Successful Blog

Ten Minute Rambles: A Tool To Jump-starting Your Blog

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A little over a year and a half ago, I decided to take charge of my health.  Honestly, I decided to take charge of my weight gain and that blossomed into taking charge of my health.  Although I had exercised mildly in high school and had taken the ever-so-vigorous “Walking Class” in college, in the nearly ten year interim I had slipped away from any type of exercise routine that didn’t involve the Wii. 

So, I decided to use the Wii to lose weight rather than as an excuse for lazy exercise habits.  I started with ten minutes of running each day.  Let me tell you, those were the most miserable ten minutes of my day.  I remember running in place, swinging my arms around wildly and complaining very loudly that I couldn’t stand it any more.  But I persevered through those ten minutes.  Flash forward eighteen months or so.  I exercise one hour each day, alternating running and weight training.  I’ve lost around fifty pounds, and I love to exercise (Most of the time!).  That ten minute jump-start was all I needed to make a lifetime of changes.

Jump-start Your Blog

Does this sound familiar?  You’re sitting in front of your computer, your hands are on the keys, and you are doing nothing except staring a blank screen.  Let’s face it.  Sometimes we don’t feel like blogging.  It may be that we don’t have a topic that inspires us or it may be that we have so many other distractions and demands that we just don’t feel like taking the time to blog.  Or maybe we’re new to blogging and we’re feeling a bit intimidated.  We need to do something to get us going.

Try this:  start typing.  Set aside ten minutes to just ramble.  You can write about anything.  Take it out of the realm of blogging.  Write about your bad day.  Write about your kids, your dog, pizza, a sailboat, anything.  Write gibberish.  Don’t filter.  Don’t worry about polishing your work or what others may think.  This may sound like a junior high writing assignment, but it is mentally freeing and may be just what you need to get motivated.

What is the worst that can happen?  You’ll have spent ten minutes writing and you still don’t feel like blogging.  Chances are that won’t happen.  What is likely to happen?  Likely, you will strike upon something that you really want to write about.  You may even strike upon several ideas, leaving you something to store away for future use.  You may even decide to make this exercise part of your writing routine!

Tell us, what do you do to get your creativity flowing when you are in a writing slump?

Jael Strong writes for TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility.  She has written both fiction and non-fiction pieces for print and online publications.  She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas .

Thanks, Jael

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

I’m a proud affiliate of

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Quality Or Quantity – Which Ranks Higher On Your Blog?

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By Terez Howard

You’re probably staring at your computer, thinking what is this girl talking about?  Of course, quality is more important than quantity.

I agree that a high quality post, one that is well-written, well-researched, extraordinarily helpful with a dash of entertainment, is more important than pumping out one garbage, cut and paste post after another.  Every blogger strives to share tidbits of knowledge with her readers, so people make it to the last period of the last sentence in a post.

That said, I think there’s something to be said about quantity.  How often have you come across a superb blog post and you’re dying to read the latest and greatest post only to find the author’s most recent work is from April?  Sigh.

If you really like a blogger’s work, you go to the About page and business website to find some reason why this excellent blog became defunct.  That’s what I do, hoping there is some hidden link to another, updated blog.

Did you ever think the blogger does not consider her blog to be dead?  Maybe she’s thinking that she will return to it when she finds the time.  Maybe she’s procrastinating over her writing skills.  Maybe she plans on hiring out, but hasn’t found the best person for the job.  Maybe she hasn’t realized how much time has elapsed since her latest and greatest.

Quality posts versus quantity

Let’s take a look at these two points and see which one tips the scale.  Please feel free to add to my small list.

If you focus on a high quality blog, you

  • Stand out as an authority in your niche.
  • Feel more focused as a writer, rather than meandering from pillar to post.
  • Are likely to gain a dedicated following because readers expect valuable information.

When you stress quantity, you

  • Will have a wealth of information on your blog quickly.
  • Are likely to gain a dedicated following because readers can tune in often.
  • Get some Google love.

Both have their strong points.  But what do you want more?

Which ranks higher, quality or quantity?

My answer is that both should walk hand in hand.  One cannot and should not function without the other.  When I write, I bring quality to the table by being as resourceful as I can be.  I don’t do as much as others.  My posts aren’t flooded links, tables and video.  (I’m not saying these things are bad; they just aren’t what I do… yet).  My point is: I do my best.

