The Hard Task of Blogging
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We all face the challenge of having to write and not knowing where to start. When it comes to a blog it gets even more complicated. This isn’t some paper for your teacher to grade, or a letter that will be read by a select few. This is going out into the Internet ether, and no telling what will happen next. Whether you’re blogging for business or have a personal blog, topics are sometimes hard to find. Yet we’re all told that we need to be blogging weekly or even daily.
I tell all my clients to blog at least weekly on their websites. If I’m helping them with these posts then I will push it even harder. But even the best among us can come up blank sometimes. So recently I went looking for blog topics. I found that it is a common topic out there in the web. Experts like Chris Brogan, offer lists, and even weekly newsletters that contain topics. Sites abound with “random” generators that spout out questions and instructions for blogging. And then there are sites like Plinky.com that have daily topics and a forum to post them in.
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So what is the best approach? There isn’t one. Blogging has to be personal for it to work. You have to inject your personality into the posts. Now I’m not saying pour your heart out, but even if you’re writing about something dry like back injury treatment, add some humor or a personal story. It is small touches like these that will help you get and retain readers. People will value your content for the same reason they value your postings on social media. It’s a personal connection.
Now, I’m not saying don’t use the many resources out there for blog topics. I love Chris Brogan’s 100 things he wants others to blog about. It’s a great way he was able to purge ideas, and make a connection with his readers. I have copied the list over to a word document along with some from Plinky.com that I like. So expect some fun posts coming up. The big challenge is that I’ll be trying to write about each topic on both my blogging sites. Here on my business blog and on my personal blog. I also like the suggestion I found online of going back to previous posts and writing about the same topic again, either expanding upon the original post or finding a different angle.
So dig out the thinking cap and go hunting for some topics. You might find that they inspire you with your own idea.
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Whale Wars: the answer for non-profit fundraising?
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So recently I was visiting my sister and she introduced me to the Animal Planet show, Whale Wars. I only watched a little bit before falling asleep but I came home and began watching seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix instant play. I find the show addictive and challenging. I debate myself almost constantly about whether or not their actions are justified.
If you’re not familiar with the show, it follows the crew of the Steve Irwin a Sea Shepherd vessel as they attempt to stop whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Each episode they battle the cold, storms, each other, and most importantly the Japanese Whaling fleet. While there is a ban on whaling, there is a loophole that allow countries to kill whales for research. Each country can set their own quota. For more details you can look here at the International Whaling Convention.
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Now in its third season this series has garnered rave reviews from many. It is also increasing international pressure on Japan and its whaling operations. But is it encouraging “eco-terrorism” ? Many would argue that it not only encourages it, its romanticizing it. Personally I’m still torn. Each episode is edited in order to build the maximum suspense. The scenes of whales being harpooned and pulled onto the processing boat is gutwrenching. I will definitely be looking for ways that I can join the fight to stop this. What I can’t decide is what is the best way? Watching the crew of the Steve Irwin, you would think that they are the only ones out there actively working against the whalers. However a little research will show that Greenpeace and several other groups are working in a more peaceful fashion. The real debate becomes, what is working?
So what does any of this have to do with my other blog posts? Easy, Sea Shepherd has entered into an agreement with Animal Planet to allow them to film their actions at sea. This has to be the best marketing scheme ever for a non-profit. They will tell you that they are allowing them to film to increase awareness of the plight of the whales. But even in the first season, they are able to have several fundraisers to make repairs to the boat. And in the second season, much of their equipment is either new, or showing several new additions. Items on the ship that are crucial to the ship’s functions seem to be the last thing they really think of repairing or replacing. Their focus and all the funds they are raising seem to go only to those items that help them reach and “attack” the japanese ships.
In this day and age, non-profits are struggling to make ends meet. No longer do you hear them talking about canceling some of their programs. Now they discuss shutting their doors for good. Many of these groups are unique programs that are specific to their community. Their charitable acts are often taken for granted and many do not realize the impact it has on the local economy, community. and lifestyle.
With the ease of video editing and the many videographers that are out of work and looking for work, it could be very easy for a non-profit to put together a single short film or several episodes that showcase the good work they do. These videos can be optimized for their website, sent to past donors, and even posted on YouTube for more exposure. With the impact of social media, a good video, or one with a strong message could become viral within the course of one day.
So, I challenge you to find a new way to market your company, self, or non-profit. Share links here so others can see the success.
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The importance of celebrating fellow bloggers
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The last post I had on here was celebrating a fun post by my good friend Kelly Cain Smith. Her blog is always creative, personal and inspiring! Today I’m going to highlight another blogger who is always good about celebrating the people he meets!
Bruce Brown has become a local legend in our community for his early adaptation of social media, particularly in video form. He is also a skilled networker, attending up to 3 events in one evening if he can! At each of these events Bruce is on hand with his camera and small video camera ready to capture faces and the feel of the event. We all groan and laugh when the camera is aimed at us, but secretly I know we all love it! It makes you feel important while he takes it and the next day when he shares it on his blog. That’s right the next day! He quickly edits all the pieces together and writes a review of the event. How does he do it so quick? Well for one thing he’s up around 4am every day, sharing positive thoughts, encouragement, and more!
I have begun doing some work in Internet Marketing, or Search Engine Marketing (SEM) as the new term has been coined. Several of the blogs and podcasts that I have been reading suggest you visit blogs relevant to your area of expertise or that are of interest to you. You then comment on the blogs with a link back to your website or Twitter account with the hope that this will build your ranking in the various search engines. But I think something is missing. If you really enjoy a blog or article, don’t just comment on it, share it! Post it to Twitter with your comment, post it on Facebook or hit the “Like” button. Even better, share a quick link on your own blog and mention why you like them.
You can check out Bruce Brown’s Blog here. There are several events that you can read up on, video blogs of Bruce, and more.
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The Benefits of Free Seminars
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Today I was fortunate enough to sit in on a free seminar offered by local Action Coach Reggie Shropshire. This program titled “So you have a website, now what?” was a 3 part presentation. Reggie provided basic information on websites and the importance of placement on Google. Then Kent Millholland with NeoNexus gave a presentation on web marketing and link building. Lastly Matt Davis of Your Best Sales Person gave a presentation on web videos and testimonials. Each section was informative and clear with good visual examples.
This was FREE! Reggie regularly offers seminars on a variety of subjects that can boost business and sales. They are sometimes after work, or like this one on a Wednesday morning. There are several other companies and businesses in town that offer classes. The local community college brings in experts to teach seminars on a regular basis once a week.
What offerings are in your town? Are you waiting around till you raise enough money to pay to go to a sales clinic or other program? Stop and search online. Not only do you get some amazing education, but you will meet other local business owners and get to network!
I learned several tips and tricks today that I’ll be applying to my website, so look for changes!
Social Media for Lycanthropes
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In my day to day business I work with different businesses on their social media marketing. With each business and individual they have to have a unique approach. This is especially true for Lycanthropes or as they are more commonly known Werewolves.
For the active Lycanthrope, social media is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family across the globe. Facebook allows you to share stories, pictures, and just simply express yourself. Twitter is even more accessible because it allows anonymity. But as with any venture onto the web, privacy is a large concern. When you’re a Lycanthrope it becomes an even larger concern. So below are some basic tips that I feel can make the social media world fun and safe.
1) Check your privacy settings! Be sure that all of your setting are set to “Friends Only”. This includes photo albums. Your latest haircut when in wolf form should not be available for just anyone to see.
2) Don’t friend everyone! Yes it’s fun to see all your old friends and see who you’re connected to, but if you don’t know someone don’t accept their friend request. Just hit ignore and they will get the message.
3) It’s okay to unfriend someone. Just go to their profile and scroll down. On the left hand side you will see a blue link that says “remove as friend”. They don’t get a message that you’ve removed them and it will take some time before you come up in the friend suggestion box if at all.
4) Applications are fun, but not everyone has time for them. Look for friends that are already playing the game but don’t bombard people who don’t with requests. It’s not nice and it draws attention to yourself. If you yourself don’t like the games, you can block the application as a whole and in your news feed you can choose to “Hide” the posts about the game.
1) Be yourself! Twitter allows you to create a profile and choose what information to share. This is great for a Lycanthrope! Leave off your location and use a different email and you can truly talk about your day to day concerns. Since your friends can’t find you, they won’t see that you talk about the pain of the change and more.
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2) Take a good picture. If you like put up a picture of your wolf form. Just make sure to fit your whole head in the shot.
3) Talk about what’s going on in your day to day life. Don’t constantly try to sell your grandmother’s hair removal tonic. If you’re using it, mention it and add a link, but don’t fill your posts with ads.
4) Engage with your followers and friends! Ask questions, respond to tweets by others, retweet posts. This interaction is what makes Twitter fun. It will also help keep you grounded to your human form.
5)Look for others who share common interests. You would be amazed at the number of Lycanthropes using Twitter. Sites like Monitter are a great way to search. Their zip code search allows you to look locally. So that silver wolf you saw last night can be found (he was good looking)!
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Wilmington Twestival
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Here’s our short commercial for this year’s Twestival at The River Room.
On Thursday 25 March 2010, people in hundreds of cities around the world will come together offline to rally around the important cause of Education by hosting local events to have fun and create awareness. Twestival™ (or Twitter Festival) uses social media for social good. All of the local events are organized 100% by volunteers and 100% of all ticket sales and donations go direct to projects.
Wilmington’s Twestival will be held at The River Room from 5:30 to 10:00 pm on March 25th. Follow the link above to learn more!
