Blogger Voice

Blogger Promotion Ideas for Businesses

May 9, 2012 By Shauna 59 Comments

As a Blogger, I see the world through new eyes. Sounds pretty profound, huh? When I eat at an amazing burger, I want to blog about it. When my kids create a snow storm with a perfectly good bottle of powder, I want to blog about it. When Holly sees a “made for TV product,” she wants to blog about it. It’s like we cant help ourselves… BLOGGER promotion Blogger Promotion Ideas for Businesses

Our friends in business are catching on to our obsession, which is why Jay, Holly & I started Business 2 Blogger. But I thought it might be good for us to help the process along some.

Please use the comment form below to contribute some of your brilliant review ideas, “blog for hire” dreams and favorite promotional blogging experiences!

Early next week, I will be sharing this list with over 1100 business contacts – in hopes that we can bring some of these to life!

And as a THANK YOU for contributing, I will be drawing 1 lucky winner to receive $25 in cold hard digital cash via Paypal!

Drawing will be held on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 by noon. Comments will stay open for contributions after drawing has been held. Winner will be paid $25USD via Paypal by Tuesday, May 15 at 5pm.

Filed Under: Blogger Voice, Giveaway

SOPA what? How to understand what SOPA means

January 18, 2012 By Ashley 2 Comments

If you have spent any time on the internet (or watching the news… listening to the radio… etc) lately, you have probably heard about SOPA, or the Stop Online Piracy Act. Okay, stopping online piracy- sounds good right?

Except it’s not.

What exactly is SOPA?

From Wikipedia, “ The bill, if made law, would expand the ability of U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods. The originally proposed bill would allow the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as copyright holders, to seek court orders against websites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement. Depending on who makes the request, the court order could include barring online advertising networks and payment facilitators from doing business with the allegedly infringing website, barring search engines from linking to such sites, and requiring Internet service providers to block access to such sites.”

What does that mean?

That means that if you- and yes, I mean any one of you with content on the web- is found to have infringed on some copyright, you can be prosecuted criminally, have sites like paypal refuse to work with you, google refuse to list you in search engines, and more. While touted as a means to protect people and businesses from copyright infringement, it instead worries many as a frightening piece of legislation that has the coloring of future censorship.

Mashable provides great insights into the entire legislation. Pertaining to many web sites is this section:

Furthermore, you may be painted as infringing if you, the site owner, “take deliberate actions to avoid confirming a high probability of the use of…the site to carry out acts [of copyright infringement or circumvention].” This means if you deliberately decide that it’s not cost-effective to screen every piece of content and determine whether or not it is copyright-free before it is posted to your site (whether there is infringing content on your site or not), then you are labeled as an “Internet site…dedicated to theft of U.S. property.” Simply the act of not actively screening every piece of content makes you a criminal under SOPA.

Read the full analysis of the bill from Mashable here: http://mashable.com/2012/01/17/sopa-dangerous-opinion/

What’s the deal with the blackout?

From Wikipedia: “This is a project page to determine what action is required on the part of the Wikipedia community regarding the Stop Online Piracy Act(SOPA) and our response to it (if any). Jimmy Wales asked for community input on a possible database lock, similar to what the Italian Wikipedia did in October 2011 in response to a proposed bill in the Parliament of Italy”

Read more and follow updates here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative

Government issues are always tough. It’s important to manage copyright infringement– but it’s more important not to be censored.

Be sure to read more about SOPA:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.3261:

http://sopastrike.com/

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57360665-503544/sopa-pipa-what-you-need-to-know/

http://mashable.com/2012/01/18/sopa-dark-ages/

http://mashable.com/2012/01/17/sopa-dangerous-opinion/

Filed Under: Blogger Voice

5 Quick Ways to Generate Blog Post Ideas

July 6, 2011 By Ashley 4 Comments

Creating interesting, engaging content is the main focus of most bloggers. For some, the ideas flow faster than they can write. For others- and dare I say most others- keeping up a steady stream of content can bring on a case of writer’s block from time to time. Here are five quick ways to break through that block.

