Successful Blog

A Bloggy-Life Problem 1

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I post this today for those who come on Sunday looking for something to think about, some conversation, or just a way to ease back into the week.

Here you go. . . .

A new blogger comes with a question about a bloggy-life problem.

All of my friends are complaining that I all I ever want to talk about is blogging. I show interest in their jobs and their relationships. Why shouldn’t they want to hear about what I’m involved in?

How would you answer?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

About Success–What a Link Can Do

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Want to get someone’s attention?

Here’s how someone got mine–with a link. Not that she needs it.

Working last night, I stopped to check what was new with our links, and I saw a link from Sheila Ann Manuel Coggins.

Who is she? Sheila is the guide to the extensive resources at Web Logs at About.com. Some people know her as Shai. She was recently in the news when her blogging network AboutWeblogs merged with b5 media.

Here is how that link changed my thinking.

I often use About.com at my personal blog. I apparently had an unconscious perception about them. It never occurred to me that About. com would go deep in expertise and information on weblong things until Shai made that link, and I went exploring it. I found a passel of information worth sharing and probably will over time. For today I’ll leave you with one link and a picture I like a lot.

This link takes you to Shai’s article on Time Management. It’s really a link to a whole page of links on all kinds of weblogging things.

Warning: if you go to this page, you might find yourself following links all weekend.

While you’re there if you look in the right sidebar and down a little, you will see the picture that I like a lot.

About Menus

We’re in excellent company. Don’t you think? Thank you, Shai.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Thanks to Week 3 SOBs

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muddy teal strip A

Successful and Outstanding Bloggers

Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,

and the right to call themselves
Successful Blog SOBs.

I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.

muddy teal strip A

campushound logo

disappear here logo

foo-web logo

great nexus logo

Home Office Voice Logo

mblog logo

R Web Designs logo

They take the conversation to their readers,
contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.

I thank all of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on.
Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.

Should anyone question this badge’s validity, send him or her directly to me. This award comes with a full “Liz said so” guarantee. It is endorsed by Kings of the Hemispheres, Martin and Michael, and backed by my brothers, Angelo and Pasquale.

deep purple strip

Want to become an SOB?

If you’re an SO-Wanna-B, you can see the whole list of SOBs and learn how to be one by visiting the SOB Hall of Fame. Click the link or visit the What IS an SOB?! page in the sidebar.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Blog Hooks that Bring Readers Back

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Since this is Building Readership Week at Successful Blog, I have to share this with you.

Some posts are a 10 out of 10. Darren Rowse’s post Blog Hooks – Elements that Draw Readers Back is one of them. In it he lays out the qualities that hook readers into becoming devoted fans. He says

We are blogging in a context where there are literally millions of blogs, in some niches there are hundreds (if not thousands) of alternatives for people to read. Successful blogs do something that makes them distinct from the rest.

They are not ‘just another blog on ((insert topic here))’ – they are ‘the blog that….((insert ‘hook’ here))’

He then lists what he thinks are the seven most intriguing hooks for readers.

  • personality of the blogger
  • design element
  • readers participation and community
  • thought leading content
  • latest news
  • practical tips
  • readership levels

Some appeal to readers who are thinkers. Some appeal to readers who are feelers. All tell readers that their time is well invested. Every one in some way tells readers this is a quality experience.

Imagine a blog that has 3 or more of Darren’s “hooks.” How could a reader leave without planning to return?

Sometimes you have to say, “I wish I wrote that.”

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Directory Listings as Blog Promotion

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The blog looks great. You’ve been through the Blog Review Checklist. You’ve got several posts with great titles and compelling content–to let readers know you’ll be around, when they come back. Now it’s time to let people know that you exist.

List your blog in the Blog Directories. Which ones? All of them–every one that you can find the smallest reason to. Listing is a slightly longer and more involved task than changing phone companies. However if you take the time, your work will last for the life of your blog.

Prepare a document with the following information before you start. Keep this document. It’s your blog’s biography. You’ll have reason to use it as your blog makes friends and influences people.

  • Your username Pick one with no spaces. Many directories and forums require that, and no one needs too many usernames.
  • Your email address This email address will get directory updates and be used for verifications. You may want it separate from your personal email address. You’ll need a system to keep track of directory correspondence. Much of the login/password email that you want to keep will have subject lines that start with blog-something.
  • Your password I’m sure you know the cautions and rules about passwords.
  • The name of your blog Be sure that you have the spelling, spacing, and everything about the name exactly as you want it. Some directories make it difficult to go back to change it later.
  • The URL This is http:// (nameofmyblog) .com
  • The feed Some directories will ask for your RSS or XML feed. You should be able to find that address within your blogware documentation. It will look like your URL with an extension.
  • The description Though you’re probably anxious to get done, don’t hurry through this one. This is your advertising, and it will be out there a long time. Again, in some places you may not be able to change it later. Make two versions one under 150 words and one under 300 words. Some directories have stricter length limits.
  • Keywords Choose keywords that readers would use to look for a blog like yours. Review them to make certain that they’re not so broad that they apply to every blog, or so narrow that only you would know them.

Then start with one of the lists below. Approach the task as suits your nature. I did a few every day until I was done. That way I could work on writing and do things on other parts of my blog too.

Here are three blog directory lists to get you started. As with all things on the Internet, Directories may have changed since these lists were compiled.

Google’s Blog Directory List

Robin Good’s RSS Top55 – Best Blog Directory And RSS Submission Sites

Free Web Directory List From Smiley Cat

–“ME “Liz” Strauss