Successful Blog

Great Find: PEW Internet and American Life Project

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Who Are These Guys?

If you write about the Internet, you have not done so already, I predict that a quote from the PEW report is in your future. . . .

Great Find: PEW Internet and American Life Project

Permalink: http://www.pewinternet.org/

Audience/Topic: Anyone who researches writing on modern American life and technology

Content: I never heard of PEW & the American Life Project until I started blogging. Yet reesearch blogging or the Internet and PEW information is likely to be there long before you — quoted as the source of the facts. That’s because PEW is always testing, constantly testing — through nationwide (random-digit) telephone and Internet surveys on the impact of the Internet on American Life.

With that in mind, I’ve collected these few facts before I send you there to explore this goldmine of writing ideas and support.

The PEW Mission
The Pew Internet & American Life Project produces reports that explore the impact of the Internet on families, communities, work and home, daily life, education, health care, and civic and political life. The Project aims to be an authoritative source on the evolution of the Internet through collection of data and analysis of real-world developments as they affect the virtual world.

The Key Researchers
The key researchers work in areas of specialty.
Lee Rainie, Project Director,studies trends in how people of all ages use the Internet.
Deborah Fallows, Senior Research Fellow, follows Email, spam, and everyday life on the Web.
Susannah Fox, Associate Director, Editorial. keeps an eye to privacy and trust, health and health care, support groups, banking, and senior citizens.
John Horrigan. Associate Director, Research, follows social and economic impact of Internet on communities and cities, broadband trends and impacts, adoption of new technologies, and online communities.
Steve Jones, Senior Research Fellow, works in these research areas: College Students, College Students and Gaming, Communities, Copyright, Education, Intellectual Property, Internet in Daily Life, Music, Seniors, Technology Consumption, Teens, Terrorism, Workplace
Amanda Lenhart, Senior Research Specialist, concentrates on issues regarding children, teens, parents and the Internet, the digital divide, education, content creation, blogging, instant messaging.
Mary Madden, Senior Research Specialist, researches copyright issues, music and the internet, intellectual property issues online, teens and communication technology, college students and the internet, online communities, demographic trends in online pursuits.

The reports each researcher has written are listed on his or her bio page.

The PEW and American Life Project has 100 reports, email alerts, “find an expert,” presentations, a searchable database, a commentary section an “ask a question” service, and invitations to participate in furure polls.

To get there click the title shot below.

PEW Internet

Every time I think I’ve seen all they offer, I discover move.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Great Find: Programmer Meet Designer

Ever Try Capturing Ideas as They Form?

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A Little Plan, A Lot Less Stress

Power Writing Series Logo

They say it’s not stress that causes heart attacks, but the feeling of being out of control. True or not, I find that my week is more productive, and the people around me are nicer when I take the time to plan my work. Sunday is a good day for that.

As a writer, I’ve found it efficient to gather my ideas first, when my mind is free and fresh, to make note of them and then to returrn to them later to write.

I made this a tool to help. Come look. [Read more…]

SOB Business Cafe 08-18-2006

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SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking–articles on the business of blogging written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the title shots to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

A Consuming Experience offers us an in-depth first at the new Blogger Beta blogging software.

Blogger Beta Features Review

Christine Kane asks whether you’re the kind that marketers can hook?

Are You Hookable?

CTBIZ Blogs explains how a test drive in a GM car proved the value of video as a quick, effective marketing tool.

Genuine Curiosity makes a great case for investing in yourself where the growth is likely to have the most impact.

Where Do You Invest Your 10%

It’s Not About Your Stuff reveals the secret of how to let go of that pile of stuff you’ve got taking up space inside your closets.

817 12 strategies for (finally) letting go of stuff you don't really don't need

Related ala carte selections include

Creating Passionate Users shows us how to put star power into every customer experience.

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like.
No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Great Find: Motion Mall

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An Interactive Option to Amazon Advertising

I found this alternative advertising option reading OMMA, the Online Marketing Media & Advertising Magazine. If you’re willing to share a little ad benefit for a little interactivity and pulling power, you should take a look at this one.

Great Find: Motion Mall

Permalink: http://www.motionmall.com/

Audience/Topic: Any blogger who would like an Amazon program with some extra oomph and interactivity.

Content: Motion Mall is a Boston-based company that offers one-stop advertising that any blogger can setup and have running in four simple steps. All you have to do is

    1. Design your ad.
    2. Join the Amazon Associates program.
    3. Provide your contact information.
    4. Copy and Paste the HTML.

