a phone book ad that might be seen by a dozen people, why not invest that $6,000 in hiring someone to help you produce content that hundreds (or even thousands) of people are likely to find, read, and use?

Does This Method Work?

Yes. But only if you do it strategically and consistently over time.

I know someone who launched a blog and proudly published her first blog post. She checked her statistics every day for two weeks and was disappointed that only 22 people had visited her blog.

“I thought my blog was supposed to help people find me and buy my stuff. Why isn’t that happening?”

My acquaintance mistakenly assumed that the very presence of her blog would result in throngs of people instantly discovering her and eagerly purchasing her wares.

If her name had been “Michelle Obama” or “Sandra Bullock,” that may well have happened.

But for “Jane Doe,” one blog post added to her seven page website = eight doorways for people to find her.

One blog post from Jane or John Doe does not build instant trust with the buying public.

How many times have you been window shopping, walked into a store you’ve never set foot in before, and made a purchase? Sometimes perhaps, on impulse. But you’re more likely to browse around, think about it, and return another time to make your purchase.

The same principle applies to business blogging. You show up for work. You put yourself out there day after day, week after week, year after year. You work hard to produce content your readers will find helpful.

Eventually, you’ll start getting emails and phone calls and customers who say:

“I love your blog and site, and appreciate the amazing variety of information you provide.”

That’s an unedited quote from an email I received. I get comments like that from my blog’s readers every week.

Do all of them become Blogging Bistro clients?

No. Most of them don’t.

But they tell their friends and business associates about us. And some of those people become clients.

One of our new clients met me a year ago at a conference. She contacted me out of the blue and said, “I want to hire you to build a new website and blog for my business.”

Somewhat taken aback, I replied, “But, how do you know you want to work with my company? I haven’t even given you an estimate yet!”

“I know because I’ve been lurking on your blog for a year,” she replied. “I never a comment, but I read every post. I trust you. I’m sold.”

That’s the power of blogging.

What about you?

Has blogging opened doors for others to “discover” you?

If you’re thinking about starting to blog, what are your biggest questions and concerns?

Please leave a comment, and we’ll make every effort to address your questions in upcoming articles.



Courtesy of: Quick Sprout
The post Blog: The Most Powerful Tool in Your Marketing Toolbox first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/blog-the-most-powerful-tool-in-your-marketing-toolbox/feed/ 14 https://bloggingbistro.com/real-estate-euphemisms/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=real-estate-euphemisms https://bloggingbistro.com/real-estate-euphemisms/#respond Mon, 09 Dec 2013 13:00:01 +0000 http://heblogssheblogs.com/real-estate-euphemisms/ I'm constantly on the lookout for euphemisms (yoo-fuh-miz-uhms): indirect, vague words and phrases that take the place of words/phrases thought to be too blunt, too harsh, or too politically incorrect.

I snapped this photo of Aspen Meadows Townhomes from my car while zooming south on I-5 (the West Coast's major Interstate freeway that stretches from Canada to Mexico).

Aspen Meadows. Last time I checked, Aspen was a ski resort in Colorado. And meadows? I don't think so. Not with the view of six lanes of I-5 30 feet from your front door.

The post What is Your Least Favorite Euphemism? first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> I’m constantly on the lookout for euphemisms (yoo-fuh-miz-uhms): indirect, vague words and phrases that take the place of words/phrases thought to be too blunt, too harsh, or too politically incorrect.

My favorite real estate euphemism

I snapped this photo of Aspen Meadows Townhomes from my car while zooming south on I-5 (the West Coast’s major Interstate freeway that stretches from Canada to Mexico):



Aspen Meadows. Last time I checked, Aspen was a ski resort in Colorado. And meadows? I don’t think so. Not with the view of six lanes of I-5 30 feet from your front door.

Here’s another one from a newspaper headline:

“Experience innovative living close to Microsoft”

What, exactly, is “innovative living”?

Innovate means “to introduce something new.” So innovative living must refer to a new style of living. I read the article and learned about the “innovative” features of these “cutting edge home designs” (aka, condos):

• Deeply-pitched rooflines
• Metal exterior accenting
• Dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows
• Unexpected angles
• Corner windows
• Vaulted ceilings in master suites
• Two-sided fireplaces
• Loft space

Oh, so that’s innovative living! My life would not be complete without “unexpected angles” in my home.

Have you seen any interesting examples of euphemisms lately? Please share them.

The post What is Your Least Favorite Euphemism? first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/real-estate-euphemisms/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-create-and-market-a-stellar-podcast/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-create-and-market-a-stellar-podcast https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-create-and-market-a-stellar-podcast/#comments Fri, 06 Dec 2013 13:00:18 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=14857 With the rise of smart phones, listening to podcasts is easier than ever. Take advantage of this convenience and create a podcast to grow your business. Today we’ll look at:
• a comprehensive guide to creating and marketing a podcast
• a way to get over your podcasting fears
• a model podcast to inspire you
The post How to Create and Market A Stellar Podcast first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> With the rise of smart phones, listening to podcasts is easier than ever. Take advantage of this convenience and create a podcast to grow your business. Today we’ll look at:
• a comprehensive guide to creating and marketing a podcast
• a way to get over your podcasting fears
• a model podcast to inspire you

 

Podcasting 101

In The Definitive Guide to Setting Up and Marketing A Podcast to Help Grow Your Blog, Chris Ducker reveals the secret behind the success of his podcast The New Business Podcast. Ducker explains in easy to understand language how to record and post a podcast online, which recording devices and programs he uses, and how to maximize your two-month window in iTunes’ “New and Noteworthy” section.

 

Podcasting for Business—and Pleasure

Michael Stelzer interviews “Podcast Answer Man” Cliff Ravenscraft, who began podcasting in 2005 about the television show Lost.

Listen to the 37-minute podcast (or read the highlights) and learn the essentials of podcasting. Ravenscraft’s closing piece of advice will boost those nervous about starting a podcast: Start podcasting about a hobby, then podcast about your business when you feel confident.

 

Michael Hyatt: A Model Podcaster

Need some podcasting inspiration? Look no further than Michael Hyatt’s This is Your Life weekly podcast. The 75-podcast series has a 5-star rating on iTunes, with over 800 ratings. Check out Hyatt’s “My Top 10 Productivity Hacks” to hear a model podcast.

 

Share This

Here are a couple ready-made tweets for you:

Learn the essentials of podcasting from two stellar podcasters, Chris Ducker & Cliff Ravenscraft. (Click to Tweet)

What does a model podcast sound like? Take a cue from Michael Hyatt. (Click to Tweet)

 

Let’s Talk

If you listen to podcasts, which are your favorites? What do you like about them? 

 

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net / artur84

The post How to Create and Market A Stellar Podcast first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-create-and-market-a-stellar-podcast/feed/ 8 https://bloggingbistro.com/the-psychology-of-color-plus-bizarre-color-facts-infographic/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-psychology-of-color-plus-bizarre-color-facts-infographic https://bloggingbistro.com/the-psychology-of-color-plus-bizarre-color-facts-infographic/#comments Thu, 05 Dec 2013 12:00:05 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=14844 Quiz:
1. What is the color of intellect, knowledge, and wisdom?
2. What color are bees unable to see?
3. What is the "happiest" color in the color spectrum?
4. What color most attracts mosquitos?

You'll find the answers to these and other color-related questions in the infographic below. (If you're too lazy to read the infographic, I've provided the answers at the end of the infographic.)

Be sure to check out yesterday's guest column by Steve Bezella on The Psychology of Color for Marketing.

The post The Psychology of Color, Plus a Few Bizarre Color Factoids [Infographic] first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Quiz:

1. What is the color of intellect, knowledge, and wisdom?
2. What color are bees unable to see?
3. What is the “happiest” color in the color spectrum?
4. What color most attracts mosquitos?

You’ll find the answers to these and other color-related questions in the infographic below. (If you’re too lazy to read the infographic, I’ve provided the answers at the end of the infographic.)

Be sure to check out yesterday’s guest column by Steve Bezella on The Psychology of Color for Marketing.


A Guide to Color Selection for Designers, an Infographic by RIPT Apparel Custom Tees

Quiz Answers:

1. What is the color of intellect, knowledge, and wisdom?  Gray.
2. What color are bees unable to see? Red.
3. What is the “happiest” color in the color spectrum? Yellow. Remember this guy?
4. What color most attracts mosquitos? Blue. They are attracted to blue twice as much as other colors. Now I know what color NOT to wear when I go camping!
The post The Psychology of Color, Plus a Few Bizarre Color Factoids [Infographic] first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/the-psychology-of-color-plus-bizarre-color-facts-infographic/feed/ 2 https://bloggingbistro.com/the-psychology-of-color-for-effective-marketing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-psychology-of-color-for-effective-marketing https://bloggingbistro.com/the-psychology-of-color-for-effective-marketing/#comments Wed, 04 Dec 2013 12:00:32 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=14826 By Gary L. Bezella
Guest Columnist

Color changes people. Colors affect our mood, personality, and buying choices. The right color can boost your advertising effectiveness, but the wrong colors can hamper your marketing.

It’s important to understand the psychology of color to ensure heavy traffic from your advertising. But never let the color of your advertising overpower its overall message.

Here are common colors used in marketing and why you should - or shouldn’t - use them.

The post The Psychology of Color for Effective Marketing first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> By Gary L. Bezella
Guest Columnist

Color changes people. Colors affect our mood, personality, and buying choices. The right color can boost your advertising effectiveness, but the wrong colors can hamper your marketing.

It’s important to understand the psychology of color to ensure heavy traffic from your advertising. But never let the color of your advertising overpower its overall message.

Here are common colors used in marketing and why you should – or shouldn’t – use them.

For signage, always use pure/bold colors. Advertisements are rarely “stared” at — viewers are often passing when they see them, so it’s important that they stand out and can be read and processed quickly. When lettering has tints it looks softer, more feminine, and “nicer,” but takes so much more work to read.

Black



The color black symbolizes authority and power. Black can be a very effective background color with light or bright text and images.

However, a black background with dark text can be too difficult to read so don’t put red or blue text on black. Also, it is harder to read black-backgrounds in the evening, no matter what color text is.

White



White can be a very comforting color because it symbolizes cleanliness and purity. White is an effective background color for a website or advertisement with dark or bold text.

However, a white background with light or bright text (ex. yellow) can be too difficult to read. Almost any color text will work on a white background. It is the most legible. However, as a text color, it is only legible on dark backgrounds. But when it is used as a text color, it is clear-cut and simple.

Red



Red is associated with passion and high energy. Red can be a powerful color to engage the audience and draw their eye to your desired marketing piece.  Red is an effective background with light or white text.

It’s commonly used to drive impulse purchases. That’s why it’s almost always used to sell discounted and clearance items. In addition, red, when combined with blue, is commonly used for political advertisement.

Blue



Blue is consumers’ favorite color because it’s calm and symbolizes authority and dignity. Blue is also known as a business or professional color. Blue text with a white background is an effective design; however, blue text with a black background might be too difficult to read.

Blue is commonly associated with conservative companies. Most men prefer blue. Also, when a blue texted word is next to a red texted word, the red one will be read first.

Green



Green is a soothing color because it symbolizes nature and freshness. Green also communicates health or eco-friendly products/service to customers.

Because it is such a soothing color, green will most likely not push viewers to do what the marketing is telling them to do.

Brown



Brown symbolizes dependability and solidarity. It is also known as a safe and comforting color. Brown is often associated with outdoor activities or construction.

Brown could be a good background color, but for reasons similar to black, brown might be difficult to read in the evening.

Yellow and Orange



Yellow and orange symbolize alertness and optimism. Yellow can draw in impulsive buyers and orange is often associated with caution.

Too much yellow or orange can create a sense of anxiety. If used as a text color, it should only be on a black background.

Pink and Purple



Pink and purple are similar colors because they both have a feminine and creative quality. Purple symbolizes royalty and wisdom and tends to be used for beauty products. Pink symbolizes femininity and calmness and is used for products catered for women.

Pink and purple are typically preferred by women.

Pinterest Infographics

You’ll find great infographics on the psychology of color on Blogging Bistro’s Pinterest board.

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Gary L. Bezella is the Operations Manager for PromoteSigns.com. He’s been in the advertising and sign industry for over 28 years. He is the lead graphic designer, creating sign designs for both the promotional as well as the political markets. He is committed to keeping himself current on the industry trends in the printing and graphic markets.

 

The post The Psychology of Color for Effective Marketing first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/the-psychology-of-color-for-effective-marketing/feed/ 3 https://bloggingbistro.com/story-starter-seaplane/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=story-starter-seaplane https://bloggingbistro.com/story-starter-seaplane/#comments Mon, 02 Dec 2013 13:00:56 +0000 http://heblogssheblogs.com/story-starter-seaplane/

"I can't think of anything to write about."

When I taught high school English, my students frequently moaned about the lack of interesting things to write about.

My standard response: I'd roll my eyes and challenge them to keep their eyes and ears open and to ask questions about everything they see and hear.

When I was driving near my home, I spotted the perfect story starter. I've never had to pull to the side of the road to make way for a seaplane. In fact, I've never seen a seaplane being towed down the highway!

This scene has the makings for a good mystery/suspense story or an intriguing blog post.

The post What’s a Seaplane Doing in the Middle of the Road? first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> By Laura Christianson

“I can’t think of anything to write about.”

When I taught high school English, my students frequently moaned about the lack of interesting things to write about.

My standard response: I’d challenge them to keep their eyes and ears open and to ask questions about everything they see and hear.

When I was driving near my home, I spotted the perfect story starter:



I’ve never had to pull to the side of the road to make way for a seaplane. In fact, I’ve never seen a seaplane being towed down the highway!

This scene has the makings for a good mystery/suspense story or an intriguing blog post.

I started asking questions:

• Who owns this seaplane?
• Why is it being towed down the highway?
• Where is it headed?
• Where’d it come from?
• Is there water nearby where this plane will be docked?
• How am I going to get past this monstrosity?

The scenery provides ideas for more story elements:

• “Dead End” sign to the left of the plane
• Tall hedge on the right side of the road
• Beige shed behind the plane
• Long, lonely road between the truck and the photographer

From what viewpoint could I write the story?

• Pickup driver
• My own (driver of car approaching the pickup)
• Person hiding in cockpit of seaplane
• Unseen bystander or omniscient narrator who’s observing the scene unfold

What potential conflicts could I develop based on this scene?

• Kidnapping (pickup driver is leader of a drug-smuggling cartel. His seaplane is loaded with kilos of illegal drugs, which he’s attempting to spirit out of the U.S. into Canada. He kidnaps me, the unwitting witness of his dastardly deed).
• Crash (truck towing seaplane crashes into oncoming driver).
• High-speed chase (seaplane is, in reality, not being towed at all but is taxi-ing down the makeshift runway with police cruisers in hot pursuit. Unsuspecting driver of uncoming car gets caught in the cross-fire).

Apply this technique to blogging

1. Approach everyday life (or in this case, not-so-everyday) with an open mind, and you’ll never run out of things to blog about.
2. Use the basic principles of journalistic writing and answer the 5 Ws and the H questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How).
3. Brainstorm different approaches you can use for creatively telling your story.
4. Change up your POV. You don’t always have to write blog posts from the first-person “I” point of view or the second person “you” POV. Try writing a blog post as a conversation, or as a short story and see how it works.

Take the story-starter challenge

Using the seaplane photo, write the first sentence or paragraph a blog post. Share it with us in the Comments area.

The post What’s a Seaplane Doing in the Middle of the Road? first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/story-starter-seaplane/feed/ 6 https://bloggingbistro.com/the-new-york-times-manual-of-style-and-usage-updates-online-related-terms/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-new-york-times-manual-of-style-and-usage-updates-online-related-terms https://bloggingbistro.com/the-new-york-times-manual-of-style-and-usage-updates-online-related-terms/#comments Mon, 04 Nov 2013 13:00:55 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=14551 The New York Times has updated its Manual of Style and Usage.

Here are several changes they’ve made to online-related terms:

World Wide Web is now known as the web with a lowercase “w.” (Have you noticed that very few advertisements include “www” in front of a web address? Most of us know that the “www” is a given; when referring people to our websites, we just say, “Go to BloggingBistro.com.”

website is lowercase, one word.

Internet, however, is capitalized.

Email no longer uses a hyphen.

The post ‘The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage’ Updates Online-Related Terms first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> The New York Times has updated its Manual of Style and Usage.

Here are several changes they’ve made to online-related terms:



World Wide Web is now known as the web with a lowercase w. (Have you noticed that very few advertisements include “www” in front of a web address? Most of us know that the “www” is a given; when referring people to our websites, we just say, “Go to BloggingBistro.com.”

website is lowercase, one word.

Internet, however, is capitalized.

email no longer uses a hyphen, nor is the e capitalized.

But e-book and e-commerce retain their hyphens. (Seems kind of random, doesn’t it?)

The New York Times does not allow their writers and editors to use friend and Google as verbs, as in:

“Let me Google that” or “I am friending you on Facebook.”

However, they are allowed to use those terms as verbs “in light contexts or direct quotations, or for special effect.”

My favorite: They’ve added a new entry that clarifies that a blog is NOT a post (or article) on a blog.

A blog is the publication onto which you publish a post, just as a newspaper is the publication in which an article is published. (That’s one of my pet peeves; I’m so glad they’ve clarified the correct usage for the masses!)

Question: If you could suggest a change to The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage, what would you propose?

The post ‘The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage’ Updates Online-Related Terms first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/the-new-york-times-manual-of-style-and-usage-updates-online-related-terms/feed/ 11 https://bloggingbistro.com/why-spray-and-pray-marketing-does-not-work-writing-for-the-soul-conference-2014/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-spray-and-pray-marketing-does-not-work-writing-for-the-soul-conference-2014 https://bloggingbistro.com/why-spray-and-pray-marketing-does-not-work-writing-for-the-soul-conference-2014/#comments Mon, 15 Jul 2013 13:00:46 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=14076 When authors ask me to help them with their online marketing, they usually open with:

“My agent told me I need a Facebook ‘fan’ page, so I had my son create one for me. But I haven’t posted anything to it. I don’t even know how to use it. Help!”

Most writers struggle to balance the demands of writing and marketing our writing. Unsure about how to woo readers, we use the ‘spray and pray’ marketing method: we create a blog and multiple social media accounts, spray out random updates and pray someone pays attention.

The post Why the ‘Spray and Pray’ Marketing Method Doesn’t Work first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> By Laura Christianson

When authors ask me to help them with their online marketing, they usually open with:

“My agent told me I need a Facebook ‘fan’ page, so I had my son create one for me. But I haven’t posted anything to it. I don’t even know how to use it. Help!”

Most writers struggle to balance the demands of writing and marketing our writing. Unsure about how to woo readers, we use the ‘spray and pray’ marketing method: we create a blog and multiple social media accounts, spray out random updates and pray someone pays attention.

‘Spray and pray’ doesn’t work.

I hereby grant you permission to ignore people who insist that you “have to be on Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / LinkedIn / Google+ / YouTube .” Instead, choose one network you feel most drawn to.

Then ask yourself these questions:

1. What do I hope to get out of joining this network?
2. Who is my ideal target reader, and does my reader hang out at this network?
3. What will be the focus of my message (How will I HELP people who visit my page)?
4. How can I create updates that invite two-way conversation?
5. How often will I publish fresh content?
6. What is my “time budget” for building relationships on this network?

Rather than joining six networks and using all of them haphazardly, use one network consistently and strategically. You’ll be happier, and you’ll reap a much better return on your time investment.

Want to learn more?

We’ll thoroughly investigate this topic during the six workshops I’ll teach at the 2014 Writing for the Soul conference, held February 13-16, 2014 at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, CO.

The Broadmoor is a historic Five-Star, Five-Diamond resort located on 3,000 lush acres under the shadow of Cheyenne Mountain.

Writing for the Soul is a high-level conference geared for people who are writing books. I’m looking forward to teaching the following workshops:

• How to Market Your Writing Online Without Annoying Your Readers
  • Session 1: The Art of Thinking Backwards
  • Session 2: Planning Your Work and Working Your Plan
• Conquering the Facebook Monster
  • Session 1: Tricks to Keep your Facebook Brand Page Interesting
  • Session 2: Making ‘Cents’ of Facebook Advertising
• Capture and Convert: How to find fans online and turn them into avid brand evangelists (1-hour workshop on how to build your e-mail list)
  
• How Pinteresting! Fun Ways to Promote Your Writing on Pinterest (1-hour workshop)

I’ll also facilitate three 15-minute sessions on “How to spot an unethical website designer.”

The teaching faculty includes:

• James Scott Bell (fiction and keynoter)
• Laura Christianson (promotion & marketing)
• Brandilyn Collins (fiction)
• Dennis E. Hensley (nonfiction, craft & career)
• Bob Hostetler (nonfiction, craft & career)
• Angela Hunt (fiction)
• Julie-Allyson Ieron (nonfiction, craft & career, promotion & marketing)
• Randy Ingermanson (fiction, promotion & marketing)
• Julie Neils (promotion & marketing)
• Karen O’Connor (nonfiction, craft & career)
• Andy Scheer (craft & career)
• Dave Sheets (promotion & marketing)
• McNair Wilson (promotion & marketing

The conference includes four professional tracks: Fiction (19 classes); Non-fiction (12 classes); Craft & Career (18 classes); and Promotion/Marketing (23 classes). Consider joining us to supercharge your writing career!

Register online for Writing for the Soul (hosted by the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild) or call toll free at 866.495.5177.

The post Why the ‘Spray and Pray’ Marketing Method Doesn’t Work first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/why-spray-and-pray-marketing-does-not-work-writing-for-the-soul-conference-2014/feed/ 8 https://bloggingbistro.com/two-step-method-for-managing-social-networking-time/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=two-step-method-for-managing-social-networking-time https://bloggingbistro.com/two-step-method-for-managing-social-networking-time/#comments Mon, 13 May 2013 13:00:22 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5297 Finding time to "do" social networking -- and managing that time effectively -- is the single biggest bugaboo most of us face.

In this article, I'll show you an easy method to track the time you spend doing regular daily tasks. And you'll get tips for social media time management.

The post A Two-Step Method for Managing Social Networking Time first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Time.

It’s a killer, isn’t it?

Finding time to “do” social networking — and managing that time effectively — is the single biggest bugaboo most of us face.

Before you practice managing your time, you must be aware of how much time per day/week you spend social networking.

Step 1: Track Your Time

You have more free time in your week than you think, says Laura Vanderkam, author of the book, 168 Hours.

Her premise is that there are 168 hours in a week. On her website, she provides a free Time Management Spreadsheet (Excel and PDF versions) so you can record what you’re doing every hour of the day for a full week. Vanderkam writes:

“Think of yourself as an attorney billing your time to different projects.”

After you’ve recorded 168 hours, Vanderkam recommends breaking your activities into categories. How much time did you spend doing the following:

• working
• commuting
• interacting with your family
• sleeping
• exercising
• personal care (showering, shaving)
• housework or household administration
• watching TV
• reading
• checking your Facebook account

Then ask yourself:

Do these numbers reflect the number of hours I’d like to “bill” to these projects?

Step 2: Practice Managing Your Time

Do some hard thinking about how you want to prioritize social networking time.

• Do you want to bookend your day, checking and updating your social networks for 15 minutes at the beginning of your day and another 15 minutes at the end?
• Do you want to devote a specific chunk of your day to social networking  — say, from 10-11 a.m.?
• Do you want to spend 5 minutes, four times per day, checking updates and interacting with your followers?

Choose one method and test it for three weeks. I know you’ll feel tempted to cheat, so here’s the critical part:

Set a timer.

If you plan to spend a 15-minute chunk of time social networking, set a timer for 15 minutes. When it dings. you’re done. Period. No excuses.

You can set the alarm or countdown timer on your cell phone or use a kitchen timer or a web-based egg timer, but it has to be something that dings, bleeps, honks, or otherwise makes an unusual noise to alert you that time’s up.

Here are two web-based timers I use and recommend (they’re free, of course):

E.ggTimer: http://e.ggtimer.com



Setting this timer is about as easy as it gets. Just type in the number of hours/minutes/seconds, click “Go,” and the timer begins counting down. When it reaches zero, it makes a high-pitched, irritating beep-beep, beep-beep that sounds like a hospital heart monitor. Impossible to ignore.

This eg.gtimer also comes with creative some built-in default settings:

• Morning warm up (running in place, stretching)
• Brushing your teeth
• And, of course, cooking an egg!

Online-Stopwatch: http://www.online-stopwatch.com



I love the countdown timer. There are many options to choose from; my favorite is the Custom Countdown, which I programmed to play a round of applause when my networking time is up. After all, we deserve someone to cheer us on for a job well done.

You can also make it play an air raid siren, rocket launch, explosions… even laughter (if you feel the need to mock yourself).

Join the conversation!

What’s your best tip for managing your social networking time?

The post A Two-Step Method for Managing Social Networking Time first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/two-step-method-for-managing-social-networking-time/feed/ 6 https://bloggingbistro.com/8-tips-to-writing-great-content-for-your-readers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=8-tips-to-writing-great-content-for-your-readers https://bloggingbistro.com/8-tips-to-writing-great-content-for-your-readers/#comments Wed, 08 May 2013 13:00:44 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=13765 By Matt Boyd
Guest Contributor

I’m not your typical writer. I’ve never been classically trained in language arts so needless to say, writing has not always been (and still isn’t) second nature to me. There’s a constant balance of writing well and creating content people will enjoy. Finding that balance is often difficult.

Recently, I’ve immersed myself in a whirlwind of blog articles with the sole purpose of studying successful writing styles. It’s always interesting to see which posts are successful by reading how users respond in the comments. Over my time as a studier of blog articles, I’ve learned some simple tips that have helped me create content people respond to and enjoy.

The post 8 Tips to Writing Great Content for Your Readers first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> By Matt Boyd
Guest Contributor

I’m not your typical writer. I’ve never been classically trained in language arts so needless to say, writing has not always been (and still isn’t) second nature to me. There’s a constant balance of writing well and creating content people will enjoy. Finding that balance is often difficult.

Recently, I’ve immersed myself in a whirlwind of blog articles with the sole purpose of studying successful writing styles. It’s always interesting to see which posts are successful by reading how users respond in the comments. Over my time as a studier of blog articles, I’ve learned some simple tips that have helped me create content people respond to and enjoy.

“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do things worth writing.” -Benjamin Franklin

Here’s a simple list of tips that will help you capture the imagination and intrigue of your audience.

1. Choose Your Title Wisely

I’ve heard it said that a blog post’s title is 90% of the battle and I’ve always found that to be true. The fact is, people skim quickly so their attention must be grabbed before they find other articles to read. Gaining attention by title recognition is a numbers game so if you’re not choosing your title wisely, you’re going to lose that game.

A good rule to follow is the 40/60 rule. Spending 40% of your total time on the title and the other 60% on content is a great way to create a solid title that naturally grabs the reader’s attention.

2. Create a Framework and Stick to It

As writers, we’re constantly struggling to get our thoughts across in the most efficient way that’s easily understood by our audience. I recommend developing a framework for your articles and sticking to it. This can be done by writing each point you’re going to make and developing a consistent flow of ideas before the content is ever written. I do this in every article and it always helps me stay moving in the right direction. It can be something as simple as:

Intro

Quote

1. Why red is better than blue.

2. The argument for red.

3. There’s always purple.

Conclusion

Creating a simple framework keeps you on point with your ideas so you don’t become too ambitious by drifting away and thus, alienating your readers.

3. Tell a Story

People like stories. They relate to them. They live them. The quickest way to capture someone’s imagination is by telling them a story. The best writers in the world are the ones that master storytelling and use it to their advantage. Being as descriptive as possible will naturally paint a picture of the world you’re describing.

When writing blog articles, this technique can be extremely powerful and ultimately, drive the reader to the next sentence. Using stories as an aid in getting your point across is a common thread in successful blog writing.

4. Find Your Whisper

When I write, I constantly vocalize the words in my whispering voice. This is a useful tactic in finding your personal writing style. When writing blog articles, it’s important to write the way you speak, as if you’re teaching a class.

Speaking the articles back to yourself is a powerful way to understand how the reader will perceive your sentences. Getting the statement out of your head and into the air will help you see and fix the errors more quickly.

5. Make the Content Visually Simple to Digest

Breaking up your content into short statements or simple lists is a great way to create visual hierarchy and give readers the opportunity to understand what you’re saying in the most simple way. Nobody wants to read 900 words without stopping. Giving the user some time for a mental break ensures they’ll stay with you for the long haul.

6. Avoid Lofty Language

Stick to the point and don’t use language that makes you sound intelligent. If your language is too technical for the average reader, they’ll become easily bored and consider your content dull and mundane.

7. Be a Reader

It’s important to be a reader before you ever consider writing. I firmly believe that studying other writers is a great way to gain effective knowledge and master your craft. I think this concept goes deeper than writing and can apply to anything in life. If I’m a drummer (which I am), then I study drummers. You get the picture.

8. Say Something Worth Saying

When blogging or writing anything, it’s important to add value and give the reader something they can chew on for a while. The worst thing ever is investing time in reading a blog post, only to find that you didn’t gain anything of substance. If you’re writing, make sure it’s something that you would personally find interesting and valuable. If you can achieve that, then you have to believe someone else will find it valuable too.

I recommend writing on a subject you’re passionate about. If you are passionate, people will see it and your enthusiasm will rub off on them.

Conclusion

There are always ways to grow as a writer. It’s important to conduct a self-evaluation once in a while and test if your skill is growing. By following the above steps and expanding past them, you’ll naturally improve your writing ability and provide content that people enjoy and find useful.

Whatever you do, just don’t stop writing.

Matt Boyd is co-founder of Sqwiggle, an app designed to make remote working a more collaborative experience.

The post 8 Tips to Writing Great Content for Your Readers first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/8-tips-to-writing-great-content-for-your-readers/feed/ 6 https://bloggingbistro.com/three-powerful-storytelling-methods-to-improve-your-writing-or-speaking/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=three-powerful-storytelling-methods-to-improve-your-writing-or-speaking https://bloggingbistro.com/three-powerful-storytelling-methods-to-improve-your-writing-or-speaking/#comments Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:00:30 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=13642 By Dennis Brooke
Guest Contributor

I was shocked to read about an archeological expedition that made an amazing discovery in a cave near the Sea of Galilee. They claimed to have uncovered evidence that Jesus had used charts written on large sheets of papyrus with elaborately colored pie charts. On these first-century graphics his disciples illustrated such concepts such as the relative importance of God’s love versus obeying the law.

Of course, I’m kidding. Jesus knew that the way to reach the hearts of those he created in his image was through stories. Even if his apostles had hauled around papyrus flip charts with bullet points and graphics they didn’t survive—but the teachings of Christ have lived on through memorable stories.