1. Review your Mission Statement. Whether a business or a blogger, chances are you have a mission statement. Write a post about how your mission statement was conceived, how you strive to live up to it, or what it means to you. The insights packed into that statement can provide immeasurable content.

2. Share your first job, your first client, your first date, etc stories. The first time we all do things tends to carry a story- whether amusing, heartwarming, or just plain embarrassing. Still, whatever the emotion, sharing your first experiences is a great way to let your readers connect with you- and are usually pretty easy to write!

3. Call your mom. Or a friend, client, etc. The secret is to call someone who you know will say something a little crazy. Now, don’t go sharing your detailed conversations, but an off-the-wall exchange or two can stir up all kinds of creative juices.

4. Remember a childhood pet or favorite toy. Recalling things that were significant to you as a child can take you for a nice stroll down memory lane- and remind you of plenty of stories you can share.

5. Call a friend and have the friend tell you what to write.If you are really stick and just aren’t sure what to write about, make someone else choose for you. The results of giving someone else control (somewhat) of your content can be surprising- but in a really good way.

What are some of your go-to’s for generating content?

Filed Under: Blogger Voice

Twitter Advertising

May 31, 2011 By KLUDGYMOM 5 Comments

Call it annoying, call it an inevitable part of social media, or call it a great way to make a little extra coffee money. Whatever you call it, one thing is clear: Twitter ads are proliferating by the day.

Today, I’m going to offer up a couple of links to Twitter-based advertising programs, in case you’re interested in checking them out.

Sponsored Tweets: run by Izea, the same people who run Social Spark and WeReward, other get-paid-to-do-social-media-stuff sites, is one of the most well known earn-money-tweeting programs. You sign up, set your per-tweet price and wait for opportunities to roll in. The higher your tweet price, the less opportunities you get. You can also select PPC opportunities that are always available regardless of your tweet price (but much less lucrative)

Twittad: Very similar to Sponsored Tweets. Twittad uses the Twellow system to match Tweeters with campaign opportunities. Receive notification of campaigns via email. Your tweet is only sent out one time per campaign to avoid spamming.

Magpie: This system will automatically send out tweets from your account on campaigns you’ve elected to participate in (if you opt for automatic sending – you can always control the tweet content). Their little “see how much you can earn” tool told me I could earn $250 a month tweeting for them. {okay, but how many followers would I lose in the process?}

So tell me…are you doing any paid Twitter advertising? What do you think of Twitter ads? If you don’t participate today, would you consider doing it?

Filed Under: Blogger Voice, Featured Tagged With: Twitter, twitter advertising

Video: Meet Gigi

May 15, 2011 By KLUDGYMOM 10 Comments

I gotta get in on this video thing.

On Wednesday, I’m going to do a desktop screencast tutorial of a really cool Twitter tool you can use to clean up the followers and unfollowers in your Twitter account. Can’t wait to hear what you think!

Filed Under: Blogger Voice, Featured Tagged With: video, vlog

Blogging Pet Peeves

May 10, 2011 By KLUDGYMOM 19 Comments

A few weeks ago, I was reading this article by Deb Ng at Kommein, in which she outlines 25 things about blogging that really bug her. Some of them are pretty obvious, like Captcha codes and music on blogs (ack! They drive me nuts!). But her list is great, because they really are a list of don’ts for bloggers that we should all keep in mind.

So it got me thinking that it would be fun to have just a teensy-weensy venting session here today. It’s your chance to weigh in what your pet peeves are with blogging. Read Deb’s list for some ideas, but I’ll bet you have some of your own as well.

I’ll get this party started with a couple of my biggest blogging annoyances:

1. The person who leaves totally irrelevant or thoughtless comments which scream “I didn’t read this post!”

Hey, let’s face it. I skim posts with the best of them. But I’ve seen some pretty outlandish comments that drive me bananas…like when someone writes a very poignant post about the passing of a favorite pet or relative, and a commenter writes something like:

I wish my dog would die. He leaves hairballs all over the house.

Or, better yet:

How weird that your recently-passed Aunt lived in Omaha. I had a really awesome steak in Omaha in 1994.

Am I the only one that has read comments like this on other blogs?