As far as quantity goes, I have a set writing schedule that I can keep up with as a busy stay-at-home mom.  I’m not writing every single day.  That’s impossible for my life.  Once again, I do my best.

Quality and quantity have their places in a blog.  You have to strike a balance that keeps you regularly writing high quality posts.

How do you strike that balance?

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Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility.  She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small.  She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas . You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger

Thanks, Terez!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Cataloguing Creativity: How Do You Organize Your Ideas?

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Are you a collector?  Do you see something on television or while you’re out shopping and just have to have it?  Perhaps this scenario sounds familiar: You pick things up, here and there, and over the years you;ve acquired quite a collection.  Then, one day, you’re inspired to use one of those handy-dandy items and you can’t find it anywhere!

I am not a collector.  That isn’t to say that I don’t have a collection.  Through the generosity of various relatives, I have stacks of cookbooks, fancy kitchen tools, and  various odds and ends.  These items are carried in by the truckload by the helpful relatives and deposited in my house, where I am left to stash them away for future use.  And stash them away I do, here, there, and everywhere.

Days pass, sometimes weeks or months.  Suddenly, I’m inspired.  Where’s that Super Doodle Noodle Maker Aunt Bonita gave me?   Where in the world did I store it away?    I want to make Super Doodle noodles and my Super Doodle Noodle Maker is nowhere to be found!

Do you catalogue your creativity?

What’s the point?  Most of us collect blogging ideas as we go through life.  Our great, creative ideas for our blogs  can get lost in the hodgepodge of daily life if we don’t develop some way to catalogue them.   Finding a way to organize those ideas is a essential to having them when we need them.

There are many ways to keep track of those great ideas.  One tool that has helped me is a small notebook.  I carry it around in my purse and when I hear or see something that I think I could use later, I jot it down. Sometimes, the little notebook isn’t on hand, so I grab a piece of paper and write it down there.  So, now I have a small stack of papers and notebooks that I keep beside my chair, on hand for when I need to find that great concept from the past.

A little notebook is a start but it certainly isn’t going to keep things organized for future reference.  To keep things on track, I divide my concepts into categories for quick reference.  Ultimately though, something more will be needed.  Ideally, a file drawer organized alphabetically and divided by category would work best.  Being able to access information quickly and accurately when needed is an absolute necessity when you need to recall that one great idea or when inspiration runs out and you need to pull from your catalogue of creativity.  If my kitchen were as organized as my blogging ideas it would be a cinch to find my Super Doodle Noodle Maker when I need it!

How do you keep your ideas for blogging organized?  Let us know what works for you.  

Jael Strong writes for TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility.  She has written both fiction and non-fiction pieces for print and online publications.  She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas .

Thanks, Jael

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

I’m a proud affiliate of

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Spice Your Blog With A Dash Of Old Bay Seasoning

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By Terez Howard

I didn’t know what Old Bay was until I saw its name on a bag of popcorn in a Virginia Beach gourmet popcorn shop.  (When I reread that sentence, it sounds like the start of a piece of fiction).

But, I’m serious.  I’m from Ohio, and I had never seen it before.  After my trip, I found that my local grocery store’s employees placed the Old Bay seasoning near the fish since the spice is traditionally sprinkled on seafood.  I overlooked it every weekly trip I took to the same store for five years.

So why was Old Bay the flavor of choice for a bag of popcorn?  I’m not really sure.  My husband and I decided that after a sample of this popcorn, we were hooked.  We devoured that bag, and I’ve been craving it ever since.

My point?  Jody’s Gourmet Popcorn got it right.  Jody and her husband, Alan, gave us something unexpected, and we loved it.

Salt, garlic and Old Bay?

This is what I know.  Every recipe I make calls for salt and garlic.  Well, it doesn’t formally call for those spices.  I just cannot imagine a meal without them.  All you knowledgeable cooks, keep quiet!  I know there are ways to spice food without these two.  But they’re my staples, and my family loves them.

When you blog, you have salt and garlic.  You have some general topic, and you create content to support it.  That’s the salt.  You make it unique by peppering it with your personality.  That’s your garlic.  Those are the basics, your staples.  You would not have a decent blog without them.