The post Three Powerful Storytelling Methods to Improve Your Writing or Speaking first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]>

Dennis Brooke

Dear Readers: When I spotted this article by my friend, Dennis Brooke, in the latest issue of the Northwest Christian Author newsletter, I immediately asked him if I could reprint it on my blog. Whether you’re an author, blogger, or public speaker, I know Dennis’s tips will inspire and entertain.

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By Dennis Brooke
Guest Contributor

I was shocked to read about an archeological expedition that made an amazing discovery in a cave near the Sea of Galilee. They claimed to have uncovered evidence that Jesus had used charts written on large sheets of papyrus with elaborately colored pie charts. On these first-century graphics his disciples illustrated such concepts such as the relative importance of God’s love versus obeying the law.

Of course, I’m kidding. Jesus knew that the way to reach the hearts of those he created in his image was through stories.

Even if his apostles had hauled around papyrus flip charts with bullet points and graphics they didn’t survive—but the teachings of Christ have lived on through memorable stories.

We can learn from the creator of the universe and focus on the use of stories to influence our world.

In the book Influencer: The Power to Change Anything by Kerry Patterson et al, the authors cite a study in which three different groups of MBA students were exposed to business information. One group was given a verbal description with facts and figures, a second the same information via tables and charts. The third group of students learned through the story of an Italian winemaker. When tested, which group understood and retained the information the best?

Those who heard the story of the winemaker.

If you’re interested in influencing audiences through your writing and speaking I have three suggestions on how to build stories that will catch the attention of listeners and be memorable.

Storytelling Method #1:

Turn the Facts into Suspense

Newspapers use the pyramid method to tell a story by starting with the most important facts and then providing details. Turn this method on its head by opening with an attention-getting hook—but withhold key facts.

Then build up to the core of the story with a skillful narrative; much like a television detective show walks the audience through details to finally find out “whodunit.”

One of my favorite stories to grab the attention of an audience is about how my barber had a “creepy” customer who always made her nervous. It’s not until the end of the narrative that I reveal her customer wasn’t just creepy, but he was Gary Ridgeway—better known as the Green River Killer.

The late Paul Harvey was the master of this method. He would often tell a biographical tale that walked the listener through the details and struggles of a celebrity’s life. It wasn’t until the end that he revealed the subject of the radio cast, and we learned The Rest of the Story.

Exercise:

Take a standard news story or personal experience, and turn it from “just the facts” into a story of suspense.

Storytelling Method #2:

Transformed through Crisis

An epic tale usually involves a hero who endures a personal crisis and is transformed into a better person. An example from the Bible is when the prophet Nathan confronted King David over his adultery with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of her honorable husband, Uriah the Hittite.

In modern history, think of both King George VI and his therapist in the academy award-winning movie, The King’s Speech. You may not have time to weave a full-length epic tale, but you can tell a story about how you or someone was transformed in a manner that relates to the audience.

When I’m trying to teach people how to be responsible when they drink, I tell a story of a night in Germany as a young Air Force captain when I imbibed too much—way too much.

The following day, my wife asked me in a loving manner, “Do you want people to remember you that way?”

It changed my habits permanently. The story is also a great lesson of love and communications.

Exercise:

Think of a crisis you endured and how it changed you for the better.

Storytelling Method #3:

Personalize a Joke or Tall Tale

An audience usually decides in the first thirty seconds whether or not they like you. An engaging joke or tall tale can help get them on your side.

One of my favorite methods is to adapt a story by telling it as if it really happened to someone I know, or even better, to a friend in the audience whom you’ve enlisted beforehand.

I was once the dinner speaker for a professional association that had the misfortune of having their speaker for the prior month completely miss his appearance. The exhausted keynote speaker slept through his hotel-room alarm after a long day of teaching.

I used this to my advantage the next month by telling a tale of how the program coordinator for the association had taken my dog hostage to make sure that I would show up on time and deliver a great talk. The audience was on my side from the beginning, and some even made pleas to free my aged canine—who had been safely home the whole time.

Exercise:

Find or write jokes or tall tales, and personalize them so they’re about you or your friends. Be sure that you’re the butt of a joke so you’re not picking on a friend in public.

Bonus!

If you’d like to see some specific examples of these methods in action visit my website at www.dennisbrooke.com and look for these true—or almost true—items on the STORIES page:

• Suspense: “The Barber and the Creepy Customer” and “Against the Odds”
• Transformed through Crisis: “Right Words, Right Time” and “The Forgotten Sailors”
• Personalize a Joke or a Tall Tale: “Enterprise 2.0 and the Hostage Dog” and “The St. Patrick’s Day Brewery Tragedy”

Further Reading



Here are two excellent books on the power of stories to make a difference in the world:

Influencer: The Power to Change Anything by Kerry Patterson et al (McGraw-Hill, 2007)

Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
by Chip and Dan Heath (Crown Business, 2010).

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Dennis Brooke will be teaching a workshop on Three Methods for Powerful Storytelling at the Northwest Christian Writers Renewal Conference May 17-18 at Overlake Christian Church in Redmond, WA. He currently serves as president of the Northwest Christian Writers Association. He speaks to community, business, and faith-based groups and tells stories at www.dennisbrooke.com.

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This article was originally published in Northwest Christian Author (May/June 2013), the newsletter of the Northwest Christian Writers Association. Reprinted with permission from the author.

The post Three Powerful Storytelling Methods to Improve Your Writing or Speaking first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/three-powerful-storytelling-methods-to-improve-your-writing-or-speaking/feed/ 2 https://bloggingbistro.com/fly-you-fools-hobbit-fans-will-get-a-kick-out-of-this-unexpected-briefing-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fly-you-fools-hobbit-fans-will-get-a-kick-out-of-this-unexpected-briefing-video https://bloggingbistro.com/fly-you-fools-hobbit-fans-will-get-a-kick-out-of-this-unexpected-briefing-video/#comments Fri, 14 Dec 2012 14:00:00 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=12494 If you’ve ever slumped in your airplane seat, half listening to the flight attendant explain how to buckle your seatbelt, you’re going to appreciate this video.

Air New Zealand partnered with WETA Workshop to create a hobbit-themed safety video. It contains all the typical safety warnings, but is done in such a creative manner that you can’t help but watch it. All of it.

The post ‘Fly, You Fools!’ Hobbit Fans Will Get a Kick out of this Unexpected Briefing [Video] first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> If you’ve ever slumped in your airplane seat, half listening to the flight attendant explain how to buckle your seatbelt, you’re going to appreciate this video.

Air New Zealand partnered with WETA Workshop to create a hobbit-themed safety video. It contains all the typical safety warnings, but is done in such a creative manner that you can’t help but watch it. All of it.

Well done, my Preciousss!

What was your favorite part of the video? Leave a comment.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, opens in a theater near you TODAY, December 14, 2012.

The post ‘Fly, You Fools!’ Hobbit Fans Will Get a Kick out of this Unexpected Briefing [Video] first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/fly-you-fools-hobbit-fans-will-get-a-kick-out-of-this-unexpected-briefing-video/feed/ 8 https://bloggingbistro.com/in-memory-of-barbara-curtis-and-ethel-herr/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=in-memory-of-barbara-curtis-and-ethel-herr https://bloggingbistro.com/in-memory-of-barbara-curtis-and-ethel-herr/#comments Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:52:50 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=12474 There are days when the world should stop spinning on its axis. Today is one of those days for me.

I learned that two writing colleagues and friends – Ethel Herr and Barbara Curtis – passed away Tuesday, October 30. Ethel succumbed to a long battle with cancer, and Barbara is thought to have had a stroke. Both women played a significant encouraging role in my life, and I want to pause and honor them today.

The post In Memory of Barbara Curtis and Ethel Herr first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> There are days when the world should stop spinning on its axis. Today is one of those days for me.

I learned that two writing colleagues and friends – Ethel Herr and Barbara Curtis – passed away Tuesday, October 30. Ethel succumbed to a long battle with cancer, and Barbara is thought to have had a stroke. Both women played a significant encouraging role in my life, and I want to pause and honor them today.

Barbara Curtis



Barbara and I met in 2005ish, and as adoptive moms do, we instantly bonded as we shared our adoption stories. At that point in my career, I was itching to write a book that would help prepare people for adoptive parenting, and Barbara said she’d review the manuscript and consider endorsing it.

In the mid-2000s, blogging was a fairly new thing, but both Barbara and I were avid bloggers. She authored a popular blog called Mommy Life, and we traded tips about how to grow our audiences and serve as a helpful voice in our respective communities.

In 2007, when I was teaching a blogging workshop at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference in California, Barbara sat in the back of the auditorium where I was teaching. Afterwards, she came up to me and stated, “That was good.” Her simple words of praise made my spirit soar.

As Barbara and I got to know one another, she shared her life story with me. I was so captivated that I asked her if I could pitch her story to the magazines I wrote for. Two magazines published slightly different versions of Barbara’s life story: Marriage Partnership and Today’s Christian. (Both stories are still online; you can read them by clicking the magazine links above.)

Barbara did endorse my book, The Adoption Decision: 15 Things You Want to Know Before Adopting,  and we emailed each other periodically. The qualities I loved most about Barbara were her no-nonsense attitude, her love for her family, and her willingness to share her very colorful life story, warts and all.

When I called Barbara and her husband, Tripp, to do a followup interview for one of the features I was writing about them, I kept asking, “Are you sure you’re comfortable with seeing this information in print?”

They both repeatedly assured me, “Our lives are an open book.”

Barbara and Tripp’s radically-transformed lives will continue to serve as an inspiration for many, including me.

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Ethel Herr



Classmates from the Mount Hermon 2010 Internet Marketing course. Ethel is in the back row, far right, with her arm around me.

Ethel Herr and I met several years ago at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference.  Ethel had the reputation of being the “matriarch” of Mount Hermon; she was one of the original attendees at the first conference 44 years ago, and she has served on the faculty of nearly every conference since then.

At the 2010 conference, Ethel and I spent several hours together discussing ways she could market a book project she was working on. Although Ethel had approached me for advice, I somehow felt as if I was the one doing the learning and growing during each of our conversations.

When Ethel informed me that she planned to attend my Major Morning Track (8-hour course) on internet marketing, I was more than a little intimidated. She said, “Don’t worry; I’ll probably just attend the first session.”

Ethel attended the first session. And the second session. And the third session. After the third session, I pulled her aside and said, “Ethel, you’re still here!”

She gave me that frank, steady gaze that’s so “Ethel” and said, “If your class wasn’t good, I wouldn’t have come back. But I’m planning to come to all the sessions.”

And she did. What a blessing Ethel was to everyone in our class. She often chimed in with quiet, thoughtful comments. More often than not, I felt as if I should just sit down and let Ethel lead the class! What a tremendous privilege it was to spend those hours in the presence of such a delightful woman.

---

Do you have a story about how either Barbara or Ethel has impacted your life? I hope you’ll share it.

The post In Memory of Barbara Curtis and Ethel Herr first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/in-memory-of-barbara-curtis-and-ethel-herr/feed/ 20 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-create-a-custom-subject-line-for-feedburner-e-mail-updates/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-create-a-custom-subject-line-for-feedburner-e-mail-updates https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-create-a-custom-subject-line-for-feedburner-e-mail-updates/#comments Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:00:14 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=2149 One of the best ways to build a loyal readership for your blog is to encourage visitors to subscribe via e-mail or RSS feed.

Many bloggers use Feedburner (owned by Google) to manage their blog's feed. By default, people who subscribe to Feedburner blog updates via e-mail will receive a generic e-mail whose Subject line reads something like: Blogging Bistro - Latest Updates.

But did you know you can customize the Subject Line so it displays the title of your latest blog post? This illustrated tutorial explains how to do it, in 6 simple steps.

The post How to Create a Custom Subject Line for Your Blog’s Feedburner E-Mail Updates first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> One of the best ways to build a loyal readership for your blog is to encourage visitors to subscribe via e-mail or RSS feed.

Many bloggers use Feedburner (owned by Google) to manage their blog’s feed. By default, people who subscribe to Feedburner blog updates via e-mail will receive a generic e-mail whose Subject line reads something like:

Blogging Bistro – Latest Updates

But did you know you can customize the Subject Line so it displays the title of your latest blog post? The Subject Line for the article you’re reading would display like this:

Blogging Bistro: How to Create a Custom Subject Line for Feedburner E-Mail Updates


Most people scan their Subject lines before opening an e-mail; a dynamic Subject line will entice more readers to open it than the bland, “Blogging Bistro – Latest Posts” subject line.

How to tweak your Feedburner settings and create dynamic Subject lines:

1. Log in to your Feedburner account.
2. Click “My Feeds” and then click the name of the feed you want to update.
3. Click the “Publicize” tab.
4. In the lefthand sidebar, click “Email Subscriptions.”
5. That’ll open a sub-menu. Still in the left sidebar, click “Email Branding.”
6. Copy the following line of code and paste it in the form that says, “Email Subject/Title”:

${latestItemTitle}



If you update your blog more than once a day, click the box that says, “Change Subject when an email has 2 or more items” and paste in the following code:

“${latestItemTitle}” plus ${m} moreThe post How to Create a Custom Subject Line for Your Blog’s Feedburner E-Mail Updates first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-create-a-custom-subject-line-for-feedburner-e-mail-updates/feed/ 28 https://bloggingbistro.com/5-surprising-tax-deductions-for-bloggers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-surprising-tax-deductions-for-bloggers https://bloggingbistro.com/5-surprising-tax-deductions-for-bloggers/#comments Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:00:22 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=11936 This is a guest post by Evan Fischer. If you would like to submit a guest article, please check out our guest post guidelines.

Working bloggers tend to fall into one of just a few categories.

• There are those who started a blog for fun as a way to explore and share their passion for a topic, only to discover that blogs can be monetized (a proposition which quickly led them to download AdSense and start the money-making process).
• And there are bloggers that started as writers and ended up getting hired on by a company to pen their on-site blog.
• Finally, there are freelance writers who peddle their wares to a variety of blogs, writing on a diverse array of topics.
The post 5 Surprising Tax Deductions for Bloggers first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Working bloggers tend to fall into one of just a few categories.
• There are those who started a blog for fun as a way to explore and share their passion for a topic, only to discover that blogs can be monetized (a proposition which quickly led them to download AdSense and start the money-making process).
• And there are bloggers that started as writers and ended up getting hired on by a company to pen their on-site blog.
• Finally, there are freelance writers who peddle their wares to a variety of blogs, writing on a diverse array of topics.

Regardless of what type of blogger you happen to be, chances are pretty good that you work from home and you are self-employed. You can (and should) take advantage of the many write-offs allowed to those that must foot the entire bill for their taxes. And here are a few surprise deductions that could help you out.

1. Internet.

Okay, so you probably already know that you can deduct the monthly cost of your internet service, along with any software, computer equipment, and other electronics you purchase (smartphone, tablet, etc.) for your business.

What you may not be aware of is that you may also write off any fees associated with web design, web hosting, domain registration, SEO, and so on. Anything you spend in the interest of keeping your blog operating in the online arena has the potential to be used as a write off.

2. Advertising.

Nearly anything you do to advertise your business may be deductible, and there’s a lot more to it than just joining a paid ad-share. Suppose you hire an artist to design a logo, you purchase products for promotions or giveaways on your blog, or you decide to create a viral video campaign. All of these qualify as advertising promotional tools and so they may be written off.

3. Travel.

Most business-related travel expenses can be deductible. This includes not only your airfare, hotel, and transportation while you’re away, but also your meals, the cost of entertaining clients, and any fees you pay for conferences related to your business.

Just be careful not to overreach with personal expenses. For example, you can’t write off the cost of kenneling your dog during travel as it is not considered a business expense.

4. Professional memberships.

While most bloggers already know that they can write off fees they pay to participate in professional forums and other business associations, you might not know that signing up for publications (real-world or online) and purchasing books, tutorials, or other learning materials related to your business could also qualify for deduction.

5. Accountants and lawyers.

You may be tempted to save some money by doing your own taxes, but a qualified tax professional who has experience with your job type can tell you about all kinds of write-offs you might not otherwise know about. And you can deduct the cost of filing this year’s taxes on next year’s return!

So you could actually save more by hiring a tax specialist. And when it comes to contract creation, tax resolution, or even legal advice for your business, you may be able to deduct those expenses, as well. So don’t hesitate to go pro when you have the need.

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Evan Fischer is a contributing writer for Professional Tax Resolution where you can learn about tax deductions, IRS tax settlements, and a variety of other tax related topics.

The post 5 Surprising Tax Deductions for Bloggers first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/5-surprising-tax-deductions-for-bloggers/feed/ 12 https://bloggingbistro.com/consolidate-multiple-websites-for-better-search-engine-ranking/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=consolidate-multiple-websites-for-better-search-engine-ranking https://bloggingbistro.com/consolidate-multiple-websites-for-better-search-engine-ranking/#comments Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:00:44 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=11911 This is a guest post by Matt Morgan. If you would like to submit a guest article, please check out our guest post guidelines.

We Aren’t Getting Enough Website Traffic. Let’s Build a New Site

Too often do I hear business owners jump to conclusions when they find that their current website is not generating the traffic that they’d expected. It is a common myth that you need to start over and build a new website to get to the top of the search engines in order to drive traffic to your offerings.

The post Consolidate Multiple Websites For Better Search Engine Ranking first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> We Aren’t Getting Enough Website Traffic. Let’s Build a New Site!

Too often do I hear business owners jump to conclusions when they find that their current website is not generating the traffic that they’d expected. It is a common myth that you need to start over and build a new website to get to the top of the search engines in order to drive traffic to your offerings.

What Happens When You Start Over?

Consider the following when you think about ditching your current domain name and starting over. While it may be true that your current website is not performing well, it has built somewhat of an online presence, at least in the search engine index. You’ve secured a nice domain name, built a decent website and given it a shot. Businesses and websites should grow, expand, and increase quality over time. It’s only natural.

Below is a short list of things that you will lose when you start from scratch:

• Your current index in the search engines
• All links that point to your domain name
• Your Page Rank authority
• Your domain name age

Search Engine Index

Although your website may not be performing well in the search engines, it is likely that you have numerous pages in the search index. This means that Google, Bing, Yahoo, and hundreds of other search engines have sent their crawlers out to scan and add your web pages to their database index. This is good. This merely means that the pages that have been indexed are simply under-optimized. Web development optimization includes proper coding, targeted key phrases, usability, design, meta-data, and a bunch of extra techie stuff that makes up a quality web page.

Website Back Link Profile

What is a back link profile? The top search engines want to see other quality websites link back to your website. Consider a link to your website a “vote.” The more votes you have, the more search engine authority your website has.

Back links are reported and measured by domain name. The search engines weigh backlinks by the referring website’s page rank (PR). The higher the PR, the more weight that link to your site has. The page rank scale is from 0-10. Good backlinks are from sites with PR3 or higher. Also note, 10 backlinks from PR6 websites are better than 100 backlinks from PR2 websites (quality over quantity).

Domain Name Age

Really? The age of my domain name is a ranking factor?

Yes. A domain name that was registered years ago shows the search engines that you’ve been around a while and are serious about sticking around. The major search engines are leery about promoting brand new domain names, as they are often up in smoke within a year. Equate it to investing your money in a company that was established this year. It is only logical to reduce your risk by investing in a company that has a long history of success and won’t fold anytime soon.

Spreading Yourself Thin

Business owners who try to build multiple websites to brand their marketing site, blog, newsroom, client application, etc. on multiple domain names are paving a long road to search engine success. This means that you have to build up your domain authority for each site. Ugh. That’s a lot of work.

I recommend choosing a domain name that represents your company as a whole and structuring your website to support multiple areas of information and/or products and services. This way, each time you write a blog article, submit a press release, or obtain a new back link, the page rank of the entire site moves up.

Web Development Optimization

If you have learned anything from my article, you are now considering consolidating all of your web properties under one domain name. But we weren’t ranking well in the search engines when we only had one site.

Correct. Website owners should focus on quality content, website usability, and ensure that their website is free of technical errors.

You might have heard of on-page optimization or technical optimization. This is where your web designer or SEO company will take a look at Google Webmaster Tools and fix any reported errors as well as address multiple on-page factors.

Below is a list of web development optimization areas to focus on:

• Website structure and usability
• Quality content
• Page speed or load time
• Google & Bing webmaster tools verification
• Specify preferred domain name (www version or non-www)
• Configure search engine friendly (SEF) URLs
• Optimized Page Title tags
• Custom meta description and keyword tags
• Optimized H1 & H2 heading tags
• Optimized image ALT tags
• Optimized link Title tags
• Content optimization (length & keyword density)
• HTML & XML Sitemaps
• XML Sitemap submission
• Optimized robots.txt
• Optimized .htaccess
• Google authorship
• Schema.org rich snippets
• hCard

I’d like to learn about your current website structure.

• Do you have multiple websites?
• Do certain sections of your website lack quality content or contain errors that might be affecting your rankings?

Comments are encouraged, I will respond to each one as quickly as I can.

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Matt Morgan is the owner and founder of Optimize Worldwide based in Redding, California. He has a strong background in online marketing and has recently put together a team of industry experts who are passionate about search engine marketing. Optimize Worldwide helps local & nationwide companies rank at the top of Google, Bing & Yahoo! Offline Matt enjoys riding motorcycles, taking advantage of the surrounding recreation, and gardening with his wife.

Photo credit: mantasmagorical from morguefile.com

The post Consolidate Multiple Websites For Better Search Engine Ranking first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/consolidate-multiple-websites-for-better-search-engine-ranking/feed/ 7 https://bloggingbistro.com/what-do-you-think-of-when/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-do-you-think-of-when https://bloggingbistro.com/what-do-you-think-of-when/#comments Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:00:58 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=11886 A client and I are fleshing out a new brand and we'd love your input.

When you hear the phrase, Grateful Table, what thoughts, images, and/or colors immediately come to mind?

Please post a comment or email your impressions to laura@bloggingbistro.com. Thanks!

The post What Do You Think of When… first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> A client and I are fleshing out a new brand and we’d love your input.

When you hear the phrase, Grateful Table, what thoughts, images, and/or colors immediately come to mind?

Please post a comment or email your impressions to laura@bloggingbistro.com. Thanks!

The post What Do You Think of When… first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/what-do-you-think-of-when/feed/ 26 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-many-seconds-do-you-have-to-catch-a-prospects-attention-infographic/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-many-seconds-do-you-have-to-catch-a-prospects-attention-infographic https://bloggingbistro.com/how-many-seconds-do-you-have-to-catch-a-prospects-attention-infographic/#respond Thu, 09 Aug 2012 13:00:19 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=11780
• 1 in 4 Americans abandon a web page that takes more than 4 seconds to load.
• 50% of mobile users abandon a page if it doesn't load in 10 seconds.
• 40% of mobile shoppers will abandon an e-commerce site if it doesn't load in 3 seconds.

If you've attended a workshop I've taught, you probably know the answer to this question:

How much time will a visitor to your website spend there before deciding to explore further or click away... forever?

Two seconds.

We truly are an impatient bunch, aren't we?

The post How Many Seconds Do You Have to Catch a Prospect’s Attention? [Infographic] first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]>
• 1 in 4 Americans abandon a web page that takes more than 4 seconds to load.
• 50% of mobile users abandon a page if it doesn’t load in 10 seconds.
• 40% of mobile shoppers will abandon an e-commerce site if it doesn’t load in 3 seconds.

If you’ve attended a workshop I’ve taught, you probably know the answer to this question:

How much time will a visitor to your website spend there before deciding to explore further or click away… forever?

Two seconds.

We truly are an impatient bunch, aren’t we?

Our culture of impatience can teach us critical lessons about marketing our products and services online:

1. First impressions count.
2. That first impression had better be a good one.

Still with me?

Congratulations! You made it past four seconds.

Perhaps your website design needs a bit of spicing up. The Blogging Bistro team can help. We specialize in creating custom-designed, custom-programmed WordPress websites for authors. Click here to learn about our process and pricing.

The post How Many Seconds Do You Have to Catch a Prospect’s Attention? [Infographic] first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-many-seconds-do-you-have-to-catch-a-prospects-attention-infographic/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/marketing-tips-from-hobos/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=marketing-tips-from-hobos https://bloggingbistro.com/marketing-tips-from-hobos/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:00:45 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=10773 “Hey Lady, can you spare a dollar? I need to feed my kids.” In my town, panhandlers have become fixtures. I’m not a huge fan of their blight to small business who spend precious time shooing them away. Regardless, whether you deem them a nuisance or not, it seems they’ve landed on some marketing genius through real […]
The post Panhandler Marketing: Six Things Hobos Get Very Right first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]>

“Hey Lady, can you spare a dollar? I need to feed my kids.”

In my town, panhandlers have become fixtures. I’m not a huge fan of their blight to small business who spend precious time shooing them away. Regardless, whether you deem them a nuisance or not, it seems they’ve landed on some marketing genius through real life marketing research.

Old fashioned marketing “best practices” still work and this schismatic group has proved these six low-tech marketing principles work:

1. Location, location, location.Successful panhandlers choose the busiest and most visible intersections. Talk about Marketing 101! Panhandlers often queue up at the most desirable intersections because they understand the value of a great location.
2. Look for opportunity. Panhandlers who target bank exits benefit from loose cash in either direction.  They choose intersections based on traffic flow and switch corners to gain the most exposure. How can we position ourselves to capture our clients at the moment they need us most?
3. Face time. Panhandlers do not hide behind social media. They have not forgotten that real, face time is always more effective than an electronic image. Do our customers really know who we are?
4. Message is everything. The more compelling your message, the more effective it will be.
5. Identify and solve a need. We need to identify our customer’s need and help them solve it. Panhandlers are aware that many of us are reluctant to end our day void of a good deed. They provide the solution.
6. Call to action. Panhandlers are not shy about closing the sale. They are specific about how they would like you to respond.
What do you think? Have your local panhandlers taught you anything about marketing?

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Carrie Schmeck works as a freelance marketing copywriter for businesses and a features writer for national and regional publications. She writes about small business marketing on her blog: Bizziwriter.com.

The post Panhandler Marketing: Six Things Hobos Get Very Right first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/marketing-tips-from-hobos/feed/ 4 https://bloggingbistro.com/9-critical-marketing-lessons-i-learned-from-the-kirby-vacuum-salesman/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=9-critical-marketing-lessons-i-learned-from-the-kirby-vacuum-salesman https://bloggingbistro.com/9-critical-marketing-lessons-i-learned-from-the-kirby-vacuum-salesman/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:00:16 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=10260 Picture this scenario: My workday opened with a two-hour meeting at the offices of one of my clients. On the way home, I swung by Costco to pick up some essentials (we have teenage sons, so milk, bread, and bananas are always in short supply). As I meandered through the pots and pans aisle on […]
The post 9 Critical Marketing Lessons I Learned from the Kirby Vacuum Salesman first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Picture this scenario:

My workday opened with a two-hour meeting at the offices of one of my clients. On the way home, I swung by Costco to pick up some essentials (we have teenage sons, so milk, bread, and bananas are always in short supply).

As I meandered through the pots and pans aisle on the way to “bagel row,” I signed on a new client (imagine me on my cell phone, parked in front of the acrylic “glassware,” madly scribbling notes onto my pocket memo pad).

When I arrived back at my home office, I noted four “must-do” things to accomplish before my day ended:

1. Synthesize notes from morning client meeting and send to the project team.
2. Prepare and send contract and invoice to new client.
3. Finalize curriculum for social media workshop I’m teaching in two days.
4. Accompany my son to a meeting at his school.

I had just finished answering the day’s e-mails and was diving into my notes when a loud rap sounded on my front door. A cute, overly-cheerful young woman greeted me. (My distracted brain struggled to process this anomaly in a millisecond – Jehovah’s Witness? Nope. College-aged window washer? Nope.

She flashed a brilliant smile and asked, “Do you have a dirty carpet in your home that needs cleaning? We’ll dry-foam shampoo an entire room in your home right now, for free.”

This caught my attention. Because teenage boys in the home = dirt on the carpet. Lots of dirt.

“Do you have carpeted stairs? We’ll shampoo your stairs,” she offered.

I eased back from the front door and gazed at my carpeted staircase. Dirty.

Then I thought about our downstairs “man cave.” The video game/TV room. Extremely dirty.

“You said you’ll shampoo any room? Like, say, a largish family room?”

“Yes,” she replied, with a big, almost-genuine smile.

“Will I have to sit through an hour-long sales pitch for a Kirby, because I don’t have time for that today.”

“Oh no,” she promised. “No sales pitch at all.”

That was my first mistake. Everything I had ever learned from attending numerous time-share presentations flew out of my brain and all I could think about was that grimy carpet in my basement. The carpet that would be magically transformed into a better version of itself – for free – and I wouldn’t have to shampoo it.

“You’re on,” I said.

Soon, a three-person team of Kirby-ites hurricaned through my home, lugging in what appeared to be a truckload of boxes. Holy cow! All this, just to shampoo our man cave carpet?

For the next three hours (count ‘em – THREE HOURS), my husband, our older son, and I watched, dazed, as the Kirby-ites vacuumed, pre-treated, re-vacuumed, and shampooed two square feet of our basement carpet (they did not shampoo the entire room, as promised). They did suck the dust out of our laptops and clean the ancient floor mats from our son’s car. They even vacuumed our sons’ sheets and mattresses, and showed us evidence of dust mites and other disgusting things that make their home in our beds. Eeeewww!

During the midst of this marathon demo, my husband and I tag-teamed. He picked our younger son up from wrestling practice and grabbed us fast-food burgers for dinner. I took our son to his meeting at school. When we returned home, the Kirby-ites were still there, vacuuming everything in sight.

My husband pulled me aside. “I told them we’re not going to buy a Kirby,” but they won’t leave,” he hissed.

When the three Kirby-ites (demo guy, trainee, and hard-sell manager) finally packed up and left at 8:10 p.m., our 15-year-old son surveyed our freshly shampooed square of carpet and commented, “Well, it looks clean. But not $3,000 cleaner than it was before.”

That’s right, folks. They were asking nearly $3,000 for a “50^th anniversary edition” Kirby with all the bells and whistles. Gulp.

The next morning, when I had finally recovered enough brain cells to think straight, I pondered the lessons I learned during this direct sales demonstration. Other than having a small area of clean carpet and dust mite-free mattresses, there had to be some meaningful takeaway lessons from my three hours with the Kirby-ites, right? 

Of course there are! Nine of them, in fact. You may wish to apply these lessons when selling your own products or services:

1.  Show up, in person

When I receive e-mail sales pitches, I read the Subject line and then hit the delete key.

When a telemarketer phones, I interrupt with a firm, “No thanks,” and hang up.

But when an energetic “girl next door” type knocks on my door and offers to clean a room of my house for free, it’s really, really hard to say “no.”

Takeaway: When you’re pitching your services or products, do so in person whenever possible. Face-to-face contact sells.