2. The “I’ve Got Nothing To Say” post.

If you have nothing to say, don’t post. And don’t post a picture of your vacuum cleaner in the hopes of snagging a few pageviews.

3. Using Twitter as an instant messenger service.

Twitter is meant for short exchanges, not an hour-long back-and-forth between two people who don’t include anyone else in the discussion. This is why God created Skype, or the DM.

4. Copying other people’s stuff.

I can count on…10 hands the number of times I’ve seen my content (which is usually on extremely specific topics) dealt with in an eerily similar way by another blogger. BOO!!!

5. Inside jokes.

I’m all for establishing a community with your readers. But when I’m a new visitor to a blog and every post is all about the author’s conversations with another blogger friend and inside jokes, I click away pretty fast.

So that’s my short list. I could go on until Friday. Okay! Weigh in. What’s your biggest blogging pet peeves? And remember – play nice in this sandbox. Don’t point fingers at individual bloggers!

Filed Under: Blogger Voice, Featured Tagged With: blogging pet peeves

The Great Twitter Divide

April 26, 2011 By KLUDGYMOM 9 Comments

Did you know that two Twitter camps are emerging?

Team Happy and Team Grumpy.

At least that’s what this article from Mashable suggests.

In the article, Mashable references a Cornell University study which analyzed over 100,000 Twitter users and their 129 M tweets in a 6-month time period. The study found that Tweeps fell into two camps: those who were generally happy, and those that were generally unhappy.

Team Happy rarely interacted with Team Grumpy, and vice versa.

I find this fascinating. I’ve started to think about my own Twitter interactions through this lens. I can’t say that I altogether avoid grumpy people. I launch a few grumpy tweets of my own and like commiserating with people who might be grumpy about the same things I am.

But I will admit that I have unfollowed a few people who seem to have their Twitter filter set to “incessantly depressive.” Why? Because I go to Twitter to connect in a positive way, get informed, be informed and be entertained. That’s just me.

Other than being an interesting factoid, what’s this got to do with blogging?

First, I think it’s an important illustration of how it’s very hard to hide one’s true personality in social media – and if you try to hide it, you can alienate people.

Second, it suggests that your social media persona CAN affect your blog readership. Here’s how:

Let’s say you write a humor blog. People who come to your blog expect a laugh, and you deliver.

But if you’re on Twitter with the goal of promoting that blog, and 90% of your Tweets provide gory details of an ongoing and insipid drama with your in-laws, you’re probably not presenting a consistent image between Twitter and your blog. You will attract Tweeps from Team Grumpy, who may expect an entirely different blog experience than what you provide.

We can only assume they’re disappointed to find you’re not grumpy on your blog, and they go away, never to return. In the meantime, you’ve missed an opportunity to reach those Tweeps who *are* looking for a laugh riot.

I’m not trying to suggest you filter or edit every one of your tweets. That would come off incredibly one-note and boring. But I am suggesting that you think about whether you tweet for Team Happy or Team Grumpy, and whether those are the people you want reading your blog, too.

What do you think? Are you a Team Happy or Team Grumpy? Is this consistent with the vibe you present on your blog?

Filed Under: Blogger Voice, Featured Tagged With: twitter persona

I Wish I Had Known…

April 19, 2011 By KLUDGYMOM 3 Comments

A while back, I was reading an article on Daily Blog Tips called 5 Things You Need To Be Prepared For When Starting A Blog.

It’s a fantastic post because it kind of gives new bloggers a heads up on some things you might not expect to experience when you’re starting out. For example, I think many of us thought that we’d be able to make a lot of money on our blogs right away. It takes a bit of time blogging to realize that it is not as easy as putting an ad on your website and jetting off to the Bahamas while the money rolls in.

This got me thinking: what ELSE do I wish I had known when I started blogging? Here are a few of the things that came to mind.

