Successful Blog

Blogging Life Question 4: Blog Names

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muddy teal strip A

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week, I offer this Blogging Hypothetical Question.

Here you go. . . .

A friend is rethinking his brand-new blog, now that he knows a little bit about them.
He comes to you with two questions:

1. Is it a good thing or a bad thing to have “blog” in my name–such as Blogopedia? You’ve been around longer. Does that make it easier, harder, or just the same for the reader?

2. Suppose I choose a domain name now and want change my blog name later. I know people do it. I’ve seen it often enough. Does it cause any problems that you know about?
Is it okay if my domain name www.joescarideas.com doesn’t match with the new blog name Joe’s Rocket Lounge?

As a blog reader, not an SEO person, do these things make any difference to you?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Great Find: Blogs about Blogging

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Great Find: Blogs about blogs, blogger, and blogging by Barry Bell
Permalink: Blogging/wurk.net/
Target Audience: Anyone interested in Blogs about blogging

Content: Somtimes you can read someone’s writing and know you’d have a fun time at dinner with him. That’s how I feel about Barry Bell. In this, what amounts to his Top Nine blogs about bloggers and blogging he gives a tongue-in-cheek review of who should be reading each blog and why they should read it.

Included are Problogger, Jack of All Blogs. Blogebrity, Workboxers, Performancing, Successful Blog, Blogherald, Blog Network Watch, and Pajamas Media. In it he says things that I realize I’ve known unconsciously, but never actually put the words into a thought of my own. One or two of the descriptions were so perfect, they made me laugh out loud with their honesty.

For new bloggers, especially those who’ve not taken a course in marketing this review shows fine examples of product differentiation. All of these blogs basically “sell” the same thing. However, each has chosen to serve a differerent market niche and has developed their blog to that audience with that purpose in mind. The product differentiation is so clear that Barry Bell as a reader can state in a few words who each blog is meant for and what purpose it serves.

Barry has nailed it, and done so in a post that is an easy, fun read. Seven of the eight of the judges give Barry a ten and pass this one into the gold medal final round. The judge from New Zealand, who’s still sleeping–he phoned in a 9.9. The NZ judge does that sometimes.)

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Collaboration Link 2: Topical

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Collaboration Link 2: Topical
Two or more blogs agree to write on the same topic at the same time and link their posts

Topical collaborations can take many forms depending on topic and the blog owners involved. Darren Rowse at Problogger put out a challenge last September for bloggers to choose another blogger as a subject. He called it a Blog Crush, and it was meant to get bloggers to write posts about what they admire about another blogger. The original posts were linked to the admired, and Problogger linked both the writer and the subject.

If you follow this collaborative link example you’ll find out who was my Blog Crush.

Other Topical Collaborative Links include:

  • Ongoing Series Collaboration Two or more blogs in the same niche agree to write about the same topic, but different aspects of it. They post on the same day or days in series.
  • Posting in Parallel Collaboration–Points of View Two or more blogs agree to post on a controversial topic on the same day to argue their side of an issue.

Collaboration is a great foil for feeling like you’re all blogged out. It can bring new energy to an old topic, and liven up a tired crowd. Next time you’re wondering what to talk about, talk to another blogger about collaborating on your next post.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Collaboration Link 1: Image and Text
Collaboration Link 3: An Event
Collaboration Link 4: Movable Posts
Collaboration Link 5: An Interview
Collaboration Link 5: Begs the Question
Collaboration Link 6: Media Events

Collaboration Link 1: Image and Text

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Have you ever thought about collaboration as a creative way to make new links? It’s a great way to build community relationships as well as relevancy. How the collaboration works depends on the people involved and their blogs. I thought a few posts on collaboration links might be fun.

Collaboration Link 1: Image and Text
One person provides the text, the other the image.

I surfed a photo blog and this fabulous photo caught my attention. It had a caption that said

“You’re a photographer?” the child asked.
“No, I take pictures.”

I left a comment describing exactly what I liked about the photograph and how the caption inspired me. Then I emailed the photographer to say I would like to write a story about the photograph. Would he be interested? Would he share the photograph?

He said he’d like to see what I did with it and kindly agreed. What resulted was this collaborative link, “You’re a Photographer?”

A few weeks later a friend came to me. We had discussed working together, but we hadn’t yet hit on an idea–what should come first image or text? Then one day, he asked if he might use a story I posted to inspire a piece of art. Did I mind? I could hardly wait. What resulted was this collaborative link, “Dance with Me.”

These collaborations strengthened the blogging community. The links made the content on both blogs more interesting, more connected, more relevant. Personally, I enjoyed the chance to change things up a bit. It was cool to be blogging with a new friend and to feel like I was blogging on two blogs at once.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Collaboration Link 2: Topical
Collaboration Link 3: An Event
Collaboration Link 4: Movable Posts
Collaboration Link 5: An Interview
Collaboration Link 5: Begs the Question
Collaboration Link 6: Media Events

Five Design Basics to Never Forget

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Blog design is a lot like a book cover. It’s our first impression. A promise of what’s still to come. Before they read a word or take in the title, readers have formed an opinion of our blogs based on the design.

“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” might be what they tell you. Reality is that covers sell books, and designs draw in readers. Great content and useful design keeps readers coming back for more, but first-glance design is what gets them to try us.

What are the five design basics never to forget?

  • Put the title where I can see it and a subtitle explaining what the blog is about. Sounds obvious, but we’ve all been to blogs where we couldn’t find the title. More often we’ve been to blogs where the title just wasn’t enough. Does Mary muse about music or about mathematics? It makes a difference to whether I want to read her. It won’t make me a reader not to tell me. I’m going to find out.
  • Please tell me about yourself. Tell me who you are, writer. Blogs are special in their person-to-person connectedness. I read blogs because I like that about them. I can ignore it, if I don’t care about it, but I can’t make it up, if it’s not there. Don’t take that choice away from me.
  • Choose a color palette that goes together. Don’t let fighting colors distract me from what I should be paying attention to. If you’re artfully challenged, there are tools that can help.

    Image-Based Color Palette Generator

    Monochromatic Color Palette Generator

    Colour Lovers–Great Color Palettes Already Developed

    • Colors that are meant to go together make the environment comfortable and inviting–one worth spending time in.

  • Less is more, and simple is elegant. Put what you think I need. Then take half away. White space is good. It gives me room to think. Lack of it crowds me. It confuses my eyes and makes me want to leave. I like my space, like most people do.
  • Form follows function. You might have heard this one. It means that everything should be there for a reason–in this case for me, the reader. If it’s not, let it go. Things without function get in my way–they get between me and what you’re trying to tell me. I don’t want to fight to hear what you have to say.

The key to design is that it adds value to readers’ experience without calling unnecessary attention to itself. Like a great music score, you sense it and feel it. It carries you along as if it knows right where you want to go.

–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