Successful Blog

Frosted Mini-Wheats Design that Hooks Readers

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Quality of Life

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I see the picture on a telephone book. That’s not me there. That’s not anyone I know. That’s stock photography. I can spot it from a mile away. It looks like a wallet photo. It looks like the picture that comes inside a picture frame that I bought at the office supply store — flat and cheery with no humanity behind it.

The same is true of some blogs and websites. They look expensive, but they have no heart. They don’t call to me in any way. Stuff is there, but the music for my eyes is missing. My finger clicks before I think.

Take a moment to stare at a blank wall. Then look at your blog as a stranger might. Is there something that pulls you in, a promise, a wink, a hint of relaxation or surprise? If you don’t see an emotional hook there, perhaps your blog need a makeover to get some “Frosted Mini-Wheats” design. [Read more…]

Congratulations TECHCocktail 1!!

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The Event Was a Success!

A lovely event was held tonight at the restaurant State in the center of the Lincoln Park Neighborhood in the city of Chicago. It was attended by 200 or so techies, bloggers, business folks, entrpreneus, and VCs who talked about how the world in moving forward and how we all might work together.

Thanks to all who put it on, especially the guys at Feedburner.

TECHCocktail 1 was a success.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Don’t Forget TechCocktail in Chicago

Email Subscriptions Got My Mother-in-law & 2 Nuns to Read My Blog

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Who Wants a Blog by Email?

See the subscription form in the sidebar under the search box? It looks like this.

I put it on my blog as an experiment. I was skeptical. I thought Who’d want a blog in their email box? Wouldn’t that change the whole experience?

3 Good Reasons

My dad used to say get 3 good reasons for what you want to do. I did my homework, and I got them. Three good reasons for trying email to my blog.

  • Some folks spend a lot of time on email and little time on the Internet.
  • Some folks don’t want to come to find me. They’d rather I came to them.
  • RSS feeds are hard to explain to folks who’ve never seen or used one before. I know. I’ve tried.

Two other reasons I gave email subscriptions a try were that I don’t have to pay anything, and I like the way the email version of my blog looks. I made a screen so that you could see for yourself. [Read more…]

9 + 1 Things Every Reader Wants from a Writer

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Where to Start

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It can seem complicated to write for a readership that includes beginners to experts. I’ve done it for over two decades. It can seem like there’s too much to consider to meet them all at their own level.

My experience is that beginners and experts are not that different when they read. They might choose to read different things, but we all do. Beyond that difference of content, beginners, experts, and those of us in the middle — all readers — want the same things from a writer. [Read more…]

Writing for Readers — What’s My Promise as the Writer?

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Readers One and Many

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Most people think of writing as an individual activity. Many folks say, I write only for me! That could be so, but even then what a writer writes comes from experience, observation, and interaction with other people or of the writer as a person. Writing is intimately individual but also dynamically social. Even when people don’t read what I write, they have inspired it in some way or another.

Writing for an audience can seem overwhelming. It’s easy to get caught in a loop — thinking of each person who might drop by as someone you specifically have to write to. I find what works best for me is to define the group and to define my promise to them as a writer. [Read more…]

Always Choose for Your Readers, Right?

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It Just Happened Again

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I got a link to a fresh, vibrant article on how to make my business more fun. I wanted to leave a word, start a conversation, be a part of the discussion. Then I saw those words.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Why put a barrier to making a connection?

What I heard was I could talk, but only on the writer’s terms. I guess that’s okay. It’s his blog. but it didn’t feel very inviting. It didn’t seem like he cared much that I had anything to say.

I wondered what was going on. There was an About page, but there was no way to contact him. Maybe he’s new and left the login thing on by mistake. . . .

I left without him ever knowing.

I’ll tell the guy who had the link, maybe he knows.

I’m Still Hoping

I’m still hoping it’s accidental. I don’t want to think this fresh, vibrant writer has a secret club. That would blow my whole image of what he has going — friendly blog, fresh ideas, energy. He’s gotta know that you always choose for your readers . . . . always. Right?

Brand You and Me. Isn’t that how it goes?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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