30 Comments to “Blogging Hypothetical Question 2”

1. November 27th, 2005 at 1:10 pm
   Mike said

   Because we have 12 blogs and over 20 other sites, we receive several of these a day. Several.

   I delete all of them.

   On the other hand/email, if they take time to actually look at our site/blog and make a comment that is relevant to something on there AND if their site is similar in content to our, then I consider adding them to our links.

   That’s also how I expect to be treated.

   But it doesn’t always work that way, as some site owners don’t pay attention to the smaller details, such as these due to the fact that they don’t treat their site like a real business.

   Or maybe they’re ignorant of real business practices because they live in their Grandmother’s basement, she pays for their hosting and they never venture out into the light of day. Like a lot of forum dwellers I’ve seen during my 5 minute foray into trying to read a board/forum.

   Either way, many ( most ) site owners need a primer on basic business practices and etiquette. Most have NO IDEA about customer service, sales, etc.

2. November 27th, 2005 at 2:52 pm
   Sabine said

   What do I think of that? Not much! Tacky, tacky, tacky.
   To me it’s the online equivalent of people who, at a business networking event, shove their cards in your face and move on.

3. November 27th, 2005 at 3:19 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Mike,
   All good points you make. Though I must say I’d have trouble taking anyone seriously who didn’t bother to find out my name.
   Liz

4. November 27th, 2005 at 3:24 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Sabine,
   How’s CTBiz?
   It is a bit like email spam. That is the entirety of an email I received this week. Not even a “Hello, how are you?” I wonder what the return ratio is on this kind of thing?

   Liz

5. November 27th, 2005 at 4:05 pm
   J. H. Shewmaker said

   A response to this posting entitled “Jealously guard your brand” has been placed on my blog “Become Unforgettable.”

   Here is an excerpt from the response:

   Whether you are online or whether you are offline, you should exercise extreme caution about who you recommend. When you recommend another person, that person’s conduct may taint your brand. Your clients will evaluate your concern for their well-being upon the quality of the people whom you recommend.

   Building a brand is important to your long term success. Zealously seek reliable resources which will help your clients and friends and jealously guard your brand from being damaged by reckless referrals.

   A website link is a referral and should be treated the way you would treat the giving of recommendations.

6. November 27th, 2005 at 4:24 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi James,
   Good to see you here.
   You make a good point. When I first started blogging a mentor-friend said that the blogroll reflects on the blogger. I agree with that.

   Brand is an important word to me as well. Thank you for adding that to this discussion, James.
   Liz

7. November 27th, 2005 at 4:36 pm
   Shirley George Frazier said

   I agree with all comments to date.

   In addition, what could the subject line to this type of Email possibly say to encourage me to open it in the first place?

   Such an Email does nothing to build a relationship. It’s similar to a person walking up to you, handing you their business card, and walking away without saying a word.

8. November 27th, 2005 at 4:36 pm
   Alan said

   I consider it spam, and like all other spam, I delete it. There’s no personal comment in it, nothing to make it look like they’ve taken the time to read my site, or to offer a reason why I should link to their site. They lose.

9. November 27th, 2005 at 4:38 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Shirley,
   I deleted it already, but I think the subject line was “Link Trade.” You’re right. My response was to not think twice about throwing it away.
   Liz

10. November 27th, 2005 at 4:41 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Alan,
    Good point. There’s nothing to say that’s not anything more than a form letter hoping to get a hit. I don’t think I’d ever be that desperate. Kind of makes you wish we could collect them all and send them back. :P

    I often take business scenarios and but them in the dating world as a test. I don’t need a date that badly. :)
    Liz

11. November 27th, 2005 at 5:48 pm
    Martin (HOV) said

    My opinion: woah there … too much information! :-)

    Seriosuly, if you want a link then

    #1) at least find out my name - am I a Sir or Madam …

    #2) make me believe that you have actually read my site/blog ie: at least name my site before you ask for the link! Why do you want a link - maybe you’ve read a few posts and believe there’s a natural link between your readers and mind. Which posts? Make me believe that you are genuine.

    #3) because it’s more than likely 90% spam then they can’t answer #1 & #2 so it’s a big fat delete for that email.

    I’m with J.H. on links being like personal recommendations. If you truly have integrity and respect for your reader you will only offer up links that you think would be of interest to them - not doing so will damage your brand, and don’t just think of in business-related brand terms - it’s your personal brand that’s most important with a blog, imo.

