Quotes to make us better bloggers (and better people too)
In my books and other pieces I’ve written, I like to sprinkle in wise, witty, or worth-repeating words from others. Most of the quotes I tend to use deal with life, inspiration, leadership, love, communication, freedom, responsibility, and other subjects in the personal development or life enrichment vein. Below are some such quotes along with my reasoning as to why they apply to being a blogger. I welcome your thoughts–in agreement or difference–as well as any quotes you want to share.
“Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Know that when you’re in a blogging conversation–you write, others comment, you reply, etc.–you’ll likely have times when not all voices sound in accord. Learn to distinguish contradiction and alternative ideas from castigation and bullying. The former make for interesting and engaging conversation the latter make for unsafe territory that you’re likely to want to avoid.
“Enrollment is the art and practice of generating a spark of possibility for others to share.”
~ Rosamund and Benjamin Zander, The Art of Possibility
- Not every post you write will inspire others to comment. That’s fine. However, if part of what you want to do is interact with others, find a way to light that spark, drawing others out from their corners of the world to your circle. Imagine yourself as an ancient story-teller, Shakespearean bard, or someone who brings people together for an exchange of ideas.
“The masters in the art of living make little distinction between their work and their play, their labor and their leisure, their minds and their bodies, their information, their recreation, their love and their religion. They hardly know which is which, they simply pursue their vision of excellence at whatever they do, leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing.”
~ James A. Michener
- Write with passion. If you start a post that lacks energy as you type, save it for later when it truly speaks to you. If you have nothing you feel compelled to share, don’t just make up a post to fill space. Blogging can benefit your business, but only if you do it with heart.
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
~ Annie Dillard
- You are in this world for a reason. You have contributions to make and unique gifts to offer those with whom you come into contact. Let your blog reflect your larger life purpose. Show yourself as who you are at your core, not who you think you “should” be. Offer your authentic self–and give others room to do the same–and your blog will be one more place where you can fulfill the purpose for which you were made.
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Strategies to get your blog noticed
Writing exceptional blog content is crucial (Take these simple steps to create exceptional blog content), the task involves more than correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. When it comes to effective blog content, one of the main keys is visibility and this is supported by SEO skills. In other words, it’s not simply a matter of writing something compelling. The best blogs are well written and structured effectively (e.g., using title and headline tags to the fullest advantage, linking with powerful anchor text, etc.) so that they can be easily found, indexed by search engines, and promoted by others.
Turn your blog content into great content that markets itself
- Write for people and search engines. Using your blog statistics (Blog statistics for business — What to monitor and why) you can learn what phrases and words people use to find your site. Use tools like WordTracker to learn about popularity of keywords and use those that will help you stand out.
- Consider your entire post (and site for that matter). Do you use pretty permalinks (like mine) or the default ones that don’t tell users anything (ones that look like this http://yoururl.net/blog/?p=123)? Are you writing useful titles and using <h1> or <h2> tags inside your posts or simply making some copy bold? Are your page descriptions “junked up” with the full name of your blog?
- Make it easy for others to promote your work. Though you don’t want your site overloaded with plugins, it’s crucial that you give readers easy ways to pass along your work. This includes ways to add your content to social media and bookmarking sites like StumbleUpon, Sk*rt, Digg, Delicious. I also encourage you to have features that allow your users to print and email your posts.
Since you all know that even these tips don’t guarantee that your content will be promoted widely, it’s important to have content marketing skills of your own. Read how Chris Mitchell got Seven Tips for Taking a Laptop Traveling, his post, featured to two big traffic sites.
Expert advice on search engine optimization for your blog
I have beginner’s SEO knowledge, so I’m going to share some links to others who have a lot to say on the topic. There will be some redundancy here, yet sometimes reading the same advice multiple times helps it sink in.
- Entrepreneur Yaro Starak gives you the scoop on how to wisely use your time for search engine placement The 80/20 Of Search Engine Marketing - Part 1 and The 80/20 Of Search Engine Marketing - Part 2.
- Stephan Spencer reminds you not to be foolish in his post, Twelve SEO Mistakes Most Bloggers Make.
- Shari Thurow clarifies her thinking about writing for optimization in her post When Content Isn’t King in SEO.
If you have tips to share that have helped you make your blog highly visible to the right people, drop a line in the comments section.
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What are the best plugins for your blog?
Answer: It depends. Yes, that’s my initial response to many questions about blogging, but it’s not because I’m attempting to be coy or evasive. It’s my answer because it’s true. The best plugins (added features for your blog) will vary from blog to blog depending on the purpose of the blog, the goals of the blogger, and the other tools they have at their disposal.