2.  Know your target market.

When Kirby-girl knocked on my door, she told me that their team was canvassing my middle-class neighborhood. “We’re shampooing Mary’s carpet across the street first, then we’re doing Frank’s down the block, and we need to do two more homes while we’re in your neighborhood today,” Kirby-girl informed me.

When she mentioned that Mary and Frank were in the process of getting their carpets shampooed, it subconsciously elevated my own trust level in the Kirby-ites.

The Kirby-ites are aware of the demographics of neighborhoods they target. They know whether the homes are owned or rented. They know the value of our homes and can make fairly accurate guesstimates as to our annual income. As such, they can predict that at least one of the homeowners on my block would fork out $3,000 for a vacuum cleaner.

Takeaway: Do your homework. Before you pitch your services or products, do extensive market research into who your ideal customer is.

3.  Connect with your customer.

Kirby demo guy asked us about our interests, hobbies, and activities. In return, he told us stories about his kids, hobbies, and activities. He did so as a natural part of the conversation, which helped us view him as a real person and elevated our trust in him.

Takeaway: Your customers are not statistics, but real people. Get to know them as individuals, and find ways to show them you care about them.

4.  Give away something valuable.

When the Kirby-ites knocked on my door, they promised they’d shampoo a room of my house. Since my carpet was in need of a shampoo, their incentive was of high value to me.

Takeaway: Think about a “loss leader” – a product or service you can give away without breaking the bank – something that will benefit your ideal customer in a tangible way.

5.  Keep your promises.

Unfortunately, the Kirby-ites did not fulfill their promise to shampoo our entire room; instead, they dinked around in the room’s entryway (granted, the entry was the dirtiest spot on the carpet) for three full hours. As a result, part of the carpet in our man cave looks great, and the rest looks… not so great.

Takeaway: People remember negative experiences 20 times more than they do positive ones, and they’re more likely to share negative experiences with others. Fulfill promises you make to potential customers, and you’ll likely earn their long-term loyalty.

6.  Let your product or service do the talking.

The Kirby demo guy asked us to get out our own vacuum cleaner. He poured a mountain of baking soda on our carpet and showed us how ineffective our vacuum is at, well – vacuuming.

He then vacuumed the same area with the Kirby, so we could see how effectively it slurped up every iota of dirt, dust, and hair. He made his point without uttering a word; he simply showed us swatches of black fabric he’d attached to the Kirby, loaded with gunk from our carpet.

He displayed at least 20 fabric swatches loaded with dirt from our carpet in conspicuous locations all over our family room floor. He then looked pointedly at said fabric swatches. And waited for us to get nervous and blurt out, “We must immediately stop paying our son’s college tuition and buy a Kirby instead!”

Takeaway: If you have a great product or service, and you truly believe in it, you won’t have to convince people to buy it. Let the quality of your product or the value of your service speak for itself.

7.  Make the sale.

Partway through the demonstration, Kirby guy handed us a laminated sheet that listed the prices and features for three Kirby systems.

He hauled our old vacuum cleaner outside and left it there, a psychological trick intended to make it easier for us to trade in that “piece of junk” for a spanking new Kirby.

Near the end of the demo, he broke out “the black binder” and walked us through the endless wondrous benefits of owning a Kirby.

At the end of the presentation, he called in the reinforcements – the slick manager guy whose job is to play “bad cop.” Manager guy asked us directly (several times) if we would buy the system. When we said “no,” he didn’t give up right away, but followed up with, “What if I could make you a dynamite deal?”

Takeaway: Many of us spend hours polishing our pitches. But when it comes time for the call-to-action, we get squeamish. Get over it. Don’t be afraid to ask, “Will you buy this? Will you buy it right now?”

8.  “No” means “no.”

When prospects do say no – or when they say “maybe, but not right now,” it’s ok to ask for clarification. But when they get that hostile glint in their eyes and start edging closer to the kitchen knife block, it’s time to pack up and leave.

The Kirby-ites packed their boxes as slowly as possible, deliberately cleaning, scrubbing, and polishing each component. They gently wrapped each tool in plastic bags and reverently placed each item into boxes.

Their goal was to show us how valuable this machine is, and what great care one must take of it. Their ever-so-slow packing procedure gave us plenty of time to ponder whether we’d made the correct decision in saying “no.”

They intentionally made us feel uncomfortable, hoping we’d get impatient and say, “What the heck. I’ll buy this thing, just to get you guys out of here faster!”

The “refuse-to-take-no-for-an-answer” that direct sales people use has always irritated me. I am polite to sales people because I respect the fact that they’re doing their job. But once I make a buying decision, I rarely change my mind.

Takeaway: When you’re selling your product or service, be aware of the body language of the person you’re selling to. Respect their “no” or their “maybe later,” and follow up with the prospect in a few days, after they’ve had a chance to cool off and think about their decision.

9.  Zip your fly.

Kirby demo guy was dressed appropriately for the job. He had on jeans, sturdy (but attractive) work shoes, and a dress shirt and tie. He was professional, well-spoken, and friendly (but not overly friendly). Only one problem. His fly was unzipped, and his tighty whities were on display in all their cottony glory.

Takeaway: Before doing a presentation, sales pitch, or any activity that involves meeting a prospect in person, check and double-check every aspect of your grooming and attire in front of a full length mirror. First impressions do count.

Two additional marketing lessons, updated April 12, 2016:

Readers: Today, I closed the comment thread for this post. Sadly, recent comments have degenerated into a flame war among Kirby distributors, owners, and non-owners.

That was NOT my intention when I wrote this article; the point was to share marketing lessons I learned during the Kirby demo in my home — lessons that any of us who sell products and services can benefit from.

Incidentally, my doorbell rang the other day and it was two young women, huffing and puffing because they had been “running down the block, doing demos for 4 neighbors.”

Word-for-word the same pitch they gave me four years ago. “We aren’t trying to sell you anything,” they gasped, in unison. “We’re just here to offer you a free demo.”

“Are you by any chance doing demos of Kirby vacuums?” I asked.

“Well, yes.”

“I’m not interested. Have a nice day.”

So, I’ll throw in two more lessons I learned:

1) Don’t lie to me and tell me you’re not trying to sell me anything when it’s obvious that selling me something is exactly why you rang my doorbell.

2) Change up your sales pitch every few years (preferably, more often than every few years). I’ve heard the breathless, “We’re in such a hurry… all your neighbors have asked for a demo” line every year for the last four years.

Been there. Done that.

 

The post 9 Critical Marketing Lessons I Learned from the Kirby Vacuum Salesman first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/9-critical-marketing-lessons-i-learned-from-the-kirby-vacuum-salesman/feed/ 78 https://bloggingbistro.com/the-truth-about-elevator-pitches-and-brand-messaging/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-truth-about-elevator-pitches-and-brand-messaging https://bloggingbistro.com/the-truth-about-elevator-pitches-and-brand-messaging/#respond Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:00:28 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=9847 How should you develop — and deliver your brand message? How can you prove to your boss that social media is, indeed, a wise investment? How do you plan an effective social media strategy– without overdoing it? The following four articles provide excellent ideas. Click the headline to access the full article. No one ever […]
The post The Truth About Elevator Pitches and Brand Messaging first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]>
• How should you develop — and deliver your brand message?
• How can you prove to your boss that social media is, indeed, a wise investment?
• How do you plan an effective social media strategy– without overdoing it?

The following four articles provide excellent ideas. Click the headline to access the full article.

No one ever bought anything in an elevator

The true meaning of “elevator pitch.” [Seth Godin]

How to Tell Your Business Story in 60 Seconds or Less

This short article provides an excellent method for quickly framing your “elevator pitch” or “brand message.” [Entrepreneur, by Carmine Gallo]

Dear Executive…

A brief letter to a corporate executive that addresses, “What’s the ROI” of social media marketing? [Jason Falls, Social Media Explorer]

The Dangers of Half-Assing Your Social Media Efforts

This article examines the pitfalls of doing TOO MUCH when planning your social media strategy. [Mitch O’Conner, DreamGrow]

Image: twobee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The post The Truth About Elevator Pitches and Brand Messaging first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/the-truth-about-elevator-pitches-and-brand-messaging/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/should-you-buy-xxx-domain-names-to-protect-yourself-and-more-social-media-news/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=should-you-buy-xxx-domain-names-to-protect-yourself-and-more-social-media-news https://bloggingbistro.com/should-you-buy-xxx-domain-names-to-protect-yourself-and-more-social-media-news/#respond Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:00:52 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=9813 Interesting news and helpful tips about social media. Click the headline to read the full article. Should you purchase .xxx domain extensions to protect yourself? Businesses and colleges are rushing to prevent their names from falling into the hands of the pornography industry by buying up the new “.xxx” website extension. [The Seattle Times] The […]
The post Should You Buy .xxx Domain Names to Protect Yourself? .. and more social media tidbits first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Interesting news and helpful tips about social media. Click the headline to read the full article.

Should you purchase .xxx domain extensions to protect yourself?

Businesses and colleges are rushing to prevent their names from falling into the hands of the pornography industry by buying up the new “.xxx” website extension. [The Seattle Times]

The average British person is under the influence of alcohol in three-quarters of his or her tagged Facebook photos

…According to a new study. [ZDNet]

When Should You Launch Your New Blog?

How much planning should you do before you launch your blog? Or should you launch it on the fly? [Darren Rowse, ProBlogger]

5 Email Marketing Tips for Increased Open Rates

You want people to open and read your e-newsletter, right? But sadly, the vast majority of all e-newsletters don’t even get opened. Here’s why, along with tips to help yours get opened. [Ashley Zeckman, TopRank]

Top 15 Most Popular Social Networking Sites

[Raul Kaevand, DreamGrow]

The post Should You Buy .xxx Domain Names to Protect Yourself? .. and more social media tidbits first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/should-you-buy-xxx-domain-names-to-protect-yourself-and-more-social-media-news/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/black-friday-has-become-black-thursday/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=black-friday-has-become-black-thursday https://bloggingbistro.com/black-friday-has-become-black-thursday/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:00:35 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=9517 Remember that day we used to celebrate — the one where we’d join with family and friends to thank God for our many blessings, eat turkey, take naps, and watch football? Some retailers would have us ignore that day altogether and just shop, shop, shop. Over the last few years, stores have been opening earlier […]
The post Black Friday Has Become Black Thursday first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Remember that day we used to celebrate — the one where we’d join with family and friends to thank God for our many blessings, eat turkey, take naps, and watch football?

Some retailers would have us ignore that day altogether and just shop, shop, shop. Over the last few years, stores have been opening earlier and earlier for Black Friday. First it was 5 a.m. Then 4 a.m. Then midnight.

This year, rather than allowing their employees to celebrate Thanksgiving, some merchants are instituting what they call “Black Thursday.”

Kmart opens at 6 a.m. Thanksgiving Day.

Toys R Us opens Thursday at 9 p.m.

Walmart opens at 10 p.m. on Turkey Day.

A news release from Coupon Sherpa (ironically) asks:

Doesn’t anybody “Respect the Bird” anymore?

Are Kmart’s deals really so amazing that they have to open on Thanksgiving? I doubt that. Instead, they’re preying on American’s consumerism mentality and hoping that shopping will win out over family time. Which, unfortunately, it will for some of us.

More likely, these retailers are so desperate to turn a profit that they believe starting their “big sales” as early as possible will bring in masses of people who would otherwise shop online.

But are the “big sales” really all that big, I wonder? I’ve received so many e-mails and fliers and coupons from JCPenney during the last few weeks that I can hardly keep them all straight. Which is the best sale? And will a coupon for en even better discount arrive in the mail tomorrow? Who knows?

It’s all so confusing. It makes me just want to stay in my warm bed and sleep the day away.

But, as I am a realist, I know that Black Friday is the day many of us hate to love. With that in mind, here’s a list of 15 major merchants who will open early on Black Friday, along with a special deal each is offering.

Keep in mind that hours are subject to change and some states don’t allow stores to open on Thanksgiving Day. For a comprehensive guide to Black Friday store openings and hours, check out CouponSherpa.com.

Ace Hardware – Midnight Friday
Enter to win a Craftsman 5-drawer Tool Center.

A.C. Moore – 5 a.m. Friday
Free $10 gift card to the first 50 customers.

Bealls – Midnight Friday
First 100 customers per store have a chance to win an iPad2, $250 gift card or $5 Bealls Bucks.

Best Buy – Midnight Friday
Best Buy will distribute entry tickets up to two hours before midnight.

Half Price Books – 7 a.m. Friday
First 100 people per store receive a tote bag and $5 gift card.

JCPenney – 4 a.m. Friday
Free collectible Disney snow globe, while supplies last.

Kmart – 6 a.m. Thanksgiving
Earn 20 bonus points for every $1 spent (twice the normal amount).

Macy’s – 4 a.m. Friday
Shop online all day Thanksgiving.

Office Max – 6 a.m. Friday
Save $15 on a $100 VISA or MasterCard gift card.

Kohl’s – Midnight Friday
Receive $15 Kohl’s cash for every $50 you spend, through Nov. 27, with coupon from Black Friday flier.

Old Navy – 9 a.m. Thanksgiving and midnight Friday
Free Kodak Easyshare Sport waterproof digital camera bundle with $40 purchase (while supplies last).

Rite Aid – 7 a.m. Thanksgiving (at select stores) through 11:59 p.m. Friday
$10 reward when you buy a $50 Home Improvement gift card.

Sears – 4 a.m. Friday
Pick up a Real Deal Coupon Book with over $3,000 in savings that start Nov. 27 (while quantities last).

Sports Authority – 5 a.m. Friday
First 80 people in line at each Sports Authority receive Bonus Bucks valued between $10 and $500.

Target – Midnight to 11 p.m. Friday
Learn about unadvertised deals by texting “MORE TVs” to “Target.”

The post Black Friday Has Become Black Thursday first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/black-friday-has-become-black-thursday/feed/ 12 https://bloggingbistro.com/santa-now-available-by-web-iphone-and-ipad/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=santa-now-available-by-web-iphone-and-ipad https://bloggingbistro.com/santa-now-available-by-web-iphone-and-ipad/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:00:38 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=9459 When you were a kid, did you pen a Christmas wish list and mail it to Santa? Well, now you can circumvent the U.S. Postal Service and send your missive directly to the North Pole by visiting Santa’s website, Santa.com (I wonder how much Santa paid for that domain?). I received the following press release […]
The post Santa Now Available by Web, iPhone, and iPad first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> When you were a kid, did you pen a Christmas wish list and mail it to Santa?

Well, now you can circumvent the U.S. Postal Service and send your missive directly to the North Pole by visiting Santa’s website, Santa.com (I wonder how much Santa paid for that domain?).

I received the following press release from Santa’s PR firm in my e-mail Inbox. The tone and wording of this release irked me on several levels. Maybe it’s just me and I’m feeling Grinchish, but I’d like you to read it and let me know if there’s anything about it that bothers you. After hearing from you, I’ll chime in with my own thoughts in the Comments area.

Santa Goes Digital

Santa.com Launches His Electronic Postal Service on the Web, iPhone and iPad

San Francisco, CA (November 15, 2011) – Santa has gone digital with his very own electronic postal service accessible on the web, iPhone and iPad. Santa.com is the online destination for kids to write letters, create wish lists, and even hear back from Santa. Launching today, Santa.com gives kids and gift givers alike a one-stop destination to start the season in true holiday spirit.

Ever wanted to play Santa?  Santa.com’s innovative use of “walled garden” technology enables parents to bring Santa to life for their children. By approving their children’s account on Santa.com, parents receive a copy of their children’s letter to Santa and can help Santa send a personalized letter back either digitally or through beautiful keep sake paper scrolls for under the tree.

Santa.com’s Santa Express for the iPad and the iPhone allows kid’s to craft, decorate and send letters to Santa right from their digital devices. Kids will be able to check-in with Santa and his Elves through their very own digital Mailroom.

Letters to Santa can be sent and received all year long, not just during the Christmas season.  So, kids who would like to tell Santa what they wish for or send him a thank you note can correspond with him in July just as easily as in December.

“We’re very excited about the launch of Santa.com,” said Santa.com Founder Will Weisman. “Our goal is to make the holidays even more magical, enjoyable and rewarding by leveraging today’s technology.

Santa.com celebrates the Season’s most treasured traditions, while helping busy parents and gift givers stay on top of holiday wish lists.”

With the launch of its digital letters to Santa, Santa.com gives the entire family fun and convenient access to Santa Claus and his whole gang up in the North Pole. The company will unveil additional features of the site throughout this holiday season.

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/santa.com

Follow us on Twitter: @santadotcom

The post Santa Now Available by Web, iPhone, and iPad first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/santa-now-available-by-web-iphone-and-ipad/feed/ 2 https://bloggingbistro.com/jc-penney-comes-up-with-a-new-use-for-qr-codes-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jc-penney-comes-up-with-a-new-use-for-qr-codes-video https://bloggingbistro.com/jc-penney-comes-up-with-a-new-use-for-qr-codes-video/#comments Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:00:06 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=9444 JC Penney came up with an ingenious use for QR codes — those square, 2-dimensional bar codes you scan with a smartphone. Called a “Santa Tag,” these QR codes allow you to record a personalized voice message to the person you’ve giving a Christmas gift to. The gift’s recipient can listen to your message as […]
The post JC Penney Comes Up with a New Use for QR Codes (Video) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> JC Penney came up with an ingenious use for QR codes — those square, 2-dimensional bar codes you scan with a smartphone.

Called a “Santa Tag,” these QR codes allow you to record a personalized voice message to the person you’ve giving a Christmas gift to. The gift’s recipient can listen to your message as many times as they want.

Here’s how it works:

1. When you purchase a gift for someone (at JC Penney, of course), and pick up a jcp gift box, the box will include a special Santa Tag. Peel off the front tab to reveal the QR code.
2. Scan the code with your smartphone, using any free QR reader (I use QR Droid).
3. A browser will open and direct you to the Santa Tag website.
4. Record a personal message by doing the following:
1. Enter a phone number to promptly receive a call from jcp on your phone.
2. You’ll be prompted to leave a short message for the recipient.
3. Confirm your message by approving or re-recording your message.
5. Stick the label with the QR code on it to your wrapped gift.
6. The recipient, in turn, scans the QR code with their smartphone and listens to your message.

**If you don’t have a smartphone, you can still record a message by calling 1-888-881-6577. Follow the audio prompts to leave a short message for the person you’re giving the gift to.

Here’s a video example:

The program begins Tuesday, November 15, 2011 and continues while supplies last. No minimum purchase is required.

What do you think?

• Will you take advantage of this service?

For additional details, check out the FAQ at http://www.jcpsanta.com/faq

Source: http://mashable.com/2011/11/10/j-c-penney-qr-codes/

The post JC Penney Comes Up with a New Use for QR Codes (Video) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/jc-penney-comes-up-with-a-new-use-for-qr-codes-video/feed/ 11 https://bloggingbistro.com/buy-and-sell-professional-services-for-5-dollars-at-fiverr/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=buy-and-sell-professional-services-for-5-dollars-at-fiverr https://bloggingbistro.com/buy-and-sell-professional-services-for-5-dollars-at-fiverr/#comments Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=9304 Did you just go through a bad breakup? Have an ex you'd like to make jealous?

Head on over to Fiverr.com and hire a cute young woman – for only $5 – to be your Facebook girlfriend for one whole week. She advertises:

“I'll leave you cute comments and all of those other things a girlfriend does! This offer is not just for the guys, ladies are welcomed too!”

This is just one of the many bizarre and entertaining services offered at fiverr, a website where you can buy and sell things you’re willing to do for $5.

Other examples in the “Social Marketing” category:

I will create a video testimony positively reviewing your business, website, or product.

The post Buy and Sell Professional Services for $5 at Fiverr.com first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Did you just go through a bad breakup? Have an ex you’d like to make jealous?

Head on over to Fiverr.com and hire a cute young woman – for only $5 – to be your Facebook girlfriend for one whole week. She advertises:

“I’ll leave you cute comments and all of those other things a girlfriend does! This offer is not just for the guys, ladies are welcomed too!”

This is just one of the many bizarre and entertaining services offered at fiverr, a website where you can buy and sell things you’re willing to do for $5.

Other examples in the “Social Marketing” category:

I will create a video testimony positively reviewing your business, website, or product.

Seriously? Buying a fake testimony?

I will send your tweet, URL, message to my 2000 loyal twitter followers.

Most people will re-tweet for free, but hey, if you’re desperate…

I will setup The New Facebook Timeline On Your Facebook Profile.

That actually does sound like a good deal!

In the “Graphics” category:

I will make you the best ebook cover.

As I say to my son when he asks, “Will you make me a milkshake?”

“Poof, you’re a milkshake!”

I will touch up your photo in Photoshop Cs5.

I’m in!

In the “Fun and Bizarre” category:

I will dance to an entire song of your choice in a hot dog costume.

Lots of people are actually buying this one!

I will record my voice saying your message in Greek.

…So your listeners can say with confidence, “It’s Greek to me.”

 

What would YOU buy or sell on Fiverr.com?

‘Fess up in the Comments area.

Thanks

…to Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound, for providing the inspiration for this post (and the link to fiverr.com).

The post Buy and Sell Professional Services for $5 at Fiverr.com first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/buy-and-sell-professional-services-for-5-dollars-at-fiverr/feed/ 6 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-not-to-write-a-layoff-notice-starbucks-case-study/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-not-to-write-a-layoff-notice-starbucks-case-study https://bloggingbistro.com/how-not-to-write-a-layoff-notice-starbucks-case-study/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:00:37 +0000 http://heblogssheblogs.com/?p=545 I have a particularly busy week ahead and everyone in my family (me included) is coming down with a cold. Not a good combo. So I’m falling back on a blogger’s trick: I’m re-running a post from three years ago. (Yes, it’s okay to do that from time to time, as long as the topic […]
The post How Not to Write a Layoff Notice: Starbucks Case Study first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> I have a particularly busy week ahead and everyone in my family (me included) is coming down with a cold. Not a good combo. So I’m falling back on a blogger’s trick: I’m re-running a post from three years ago. (Yes, it’s okay to do that from time to time, as long as the topic is still relevant.)

This mini case study from Starbucks provides an excellent lesson of how NOT to write.

---

When Starbucks passed out pink slips to 100 workers, they called in the big guns (aka, company spokeswoman Anna Kim-Williams) to deliver the bad news.

The spokeswoman’s prepared statement said:

“Some of these partners are being offered opportunity for redeployment and others will be separated from the company.”

Partners?
Redeployment?
Separated?

Talk about a decaf statement!

The “partners” she refers to are human resources and security workers.

And “redeployment”? Give me a (coffee) break! Are these “partners” in the Army? Why didn’t she just say, “the workers might be transferred”?

“Separated from the company.” We all know what that means. Laid off. Axed. You’re outta here!

I can understand Starbucks attempting to soften the blow and call as little public attention to the layoffs as possible. But let’s swallow the bitter coffee: Starbucks employees have known for months that they might get laid off. The public has known for weeks that the layoffs were coming. So add a double shot to my vanilla latte and tell it like it is:

We’re sorry to announce that we laid off 100 workers. When the economy improves, some of them may eventually be reassigned to other departments, but most of these folks are dead wood, so they’re outta here.

To heap even more verbose pain and suffering on the laid-off employees (excuse me–partners), the head of human resources (check out his cool job title below) sent the following memo to them:

A Message from Chet Kuchinad: Workforce Reduction in Partner Resources and Partner & Asset Protection

Dear Partners,

As we communicated on January 28, Starbucks is reshaping our operating model and organization structure to ensure the long-term health of our business. This includes the difficult but necessary decision to reduce our global workforce.

As part of our commitment to transparency throughout this process, we wanted to inform you that approximately 100 non-store partners (including Partner Resources and Partner & Asset Protection) are being notified today that their positions have been eliminated. About 40 of those partners are located at the Starbucks Support Center (SSC) in Seattle.

You may be wondering why these groups are being notified this week if we have not yet notified other displaced partners. PRO and P&AP have unique responsibilities supporting internal client groups during a workforce reduction. Due to the organizational changes in these groups, we felt it respectful to inform these partners now, prior to our broader notification day in mid-February. For partners in a few international markets, this may be somewhat later in order to comply with local employment laws.

We are thankful and proud of the contributions our partners make to the organization, and we are committed to treating all partners with respect and dignity — those who are departing Starbucks and those who will stay.

We recognize this period of uncertainty is unsettling for all partners. We commit to communicating openly with partners as soon as we are able.

Regards,
Chet Kuchinad,
evp, Partner Resource

Well. I certainly feel unsettled. Does Chet honestly believe he’s communicating in English, or is he practicing some internal Starbucksese (similar to Vulcan…or Klingon?).

Here’s your latte challenge, readers:

In the Comments area of this post, re-write Chet’s memo in plain English. Try to condense his 236-word statement to 50 words or less.

Have at it!

Source:
“Starbucks Lays off 100 Office Workers,” by Melissa Allison, Seattle Times, Feb 5, 2009.

The post How Not to Write a Layoff Notice: Starbucks Case Study first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-not-to-write-a-layoff-notice-starbucks-case-study/feed/ 5 https://bloggingbistro.com/the-new-delicious-debuts/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-new-delicious-debuts https://bloggingbistro.com/the-new-delicious-debuts/#respond Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:00:34 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=9143 I’ve long been a fan of the social bookmarking site, Delicious. When Yahoo sold Delicious earlier this year, I worried that it would go away forever (and I’d lose all my bookmarked sites). But Delicious is back, and it’s better than ever with the addition of a feature called Stacks. Stacks allows you to collect […]
The post The New Delicious Debuts first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> I’ve long been a fan of the social bookmarking site, Delicious. When Yahoo sold Delicious earlier this year, I worried that it would go away forever (and I’d lose all my bookmarked sites).

But Delicious is back, and it’s better than ever with the addition of a feature called Stacks. Stacks allows you to collect and share a collection of topically-based links, videos, and images in an appealing, user-friendly manner.

This short video demonstrates Stacks:

http://youtu.be/HcgtFUN8bgE

If you’d like to follow my Delicious bookmarks, just click this Delicious link.

Please share a link to your Delicious profile, so we can follow you, too!

The post The New Delicious Debuts first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/the-new-delicious-debuts/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/your-early-adopters-might-not-be-who-you-think-they-are-lessons-from-veggietales/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=your-early-adopters-might-not-be-who-you-think-they-are-lessons-from-veggietales https://bloggingbistro.com/your-early-adopters-might-not-be-who-you-think-they-are-lessons-from-veggietales/#comments Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:00:00 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=8955 When my sons were pre-schoolers, VeggieTales® — particularly the Silly Songs like “The Hairbrush Song,” “Song of the Cebu,” and “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything” — were an integral part of our lives. So it was with great delight that I read Phil Vischer’s autobiography, Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About Dreams, […]
The post Your Product’s Early Adopters Might Not Be Who You Think They Are – Lessons from VeggieTales first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> When my sons were pre-schoolers, VeggieTales® — particularly the Silly Songs like “The Hairbrush Song,” “Song of the Cebu,” and “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything” — were an integral part of our lives.

So it was with great delight that I read Phil Vischer’s autobiography, Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About Dreams, God, and Talking Vegetables.

With his trademark wit and a healthy dose of silliness, Phil reflects on the rise and fall of Big Idea Productions, the original parent company behind the VeggieTales empire.

Phil’s explanation of how people became “infected” with the VeggieTales “epidemic” intrigued me.

Who do you think were the original “brand evangelists” for VeggieTales?

I guessed moms of young children.

I was wrong.

Phil says, “Young moms were too busy taking care of their kids and driving to soccer practice to try every new video that showed up in a Christian bookstore… this vegetable thing? They thought. Who has time to give it a try? It’s probably stupid and cheap…”

The audience that did get VeggieTales going was college kids and young, single adults. More specifically, college kids and young, single adults who worked in Christian bookstores. Phil writes:



Jenn Doucette, Laura Christianson and Grace Fox at a preview screening of "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything," Atlanta, 2007.

“In the early 1990s, most Christian bookstores were small independents that often filled out their staffs with college kids and young singles working part-time. Particularly in less vital areas of the store, like, say, children’s products. By 1994, with home video boom in full swing, just about every Christian bookstore had a TV and a VCR in the back, most often in the kids’ department where some Christian kids’ video invariably looped all day long, making the young staff member assigned to that area a little, well, loopy. When VeggieTales came along, it was at least worth a look. So these college kids and young adults would open a VeggieTales video and pop it in just to check it out.

And they loved it. The Monty Python references, the severe tongue-in-cheekiness, “The Hairbrush Song.” It was exactly what college kids and young single adults had never seen before in a Christian kids’ video: something they would actually enjoy watching.”

VeggieTales parties began springing up at colleges and universities around the country.

And the college students who worked in Christian bookstores began playing all VeggieTales all the time.

When harried mothers walked in looking for new videos, the young clerks responded, “Have you heard of VeggieTales?”

“No—what’s that?”

“Look! It’s playing right here! In fact, your kids are watching it right now! And they’re smiling!”

Ring it up, Bucky.

Had Phil and company launched VeggieTales first at Walmart, Target, or Toys “R” Us, the “college student as early adopter/promoter” would never have happened. That’s because, in mass market stores, the store clerks can’t touch the VCRs (airtime in the big box stores is reserved for vendors who fork out the big bucks for the privilege—kind of like naming rights for football stadiums).

Phil says, “Had the clerks in local Christian bookstores not have been able to play the videos they liked, moms may never have bumped into VeggieTales. Big Idea Productions may have gone out of business before anyone knew we even existed. As it happened, exposure through Christian bookstores was the fuse that college kids had just lit. Bob and Larry were ready to explode.”

Who Are Your Brand Evangelists?

I hope this story inspires you to reconsider who your “brand evangelists” are.

I hear from lots of people who tell me, “My blog’s dead in the water.” Or, “My business is stagnant.”

If that’s the case, perhaps, like Phil, you’re preaching to the wrong choir. Or you haven’t yet discovered that ideal audience who will become hard-core fans of your brand and tell everyone they know about you.

If you’re feeling brave, try this exercise:

In the Comments area, share one primary product, service, or idea that you “sell” (whether you collect money for “selling” or do it for the joy of sharing). Don’t tell us who your ideal audience is – just tell us what you promote.

Those of us who read your comments will suggest audiences we think could become early adopters and promoters of your “for sale” item.

Who knows…someone might suggest an audience you haven’t yet tapped – an audience who just might explode your “Bob” or “Larry.”

The post Your Product’s Early Adopters Might Not Be Who You Think They Are – Lessons from VeggieTales first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/your-early-adopters-might-not-be-who-you-think-they-are-lessons-from-veggietales/feed/ 16 https://bloggingbistro.com/5-important-tips-for-choosing-a-website-host/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-important-tips-for-choosing-a-website-host https://bloggingbistro.com/5-important-tips-for-choosing-a-website-host/#comments Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:00:37 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=8813 Connie Mace, blog manager for the Northwest Christian Writers Association, picked my brain about social media marketing questions that perplex writers and authors. This is Part 2 of a four-part series. Part 1: Essential Elements of a Powerful Online Presence (for Authors)   Connie Mace: Are there specific “beware of” signs when choosing a website […]
The post 5 Important Tips for Choosing a Website Host first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Connie Mace, blog manager for the Northwest Christian Writers Association, picked my brain about social media marketing questions that perplex writers and authors. This is Part 2 of a four-part series.


