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10 Advantages of Being A Beginner in a Blogger’s World

Filed Under Basics, Inside-Out Thinking, Successful Blog | 17 Comments

I Feel So Lucky!

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We’ve all had the experience of not knowing how to do something. From the first day of school to the first day of work to our first try at almost anything, the experience of a new challenge can be joyful, exciting, and intimidating.

We like to know things. We like to learn things, but we don’t always like folks watching us learning.

That’s the special appeal of blogging.

The Advantages of Being a Beginner in a Blogger’s World

When I came to my first blog as a beginner, I found an realm of amazing people who made the way easier and more meaningful. They offered their shoulders to stand on as they shared their experience. I can’t help but recognize all I’ve learned in this Blogger’s World.

Some folks want to be an expert blogger. Me? The longer I’m here, the more I want to stay a beginner, for these and a bunch more reasons.

  1. Bloggers love beginners. We all remember our first blog post.

  2. Bloggers are connectors — link love is the culture. Beginners meet a friend and find a community.

  3. Bloggers are explorers or we wouldn’t be here. Beginners can find help to explore anything.

  4. Bloggers are generous and helpful people. Bloggers love to share their discoveries with beginners.

  5. As a beginner, I can try to blog about almost anything.

  6. The beginner in me can talk to bloggers who are as passionate as I am — even what I’m just trying.

  7. Every blogger knows something I don’t — it’s an endless opportunity for a beginner’s mind.

  8. Blogging is more fun when it’s about what I’m learning, not about what I know.

  9. Beginners get comments from people who see and know more. Every comment connects us and offers a new way to see the world.

  10. Beginners don’t look to be the best of all — today I want to be better than yesterday.

Thinking, writing, having ideas and talking about them has been a wonder. Making relationships and connections has made my life richer. I’m a better writer, listener and marketer. Most of all being here has made me a better person. I want to stay a beginner. New beginnings are exciting.

Have you thought about staying a beginner?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
SOBCon08 is May 2,3,4 in Chicago. Register now!

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10 Compelling Reasons People Read YOUR Blog

Filed Under Business Life, Inside-Out Thinking, Successful Blog | 49 Comments

You’re a HUGE Part

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Information is everywhere. My younger, older brother said once,

“Our parents we lucky. They had less information. Information is the curse of this new era. We have so much information. We can’t move for sorting it out.”

He was right in so many ways.
My answer is to ignore most of it, only take what I need now.

I’ve talked to a few readers about why they read blogs and about how they choose the ones they go back to every day. Information isn’t the key ingredient. With so many blogs out there and so much information, we gotta wonder. Here are ten reasons people read YOUR blog.

10 Compelling Reasons People Read YOUR Blog

  1. You have ideas not just information. You look at what’s happening and add a thought about it. You’re there in the text giving the information context.

  2. You have thoughts, not just ideas. You look at your ideas from a variety of views giving them a “once over” with possibilities.

  3. You have experience. You may not have a resume from here to Mars on the subject, but you’ve tried what you’re talking about and you’re willing to say how it was for you. That’s key. Like listening to my favorite movie critic, I may not like what you like, but I know where we agree and disagree so I can tell how what you’re saying applies to me.

  4. You don’t try to teach me. You don’t write so complete that I’m not left with nothing to say, but “good job.” You show me what you’ve learned and how you learned it. That’s a big difference. I like learning with you. Being taught isn’t quite so appealing.

  5. You don’t try to be someone else. You know what you bring is of value. It’s attractive to be with people who know who they are.

  6. You interested in me too. Every question you ask is thoughtfully posed to find out more about me as a person who reads your blog. You don’t expect me to answer question that are too big or too personal for the comment box.

  7. You make me feel welcome. I get the feeling that everyone who stops by is a friend, even if he or she just arrived. That’s very appealing.

  8. You don’t apologize for what you write or take people down in public. It’s nice to know that folks who come by your blog get great information and get treated well too.

  9. You do what you can to make it easy to comment. Other than a small fence for spammers, you take the load of keeping a “clean yard” on yourself so that folks will find it easy to be part.

  10. You don’t write other people’s blog posts. You know you can only be a bad copy of who they are, but that you make a really good you.

More than anything, you know that you are the only you on the Internet. You’re the one we come for.

