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 titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Technosailor sees the gaps.
Gap Marketing is the idea that, when you’ve done everything you can to cover the large target audiences, there are still small gaps to fill.

Leadership Ramblings sees how leaders changes their view of leadership.
I started out on my young career wanting to be a manager, wanting to lead a team. My main motivation was that “being a manager” would look good on my resume. It would look good in the eyes of others. It would look good professionally, and it felt good personally. Essentially, I was in “lust” with leadership.

Beth’s Blog sees a distinction between starting a conversation and starting a community.
A critical factor for success in both is having an engagement strategy. An engagement strategy can help your organization attract more traffic, loyal supporters, more content, more links, and other values. But it requires investing the time to build relationships with people (yes, even one-on-one interaction) or “network weaving skills.”

Global Neighbourhoods sees the personal side of personal branding.
In social media, it seems like the people who give the most valuable or interesting information establish the strongest brands. They become trusted sources. The trust of others builds influence. Your personal brand may or may not help your employer. But what makes it personal is that it moves around with you wherever you go.

leah in chicago sees the value of being with people in person. Her cat might disagree . . .
It must be working, because now people say to me, “you go out every night, don’t you?”
My knee jerk reaction to that is to say, “No, I’m a total homebody, I never go out.” But then I go home and my cat yells at me, “Where have you been all week? I need some attention and a treat!”

BawldGuy sees the need for a little perspective.
At a family dinner tonight we had three generations at the table. We were at one of our favorite places, and were enjoying several appetizers. Grandma came up in the conversation as we were talkin’ about the Great Depression. The usual stories were told, but then my daughter asked me to tell her favorite Grandma story.

Here’s some perspective against which you can evaluate our current economic challenges.

Related ala carte selections include

David Bullock sees you on the Olympic track running against yourself.
It is you, your track shoes and your opponent seems to be the rest of the field.

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

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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 titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Real Lawyers Have Blogs proposes a new look at our courtrooms.
Corporate communications pro, Shel Holtz, picked up news of something I thought we’d start seeing. Twittering of trials from the courtroom.

Copyblogger proposes three success secrets within reach.
Actually, there are three secrets that work together. To be blunt, these three magic success secrets separate the winners from the losers. Master them and you’ll start to move forward.

Levite Chronicles proposes a new view of the last days of summer
So there isn’t much time left to waste. But here’s how you can make the worst of it.

Dosh Dosh proposes a new view of highly populated areas.
What marketers and anyone who wants to promote themselves can learn is the strategy of seeking out people-saturated public spaces (online or offline) and seek to populate that area with your message. Buskers, beggars and poster street teams are all familiar with how to promote their agenda or needs in areas where people frequently pass through.

Blogging Tune proposes a new themed view from a new feed reader.
But those who read techcrunch a lot wouldn’t want to miss their blog theme in their feed reader too.

Joyful Jubilant Learning proposes a new view on pretzel meditation.
Infinity means unboundedness or without end. Although the infinite pretzel above is quite concrete (and maybe a little salty) the concept of infinity to me is abstract, elusive and without end.

Related ala carte selections include

The Onion proposes another glance in the mirror. . . .

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

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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 titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

in over your head asks if we’re thinking about what it means.
Some may applaud Apple’s decision to remove the $1000 iPhone app (the one that does nothing) from its store the other day but, in reality, it’s deplorable.

Jonathan Fields asks if you’ve been paying enough attention to your friends.
When people you speak with constantly dart between listening to you, giving you their attention, then wandering offer, especially mid-sentence, it’s just incredibly disconcerting. It makes you feel belittled, insignificant, frustrated and angry. Oh, hell, it just plain sucks!

remarkable communication asks whether you know how to make someone
We want someone who really gets us. Someone who speaks to us, and just to us. Someone who listens to our problems and fears, and then makes those go away.
feel special.

Steve-Olson.com asks whether you can handle your life gracefully.

BIGG Success asks how you know your own attitudes?
If you keep running into a wall, you have to ask yourself if you’re being persistent or stubborn.

Related ala carte selections include

1 Good Reason asks which way to turn?
You’ll know social media and the internet are the primary source for people to get info when that’s where they turn first in an emergency.

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

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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 titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Ensight.org writes about what it takes to make things work in a changing world.
So, in light of the industry difficulties we’ve seen in the last month, and particularly this week, I thought it’d be good to add some perspective (at least from my experience) to a few disparate conversations happening around the blogoworld.