Part 1: Essential Elements of a Powerful Online Presence (for Authors)

 

Connie Mace: Are there specific “beware of” signs when choosing a website host?

 Laura Christianson: Oh, you’ve struck a nerve here, Connie! Five key things a website host should do:

1.     Use the latest, greatest software.

2.     Be inexpensive.

3.     Have an “uptime” of close to 100%.

4.     Offer excellent customer service.

5.     Offer a grace period for forgetful customers.

Let’s explore each of these points.

1. Software

The problem with many “free” hosts is that they use outdated software, which prevents the site’s owner from making necessary changes and upgrades. It irritates me that these companies prey on people’s general lack of technical skill and hold their websites hostage.

2. Cost

I also get angry at website hosts that offer to “build your site for free,” and then charge you $40 or more per month for “hosting and maintenance.”

One man I know – who manages a prominent Seattle-area business – told me he signed up for a “free” website design, and he pays ONLY $150 per month for hosting.

This is wrong.

You can and should find an excellent website host for $8-12/month (many hosts give you a hefty discount for paying for a year’s hosting when you sign up).

3. Uptime

A good website host will list their “network uptime” percentage – in other words, what percentage of the day your website is supposedly guaranteed to be online. I’m not sure how any host can guarantee 100% uptime (remember Amazon’s massive server outage in April that completely disabled major websites across the Internet?).

We can’t control catastrophic hardware failures, power outages, and natural disasters. But if I had my choice of hosting my website with a company that guarantees 60% uptime as opposed to a host who guarantees 99.9% uptime, I’d go with the 99.9%.

4. Customer Service

When you have a problem with your website, you need to be able to call a customer service representative who will answer the phone and speak understandable English. Since website disasters inevitably occur after business hours, it’s helpful to have 24/7 customer service.

Before you sign up with a web host, call their customer service line.

• How long did you wait before someone picked up? ‘
• Did a real person answer the phone?
• Did the person answer your question knowledgeably, patiently, and politely?

5. Grace Period

We recently created a website for a client who had forgotten to renew hosting for her old website.

On her renewal date, guess what happened to her website? POOF! It disappeared into cyberspace, never to be seen again.

When we politely requested that her host reinstate her site, they replied, “Too bad, so sad.” Her domain name had also expired, but thankfully, they agreed to reinstate it. However, it took our team two full weeks and many hours on the phone to make it happen. (Needless to say, that company no longer hosts her website nor is her domain name registered with them.)

Some website hosting companies will grant you a grace period during which they’ll keep your site and your domain name live (after all, they want your business.) But others won’t. So when you receive emails from your hosting company reminding you that your website hosting and/or domain is up for renewal, be proactive about renewing.

Bonus Tip about Domain Name Renewal

Another sneaky thing some domain registrars do is to send “you must renew immediately” notices to unsuspecting website owners. This happened to one of our clients. He received a notice (from a registrar other than the one his website’s domain name was registered with) telling him that his domain name was about to expire and that he needed to renew it, now. For “only” $150 for one year.

In a panic, he renewed.

Then he contacted me. I explained to him that 1) his renewal date is actually not coming up for quite some time; 2) his website hosting with our preferred provider includes a free renewal of his domain name, and 3) even if he had needed to renew his domain name, it should cost in the neighborhood of $10/year to renew, not $150.

“You were a victim of highway robbery,” I informed him. Perhaps I should have called it, “Information Superhighway Robbery.”

Our client is now attempting to get a refund from the domain name registrar that attempted to scam him.

I, too, routinely receive messages from domain name registrars encouraging me to “renew immediately.” We receive these messages because most of us publicly display our contact information in the WHOIS database of all registered domains. Registrar companies routinely scour the WHOIS database to see which domains are due to expire in three months or so, and then they e-mail the registrant in an attempt to get their business.

Be aware of this when you receive notifications to renew, and unless the notice comes from your own registrar, ignore it.

—————————–

At Blogging Bistro, we partner with two excellent website hosting companies, and our website hosting contracts include a WordPress.org (self-hosted) blog embedded into your website. Contact me if you’re interested in learning more about our hosting packages.

The post 5 Important Tips for Choosing a Website Host first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/5-important-tips-for-choosing-a-website-host/feed/ 6 https://bloggingbistro.com/understand-your-customers-social-networking-habits-slideshare-presentation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=understand-your-customers-social-networking-habits-slideshare-presentation https://bloggingbistro.com/understand-your-customers-social-networking-habits-slideshare-presentation/#comments Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=8641 Suppose from this moment on you were given the following two choices: You could never watch television again OR You could never use your smartphone again. Which would you be more willing to eliminate from your life? Axe the TV, said 64% of the 2,020 Americans interviewed for the 19th Edison/Arbitron Internet and Multimedia Study. […]
The post Understand Your Customers’ Social Networking Habits (Slideshare Presentation) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Suppose from this moment on you were given the following two choices:
1. You could never watch television again OR
2. You could never use your smartphone again.

Which would you be more willing to eliminate from your life?

Axe the TV, said 64% of the 2,020 Americans interviewed for the 19th Edison/Arbitron Internet and Multimedia Study.



The study results are eye-opening and cover a wider range of statistics than most social media studies I’ve seen. You’ll find the results helpful in determining which social networks you should become active on, based on the social habits of your ideal target customer.

Here’s the slideshare presentation:

(After watching the slideshow, please vote in my poll below about which you would give up: TV or smartphone).

The Social Habit 2011 by Edison Research

View more presentations from webby2001

Direct Link to the presentation:

http://www.slideshare.net/webby2001/the-social-habit-2011-by-edison-research

The Social Habit is a new study conducted by Edison Research and Arbitron, and is derived from the 19th Edison/Arbitron Internet and Multimedia Research Series, one of the longest-running studies of consumer adoption of the Internet, new media and other technologies in existence.

Cast Your Vote

[poll id=”12″]

The post Understand Your Customers’ Social Networking Habits (Slideshare Presentation) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/understand-your-customers-social-networking-habits-slideshare-presentation/feed/ 2 https://bloggingbistro.com/6-tips-for-author-enewsletter-marketing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=6-tips-for-author-enewsletter-marketing https://bloggingbistro.com/6-tips-for-author-enewsletter-marketing/#comments Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:00:00 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=8305 By Melissa K. Norris Guest Contributor If you’re an author your e-mail list is the most important thing you own. Because it’s the one list of contacts of potential customers you do own. If Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger crash, you’ve just lost all your contacts. To invite people to subscribe to your author e-newsletter, you […]
The post 6 Tips for Author E-Newsletter Marketing first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> By Melissa K. Norris
Guest Contributor

If you’re an author your e-mail list is the most important thing you own. Because it’s the one list of contacts of potential customers you do own. If Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger crash, you’ve just lost all your contacts.

To invite people to subscribe to your author e-newsletter, you need to offer a sign up form on your website. Best placement is at the top so it’s the first thing visitors see without having to scroll down. Make sure they know what they are signing up for.

Also consider the following 6 tips:

1.  How often will you be sending them an e-newsletter?

Mine is bi-monthly, but you could choose monthly or quarterly. Whichever you choose, make sure you can be consistent.

2.  Tell your readers what value they’ll gain by signing up for your newsletter.

Will you have articles, book reviews, author interviews, and how to articles besides just your book news? Readers can choose points of interest when they sign up for mine, allowing me to cater to their wants and needs.

3.  Make sure you follow spam laws.

Do not sign up anyone who hasn’t requested to receive your e-newsletter. You must include the option to unsubscribe in the body of your newsletter. I use MailChimp, a free on-line marketing company that includes it for me. They also allow me to customize my newsletter and track the opens and click throughs for up to 2000 subscribers with no coding skills necessary.

4.  Provide something of value.

The number one rule for marketing includes e-newsletters. You can run a contest exclusively to your subscribers, allowing them to be part of your e-newsletter. Think of something fun that relates to your book/product. To see my current contest visit my website at www.melissaknorris.com

5.  Post links on your blog posts, Facebook page, and Twitter pointing readers to your e-newsletter.

Remember to point out they must sign up through your website.

6.  Ask other people in your industry to provide articles for your newsletter.

This is a great way to cross-market. You don’t have to come up with every single article, the other person gains exposure, plus people help promote something they’re featured in.

I’d love to hear any tips you might have for e-newsletters or email marketing.

---

Melissa K. Norris is an inspirational romance author. She loves to chat with folks on her Facebook page.

The post 6 Tips for Author E-Newsletter Marketing first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/6-tips-for-author-enewsletter-marketing/feed/ 2 https://bloggingbistro.com/school-district-bans-community-flier-distribution/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=school-district-bans-community-flier-distribution https://bloggingbistro.com/school-district-bans-community-flier-distribution/#comments Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:00:14 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=8361 When my sons were in elementary school, they brought home dozens of fliers per week that urged them to sign up for karate, junior cheerleaders, swimming lessons, crafts camp – you name it! The same set of fliers made their way out of my kids’ backpacks and into the recycling bin week after week. Our […]
The post Our School District Banned Flier Distribution. How Will We Survive? first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> When my sons were in elementary school, they brought home dozens of fliers per week that urged them to sign up for karate, junior cheerleaders, swimming lessons, crafts camp – you name it! The same set of fliers made their way out of my kids’ backpacks and into the recycling bin week after week.

Our school district e-mailed us the following notice:

Beginning in August, fliers from outside community organizations will no longer be distributed to students in their classrooms, but will appear on the District Website and in school offices.

Why the change?

• Conserving classroom time – Each year, office staff, teachers and parent volunteers spend hours distributing pieces of paper from outside groups to our students. This is one way our District is joining others across the county and state by electronically featuring community fliers.
• Reducing paper waste – Last year, each student took home at least 100 fliers, meaning our community distributed almost a million pieces of paper to students!

The notice explained that parents can access the fliers via an E-Fliers link on the district’s website and from the district’s e-newsletter.

But what about families who don’t have Internet access?  They can pick up a paper flier from the school office. (Organizations are allowed to distribute 30 copies to each school.)

I’m guessing that schools throughout the world deal with flier overload. While I applaud my district’s choice to axe flier distribution (finally!), my heart goes out to the wonderful community programs that will no longer be able to spread the word about their services in the “traditional” manner.

These organizations will now be forced to innovate. They’ll need websites. They’ll need to get actively involved on Facebook (after all, both the kids and their parents hang out on Facebook). They’ll need to send recruiters to schools to hound the kids (Oh. Wait. Only the military’s allowed to do that).

“Budget cuts” is the phrase of the decade. When large organizations (such as a school district) who partner with small organizations (such as the local martial arts club) make policy changes, will the little guys have a backup plan?

How can their organizations continue to thrive and grow when their strategic partner throws a curve ball at them (or in this case, a paper airplane)?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The post Our School District Banned Flier Distribution. How Will We Survive? first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/school-district-bans-community-flier-distribution/feed/ 4 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-grow-your-business-through-giving-away-great-content-review-of-launch-by-michael-stelzner-book-giveaway-contest/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-grow-your-business-through-giving-away-great-content-review-of-launch-by-michael-stelzner-book-giveaway-contest https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-grow-your-business-through-giving-away-great-content-review-of-launch-by-michael-stelzner-book-giveaway-contest/#comments Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:00:17 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=8445 “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Michael A. Stelzner doesn’t come right out and state the Golden Rule in his new book, Launch, but the Bible verse from Luke 6:31 is at the heart of every concept he teaches.

For those of us who’ve been targeted by oily marketers whose philosophy is, “Give as little unto others as possible while taking as much of their money as quickly as you can,” Stelzner’s principles are a welcome blast of fresh air.

The post How to Grow Your Business through Giving Away Great Content (Review of ‘Launch’ and Book Giveaway Contest) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]>

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Michael A. Stelzner doesn’t come right out and state the Golden Rule in his new book, Launch, but the Bible verse from Luke 6:31 is at the heart of every concept he teaches.

For those of us who’ve been targeted by oily marketers whose philosophy is, “Give as little unto others as possible while taking as much of their money as quickly as you can,” Stelzner’s principles are a welcome blast of fresh air.

His premise is simple:

Give to others – consistently, joyfully, generously – without any expectation of reciprocation.

Strangely enough, Launch is not a self-help book. It’s intended to help business professionals rethink the way we market; the book’s subtitle is, “How to quickly propel your business beyond the competition.”

Say again?

Growing your business… by giving??

It’s a novel concept for many. But the meteoric rise of Stelzner’s latest business enterprise, Social Media Examiner, proves that his premise works. Really works.

Let’s take a closer look this anti-marketing message mindset.

Our Default Setting: Distrust

Do you enjoy watching TV commercials? Eagerly click pop-up banner ads on websites? Look forward to calls from telemarketers?

Probably not. In fact, you’re likely quite skilled at ignoring marketing messages. According to Edelman Digital’s annual survey of trust, fewer than one in three people trust marketing messages.

But, what if you sell a stellar product? Won’t your amazing gizmo alone create trust?

Nope.

The best way to earn people’s trust is to stop pitching to them. Stop marketing to them. Instead, walk beside them.

When you continually focus on meeting people’s needs – for valuable insights, for access to expert knowledge, and for person-to-person connection – you’ve already won half the battle.

The lesson:

Change your focus from “What can we sell you?” to “How can we help you?”

Ban Blatant Marketing Messages

Stelzner calls this process the “Elevation Principle”:

Great content plus other people minus marketing messages equals growth.




In other words:

GIVE AWAY valuable, practical how-to content that helps your readers solve their problems. Consistently producing great content gives people a reason to keep coming back to you.

SEEK OUT EXPERTS in your niche (particularly those who have gigantic, raving fan bases) and shine the spotlight on them. Interview them, do a case study of their business, and review their books, products, or services. As you and your team of experts share great content, your audience will begin to perceive you as an authoritative source.

Once you’ve earned your readers’ trust, opportunities for rapidly growing your business will unfold.

Stelzner practices what he preaches. In Launch, he details how to:

… write a vision statement

… define your ideal reader base (i.e., customer)

… find, attract, and persuade industry experts to contribute content

… produce and publish comprehensive how-to articles, expert interviews, reviews, case studies, news stories, and contrarian stories

He also addresses questions skeptics are bound to have, such as:

• Should you give away your trade secrets?
• If you make your living selling knowledge, aren’t you shooting yourself in the foot by giving it away?

My Critique

Every so often, Stelzner succumbs to using those odious marketing clichés: “thought leader,” “incentivize,” and “leverage.” (aaarrrrgh!)

The cheesy references to “launching your business into outer space” and “nuclear fuel” get old after Chapter 1. I ignored the rocket ship analogies and skipped to the good stuff. And there’s certainly enough good stuff in Launch to make it worth buying.

Bottom line

If you’re feeling uncomfortable with the marketing model you’re currently using, perhaps it’s time to shift your mindset. Launch shows you how.

You Could Win Launch!

At the beginning of the month, I asked my readers to help me come up with a creative way to give away a copy of Launch.

I received fun responses, such as:

Jan: Attach the book to a rocket and shoot it into the air.

Susy: If you were selected to take part in the very first rocket launch to visit Mars, what 5 books, 5 movies, and 5 snacks would you take to pass the time?

Karen: How ’bout the most absurd “launching” of any object, complete with pictures/video?

I’m going to adapt a suggestion from John, who proposed: “Have your readers submit exactly 60 words on the most important components of a great launch.”  (John, I’ll be sending you my review copy of Launch.)

Here’s how YOU can enter to win your very own hardback copy of Launch (retail value $24.95):

In the Comments area, name the expert in your niche you most want to interview. Dream big! The expert has to be someone you aren’t already in contact with. Tell why you would like to interview that person. I’ll give you a BONUS entry if you include one great interview question you would ask that person.

The winner will be selected via the Random Number Generator on Tuesday, July 5, 2011. I’ll announce the winner in the Comments area of this post, and will also e-mail the winner.

Want a Preview of Launch?

Click here to read the first chapter of Launch for free.

Tweet This Post

Let your friends know about the giveaway; tweet the following:

@bloggingbistro is giving away a hardback copy of ‘Launch,’ by Michael A. Stelzner. Enter here: https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=8445

The post How to Grow Your Business through Giving Away Great Content (Review of ‘Launch’ and Book Giveaway Contest) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-grow-your-business-through-giving-away-great-content-review-of-launch-by-michael-stelzner-book-giveaway-contest/feed/ 40 https://bloggingbistro.com/blog-headline-writing-techniques-4-lessons-learned-from-the-costco-connection/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=blog-headline-writing-techniques-4-lessons-learned-from-the-costco-connection https://bloggingbistro.com/blog-headline-writing-techniques-4-lessons-learned-from-the-costco-connection/#comments Mon, 27 Jun 2011 14:00:14 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=8383 Even the Big Guys struggle to write enticing headlines. The cover story of July’s issue of The Costco Connection focuses on “unconventional” Costco members. In his letter from the editor, David W. Fuller writes: “…We tried to boil down to a few words the concept of our cover story. In a full sentence, here is […]
The post Blog Headline Writing Techniques: 4 Lessons Learned from ‘The Costco Connection’ first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Even the Big Guys struggle to write enticing headlines.

The cover story of July’s issue of The Costco Connection focuses on “unconventional” Costco members. In his letter from the editor, David W. Fuller writes:

“…We tried to boil down to a few words the concept of our cover story. In a full sentence, here is the concept: According to conventional wisdom, Costco members all have big families (say, two or more kids), large vehicles and plenty of storage space at home; but in reality plenty of them are empty nesters, young marrieds without kids, singles and so on who are benefitting from their Costco memberships.”

Forty-five words. Far too many for a headline, let alone the “teaser” for the magazine’s cover.

Fuller’s challenge: Boil down a 45-word concept to two-to-five words plus a kicker (the short phrase that leads in to the headline).

They tried and rejected several heads, including:

“The company you keep: Costco members defy stereotype.”

Rejected because readers could interpret the phrase, “the company you keep” to be about members who keep their memberships long-term.

“Member motivations.”

Rejected for the cover because it seemed flat, but displayed prominently in the Table of Contents.

The winner:

“Simply unique: Costco members defy stereotype.”

This headline speaks to the kernel of the article’s concept, writes Fuller. That is, “there are nearly as many motivations for membership as there are people.”

How can you apply Fuller’s headline-writing techniques to the titles you write for blog posts?

1. Mix-and-Match

A powerful headline sets the tone for the article it accompanies. Brainstorm several headlines, and mix-and-match them until you come up with one strong head that conveys the essence of your article.

2. Get to the Point

Before or after writing your article, state your story’s main point and reader take-away value in one sentence.

Review your sentence. What words or phrases jump out at you? Can you convert any of those phrases into one powerful word?

Fuller’s concept sentence includes the phrase, “according to conventional wisdom.” He shortened that 4-word phrase to one word: “stereotype.”

He also countered the word, “stereotype” with its polar opposite: “unique.”

3. Move!

Read your headline out loud. Does it include a strong action verb? (Note the verb, “defy” in Fuller’s headline.)

Cover Story Headline Analysis

Now let’s take a look at the four-page cover story. Here, the headline is expanded to

The company you keep:
Costco members who don’t fit the mold







Aaah… one of the headlines that got rejected for the cover makes an appearance here! But since the cover teaser (combined with compelling artwork) has already whetted our appetite for the article, there’s no confusion when we see “The company you keep” atop the article.

In fact, the phrase’s double meaning carries a subtle psychological impact: “I may not be a stereotypical Costco customer, but I’m going to keep doing business with Costco because they recognize and honor me.”

Very clever, Costco headline writers!

The article includes several large, bold sub-heads to feature each unique group of members:

• Feeding the menagerie (pet owners)
• Never too old for Costco (seniors)
• Flying solo (singles)
• On the road again (frequent travelers)

4. Break It Up

If your blog article is more than 250 words, use sub-heads. Readers typically skim or scan a blog post, looking for meaningful topics. Sub-heads help your readers easily locate key topics, and it creates much-needed breathing space on the screen.

Your Assignment

1. Write a headline for your next blog post, imitating the headline style from The Costco Connection.
2. Open with a two-to-three word kicker (lead-in to the head).
3. Include a two-to-five word sentence that features a strong action verb.
4. Share your headline (and if you’d like, a link to your blog post) in the Comments area so we can learn from each other.
The post Blog Headline Writing Techniques: 4 Lessons Learned from ‘The Costco Connection’ first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/blog-headline-writing-techniques-4-lessons-learned-from-the-costco-connection/feed/ 4 https://bloggingbistro.com/6-critical-components-of-your-online-marketing-plan/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=6-critical-components-of-your-online-marketing-plan https://bloggingbistro.com/6-critical-components-of-your-online-marketing-plan/#comments Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:00:43 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=8087 A novelist who writes romantic suspense has her first book deal in the works. Her primary goal is not what you’d expect. Instead of fretting about editing her manuscript, she’s focused on growing a strong brand identity. “I need a website, a blog and a Facebook page, and I need them now,” she announced to […]
The post 6 Critical Components of Your Online Marketing Plan first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> A novelist who writes romantic suspense has her first book deal in the works. Her primary goal is not what you’d expect. Instead of fretting about editing her manuscript, she’s focused on growing a strong brand identity.

“I need a website, a blog and a Facebook page, and I need them now,” she announced to me.

This author understands that a professional online presence is one of the best ways to build her customer base, long before her first novel hits bookstore shelves. If – like this author – you are a new business owner, I urge you to include online marketing in your business’s marketing plan.

My June column in the Snohomish County Business Journal (Everett, WA), delves into six critical components of your online marketing strategy:

1. Know your target customer
2. Laser-focus on connecting with your ideal customer
3. Know WHERE your ideal customer hangs out online
4. Target social networks that will give you the biggest bang for your time investment
5. Use social tools consistently
6. Know the difference between ‘engaging’ and ‘annoying’

Click here to read the entire article, “Know your customers to make an online marketing plan”

Which of the six tips do you plan to put into action this week?

The post 6 Critical Components of Your Online Marketing Plan first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/6-critical-components-of-your-online-marketing-plan/feed/ 6 https://bloggingbistro.com/want-to-win-launch-help-me-come-up-with-a-creative-giveaway-contest/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=want-to-win-launch-help-me-come-up-with-a-creative-giveaway-contest https://bloggingbistro.com/want-to-win-launch-help-me-come-up-with-a-creative-giveaway-contest/#comments Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:00:50 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=8095 I have been selected as one of 50 bloggers worldwide to review Michael A. Stelzner’s upcoming book, Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition. Part of my assignment is to think of a way to “creatively give away a copy” of the book to one of my followers. I thought I’d have […]
The post Want to Win ‘Launch’? Help Me Come Up With a Creative Giveaway Contest first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> I have been selected as one of 50 bloggers worldwide to review Michael A. Stelzner’s upcoming book, Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition.

Part of my assignment is to think of a way to “creatively give away a copy” of the book to one of my followers. I thought I’d have fun with this and host a pre-giveaway contest.

I’ll be receiving two copies of the book: one to review and one to give away. After I review Launch, I’ll give away my review copy to whoever can help me come up with the most ingenious way to creatively give away my giveaway copy!

To enter my pre-giveaway contest, submit your great idea in the Comments area of this post.

(If you’re reading this post via e-mail subscription, the link to the post/comments is https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=8095)

The post Want to Win ‘Launch’? Help Me Come Up With a Creative Giveaway Contest first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/want-to-win-launch-help-me-come-up-with-a-creative-giveaway-contest/feed/ 44 https://bloggingbistro.com/8-customer-service-lessons-from-the-grocers-son/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=8-customer-service-lessons-from-the-grocers-son https://bloggingbistro.com/8-customer-service-lessons-from-the-grocers-son/#respond Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:00:58 +0000 http://heblogssheblogs.com/?p=561 When Antoine’s father has a stroke, Antoine – the prodigal son – reluctantly returns from life in the city to his rural French village and takes over the family store. None-too-happy to be time-warped to the past from which he’d tried to escape, the surly Antoine drives his father’s grocery van around the sparsely-populated countryside, […]
The post 8 Customer Service Lessons I Learned from ‘The Grocer’s Son’ first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> When Antoine’s father has a stroke, Antoine – the prodigal son – reluctantly returns from life in the city to his rural French village and takes over the family store.

None-too-happy to be time-warped to the past from which he’d tried to escape, the surly Antoine drives his father’s grocery van around the sparsely-populated countryside, delivering groceries to the area’s senior citizens.

As he makes his daily rounds, Antoine learns valuable lessons about life, customer service, and closing sales:

1.  Offer eye-candy.

Antoine paints his white van bright, cheerful colors. The curious seniors emerge from their homes, anxious to discover what this new phenomenon is all about.

2.  Grab opportunities.

When a customer foists free kittens on him, Antoine gives the cuddly balls of fur to his customers… and reminds them to purchase milk for their new pet.

3.  Offer second chances.

When some of his customers say, “I can’t afford to pay you today; put it on my tab,” Antoine extends them grace.

4.  Give of yourself when your customer least expects it.

When Antoine notices the door on his customer’s chicken coop is ruined, he fixes it. And he doesn’t expect any favors in return.

5.  Listen.

Rather than talking constantly, Antoine lets his customers do the talking. He silently notes his customers’ likes and dislikes, and stocks his shelves accordingly.

6.  Don’t let quirky customers de-rail you.

Antoine encounters more than a few difficult customers during his daily rounds. Rather than allowing personality conflicts to defeat him, Antoine learns creative ways to work around them.

7.  Small gifts count.

When Antoine discovers that his would-be girlfriend had a special craving for cottage cheese, he sends her some as a gift.

8.  Work hard.

Antoine works harder than he’s ever worked in his life at that little grocery, with little hope of monetary compensation. In the end, his strong work ethic pays off (I won’t tell you how, in case you want to watch the DVD).

 

Which of these lessons do you most need to work on?




Get the Movie: The Grocer’s Son

The post 8 Customer Service Lessons I Learned from ‘The Grocer’s Son’ first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/8-customer-service-lessons-from-the-grocers-son/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-deactivate-and-delete-your-facebook-account/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-deactivate-and-delete-your-facebook-account https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-deactivate-and-delete-your-facebook-account/#comments Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:00:46 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=7133 “Facebook is stupid. Why am I wasting my time with it? I just want to delete my account, forever.” It’s a complaint I’ve heard more than once. So, as a public service to those of you who are yanking your hair out and crying, “I just can’t take it anymore!” here is a step-by-step tutorial […]
The post How to Deactivate and Delete Your Facebook Account first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]>

“Facebook is stupid. Why am I wasting my time with it? I just want to delete my account, forever.”

It’s a complaint I’ve heard more than once.

So, as a public service to those of you who are yanking your hair out and crying, “I just can’t take it anymore!” here is a step-by-step tutorial for how do say “bye-bye” to Facebook.

What does “deactivate” mean?


First, you need to know that deactivating your account is not the same as permanently deleting it. Deactivating is like taking a temporary break from Facebook.

Your profile and all information associated with it are immediately made inaccessible to other Facebook users. But your Facebook friends can can still invite you to events, tag you in photos, or ask you to join groups.

When you deactivate your account, you can opt out of  receiving these email invitations and notifications from your friends.

Facebook saves your profile information (friends, photos, interests, etc.) in hopes that you will decide to reactivate your account. If and when you do reactivate, your account will look just the way it did when you deactivated.

How to de-activate your Facebook account

1. From your profile, go to Account (upper righthand corner)
2. From the dropdown menu, select Account Settings.
3. From the lefthand sidebar, click “Security.”
4. At the bottom of the box in the center area of your screen, you’ll see a link that says, “Deactivate Account.” Click it. You’ll be taken to a new window that prompts:

“Are you sure you want to deactivate your account?

Deactivating your account will disable your profile and remove your name and picture from anything you’ve shared on Facebook.”

You’ll also see the following menu of options:



4. After you click “Confirm,” you’ll be prompted to enter your Facebook password. Then you will be prompted to do a security check by typing in a series of letters and numbers (CAPTCHA) to prove you’re a real person.

5. You will then be routed back to the Facebook login page, where you’ll see the following confirmation message:



 

How to permanently delete your Facebook account

If you’re really, really sick of Facebook and know you never want to use your account again, here’s how to permanently delete it.

WARNING: If you do this, you will NOT be able to reactivate your account or retrieve any of the content or information you have added.

1. To permanently delete your account, you must first log in to Facebook. (Even if you’ve already deactivated your account, you have to log in, so save your password!)
2. If you forgot your password, you’ll need to reset it by clicking the “Forgot your password?” link directly below the field where you’d normally enter your password.
3. Once you have successfully logged in (whew!), you’ll need to click this link, which will submit a request directly to the powers that be at Facebook.
4. https://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=delete_account
5. Honestly, I’m not sure what happens once you submit that request, because I’ve never completely deleted an account.

Footnote concerning e-mail addresses

Some people have told me that they’ve deleted their account, then later tried to sign up for Facebook with the same email address that was originally associated with the account. They have been unable to use that address because Facebook notifies them that there is an existing account associated with that address.

My workaround suggestion is to create an email address dedicated solely to your Facebook activities. If you delete your Facebook account, you can delete that email address at the same time.

If you decide to start a new Facebook account, you can create a different email address to use with your new Facebook account.

Also in this series

• How to delete a Facebook Business/Fan Page

Thank you to Facebook’s Help Center, which provided most of these instructions.

 

The post How to Deactivate and Delete Your Facebook Account first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-deactivate-and-delete-your-facebook-account/feed/ 92 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-use-attribution-tags-when-writing-dialog/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-use-attribution-tags-when-writing-dialog https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-use-attribution-tags-when-writing-dialog/#comments Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:00:23 +0000 http://heblogssheblogs.com/how-to-use-attribution-tags-when-writing-dialog/ Yesterday, I challenged you to figure out what’s wrong with the way an author used attribution tags in her novel. Now, let’s talk about where you should put attribution tags (said so-and-so) and how to punctuate them. (Note: this information comes in handy when you’re writing blog posts that tell a story or re-create a […]
The post How to Use Attribution Tags When Writing Dialog first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Yesterday, I challenged you to figure out what’s wrong with the way an author used attribution tags in her novel.

Now, let’s talk about where you should put attribution tags (said so-and-so) and how to punctuate them. (Note: this information comes in handy when you’re writing blog posts that tell a story or re-create a conversation.)

Short quotes:

• Place the attribution tag at the end, so your reader pays attention to the quote itself.
  • “I’m feeling confident about how to punctuate direct quotes,” Sheila said.