Now for the Old Bay.  I like to think of this as your own little dose of the unexpected.  I find the most engaging posts I’ve ever read include a little something I cannot foresee.  You can spice up your blog with:

  • A quote from someone famous or not so famous. I read a blog post recently that included a quote from Ernest Hemmingway.  A quote can drive your point home.
  • Results of a study. I find study results to be extremely powerful.  If you’re telling people that they should write more how-to’s, then you could also include how much traffic a blogger has gotten from posting how-to’s.  (You could also conduct your own study).
  • A reference. This can be as simple as referring to a detail someone else made on a blog or in an article.  Link to them, and give your readers a more complete post.
  • A joke. I’m not a comedy writer, but I think most readers are up for a laugh.  A joke can lighten an otherwise heavy topic.
  • A personal story. This one is my favorite things to do because I feel like my life events and blog go hand in hand.  A personal anecdote makes your blog relatable and an enjoyable read.

A little goes a long way

I’m not for drenching a meal in any particular spice.  So, when you are finding your voice by trying to include something a bit unpredictable, don’t over do it.  Every single sentence does not need to be a pun, a quote or another reference.  A dash will do.  Just talk.  Be natural.

How do you dash your blog with Old Bay?

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Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility.  She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small.  She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas . You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger

Thanks, Terez!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Have You Really Tried Everything?

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By Terez Howard

My daughter is so stubborn.  In many ways, she is the most stubborn person that I know.  In some ways, it’s good.  I know that no one will be able to make her do something she doesn’t want to do, and far more important, something she should not do.

When it comes to eating, she is stubborn.  Last week, she had a McDonald’s Happy Meal in front of her for lunch.  (It’s one of her favorite things to eat, like any kid!)  And guess what my little girl ate?  One lone French fry.

Right now, you’re probably making excuses for my 3-year-old.  She wasn’t hungry.  She didn’t feel well.  She doesn’t really like French fries.  I can assure you that all of those reasons are far from true.

Micah refuses to eat because she does not want to.  She wants to do something else, like play with her Leapster.  Or, she wants to make me angry.  Yes, I believe that she secretly likes the attention that goes along with my disappointment in her.

I have tried everything to get her to eat.  My husband and I have done rewards, punishments, baby doll mimicking, ignored her, prayed with her, just about anything you can think of.  When I told my mom about this, she gave me one tactic I hadn’t considered.

“I will try anything!” I told her.

Have you done everything with your blog?

Maybe you don’t have many readers.  Perhaps you would like to have a higher number of subscribers.  Do you want buzz surrounding your name?  That’s what I want for my blog and my business.

So, what do you do?  “I will try anything!”

That should be your response, and that certainly is mine.  But recently I took an honest look at my business and my blog, and I have to admit that it’s not where I want it to be.  So, I’m ready to try anything and everything to reach my fullest potential.

I have tried everything.

Really?  Me, too.  I’ve done cold e-mailing, blog commenting, guest blogging, interview requests, article writing and more.  After all that, why am I not where I want to be?

Time for another honest look in the mirror.  I haven’t been organized enough, and I consider myself a very organized person.  Visit my home, and you will see that everything has a place.

With my blog, I haven’t had clear-cut plan to take me from point A to point B.  Do you ever feel like you’re dabbling in a little this and that to surround your blog with buzz?

This and that are not going to cut it.  Trust me.  I believe in trying everything before signing your blog off as no good and starting anew.  I also believe that everything must be organized.  What am I going to do?

I’m going to try to market myself and my blog one way every month.  I am going to spend time focusing on making one form of marketing work for me each month.  My blog will chart what I’m doing and the progress I make.

Any of you other bloggers out there claiming to do everything and not getting ahead are free to join me in this challenge.  I’m determined I will not fail.

What’s your plan for getting your blog heard?

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Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility.  She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small.  She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas . You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger

Thanks, Terez!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Social Media & Blogging: Panel Discussion (Part 2)

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors to help manage their online book promotion. As part of my job I read a lot of books (and I love to read anyway!). I am here to offer a weekly post about one book author I am working with and one book I have put on my reading list.

I am mixing things up (again! – you can read part 1 of panel discussion on blogging and social media) for my weekly blog post at Successful Blog. I thought I would ask a few of the authors I have highlighted to offer their strategies and tips regarding blogging and social media.

Panel Discussion about Blogging and Social Media

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The panel consists of the following people:

Himanshu Jhamb thrives on challenges in Software Project Management and has successfully led global teams in industries ranging from Telecommunications to eCommerce. Himanshu is Senior Project Manager for Atypon Systems and co-founder of Active Garage, where he frequently writes about Projects and Project Management. He is also the co-author of #PROJECTMANAGEMENTtweet with Guy Ralfe.