Social Media Explorer writes about the value of time.
While some of the best communications ideas in the world were created in that hyperventilation chamber of death that is client deadlines, the one thing lacking in most approaches to market is the appropriate amount of time to ensure the program, campaign or effort is done right, or at least well.

Technosailor writes about how habits of social media can get in the way.
Unemployment hit an all time high last quarter as more and as more and more people hit the streets looking for meaningful employment, bad habits are accompanying them.

Jeff Pulver writes about the business and social value of sharing what’s on your mind.
Do you ever find yourself having a conversation with someone and all you end up saying are words which in effect say you are agreeing with them? Even if inside you really don’t? This used to happen to me often and I didn’t know why.

Build a Solo Practice, LLC writes about the psychology of work and happiness.
This very interesting article from the Psychology Today blog confirms that the quality of our work, more than our interpersonal relationships, determines our happiness . . .

Pistachio Consulting Inc. writes about the social in the software.
This simple, ordinary sharing of joys and concerns is one of the tremendous human strengths of Twitter and microsharing in general. Both can inspire, especially when the concerns are outside ourselves . . .

Related ala carte selections include

Adversity University writes about social energy surges.
So there I was, at home, with absolutely nothing to do (by choice) and feeling no energy whatsoever. I was thinking to myself, “GASP, a motivational speaker and life coach whose normally vibrant energy flatlined this weekend?!?! MY GOD HOW COULD THIS BE??”

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

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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 titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Global Neighbourhoods is discussing how and why Twitter outstrips the rest as a search tool.
But I am coming to trust Twitter as my personal search tool more than any of these others, and here’s why: I can consider the recommender.

specially relevant is discussing perceptions and realtities.
The problem with friends, they have no shame in calling you out, but it made me think more abstractly about the fluff in general around social media. Social media is a little fluffy – everything is fluffy clouds, rainbows and unicorns – just a little right?

Cath Lawson is discussing the emotional ROI of blogging.
So just exactly what is a blog? Could it make you rich and famous? Would it propel your business to unimaginable heights? Or would putting a blog in your grubby little mitts be The Internet equivalent of tossing a firework into a liquor factory?

WinExtra is discussing trouble around the campfire..
It is as if the moment you become involved that any hint of evil or people doing bad things has evaporated into the ever sunny sky while we all sing John Lennon and Paul McCartney songs.

View from the Isle is discussing the BS factor that’s not really new.
I’ve reached a point recently where I’ve been forced to reflect on just what it is I do. What is my value to society and the world? What is it about me that makes me a “contributing member of society”?

Ari Herzog is discussing our role as diplomats.
Despite several friends of mine who have not joined the cellular bandwagon, I’m willing to hazard a guess that if you have a cell phone it’s because you used to be accessible via a traditional “land line” phone but wanted to reach out and call someone when you were out of your house.

Related ala carte selections include

Traffick is discussing disagreements.
Read on. . . .

Thanks to everyone who’s bought and blogged about the eBook!

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

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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 titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

gregverdino shares a logical look at the importance of community.
You can understand a lot about the importance of social connections by looking at the punishments we bestow upon individuals who do wrong.

Copyblogger shares a technique that builds performance.
In fact, being a master at writing killer bullet points is one of the most important copywriting skills around, second only to headline-writing.

chrisg shares advice on putting your blog to work for you.
Rob has done a good job of putting his photography front and center, and his photographic ability shines out of his work. That said, there are a number of ways he can make his site work harder for him.

chrisbrogan shares friends of his who are our friends too!
Using AllTop’s new Frienderati page might help you find Becky McCray, a small town business professional who focuses on how the web can help out small business owners, especially those in rural areas.

Social Media Explorer shares a view of social media marketing management.
Can social media as a toolset deliver sustainable ROI for a wide variety of goals? Abso-freaking-lutely. But on your first formal attempt to enter the space, if your ROI consists of “we learned an awful lot” then I say “Well done, Skippy.”

A Deaf Mom Shares Her World shares wisdom on social skills that apply to everyone.
What she said next, blew me away. The mom revealed that it was the first time since they moved three years ago that her sons had friends over to their house.

Related ala carte selections include

Sillyness, werd. shares the fun of a well-timed surprise.

Thanks to everyone who’s bought and blogged about the eBook!

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

–ME “Liz” Strauss