Longer quotes:

• Put the attribution at the first natural pause, or at the end of the first sentence, so the reader knows who’s talking.
  • “I went to the mall to buy my dad a gift,” she said, “but I got a flat tire on the way.”
  • “I went to the mall to buy my dad a gift, but I got a flat tire on the way,” she said.

Notice how the attribution tags in both of the above examples are set off by commas:

• …gift,” she said, “but…
• …on the way,” she said.

And where is the comma at the end of the quotation located?

• INSIDE the quotation marks!

How to structure an attribution tag

• In most cases, place the speaker’s name first, followed by the attribution word:
  • Sheila said
    NOT said Sheila
• When using a pronoun to refer to the speaker, always place the tag after the pronoun:
  • He said
    NOT said he (unless you’re trying to sound stuffy and Victorian)

Which tag to use

Said.

Need I say more? Said (or says) is invisible.

It’s simple.

It carries no emotional connotations.

It forces the writer to show emotions, through descriptive language, as opposed to telling via the attribution tag.

Examples:

• Wrong: “I hate punctuation rules!” Laura sighed.
• Right: Laura tossed the The Chicago Manual of Style into the recycling bin. “I hate punctuation rules,” she said.

P.S. “I would never toss my The Chicago Manual of Style,” Laura said. “That book cost me $34.65 on Amazon.”

The post How to Use Attribution Tags When Writing Dialog first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-use-attribution-tags-when-writing-dialog/feed/ 14 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-attribution-tags/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-write-attribution-tags https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-attribution-tags/#comments Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:00:42 +0000 http://heblogssheblogs.com/attribution-tags/ As I was skimming through a Young Adult adventure novel, I couldn’t help but notice the author’s use of attribution tags (said so-and-so). Here’s a sample, excerpted from five pages of dialog between the narrator (“I”) and her new friend, whom I’ll call “Sara.” I spelled each attribution tag exactly as the author did. I’ve […]
The post Take the Attribution Tag Challenge first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> As I was skimming through a Young Adult adventure novel, I couldn’t help but notice the author’s use of attribution tags (said so-and-so).

Here’s a sample, excerpted from five pages of dialog between the narrator (“I”) and her new friend, whom I’ll call “Sara.”

I spelled each attribution tag exactly as the author did.

I’ve removed the dialog so you’ll see only the attribution tags (which, in every instance, follow a character’s direct quote:

Sara proposed.
she explained.
I wondered.
Sara offered.
I proclaimed.
Sara inquired.
I shuttered.
Sara stated in love.
I reasoned.
she explained.
I asked with excitement.
Sara instructed.
Sara shouted.
I cheered.
I dreamed.
encouraged Sara.
Sara detailed.
I screamed.
introduced Sara.
Sara suggested.
I cheered.

Here’s your challenge:

• What’s wrong with these attributions?
• What’s right?
• Based on these attributions, what do you imagine is happening in this chapter?
• What advice would you offer the author in how to structure attributions?

Coming next: Where to put attribution tags, and how to punctuate them.

The post Take the Attribution Tag Challenge first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-attribution-tags/feed/ 12 https://bloggingbistro.com/outside-the-box-method-of-brainstorming-ideas-for-blog-posts/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=outside-the-box-method-of-brainstorming-ideas-for-blog-posts https://bloggingbistro.com/outside-the-box-method-of-brainstorming-ideas-for-blog-posts/#comments Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:00:38 +0000 http://heblogssheblogs.com/create-your-own-movie-blockbuster/ Here’s a creative writing exercise that may spark ideas for future blog posts. Combine two movies you’d never associate with one another into one new blockbuster. Examples: Iron Music Man A combo of The Music Man (1962) and Iron Man (2008) A billionaire genius, Professor Harold Stark, invents an indestructible suit of armor made from […]
The post An Outside-the-Box Method of Brainstorming Ideas for Blog Posts first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Here’s a creative writing exercise that may spark ideas for future blog posts. Combine two movies you’d never associate with one another into one new blockbuster.

Examples:

Iron Music Man

A combo of The Music Man (1962) and Iron Man (2008)

A billionaire genius, Professor Harold Stark, invents an indestructible suit of armor made from the brass of 76 trombones. Professor Stark dons the suit, transforms into a superhero, and saves the world by breaking into song at unexpected moments.

It’s a Wonderful Matrix

A combo of It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) and The Matrix (1999)

George Bailey and Neo switch places to see what life would be like in each other’s worlds. Neo fights Mr. Potter in a Kung Fu duel to the death, and George sets everyone in the matrix free-and gets Clarence his wings-by becoming friends with all the machines.

Your turn! Please share the title of your movie, the movies it originated from, and a 1-2 sentence plot summary.

The post An Outside-the-Box Method of Brainstorming Ideas for Blog Posts first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/outside-the-box-method-of-brainstorming-ideas-for-blog-posts/feed/ 4 https://bloggingbistro.com/jargon-drives-me-craz/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jargon-drives-me-craz https://bloggingbistro.com/jargon-drives-me-craz/#comments Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:00:25 +0000 http://heblogssheblogs.com/2008/09/29/hundreddollarwords/ The owner of a car lot narrated the following radio ad:

"...These cars are heavily incentivized..."

Incentivized?

I've heard of "offering incentives."

But incentivized? I had to check it out. Sure enough, it's in the dictionary, and it means "to give incentives to." Another form of the verb is incentivizing (what a mouthful!).

I stand corrected. Incentivized really is a word. But is it the appropriate word to use when advertising cars -- or anything, for that matter?

I hate it when people use big, impressive-sounding words when small ones will do.

The post Jargon Drives Me Crazy first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> The owner of a car lot narrated the following radio ad:

“…These cars are heavily incentivized…”

Incentivized?

I’ve heard of “offering incentives.”

But incentivized?  I had to check it out. Sure enough, it’s in the dictionary, and it means “to give incentives to.” Another form of the verb is incentivizing (what a mouthful!).

I stand corrected. Incentivized really is a word. But is it the appropriate word to use when advertising cars — or anything, for that matter?

I hate it when people use big, impressive-sounding words when small ones will do.

What could the car salesman have said instead of, “These cars are heavily incentivized”?

How about:

• Buy this car today, and you’ll get a $2,000 rebate.
• Our cars are priced to sell.
• No one is buying our cars during this recession, and we’re panicking. To keep from going out of business, we’re offering you the best discount ever.

OK, that last one probably wouldn’t work, even though it’s closest to the truth.

Which brings up another jargony phrase that drives me nuts: economic downturn.

Sounds so soft, palatable, and hopeful, doesn’t it? We all know we’re in the middle of a recession; just call it what it is!

Then there’s leverage.

Whenever I attend business meetings, people talk about leveraging this and that. The word started out as a noun that means “power or ability to influence people, events, decisions,” or “to get a high return off one’s investment.”  Now converted into a verb, it’s batted around in the marketing world like a beach ball. People must think “leveraging” makes them sound important and educated.

Yes, I understand it’s easier to say, “Let’s leverage our investment” instead  of, “Let’s shoot for a high return on our investment.”

But it would comfort me to hear people speaking like human beings and not robots.

Here are more hundred dollar words I detest:

• Irrefutably: Michael Phelps is irrefutably the world record holder in several swimming events.
• I concur: I concur with your hypothesis, Sherlock.
• Wherewithal and doggedly: The detective had the wherewithal to doggedly pursue the kidnapper.
• Precipitate and hereby: Your actions hereby precipitate a lawsuit.

…And even more jargon bandied about at a conference I recently attended:

• Knowledge worker set
• Change management
• Best practices
• Green space
• End users
• Information assets
• Enterprise space
• Social technologies

Your turn! What hundred dollar words grate like fingers on a chalkboard? How many can you cram into one sentence?

The post Jargon Drives Me Crazy first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/jargon-drives-me-craz/feed/ 18 https://bloggingbistro.com/repurposing-blog-posts-reaps-dividends/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=repurposing-blog-posts-reaps-dividends https://bloggingbistro.com/repurposing-blog-posts-reaps-dividends/#respond Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:00:57 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5828 I have Google Alerts set up for my name and my business name (you should, too, if you don’t already). Whenever something is published online that includes the words, “Laura Christianson” or “Blogging Bistro,” I receive an e-mail with a link to the article. I received an alert that a monthly column I wrote for […]
The post Repurposing Blog Posts Reaps Dividends first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> I have Google Alerts set up for my name and my business name (you should, too, if you don’t already). Whenever something is published online that includes the words, “Laura Christianson” or “Blogging Bistro,” I receive an e-mail with a link to the article.

I received an alert that a monthly column I wrote for the Snohomish County Business Journal (SCBJ) had been reprinted in the Everett Herald (that’s the newspaper that owns the SCBJ). Or perhaps I should say, pre-printed. That’s because my column is not due to be printed in the SCBJ until February 1.

I’m a conscientious, deadline-meeting freelance writer, so I dutifully turned in my story by the January 10 deadline. But The Herald must have been having a slow news day, because they printed my column two days after I sent it. Not only that, but The Herald reprinted my January SCBJ column a few days before that. The opening blurb for the new column reads:

Last week, Business Insider contributor Laura Christianson addressed the need to develop an editorial blogging calendar for business owners. This week, she talks about how to effectively manage your social media time.

It’s like a quadruple whammy! My columns for January and February are each being printed in two separate publications, netting me a much wider readership that I would received by being published in only one of the publications.

…And there’s more!

I’m a firm believer in getting as much mileage as possible out of the material I write. Both columns started out as posts on my BloggingBistro.com blog. My editorial calendar column is an adaptation of three separate blog articles, and my time management column is adapted from my post, “A Two-Step Method for Managing Social Networking Time.”

(A quick aside: If you plan to repurpose content in this manner, be sure to check with you editor ahead of time regarding any potential copyright issues.)

If you subscribe to my e-newsletter, Bright Ideas Blogzine, you received an expanded version of the editorial calendar column in January, and you’re going to receive an expanded version of the time management column in February. My newspaper columns are limited to 600 words, but I have no such restrictions in my e-newsletter, so I provide bonus material for my subscribers.

And guess what? If you attend a writers’ conference or other event at which I’m teaching, you’re going to hear some of this same content from me, in person.

Why recycle content?

You may be thinking, “But Laura, that’s cheating! You’re recycling your content over and over.”

I don’t consider it cheating, and here’s why:

People need to hear the same information repeated eight-to-ten times before it lodges in their long-term memory.

People need to hear the same information repeated eight-to-ten times before it lodges in their long-term memory.

People need to hear the same information repeated eight-to-ten times before it lodges in their long-term memory.

Are you remembering that statement yet? I hope so, because I really don’t feel like repeating it eight times!

Plus, I have a business to run. My first priority is my clients, and when things get crazy (which they often are), I run out of time to blog and write e-newsletter articles. I realize that there is some overlap among people who religiously read my blog, my e-newsletter, and my newpaper columns, but a significant portion of my readership does not overlap. So I’m hitting as diverse an audience as possible from several different forms of media.

And finally, recycling is the environmentally-friendly thing to do, even if it’s virtual recycling of ideas.

Do you recycle articles? If so, please share what works best for you.

The post Repurposing Blog Posts Reaps Dividends first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/repurposing-blog-posts-reaps-dividends/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/direct-mail-piece-stinks-up-my-mailbox/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=direct-mail-piece-stinks-up-my-mailbox https://bloggingbistro.com/direct-mail-piece-stinks-up-my-mailbox/#comments Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:00:34 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5737 Here’s a whopping bad example of putrid prose from a direct mail piece I received. The following sentence is an amendment to a Custodial Account Agreement for my retirement fund: The Custodian shall vote all shares that are held in the Participant’s custodial Account on the applicable record date for which proper instructions have not […]
The post Direct Mail Piece Stinks Up My Mailbox first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Here’s a whopping bad example of putrid prose from a direct mail piece I received. The following sentence is an amendment to a Custodial Account Agreement for my retirement fund:

The Custodian shall vote all shares that are held in the Participant’s custodial Account on the applicable record date for which proper instructions have not been timely received from the Participant in the same proportion as the Custodian has been instructed to vote the shares in other custodial accounts for which it serves as custodian for which it has received timely instructions from depositors.

What’s wrong with this prose?

EVERYTHING!

The entire paragraph is one sentence.

Bad, bad, bad. The above sentence is 64 words. Waaaay too long.

• When you draft prose, whether it’s an amendment to the Constitution or a sentence in a novel, keep your sentence lengths manageable.
• Try opening with an extremely short sentence (one-word, two-word or three-word sentences really pop), and following up with a lengthier sentence.

The sentence uses legalese.

Pet peeve alert! Legalese – the “insider” jargon people use within a particular industry – drives me nuts. So much so that I wrote an entire blog post called, “10 popular phrases you must immediately delete from your writing.”

Why can’t they speak plain English? After all, the audience for this so-called information is me, the retirement fund owner.

The company that mailed this piece to me put the amendment on a separate postcard, all by itself. They must have thought it was really, really important. I’ve read this piece at least five times, and cannot make heads or tails of it. If you can’t say it in plain, simple English, don’t say it at all.

How would you rewrite this piece?

Your assignment: Collect samples of Putrid Prose and send them to me. If I feature your sample, I’ll include a short bio about you and a link to your site. Let’s have fun with this!

The post Direct Mail Piece Stinks Up My Mailbox first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/direct-mail-piece-stinks-up-my-mailbox/feed/ 4 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-would-mary-and-joseph-have-used-facebook-to-record-the-birth-of-jesus-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-would-mary-and-joseph-have-used-facebook-to-record-the-birth-of-jesus-video https://bloggingbistro.com/how-would-mary-and-joseph-have-used-facebook-to-record-the-birth-of-jesus-video/#comments Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:00:29 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5651 This video is an artistic take on how the story of the nativity might have read had Facebook existed at the time of Jesus’s birth. Before I viewed the video, I assumed it would be a Christmas spoof. But it’s not; it’s actually quite meaningful. I hope you’ll enjoy it and share it with friends. […]
The post How Would Mary and Joseph Have Used Facebook to Record the Birth of Jesus? (Video) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> This video is an artistic take on how the story of the nativity might have read had Facebook existed at the time of Jesus’s birth.

Before I viewed the video, I assumed it would be a Christmas spoof. But it’s not; it’s actually quite meaningful. I hope you’ll enjoy it and share it with friends.

My sincere wishes to you for a blessed Christmas!

The post How Would Mary and Joseph Have Used Facebook to Record the Birth of Jesus? (Video) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-would-mary-and-joseph-have-used-facebook-to-record-the-birth-of-jesus-video/feed/ 14 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-combination-model-article-e-course-bonus-session/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-write-a-combination-model-article-e-course-bonus-session https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-combination-model-article-e-course-bonus-session/#comments Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:00:40 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5593 This is the Bonus Session in our 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles. Combination Model The Combination Model is just what it sounds like: a combination of two or more types of article types. I’ll give you some examples of combination posts, but first, let’s recap the 12 types of blog articles (click […]
The post How to Write a Combination Model Article (E-Course Bonus Session) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> This is the Bonus Session in our 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles.

Combination Model

The Combination Model is just what it sounds like: a combination of two or more types of article types. I’ll give you some examples of combination posts, but first, let’s recap the 12 types of blog articles (click each title to read the full article):

Calendar Article

Tied to a holiday, special observance, season, or anniversary, this type of article puts a unique spin on the topic, making an otherwise predictable topic unpredictable.

How-To Article

The most popular type of blog article, a how-to explains how to solve a problem, how to do something, or how to improve your life.

Case Study

Lengthier than other types of blog articles, a case study explains how a particular person, group, business, industry, or event excels at something specific.

Review

No matter what you’re reviewing, your review must include the 5 Cs: Categories, Criteria, Critique, Conclusions, and Creativity.

Roundup

Think “soundbite” when writing a roundup article. This type of article often features celebrities or industry influencers, and includes direct quotes from several people.

List Article

A kissin’ cousin to both How-To and Roundup articles, a List Article focuses on solutions to universal problems.

Link Article

One step removed from List Articles, a Link Article includes multiple hyperlinks to articles on others’ blogs and articles from your own blog’s archives.

Profile

Also called a “personality profile,” this type of article focuses on one slice of an interesting person’s life.

Q & A

Easy to write and easy to read, a Q & A includes a brief narrative introduction and the rest of the article reads like a transcription.

Issues Article

A balanced issue-oriented article requires research and interviewing, careful presentation of facts, and a thorough examination of the issue’s pros and cons.

Personal Essay

At its core, blogging is a personal essay. But a good personal essay avoids “I” strain; instead, it focuses on WII-FM content for your reader: What’s In It For Me?

Factoid

The easiest type of blog post to write, a factoid is a one-line fact, definition, statistic, current event, or newsworthy tidbit.

THE 30-SECOND BRAINSTORM

You can set up the combination model two ways:

1. Merge two or more article types into one article.
2. Spinoff one topic into a series that encompasses several article types.

Let’s say your topic is aromatherapy candles (substitute your own topic and use my methodology to help you brainstorm).

First, ask yourself:

• Do I “use” aromatherapy?
• In what ways do I incorporate aromatherapy into my daily life?

Perhaps you spray air freshener into your cat’s litter box every day.

Or you remove static cling from your clothes by tossing a scented fabric softener sheet into your dryer.

Or you dab essential oils behind your kneecaps.

I slather on mango-coconut-guava lotion every morning because the scent instantly transports me to Hawaii (where I long to live during our long, dreary Seattle winter).

When I run low on inspiration while writing blog posts, I light a vanilla-scented candle and brew a cup of chai. The creamy aroma re-awakens my senses and imbues me with fresh energy.

Within 30 seconds, I brainstormed the makings of a List Article: “Five everyday uses for aromatherapy,” or a Personal Essay: “How aromatherapy helps me be a better blogger.”

MORPH AND COMBINE

To morph this topic into a combination Calendar/Roundup article, survey readers of your blog (or your Facebook or Twitter accounts) and ask them, “How do you use aromatherapy to keep depression at bay during the short days of winter?”

You could follow that up with a Case Study of the effectiveness of essential oils in treating arthritic pain. Include a Factoid that defines the term “essential oils” and include Links to more information about the top essential oils used in treating arthritic pain.

An Issue-Oriented article can explore the health benefits of applying essential oils directly to the skin vs. inhaling them or using them as an ingredient in practical applications, such as insect repellant.

You could write about how to use aromatherapy safely and structure it as a Q & A interview with an aromatherapy expert.

And you can review the best places in your area to purchase aromatherapy products.

EXAMPLE #2

Let’s try another tactic with a different topic: children’s books.

Start by listing each of the 12 types of articles:

1. Calendar
2. How-to
3. Case Study
4. Review
5. Roundup
6. List
7. Link
8. Profile
9. Q & A
10. Issue
11. Personal Essay
12. Factoid

12 ARTICLES


Next, brainstorm ways you can write 12 types of blog posts about the topic of children’s books:

Calendar – Best-loved classic Christmas books

How-to – How to choose the right books for your child’s age

Case Study – Trends in the children’s book publishing industry and predictions for the upcoming decade

Review – Choose a children’s book currently on the best-seller list and review it

Roundup – Librarians recommend their favorite picture books

List – The best children’s books of the year

Link – Five classic children’s books you must add to your home library (link to each book at online bookstore)

Profile – How a children’s book editor decides what’s worthy of publication

Q & A – Interview an author of children’s books. Ask:

• What criteria should parents/grandparents use to choose good books for their kids?
• What specific books do your recommend that help children make good choices in life?

Issue – Should you self-publish or royalty publish your children’s book?

Personal Essay – How I became a best-selling children’s book author

Factoid – Statistics about the number of children’s books published each year

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

1. Choose one topic you plan to blog about.
2. List the 12 types of articles.
3. Brainstorm an article (related to your topic) for each of the 12 styles.
4. Now, list ways you can combine two or more types of article styles for that topic.
5. In the Comments area, share one of your combination-style topics.
The post How to Write a Combination Model Article (E-Course Bonus Session) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-combination-model-article-e-course-bonus-session/feed/ 4 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-factoid-e-course-part-12/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-write-a-factoid-e-course-part-12 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-factoid-e-course-part-12/#comments Fri, 26 Nov 2010 13:00:35 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5581 This is Part 12 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles. But stay tuned — there will be a bonus session! Factoid A Factoid is perhaps the easiest type of blog post to write. A factoid is a one-line fact, definition, statistic, current event, or newsworthy tidbit. You can write an entire […]
The post How to Write a Factoid (E-Course Part 12) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> This is Part 12 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles. But stay tuned — there will be a bonus session!

Factoid

A Factoid is perhaps the easiest type of blog post to write.

A factoid is a one-line fact, definition, statistic, current event, or newsworthy tidbit.

You can write an entire factoid blog post (a series of related factoids), or you can insert a factoid as a pull quote within a blog article.

Factoids help simplify complex subjects. Let’s say you’re writing an article about the different types of cloning. You might use the following factoid:

Therapeutic Cloning – Also called “embryo cloning,” this type of cloning produces human embryos for use in research.

Factoids provide at-a-glance information. If you’re printing a recipe for your favorite cookie on your blog, your factoid might read:

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 1/2 hours
Makes: 2 dozen 2-inch cookies

If you’re profiling famous Olympic swimmers in the 100-meter backstroke, your factoid might list their Olympic and world record times.

For an issue-oriented article on the topic of jealous spouses, your factoid might feature the following quotation:

Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope.
~Josh Billings

…Or it might feature three tips for killing the green-eyed monster.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

1. Review the list of article topics and/or notes for articles you’ve created during this e-course.
2. What factoids can you pull out of each topic that will either enhance the readability of the article or will provide helpful, at-a-glance information?
3. Using a highlighter pen, circle portions from your notes that you can turn into factoids.
4. In the Comments area, share an interesting or unusual factoid.

Coming next:

Bonus Session!

Previously in this Series:

• How to Write a Calendar Article (E-Course Part 1)
• How To Write a How-To Article (E-Course Part 2)
• How to Write Case Studies (E-Course Part 3)
• How to Write a Review (E-Course Part 4)
• How to Write a Roundup Article (E-Course Part 5)
• How to Write a List Article (E-Course Part 6)
• How to Write a Link Article (E-Course Part 7)
• How to Write a Profile Article (E-Course Part 8
• How to Write a Q & A (E-Course Part 9)
  
• How to Write an Issues Article (E-Course Part 10)
• How to Write a Personal Essay (E-Course Part 11)
  

 

The post How to Write a Factoid (E-Course Part 12) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-factoid-e-course-part-12/feed/ 2 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-personal-essay-e-course-part-11/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-write-a-personal-essay-e-course-part-11 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-personal-essay-e-course-part-11/#comments Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:00:41 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5572 This is Part 11 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles. Personal Essay I just read an article about how to write a personal essay. The 1,800-word article – which advised writing short paragraphs – was one lengthy paragraph. Just goes to show, you can’t trust everything you read on the Internet. […]
The post How to Write a Personal Essay (E-Course Part 11) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> This is Part 11 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles.

Personal Essay

I just read an article about how to write a personal essay. The 1,800-word article – which advised writing short paragraphs – was one lengthy paragraph. Just goes to show, you can’t trust everything you read on the Internet.

But I’m confident you’ll be able to trust the information in this article.

Blogging, at its core, is a personal essay. The term blog – a blend of the words web log, emerged about a decade ago when people began chronicling their daily lives in online diaries or journals.

A handful of bloggers have achieved superstardom via the personal essay blog. In 2002, 29-year-old Julie Powell began blogging her attempt to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s cookbook in one year. Her blog garnered a huge following, and she was offered a book contract and a movie deal.

And so many “mommy bloggers” have become relatively famous that I won’t even attempt to list them.

Whether your topic is parenting, fashion, travel, sports, music, writing, or finance, you’ll likely publish personal essays on a regular basis.

PERSONAL ESSAY POINTERS

While it’s important to weave your feelings and responses into a personal essay, don’t make the mistake of assuming a personal essay is all about you.

Just the opposite. A personal essay must avoid “I” strain; it should provide take-away… benefits to the reader.

If you’ve attended any of my workshops, you know that my favorite radio station is WII-FM. That stands for What’s In It For Me? (Me being your reader.)

If you’re exceptionally lucky (or you’re a celebrity), your readers might pretend to care about you. But if every personal essay you post on your blog is “all about me,” your fans are going to get worn out and fed up.

On the other hand, if you embrace your readers by consistently delivering WII-FM content, your readers will grow to trust you, and they will (hopefully) look forward to your posts.

In addition to answering your readers’ “What’s in it for me?” question, your personal essay should be packed with the following:

• Detailed descriptions… about the subject that affects or concerns you and your readers
• Factual information… about the topic
• Exploration… of ideas that surround the topic

STRUCTURE OF THE PERSONAL ESSAY

You learned how to write 5-paragraph essays in school (introductory paragraph, three supporting paragraphs, concluding paragraph), so I won’t bore you by rehashing the details.

You can adapt the 5-paragraph essay technique for your blog. Here’s how:

• Begin with a short personal anecdote (introductory paragraph of 1-to-3 sentences).
• In the body of your personal essay, include as many supporting paragraphs as you need to explore your topic. It’s okay – even recommended – to write more than three supporting paragraphs. Blog paragraphs are much shorter than “school assignment” paragraphs, mainly because the content column width of a blog is narrower than a standard 8 ½ x 11” sheet of paper; therefore, a blog needs more “white space” in order to make it readable.
• You may conclude your essay by returning to or referring to your introductory anecdote, but you don’t have to. When you’re finished writing, just stop.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

1. What topic is most near and dear to your heart?
2. Explore that topic, listing one-word feelings you have about it.
3. Next, do some topical research at Google’s Wonder Wheel. Here’s a blog post about how to use the Wonder Wheel.
4. Outline your feelings, thoughts, and research, organizing your content in the standard 5-paragraph essay structure.
5. Give yourself permission to expand on those five paragraphs.
6. In the Comments area, share the topic that you plan to write a personal essay about.

Coming next:

How to write a Factoid

Previously in this Series:

• How to Write a Calendar Article (E-Course Part 1)
• How To Write a How-To Article (E-Course Part 2)
• How to Write Case Studies (E-Course Part 3)
• How to Write a Review (E-Course Part 4)
• How to Write a Roundup Article (E-Course Part 5)
• How to Write a List Article (E-Course Part 6)
• How to Write a Link Article (E-Course Part 7)
• How to Write a Profile Article (E-Course Part 8
• How to Write a Q & A (E-Course Part 9)
• How to Write an Issues Article (E-Course Part 10)
  
The post How to Write a Personal Essay (E-Course Part 11) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-personal-essay-e-course-part-11/feed/ 9 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-an-issue-oriented-article-e-course-part-10/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-write-an-issue-oriented-article-e-course-part-10 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-an-issue-oriented-article-e-course-part-10/#comments Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:00:18 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5546 This is Part 10 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles. As I was researching issue-oriented articles, I came across a tongue-in-cheek article titled, “How to Write About Africa.” When writing about Africa, the author advises, “Make sure you show how Africans have music and rhythm deep in their souls, and eat […]
The post How to Write an Issue-Oriented Article (E-Course Part 10) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> This is Part 10 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles.

As I was researching issue-oriented articles, I came across a tongue-in-cheek article titled, “How to Write About Africa.”

When writing about Africa, the author advises, “Make sure you show how Africans have music and rhythm deep in their souls, and eat things no other humans eat. Do not mention rice and beef and wheat; monkey-brain is an African’s cuisine of choice, along with goat, snake, worms and grubs and all manner of game meat…

“The Modern African is a fat man who steals and works in the visa office, refusing to give work permits to qualified Westerners who really care about Africa…

“Among your characters you must always include The Starving African, who wanders the refugee camp nearly naked, and waits for the benevolence of the West. Her children have flies on their eyelids and pot bellies, and her breasts are flat and empty…

“Animals, on the other hand, must be treated as well rounded, complex characters. They speak (or grunt while tossing their manes proudly) and have names, ambitions and desires…

“Any short Africans who live in the jungle or desert may be portrayed with good humour (unless they are in conflict with an elephant or chimpanzee or gorilla, in which case they are pure evil).”

This article illustrates the main thing you must remember when writing an issue-oriented article: balance.

And in order to achieve a balanced story you must dig deep into your topic so you avoid painting a stereotypical or idyllic picture.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ISSUE ARTICLES

Blog articles that focus on issues are challenging and time-consuming to write. They require:

1. research and interviewing
2. careful presentation of facts
3. thorough examination of the issue’s pros and cons

The element that differentiates issue-oriented blog posts from an issues-based newspaper articles is that you can inject your opinion into a blog post. But unlike radio talk show hosts who spew venomous rants about their pet issues with little substance to back up their words, bloggers can (and should) put care into the words they choose.

In a blog post about the issue of talking on cell phones while driving, conservative political blogger Michelle Malkin intersperses dry, witty commentary with direct quotes, statistics, a case study, a historical overview of the issue. She states her case about the issue behind the issue: the cell phone czar’s “hidden agenda.”

In the popular blog, The Huffington Post, Steve Parker, a reporter who specializes in covering the auto industry, predicts how General Motors could “easily fall into many of the same bad habits which resulted in their first, recent bankruptcy.”

He structures his post as a list article, comparing and contrasting GM vs Toyota, citing insider conversations he’s had with auto industry execs, and peppering his article with his own analysis.

GROW THICK SKIN

If you plan to write issue-oriented articles – or to devote your entire blog to hot-button issues – be prepared to receive lots of hate mail and antagonistic comments.

Be prepared to welcome lots of avid fans, as well.

The more controversial your topic (and your opinions on that topic), the more polarized your readers will be.

ARTICLE TOPICS

Issue articles aren’t limited to politics, but they almost always address controversial topics.  Here are some possibilities:

• How stress can be good for your health
• Can men and women who work together be just friends?
• Why legalize marijuana?
• Should people who are medically diagnosed as obese be allowed to claim federal tax deductions for doctor-prescribed weight loss programs?
• Trend of interfaith marriages
• Social networking sites that leave people vulnerable to solicitations from online predators who mask their true identities

ISSUE ARTICLE POINTERS

Timely

Your article should pertain to a current or recent issue or event.

Specific

Focus on one issue or one aspect of an issue.

Concise

State a strong argument in your introduction and conclusion. Write succinctly.

Factual

Support your opinion with examples, quotes, statistics, and well-documented facts.

Logical

Arguments and examples must build on one another.

Professional

Don’t make personal attacks. It’s okay to criticize – constructively – but your job is to attack the issue, not to demean person behind the issue.

Forward-thinking

As you make your case, include practical suggestions or solutions to resolve the issue.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

1. What issues curdle your blood?
2. What issues in your industry or niche push people’s buttons?
3. Create a file folder for the issue you’re most interested in writing about. Start collecting articles, facts, statistics, and names of key players.
4. In one sentence, state your opinion about that issue.
5. As you draft your article, make sure every sentence supports your one-sentence opinion.
6. In the Comments area, share the issue that you plan to blog about.