Plugins I recommend for business bloggers
- FeedBurner FeedSmith (formerly Feed Replacement) — FeedBurner (FB) has many free features that you’ll want to take advantage of. Some of these tools are even used outside your blog. For instance, in my email signature I use FB to show rotating headlines from my latest blog posts. I also send blog posts via email thanks to FB.
- Subscribe to Comments — Allows site visitors to subscribe to comments to a post (Handy for when folks post a question and want to know when you’ve posted an answer.)
- Angusman’s Feed Copyrighter — Places a message at the end of your feed saying your content is copyrighted. Most of my readers are feed readers (versus those of you reading this on my blog itself), so it’s important to me to have certain plugins that work specifically with my feed.
- WordPress Database Backup — Keeps your data safe. Also allows for your backups to be done automatically at regular intervals so it becomes one less task on your “to do” list.
- Subscribe Remind — At the beginning or end of each post, this plugin adds text that reminds your readers that they can subscribe to your blog’s feed. Helps with retention of first time visitors/readers.
- Secure and Accessible PHP Contact Form — Allows people to contact you without leaving you vulnerable to spam floods. There are several colors/styles of forms to choose from so you’ll likely find something that complements your theme.
- Contextual Related Posts — Shows “related posts” to highlight relevant content for your readers. Helps them discover previous posts without searching through your archives.
- No Self Pings — When you reference your own posts, you don’t ping yourself (basically showing your excerpt as a trackback).
- LinkLove — “Thank” your regular commenters with this plugin that removes the “nofollow” attribute allowing search engine spiders to follow the link they leave when the comment. I like this plugin because you can specify how many comments earn someone the designation as a “regular commenter.”
- Viper’s Video Quicktags — If you use video on your site, this plugin makes it easy to add the links as you’re composing your post.
Other’s “plug” their top blog plugins
- David Airey shares his Top 5 essential WordPress Plugins, reminding us of why we use plugins in the first place, to “improve user-friendliness and functionality.”
- Lorelle VanFossen offers an extensive list of plugins for images, photographs, and graphics. Chances are if an image-related plugin exists, it’s on this page.
- Arpit Jacob offers up a list of plugins, most of which focus on back-end issues so they’re helpful to the blogger. I look forward to checking out WP Plugins Tracker and WordPress Automatic Upgrade Plugin.
- Vlad Akilov posted a thorough list of WordPress Plugins that run the gamut from fun to functional.
You’re welcome to vote for your favorite plugin or share one that’s not listed here. Of course you could also have a little fun and add a comment about the plugin you’ve been dreaming of (some developer may just come along and create it for you). 
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Plan to develop a successful blog
No one would plan to develop a failed blog. As the saying goes, however, many fail to plan. So, if you want to create a successful blog, plan you must.
“The only thing that ever sat its way to success was a hen.”
~ Sarah Brown
Crucial steps in planning for your successful blog
- Define what you mean by “success.” Though some factors will be constant, a blogger who wants to earn money directly from blogging will employ a different strategy and style than a blogger whose primary aim is to develop enough material to write a book. Know your goal(s) before you begin the blogging journey or you’ll end up meandering and clueless.
- Learn what’s required of you. Many people, lured by the promised riches and rewards of blogging, jump in without any idea of what skills, habits, and traits will be needed to attain the benefits. Check out my five essential skills for blogging success and see what talents your already possess and which skills you might need to sharpen. If none of the skills needed for blogging interest you, better to change course now than after you’ve invested lots of time, energy, and money.
- Determine if you’ll “do what it takes.” In my introductory blogging teleclasses I have many people who want to know how to blog successfully without reading others’ blogs and without spending much time on their own blog. My answer: “You can’t.” You can build a readership, promote your business, and champion your cause without blogging becoming a full-time profession. Yet generally speaking, the more time–effectively spent, of course–and energy you put into blogging, the greater rewards you’ll receive back.
- Commit yourself. Once you’ve made it this far, it’s time to launch yourself fully into your blogging adventure. I don’t encourage you to give up relationships, hobbies, or other important parts of your life. However, you do need to make a clear commitment to blogging, by doing things such as allotting a specific amount of time to the practice, gathering the resources you’ll need, and beginning new habits to foster your success.
- Invest in your success. If you’re doing any kind of professional or business blog, invest your money as well as your time. You need not spend much, yet using Blogger or LiveJournal or picking a standard, non-branded template/theme are choices suited only to personal blogs and should therefore be avoided. Useful ways to invest include: buying your own domain name; having a blog theme customized to reflect your business brand; getting professional portraits made; securing reliable web hosting; consulting with a blog coach; purchasing (and reading) a few blogging books (three I recommend are: Visual Quickstart Guide: WordPress 2 by Maria Langer and Miraz Jordan; Blogging Tips by Lorelle VanFossen; and Publish and Prosper: Blogging for Your Business by DL Byron and Steve Broback.