As I said, information is everywhere.

What are you doing to put more of YOU into your blog?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!! SOBCon08 is May 2,3,4 in Chicago. Register now!

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The 4 Keys to Reader Comments and Conversation

Filed Under Basics, Content, Successful Blog | 25 Comments

The People Connection

relationships button

The living web is built on relationships that grow through conversation. A certain magic happens when blog comments turn into conversation. When a blogging conversation happens, ideas, thoughts, and information gets passed from person to person. In the process, we find a human connection.

The Four Keys to Reader Comments and Conversation

These won’t surprise or stun you. You already know them. They’re what we all do when we talk to any person we value.

  1. Come down from the podium. Talk to me like a person who can listen. Let me be as smart as you are, even when I don’t know what you do.

  2. Leave what you say a little unfinished. Then I can add a word in. When a talking person fills in every idea and detail before anyone else talks, that’s called a speech. The response becomes applause or that awful noise.

  3. Blog your experience. I’ll respond to what you tell me. I don’t have to agree with you for what you say to resonate.

  4. Hold up your end of the bargain. Respond to my comments as you would my conversation. It’s only polite.

They say “no blog is an island.” But a blog can be one, and blogging is not the same in isolation. The ideas, thoughts, and information that we share in blogging conversation make us stronger and expand us, as people, not just as bloggers.

Therein lies the magic — we meet and make each other better.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
If you’d like Liz to help you make a plan to meet your goals, click on the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

Related
10 Essential Needs of a Thriving Community
Writing for That One Most Important Reader: That Curious, Clever, Intelligent Individual
7 Great Ways to Connect with Other Bloggers While You’re Out Reading Blogs

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More Metaphors to Explore

Filed Under Community, Successful Blog, Writing | 12 Comments

The Metaphor Project: Wow! Even More!

What’s Your Metaphor?

This is the third set and I’m so enjoying reading these metaphors. I always knew that bloggers were teachers at heart. The variety and the depth blows me away with enthusiasm for how well we know the subject.

Thank you for all of the submissions to The “What’s Your Blogging Metaphor?” Group Writing Project. Some of you are new to me and I’m so enjoying this introduction to you and your blogs. Some are familiar faces and it’s so exciting to get to know a new part of who you are.

Check this new batch out and pass them along to your readers. The more ways we look at blogging the better we’ll be able to explain it when we need to.

Let’s find some more.

Because this project spread so quickly and not all links are making their way to me, if you’ve written a metaphor and you’re not on the list, please email me a link. If you’ve already done that before 10pm CDT on June 6, please forgive me and send it again.

Be a Part of the Project

So, what’s your blogging metaphor? Join the project. There’s still time to be a part - I’ve extended the list to 10pm Chicago time (GMT-6hrs.) June 11th the Monday I return from NYC. So you have plenty of time to take part. Here’s the original post for the background — the whats and the hows.

C’mon tell us. How would you explain blogging to someone who knew nothing about it? What’s your blogging metaphor?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

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The Second Submissions: What’s Your Blogging Metaphor?

Filed Under Community, Successful Blog, Writing | 4 Comments

The Metaphor Project: Wow! More!

What’s Your Metaphor?

The next bunch of submissions are in, and like the first batch, they’re colorful creative and inspiring. They show the individuality of each blog and each blog author, while at the same time they show what we all have in common.

It’s such fun reading all of the submissions to The “What’s Your Blogging Metaphor?” Group Writing Project. Some great blog writers have taken on this challenge. Again, the creativity is reflected in the titles! Check this new batch out and pass them along to your readers. The more ways we look at blogging the better we’ll be able to explain it when we need to.

Let’s find some more.

Because this project spread so quickly and not all links are making their way to me, if you’ve written a metaphor and you’re not on the list, please email me a link. If you’ve already done that before 10:00 on June 4, please forgive me and send it again. (I had dental surgery yesterday . . .)

Be a Part of the Project

So, what’s your blogging metaphor? Join the project. There’s still time to be a part

I’ve extended the list to 10pm Chicago time (GMT-6hrs.) June 11th the Monday I return from NYC. So you have plenty of time to take part.

Here’s the original post for the background — the whats and the hows.

C’mon tell us. How would you explain blogging to someone who knew nothing about it? What’s your blogging metaphor?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

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