Coming next:

How to write a Personal Essay

Previously in this Series:

• How to Write a Calendar Article (E-Course Part 1)
• How To Write a How-To Article (E-Course Part 2)
• How to Write Case Studies (E-Course Part 3)
• How to Write a Review (E-Course Part 4)
• How to Write a Roundup Article (E-Course Part 5)
• How to Write a List Article (E-Course Part 6)
• How to Write a Link Article (E-Course Part 7)
• How to Write a Profile Article (E-Course Part 8
• How to Write a Q & A (E-Course Part 9)
The post How to Write an Issue-Oriented Article (E-Course Part 10) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-an-issue-oriented-article-e-course-part-10/feed/ 11 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-queston-and-answer-e-course-part-9/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-write-queston-and-answer-e-course-part-9 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-queston-and-answer-e-course-part-9/#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:00:14 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5488 This is Part 9 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles. Q & A In Session 8 of this course, you learned how to write a Profile Article, in which you paint a word picture of some aspect of an interesting person’s life. Profiles are often packaged in a Question and Answer (Q […]
The post How to Write a Q & A (E-Course Part 9) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> This is Part 9 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles.



Q & A

In Session 8 of this course, you learned how to write a Profile Article, in which you paint a word picture of some aspect of an interesting person’s life.

Profiles are often packaged in a Question and Answer (Q & A) format on blogs because:

1.  They’re easy to write.

Q & A includes a brief narrative introduction and the rest of the article reads like a transcription. No transitions between paragraphs are needed.

2.  They’re easy to read.

I recommend double spacing between questions and answers. This creates white space (breathing space) within your blog article, and makes it easy for people to skim and pinpoint questions they’re most interested in.

You can format your Q & A various ways:

Q. Question goes here.

A. Answer goes here.

OR

Laura Christianson: Question goes here. I write out the full name of the interviewer and interviewee on the first question only. After that, I use initials – in this case, LC:

Name of interviewee: Answer goes here.

3.  They’re versatile.

You can write a Q & A about virtually any topic. I recently spotted a Q & A that debated the issue of paper towels vs. hand towels in home bathrooms.  The writer did a Q & A with himself, asking typical questions consumers have about this issue responding to his own questions. Clever!

(In case you’re wondering, paper vs. cloth is currently a hot-button issue; many consumers wonder whether the potential health benefits from using paper towels justifies the cost, resource consumption, and waste.)

Q & A is the primary format that authors, recording artists and other creative types use when going on virtual tours. The artist (or a PR pro) typically crafts several permutations of a canned interview as a Q & A. When a blogger requests an interview, all the artist has to do is e-mail them the Q & A.

CRAFTING THE Q


When composing questions for a Q & A, avoid yes or no questions. Ask open-ended questions that invite creative responses.

The following questions were suggested during a writers’ conference workshop taught by Holly Miller, co-author of Feature and Magazine Writing and a former senior editor for the Saturday Evening Post:

1. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
2. If you were writing your life story, what part would you like to leave out?
3. What’s the biggest mistake you almost made?
4. If someone was making a movie about your life, who would you want to play you?
5. Describe your perfect day.
6. What gives you the most pleasure?
7. What’s your favorite fantasy?
8. If you suddenly came into a $10 million inheritance and had to spend it on yourself, what would you buy?
9. Who are your heroes?
10. What do you like/dislike most about yourself?

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

1. Do a Q & A with yourself. (I know; it sounds narcissistic, but it’s good practice.) What questions do people ask you most often about your industry/book/ministry/niche? List at least 10 questions.
2. Answer your own questions, clearly and succinctly.
3. Review your answers. Ruthlessly cut words until each answer packs a punch.
4. Find two bloggers in your niche and ask them if they’d be interested in featuring a Q & A interview with you. Contact the bloggers, and be sure to tell them that you have a ready-made Q & A for them. (Bloggers love it when you make their job easy.)
5. In the Comments area, share your favorite Question and Answer so we can learn something interesting about YOU.

Coming next:

How to write an Issue Article

Previously in this Series:

• How to Write a Calendar Article (E-Course Part 1)
• How To Write a How-To Article (E-Course Part 2)
• How to Write Case Studies (E-Course Part 3)
• How to Write a Review (E-Course Part 4)
• How to Write a Roundup Article (E-Course Part 5)
• How to Write a List Article (E-Course Part 6)
• How to Write a Link Article (E-Course Part 7)
• How to Write a Profile Article (E-Course Part 
The post How to Write a Q & A (E-Course Part 9) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-queston-and-answer-e-course-part-9/feed/ 9 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-profile-article-e-course-part-8/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-write-a-profile-article-e-course-part-8 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-profile-article-e-course-part-8/#comments Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:00:57 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5460 This is Part 8 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles. Profile Article On the hit CBS show, “Criminal Minds,” an elite team of FBI profilers analyze the country’s most twisted criminal minds. Relying on research and investigative skills, the team attempts to identify and nab wily “unsubs” (unidentified subjects) before they […]
The post How to Write a Profile Article (E-Course Part 8) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> This is Part 8 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles.

Profile Article

On the hit CBS show, “Criminal Minds,” an elite team of FBI profilers analyze the country’s most twisted criminal minds. Relying on research and investigative skills, the team attempts to identify and nab wily “unsubs” (unidentified subjects) before they strike again.

You, too, can be a profiler. Like the members of the show’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, you’ll interview people (we’ll call them “subs”) asking probing questions that pinpoint their motives. Your interviews will morph into personality profiles—blog articles that paint word pictures about your subs’ defining characteristics. Let’s explore a few tips to help you craft first-rate profiles.

PRE-INTERVIEW

The bulk of your profiling will take place before you interview your subject.

Side note: your subject does NOT have to be a celebrity. Just an interesting person, or perhaps an influencer in your industry. Your profile will detail one slice of that person’s life.

Visit your sub’s Web site, skim his or her work, obtain a press kit if one is available, and read articles and public records about your sub.

Contact others who know the sub well: relatives, close friends, colleagues, agent, pastor, etc. Armed with information, you’ll be prepared to ask pertinent questions that plumb the depths of your sub’s psyche.

Spend time observing your subject, if possible. That doesn’t mean staking out her house on the sly, but rather, obtaining permission to “shadow” her during her work day.

As you collect information, jot down questions:

1. What would my blog’s readers want to know about this person?
2. What are this person’s likes/dislikes, dreams/goals?
3. Who or what are the main influences on this person’s life?
4. What puzzles you about this person?
5. What obstacles has this person overcome?
6. What makes this person special?
7. What is interesting or intriguing about this person – right now?

INTERVIEW

Conducting multiple face-to-face interviews with your subject in multiple settings will give you the best fodder for a profile. However, it’s not always logistically feasible to interview your sub in person; you’ll likely speak on the phone.

When you begin the interview, agree on a time frame and stick to it. Your subject is a busy person and it’s critical to respect her time boundaries.

Acquaint your subject with the purpose for the interview. If you’re planning to repurpose your blog article and sell the profile to a magazine or online publication, ask the sub what media outlets have already published stories about her. Together, brainstorm publications the sub thinks would be most appropriate for her story. Discussing logistics for a couple of minutes creates a relaxed, amicable atmosphere.

Inform your subject you are recording the interview. But don’t rely solely on your recording device or your memory (authentic profilers don’t get “vibes” or experience psychic flashes). Jot down key information and “quotable quotes.”

During the interview, your job is to listen. An interview is not a conversation or a debate. Ask a question and shut up. Maintain regular eye contact with the subject, smile occasionally, nod in agreement, and insert the occasional “uh huh…I see.”

Use your written questions as a guide and follow up on interesting tangents. If the sub reveals critical information, ask her to repeat it to ensure accuracy.

Surreptitiously note tidbits that will help you flesh out your article:

• What the sub is wearing
• Color of her eyes and hair
• Approximate height
• Pitch of voice
• Specific gestures
• Facial expressions

Your last –and most important — question should be:

“Is there anything you would like to add that I didn’t ask?”

Ninety-nine percent of the time, you will obtain your best quote after asking this question.

 

POST-INTERVIEW

While the interview is fresh in your mind, read your notes and transcribe the recording, highlighting key information and pertinent quotes. Decide on a point of view (first person or third person), an angle—a theme that will echo throughout your profile—and outline your article, plugging in direct quotes throughout.

WRITE

It’s time to start writing! Compose two or three leads (the story’s opening paragraph), and ask yourself, “If I was reading this article, which lead would compel me to continue reading the story?”

Always keep your readers in mind; they should experience an emotional connection with your subject as they read the profile. Focus on what your subject does and how she acts, not just on what she says or thinks.

Write short paragraphs (1-to-3 sentences each), interspersing direct and indirect quotes with narrative. Include boldface section headings, bulleted lists, and sidebars.  Finally, write a headline and subhead that captures the essence of your profile.

When you publish the profile on your blog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you granted an author, artist, musician, politician (or an interesting everyday Joe or Josie) a few minutes of well-deserved fame—and you didn’t even have to join the FBI to do it.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

1. Who are the movers and shakers in your industry or niche? Build a list.
2. Investigate how you can get in contact with those industry influencers. Via Twitter? Facebook? Their blog? E-mail? Phone? Add their contact information to your list.
3. Set up an interview and go for it!
4. In the Comments area, share one person in your industry you’d like to profile.

Coming next:

How to write a Q & A Article

Previously in this Series:

• How to Write a Calendar Article (E-Course Part 1)
• How To Write a How-To Article (E-Course Part 2)
• How to Write Case Studies (E-Course Part 3)
• How to Write a Review (E-Course Part 4)
• How to Write a Roundup Article (E-Course Part 5)
• How to Write a List Article (E-Course Part 6)
• How to Write a Link Article (E-Course Part 7)
The post How to Write a Profile Article (E-Course Part 8) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-profile-article-e-course-part-8/feed/ 22 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-link-article-e-course-part-7/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-write-a-link-article-e-course-part-7 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-link-article-e-course-part-7/#comments Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:00:10 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5433 This is Part 7 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles. Link Articles Link Articles are one step removed from list articles. A fallback for every blogger, link articles include multiple hyperlinks to: a)  Articles on other people’s blogs b)  Articles from your own blog’s archives It’s wise to include a brief […]
The post How to Write a Link Article (E-Course Part 7) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> This is Part 7 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles.

Link Articles

Link Articles are one step removed from list articles. A fallback for every blogger, link articles include multiple hyperlinks to:

a)  Articles on other people’s blogs

b)  Articles from your own blog’s archives

It’s wise to include a brief annotation for each link. Your annotation could include:

• Why you chose that link (when you link to another post, it’s like putting your stamp of approval on it).
• An excerpt from the post.

You’ll see lots of “Best of” link articles year-round on blogs, but they’re particularly popular at the end of each year, when bloggers showcase the best of everything in their industry from the previous year.

STRUCTURE OF A LINK ARTICLE

If you plan to publish a lot of link articles, you’ll want to create a stylesheet for how you’ll share links. When I write link articles, I use the following style:

1.  Title of the article to which I’m linking in boldface (with the URL embedded in the link)

2.  1-sentence explanation of the article’s topic

3.  Brief quote/excerpt from the article

4.  Full URL to the article

TITLES

Identify link articles with phrases such as:

• Highlights…
• Best of…
• Top…

SAMPLE LINK TITLES

• Best personal finance blogs of 2010
• Three great places to find guest blogging opportunities
• Top twenty Twitter tutorials
• 30 free high-quality fonts
• 15 fantastic WordPress plugins
• 80+ Websites to Submit Your Design Articles To

SEO FOR LINK ARTICLES

My friend Thomas McGee wrote a combination how-to/link article for Smashing Magazine, a hugely popular blogs for Web designers and developers, with more than 5 million visitors per month.

In his article, “Billboard Web Design: How to Win Your Audience’s Attention,” Thomas provided annotated links (complete with screenshots) to 29 websites.

Smashing Magazine is famous for its mega-link articles, and, as Thomas pointed out to me, his goal was “to create a resource so comprehensive and complete that readers would bookmark it and return to it time and time again.”

Had he broken up each section of his article into separate blog posts, it would have lost its comprehensive quality and would have forced people to hunt to find the other parts of the series. A long list (as long as it contains quality information) also has the potential to attract more links to your site, and more social bookmarking on sites such as Delicious or Digg.

I agree with Thomas – to a point. The key thing to remember is your readership. Smashing Magazine readers are tech-savvy designers and developers who revel in having easy access to dozens of creative design ideas on a daily basis.

But most blog readers aren’t interested in spending hours clicking through to 29 or 50 or 100 links. Sure, they may bookmark your post and have every intention of revisiting it at a later date (ostensibly, when they have more time). But my guess is that while most of us have good intentions of reading articles we’ve bookmarked, few of us ever get around to doing so.

Again, it’s important to know YOUR readers and to deliver what they expect. My blog’s typical reader is a technically-challenged Baby Boomer who has recently started blogging or who wants practical ideas for taking their social media marketing to the next level.

A 29-link post would likely freak out many of my readers. When I write link articles, I limit them to 5 or 10 links. When I write link articles that include 20 or more links, I usually package it as a PDF so people can download it, print it, and keep it on hand for reference.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

1. Get a picture in your mind of your ideal reader. How many links can your reader stomach in one article? (If you’re not sure, poll your readers.)
2. Start collecting links to interesting, useful articles in your niche. (I bookmark quality articles on Delicious and organize them into “tag bundles” so I can find them easily. These bookmarked articles become the basis for my link posts).
3. In the Comments area, share one topic for which you’re going to begin collecting links.

Coming next:

How to write a Profile

Previously in this Series:

• How to Write a Calendar Article (E-Course Part 1)
• How To Write a How-To Article (E-Course Part 2)
• How to Write Case Studies (E-Course Part 3)
• How to Write a Review (E-Course Part 4)
• How to Write a Roundup Article (E-Course Part 5)
• How to Write a List Article (E-Course Part 6)
The post How to Write a Link Article (E-Course Part 7) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-link-article-e-course-part-7/feed/ 17 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-list-article-e-course-part-6/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-write-a-list-article-e-course-part-6 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-list-article-e-course-part-6/#comments Wed, 10 Nov 2010 13:00:20 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5422 This is Part 6 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles. List Article A kissin’ cousin to both How-To and Roundup articles, a List Article focuses on solutions to universal problems: 20 things to do when you’re stranded in an airport during a snowstorm 10 dieting myths Top school supplies for preschoolers […]
The post How to Write a List Article (E-Course Part 6) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> This is Part 6 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles.



List Article

A kissin’ cousin to both How-To and Roundup articles, a List Article focuses on solutions to universal problems:

• 20 things to do when you’re stranded in an airport during a snowstorm
• 10 dieting myths
• Top school supplies for preschoolers through college-bound
• 5 fantastic family vacation spots in ___ state/province/country
• 5 haircuts that trim a decade off
• 20 must-have kitchen tools
• 7 ways to respond to failure
• 10 ways to grow your business, despite the economy
• 25 gifts under $25 that you’ll love to give
• 12 tips to manage your money
• 10 essential items to include in your carry-on luggage
• 30 ways to celebrate National Adoption Month (or any National ___ Month – see Session 1: Calendar Article for info)

Why write list articles


A list article is tightly-focused and includes a brief introductory paragraph followed by a list of items.

List posts tend to generate comments, because your readers will suggest list items you may have forgotten, debate the validity of your list items, or thank you for including them in your list.

List articles are a quick, easy way for you to share what you’re learning. They don’t require a huge amount of research or brain drain, and they give you the opportunity to show off your creative ideas.

Titles

Titles for list articles always contain a number. Doesn’t matter whether you share 5, 10, 12, 20, or 100 items; be sure to specify the number of items in your list.

Titles for list articles also focus on solutions to problems – things that will benefit the reader.

And like every good blog title, they should be optimized for searches. What keywords would people type into a search engine to find your list post?  Include those words in the title.

Your Assignment


1. List 10 problems or dilemmas your readers might have (these don’t necessarily have to be earth-shattering moral dilemmas – they can be everyday stuff).

Example: I want to paint the exterior of my home but I can’t decide on a color scheme.

2. Flip those problems on their head and create keyword-rich headlines that focus on solutions.

Example: 10 Popular Exterior Paint Colors for 2015

3.   In the Comments area, share one solution-oriented headline for a list article you want to write.

Coming next:

How to write a Link Article

Previously in this Series:

• How to Write a Calendar Article (E-Course Part 1)
• How To Write a How-To Article (E-Course Part 2)
• How to Write Case Studies (E-Course Part 3)
• How to Write a Review (E-Course Part 4)
• How to Write a Roundup Article (E-Course Part 5)
The post How to Write a List Article (E-Course Part 6) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-list-article-e-course-part-6/feed/ 18 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-roundup-article-e-course-part-5/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-write-a-roundup-article-e-course-part-5 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-roundup-article-e-course-part-5/#comments Mon, 08 Nov 2010 13:00:39 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5382 If you’re active on Facebook or Twitter, you can quickly collect input for a Roundup Article. Just pose a question and watch the comments fly in.

A roundup article includes direct quotes from several people. Some roundups feature celebrities or industry influencers, but they certainly don’t have to. Normal, everyday folks will get a kick out of their 15 seconds of fame on your blog, and they’ll urge their friends to visit your blog.

The post How to Write a Roundup Article (E-Course Part 5) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> This is Part 5 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles.



ROUNDUP ARTICLE


If you’re active on Facebook or Twitter, you can quickly collect input for a Roundup Article. Just pose a question and watch the comments fly in.

A roundup article includes direct quotes from several people. Some roundups feature celebrities or industry influencers, but they certainly don’t have to. Normal, everyday folks will get a kick out of their 15 seconds of fame on your blog, and they’ll urge their friends to visit your blog.

AS EASY AS ONE-TWO

A roundup contains only two components:

1. A short introduction that explains how the roundup is “packaged.”
2. Soundbites from the people you interviewed. These direct quotes should be short, pithy, and entertaining. It’s ok to lightly edit soundbites for wordiness, but make sure you stay true to the interviewee’s personality, tone, and message. Each person you feature will receive his or her own paragraph.

SAMPLE ROUNDUP TOPICS

• Why I homeschool my kids – Ask this question to five parents
• 3 best children’s museums in the U.S. – You can do this review style, stating your own opinion about three different museums, or you can solicit others’ opinions
• My first date – Everyone remembers their first date, for better or for worse
• My most memorable Christmas – This post combines the Calendar Article and the Roundup style.
• The most unusual item I’ve cooked in a crockpot – Crockpots have taken on new life and are again the “in” appliance. Your readers might be surprised at the strange concoctions people brew up in theirs.
• The best uses for coffee filters (other than for brewing coffee) – Let your readers get creative!

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

1. Think about your blog’s ideal reader. List 5 roundup topics that would appeal to your reader. At least one of your topics should be purely for entertainment value.
2. Share the question for one of your roundup articles in the Comments area so we can respond to it. Let’s help each other!

Coming next:

How to write a List Article

Previously in this Series:

• How to Write a Calendar Article (E-Course Part 1)
• How To Write a How-To Article (E-Course Part 2)
• How to Write Case Studies (E-Course Part 3)
• How to Write a Review (E-Course Part 4)
The post How to Write a Roundup Article (E-Course Part 5) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-roundup-article-e-course-part-5/feed/ 14 https://bloggingbistro.com/10-most-popular-blogging-bistro-posts-in-october-2010/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=10-most-popular-blogging-bistro-posts-in-october-2010 https://bloggingbistro.com/10-most-popular-blogging-bistro-posts-in-october-2010/#respond Sat, 06 Nov 2010 13:00:35 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5283 Here’s my monthly roundup of the most popular posts on Blogging Bistro. Which is your favorite? Social Media Icons for Your Web Site or Blog Inspirational Football Video of ‘Ike’ Goes Viral ‘Green’ Marketing Must Appeal to the Customer’s Self-Interest The Dark Side of Social Media Memorize English Phonetic Spelling With Me The Ugliest Websites […]
The post 10 Most Popular Blogging Bistro Posts in October 2010 first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Here’s my monthly roundup of the most popular posts on Blogging Bistro. Which is your favorite?
1. Social Media Icons for Your Web Site or Blog
2. Inspirational Football Video of ‘Ike’ Goes Viral
3. ‘Green’ Marketing Must Appeal to the Customer’s Self-Interest
4. The Dark Side of Social Media
5. Memorize English Phonetic Spelling With Me
6. The Ugliest Websites on the Planet
7. When—and How—to Compress URLs
8. 15 Secrets For the Perfect Business Portrait
9. How to Use the New Twitter Design (Video Tutorial)
10. 10 Popular Phrases You Must Immediately Delete From Your Writing
The post 10 Most Popular Blogging Bistro Posts in October 2010 first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/10-most-popular-blogging-bistro-posts-in-october-2010/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-review-e-course-part-4/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-write-a-review-e-course-part-4 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-review-e-course-part-4/#comments Fri, 05 Nov 2010 13:00:50 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5371 This is Part 4 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles. Reviews Before I buy something – particularly if that something is a major expenditure – I search for online reviews. Whether the reviews appear in Consumer Reports, at Yelp, Amazon, ePinions or on someone’s blog, the input helps me to make […]
The post How to Write a Review (E-Course Part 4) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> This is Part 4 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles.

Reviews

Before I buy something – particularly if that something is a major expenditure – I search for online reviews. Whether the reviews appear in Consumer Reports, at Yelp, Amazon, ePinions or on someone’s blog, the input helps me to make an informed buying decision.

After you’ve been blogging awhile and have established a reputation in your niche, people will ask you to review their products. I receive several offers per day from PR representatives who want me to review their client’s book, software, or web-based application.

YOU: THE REVIEWER

You may want to devote your blog exclusively to reviewing products in your industry. Before you make that decision, check out the competition.

• How many bloggers in your niche review products?
• Do they write original or canned reviews? (Some bloggers who claim to be reviewers just reprint the so-called reviews prepared by the product’s PR team. That’s cheating.)
• How well-written and informative are the reviews?
• If you join the fray, how will your reviews stand out from the others?

THE 4 Cs OF A REVIEW

No matter what you’re reviewing, your review will include four key components:

1.  Categories

I began my freelance writing career reviewing photo-editing software for computer magazines. But it wasn’t just any photo editing software; it was software for consumers who wanted easy-to-use tools at an affordable price.

Before you craft your review, know your audience. Know how much money they are willing to spend. And only review products that fit within the parameters of your target readership.

2.  Criteria

When I reviewed photo-editing software, I first read all the promotional literature about each product. I asked myself: What does this product claim to do? The PR pieces helped me come up with a list of criteria on which to base my review. For example, I decided that all the software I reviewed should include redeye reduction tools, collage-creation tools, and tools for creating custom photo greeting cards.

As I thoroughly tested each product, I described how well it met each of the criteria I had established.

3.  Critique

Don’t be afraid to boldly state your opinion. After all, that’s the whole purpose of a review. Just make sure to back up your judgment with specific, reasoned arguments and illustrations, and concrete results from your product testing.

4.  Conclusions

Briefly restate your main points and deliver your verdict (recommended/not recommended… One star or five stars… Product A is better than Product B).

BONUS “C”: CREATIVITY

As I’ve mentioned in previous articles in this series, you don’t have to limit yourself to doing a traditional written review. How about a quick video review? Here’s an example of a video book review for a new book titled, Real-Time Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott:

Real-Time Marketing & PR: Video Book Review from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

1. Do some research: What products, performances, books, or resources are about to hit the market in your industry?
2. Contact the Public Relations firm (or individual) for the manufacturer and request a review copy. Let the PR person know where and when you plan to publish your review.
3. Share one product or performance you plan to review in the Comments area so we can learn from each other.

Coming Next: How to write a Roundup Article

Previously in this Series:

• How to Write a Calendar Article (E-Course Part 1)
• How To Write a How-To Article (E-Course Part 2)
• How to Write Case Studies (E-Course Part 3)
The post How to Write a Review (E-Course Part 4) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-review-e-course-part-4/feed/ 18 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-case-studies-e-course-part-3/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-write-case-studies-e-course-part-3 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-case-studies-e-course-part-3/#comments Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:00:14 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5363 This is Part 3 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles. CASE STUDIES Case Studies explain how a particular person, group, business, industry, or event excels at something specific. Case studies have always been a staple of the social and health sciences and the business and educational realms, but lately, they’ve gained […]
The post How to Write Case Studies (E-Course Part 3) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> This is Part 3 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles.

CASE STUDIES

Case Studies explain how a particular person, group, business, industry, or event excels at something specific. Case studies have always been a staple of the social and health sciences and the business and educational realms, but lately, they’ve gained popularity in the blogosphere. Almost daily, case studies are published on topics such as “Company Xs strategy for amassing 10,000 Facebook followers.”

Other examples of case studies:

• Environmental policies of Company X
• Child labor practices in X country
• Medical malpractice cases
• Disabled students who pursue higher education
• CEOs who blog
• Judicial reform in sub-Saharan Africa
• Xbox 360 vs. PS3 sales

ELEMENTS OF A CASE STUDY

Case studies are usually lengthier than other types of blog articles. Elements you can include in a case study include:

• Thorough overview/history of the project/event/business, etc.
• Examination of problems or issues related to the topic
• Quotes from key players
• Statistical data and facts
• Compare and contrast
• Conclusions and predictions

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

1. Use your favorite search engine to find at least three case studies in your niche. Read them carefully and analyze their structure.
2. Ask yourself: Who are the biggest players in your industry? Do they have any projects going that would make for interesting case studies?
3. Locate and note contact information for people in this industry who can provide you with background information, facts, and statistics for case study.
4. Share your idea for a case study in the Comments area so we can learn from each other.

Coming tomorrow:

How to write a review

Previously in this Series:

• How to Write a Calendar Article (E-Course Part 1)
• How To Write a How-To Article (E-Course Part 2)
The post How to Write Case Studies (E-Course Part 3) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-case-studies-e-course-part-3/feed/ 21 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-how-to-article-e-course-part-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-write-a-how-to-article-e-course-part-2 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-how-to-article-e-course-part-2/#comments Wed, 03 Nov 2010 13:00:33 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5346 This is Part 2 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles. How-To Article Most people read blogs to: a)      solve a problem b)      learn how to do something c)       learn how to improve their life It’s no surprise that how-tos are the most popular type of blog post. I recently read a […]
The post How To Write a How-To Article (E-Course Part 2) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> This is Part 2 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles.

How-To Article

Most people read blogs to:

a)      solve a problem

b)      learn how to do something

c)       learn how to improve their life

It’s no surprise that how-tos are the most popular type of blog post.

I recently read a how-to titled, “Supermarket Science: How to become a more informed shopper.” The writer interviewed the author of a book called Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping. The article’s premise was that more than 60 percent of the items we buy in the grocery store aren’t on our list. To help consumers better understand the reasons behind impulse supermarket shopping, the writer explained:

…why the flowers and bakery are at the front of most grocery stores

…why the produce section is lit theatrically

…why the dairy case is way in the back of the store

The article also listed several practical tips for avoiding impulse buys. Fascinating stuff, and applicable to every consumer who is trying to cut corners during this endless economic recession.

THE HOW TOs OF HOW TOs

Here’s how to write a how-to article in three easy steps:

1.  Introduction:

Write 1-2 sentences that grab the reader’s attention and set the scene.

2.  Transition:

Write 1 transition sentence that poses the question you’re going to address or the issue you’re going to solve.

3.  Steps:

Step-by-step, explain how to do something.

The key to a good how-to is that it’s focused, specific, and accurate.

The headline for your how-to should contain the words “How to…” and should incorporate strong keywords that a person would Google to find your article.

HOW-TO TOPICS

Here are some how-to topics to get your creative juices flowing:

• How to plan a wedding for under $5,000
• How to read your spouse’s body language
• What to do when your child cheats on a test
• A 5-step approach for budgeting your time
• How to plan your high school class reunion
• How to do Disney World® on $50 per day

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

1. List 5 questions people in your industry ask you most often.
2. List 5 additional questions you wish they’d ask.
3. Brainstorm ways you can turn those questions into teaching tools. Don’t limit yourself to written how-tos; instructional videos or podcast tutorials might be just the ticket.
4. Share your favorite how-to article topic in the Comments area so we can learn from each other.

Coming tomorrow:

How to write a Case Study

Previously in this Series:

• How to Write a Calendar Article (E-Course Part 1)
The post How To Write a How-To Article (E-Course Part 2) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-how-to-article-e-course-part-2/feed/ 24 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-calendar-article-e-course-part-1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-write-a-calendar-article-e-course-part-1 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-calendar-article-e-course-part-1/#comments Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:00:02 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5325 This is Part 1 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles. CALENDAR ARTICLE A Calendar Article is tied to a holiday, special observance, season, or anniversary. The key to a good calendar article is to put an interesting spin on it – something that makes an otherwise predictable topic unpredictable. Let’s say […]
The post How to Write a Calendar Article (E-Course Part 1) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> This is Part 1 in a 12-part e-course about the types of blog articles.

CALENDAR ARTICLE

A Calendar Article is tied to a holiday, special observance, season, or anniversary.

The key to a good calendar article is to put an interesting spin on it – something that makes an otherwise predictable topic unpredictable.

Let’s say you’re writing about the anniversary of Columbus sailing the ocean blue in fourteen hundred ninety two. Those of who live in the U.S. have heard that one a few times, haven’t we?

What if, in honor of Columbus Day, you…

…write a feature about all the U.S. cities named Columbus

…post YouTube videos of Columbus Day songs

…interview an extra from the Columbus Day movie

…examine the controversy behind Christopher Columbus’s alleged oppression of indigenous peoples

TRANSITIONS BETWEEN SEASONS

Articles about the transitions between seasons are popular too. If you’re writing about the transition from summer to fall, topics might include:

• 10 ways to take your summer wardrobe into fall
• What to do with green tomatoes that won’t make it past the first freeze
• Fall front porch décor: pumpkins, cornstalks, and a bale of hay
• Aromatherapy candles that keep depression at bay during the short days
• Head to the spa for a pre-holiday tune-up (this article could double as a review of said spa)

YEARLY BIG EVENTS

In addition to the yearly Federal Holidays, other “big events” make for interesting Calendar Articles:

• Super Bowl XLV (45): February 6, 2011 in Arlington, Texas (new Cowboys Stadium)
• Mardi Gras Carnival: March 8, 2011 in New Orleans
• Kentucky Derby: first Saturday in May
• National Day of Prayer: May 5, 2011
• U.S. Open Golf Championship: June 13-19, 2011 at Congressional Country Club in Maryland

UNUSUAL EVENTS

Then there are the not-so-big events:

• Global Belly Laugh Day: January 24
• Police Week: week which has May 15th in it
• World Tobacco Day: May 31, 2011
• Wright Brothers Day: December 17

MONTHLY CELEBRATIONS

There are numerous monthly celebrations – some wacky, some serious. Here are a few:

• January: National Mail Order Gardening Month
• February: Great American Pies Month
• March: Foot Health Month
• April: American Cancer Society Month
• May: Older Americans Month
• June: Perennial Gardening Month
• July: National Cell Phone Courtesy Month
• August: National Parks Month
• September: National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15)
• October: National Toilet Tank Repair Month
• November: National Adoption Awareness Month
• December: National Write A Business Plan Month

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

1. Using some of the resources below, list one calendar article topic you’d like to write about for each month of 2011. Each topic must relate to your blog’s niche, and each must put an unpredictable spin on that topic.
2. Share your most intriguing Calendar Article topic in the Comments area so we can learn from each other.

