personal-branding Archives - Page 14 of 41

Blogs Aren’t Books, But Revising Is Still Revising: 6 Gating Questions to Make Revising Easier

November 13, 2006 by Liz

How to Decide What to Change

So, you’ve looked at your stats, and you’ve found the entry pages where readers frequently land. Now you’re checking them out to make sure that those pages are fresh and welcoming.

How far do you go? Some were written way back when. Do you edit the content? Do you change the design? Scott of 99 shades of grey asked those very questions this morning.

Those are the money questions. I can’t help but note the irony in the name of Scott’s blog, because these decisions are about as far from black and white as decisions can get.

The money answer is

Change what makes a difference leave what doesn’t.

Not much help is it?

That’s why I’m going to give you 6 gating questions to ask yourself about the landing pages you are looking at.

Using them, you can decide quickly and feel confident in what you decide. Take a look.

[Read more…]

Bloggy Life Question 29 — Will You Sell the URL to the Porn King?

November 12, 2006 by Liz

On Second Thought . . .

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week. I offer this bloggy life hypothetical question. . . .

You’ve been blogging a children’s book for three years. It’s part fairy tale, part science fiction meant for kids who are 10-12 years old. Hallelujah and happiness! You’ve not only finished it, but you’ve got agent who’s sold it to a publisher — one of big ones. We’re talking major advance. You’re not J.K. Rowling yet, but you’ve made the minor leagues. Your book will be on library and classroom shelves.

The story is about a boy named Jack who is genetically altered. He can become a giant when the world needs saving. Jack is a superhero with all of the qualities that kids need to read about. The publisher loves Jack but wants to call him Slate to make the book appealing to a wider audience.

You don’t mind. You kind of like the name. Besides, they’re going to build you a fabulous website, and they are already talking a movie deal.

One condition of your contract is that you take down your old URL. You plan to remove the content, and so you put the blog up for sale.

As soon as you put the URL — www.jackthegiant.com — on Site Point the bidding goes crazy. Suddenly you realize what that means. . . . It would make a perfect porn URL.

How do you respond?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Introducing the Blogs of Trevor Hampel

November 8, 2006 by Liz

SOB Hall of Famer: Trevor Hampel

Trevor Hampel is a retired elementary school teacher who lives in South Australia. He has always written stories and poems to use in his classroom and many have been published in Australian magazines. In the 1990s he had six books published, two curriculum guides for teachers with four accompanying student work books. He is now concentrating on writing this blog about writing and blogging which he hopes will help and inspire other writers. Some of his poetry and short fiction also appears on this blog. He is also working on several novels and picture book texts for traditional print publication.

Trevor’s Birding is a blog about the wild birds that live in his garden and in the district where he lives in South Australia. Watching birds in the wild has been his hobby now for over thirty years and he passionately shares this interest with his readers. More recently this passion has developed into a desire to photograph the birds he observes and to share the beauty of these birds by posting the photos on his blog.

Trevor’s Travels is a travel blog written by author Trevor Hampel. He has travelled extensively throughout Australia and more recently Thailand and Nepal (including a trek towards Mt Everest) and he writes about his adventures in his blog. These adventures are well illustrated by some beautiful photos of places he has visited over the years.

Notes from Liz: Trevor is a blogger’s blogger. He documents the details of his doings, a variety of experiences recorded through his writing. Trevor’s blogs bring his thoughts and images through the screen to make them ours. We get to share his world view with him. It’s his curiosity about how we choose one word over another, which bird comes to sit for his camera, or the diversity of what he finds when he travels that makes the reading unique and Trevor.

Thanks, Trevor, for the time it takes to document the details of your thoughts and your travels.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Has your SOB Blog Been Introduced to US?
Blog Promotion: May I Introduce You?

Critical Skill 7: Bias Toward Action with an Eye on Opportunity Cost

November 7, 2006 by Liz

Failing Faster Isn’t Enough.

Three tasks on a desk. Three people are asked how to do them. One says jump in and get started “Just decide.” The second, more thoughtfully offers, “Wait. Let’s study them first.” A third person walks in to say, “Why are you wasting your time on revamping our flagship product? Use those resources to take down our competitor’s newest entry.”

Which of the three has the right approach? Put them together, and they all do.

It’s true, if we don’t act, we won’t move forward. If we don’t risk failure, we’ll not learn or innovate. Planning and packing and moving on that trail used to be the explorers’ way. Being an innovative explorer is no longer enough. That philosophy has a major part missing.

[Read more…]

Bloggy Life Question 28 — The Prince and the Pauper in the Blogosphere?

November 5, 2006 by Liz

From the A to the Z List

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week. I offer this bloggy life hypothetical question. . . .

You went to school with a blogger who happens to be on the A-List. Everyone knows his name. Even mention it and folks get excited to hear that you know him.

Last night you had dinner with your A-Lister friend. He said that he was tired of the constant complaining about A-Listers not linking to people. He tried to make a case that A-Listers blog the same as everyone else. You tried to explain all sides of the issue without taking a stand.

Your A-Lister friend called today to say that he was about to make a free blog. He planned to put up a few posts on his usual subjects and comment where he usually does under an unknown name to see whether people treat him differently.

How do you respond?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Bloggy Life Question 27 — Can You Spare a Ten?

October 29, 2006 by Liz

I’m Down and Out

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week. I offer this bloggy life hypothetical question. . . .

A friend has fallen on hard times. He lost his job and hasn’t been able to replace it. His family is barely getting by. In fact, they’re racking up some serious debt. Now, a year later, he’s about to lose his house. He’s thinking about announcing it on his blog and asking for help — outright asking for money. Many folks from his family, your family, and your community read his blog, including possible future employers.

How do you respond?

–ME “Liz” Strauss