Blogging

Simple answer to getting blog readers and commenters

92 Comments

Time for new student bloggers and the typical questions: “How do I get more readers?” and “How do I get people to comment?”

My standard answers have been these three:

1)  Comment on other people’s blogs

2)  Announce your new posts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

3)  Add a user-friendly comment device [don’t make commenters jump through too many hoops].

However, after reading several of their posts, I have another simple answer — but, first, a story:

My Story about Peter

Several years ago, when I was teaching beginning journalism students at Southwest Missouri State, the students’  daily chore was to write in a log. . . .  and then I read them.

Big mistake — both the assignment and me spending time reading them.

When left to their own devices . . . students wrote about such earth-shattering events as breaking up with their boyfriends and flushing letters down the toilet to buying a pair of boots at the mall to the scores of basketball games in the local conference. Needless to say, I was questioning my sanity for having asked for these papers.

Until Peter, that is.

Peter wrote plays and poetry. Peter analyzed the news. Peter shared intelligent conversations he had had with friends. Peter reported on books and articles he was reading.

And his writing was so flawless that I was envious.

But I loved reading his stuff and looked forward to every entry.

I was in awe of his talent and wondered what I could offer him.

So I went to several of my colleagues to ask their opinions; one comment stood out: “Peter’s stuff is good because he writes about things that are important and interesting.”

When you blog — and you want people to read and comment — WRITE ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING.

Why write about anything else?

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Sharisax Is Out There

8 Ways to Generate Sales from your Website

29 Comments

“Unfortunately the vast majority of websites do not do a good job converting visitors into paying customers. The key is to plan strategically BEFORE designing your website.” — Patrick Schwerdtfeger

Patrick is a passionate and dynamic speaker who focuses on delivering valuable content and highly practical strategies people can implement immediately and see actual results. His programs consistently get strong reviews and leave attendees burning to put their new strategies to work.

I first met Patrick when he discussed social media basics to a group 0f 70+ San Francisco Bay area consultants. He was so popular the group invited him to return to talk about How to Win Social Media Victories. You can view videos from both those talks by clicking on the links.

Patrick’s easy-to-read and implement strategies have been outlined in his book WebifyYour Business Internet Marketing Secrets for the Self-Employed in which one chapter offers an 8-step action plan for using your website more effectively.

Here is your 8-step Website Action Plan

1. Understand that your website is your Sales Department.

2. Generating website traffic is Marketing.

3. Think about first-time visitors to your site.

4. Identify exactly what you want them to do.

5. Answer the following three questions for your site visitors in five seconds.

6. Why am I here? Tell them what you do.

7. Where do I look? Offer a few clear choices.

8. What do I do? Tell them what to do next.

Think about all the steps BEFORE you start building your website. It’s a lot easier to build a new site than fix an old broken one.

FURTHER READING:

Simple Answers to Six Basic Social Media Questions

PatrickSchwerdtfeger: Author and Speaker

What’s the Future of Social Media: How many of these FAQ’s can you answer?

 

Website Designers in Demand even with the ease of blogging software

 

Business will rebound when firms learn new marketing resources

10 more easy ways to improve your website

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
LinkedIn

What’s the future for Social Media? LinkedIn group lists FAQ’s

22 Comments

One of my favorite LinkedIn groups for industry discussions is FUTURE SOCIAL MEDIA. In a recent conversation, group members offered the social media questions most asked of them.

Can you answer any of these 15 questions?

OR

Are any of these YOUR own questions?

1. Is Social Media a buzz or here to stay?

2. Does marketing through Social Media really work?

3. Is Social Media just for kids or there is a business element?

4. What is the ROI on Social Media activities?

5. How can you track revenue from social media activities?

6. How can I find my target audience(s)?

7. What are the most important metrics I should measure?

8. How has social media affected customer buying decisions?

9. How do I rise above the noise that I see on social media channels?

10. How much time does it take to generate leads via social media platforms?

11. How many likes can you get me?? How many followers can you get me on Twitter by the end of the week?

12. If SM is FREE, why do you charge? That one is like a slap on the face. Lol.

13. With so many self-proclaimed “Social Media Gurus/Ninjas/Experts” what questions are important to ask a company that is trying to sell me Social Media services?

