Successful Blog

Thanks to Week 102 SOBs!

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Successful and Outstanding Bloggers

Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,

and the right to call themselves
Successful Blog SOBs.

I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.

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They take the conversation to their readers,
contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.

I thank all of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on.
Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.

Should anyone question this SOB button’s validity, send him or her directly to me. This award comes with a full “Liz said so” guarantee. It is endorsed by Kings of the Hemispheres, Martin and Michael, and backed by my brothers, Angelo and Pasquale.

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Want to become an SOB?

If you’re an SO-Wanna-B, you can see the whole list of SOBs and learn how to be one by visiting the SOB Hall of Fame– A-Z Directory . Click the link or visit the What IS an SOB?! page in the sidebar.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

How I Tripled My Traffic in Less than an Hour

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Watch Yourself!

“GET” STICKY!

Do you watch how you do things? Do you ask other folks whether they go about things the same way? When you find the places that they do things the same way, it could be that you’ve found something that most people do.

It was by paying that kind of attention that I tripled the traffic on my writing blog in less than an hour. No kidding! It had a similar effect here — traffic nearly doubled.

What I Watched: How do I use blog archives on other blogs — in a certain way or a certain order?

What I Found:

  • It depends. Often I browse archives from old to new — ideas build on each other over time. Other times I read for certain topics.
  • Folks I know do the same things in pretty much the same way. I found out through informal conversations. A blog post could have gotten the same information. When the issue is small, I use what I already know.
  • I devised a way to organize my archives to meet all of those needs — I made sure that besides the date archives, folks could access a list of Popular Posts and find posts that were part of a series. It took less than an hour. (I did this first on my writing blog — See the sidebar. Then I did it here — See the Popular Posts and Successful Series pages.)

The day I did that my pageviews were three times higher.

Ever made a small change that had that kind of impact?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
I make business sticky. Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar. Call me.

Related:
See the Customer Think Series on the Successful Series page.

SOB Business Cafe 10-05-07

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SB Cafe

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

LizStrauss.com is back asking questions about your questions.

Awake at the Wheel has a question about our successful efforts.

Success from the Nest wants to know if you’re clear on what you expect?

Small Biz Survival handles the question of Social Media for small businesses.

Doug Meecham, Guest Blogger at Greg Verdino questions our open-minded marketing.

eXtra For Every Publisher has no question about being a guest.

Related ala carte selections include

Design Your Writing Life offers contests to enter. The question is how many?

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

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Universal Thoughts

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I've been thinking . . .

about the power of thoughts.

They say that what I think is the deciding factor in what the universe serves up to me. I can see the sense of that.

As I think, I see.

When I choose to focus on the brighter, smarter ideas and people, I seem to find them more.

When I’m sure of my direction, folks follow me. When I’m feeling insecure, folks challenge my ideas. It’s hardly quantum physics to calculate that why should be.

As I think, I feel.

When I’m certain that what I’ll be doing is going to turn out right, it always seems to . . . maybe that’s because I make it so. When I know I’m on the right track, it’s as if I touch a cloud to make the right things rain down

As I think, I am.

This weekend the universe is supporting every good dream.

I’m going to think it so.

What about you?

Liz's Signature

121: We Met, But Did I Ever Say Hello? [blush]

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A Meeting of the Minds

This cross-blog conversation that I’m having with Dawud is taking some windy turns and travels. Have you been riding with us? My last question to him was Do you see a difference between your online relationships and those offline — beyond the obvious physical differences?
Dawud didn’t take a breath before he answered. “Without a doubt!” He remarked on how easily he’s been getting to know virtual strangers in this virtual land. . . .

Then he asked me, What’s the oddest beginning to a relationship that you’ve developed through your blog?

I guess it would have to be the odd start to how I met Chris Brogan. I knew about Chris from the wonderful and insightful, people-person Ms. Becky McCray. One day, I read a post in which Chris talked about how we should extend the conversation to people outside our circle.

That struck a chord.

I picked up the phone to tell him . . . punched his number and waited. I got a message that said something like, “Hi, I often don’t get these messages. If you want to be sure to reach me, send a text message.” I thought it was ironic. The guy who said, “Reach out.” Was out of reach.

I didn’t realize that, he was at a conference at the time.

I figured I should be doing my real work and got back to it. It was April 26. SOBCon 07 was only 16 days away.

In June, Jeff Pulver came to town for a conference and a party. We met in the afternoon for a conversation. He graciously invited me to join his group for dinner. I waited at the restaurant. Jeff came in with another man. The man turned and smiled across the room It was a sharp, clever smile filled with playful mischief.

While Jeff checked on the reservation, the man came over to introduce himself.

“I’m Chris Brogan. You must be Liz.”

“Ah! Chris Brogan! You don’t pick up your voice mail.”

I’m not sure that I ever said a proper “hello.” [blush]

I’ll blame the smile . . . it’s killer.

Who’s the person that you’d like to meet?

Since this is a conversation, if you’re reading this, I’m not just asking Dawud the question, I’d love to hear your answer too, in the comment box below.

PS To Chris Brogan and to everyone, I’ll offer this song, “Hello, I love you. Won’t you tell me your name?”

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

One2One is a cross-blog conversation. Find the answer at dawud miracle on Monday. You can see the entire One-2-One Conversation series on the Successful Series page.
In Case You Missed It: Writing 06-13-07

Change the World: Think Unthinkably

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Life-long learner — we no longer have a choice about that.

I came to write, I had learn to code a link. I bought a phone. I had to learn to program it. Every thing has learning expectations built right in.

At times those new things, that learning, can seem an overwhelming burden. How can we learn it all and still keep going forward with what we’re supposed to be doing? Has reality become one of super-human exceptations?

I can’t walk on water or move the sun. I can’t be in two places at once. I don’t know anyone who can.

Do you?

Once I felt that way and wrote it down. An angel named, Kelley Bell, helped me out. She thoughtfully rearranged my burden.

“I wanted to ask everyone, What do you want from me? I can’t walk on water.”

LOL

And over on my bloggy, I just posted a thing about atoms. They are not solid. Just energy and empty space.

So what is holding us all in place? What is solid?

If a chair is just atoms, which are just energy and empty space, like water, then why can one hold us while the other can not?

Quantum Physics teaches that energy is not a thing, but rather, just the probability of ideas.

Therefore, Ideas Create Reality.

and if all this is true, then why is it so unthinkable that someone who BELIEVES she can walk on water

actually can.

Think unthinkably.

We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss