Successful Blog

LINK BAIT and COMMUNITY

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Link-baiting is the concept of writing in such a way as to attract other internet-based resources back to our blog.  It means creating something that naturally attracts back-links for your web page by getting people to talk about it, discuss it on forums, blog about it, post it on del.icio.us / Sphinn / Digg / Stumble , and link to it from their sites. It also attracts a lot of visitors. 

Link-baiting is not a new concept and not a concept used only on the internet. Rae Hoffman has a great explanation of how politicians use link bait all the time and always have.

Being passionate about what you write and how you convey that passion is key to growing your community. Richard Reeve talks about touch points and eloquently explains how this process of attracting readers, and the analytics involved, builds relationships. Whatever the intent or purpose of our blog, we’re all interested in that relationship which forms from the links that are made.

Building community is more than just having high page view counts. It’s about increasing readership and engaging with those readers in a meaningful way.

Some things to keep in mind:

  1. Are you looking to have as many visits to our site as possible so we can say we have high numbers
  2. Are you trying to build an audience that signs up to the RSS feed or returns regularly?
  3. Does you writing change as a result of thinking about the numbers?
  4. Is it possible to get high numbers and attract repeat readers?

There are lots of great resources out there to explain how to use link bait and honestly, we all would like traffic on our blog. The Golden Rules of Linkbaiting is really helpful. It feels good to know others read and value our writing. It feels good to know we have an audience. People love to discuss how many visits they got that day and where the traffic comes from. Building community is more than just having high page view counts. It’s about increasing readership and engaging with those readers in a meaningful way

 “One way to make sure your link bait is successful is to pick a subject that you believe in, are passionate about, and that will bring out an emotional response from members of your target audience. Or you could play it safe and write the 5 ways Twitter is helping web 2.0 businesses. The first is memorable the second is utterly forgettable.” – Michael Gray  

Do you have link bait in mind when you write?

Kathryn aka northernchick

Special thanks to graywolf and photo credit: INV/ALT DESIGN

A Twitter Survey, RSS Feeds and Jethro Bodine: How to Use All Three to Increase Subscribers

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A Guest Post by Duane Lester

I wanted more subscribers.

All over the Internet, I see Feedburner chicklets with more subscribers than my blog. I wonder what exactly makes a reader pull the trigger on a subscription? So I turned to a great resource, my tweeps.

Using Tweetlater I scheduled a Twitter survey — the same question day and night. For 24 hours, I asked what it took for them to subscribe to a blog.

Here’s what they told me:

  • sarahtymeson Guess it depends on what site has & what I’m looking 4… i.e they offer training in an area & I’m looking @ getting n2 that area.
  • PEP010 I hate excess email, so a website must offer well-done material that’s directly relevant to my work needs.
  • susan_s_smith content in my areas of interest, but it must be written well
  • readmylipstick Sites s/b related to my interests, well put together, recommended by friend, no pop ups, no noise / fluff / flash, good content
  • clarky07 for me its usually not that much. an insightful article or comment about something i’m interested in will do it.
  • OmegaSpreem If they have lots of new content on a regular (more often than weekly) schedule, I’ll subscribe to their RSS feed.
  • blogdesigner useful information and a feeling that doesn’t overwhelm me with "faceless blogger" personality is a must (coupled with useful in
  • my3boybarians sense of gaining something by reading it.
  • HighPlainsBlogr RE http://is.gd/crlI : Generally links to articles, etc. I enjoy. Frequency of "match" boosts odds – name recognition w/prev posts.
  • ppmartin Theres is no "rule" before I subscribe to a website, it all "depends".
  • EndTheRoboCalls Free, remarkable, useful, save time, save money
  • lynngg For a website? All over the place. For a blog, write like Hemingway.
  • crystalclear3 If a website has a topic I am interested in with good writers, then this makes me a subscriber to their RSS feed
  • lukegoossen value… the more value I find initially, the more likely I am to subscribe… to get more "value added" content
  • rinosafari For me, mostly interesting content. Good first impression is key, or I’m usually outta there.
  • rinosafari Also, regular updates are important, though it doesn’t have to be high volume. Visual site appeal comes in at distant third.
  • Mauricio_TN 1st, I would have 2b highly interestd in the subject matter, 2nd I would have to trust the owner/author is an expert in the field
  • redbloodedgirl To subscribe: consistently good content, good writing, unique perspective, original. Not "me too" or just agreement with me.
  • meanolmeany Strictly the content, on any topic. I read about 100 sites completely a day with Google Reader.
  • sharilee To subscribe, I need to see really rich content, something that will help me be smarter. Sadly, not much that compelling out there
  • RadioPatriot I want timely accurate info in user friendly format — HATE ads & widgets that slow up the download
  • InstructorG Re: answer to survey = immediately useful information
  • JesseNewhart cutting edge content
  • GrayRinehart I take RSS from blogs >> websites. If I go to a blog > 5 times, or know the blogger, or love it at 1st sight, I feed from it.
  • Jaustin intriguing content of which there has potential to consistently be more of. Like new software downloads or new commentary
  • infidelsarecool Constant fresh content, unique and interesting headlines, first-movers of news, content including multimedia [pics,videos]
  • chasrmartin mostly, the RSS icon. I put them in "possibles" and see later if I come back to them.
  • freedomist has to be something I need or want but can’t get elsewhere or has to offer me a chance or means of helping my own cause/bus.
  • lleger If I find myself continually checking a site for new content–because I know it’s good content–then it’s time to subscribe.