14. Will social media kill email as we know it?

15. Can social media help me do my job better?

One of the main reasons I posted these FAQ’s is because so many business people still “fear” social media — and don’t know how to get past the uncertainty of the revolutionary new world of marketing.

Best practice is to get started, but go slowly and get these questions answered. Plan your strategy and participation . . . and don’t expect immediate results.

BTW, if any readers have written — or have found — articles to answer any of these questions, please list these resources in the comment section below.

Late Postscript: Here is a comment from a typical member of my primary target audience:

“I feel like a lot of businesses, unfortunately, recognized the value of Social Media a little too late, and are trying to get in when the market has been saturated. I have a love/hate relationship with Social Media myself; while I utilize FB and LinkedIn, I’m not on Twitter, or some of the other media sites as of yet. I love the accessibility factor: that those who visit both of my sites can share the articles I’ve written with others around the world instantaneously. I hate the fact that I feel as if my entire life is on public display, and as a very private person, I take issue with ALL of my info being accessible ALL of the time.” —posted 6/16 by Angela Bendon


Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

19 Steps to Getting Found Online – from @hubspot founders

11 Comments

Your steps to getting foundIf you are looking for a true HOW TO book, then you’ll do well to get a copy of Inbound Marketing: Getting Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs by Brian Halligan & Dharmesh Shah. [This article was originally published in my blog How to do Social Media by the Book.]
We are indeed living in a revolution, and it’s no longer just the big companies with big budgets that attract attention and customers. We’re using the Web . . .

And here are 19 ways to get found there, according to the authors:


1. If you’ve somehow managed to resist signing up for Facebook, despite requests from your friends and family, go ahead and do it.
2. Create a Facebook Business Page.
3. Configure a sub-domain that redirects to your Facebook page (e.g., http://facebook.yourcompany.com) This will make it easy for you to communicate the URL of your page.
4. The next time you host a business event (conference, webinar, training session, etc.), use Facebook events to invite people and get RSVPs.
5. Look for your existing business contacts on Facebook. Invite them to connect with you.
6. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is 100 percent complete. Link your profile to your business web site and blog.
7. Create a LinkedIn user account and profile. And if you have one, make certain it is current.
8. Within the profile, add a link to your company’s web site. Change the default “web site” or “my blog” to the actual name of your company or blog.
9. Use the group search feature to find the biggest groups in your industry. Join these groups and start participating in the discussion.
10. If you don’t find the LinkedIn group you are looking for, create it.
11. Find the most relevant categories for your business and subscribe to the LinkedIn Answers RSS feed for them, so you can provide some answers.
12. Make sure to reserve your company name for a Twitter account.
13. Ensure that you complete your online Twitter profile including a brief bio, your location, and a link to your web site. Many people on Twitter are looking for interesting people to follow. Make sure they can find you.
14. Use tools like Twitter Search and the search feature on Twitter Grader (http://twitter.grader.com) to find influential Twitter users in your industry. Begin forging connections early.
15. Create an account for yourself on Digg. Come up with a catchy and memorable user name. Although, it is usually suggested to maintain consistent usernames, Digg does not like commercial-sounding names.
16. On Digg, subscribe to the RSS feed for whichever category is most relevant to you (likely the business/finance category). This way you can see popular articles.
17. When you see an article on Digg that you like and that’s relevant to your business, befriend the person who submitted it. If the article is very relevant, review some of the other users who have dug the article and befriend them as well.
18. Subscribe to the RSS feed of your friends’ submissions. This way you can track what they are submitting. Digg those articles from your friends that you like and comment on one article a day.
19. Create a StumbleUpon user account, download the toolbar, and follow the same suggestions made for using Digg.
FURTHER READING:
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Blogging, Journalism, LinkedIn

Does our Constitution protect bloggers? Should it?