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February Tweetup
Ahhh the Tweetup! My favorite monthly event! I get to see all my tweeps and socialize. Often I make new friends. This month’s tweetup was one of the best we’ve had!
Pomegranate Books was our host for this month. It is a wonderful independent bookstore located just off Kerr Ave near Wrightsville Ave here in Wilmington, NC. They opened their doors and provided a great space to move about, talk and trade tips.
A great array of snacks and beverages were provided by Kelly Cain Smith and Jeremy Smith. One of the new Tweeps who joined us at the Tweetup is Robin Robinson. She is running for District Court Judge. This is a non-partisan seat and we are excited to see that she’ll be using Social Media to reach a broader audience this election season. Maybe this will catch on with others running for office. I for one would like to see more information on many of the candidates. Robin is pictured here with Jackie Willse, founder of Wilmington Young Professionals. Jackie will be consulting with Robin on her Social Media.
Wilmington Young Professionals has continued to grow. In fact they have just reached 1500 members on Facebook! So congratulations to Jackie for all her hard work! If you would like to get involved with the group check out their Facebook page for more details.
Another favorite attendee to our Tweetups is Bruce Brown. Always on hand to snap away a few pics and report on all the local networking events, Bruce has become a familiar name and face in Wilmington Networking Society. His blog about the event and other local events can be found here.
Another regular attendee is Kimberly Brumsey, of KB Organic Skincare. Kim uses Twitter to share her thoughts and ideas, as well as specials that fans can take advantage of. Kim’s twitter name of @sourcherrywhip is taken from her favorite lotion. As you can see from the photo, she’s taking advantage of the 25% discount that Pomegranate books offered for the evening. Kim also was a sponsor of the evening and gave our door prize of an Organic Mini-Facial that went to one of our other sponsors Kelly Cain Smith.
Seen here is one of 2 furry friends that joined us for the evening! This one is named Hodie! She was a sweet addition to the evening. My little one stayed at home despite his cries otherwise.
One last great snap of our sponsors Kelly Cain Smith and Jeremy Smith. Kelly works with Port City Community Church but is also starting a Graphic Design and Web Design company. Jeremy works with the Soundside Group, an IT assistance company.
Next month we will not have a Tweetup because of Twestival. If you would like to be a sponsor for Twestival feel free to visit the website here, or contact me for more details. I am also looking for a location for our April Tweetup. Thanks to Rebecca Powell of Bec and Call we are planning a “Tweetup and Bleed Up” a blood drive. So we will need a location for most of the afternoon and into the evening. If you know of a location or would like to offer up your business space, let me know.
List of Attendees
Pomegranate Books @pombooksILM
Jeremy Smith @soundsidegroup
Kelly Cain Smith @KellyCain
Bruce and Marge Brown @BruceBrownNC
Rebecca Powell @BecAndCall
Robin Wicks Robinson robin@rwrobinsonlaw.com robinrobinsonforjudge.com
Annie Anthony @JLWQueen cfvc@Bellsouth.net
Brooke Freeman @rightleftstudio
Elizabeth King Humphrey @Eliz_Humphrey
Angela Johnson @DancingAngelArt
Dawn Bugni @DawnBugni
Gayle Tabor @dalm8ton @glynnesoaps
Jennifer Beddoe @3athlete @glynnesoaps
Jackie Willse @WilmYoungProf @portcitycandles
Kimberly Brumsey @sourcherrywhip
Jennifer Caslin @foodbankjenc
Becca Jones @sunsetinmyveins
If you can think of someone I missed on this list, please drop me a line. Also if you or your company would like to sponsor a Tweetup or donate a door prize let me know!
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Why I love Follow Friday: and why you should too!
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I love Follow Friday! Don’t know what that is??? Well if you’re on twitter you should! It’s only the best day ever!
Follow Friday happens every Friday in the Twitterverse! Twitter users send out reccomendations to their followers of other Twitter users that they enjoy following. They tag their posts with #followfriday or #ff so that others can easily find them in a search of Twitter posts. If you’re new to Twitter or decide to join, this is a great way to find interesting people to follow. It’s also a way to thank people who follow you!
Why do I love it so much? Easy. Follow Friday is almost like a book club. Here are all your friends reccomending a good book to read. This is a chance for you to find new people to interact with, network with, share ideas with! It’s also a chance for you to acknowledge the people you follow so they know that what they are sending out into the Twitter ether is appreciated.
Follow Friday is so often overlooked or rushed through. Some users always reccomend the same tweeps. Others just retweet users who reccomend them, a little self serving but not altogether bad.
Image by setlasmon via Flickr
So here’s a challenge! The next Follow Friday, go onto your Twitter account and really think: ”Who do I love on Twitter and why?”. Then send out individual posts to each one of these people with a note about why you enjoy them! I promise it will make your Twitter experience more enjoyable and you’ll see a better return from your followers!
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