RESOURCES FOR SPECIAL DATES

1.  Brownielocks and the 3 Teddy Bears (a month-by-month listing of monthly, weekly, and daily observances) – http://www.brownielocks.com/month2.html2.  Madman Mike (another excellent source for a variety of observances) – http://www.madmanmike.com/us_holidays_dates.html3.  e-promos – promotional events calendar & products to help you celebrate each observance
4.  Wacky National Holidays (a no-nonsense list) – http://www.quamada.com/months.html5.  Surfing the Net with Kids – http://www.surfnetkids.com – See what’s going on every day of the year
6.  Holiday Smart – http://www.holidaysmart.com/ – Rich site; even includes flower of the month and birthstones
7.  When-Is – http://www.when-is.com/ – Religious and civil holidays worldwide

Coming next:

How to write a How-to Article

The post How to Write a Calendar Article (E-Course Part 1) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-write-a-calendar-article-e-course-part-1/feed/ 39 https://bloggingbistro.com/wrong-word-choice-results-in-stinky-sentence/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wrong-word-choice-results-in-stinky-sentence https://bloggingbistro.com/wrong-word-choice-results-in-stinky-sentence/#respond Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:00:10 +0000 http://heblogssheblogs.com/2008/09/15/wordchoice/ Heard on the radio: “When I was a little girl, I had a fragrant disregard for taking my shoes off when I entered my house.” The deejay must have had stinky feet when she was younger — which would account for her fragrant disregard. She meant to say flagrant (which means blatant). Your turn! Submit […]
The post Wrong Word Choice Results in Stinky Sentence first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Heard on the radio:

“When I was a little girl, I had a fragrant disregard for taking my shoes off when I entered my house.”

The deejay must have had stinky feet when she was younger — which would account for her fragrant disregard.

She meant to say flagrant (which means blatant).

Your turn! Submit funny examples of Putrid Prose you see or hear, along with a short bio about you and a link to your site.  If I feature your submission, I’ll link to your site.

The post Wrong Word Choice Results in Stinky Sentence first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/wrong-word-choice-results-in-stinky-sentence/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/blog-makeover-taste-and-travel-connoisseurs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=blog-makeover-taste-and-travel-connoisseurs https://bloggingbistro.com/blog-makeover-taste-and-travel-connoisseurs/#respond Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:00:32 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5151 It’s Makeover Monday — today we’re reviewing Lee Block’s blog, “The Taste and Travel Connoisseurs.” I’ll give some suggestions for ways Lee can improve her blog, and then it’s up to her to either: make do-it-yourself improvements hire the team at Blogging Bistro to do it for her (we have talented graphic designers and developers […]
The post Blog Makeover: Taste & Travel Connoisseurs first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> It’s Makeover Monday — today we’re reviewing Lee Block’s blog, “The Taste and Travel Connoisseurs.” I’ll give some suggestions for ways Lee can improve her blog, and then it’s up to her to either:
1. make do-it-yourself improvements
2. hire the team at Blogging Bistro to do it for her (we have talented graphic designers and developers in our stable who work wonders on Web sites and blogs)
3. do nothing. But that wouldn’t be right!

First, let’s take a peek at a screenshot of Lee’s blog:



Theme of Lee’s blog:

The Travel Connoisseurs focuses on where to drink, where to eat and where to stay, or as I like to call it:  cocktails, cuisine and accommodations.

At a glance:

The second I saw your blog, I knew I was in for a treat. The thumbnail images headlined “Cuisine,” “Cocktails,”  “Creative Lodging,” “Guest Posts,” and “Destinations” let me know exactly what to expect from you.

The “Destinations” image is a Flash-style slideshow that highlights recent posts. I found myself staring at it to see what your next teaser would be, and I clicked several of the images because I was intrigued to learn more. You hooked me!

The one element that jarred me was your typographical logo. I like the typography; it’s funky (although you might be able to ditch the “fabulous finds” tagline). But it doesn’t match the classic fonts used throughout the rest of your site. You might consult with a graphic designer to see how you can change the conflicting elements to create a more cohesive feel.

Sidebar Content:

Your sidebar contains essential elements every blog should have:

• A brief bio and nice image of you (readers connect more quickly with the blogger when you include a picture of yourself).
• Links to your key social media accounts.
• Two ways for people to subscribe to your latest blog posts (e-mail and RSS feed reader)
• Site Search form

You’ve also included some “bonus” sidebar elements:

• Recent tweets
• Facebook “Like my Page” box
• Several ads (are you generating income from these ads? If not, I suggest axing them because they add clutter).

Bottom of Home page:

The elements near the bottom of your page concern me. One, they’re hard to read (the type size in the Recent Comments widget is teensy and hard for me to see). Two, they’re not needed. Especially all the links to blog directories at the bottom.

Here’s a screenshot:



If I had to keep one element, it would be the Categories widget. While you do list your major Categories in the images at the top of your Home page, you have an extensive list of categories. Since it’s a drop-down menu and doesn’t take up much space, I’d move it into the righthand sidebar, below “Search Our Site.”

I also suggest shrinking the width of the sidebar and widening the main content area. The two columns are close to the same width, which makes my eyes wonder where they should look first. Most bloggers want to steer readers to the main content area, where the articles are, and thus, they make that column wider.

Main Content Area

You neatly organize your archived blog articles with a clickable thumbnail image and a brief excerpt. This allows you to feature more articles on your blog’s front page.

You do an excellent job of writing keyword-rich, searchable (optimized) headlines.

I like your WP Greetbox plugin (when you click on a post to Read More, it displays the post’s image and the following message:

Welcome to The Travel Connoisseurs! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

Although I’ve heard about Greetbox, I haven’t seen it used on a blog until now. I’d love to know whether it results in lots of new RSS subscribers.

Site Navigation

Your WordPress site includes several additional pages, but the navigation buttons are at the very top of your site, above your logo. They’re quite small, and I didn’t see them at first.

I suggest evaluating your site’s analytics to see how many people are visiting the various pages on your site. If they aren’t clicking on your other pages as much as you’d like them to, you should consider enlarging or repositioning the buttons so visitors can easily discover them.

Overall, Lee, I think you’ve got a great site going. You cover interesting topics, and you stick very closely to your theme. I’m now a fan!

P.S. Be sure to read Lee Block’s guest column for Blogging Bistro: The Best Way for a Blogger to Connect with the Press

The post Blog Makeover: Taste & Travel Connoisseurs first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/blog-makeover-taste-and-travel-connoisseurs/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-create-great-online-polls-surveys/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-create-great-online-polls-surveys https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-create-great-online-polls-surveys/#comments Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:00:00 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5105 The October 2010 issue of Bright Ideas Blogzine (my free, monthly e-newsletter), explains how to create great online polls. You’ll learn about: How to craft your survey 5 terrific web-based survey tools How to promote your survey How to use your survey results To start your subscription, fill out the bright yellow form in the […]
The post How to Create Great Online Polls first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> The October 2010 issue of Bright Ideas Blogzine (my free, monthly e-newsletter), explains how to create great online polls. You’ll learn about:
1. How to craft your survey
2. 5 terrific web-based survey tools
3. How to promote your survey
4. How to use your survey results

To start your subscription, fill out the bright yellow form in the upper right hand corner of bloggingbistro.com OR send  a blank e-mail to bloggingbistro@aweber.com. You’ll receive a confirmation message in your Inbox within seconds. Click the link in the confirmation message, and you’re all set.

You’ll also find complete back issues of Bright Ideas Blogzine at the e-newsletter archives page.

The post How to Create Great Online Polls first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-create-great-online-polls-surveys/feed/ 2 https://bloggingbistro.com/spelling-and-grammar-do-count/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=spelling-and-grammar-do-count https://bloggingbistro.com/spelling-and-grammar-do-count/#comments Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:00:31 +0000 http://heblogssheblogs.com/?p=478 I regularly create media kits for authors. The authors I work with complete an extensive survey, answering questions about their background, their book’s content, and how they’d like to see their book publicized. I incorporate their responses into a press release, author bio, book recap, catalog copy, and so on. Here is one author’s response […]
The post Speling and Grammer Do Count first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> I regularly create media kits for authors. The authors I work with complete an extensive survey, answering questions about their background, their book’s content, and how they’d like to see their book publicized. I incorporate their responses into a press release, author bio, book recap, catalog copy, and so on.

Here is one author’s response to a couple of questions, copied verbatim from his survey:

How will you help promote your book?

I wouldn’t have a clue. I am the worse salesman in the world.

Has your writing been published in any publications?

Oh no, I’ve hand writen stuf,but nobody could get past the first two paragraphs because they were to buisy laughing at my spelling and grammer.

Okay, proofreaders… have at it! How many errors can you find in the author’s responses?

What advice would you give to this aspiring author?

The post Speling and Grammer Do Count first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/spelling-and-grammar-do-count/feed/ 3 https://bloggingbistro.com/need-a-burst-of-creativity-switch-your-mouse-hand/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=need-a-burst-of-creativity-switch-your-mouse-hand https://bloggingbistro.com/need-a-burst-of-creativity-switch-your-mouse-hand/#comments Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:00:57 +0000 http://heblogssheblogs.com/2008/09/09/need-a-burst-of-creativity-switch-your-mouse-hand/ Have you ever stared at your computer, waiting for inspiration to strike? Here’s a quick tip I picked up at Daniel Scocco’s DailyBlogTips: Use your non-dominant hand to operate your mouse. It’s all about stimulating those neural connections between the right and left sides of your brain, says Daniel.  Doing something out-of-the-ordinary exercises your brain […]
The post Need a Burst of Creativity? Switch Your ‘Mouse’ Hand first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Have you ever stared at your computer, waiting for inspiration to strike?

Here’s a quick tip I picked up at Daniel Scocco’s DailyBlogTips:

Use your non-dominant hand to operate your mouse.

It’s all about stimulating those neural connections between the right and left sides of your brain, says Daniel.  Doing something out-of-the-ordinary exercises your brain and may jolt it right out of writer’s block.

So, move that mouse to the opposite side of your computer right now and give it a try.

How does it feel?

The post Need a Burst of Creativity? Switch Your ‘Mouse’ Hand first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/need-a-burst-of-creativity-switch-your-mouse-hand/feed/ 2 https://bloggingbistro.com/inspirational-football-video-ike-special-snohomish-high-school-goes-viral/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=inspirational-football-video-ike-special-snohomish-high-school-goes-viral https://bloggingbistro.com/inspirational-football-video-ike-special-snohomish-high-school-goes-viral/#comments Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:00:09 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=5009 Late in the 4th quarter, the chant begins from the student section of the football stadium: “We want Ike! We want Ike!” Before the last play of the game, Snohomish High School calls a time out. And they send in Ike, a junior who lives with Down syndrome. The center snaps the ball to the […]
The post Inspirational Football Video of ‘Ike’ Goes Viral first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Late in the 4th quarter, the chant begins from the student section of the football stadium: “We want Ike! We want Ike!”

Before the last play of the game, Snohomish High School calls a time out. And they send in Ike, a junior who lives with Down syndrome.

The center snaps the ball to the quarterback, who hands it off to Ike. And off he goes, dodging tackles, and eventually, scoring Snohomish’s only touchdown of the night. You would think Snohomish High School had just won the Super Bowl.

I wasn’t at last Friday’s game, when Ike scored his now-famous touchdown (viewed nearly 2 MILLION times on YouTube this week). But my son was. Imagine an 18-year-old pumped up after his team just won a huge victory. When he came bursting in the door after the game, all he he could say was, “Ike scored! It was so cool! A TV camera crew was there. I’ve gotta watch the replay on the news!

Didn’t matter that his team lost, 35-6 (Snohomish gets creamed every game anyway, so no one really cares about the score). What mattered was that Ike got to score. And that’s cool. Classy. An example of true sportsmanship, particularly by the Lake Stevens players who badly wanted their first shutout against Snohomish in 20 years.

It makes me so, so glad — with all the horrific news we hear daily — that the media is reporting this inspirational story. An article in the Everett Herald reports:

Numerous media outlets from coast to coast reported the story, and the Snohomish and Lake Stevens head football coaches were bombarded with more than 100 e-mails from inspired viewers, even one from Jamaica.

Ike doesn’t realize how big the story is, his mom said. But the flood of attention delighted Ike’s parents.

“I’ve been laughing my head off all day,” Kay Ditzenberger said Tuesday. “Ike goes viral!”

I think you’ll enjoy this video of Ike scoring his TD as much as I do.

Do you have an idea for an inspirational story or video? Why not share it? You never know who might be watching.

The post Inspirational Football Video of ‘Ike’ Goes Viral first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/inspirational-football-video-ike-special-snohomish-high-school-goes-viral/feed/ 4 https://bloggingbistro.com/dark-side-of-social-media-texting-while-driving/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dark-side-of-social-media-texting-while-driving https://bloggingbistro.com/dark-side-of-social-media-texting-while-driving/#comments Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:00:52 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4979 Social media has a dark side: It’s addictive. Addictive to the point where people standing next to each other text one another as opposed to making eye contact and having a voice-to-voice conversation. Addictive to the point where people text, answer e-mails, or surf the Internet while steering their vehicle down the highway. We know […]
The post The Dark Side of Social Media first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Social media has a dark side: It’s addictive. Addictive to the point where people standing next to each other text one another as opposed to making eye contact and having a voice-to-voice conversation.

Addictive to the point where people text, answer e-mails, or surf the Internet while steering their vehicle down the highway.

We know the facts:

• A driver who is texting is as impaired as a driver with a .16 blood alcohol level (Car and Driver magazine June 2009 test).
• Drivers talking on cell phones are half a second slower to hit the brakes in emergencies and miss more than half the visual cues seen by attentive drivers.
• More than 20 percent of all traffic accidents are caused by driver distraction.

But the majority of drivers I see on the road are so addicted to their cell phones – or they have such an inflated sense of their self-importance – that they ignore the statistical evidence and continue to chat and/or text while driving.

Thankfully, nine states have banned driving while talking on a hand-held cell phone:

1. California
2. Connecticut
3. Delaware
4. Maryland
5. New Jersey
6. New York
7. Oregon
8. Utah
9. Washington

In Washington State, where I live, talking or texting on a cell phone without using a hands-free device is a primary offense – if an officer spots you with cellphone-to-ear, they can pull you over and fine you $124. And new drivers with instruction permits or intermediate licenses aren’t permitted to use wireless devices at all, except in emergencies.

Thirty states and the District of Columbia ban text messaging for all drivers. On the map below, states colored green ban texting while driving; blue states have a partial ban, and pink states have no ban.



I encourage you to watch this short, painful video and ask yourself:

Is making that call or sending that text while I’m driving really worth sacrificing my life – or someone else’s life?

Sources:

• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
• “Action for Distraction,” USAA Magazine, Fall 2010, p. 11
• Washington State Department of Licensing
The post The Dark Side of Social Media first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/dark-side-of-social-media-texting-while-driving/feed/ 6 https://bloggingbistro.com/your-guide-to-b2b-facebook-page-success-slideshare-e-book/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=your-guide-to-b2b-facebook-page-success-slideshare-e-book https://bloggingbistro.com/your-guide-to-b2b-facebook-page-success-slideshare-e-book/#respond Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:00:10 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4916 If you market to other businesses (B2B), here’s a helpful e-book from Hubspot, packed with visual examples from Business Facebook Pages. The book’s main theme: Successful Facebook Business Pages feature photos, videos, and link sharing on their Wall. For easiest viewing of the e-book, I recommend clicking “View on Slideshare” in the lower righthand corner […]
The post Your Guide to B2B Facebook Page Success (Slideshare e-book) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> If you market to other businesses (B2B), here’s a helpful e-book from Hubspot, packed with visual examples from Business Facebook Pages.

The book’s main theme:

Successful Facebook Business Pages feature photos, videos, and link sharing on their Wall.

For easiest viewing of the e-book, I recommend clicking “View on Slideshare” in the lower righthand corner of the image and then viewing it in Fullscreen mode.

A Visual Guide to B2B Facebook Pages




The post Your Guide to B2B Facebook Page Success (Slideshare e-book) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/your-guide-to-b2b-facebook-page-success-slideshare-e-book/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/planning-for-2011-here-are-3-excellent-online-calendars/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=planning-for-2011-here-are-3-excellent-online-calendars https://bloggingbistro.com/planning-for-2011-here-are-3-excellent-online-calendars/#comments Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:00:00 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4883 During the past few days, I’ve booked two speaking gigs for 2011. Only one problem: I’m an old-fashioned paper calendar user, and I don’t have a 2011 calendar yet! Fortunately, someone recommended a web-based 2011 calendar to me out of the blue. You’ll find it at http://www.calendar-365.com. Calendar-365 This is a good quick-reference tool, because […]
The post Planning for 2011? Here are 3 Excellent Online Calendars first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> During the past few days, I’ve booked two speaking gigs for 2011. Only one problem: I’m an old-fashioned paper calendar user, and I don’t have a 2011 calendar yet!

Fortunately, someone recommended a web-based 2011 calendar to me out of the blue. You’ll find it at http://www.calendar-365.com.

Calendar-365

This is a good quick-reference tool, because you can display (and print) yearly calendars from 2009-2015. The site also shows the following info for each year:

• Daylight Saving Time start and end dates
• Holidays
• Leap years
• Seasons start and end dates
• Week number (this is week #37 of 2010, in case you’re wondering)
• Moon phases
• World clock
• You can also calculate the number of days, months, and years between two dates

Calendars That Work

My favorite printable weekly calendar is at http://www.calendarsthatwork.com. At this site, you can either pay $20 for a year’s worth of Full Access to all their different calendars, or you can download 22 different styles of FREE sample calendars.

If you type your e-mail address in the form that appears on the individual Sample Calendar pages, they’ll send you a monthly reminder to download the following month’s calendar(s). I’ve subscribed to this free service for several years and I absolutely love it. The best part is that they never try to sell me anything.

TeuxDeux

Another online calendar I can’t live without is http://teuxdeux.com. I test-drove this handy tool about 9 months ago on my blog, and it has become an essential part of my online toolbox. In fact, I keep TeuxDeux (pronounced to do) open in my browser at all times.

With teux deux, it’s super easy to:

• add new items to my to-do list
• move items to a different date
• cross off and delete completed items (I get great satisfaction in doing that!)
• jump forwards and backwards a week at a time
• jump to a specific calendar date

If I don’t complete items on my list (which usually happens), TeuxDeux automatically moves them to the following date when the clock strikes midnight. I’ve virtually eliminated the scraps of paper that contain my to-do list and have one nice, clean list at TeuxDeux.

What about you, dear readers? Do you have a favorite web-based calendar/planning tool to recommend?

The post Planning for 2011? Here are 3 Excellent Online Calendars first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/planning-for-2011-here-are-3-excellent-online-calendars/feed/ 8 https://bloggingbistro.com/try-the-new-tobymac-city-on-our-knees-facebook-app/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=try-the-new-tobymac-city-on-our-knees-facebook-app https://bloggingbistro.com/try-the-new-tobymac-city-on-our-knees-facebook-app/#comments Mon, 20 Sep 2010 13:00:15 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4929 If you gotta’ start somewhere why not here? If you gotta’ start sometime why not now? TobyMac’s hit song, “City on Our Knees,” also inspired his new book, City on Our Knees. We’re pleased to announce a new Facebook application we developed for TobyMac, where you can share your own stories about how you’ve stepped out […]
The post Try the New TobyMac ‘City on Our Knees’ Facebook App first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]>

If you gotta’ start somewhere why not here?
If you gotta’ start sometime why not now?

TobyMac’s hit song, “City on Our Knees,” also inspired his new book, City on Our Knees. We’re pleased to announce a new Facebook application we developed for TobyMac, where you can share your own stories about how you’ve stepped out of your comfort zone to begin making a positive difference in your world.

Here’s a screenshot of the app’s Home page:



At the app, you can read others’ stories, rate them, comment on them, and create your own customized “favorites” page. And of course, you can share your own story (we sincerely hope you will!).

To get to the app, login to your Facebook account and click:
http://apps.facebook.com/cityonourknees/

You will need to give the app permission to access your FB profile (don’t worry; it’s safe… we host the app).

Click the green “Share Your Story” button and get started. You can upload a photo to accompany your story, too.

We’d like you to help us promote the application. Here’s a link to a “splash” website that provides easy access to both the book and the Facebook app, plus two buttons you can add to your own blog or website:

www.cityonourknees.org






To insert the buttons on your blog:

1. Right click an image and select “Save Link as…”
2. Save the image to your hard drive.
3. Start a new blog post and click “Add an image.”
4. Locate the image file on your hard drive and insert it into a post.
5. To embed the link to the Facebook app inside the image, left click on the image, then click Insert/edit link on your text editor’s toolbar.
6. Copy and paste  in the following link URL (be sure to include the http://):
   http://apps.facebook.com/cityonourknees/
7. Click “Update.”

Want a cool, custom app for your Facebook page?

Ask us for a free, no-pressure needs assessment.

The post Try the New TobyMac ‘City on Our Knees’ Facebook App first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/try-the-new-tobymac-city-on-our-knees-facebook-app/feed/ 4 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-disable-facebook-places-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-disable-facebook-places-video https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-disable-facebook-places-video/#respond Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:00:11 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4909 Some folks love broadcasting their current geographic location (like we care!). I don’t. This quick video tutorial from Pam Brossman of Social Media Woman Magazine walks you through how to customize your Facebook privacy settings so your location can be more — er — private. Log in to your Facebook account right now and update […]
The post How to Disable Facebook Places (Video) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Some folks love broadcasting their current geographic location (like we care!).

I don’t.

This quick video tutorial from Pam Brossman of Social Media Woman Magazine walks you through how to customize your Facebook privacy settings so your location can be more — er — private.

Log in to your Facebook account right now and update your settings as Pam explains how.  You’ll be customizing three separate Privacy Settings:

1. Places I check in to
2. Include me in “People Here Now” after I check in
3. Friends can check me in to Places

What do you think? Is there a value in letting people know your geographic location, or do you prefer to keep that information private?

The post How to Disable Facebook Places (Video) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-disable-facebook-places-video/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/most-popular-blogging-bistro-posts-of-august-2010/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=most-popular-blogging-bistro-posts-of-august-2010 https://bloggingbistro.com/most-popular-blogging-bistro-posts-of-august-2010/#respond Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:00:05 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4826 If you look at the publication dates of my 8 most-visited posts from August 2010, you’ll notice that many of them were published a year or more ago. Just goes to show that people DO read posts from your blog’s archives. Make sure you highlight your most popular posts from time to time, in a […]
The post Most Popular Blogging Bistro Posts of August 2010 first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> If you look at the publication dates of my 8 most-visited posts from August 2010, you’ll notice that many of them were published a year or more ago. Just goes to show that people DO read posts from your blog’s archives.

Make sure you highlight your most popular posts from time to time, in a roundup post (like this one). That way, your fans have a chance to explore articles they may have missed.

1. Social Media Icons for Your Web Site or Blog

2. ‘Green’ Marketing Must Appeal to the Customer’s Self-Interest

3. 7 Marketing Lessons I Learned at a Rock Concert

4. 15 Secrets For the Perfect Business Portrait

5. Need to Invent a Name for Your Business or Product? Try This Tool

6. When—and How—to Compress URLs

7. An Easy Screen Capture Tool for PCs

8. Memorize English Phonetic Spelling With Me

The post Most Popular Blogging Bistro Posts of August 2010 first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/most-popular-blogging-bistro-posts-of-august-2010/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/blog-makeover-looking-out-my-backdoor/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=blog-makeover-looking-out-my-backdoor https://bloggingbistro.com/blog-makeover-looking-out-my-backdoor/#comments Tue, 14 Sep 2010 02:20:41 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4871 It’s Makeover Monday! Today we’re reviewing Susan Daley’s blog, “Looking Out My Backdoor.” Susan, the author of two non-fiction books, writes: Help. I don’t seem to know how to attract people to my blog and yet remain true to myself (is my message just too boring?) Before I address that important question, let’s take a […]
The post Blog Makeover: Looking Out My Backdoor first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> It’s Makeover Monday! Today we’re reviewing Susan Daley’s blog, “Looking Out My Backdoor.” Susan, the author of two non-fiction books, writes:

Help. I don’t seem to know how to attract people to my blog and yet remain true to myself (is my message just too boring?)

Before I address that important question, let’s take a look at the medium through which Susan delivers her message. Here’s a screenshot:



Susan has recently made the transition from Blogger to a WordPress.com blog (another free blog hosting service). She’s taking advantage of WordPress’s functionality by adding six static pages to her blogsite, including the all-important About page and several Category pages that feature posts from her primary blog categories (books she’s reviewed, books she’s written, and teaching children).

Susan’s blog header is typographical, with her blog’s title and subtitle atop a chocolate background. Not too exciting, yet not distracting, either.

I really like the old-fashioned typewriter keys image Susan use in her website’s header. Perhaps it’s because I learned to type on a typewriter that looks just like the one in the header, but the images there resonate with me.


I’m wondering why Susan decided not to put an image in her blog’s header. I’m not saying she needs an image there, but for brand consistency, she might consider adding one of the images from her website’s header.

Susan is also aware of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and she includes both an RSS feed for her blog (top righthand corner) and a simple form so people can subscribe to her posts via e-mail. Giving readers multiple options for subscribing to your blog is always a good thing.

She includes a Twitter link (upper righthand corner), but when I click it, it takes me to Twitter’s Home page. It should link me directly to Susan’s Twitter account so I can follow her.

Susan faces an issue common to many bloggers: Her blog and her website are hosted by two different services (and thus, have different addresses). As a result, she must alert people to the existence of her website and direct visitors there. She does this in her blog’s sidebar, directly beneath her subscription form and book trailer. Because the link is placed between two images, it’s easy to miss it. I would move it up higher and place it either directly above or directly below your e-mail form, so people will be sure to see it.

Susan also includes a link to her Facebook page, which is good. Always give readers multiple ways to find you.

Now, back to Susan’s question about attracting readers to her blog while remaining true to herself.

In her blog’s tagline, Susan lets visitors know that her blog is about “teaching, writing, and books.” From what I’ve learned about the books Susan has authored, they are books that teach lessons, so her blog’s theme jibes with her tagline.

However, a lot of authors blog about teaching, writing, and books, so Susan has a ton of competition. What makes Susan’s writing unique?

It looks as if Susan’s books are commentary-style books about biblical heroes. Susan’s teaching focus appears to be on middle-grade children. And her book reviews appear to be on adult novels. Therein lies the potential problem: her blog is directed at three distinct audiences.

That doesn’t mean Susan will be unable to develop a loyal readership; it’ll just be more challenging and will take longer. One suggestion is to create an Author page at Amazon’s Author Central and migrate all book reviews to Amazon.

Another tactic would be to review only books about biblical heroes on her blog, so she has the opportunity to better promote her expertise as an author of books about biblical heroes.

…or Susan can blog about how to teach biblical truths to middle-grade children.

The most important thing is to build your blog around a theme, and to make sure every article reflects that theme (makes for more powerful search engine optimization). Blog readers are creatures of habit. If you throw zingers at them or they don’t know what to expect from day to day, they’re unlikely to become loyal readers. And we don’t want that!

Susan may need to do some fine-tuning of her blog’s theme, deciding which of her three subject areas she feels most passionate about, and focusing on building her expertise as the go-to resource for that particular topic and audience.

Go for it, Susan, and please let us know what’s working best for you!

Join the fun — enter your your blog in the Monday Makeover Challenge.

Does your website or blog need an overhaul?

Ask us for a free, no-pressure needs assessment.

The post Blog Makeover: Looking Out My Backdoor first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/blog-makeover-looking-out-my-backdoor/feed/ 4 https://bloggingbistro.com/top-tips-for-publishing-your-e-newsletter/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=top-tips-for-publishing-your-e-newsletter https://bloggingbistro.com/top-tips-for-publishing-your-e-newsletter/#respond Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:00:00 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4840 If you don’t already subscribe to Bright Ideas Blogzine — my free monthly e-zine — there’s still plenty of time to receive the September issue. This month’s issue is devoted to e-newsletters and includes 5 important tips for preparing and publishing your e-newsletter. You’ll also receive bonus tips: pricing for popular e-newsletter services how to […]
The post Top Tips for Publishing Your E-Newsletter first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> If you don’t already subscribe to Bright Ideas Blogzine — my free monthly e-zine — there’s still plenty of time to receive the September issue.

This month’s issue is devoted to e-newsletters and includes 5 important tips for preparing and publishing your e-newsletter.

You’ll also receive bonus tips:

• pricing for popular e-newsletter services
• how to encourage people to opt in to your newsletter
• how to monitor your subscriber list

Subscribe today and you’ll receive the current issue this coming Tuesday. You can either fill out the yellow form in the righthand sidebar at www.bloggingbistro.com OR send a blank e-mail to bloggingbistro@aweber.com. You’ll receive a confirmation message in your Inbox within seconds. Click the link in the confirmation message, and you’re all set.

You can read all past issues of Bright Ideas from the Archives page.

The post Top Tips for Publishing Your E-Newsletter first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/top-tips-for-publishing-your-e-newsletter/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/search-at-the-speed-of-thought-with-google-instant/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=search-at-the-speed-of-thought-with-google-instant https://bloggingbistro.com/search-at-the-speed-of-thought-with-google-instant/#respond Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:00:10 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4852 Google just isn’t fast enough. The folks at Google must have believed that because they just launched Google Instant, a feature that displays search results as you type. I tried it; it’s almost as if Google was reading my mind. I did a search for “Blogging Bistro,” and by the time I got to the […]
The post Search at the Speed of Thought With Google Instant first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]>

Google just isn’t fast enough.

The folks at Google must have believed that because they just launched Google Instant, a feature that displays search results as you type.

I tried it; it’s almost as if Google was reading my mind. I did a search for “Blogging Bistro,” and by the time I got to the “i” in Bistro, Google had identified my business name in the instant results.



The theory behind the enhancement is that we read 10 times faster than we type. This means you can scan search results while you type, and adapt your search term on the fly until the results match exactly what you want.

Google estimates that the typical user spends nine seconds entering a query and 15 seconds looking for answers. Google Instant can save you 2-5 seconds per search.

No more precious milliseconds wasted hitting the “Enter” key or clicking the “Search” button.