13 Comments

My journalism students studied social media last semester, and I introduced the course with a blog post asking the question: “What’s one difference between a blogger and a journalist?”

One way I promote my articles is to post them on relevant LinkedIn groups, and this article is still generating discussions four months later:

The article was posted to more than a dozen groups and there were interesting discussions on several, especially MEDIA JOBS and ONLINE REPORTERS AND EDITORS.

Perhaps one of the most fascinating conversations evolved on the Media Jobs group where 30 comments have been posted and nine centered around whether bloggers have the same rights as journalists, especially in the area of libel::


One commenter, James Craig, wrote that he learned a lot from the discussion. Did you?

What do you think?

  • What’s the role in government and law when we post online?
  • Are you a blogger AND a journalist? If so, what do you think of bloggers who don’t “know journalism” and what rights do they deserve?
  • If you are a blogger AND NOT a journalist, where do you stand on these issues?

 

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Blogging, Interview

What works for your blog? Here are tips from the “Sleepy Blogger”

20 Comments

“Write your own blog post everyday, but spend twice as much time reading other people’s blogs — and comment,” That was just one of the valuable suggestions discussed by the Sleepy Blogger, aka Robyn Tippins, who visited my PR class at San Francisco State when we first started to learn about social media back in 2009.

Here are some of the quotes students remembered after her presentation:

“Once you get out there, people start to refer to you and this is how you become influential.”

“It’s important for your blog to create a niche so that the right people can read the right blogs and leave the right comments for the benefit of the overall conversation.”

“Word of mouth has a lot to do with success in the blogging world as it is for business in general.”

“Paid advertising on your blog can hurt you rather than help you because of all the clutter and distraction.”

“Research is essential — it makes you credible and relevant.”

“Key words and meta tags make it easier to find your blog.”

“Spend more time visiting other blogs than writing your own.”

“Get your ideas out there and personalize some of your posts to keep yourself real.”

What works for your blog?

Who are your favorite bloggers — and why?

[content taken from early post 5/2009 – but still very relevant today]

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Blogging, Guest Post, Journalism

Blogs as Catharsis & More: here’s how one journalist started his

4 Comments

There’s nothing like commenting on someone’s blog post to get the ball rolling, i.e. building online relationships. As part of re-strategizing my own blogging, I am revisiting my first posts to republish those with content that’s as relevant today as it was when I first began.

One of those blog articles answered a student’s question “How Do I Build a Blog Audience.” After two years, I’ve learned enough to streamline those posts AND promote them in ways to get more readers and comments. I reposted commenting on other blogs — and then promoted it through social media.

On one LinkedIn  Group Discussion,  “laid off” journalist Ted Schnell shared his process of building blog readership via social media. Read all about it in his Guest Post —

Using social media sites to build a blog audience

Guest Post by Ted Schnell

I started my blog, Laid off at 51: Seeking joy in change two weeks after my notice. Initially, I promoted it by email blasts to friends, family and former colleagues. The first entry took on a life of its own, generating hundreds of page views in the first couple of weeks.

The three posts I wrote in the last two weeks of December garnered 869 page views, but my traffic dropped to 453 for all of January. I had been following Steve Buttry’s blog, The Buttry Diary which offered some very useful suggestions.

So I started promoting it on Twitter, then added Facebook and LinkedIn — now I use Hootsuite to set up all three at once, although I still send out the email blasts. I’ve seen four months of progressive growth in page views, hitting a high of more than 1,000 for the month of May.

My metrics have shown a shift — initially, most traffic came, unsurprisingly, from email accounts and, as the month of December wound toward an end, from Google. I think as far as Google was concerned, “Laid off at 51” was branded by mid-January.

By February and March, much of my traffic was coming from links via Twitter and from Google searches. Since adding Facebook and LinkedIn to my promotional effort, my metrics show a fluctuation between Facebook and LinkedIn as my top sources, although Twitter sometimes surges high as well. Google searches still draw traffic, but not as much as the early months.

