The reason? It could be that my family took several vacations this summer. We were away for a combined total of three weeks out of three months. Each time that I returned home, I felt less and less energized to do my work. I wrote without a real purpose

My partner, Jael, and I have both been feeling like our blog needs a defibrillator.

Reinventing the wheel

What do you do when you feel like you are regurgitating the same information on your blog? Reinvent the wheel! What I mean is that you try something new to infuse life into your blog. What are your options?

Here are few that I came up with:

• Invite guest bloggers to share some fresh ideas.
• Spotlight notable individuals in your niche market.
• Include a different medium in your blog, such as video or audio.
• Expand your niche, or add another.

As you reinvent the wheel, you need to have a plan. I recently got to speak with Liz, and I’m sure that she would not mind me sharing this priceless tip she shared with me.

Get organized

Liz suggested to create a weekly or monthly calendar for a blog. It could look something like this:

• Monday – Inspirational post
• Tuesday – Business post
• Wednesday – Review
• Thursday – Guest blogger’s post
• Friday – Interview

Every week would have the same routine. Now, I don’t claim to be an expert, but I like to think of myself as a reasoning person. I consider myself a very organized person. After she told me this simple idea, I had one of those “Why didn’t I think of that?” moments.

It’s OK that I didn’t come up with this and that my organizational skills did not spill into my blog. I’m just grateful that someone wised me up to this level of organization.

My plan for a hover car

So, I’m going to reinvent my wheel by scheduling a certain type of post each day I publish a post. After I get that established, I will create a detailed monthly calendar, which outlines what I’m going to write about. Of course, if I’m struck by a lightning moment, I will blog about that and push my prescheduled post to the next week or month.

I figure that if I get very organized about my writing, I will maintain my excitement for writing, rather than fall into the perfunctory state I was in. Also, when I have a plan and a purpose, I feel more driven to reach my goal.

How do you keep your blog filled with fresh ideas? What’s your plan and purpose?

—
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!!

“We like what you have. The accommodations are beautiful,” we told her. “But we don’t see the value for our family.”

We just took a ten-night vacation and paid nothing for our rooms in three different hotels. Two of those nights were spent with my brother, but the rest were paid with credit card points we had accumulated.

After we revealed our travel secret, I wondered how this salesperson was going to try to hook us. Was she going to try to convince us that we could get a cheaper package? Was she going to say that the rooms we stay in are sub-par compared to their condos? What was her bait going to be?

Instead, she said that if people were as smart as we were, there would be no need for timeshares. She gave us our gift cards, and we walked.

What does this presentation and blogging have in common?

Well, a blogger can have a life-changing message or a time-saving product to share on her blog. Personally, I believe in the way that my family goes on trips. It works very well for us, and we save hundreds of dollars.

This is the bottom line: It’s not for everyone.

That saleswoman was willing to admit that their timeshares did not compare with what we do. To spend hundreds of dollars each month or to spend nothing? There’s no contest.

We bloggers get very passionate about our subjects, and we should not be afraid to bite the bullet and stand out. However, we do not and will not always have the best idea or product for every person in our market. We have to be open to admit that we do not have the best in every instance.

Humility is a virtue

I know that patience is a virtue, but I think that being humble is necessary to a being successful blogger. Some people might just be in it for the gift cards, like I was. In other words, some readers might want your valuable information and not want to buy into the whole package. That does not mean you are a failure.

It actually could mean the exact opposite. I will never forget this timeshare company. My husband and I decided that we would do our research to see if we could gain a profit from owning a timeshare.

If your blog is unforgettable, you have done your job.

 

—
Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility. 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!!

By Terez Howard

 I know the old adage really says, The best teachers are learners. I think the saying applies to we bloggers, too.

Ever find yourself stuck in the same routine?

Personally, I have a cleaning routine. I clean each room in a specific order. I dust each piece of furniture in one order around the room, clean any glass and then clean the floor. That is my routine, and I can do it mindlessly and very quickly. That’s what is good about my routine.

The bad part of my routine is if I have to break it somehow, like if my refrigerator needs cleaned or my closet needs organized. I have a hard time getting the oomph to actually do a task outside of the ordinary.

I think that many bloggers get stuck in a routine, which is bitter-sweet. It’s sweet because a blogger can write an interesting post quickly. It’s bitter because a blogger might get stuck doing the exact same thing. This can morph interesting into boring.

I’ve stepped out of my usual blogging routine to interview a few of my writer friends. I have written for or with each of these people, and they each gave some thought-provoking insight.

I asked them all this question:

What is one problem you see with bloggers’ writing, and what is the solution?

Liz Strauss, (you should all know her!), said:

“Bloggers are often too self-conscious when they write … They focus too much on the information and not enough on bringing their own “value” to the topic. Information is all over the Internet, but an experienced opinion is not. I read your blog because you’re there.”

Dan Keller, a.k.a. Tycoon Blogger, said:

“The biggest problem I see with bloggers’ writing is that most are so damn boring. Seriously, most blogs are written like a car manual. I would like to see more bloggers loosen up and interject their personality into their writing and shake things up a bit. Dare to be edgy and exhibit some break-through thinking. I have personally been working on developing my own unique writing style, and I have found the more I deviate from the norm, the more popular my blog.”

Tom Lindstrom, from tlmarketing.net, said:

“Bloggers often write about things they like because this way it is a lot easier to keep a blog going for longer. The downside with this is that monetizing the blog becomes really hard because you need to have the right keywords (keywords that people are actually searching for every month) in order to make money from your blog. The solution is to do proper keyword research before writing anything.”

Katherine Nussberger, USARiseUp Associate Editor, said:

“My initial opinion is that many bloggers write about some topic or issue that is strictly based on their personal opinion. As a journalist, first and foremost, I personally do not see the value of this style of writing because in a lot of ways it feeds on negativity and does not provide a solution or unbiased account of the topic or issue. On our site, www.usariseup.com, we have very strict guidelines for our Blog Zone that specifically state that we need sources for all of our blog articles because we do not accept opinion based pieces.

Solution: I think that to become a reliable and usable source of information, bloggers need to cite their information, and provide valid comparisons of the topic that show both sides, which I know is similar to journalism, but even in blogging there have to be guidelines. Bloggers need to become more willing to show another opinion beside their own in their content, and let the readers decide which side they accept or believe in without trying to push the reader into a belief system that is exactly the same as the blogger.”

Jael Strong, one of TheWriteBloggers, said:

“The absolutely largest problem that I see with blogs is the poor mechanics. Misspelled words, omitted punctuation, and word misuse (i.e. “there house” instead of their “their house”) are sometimes so distracting that I stop reading altogether, even if the topic and writing themselves are engaging. The solution? Do not depend on spell check programs, periodically review the rules of grammar, and edit! The best editing strategy that I use is reading my work from the end to the beginning, sentence by sentence. I catch most of my punctuation errors through that strategy.”

What stood out to me?

Be interesting, be unique and be professional.

How would you answer my question: what is one problem you see with bloggers’ writing, and what is the solution?

—
Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility. 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!!

By Terez Howard

I’ve been writing professionally for about 10 years, and the majority of those years were spent at the newspaper. I delved into blogging early this year, and I’ve learned a lot from this experience. These two writing avenues have taught me things about myself I didn’t even know.

I like writing on deadline.

When I first started writing for the newspaper, I was horrified when my editor threw me a breaking story that needed to be completed within a couple hours, so the story could appear in the same day’s newspaper. Now, I love that pressure. It might sound crazy, but I think the adrenaline rush helps me write better than ever, instead of agonizing over every word.

With blogging, I have yet to be on such a tight deadline. However, I’ve learned to not take five minutes over word choice. (Should I say choice or options?) When I blog, I try to be myself and just talk.

I don’t mind asking for help.