In order for a reader to subscribe:

“a website must offer lots of new, consistently good content, something I can’t get elsewhere.”

Really not a blockbuster surprise. We all know that content is king. The intriguing part of the survey came from the following responses:

  • Subscribe with money? Or just fill out the form that pops up?
  • not really sure how it works, if I knew how to do it and what it did I might subscribe
  • If you mean pay for it. I don’t believe I would.
  • Do you mean like newsletters? I sub’d to 1 recently; a site w/ supplies of interest to me. So I can see what’s new. That kinda thing
  • minimal info required – email maybe, zip code yes, real name no, address no, phone number no.

These responses reminded me of two things. The first a lesson I learned in military journalism school. The second was was an article at Copyblogger.

Write for Jethro

In military journalism school, we were taught to write our news stories for Jethro Bodine. (For those who don’t know who Jethro Bodine is — he was a character on a TV show, the Beverly Hillbillies who couldn’t add past 10.) If we wrote so Jethro could understand it, we were confident anyone could.

Pay attention. I am not saying that Twitterers are as dense as Jethro. I’m agreeing with Willy Franzen.

In this article from Copyblogger on how to increase subscribers. Willy Franzen at Copyblogger asks:

Are you being completely clear with your word choice? When you ask your readers to subscribe, are you asking them to do the virtual version of writing their name underneath? Or are you asking them to agree to pay you a sum of money?

In other words, are you writing for Jethro?

It’s a valid question.

I checked my site. I wasn’t. I had the square orange RSS logo in the top right corner. Savvy Internet users know this symbol for the blog’s RSS subscription. Would Jethro? No. Neither did some of my readers. Some who did, didn’t know
what to do with it.

To fix this, I added

  • a question the reader may have been asking: What is RSS?

    • and linked that question to

  • a page detailing the ins and out of RSS, including a video from Creative Commons.

Now when a person has a question about RSS or subscribing in general, this will lead them to the answer. And along the top are links to all our feeds so they can start right away with us.

Two small additions that could result in an increase in RSS and e-mail subscriptions. Are you inviting readers to subscribe assuming they understand what you mean, or are you writing for Jethro, ensuring you get maximum subscriptions?

Duane Lester writes for All American Blogger. He’s a friend, an SOB, and a Navy journalist who finds the answer to what he wants to know.

Thanks, Duane.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Story Telling: Building Community for Post-Secondary Students

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As the Holidays drew to a close and people geared up to go back to work and class, I started thinking about classes, (I could have stayed in school forever – loved it!) and how I wish I had of been blogging when I was in university. Turns out there are lots of students out there not just connecting up on Facebook, but blogging, and for different reasons. I don’t have actual numbers but I talked with some post-secondary students to find out just what blogging and being part of that community means to them.

Teresa Wu blogs with a clear love of writing. She agrees with my suggestion that it does help with academic writing in that she learned to think very clearly about what she wants to say and how it will be perceived. Interestingly enough she said, “It gives me a community to bounce stuff off of, whether that’s just… pictures of my new brother’s new puppy or sharing the ways in which I promoted my humor blog.“Again, the value of community.

Writing with a purpose in mind and great enthusiasm is David Spinks. “The purpose of my blog is not only to share my thoughts and ideas on social media in hopes that people will find my writing to be valuable and communicate back, but also to complement my professional career, and establish myself in the field.” He knows what kind of community he wants to build and is doing it! His love of what he’s doing is contagious – you want to be a part of his community.

Blogging builds community. We see and hear that here, on Successful & Outstanding Bloggers. We’ve heard about it from others, and we know it ourselves to be true. We read, share our thoughts, ideas, expertise and good “finds”. We talk about ourselves. We write comments on blogs we read and share our opinions, ask questions and provoke debate. We link out, link up and search for links. We join in, build and grow. Our strategies may vary. Some choose to build community to market for public relations, or as corporate communications. Others may blog for the love of writing, to engage, share and help out. It’s all the same, really: to build a community. Just the intent may differ.

You are part of a blogging community. Thank you for welcoming me here to this one. Please share something that’s happening in your community.