In terms of measuring the success of my blog, I have no basis of comparison. I did not start it with the intent of making money off it, but to work through some of the issues I’ve faced as a middle-age guy who got the boot in an industry that is languishing. Besides the catharsis, I was hoping perhaps to use it to encourage others in similar straights. I hope the increasing readership reflects that.

In terms of comments, they have been few and far between, although the first post was an exception. Typically, if I comment on a blog — or for that matter, on a discussion board like this, I like to approach it with a well thought-out comment that either offers encouragement or adds to the discussion. I personally feel it serves no useful purpose to jump in with a snide remark or a comment that berates the author for expressing an opinion.

***

Here’s the discussion where Ted and I connected:

***

So here are some questions:

1 – Why do people blog, especially if there is no financial payoff?

2 – Do you have some advice for Ted to get more comments on http://tedschnell.blogspot.com/

3 – Do you have a comment strategy for other people’s articles?

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Facebook

11 Do’s and 7 Don’ts For Marketing on Facebook

12 Comments

Everyone wants to be told what to do, according to 19th century philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. That’s one reason we read books — and write blogs. I combined the two in a “How to” site with lists I will be reposting here on a weekly basis. If you just can’t wait, though, click on the How-to link for all the lists.

from The zen of social media marketing by Shama Hyder Kabani

Every brand should know about Facebook marketing. Shama writes that the goal on this social media platform should be to attract people to your website, build trust, and gain visibility — all things that inevitably lead to sales.

Here’s what she says you SHOULD DO:

1. Spend time creating an outstanding profile.

2. Let your personality shine through.

3. Reach out to people in a professional and thoughtful manner.

4. Build a loyal Facebook friendship base.

5. Leverage notes and status updates by providing value.

6. Work on attracting people to your site (using real value, not pushy links).

7. Have a friending policy in place.

8. Build a community around your topic or specialty.

9. Be  proactive in your networking efforts.

10. Share relevant photos and videos.

11. Participate actively in groups.

And here are her DON’T DO’s:

1. Don’t be pushy.

2. Don’t write your web link on someone else’s Wall.

3. Don’t send or accept frivolous applications.

4. Don’t use your business name as your profile name.

5. Don’t put up crude or thoughtless pictures or comments.

6. Don’t expect social media to “work” for you (you do the work).

7. Don’t “friend” blindly — let people know why you are requesting a connection.

No matter what your business or organization, chances are your customers and potential customers are using Facebook. Bring your business to them.

FURTHER READING:

Shama’s website: The Marketing Zen Group

20 Facebook mistakes you should avoid

HOT off the “ultijmate” Facebook Marketing Guide

What can you do with your Facebook Friends

Patrick Schwerdtfeger discusses Facebook and other social media strategies

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Blogging, Guest Post

How Social Media Works: it really is all about engagement!

15 Comments

No, this is NOT going to be “the” answer to the subject “How social media really works” — only one, but an interesting one.

I just met freelance copywriter David McCauley via LinkedIn when he responded to my post How to increase blog readership. Now we are connected on both LinkedIn and Facebook, and we’ve begun to support one another’s efforts. David’s website Passionate Copy contains articles on business topics from lead generation to marketing via email, video and SEO. Check him out, but first read his Guest Post, which suggests how to best get noticed by paying customers.

Plan for the right discussions if the “payoff” is your goal

Guest Post by David McCauley
Shari –
Your article brings up great advice on blogging, and it reads quite well. The only thing I would add (even blogs like pro blogger miss this one):

“People need to be seen in their Target industry — not Career industry — in order to get noticed by the right ‘paying’ audience.”

Does this make sense?

For example I belong to several copywriting and Social Media groups (my career groups). I constantly see “Experts” talking/promoting either SEO, Linkedin, Blogging or Social Media advice and services.

Unfortunately, they are doing it to each other. What they see is a group like eMarketing or Social Media Marketing that has 310,000+ or 160,000+ members, and start to market their services to those groups.

What ends up happening is that they get caught up in discussions that talk about what Expert or SEO really means, which is fine, if you are trying to learn or have a lot of time to waste.

This is where the problem is – everyone is struggling to market to each other, and no one is listening – or buying.

If one is going to be marketing such services, pick a niche or two that actually needs help, say dentists, veterinarians, sporting equipment marketers, etc. Join those groups if they are business oriented.

If they are private groups then make sure to explain that you are joining to learn more about them and possibly assist them in learning more about Social Media, Blogging, etc.

More than likely group access will be granted. If denied, just move on to the next. Once in, then one can start the process of networking, becoming involved, and getting followers that would eventually become ‘paying’ clients, by following advice you have in your article.

If a person is struggling to find a niche, just write down the top ten hobbies they are interested in, research those groups to see how many marketing directors/ business owners are in those groups, then join if it is a business oriented, move on if it isn’t.

Bottom line – don’t be afraid to get out there. We all get too comfortable in our own environment, but sometimes we don’t realize that our hobbies are as much part of our environment as are our careers.

**

NOTE: David responded via this LinkedIn post:

If you are a social media maven, please join us there. We may not “pay” you, but we can share valuable info, and of course support your efforts.

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Blogging

How to increase blog readership: Comment on other blogs

22 Comments

What can I do to get my blog noticed?

That question was answered in a blog April 25, 2009– two days after I first started my own blog — from Problogger.net, probably the best resource for info on blogging.

“Adding comments on other blogs, especially the most popular ones, is a great way to build traffic.” — Blogging expert Darren Rowse

Darren’s article referred me to a 2007 post listing 11 tips for getting your comments noticed on a popular blog. Would you believe there were 136 comments on that one article?

No, I couldn’t read all of them . . . had to stop myself somewhere around comment 93. But I learned a lot and wanted to share some of Darren’s tips, some from his readers, and just a few I’ve picked up along the Revolutionary Road we’re traveling.

Tips to get your blog noticed

  • ADD VALUE: First off, social media is really all about conversation, so the comments are every bit as important as the post. Implication — Be sure your comment adds value and doesn’t just say “I agree” or “You suck” or “Read my blog.”
  • COMMENT, BUT DON’T BE A STALKER: When you read a blog, you ought to consider leaving your comment. Lots of people have set goals for themselves to comment on every blog post they read. Of course, if you read someone’s opinion every single day and you comment every single day, you could be getting a bad rep as a stalker.
  • STAY ON TOPIC: Commenting gives you a chance to show what you know. And that’s always fun; plus you really can contribute, especially if you stay on topic. Very important. Stay on topic; don’t talk just to be heard.
  • USE HUMOR, AND PERSONALITY: If you want to connect with people, then your comments should show some of your personality and/or sense of humor. A comment has been called a mini-resume. You can be establishing your personal brand in your comments.
  • PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Actually, I’d read advice early on that commenting was the best way to find your voice before you started to actually blog.
  • BUILD RELATIONSHIPS: In the business world, lots of comments are complaints — and this isn’t always a totally negative situation. Actually it is an opportunity for a company to handle a problem that they might never have known about otherwise. Handling disagreeable comments in a polite and respectful manner goes a long way to building better relationships and the community that companies are now trying to establish.
  • ASK QUESTIONS: One last tip: Ask relevant and thoughtful questions in your comment, so . . .

What kind of comment can you add here?

PS I did want to add a link to the Air Force’s “Blog Assessment” flow chart which offers suggestions on how to deal with comments on their blogs. Good for business people, particularly, to Think before Replying.

NOTE: This is one of my re-postings from the original articles written “way back when” I first started to blog in April 2009.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Blogging

Blogging 101: What IS a blog, anyway . . . and WHY should I do one

55 Comments

 

Yes, a blog is definitely a great way to promote a business online these days – now that everyone can become a publisher at NO cost, or a relatively low one. Anyone with an Internet connection can post his or her thoughts, opinions, and activities on the Global Whiteboard to be read and responded to.

