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

Read, Write, Web shows quirky isn’t a copycat.
If there is one thing to love about the site even before you try it is that the service’s name, which at first glance sounds stupidly web 2.0, makes perfect sense once you know what it stands for (one of the very few web 2.0 names that do). In fact, when I first heard the name I was ready to hate it, but after reading their explanation I couldn’t help but love it.

Drew’s Marketing Minute shows the recipe for delight!
When was the last time you raved about a business? Was it because their product was so notably superior? Or was it because something they did WOWed you?

Seth’s Blog shows the beauty of starting with a classified.
So, try this instead: Write a classified ad. What’s the offer? What do you want me to do? You’re paying by the word!

360degree Blog shows the power of a teddy bear who cares.
Yesterday, I posted a bit of a rant about the wasteful and annoying practice of blog comment spam on my personal blog. In the post, I mentioned that spam has expanded beyond online pharma and adult entertainment to…teddy bears?

The Communicatrix shows why simple isn’t, well simply a snap.
But the quickest route to heartache is confusing simple with easy. Because in the context of goals, they couldn’t be more different.

Remarkable Communication shows the conversational nuances.

While I definitely fall into the category Bob calls “online zealot,” I also think it makes sense to look at this stuff with your critical faculties fully engaged. One thing I’ve noticed is that the follow-up conversations I’ve seen talk about “social media marketing” or “conversation marketing” like it was one thing. In fact, there are a lot of different flavors.

Related ala carte selections include

dmiracle.com shows the overwhelming nature of to-do lists.
What happens when the to-do lists you make begin getting in the way of actually getting things done?

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

Duct Tape Marketing points out:
It’s my belief that you need to employ all three approaches in order to generate the right kind of know, like and trust building that will attract your ideal customers.

Attract More Customers says:
Business can be a lot simpler than the consultants and MBAs claim. Craigslist, for example, just listens to its customers, then gives them what they want. No wonder they’ve been profitable since day one.

Vandelay offers:
For those of us who are interested in always learning new tricks and improve our design skills, we’re fortunate to have a number of very valuable websites and blogs that regularly publish high quality, informative tutorials.

Technosailor plans
The Situational Analysis is probably one of the hardest sections you will [write] because you are essentially laying out how the product will function in various environments and how it will be perceived in the marketplace.

The Positivity Blog advises

Illumiblog explores
All this focus of resources and positioning to woo this small group of individuals who are considered to be influential and well-connected enough to capture the attention and business of untold number of consumers may not be so effective, according to new research from sociologist Duncan Watts of Columbia University.

Related ala carte selections include

Rick Mahn smiles . . .

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

Freelance Folder answers the question of how to get more repeat business.
What if there was a way for you to increase customer satisfaction, get more repeat business, and multiply new business from referrals?

Brain Based Business has a question about using our heads.
You could say … successful people deliberately refocus their brains for better shots at success. Does that describe you?

Telling It Like It Is asked a question of behavior — Have I seen this on Twitter?
If you think that bullying is only a problem for school-aged kids, think about the people in your life or business office who ridicule others because of their physical size, racial prejudice, social status (or the lack therein) etc, and you will likely be able to come up with a few people you know that are bullies.

Might I remind you to “be nice.”

Sun Coach Blog took on a question of dramatic proportion.
Their lives are about survival and so it’s natural that they react so quickly and dramatically. but what about humans? Beyond our physical safety instincts, do we need to create drama in our lives?

The Viral Garden answers the question of how to release a hit concert tour.
In a few weeks, many of the top artists in the country will begin their big summer concert tours. So now’s the perfect time to talk about your social media strategy for promoting your artist’s big summer concert tour. What? You say you don’t have one?

SuccessCREEations took on a challenging question.
The reason the question isn’t easily answered is that blogs are simply tools. It would be like asking “What is a hammer’s competition?”

Related ala carte selections include

Untwisted Vortex might make you question an assumption.
Text messaging by cell phone, not by computer (most of the time), promotes illiteracy and can even result in death. You may be thinking to yourself that I’m completely full of shiitake or some other colorful metaphors, but I don’t have to prove I’m right.

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 Special Edition this Week are:

Creative Think had been shaking up our heads again.
The more often you do something in the same way, the more difficult it is to think about doing it in any other way.

Essential Keystrokes was showing what to do when we have too much of a good thing.
I have not even had a chance to write between being without my normal high speed Internet (6 days total) and the amount of client work (good) I have going right now. Anyhow, there is some good stuff out there and I don’t want you to miss out on it!

Social Media Explorer points out the value of simplicity.
If there’s one social media tool, or more appropriately, one technological advancement which enhances social media I am beholden to above all others, it’s RSS. Really Simple Syndication redefined web surfing for me. I’m convinced it can do the same for the rest of the world, whenever they come around to it. I’m even happy to spread the joy.

Carpe Factum has a great idea. Everyone should consider taking him up on it.
So I’m proposing a blogospheric recycling meme (besides, it’s been a while since somebody did one of those annoying meme posts).

The question is this: If I could select my top 5-10 posts which received little to no attention, what would they be?

Middle Zone Musings has always been able to steer us in the right direction.
How do we get where we’re going, anyway? Come to think of it; how do we get anywhere?

Chris Brogan chimes in with a slew of resources for keeping connected.
The NTEN community reached out to have me as part of their “Ask the Expert” sessions. I told them I’d give them some blogging and social media resources.

Related ala carte selections include

Sonia Simone at Copyblogger is advocating a little less clothing.
Dooce’s version of naked would make me pretty nervous, but I’m downright wild compared to Godin. Decide how much personal “skin” you’re willing to show.

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

Christine Kane has a new mantra. It seems to be working well for her.
In her incredible new book, Steering by Starlight, Martha Beck writes about a mantra she made up…

Conversation Agent has a timely question.
. . . I was inspired with the body of work surrounding social capital — the value of personal relationships in the workplace.

Cubicle Nation has a reponse to life’s changing terrain.
I was halfway through writing on another topic when I got this call on my cellphone.

Get Rich Slowly has software to manage something we can all use.
“How much time do you spend blogging?” people often ask me.

“I don’t know,” I say. “A lot. Probably forty to sixty hours a week.” I’ve always wished I could provide a better answer to that question. Now I can.

Inspirationbit has more than a bit of news and a question. Can we help out?
What I’ve learned about the corporate world the last few months I wouldn’t find in any book. It is a crazy, unreliable world out there, full of uncertainties. And although I’ve got my plate full with concerns at the moment, my future somehow doesn’t feel as unpredictable — at least I know that it all depends on the way I conduct my business.

Rick Mahn has few words about ownership.
There is some growing interest in the Personal Branding space on scenarios of people with the same name. I was fortunate enough to have a great conversation on the topic with Kristen King of BizChicksRule which she turned into What if Your Name Is Jenna Jameson?

Related ala carte selections include

Copyblogger has written a classic.
It was three years ago today that they wheeled me in for emergency surgery, and I said goodbye to my wife, not quite three-year-old daughter, and newborn son. I knew that sometimes people don’t wake up from brain surgery, and this might be the last time I saw them.

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