Delandy Kirk, Ph.D., SPHR is a Professor of Management with 27 years experience in teaching Employment Law, Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, Managing Diversity, and Operations Management. She has conducted teaching workshops at numerous academic conferences and schools including Columbia University, Duke University, University of Washington, University of Arkansas-Ft Smith, Graceland University, and Metropolitan Community College. She was the featured expert for the Chronicle of Higher Education’s online chat on classroom management on September 15, 2004, and has earned the prestigious Drake University Board of Governor’s “Excellence in Teaching” Award. Her book, Taking Back the Classroom: Tips for the College Professor on Becoming a More Effective Teacher, was re-released by Tiberius Publications in October 2008.

Janet Fouts is a social media coach, teacher and speaker. She helps individuals and corporations understand how to use social media tools and work efficiently in this emerging field, and conducts in house and virtual training sessions on social media tools and strategy.
Janet has been working with small businesses to develop their on-line presence and working with online community for 13 years. She is partner in the award winning web design and development firm Tatu Digital Media. She freely shares her knowledge on several social media platforms including her blog at JanetFouts.com. She is the author of Social Media Success and co-author of Social Media Non-Profit Tweetby publisher Happy About.

Tim Tostaa partner at Luce Forward, is recognized as one of California’s leading land use and environmental attorneys. He also is a cancer survivor, a seasoned hospice volunteer, an evocative lecturer and writer, and a certified Integral Coach, guiding executives in the legal profession and the business community to live purposeful, balanced, thriving lives.
Tim is the author of #DEATHtweet and the highly acclaimed lecture series, “Lessons for the Living,” and the emotionally compelling hospice writings, ‘Putting Things in Perspective – Stories from a Hospice Volunteer.’ Tim has a JD from UC Berkeley School of Law and a BA from Princeton University. His Twitter handle is @TTosta.

Let’s Start the Discussion


How long have you been blogging?

Himanshu – 18 months

Janet – I’ve been blogging since 1996. Back then they weren’t blogs of course but hand coded pages. We basically modified guest book scripts and had to build a new page for every post. We were THRILLED when Blogger came out!

Delaney – 4 and ½ years

Tim – I started blogging in earnest in the Spring of this year at CoachingCounsel.com/blog. Although I am a full-time practicing Land Use and Environmental attorney, I became a certified Integral Coach about 18 months ago. I launched the CoachingCounsel.com website concurrent with the publication of my book #DEATHtweet – A Well Lived Life Through 140 Perspectives on Death and Its Teachings.

What subjects do you cover with your blog?

Himanshu -Project Management & Leadership

Janet – I blog on a lot of topics on my blogs. the principal blogs are on social media but I also blog on wine, food, local news and events and green technology and the environment.

Delaney – Teaching tips for college professors including classroom management and the use of educational technology as a pedagogical tool.

Tim– I came upon Integral Coaching from my own work with a coach, as well as my experience as a hospice volunteer at San Francisco’s Laguna Honda Hospital, where I serve the City’s indigent population at the end of life. The hospice experience also led to the authoring of #DEATHtweet. At its core, I blog to help people to relieve their suffering. Topics have included discovering your life’s purpose, leading a balanced life, finding happiness, finding awareness through meditation and the like. I blog at least twice a week. I provide exercises and practices to assist people on their journeys of inquiry. I use references to literature, poetry, music and the arts to engage my readers.

Why do you blog?

Himanshu – Whenever I notice something that will provide VALUE to others when faced with similar situations, I blog. Blogging on project management is for readers to GAIN from my mistakes and experience in Project Management (I share these also in the form of tweets in the book)

Janet – Because I’ve got a lot of opinions and I like to teach and communicate with other people on these various topics. I LOVE the whole idea of community online.

Delaney – I enjoy mentoring other instructors and sharing what I have learned in my 28 years of teaching.

Tim – Blogging reminds me of how we used to engage one another through written correspondence. In blogging, I convey information with informality and an open heart, making it easy for my message to be truly heard. Blogging allows me to get relatively immediate feedback on whether or not my messages are making a connection with my readers. To the extent that I receive feedback, I adjust my posts to more meaningfully serve my readers.


What is the one blogging tip you have to share with others?

Himanshu – Be Authentic. Do not blog for the sake of blogging. The blog post needs to be VALUABLE to others. For instance, my blog (www.activegarage.com) is positioned around VALUE to the reader … because all Authors are hand-picked accomplished practitioners of business.
Do not self-promote yourself in your blogs. That, in fact, is one of the requirements we make off new authors, when they begin writing on Active garage.