With these five steps meticulously followed can I guarantee blogging success? I could, but I won’t because there are many “x factors” that influence the outcome. However, I can assure you than if you take the time to develop a plan for blogging success, you will be more much more much, much more likely to achieve success than if you fail to plan. If you decide not to take my advice, however, listen to this.
“Success is blocked by concentrating on it and planning for it. . . . Success is shy - it won’t come out while you’re watching.”
~ Tennessee Williams
So what route will you travel to success? (A) Have a plan. Or (B) Plans, who needs ‘em.
If you’re already successful, what sage counsel do you have to offer?
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Links anyone? Effective linking makes win-win-win
If you’re into blogs, you’re involved in a threesome. Now, before your minds tarry off into lascivious or prudish thoughts, let me clarify. In a blog threesome are you, your reader(s), those bloggers you’re connecting with via links (to/from or to and from). When you use links effectively you create a win-win-win. Here are those wins in no particular order:
- Your readers win because you’re providing great content (right?) AND giving links to other valuable info that they don’t have to use their precious time to search for.
- Your fellow bloggers win because you’re giving your readers a green-light and a good reason to visit her/his blog.
- You win because your readers appreciate the way you’ve served their needs/wants AND you’ve made the first step in building a relationship with another blogger and who knows all the great places that could lead.
Okay, you’re convinced that linking is good. Now it’s time to learn how to link in an effective way.
Tips, techniques, and “must know” linking links
- SEO Advice provides advice about how to effectively write your link anchor text
- Liz Strauss offers another explanation of how anchor text works for search engine optimization
- Andy Hagans writes 101 link building tips (71 of which are things “to do” and 30 of which you should avoid like the plague)
- Lorelle thoroughly explains outbound, inbound, intrasite, and blogroll links plus she links to dozens of other useful articles to read once you’re done with the link I’ve given you
- Jason at I Blog You Blog shares reasons and tips for linking internally to your own content
I’m sure there are plenty of other awesome advice articles for people wanting to link correctly, powerfully, and usefully, so feel free to give your recommendations in the comment area. Or, if you have a strategy that’s worked well for you, feel free to share that too.
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Sage page — expert blogging advice from Guy Kawasaki
“It [a blog] has to be gold. If it’s something great, I could almost make the case that you just need to get out of the way.”
~ Guy Kawasaki
Beginning bloggers have a lot on their minds — What blog system should I use? What will I name my blog? How often should I blog? How do I get comments (and readers)? Et cetera. So, while I have plenty of my own ideas, I also want to spread the wisdom of the expert bloggers.
In this 15 minute video interview, Guy Kawasaki, evangelist, entrepreneur, investment banker, and venture capitalist, shares his insights on blogging, marketing, and evangelizing. Watch the video, then check out what I thought were some of the interview’s highlights.
Types of blogs
- Rant/rave
- Eassyist saving the world
- News
Guy’s top blogging tips
- Focus on content. Sound familiar? If you want ideas for how to source your blog content, check Sources of value-rich content for your blog.
- Think of each post as a chapter in a book. Make it cogent. Have a beginning and end. Have a purpose.
- Collect email addresses (in general) so you can tell your acquaintances that you have a blog.
Guy’s personal practices (and thoughts)
- Spend’s 2-3 hours each day blogging. Says, “There’s no economic payback for that. . . . At some point you either get your jollies by being in the Technorati 100 or you also have a higher purpose.”
- Uses his RSS feeds to search for new material. Though he says, “I don’t read any blogs.”
- Monitors the blogosphere for mentions of himself. He or his virtual assistant may respond to other’s posts/comments.
- Will be doing more book reviews/interviews. He says that this can become a self-fulfilling act, because authors and PR professionals then send him books regularly to review.
Guy’s thoughts about linking
“There’s a theory about links that the more links you give the more links you get. Technorati is obviously counting links. But what I find very, I think, almost morally wrong is I get approached all the time by people who say, ‘I saw your blog. If you link to my blog, I’ll link to your blog.’ and I never do that. I tell them, ‘Listen. You make an independent decision. If you think my blog is good for your readers, link. If you don’t, don’t. I, in turn will read your blog. If I think it’s good, I’ll link. If I don’t, I won’t. But it’s not quid pro quo. . . . If you blogroll somebody [add them to your list of links to other blogs], you have a moral obligation to your reader. And it’s not because, you know, you’re swappin’ spit. I mean, it’s more than that.”
~ Guy Kawasaki
To which I say, right on Guy! (And, if you happen to like what I’ve written here, feel free to link to me .) Feel free to add your thoughts on Guy’s advice, practices, and insights in the comments section.