12. November 27th, 2005 at 6:12 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Martin,
    Great to see you! How was you trip?
    Thanks for setting things out in such an organized fashion. You can pick this right up and make a post for your blog from this. “How Not to Ask for Links.”

    How does the saying go? “We’re known by the company we keep.”? Our links do say a lot about us. I agree It’s disrespectful to the brand, ourselves, and our readers to link promiscuously. Even Cowboy doesn’t do that. :)
    Liz

13. November 27th, 2005 at 6:52 pm
    Mike Sansone said

    I agree that deletion is the proper (and quick) action. If someone wants me to link to them, they should tell me how it will be valuable to my audience.

    Another way would be to link to me first, and by my research, I’ll find out eventually. I’ll then decide whether a link back fits.

    I’ve placed Successful Blog as a link on two business blogs because it adds value to my readers - yet I haven’t asked for a reciprocal link. And I won’t. (And, no - this isn’t a hint :) )

    Keep up the great work. I miss the old design, but glad the content remains top-notch!

14. November 27th, 2005 at 7:15 pm
    ME Strauss said

    YEA! Another Mike!
    Great first point, Mike. They should be persuading you why it serves your audience. That link first idea really works I wrote a post about how quickly it can get someone’s (mine) attention.

    I wouldn’t have thought it was a link. I hear the compliment. Besides it’s easy to get a link here. Just read the SOB page and then become one. You get free advertising and a page link that’s worth millions! :P

    Thanks for loving the content. I have a feeling this design is going to grow on folks.

    Thanks Mike for adding your voice to the conversation. Hope to have your logos soon on a SOB page in the weeks to come.
    Liz

15. November 27th, 2005 at 7:26 pm
    Martin (HOV) said

    My trip: 36 hours in total. 9 hours work, 8 hours of total sleep and the rest: 19 hours … well, lets just say: it started out all nice and proper - a restaurant and then it went downhill from there. Think: eating, booze, karaoke, and ended up at the casino at 4am on a Sunday morning with a return flight coming way too soon.

    So I’m ginerly approaching my blogging today :-)

    I accept your challenge: I WILL write a post titled “How Not To Ask for Links” and have it on my blog on say, Wednesday … just let me get that first cup of coffee for the day :-)

16. November 27th, 2005 at 7:32 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Oh Martin, I’ve been on one of those–except for the karaoke part.

    Well, if that post is as great as it could be, I’ll run it here too. So there! :)

    Liz

17. November 27th, 2005 at 7:37 pm
    Deb said

    I agree with all the comments above. Another way people get my attention is to email me about a post I’ve written, or add a comment. I’ll at least take a look at your blog that way.

    As for response rates, I’d bet this gets some response. Direct mail and spam still get responses. (And okay, I’ll admit. The Nordstrom mini-catalog on spring shoes gets me absolutely every year!! But they know I shop there, and know I buy shoes there. And who can resist the new spring shoe lines?) The people who respond probably are those who utilize the same types of practices.

    Heather’s MS Recruiting Blog had a great post recently on networking do’s and don’ts within the recruiting world, including “don’t ask me to join your Linked In network if I don’t know you”. (I’ve made the mistake of accepting those types of invites.) This works much the same way.

    All the best!
    deb

18. November 27th, 2005 at 7:55 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Deb,
    Thanks for you input. It’s always good to hear another voice, especially one with great taste in shoes. I’ll have to check out Heather’s Blog.
    Liz

19. November 28th, 2005 at 6:23 am
    HART (1-800-HART) said

    Dear Sir/Madam:
    Would you like to link to us?
    Website: http://www.ilinkwithstrangers.com
    Thank you very much.
    >> What’s your opinion of this practice?
    =============

    I personally would prefer to see the above in my email, because I use Eudora .. and my Spamnix would already have classified it and transfered into my Spamnix folder. These are the ones that I don’t like:
    ———-
    Hello
    We’ve linked your site http://MyownwebSite.url
    on our site at http://www.ilinkwithstrangers.com
    And hope you consider linking us back!
    ———-

    I once got caught on this, because when I was going to click on their link to see “where” they linked my site .. instead somehow they tricked me into changing my default MSN Search into some Shopping Site search engine and it took me weeks to figure out how to get back my MSN search as the default search engine. Fortunately, I had google toolbar, so it wasn’t a total inconvenience, but irritating nevertheless.