It’s more than just writing. I had no idea when I started blogging how many other dimensions there are to it. Networking, promoting, marketing, editing, improving and time management are all necessary tasks that have to be done each week to keep growing.
It will consume more time than you have. If you’re blogging for more than just a hobby, it can easily snowball into a more than full-time job. There is always something more that you *could* be doing. Prioritizing is a must.
There are always surprises. I’m always delighted at the surprises I get out of blogging – a new friend, a comment full of praise for something I’ve written, an email that gets me thinking, a cool idea that I never thought of before.
You will make incredible connections. I’ve made some of my closest friends by blogging – and I’ve made wonderful business relationships too (like here at B2B!). I never, ever expected these connections and they truly enhance my life.
Persistence pays off. It took me nearly a year of grinding away very hard at blogging before I started to really see opportunities open up. But once one opportunity came, it led to more and more.

I could list another twenty of the things I wish I had known before I started blogging…but this is your chance to share. What do you wish you had known?

Filed Under: Blogger Voice, Featured Tagged With: blogging tips

What’s The X Factor In Blogging?

April 12, 2011 By KLUDGYMOM 4 Comments

Wouldn’t it be awesome if there was just one key to being a successful blogger (however you define successful)? If there was only one thing you had to do well to be recognized, read…and paid?

Sadly, there is no one X factor, or we’d all be lounging on the Caribbean right now. But there are things that can contribute immensely to success.

I was reading this article at Smart Bloggerz awhile back. It’s called Personal Qualities You Need To Have To Become A Successful Blogger. It’s along the same lines as my post a few weeks ago about the habits of a successful tweeter.

Anyhow, the article identifies several key traits to blogging success. Some of the traits are pretty obvious ones, that can apply to nearly every profession. But one that stood out to me personally was the “Explorer” one.

The article says that you have to be a bit of an explorer to be successful at blogging. You need to like to try out new things or stay up-to-date with burgeoning technologies.

I think this is absolutely true, and I hadn’t really thought about it before. But if you aren’t always looking for something new to try, you run the risk of becoming boring. And with there being so much competition in the blogosphere for readers, that’s a scary risk – especially if you’re trying to monetize your blog.

The article missed at least one important trait, though. Really good bloggers (at least the ones I admire) seem to have a keen understanding of their strengths, and then they play to them.

Whether their strength is humor, working with a brand, making a reader cry, or prowess with WordPress, successful bloggers hone in on what works and they keep on doing it.

I’ve been at blogging for a couple of years, and it’s taken me awhile to understand what my strengths are. They evolve a bit over time, too, as I learn more, write more, and network more.

Have a look at the article. Tell me a trait of a successful blogger that you admire that’s not listed. Or tell me what you think YOUR strengths are as a blogger.

Filed Under: Blogger Voice, Featured Tagged With: traits of successful bloggers

Twitter v. Facebook: The Smackdown

April 5, 2011 By KLUDGYMOM 7 Comments

What do you think is better for your blog business: Twitter or Facebook?

You may have some anecdotal evidence to say one or the other. You may even look at your analytics tools to determine one the outright winner in terms of which one is driving more traffic to your site.

But companies are starting to actually get better at quantifying whether Facebook or Twitter is better at driving sales. And for one company, Eventbrite, the clear winner is….

Facebook.

Take a look at this article from CNN and Mashable. The piece talks about how Eventbrite used in-house tracking tools to assess which social media platform drove greater monetary returns.

A Facebook Like drove an average of $1.34 in revenue; a Tweet drove 80 cents. Facebook drove more revenue overall as well.

That’s not to say that either platform drove a ton of money for Eventbrite. Only about 1% of people buying the tickets in question shared the event on either platform.

It may not be a total apples-to-apples comparison, however. Facebook is definitely a more mainstream medium and has also been around longer than Twitter. Its market visibility is greater.

But it got me thinking about my own blog. I spend very little time with my Facebook fans or my page. I put forth much more energy into Twitter. It’s just an easier medium to engage in.

Yet I wonder: have I been putting my energy toward the right things? Should I be paying Facebook a little more attention?

They are fairly neck and neck when it comes to my stats – but I work a lot harder at developing Twitter. If I amassed my resources against Facebook, would it shoot ahead of Twitter as a better source of traffic?

These are the questions I’m asking myself.

What about you? Which social media platform wins in your blog smackdown? Do you pay more attention to one or the other? Does the data shared in the article make you think about investing more time on Facebook?

Talk to me!

Filed Under: Blogger Voice, Featured Tagged With: Facebook, Twitter