Kathryn aka @northernchick

Photo credit: forever digital

Beach Notes: Friending Offline

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by Guest Writers Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh

It came to us while walking on the beach last week.

You know how, what with Facebook and Twitter and Plurk and all the other social networking communities we all have these hundreds or thousands of friends online? Well, what if we were to friend some of those people we see offline?

That’s right, friends we can talk to, hang out with, but without having a keyboard or microphone or videocam to help us communicate!

Novel idea.

What triggered this particular brainwave, which we are currently seeking to trademark as “Friends in the Flesh”, was when, as we say, we were walking on the beach.

Now just by way of background, when we walk on the beach early in the morning there are several people we see most days. Some form of greeting or acknowledgement is exchanged, ranging from a hearty “Good Morning! Beautiful day!”, through to a friendly but fairly emotionless nod. You always know who the visitors holidaying from the city are: if you say “Good morning!” they look at you nervously and might manage a smile but you know their city reflexes have them suddenly in fight or flight mode.

Anyhow, the other day, a chap we’ve actually chatted with a few times and another who has been in the “nod or make a small, unostentatious sort of waving motion with the hand” category of morning beachgoers, stopped us to actually introduce themselves by name and discover our names.

Now when we see them it’s all “Suzie!”, “Des!”, “Pat!” and “Greg!” – and since they have introduced us to another of their friends, “Grahame!”.

We discovered we like this and now we are on a bit of a campaign to get to know the names of the other regulars.

Who knows where this could lead? The League of Offline Friends perhaps? With a list, in – what do they call it – a printed book?

Given the instantaneousness of friending on Facebook and following/being followed on Twitter, the four years or so it has taken for us to know the names of people we greet every day and have them know our names, and even stop for the occasional chat, seems – no, is – an extraordinary amount of time.

Is it possible, while we build amazing and multitudinous friendships online, that we are neglecting – literally walking past – opportunities for friendships in our offline lives?

What if 2009 were to be a year when we did some serious offline friending? Going beyond the wave or the non-committal half-smile exchange with people we see every day or regularly but really know nothing about to exchanging names and even having a chat or two.

A chat offline? You mean it’s ok to do that? Cool.

Do you have a story to tell about going from a “courtesy” wave or nod to actually friending someone offline? Care to share, here?

Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh wishing everyone an wonderful friendful 2009.

 

 

Merry New Year to You!

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The week that just passed was a week of celebration, visiting with family and friends, old and new, feasting and fun for many. It was also a time for reflection about the year drawing to a close and planning for the year ahead – the year that begins with this day. I hope you had a positive week and took some time for rejuvenation and some time for yourself.

There’s been a lot of talk in the blogosphere, on twitter and other platforms about what not to do, how to increase SEO, suggestions about what to write and how to write it and lots of advice. I hope in your time of reflection and planning you thought about your original intent with respect to your writing. I’d like to think you incorporate all you have learned but keep true to those intentions and continue writing in a genuine way that reflects what you really want to say.

I wish for you a peaceful and creative New Year.

Kathryn @northernchick

Thanks to Maura McGovern for the wonderful picture.

Beach Notes: Would Now Be a Good time To Start on Your Dream?

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True Story from Our Local Neighborhood
by Guest Writers Suzie Cheel & Des Walsh

At Kirra beach, near where we live, there is a new landmark, the multi-storey Kirra Surf apartment building, the latest manifestation of local retailing icon of the same name.

Its history is closely linked with that of another local retailing icon, internationally famous surfwear label Billabong.

Thirty-five years ago, in 1973, Kirra Surf did not exist and Billabong was just getting started.
The now very wealthy founder of Kirra Surf, Peter Turner, tells with some amusment the story of meeting for the first time the now also very wealthy Gordon Merchant, founder of Billabong.

Turner was working in a local surf shop, now long closed, and as he says, a young guy had walked into the shop trying to convince them to stock a new pair of board shorts Ð or ÒboardiesÓ as we call them here. The young guy was Gordon Merchant, , then eking out some income from what was basically a two person operation, himself and his wife. Merchant was selling surfboards and swimwear out of his station wagon.

As Turner tells it, Merchant “came in with three new pairs of boardies that he wanted us to stock.”

“He had written on the label: ‘Billabong, since 1973’ and I said “Mate, it is 1973” and he just looked at me and said “Well, you’ve got to start somewhere.”

Four years later, Turner took the young guy’s advice and opened Kirra Surf.

In March 2008 Billabong acquired Kirra Surf!

One story, one young man with a big dream inspiring another, two multi-millionaires.

Do you have a dream you’ve been putting off
till it’s a good time to start?

Would January 1, 2009, be a good time to get moving?

And if you share your dream and your decision here,
then someone can tell your story years from now.

Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh wishing everyone an abundant 2009

Story Source:http://rewarddevelopments.com.au/_assets/57-23-02-2007-15-12-23.pdf