20. November 28th, 2005 at 7:09 am
    ME Strauss said

    OOOh HART,
    That second one is NASTY. I would have been beyond iritated into violated. Not happy. not happy at all. I sit here making noises I can’t spell about it. Not happy at all.
    Dirty, pig-dgo bast*rds. My brothers Angelo and Pasquale would have to have done something about that.
    Sorry that happened to you.
    Liz

21. November 28th, 2005 at 8:59 am
    HART (1-800-HART) said

    No need to be sorry - it happens sometimes.

    While I’m here though, except for the spam part .. I probably should mention that in general - I’m okay with reciprocal linking. In fact, if anybody wants to exchange links with me I will do that. As long as your site is G-Rated .. that’s my only requirement. I will classify it under a “Reciprocal Linking” category. I think people who think readers are naive and will take that as a “personal recommendation” or “branding” is not in tune with the readers out there today. (i.m.h.o.)

22. November 28th, 2005 at 9:07 am
    ME Strauss said

    HART,
    I’m not sure I know what it is your site is about. You didn’t answer question 3 last week as I recall. :)
    Liz

23. November 28th, 2005 at 9:50 am
    HART (1-800-HART) said

    Sorry Liz, question 3 must have eluded me.. what was your question about?

    What is my site about? 1-800-HART is my business website (don’t laugh) but it’s hard to write about my business because of the privacy act, and confidentiality reasons. I am an accountant/consultant and tax preparer and generally I’m so busy now that I’m not really looking for more of THAT kind of business at the moment anyway! I’m ‘on-topic’ and I’m ‘off-topic’ but, I think people can still read between the lines about me if they read the blog. I’m more of a ‘Keep It Simple Stupid’ type of guy and believe that it’s not WHAT you have or use .. it’s how you use it. (I do systems consulting too). If you want to know more about me, look at HART’s Bookmarks

    However, I consider my main BLOG to be the Website For All Earthlings, Who Love Animals - PetLvr.com

24. November 28th, 2005 at 10:03 am
    ME Strauss said

    Thanks for that HART.
    Everyone should know what your business is about. I like the Earthling blog best too, especially because I live with Rambo Tax for about 6 weeks a year. :)
    Liz

25. November 29th, 2005 at 7:55 pm
    Home Office Voice - Home Business on the Web said

    How Not to Ask for Links

    Linking is the life blood of the Internet - from blog to blog, post to post the whole backbone of why the Internet works is because of linking.
    Reciprocal linking has been a long-time favorite SEO strategy for many to get their blogs/sites out in the…

26. November 29th, 2005 at 8:00 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Martin,
    I’ll be over to check out your post.

    I’m back and everyone should go have a read of Martin’s post on how not to ask for links.

    Liz

27. November 29th, 2005 at 8:02 pm
    How Not to Ask for Links : Home Office Voice - Home Business on the Web said

    […] So, thanks to Liz from Successful Blog, who has challenged me to take a recent comment at her blog further … I’m taking up that challenge. […]

28. November 29th, 2005 at 11:53 pm
    Martin said

    Hi Martin,
    I’ll be over to check out your post.

    Hi Liz,

    HeHe, you’re not talking to anybody here - the first one’s a pingback, the second a trackback.

    This comment is really me here ;-)

    Let me know what you think of the post - I couldn’t just write a straight piece (that was the plan, but I got sooo bored too quickly), had to have my own slant/style on it.

    Geez, I’m getting further away from traditional journalism/article writing (my background) and further into this crazy blogging writing style where anything goes (to a point) - and I love it and I’m never going back :-)

29. November 30th, 2005 at 12:01 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Martin,
    I knew that. I just felt like I should respond so that people reading would know who they were from. I left you a comment on your blog. Did I forget to submit it? I had some weirdness things loading on my computer at the time, but I did put a hotlink here to your post so that readers would go check it out.

    I thought your post was excellent!
    Liz

30. July 2nd, 2007 at 12:56 pm
    Car Insurance » Blog Archive » Jealously guard your brand said

    […] Liz Strauss asked today about the practice of soliciting links from other websites. You receive an email that reads like this?only yours is from a real domain name. […]