The benefits of Motion Mall are

    You get to choose the product focus.
    The interface is interactive and refreshes throughout the day.
    You’re paid directly from Amazon’s Associates program.

What’s the catch? There is a reasonable service fee to cover the costs of the interactive interface and you might find that some readers spend more time interacting with the ads than reading your blog posts.

To check out Motion Mall, click the logo.

Motion Mall

This is the most interesting new ad model I’ve seen in the longest while.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Great Find: Programmer Meet Designer

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Sharing Skill Sets

This morning Cat Morley started my email day with a lovely link that I have to share with you. If lack of a skill or two is holding you back from getting something done. You simply have to check this one out.

Great Find: Programmer Meet Designer

Permalink: http://programmermeetdesigner.com/index.php

Audience/Topic: Programmers, Designers, Writers, Entrepreneurs

Content: Programmer Meet Designer (PMD) was started because the folks behind it understand that no one person has the complete set of skills needed to do all of the things that it takes to run a business online.

PMD helps programmers and designers partner up to make websites and web applications that look and work great. It also lets entrepreneurs and writers find people to work with.

The search engine asks for my job role, the job role I’m looking for, whether the job is paid or unpaid, and the approximate length of the work.

As you might guess by the title, there are more listings for programmers and designers. However, the site has opened itself to writers and entrepreneurs. I found listings for them, but not nearly as many. To check out Programmer Meet Designer, click the logo below.

Programmer Meet Designer

It never hurts to take a look at what’s out there.

Thanks again, Cat, for sharing your resources.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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–ME “Liz” Strauss

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A 30-Second Tactical Guide to Adsense

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by James Martin

New Blogger Logo

So you’ve started a nice new blog, you have a funky domain, some content and you’re all up and running. A few weeks later you magically come across a blog by the name of ProBlogger run by Darren Rowse. You find out that he works from home and earns a very respectable income from blogging.

Your mind goes into overdrive, maybe I can earn money from my blog – but how does he do it?

For you Successful-Blog readers, I’m going to briefly delve into the wonderful world of Adsense.

WARNING – this covers a very basic guide, however I will reveal a few tactics that you may be unaware of…

Introduction to Adsense

Adsense is a publisher’s god send. Google Adsense is a contextual advertising system that allows publishers (people who own/run websites, blogs) to place advertisements on their site. When people click an advert, the publisher will be paid for that click.

Signing up is easy; however you must have an already established website with real content. Click here to signup for Google Adsense.

Once your site has been approved you will be able to select an advert type, color and shape. Below I will list some tips that you should try and stick to when choosing these options.

What works:

    1) Blend the ad into your content as much as you can. If your blog background color is white, make your advert background color and border white as well.

    2) When considering a “link color”, try making it the same link color as the links found on your blog. If your blog has links in the content, what color are they? Apply the same color to your Adsense adverts.

    3) If you’re unsure about what color to use for links, stick with blue. It’s a standard across the web and when people see text that’s blue, it screams “click me”.

    4) Location is important as a well placed advert can be the key to success. 468×60 adverts work well above your blog content; horizontal link units work well too.

    5) Another 468×60 advert works well under the first post, click here to learn how to place an advert under your first blog post. (WordPress only!)

What doesn’t work:

    1) Skyscraper adverts don’t work too well on a blogs sidebar; they just scream “I’m an ad!” and generally don’t attract much attention.

    2) Ads with borders. Though some people have success with them, the majority don’t. You could always test it, on one week, off the other.

    3) Bright, ugly colors. Don’t go there.

Big No-no’s

    1) NEVER click your own adverts. This is a big no-no and Google have devices in place to detect fraudulent clicks.

    2) Never ask your readers to “click on your adverts”, or have headings that state “please click my ads to support this site”. This is strictly forbidden as per Google’s terms of service.

How much will I earn?

The question that gets asked the most is how much will I earn or how much should I be earning. The trick to this question is that different content will receive a different CPM. (Cost per thousand impressions). There are keywords that will attract a higher CPM, while others won’t.

There are people who write content specifically designed to include high paying keywords as to attract higher earnings. But that is a whole new story and generally isn’t considered true blogging as the user is publishing content made for Adsense, and not the readers.

The general consensus is to create content that is valuable and useful to REAL surfers. MFA (made for Adsense) content won’t make you rich overnight and with so much competition, you’re better off creating real content that you love writing about.

I’m sure Liz will agree 🙂

James “Jamsi” Martin

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Check out James’ blog, Workboxers. His approach to business blogging is refreshing, inquisitive, and intelligent. Workboxers a great read, packed with information in the right size nuggets. I always catch myself remembering his posts long after I’ve read them.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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