Successful Blog

A Genuine Blogging Community

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Being Part of Something Bigger

To serve our readers, to make something bigger, to show the blogosphere what community looks like . . . to keep blogging fun and engaging, to have a place to go figure out solutions and share our successes, to make blogging all it can be come hell or high water . . . Successful Blog is a community blog where every voice is welcomed and every contribution is valued.–MES

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Have stories or ideas to add to the conversation?

  • Is there something you do that works really well?
  • Have you had a success you’d like to share?
  • Have you figured out a useful trick or two?
  • Have you got a tool or tip we don’t know about?
  • Have you figured out the hard way a pitfall we can avoid?
  • Have you written an article you’d like to submit?
  • Do you have ideas on how we might collaborate?
  • Do you have a post with fresh, relevant content we’d enjoy?
  • Do you have a post that explores a new angle on an old subject?
  • Do you have a post with a tool that belongs in the Survival Kit?
  • Do you have a post about an experience that might help a new blogger?

Share what you know and we all get better. For details on how, see the Want to Be a Contributor? page.

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Be part of something bigger than one–Successful Blog–a genuine Blogging Community.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Tuesday Design Discussion Night

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Successful bloggers are constantly trading nuances, techniques, and strategies for how they keep their blogs growing. . . . When we find one, it’s hard to keep quiet. We want to know if other folks see the same things we do.

Wasn’t it fun when we had that discussion last week in the comment section of Brian’s sidebar article?

I want to do that again. Don’t you?

So I proclaim Tuesday Night Successful Blog Design Discussion Night.

This week we’ll talk about california is a recipe for a black hole–a quality blog with a unique design. The blog is co-authored by Patrick “Mojo Shivers” and his life-long friend, Breasier.

I tell you now in case you want to take a peek over the weekend. Before you go, you might want to print out the Checklist for Linking to Quality Blogs that I’ve just put together. It’s a great tool for evaluating blog ideas wherever you find them. It’s in the next post. If you go, read a story. The writing’s worth reading. And do leave a comment. It’s an experience to get to the comment screen.

I’ll run a mini-interview about it and gather some screen shots for you to see on Monday.

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So do come Tuesday night, if you can. If not I’ll end up talking to me–which will lead to my schizoform disorder coming out again, which will mean my dcctor will have to up my medication–and that just isn’t pretty. Oh no, it’s not pretty.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Great Find: Have You Been Stumbled Upon?

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This being Friday, I hadn’t planned on writing another post. I had a few lined up for the day and that MIT book I’m working on is staring at me.

But I was stumbled upon again—Successful Blog was stumbled upon last week and now this. I couldn’t help myself. My famous curiosity kicked in, and I had to check it out. Once I did, I figured you might want to play with Stumble Upon over the weekend. So here I am writing this post . . .

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Stumble Upon is a more user-friendly, more organized, more social–yeah, that’s what I mean–a more social, social bookmarking tool. For the web pro, del.cio.us has an interface that offers the credibility and appeal of an indexing page. For the rest of us, Stumble Upon has that “Frosted Mini-Wheat” appeal–it’s visually pleasing and fun enough for the kid in me, but sophisticated and organized to satisfy the adult as well. For the social butterfly or the college kid this one wins hands down for it’s personal interaction features.

The time it takes to get up and running on Stumble Upon is short and sweet, and a quick check at Technorati shows that it already has 1500 users linked to it. I think this is the next sleeper hit. Well, just look at the difference. The developers have met most of the problems people have with using its competition.

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You can edit the backgrounds, pick the categories, and do random searches to “stumble upon” sites under tagged themes. It’s addictive and fun. You can also meet people and share what you’ve found–if you so choose. More than that, it’s much nicer to look at and easier to find things.

If it’s not what you’re looking for, it might be the perfect thing for that friend or relative who finds del.cio.us overwhelming or visually intimidating.

Here’s what some of the big magazines said about Stumble Upon.

Give it a try. You might like it. I did, but then I stumble a lot even without it.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

How to Find Homes for Your Links

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It’s easy to get people to do what you want, just show them why it’s to their benefit to do it.

If what you want is a link from me, then your challenge is to persuade me. Show how it’s in my best interest and that of my readers to give your link a home on my blog.

Speaking of homes, you should also make sure that you want me to have your link. A link represents a vote from you. You want to find blogs with quality content, blogs with like-thinking writers who will value your relationship. Here’s how you might do that.

  • Get to know me and my blog.

    • Don’t become a stalker, but do make a project of finding out who I am and what I care about. Study my blog and my readers’ comments. A little reconnaissance and you’ll get a good idea of where or whether your link is a good fit.

  • Think about where your link would add value.

    • No one needs a link on their blogroll. Find a reason that I need your link. Do you have a post that ties well with one of mine? Do you expand on a topic that my readers have shown an interest in? Have you covered a subject I’ve missed, or does your content compliment mine, offering my readers a change they might enjoy? Once you’ve found a compelling answer to a question such as one of these, then you’re ready to talk to me.

  • When you talk to me, be personal and persuade me.

    • If you want my attention talk to me, not sir or madam, and let me know how you see your link improving my readers’ experience. That will surely get my attention. Persuade me. I want to feel there is a compelling argument for your link. That way I won’t see myself as someone who gives away links to anyone who asks. I’ll see myself as a person who was lucky to have met a clear thinker like you–someone who knew exactly how to improve my blog.

If I refuse you, you’ve lost nothing. You’ve probably picked up a few things by studying a blog. You’re not likely to research too long on a blog not worth linking to. If I agree, you’ve made a connection to quality content. Hopefully my blog will grow into old age with you. Then we can spend our days together complaining about those misbehaving young blogs.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Are You Up for a Posting Marathon?

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It’s a Marathon

The blogger at It’s So Fantastic has decided to do Darren Rowse’s list of 20 Blogging Post Types one better and do a marathon, posting one of each type for 20 days running. She’s invited all comers to post with her and leave a link to their posts.

Are you fit and ready? It’s a great way to make contacts, hone new writing skills, and get some links. You can find the details and the list of types at her site link above.

Good luck. If you participate, let us know how it goes.

As Darren said, “Great idea! Wish I had thought of it.”

ME “Liz” Strauss

Successful Blog Community News

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Great Discussion

If you weren’t able to join us back stage after Brian Shih’s article on sidebars, you might check out the comments section that follows it. We had a great discussion on sidebar design with several people bringing in examples of a variety of design options to use while making a point about what works or doesn’t work.

It was hands-down the best example of community discussion in action I’ve ever seen. Way cool! We’ve got something really special happening here.

Thanks to everyone who participated. It really was fun as well as enlightening.

Can we do that again soon. Huh? Can we? Can we? 🙂

–ME “Liz” Strauss