Working for the newspaper was a constant learning experience. Each and every day was different. When I was asked to cover a city council meeting when I usually covered Kiwanis Club meetings, I took the time to ask the regular reporter what to expect, what to listen for and what would make a newsworthy story.

As a novice to blogging, I researched how blogging was different from other writing and studied other blogs. I also asked and continue to ask more experienced bloggers for advice and direction. I don’t care if my questions seem stupid because I figure my questions can keep me from looking stupid.

I love to tell stories.

When I worked for the newspaper, I grew to enjoy telling someone else’s story. I felt like I was getting important information into the ears of the public. Feature stories were the best because they featured a person or group, who made some accomplishment or had an interesting story to tell. We can learn a great deal from simple stories.

I once got to write a story about the hometown bakery owner who used to be the manager for Wild Cherry. You know, “Play That Funky Music White Boy.” It was so fun to write!

When I blog, I try to tell stories. Most of the times, these stories are my own, and I have to remember that these stories have a point. Have you ever found yourself writing about something that happened to you only to get to the end and wonder what point you were trying to make?

Newspaper office or home office?

This one’s a draw. I think I like my home office more than my desk at the newspaper. At home, I can write whenever I have a spare moment, which is great with my rambunctious toddler. On the other hand, it can be difficult to jump on my computer to just check my e-mail with an active little girl tugging on my arm.

At the office, I had a set period of time from 8 to 4 every day to do my work. I got the job done. But I also had a lot of down time.

It’s not for the money.

Anyone who has ever worked for a newspaper, unless it’s a very huge paper, does not work for the money. A high school graduate, not a college graduate, could have easily earned what I did somewhere else. I stayed with the newspaper as long as I did because I enjoyed the work, writing people’s stories and being in an office full of wonderful people.

I blog because I love to write. Yes, I want to earn money with it, but I’m not looking to get rich. I’m not saying that you cannot earn a substantial income from blogging because I know it can be done. I just don’t want to.

What have you learned from blogging?

—
Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility. 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!!

Interestingly, they both responded by asking an identical question. “What do you like to write about?”

I said that my favorite writing topic is family-related because my family is my life.

Talk in the real world

I haven’t been running my blogging business for a long time, and I have a confession to make. I have felt much more comfortable talking about my business behind the computer screen, rather than face-to-face, even if those faces were familiar ones.

But as I talked about my love for writing with my doctors, I learned something that I’ve read over and over again in blog after blog: Talk about your business in the real world. Yeah, when we have access to the entire world, it’s easy to forget about the people in our own town.

I read a blog post a while back (I wish I could find it!) that made an interesting point. The blogger said if you are a professional blogger for businesses, you should not neglect your local area. You could be the only one in your entire city.

Of the 20,000 people in my city, I only know one other professional blogger, and she’s my associate. Think about your area. What is your niche? You too might be the only person in your region offering the information in your blog.

Talk to the community

So I started brainstorming some ways to get my name known in my city. I used to be community editor for the newspaper, and I covered many club and organization meetings. These meetings oftentimes included guest speakers who not only shared useful information, but also gave out materials on their occupation/business.

I realized that several business professionals attended these meetings, and I could reach these individuals by volunteering to speak. Most of these meetings, like Kiwanis or Rotary, are covered in the newspaper. Can you see the free publicity that has the potential to reach a broad audience?

My goal is to speak for at least one meeting by the end of the year. If I get a lead, great. But my real objective is to get people talking about my blog and what I do.

Talk to familiar faces

I previously mentioned how I’ve been more comfortable speaking about my blogging virtually, rather than face-to-face. My other goal is to talk about blogging to my family and friends. It might not seem much like a goal, but several of my family members and friends aren’t aware of my blog.

Do your relatives and acquaintances know you have a blog? If they aren’t, why don’t you mention it? Be careful not to give your brother a sales pitch. Be casual. Be conversational.

If you want more traffic to your blog, and we all do, start talking in the real world. Those people own computers, too!

Who do/will you talk to about your blog?Â

 

—
Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility. 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!!