Here are 10 basic reasons to start blogging:

  1. Publishing Platform
  2. Control your Message
  3. Delivery system for your Messages
  4. 24/7 Online Network
  5. New Skill Development
  6. Increased Perception through Web 2.0 Sources
  7. Visibility
  8. Reputation Management [your silence allows your critics to win]
  9. Build Google Presence
  10. Research required increases your Expertise

Follow these five steps to get you blogging

STEP ONE: Before proceeding to Step Two, make certain that you really want to start a blog:

  • Are you passionate enough about a topic that you want to write and publish your ideas on a regular basis?
  • Can you commit to a consistent schedule, e.g., once a week?  twice a week? Twice a day?
  • Will you be comfortable learning as you’re doing? Think of Picasso who said “I am always doing that which I don’t know how to do in order to learn to do it.”
  • Can you be patient about putting in effort BEFORE you see the big “payoff,” i.e. results and lots of readers?
  • Will you make time to read other peoples’ blogs and comment on them?
  • Would you like to be an authentic, honest, interesting Voice in the blogosphere?

If the answer is YES to all six questions, then proceed to Step Two.

STEP TWO: Spend a little bit of time searching the Internet for How To Blog articles. Many may be more advanced than a beginner can understand, but that’s OK. Reading them will not hurt you, and they may provide links to more basic articles.

STEP THREE: Do NOT wait until you think you will write a perfect blog post. If I had waited just over two years ago, I might never have gotten started. Common Wisdom suggests you listen to Nike, i.e., Just Do It. You will learn from your mistakes. After all, when you do get started, few people will know you are “out there,” so you can build your chops and publish content, which can always be revised and/or  deleted later on.

STEP FOUR: Choose a blogging platform. My suggestion is that you go with WordPress – the most popular and well supported blog tool and publishing platform. Here you have another choice: the absolutely FREE http://wordpress.com or the companion platform http://wordpress.org that requires you to (a) have a domaine name that will cost you less than $10 a year and (b) a blog hosting company that will cost around $10 a month. [I am very happy with Hostgator that I have been using for two years.]

Why would you pay when you can blog for free?

Actually, my suggestion is that you do choose the Free option, wordpress.com, for a month or so to make certain you are sure want to commit to the practice. My blog post: http://sharisax.com/2009/10/08/how-to-start-a-blog-step-by-step-and-voila-youre-a-publisher/ will help you set up a free blog.

Again, why would you want to pay to blog?

Self-hosting, i.e. a blog on a platform like wordpress.org will offer you much more control including options like the following:

  1. Your own URL and opportunity to build your brand without having to use the platform name, e.g., http://sharisax.com vs. my “free” blog that was at http://sharisaxiisoutthere/wordpress.com.
  2. An almost unlimited number of designs (or themes) that can be found free online or designed uniquely for your blog by a professional web developer.
  3. Opportunities to sell products and services as well as include advertising
  4. Addition of a large variety of “plugins” or applications that will extend the capabilities of your blog.

STEP FIVE: Just do it! Get started, and here is how to write your first blog post on the free platform.

Conclusion: Basically a blog can put a human face on a company, and people do business with people not organizations. Bloggers are the new Influencers. You can build your authority, and influence, by knowing your audience and writing relevant, original, interesting, keyword-rich content.  Use your blog to become the Go-To Source for information on your area of expertise.

ADDENDUM: I just found a new post that lists these reasons why businesses ought to blog.

I like PUTS FACE ON BRAND the best:

  • Create an image of an expert
  • Interact with clients and prospects
  • Improve search engine rankings
  • Spread the word
  • Talk about more than just products and services
  • Solve client’s problems
  • Build trust
  • Stay on top of your field
  • Build brand
  • Exercise your creativity
  • Put a human face on your brand
  • Proving ground
  • Foundation for social media activities
  • Differentiate from competition
  • Educate clients, prospects, stake holders
  • Increase traffic
  • Make money

Any other reason you can think of?

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Going BEYOND the Social Media Revolution