If an offensive word pops up while you’re typing, rest assured that Google’s autocomplete function excludes certain terms related to pornography, violence and hate speech. Or you can set SafeSearch to filter out explicit content, and parents can lock SafeSearch to the Strict setting.

If, for some reason unknown to me, you don’t like Google Instant, you can turn it off by clicking the link next to the search box on any search results page, or by visiting your Preferences page. (Otherwise, you can assume that Google Instant is on by default. The arrow in the diagram above shows you where to turn Google Instant on and off.)

Try it with your full name or your business name and share in the Comments how many letters you typed before it correctly displayed your result.

Sources:

• About Google Instant
• BBC News
The post Search at the Speed of Thought With Google Instant first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/search-at-the-speed-of-thought-with-google-instant/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/be-on-the-lookout-for-e-mail-scams/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=be-on-the-lookout-for-e-mail-scams https://bloggingbistro.com/be-on-the-lookout-for-e-mail-scams/#comments Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:00:44 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4774 I received the following e-mail from the account of a close friend: I’m writing this with tear in my eye because it might get to you too urgent but it’s because of the situation of things right now,I’m stuck in SPAIN with family right now,i came down here on vacation ,i was robbed, worse of […]
The post Be on the Lookout for E-mail Scams first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> I received the following e-mail from the account of a close friend:

I’m writing this with tear in my eye because it might get to you too urgent but it’s because of the situation of things right now,I’m stuck in SPAIN with family right now,i came down here on vacation ,i was robbed, worse of it was that my bags, cash and credit cards were stolen of us at GUN POINT, it’s such a crazy experience for us, i need help flying back home, the authorities are not being 100% supportive but the good thing is that we still have our passports but don’t have enough money to get our flight ticket back home, please i need you to loan me $1,750 i promise to  refund it back to you as soon as I’m back home, i promise.

My response to this e-mail was a mixture of concern and disbelief. My friend does travel and he could have been in Spain with his family. My friend is also a superb writer, and I know he’d never write a run-on sentence or use a lowercase “i” in an e-mail, even if he was in distress.

The e-mail signature included his legal first and last name, which made me suspicious, because I always call my friend by his nickname (and I’ve known him 15 years… why would he need to tell me his last name?).

Plus, the e-mail didn’t include any way of contacting him other than via his e-mail address.

I immediately e-mailed my friend via his work address and he got back to me right away, saying,

My accounts have been hacked.  It’s a scam. Thanks for checking.

So, dear readers, this is a friendly reminder to be on high alert for e-mail scams, Twitter scams, Facebook scams, and other electronic scams that continually make their way around cyberspace.

If you receive a suspect e-mail or Direct Message from someone you know, NEVER click the link. Instead, contact the person from whom you received the message via an alternate channel and share the text of what you received from their account. The person can then change their password or take the appropriate steps to eliminate the hack.

What electronic scams have attempted to victimize you lately?

The post Be on the Lookout for E-mail Scams first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/be-on-the-lookout-for-e-mail-scams/feed/ 4 https://bloggingbistro.com/an-easy-screen-capture-tool-for-pcs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-easy-screen-capture-tool-for-pcs https://bloggingbistro.com/an-easy-screen-capture-tool-for-pcs/#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:00:42 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4627 I’m always discovering functions on my computer that I didn’t know existed. When I was searching for a way to take custom screenshots on my PC (other than Ctrl + Prt Scr), I learned about the “Snipping Tool” that comes installed on Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems. I love it! To access and […]
The post An Easy Screen Capture Tool for PCs first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> I’m always discovering functions on my computer that I didn’t know existed. When I was searching for a way to take custom screenshots on my PC (other than Ctrl + Prt Scr), I learned about the “Snipping Tool” that comes installed on Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems. I love it!

To access and use the Snipping Tool, do the following:

1.  Boot up your computer and click the Start button in the lower lefthand corner of your screen.

2.  In the “Search programs and files” box that pops up, type Snipping Tool. A link to the program will display. Click the link to open the program.

3.  Once the toolbox opens, click “New” and a drop-down menu will allow you to choose from:

• Free-form Snip
• Rectangular Snip
• Window Snip
• Full-screen Snip

4.  Select one option (or play with ‘em all to see how they differ). I usually use Rectangular Snip.

5.  Drag your cursor around the portion of the screen you want to capture and a new window will open with the Snip (the screenshot) in it. You can write on the snip or highlight portions of it (and you can erase what you’ve written, do don’t worry if you goof).

6.  You can copy the Snip, e-mail it, or save it as a PNG, GIF, JPG, or HTML file.

Snips are the quickest, easiest way I’ve found to create and add screenshots to a blog post. Here’s a Snip I just took of an update I posted to the new Social Media Support Group on Facebook (I embedded a link to the Support Group into the image. When you click the image, you’ll be routed to the Social Media Support Group):






Sample of a Rectangular Snip




If you’re a PC user, try the Snipping Tool and share with us a creative way you’re using it. Mac users: what’s the easiest way you’ve found to take screenshots?


The post An Easy Screen Capture Tool for PCs first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/an-easy-screen-capture-tool-for-pcs/feed/ 12 https://bloggingbistro.com/do-you-have-an-online-hub/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=do-you-have-an-online-hub https://bloggingbistro.com/do-you-have-an-online-hub/#comments Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:00:11 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4526 I’m firmly convinced that your website and/or blog must be the hub of your online presence. In the August issue of Bright Ideas Blogzine, you’ll learn why. I’m trying something new with this issue because this is an important topic and, well… I got carried away writing content. Part of the content will be delivered […]
The post Do You Have an Online Hub? first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> I’m firmly convinced that your website and/or blog must be the hub of your online presence.

In the August issue of Bright Ideas Blogzine, you’ll learn why.

I’m trying something new with this issue because this is an important topic and, well… I got carried away writing content.

Part of the content will be delivered to your Inbox, as usual, on Tuesday, August 3.  As you read through your blogzine, watch for a link that will take you to a private page on the Blogging Bistro website, where you’ll find even more content, exclusively for Bright Ideas subscribers.

I’ll address the following questions:

1. Is blogging overdone?
2. What publishing platform should I use?
3. Is Blogspot.com truly the slum of the Internet?
4. What’s the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
5. How can I create an all-in-one website/blog combo?

And that’s not all! We’re offering two fantastic discounts on services during August, so be sure to read about our Special of the Month.

Subscriptions to Bright Ideas are free. To sign up, enter your name and e-mail address into the big yellow form in the righthand sidebar, OR send a blank e-mail to bloggingbistro@aweber.com.  You’ll instantly receive an e-mail asking you to confirm your subscription. Click the link in that e-mail and you’re good to go. You will receive your August issue within 7 days of the day you activate your subscription (do it now and you’ll receive your issue August 3).

You can read all the past issues of Bright Ideas Blogzine from our Archives page. Lots of great info there to help you enhance your social media presence.

The post Do You Have an Online Hub? first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/do-you-have-an-online-hub/feed/ 6 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-offer-your-blog-articles-for-reprint/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-offer-your-blog-articles-for-reprint https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-offer-your-blog-articles-for-reprint/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:00:10 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4450 People who manage others’ blogs — whether on a voluntary or paid basis — constantly troll the internet in search of industry-related articles they can reprint. If you’ve been blogging for a while and have a nice selection of posts in your archives, consider offering some of them for reprint. I do this and it […]
The post An Easy Way to Offer Your Blog Articles for Reprint first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> People who manage others’ blogs — whether on a voluntary or paid basis — constantly troll the internet in search of industry-related articles they can reprint.

If you’ve been blogging for a while and have a nice selection of posts in your archives, consider offering some of them for reprint.

I do this and it works like a charm.

Recently, I was contacted by the blog manager for the Northwest Christian Writers Association (of which I am a member). She’d been browsing my blog, discovered one of my “for reprint” articles, and e-mailed me to request the HTML code for the post, my bio, and my headshot.

Because of space considerations on their blog, she slightly revised and excerpted from my original article, “The three best, all-time tips for increasing your blog’s readership.”

She e-mailed me her revision for my approval, which I thought was considerate of her. Here’s the version that was republished on the NCWA blog.

Your turn!

1. Cruise through your blog’s archives — right now — and select two posts you will make available for reprint. Add a blurb to the end of those posts.
2. Don’t just wait for a random Web surfer to discover your “for reprint” posts. Publish a fresh post on your blog that includes a 1-2-sentence teaser for each post, along with a link to each.
3. Contact associations, non-profits, and/or fellow bloggers in your area of interest and offer those posts for reprint.
4. Write back and share how it works for you!

P.S. If you’re looking for a vibrant, growing association for emerging and professional writers (all genres), I recommend the Northwest Christian Writers Association. The group meets monthly (Monday nights) during the school year in Bothell, WA.

The post An Easy Way to Offer Your Blog Articles for Reprint first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-offer-your-blog-articles-for-reprint/feed/ 16 https://bloggingbistro.com/memorize-english-phonetic-spelling-with-me/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=memorize-english-phonetic-spelling-with-me https://bloggingbistro.com/memorize-english-phonetic-spelling-with-me/#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:00:40 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4437 When I’m listening to the radio, the hosts and advertisers often rattle off website addresses so quickly that I can’t figure out what they said. You may have experienced the same problem during phone conversations, when spelling a name or address. Whenever this happens to me, I guess at a word to substitute for the […]
The post Memorize English Phonetic Spelling With Me first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> When I’m listening to the radio, the hosts and advertisers often rattle off website addresses so quickly that I can’t figure out what they said.

You may have experienced the same problem during phone conversations, when spelling a name or address.

Whenever this happens to me, I guess at a word to substitute for the letter. And I end up sounding stupid when I say things like, “P is for… er… potato. Or is it panda?… or preposition?

I’ve decided it’s time to memorize the English Phonetic Spelling (also called the NATO Phonetic Alphabet). A phonetic alphabet is a list of spoken words substituted for letters of the English alphabet. It helps prevent confusion between similar-sounding letters (m and n) and to clarify potentially garbled transmission.

If you don’t already have this list memorized, I invite you to join me in this quest. Someone suggested to start by spelling your name, than your company or address. Soon, you’ll know the whole alphabet!

I’m starting with my first name, Laura: Lima Alpha Uniform Romeo Alpha

English Phonetic Spelling  (Print and carry it with you)


A    Alpha
B    Bravo
C    Charlie
D    Delta
E    Echo
F    Foxtrot
G    Golf
H    Hotel
I     India
J    Juliet
K    Kilo
L    Lima
M   Mike              
N    November
O    Oscar
P    Papa
Q    Quebec
R    Romeo
S    Sierra
T    Tango
U    Uniform
V    Victor
W   Whisky
X    X-ray
Y    Yankee
Z     Zulu

Anyone have other great memory devices to share?

The post Memorize English Phonetic Spelling With Me first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/memorize-english-phonetic-spelling-with-me/feed/ 18 https://bloggingbistro.com/7-simple-ways-to-get-more-comments-on-your-blog/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=7-simple-ways-to-get-more-comments-on-your-blog https://bloggingbistro.com/7-simple-ways-to-get-more-comments-on-your-blog/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:00:03 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4395 The whole “blog comments thing” is the bane of most bloggers, who assume that if no one comments if means no one is reading, or that people are reading but aren’t all that interested in what you have to say. Not so. Did you know that less than 1% of all blog readers leave comments? […]
The post 7 Simple Ways to Get More Comments on Your Blog first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> The whole “blog comments thing” is the bane of most bloggers, who assume that if no one comments if means no one is reading, or that people are reading but aren’t all that interested in what you have to say.

Not so. Did you know that less than 1% of all blog readers leave comments? (That’s not scientifically proven, but I have heard that statistic bandied about over the years).

Particularly in our oversaturated cyber world, in which many people read a handful – or even dozens – of blogs per day, most of us don’t take the time to comment unless something really resonates with us (or ticks us off).

Don’t measure your blogging success or your personal worth by the numbers of comments (or lack thereof) you receive.

Still, there are a few things you can do to encourage comments:

1.  Ask a simple question related to the post’s theme at the end of each entry. The easier the question is to answer, the more chance you’ll have of receiving comments. Experiment with different types of questions and figure out what works.

2.  Don’t require people to register for your blog before they’re allowed to comment. The registration requirement scares people away and many people don’t like taking the time to add yet another password to their arsenal.

On my blog, I require that commenters submit the bare minimum: an e-mail address (visible only to me). Having an e-mail address from a real person helps cut down on auto-generated spam. It doesn’t eliminate it, but it significantly reduces spam.

3.  Don’t moderate comments. When people learn that you pre-approve comments, they may be hesitant to leave additional comments because they might feel you don’t trust them. If you write about controversial issues, moderating comments is a smart choice, but if you’re delivering mainly informational tips and tutorials, most of the comments you’ll receive will likely NOT be of an inflammatory nature.

4. Respond to social media comments. Many of us stream our blog feed into Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media accounts. We also syndicate our blogs so our subscribers receive our latest updates via e-mail. I often receive comments about my blog posts via my social media accounts or via e-mail.

Some bloggers get hot and bothered when this happens to them. “Why don’t people comment on my blog itself?” they whine.

I say, “Get over it.”

People have different preferences in reading blogs, and we need to go where our audience goes. If someone comments on your blog post via Facebook, respond to their comment on Facebook. Simple.

5.  Use Google Analytics, a stats-tracking application that provides detailed information about who’s visiting your blog, where they’re coming from, and what blog posts are getting the most readers. Oftentimes, the posts that get the most hits also get more comments. It’s a good tool to help you analyze the types of articles that most appeal to your readers.

6.  If and when someone comments, reply to them. Sometimes it’s challenging to come up with more than a quick, “Thanks for your comment, Alicia,” but even that is better than nothing. Address the commenter by name or by screen name and try to add some additional “meaty” content to the discussion. When your readers feel noticed and genuinely appreciated, they’re more likely to become loyal readers and post additional comments.

7.  Expect the unexpected. I write several types of blog posts (tutorials, reviews, commentary) and monitor the types that get the most comments. I’m often surprised when posts I thought would get comments receive none, and when posts I assumed no one would care about get comments. Recently, I posted a random Twitter update and received a comment from a “top 10, big name” blogger a few minutes later. Who knew he was following my updates?

BONUS TIP: Comment on others’ blogs & social media accounts. This post was inspired by a LinkedIn discussion to which I contributed a comment. The day after I submitted a comment, I received a “connection” request from another member of the LinkedIn group. She told me she wanted to connect because she liked my comment.

I’m hopeful that my new virtual friend will become a loyal reader of my blog and begin submitting comments.

You never know who may stumble across your blog. So treat all commenters with equal respect and learn from them.

Your turn! What’s your best tip for encouraging comments?

The post 7 Simple Ways to Get More Comments on Your Blog first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/7-simple-ways-to-get-more-comments-on-your-blog/feed/ 66 https://bloggingbistro.com/should-you-warn-readers-when-youre-taking-a-vacation-from-blogging/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=should-you-warn-readers-when-youre-taking-a-vacation-from-blogging https://bloggingbistro.com/should-you-warn-readers-when-youre-taking-a-vacation-from-blogging/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:00:55 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4339 Dear Blogging Barista, I am going on vacation for two weeks and I don’t plan to blog while I’m away. I can’t find the time to write posts in advance, so I know my blog will be nothing but “dead air” for a while. Should I give notice to my readers that I’m not going […]
The post Should You Warn Readers When You’re Taking a Vacation from Blogging? first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]>

Dear Blogging Barista,

I am going on vacation for two weeks and I don’t plan to blog while I’m away. I can’t find the time to write posts in advance, so I know my blog will be nothing but “dead air” for a while. Should I give notice to my readers that I’m not going to be blogging during that time?

People ask me this question all the time and I admit – I struggle with it, too. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you may have noticed that things have been quiet in the Blogging Bistro during the past three weeks. That’s because I have been on vacation!



My son celebrates life at the beach

And no, I didn’t forewarn you that I’d be away from my computer. I had good intentions of keeping you entertained while I was away. I was going to crank out a bunch of posts the week before I left and pre-schedule them. But we took on several new clients that week, and my first priority is working with my clients. I was going to write posts while I was at the beach. Yeah, right. The sand, sea, and sun beckoned, and I couldn’t muster up any motivation to write.

But even if I had gotten around to writing and scheduling those posts, I wouldn’t have told you I was going on vacation. It’s one of my unwritten blogging policies. I think it stems from reading far too many blogs in which the author announces that she’s taking a break from blogging. She claims she’s announcing her departure as a courtesy to their readers, but I wonder whether it’s more to stave off her own guilt.

When bloggers do warn me in advance that they’ll be gone, I tend to stop reading their blog. Why? I don’t know. But a psychologist could probably explain it to me.

Far too often, bloggers announce that they’re going to take “a short break” and I don’t hear from them again for months. Telling people you’re going to stop the presses gives some bloggers carte blanche to stop the presses – forever.

Finally, I believe bloggers get easily misled into thinking too highly of ourselves. “My readers will worry about me if I don’t blog! How will my fans get through their day without reading my wonderful nuggets of wisdom?”

Trust me; your readers will survive without you. The earth will continue to spin on its axis. The sun will continue to shine (everywhere except Seattle, that is, where the rain will continue to rain). The sad fact of the blogging life is that the vast majority of your readers don’t care about you. Not much, anyway.

They care about themselves. They care about what they are going to get from your blog that will solve their problems or make them smile. They will continue to function relatively normally if they don’t hear from you every day – or even every week.

So give yourself a break, dear blogger. If you need a vacation, take one. Don’t apologize. When you return from your blogging break, you’ll be rejuvenated and ready to pound out witty posts (like this one!) that ooze humility.

The post Should You Warn Readers When You’re Taking a Vacation from Blogging? first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/should-you-warn-readers-when-youre-taking-a-vacation-from-blogging/feed/ 30 https://bloggingbistro.com/convert-prospects-into-customers-through-targeted-online-content/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=convert-prospects-into-customers-through-targeted-online-content https://bloggingbistro.com/convert-prospects-into-customers-through-targeted-online-content/#respond Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:30:31 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4303 You’ve probably gawked at websites that boast thousands of fans. While these sites draw huge amounts of traffic, many of them convert only a fraction of visitors into customers. More visitors doesn’t necessarily equal more customers. It’s better for your website to get half as much traffic — and for you to receive twice as […]
The post Convert Prospects Into Customers Through Targeted Online Content first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> You’ve probably gawked at websites that boast thousands of fans. While these sites draw huge amounts of traffic, many of them convert only a fraction of visitors into customers.

More visitors doesn’t necessarily equal more customers.

It’s better for your website to get half as much traffic — and for you to receive twice as many phone calls — because your content mirrors the needs of your target clientele.

In my July Relationship Marketing column in the Snohomish County Business Journal, I explain the best ways to create targeted content that converts prospects into customers.

You’ll learn:

• why it’s important to embed a theme-oriented blog into your company website
• how to correctly use keywords in articles, links, titles, images, permalinks, categories
• where to syndicate your blog’s feed

Read the entire article and let me know what you learned!

The post Convert Prospects Into Customers Through Targeted Online Content first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/convert-prospects-into-customers-through-targeted-online-content/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/time-newsletters-inspiration-for-bloggers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=time-newsletters-inspiration-for-bloggers https://bloggingbistro.com/time-newsletters-inspiration-for-bloggers/#respond Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:00:16 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4214 I’m always on the lookout for new ideas to write about. The free newsletters I receive from TIME.com are great for inspiration. I subscribe to Photos of the Week, which are delivered to my e-mail Inbox every Friday. They contain intriguing photo essays and off-the-wall pictures. TIME offers a variety of newsletters: Daily News 24/7 […]
The post TIME Newsletters: Inspiration for Bloggers first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> I’m always on the lookout for new ideas to write about. The free newsletters I receive from TIME.com are great for inspiration.

I subscribe to Photos of the Week, which are delivered to my e-mail Inbox every Friday. They contain intriguing photo essays and off-the-wall pictures.

TIME offers a variety of newsletters:

Daily News 24/7 – Top news and quotes of the day, delivered to your Inbox every morning.

Top 10 Weekly – This week’s most popular stories, pictures, cartoons, and quotes, delivered every Monday.

Politics – Political news, delivered daily.

Cartoons of the Week – TIME.com’s most popular cartoons, delivered every Friday.

To sign up for one of TIME’s newsletters, visit TIME.com and click the “Newsletters” link in the upper righthand area of the page, or click this link: http://ebm.cheetahmail.com/r/regf2?a=0&aid=1078532063&n=1

Do you subscribe to any great newsletters that give you inspiration for blog posts?

The post TIME Newsletters: Inspiration for Bloggers first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/time-newsletters-inspiration-for-bloggers/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/wordpress-3-0-video-tour/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordpress-3-0-video-tour https://bloggingbistro.com/wordpress-3-0-video-tour/#comments Sat, 19 Jun 2010 13:00:14 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4260 WordPress released Version 3.0 this week.  This 3-minute video tour demos the enhancements. Features I can’t wait to use: Bulk plugin updating, drag-and-drop menu item re-ordering, and ability to create custom headers for each page/post on your site.
The post WordPress 3.0 Released – Video Tour first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> WordPress released Version 3.0 this week.  This 3-minute video tour demos the enhancements.

Features I can’t wait to use: Bulk plugin updating, drag-and-drop menu item re-ordering, and ability to create custom headers for each page/post on your site.

The post WordPress 3.0 Released – Video Tour first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/wordpress-3-0-video-tour/feed/ 2 https://bloggingbistro.com/three-great-places-to-find-guest-blogging-opportunities/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=three-great-places-to-find-guest-blogging-opportunities https://bloggingbistro.com/three-great-places-to-find-guest-blogging-opportunities/#comments Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:00:03 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4205 One of the best ways to build traffic to your Website/blog is to get incoming links from popular sites. And one of the best ways to generate incoming links is to submit guest articles to other blogs or sites in your industry. I recommend three excellent, free resources for learning about and submitting guest articles: […]
The post Three Great Places to Find Guest Blogging Opportunities first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> One of the best ways to build traffic to your Website/blog is to get incoming links from popular sites. And one of the best ways to generate incoming links is to submit guest articles to other blogs or sites in your industry.

I recommend three excellent, free resources for learning about and submitting guest articles:

HARO (Help A Reporter Out)

Three times daily, you receive an e-mail digest that lists freelance writing opportunities. This free services matches reporters, producers, bloggers, and authors who are researching stories/books with experts in a particular area. The experts provide quotes, background information, and may even end up writing the story. Deadlines are usually same day or next day, so respond instantly to queries that interest you.

I blogged about one of my own writing opportunities via HARO here: An Easy Way to Get Quoted in Tons of Media Outlets

HARO is a great way to feature experts in your own stories, as well as to build your portfolio of published writing. To subscribe: www.helpareporter.com

Reporter Connection

Started in late December 2009 by Bill and Steve Harrison, this daily e-mail digest connects reporters seeking experts to interview with sources.It works the same as HARO.

To receive free media leads: www.ReporterConnection.com/JoinNowFree/

Blogger LinkUp

Created by Cathy Stucker, this free service functions the same as Reporter Connection and HARO, only it’s exclusively for bloggers. You can request guest posts, request sources for interviews & roundups, offer guest posts to bloggers, and offer products (such as your newly-published book) to bloggers for review.

To join:  www.bloggerlinkup.com

*Feel free to reprint this post on your own blog. I’ll be happy to e-mail you the HTML, so all you have to do is copy & paste, and the formatting will remain intact. If you reprint it, please include the following byline:

Laura Christianson, aka The Blogging Barista, owns Blogging Bistro (www.BloggingBistro.com), a Seattle-based social media marketing company.

The post Three Great Places to Find Guest Blogging Opportunities first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/three-great-places-to-find-guest-blogging-opportunities/feed/ 4 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-add-more-buttons-to-your-wordpress-text-editor/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-add-more-buttons-to-your-wordpress-text-editor https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-add-more-buttons-to-your-wordpress-text-editor/#respond Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:00:20 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4193 WordPress.org does a decent job of providing text editing buttons. But I’ve always longed for a button that lets me add a table… or one that lets me easily highlight words… or even one that lets me add one of those goofy emoticons. 🙄 Problem solved. Enter TinyMCE Advanced, a nifty WordPress plugin that helps […]
The post How to Add More Buttons to Your WordPress Text Editor first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> WordPress.org does a decent job of providing text editing buttons. But I’ve always longed for a button that lets me add a table… or one that lets me easily highlight words… or even one that lets me add one of those goofy emoticons.

Problem solved. Enter TinyMCE Advanced, a nifty WordPress plugin that helps you do all of the above, and more.

1. To install the plugin, click “Plugins” in your WordPress.org dashboard.
2. Click “Add New.”
3. Search for TinyMCE Advanced.
4. Click “install.” Activate the plugin.
5. Then go to “Settings” in your dashboard and click TinyMCE Advanced.
6. Drag and drop buttons you want into your toolbar.



This plugin also lets you create extra spaces between paragraphs in a blog article (WordPress normally wipes out extra hard returns automatically).

At the bottom of the plugin settings, click the button that says, “Stop removing the <p> and <br/> tags when saving and show them in the HTML editor.”



This will allow you to create custom paragraph spacing…




like…




…this!

The post How to Add More Buttons to Your WordPress Text Editor first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-add-more-buttons-to-your-wordpress-text-editor/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/ipad-sells-the-whole-experience/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ipad-sells-the-whole-experience https://bloggingbistro.com/ipad-sells-the-whole-experience/#respond Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:00:16 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4148 The iPad is taking the world by storm, with U.S. sales topping 1 million in less than a month and predictions that Apple may sell 8 million iPads in 2010. So, what makes this new category of computer a must-have for so many? It is because of its 9.7-inch touch-screen? … because you can easily […]
The post Are You Selling ‘The Whole Experience’? first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> The iPad is taking the world by storm, with U.S. sales topping 1 million in less than a month and predictions that Apple may sell 8 million iPads in 2010.

So, what makes this new category of computer a must-have for so many?

It is because of its 9.7-inch touch-screen?

… because you can easily read digital books and magazines? (People who own both an iPad and a Kindle tell me it’s more versatile than the Kindle.)

…because you can watch videos? Play games? Surf the Internet?

…because it’s easy to use?

…because there’s nothing on the market to rival the iPad?

Probably all of the above. Apple isn’t selling technology – we already have access to all the technology included on an iPad. Apple is selling an experience – a lifestyle.

Apple has worked very hard (and spent billions) to create a brand experience average folks can’t resist. It’s paying off.

What about you?

• What “experience” does your business or non-profit “sell”?
• How can you craft a brand story that compellingly sells that experience?

Please share your thoughts so we can learn from each other.

The post Are You Selling ‘The Whole Experience’? first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/ipad-sells-the-whole-experience/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/the-1000-most-visited-sites-on-the-web-according-to-google/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-1000-most-visited-sites-on-the-web-according-to-google https://bloggingbistro.com/the-1000-most-visited-sites-on-the-web-according-to-google/#respond Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:00:06 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4142 Trying to figure out where to establish your social media presence? Check out Google AdPlanner. Every month, Google updates its list of the 1,000 largest sites worldwide, based on unique visitors. The site is intended to help you choose sites on which to target Google ads, but it’s also helpful for overviewing sites within your […]
The post The 1000 Most-visited Sites on the Web (according to Google) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> Trying to figure out where to establish your social media presence? Check out Google AdPlanner. Every month, Google updates its list of the 1,000 largest sites worldwide, based on unique visitors.

The site is intended to help you choose sites on which to target Google ads, but it’s also helpful for overviewing sites within your industry that get lots of hits. As with most Google apps, you can filter the data multiple ways to fine-tune the results (you don’t need a Google account to view the list, but you do need one to filter the results).

In the “social networks” category, for instance, the most-visited sites for English-speaking visitors are:

1. Facebook
2. MySpace
3. LinkedIn
4. Ning

Blogging Resources & Services

1. Blogspot.com
2. WordPress.com
3. Blogger.com
4. Typepad.com
5. Squidoo.com

Keep in mind that these results apply to Google searches only – other search engines use different parameters to rank sites.

Some of the other categories included in the list:

• Air travel sites
• Banking & personal finance
• Cooking & Recipes
• Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
• How to & Expert content
• Jobs
• News & Current Events
• Online games

…and many more

I’m still learning to use AdPlanner, so if you come up with any interesting ways to use it, please share them with us.

The post The 1000 Most-visited Sites on the Web (according to Google) first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> https://bloggingbistro.com/the-1000-most-visited-sites-on-the-web-according-to-google/feed/ 0 https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-recycle-blog-articles-for-trade-magazines/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-recycle-blog-articles-for-trade-magazines https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-recycle-blog-articles-for-trade-magazines/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:00:19 +0000 https://bloggingbistro.com/?p=4130 My son and I were in the waiting room of his physical therapist when we spotted Horse Illustrated, a magazine for equine enthusiasts (the cover horse was quite handsome!). What’s your specialty? Chances are, there’s a trade magazine or newsletter (either print or online) for that industry. Here are a few “trades” I discovered: Today’s […]
The post How to Recycle Blog Articles for Trade Magazines first appeared on Blogging Bistro.]]> My son and I were in the waiting room of his physical therapist when we spotted Horse Illustrated, a magazine for equine enthusiasts (the cover horse was quite handsome!).

What’s your specialty?

Chances are, there’s a trade magazine or newsletter (either print or online) for that industry.

Here are a few “trades” I discovered:

• Today’s Trucking
• Nail Pro (the finger and toe variety of nails)
• Sign Builder Illustrated
• InTents (for the tent rental and fabric structure industries)
• Concrete Construction
• Impressions (for the embroidery/monogram industry)

Trade journals are a great place to recycle your blog articles. You can also sell original articles to trades.

I adapted an article from my blog for SpaRetailer, a print and online magazine for hot tub retailers. This magazine includes an extensive marketing section, so I pitched them an article about how to create a promotional campaign that features “what’s in it for me” content. They bought it and published my article in their March/April 2010 issue.

Not only did they publish my article, but they asked me to submit a sidebar (a super-short, tips-based article) for their May/June issue. My sidebar, “Five critical elements every business blog needs,” became the focal point of a feature article, “Blogging for Business.”

The feature (written by one of their in-house staff) included an interview with my client, Rich’s for the Home (a major hot tub retailer in the Seattle area), and an interview with me.  I wasn’t expecting to be quoted, so I was pleased that they featured me as an expert and included a link to my Website.

If you want to build your reputation as an industry expert, I encourage you to re-purpose your blog articles for trade magazines. Trades are always looking for well-written content, and many of them pay (some of them pay quite well, in fact).

You’ll find an exhaustive list of trade journals in the 2010 Writer’s Market (*Note: the 2011 Writer’s Market will be out July 12, 2010).

Here’s an assignment to get you thinking outside the barn:

1. Brainstorm how you can re-purpose an article you’ve written for FeedLot Magazine (breaking news that pertains to the livestock industry).
2. Share your “pitch” or your article idea in the Comments area of this post.
3. Get mooooving!
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