Janet – Think about your audience. What do they want to talk about? You can get a good idea of what they want by looking at the comments and what posts are most popular, but you can also just ASK. Why are they here? What do they want to talk about?

Be opinionated. That’s where the conversation part comes in. 

Don’t forget to leave room for discussion. If you say all there is to say you don’t leave room for anybody else’s opinion. 

Delaney – Don’t give up because you feel you are talking to yourself. There will be many people who will read your blog and never comment. That doesn’t mean they aren’t interested or benefiting from your expertise. I will sometimes get an email from someone asking me a question and always they start off by telling me they have been reading my blog for years.

 
Tim – Know your overall intention for your blog, but hold that intention lightly. I generally know the direction of the posts that I will create for many months in advance. But I am flexible in taking a new direction, if an opportunity arises. I have a map. But, I know it’s not the territory.
 
When I write a blog post, I usually either dictate it to tape for transcription or use voice transcription software. Those technologies keep my posts conversational. I find that when I write at the keyboard, my “editor/critic” always rests on my shoulder, blocking the relaxed, informal tone I want to convey.

How long have you been using social media (twitter, facebook, linkedin) for your business?

Himanshu -18 months

Janet – I built my first online community in 1994. Twitter and Facebook and what people now call social media? 2-3 years.

Delaney – Twitter and Facebook for over two years; Linkedin even longer I think.

Tim – I have been on Linkedin for almost two years. I use Linkedin to bring awareness to my law practice. Facebook, which I have been using for about the same time, is more informal but contains most of my coaching content. I have established a separate Facebook page for the book, #DEATHtweet. Twitter is my vehicle for communicating about my book #DEATHtweet and other books currently in the works.


When it comes to social media— do you prefer one platform over the others? (Faceook, Twitter or LinkedIn)

Himanshu – This is a very generic question. Each social media platform is different – it all depends on the criteria of comparison. For example, Facebook is more personal than twitter and requires a higher degree of trust whereas twitter has a larger reach than facebook. LinkedIn is more suited towards professionals in jobs.

Janet -Twitter is my favorite because it’s so rich in information. I also get most of my business from Twitter or my blog. I rank pretty high in Google for “Social Media Coach” and I’ve worked hard to keep that brand alive with social media.

Delaney – I really like Twitter. It’s a great way to build a network of professionals to share information, tips, links to articles, etc. I met Teresa Morrow through Twitter and have recommended her services to several new and aspiring authors I know.

Tim – Each social media platform offers its own distinct advantages. Linkedin serves my law practice well because it is more of a broadcast mechanism. Facebook, with its interactivity, is well suited for the coaching. Twitter inspired the #THINKaha! brand for Happy About Books. #DEATHtweet is a book in that series. My book was “designed” for tweeting.

What is one social media tip you have to share with others?

Himanshu – Again, be authentic. The more authentically you share, the more social-media love you will get back.

Remember… Give first… and you will get, then.

Janet – Every day pick a different connection or two and reach out to them. How can you help them? Read what they’re writing about and talk to them.
NEVER send automated DM’s. It’s just bad practice.
Start with 1-2 networks or tools at a time. If you try to learn them all at once you will flail around until you drown, exhausted. 
Join SocialMediaCoachingCenter.com and read Social Media Success!
Social media is all about the other guy. It’s not about you. Find ways to help other people and they will reciprocate.

Delaney – Be patient. You don’t create a network overnight. Think of it as a cocktail party-you wouldn’t go to a social event and immediately try to sell your product to someone you just met. Instead take your time, get to know others with similar interests, share information, and build trust and credibility.

Tim –
Each social media platform offers you a different way to present yourself. The culture of the platform shapes your audience and your message. Figure out the rules of each game to determine how that platform best serves you and use it accordingly.
 
Use of social media requires some study and a certain degree of discipline. But in order to be effective, you have to find a way to make it fun. Otherwise, you will make yourself crazy. I even take social media “vacations” periodically to recharge my engines, gather new ideas and seek inspiration. Sure, people will miss you. But coming back with fresh content reconnects you very quickly.

Thank you Himanshu, Delaney, Janet and Tim for contributing your valuable ideas and tips for the readers!

So, now it is your turn…share your answers to these questions about blogging and social media.