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2013

How to Stay Committed to Your Small Business Blog

Author:

bigstock-Dictionary-Series--Attributes-4045852 One of the biggest marketing gurus in the country, a well-known author and researcher, also happens to be one of the most erratic bloggers I’ve come across—her smart, insightful blogs are published randomly. Sometimes I’ll get two in a week, other times it’s months before I see a post. It makes me wonder: if this big marketing name can’t crank out a regular blog, what hope is there for us poor souls running a small business?

The answer is easier than you think…but only if you make blogging a priority by really committing to your blog.

Be Brutal

I sometimes run across corporate and small business bloggers that aim to post every day of the week. Their reasons vary, from building up SEO to outblogging the competition. This is an admirable  stretch goal, but is it realistic while running a small business? Doubtful.

The first step is to take an unflinching look at your time and how much you can devote to your blog. Chances are you’ll have to recalibrate the ideal frequency from the day-to-day tasks of running a business (not to mention putting out fires). Is it once a week? Twice a month? Or Some other cadence? Once you accept that baseline, planning will be easier. If your honest answer is once every three months, wait for a time when you can devote more energy to it.

Wherever you end up, bolt that frequency onto your schedule and be accountable to it. If you miss a post date, don’t blow it off because you’re “busy” or don’t feel like it. Finish up writing as close to the original post date as possible. Otherwise, you could end up on a slippery slope delaying more, making excuses, and before you know it, it’s RIP, blog.

Be Branded

Not surprisingly, one of the reasons blogging gets pushed to the side: it often does not generate income in a direct way. Your blog might get comments, shares, retweets, and likes, but kudos don’t pay the bills, right? Because I’m in marketing, promotion is in my  DNA, but if you’re busy running an insurance, retail, or other type of small business, you are likely more focused on the guts of getting and doing business. That doesn’t mean you don’t understand the importance of  marketing, but it might not be your number one focus.

No matter what you are selling—services, products, or something else—the key is to view your blog as a strategic, fundamental part of your brand; not something you can turn on and off. Your customers and prospects will appreciate you blogging consistency, and it will also help instill trust in you as a business.

Be Brainiac

Everyone knows that cliché that the best ideas come to us while taking a shower, or getting that light bulb moment while driving to the store. That is how our creativity percolates sometimes. Or as Agatha Christie once said, “The best time for planning a book is while you’re doing the dishes.”

That’s why you should be ready to catch those gems before they disappear, never to return (trust me, the older you get, it will happen more frequently). Don’t rely on your “great memory” when it comes to those moments. No matter how organized you are, we all still need a little helpnow and then.

Luckily there are endless task-master sites, tools, and apps to organize your ideas, random thoughts, and future blog fodder. Having them in one place, on-hand is the first step to incubatinga future post. Most of these tools are no-cost at the basic level and offer a premium upgrade. Some of the biggies are: Evernote, Toodledo, Rememberthemilk, and the wittily named Tjjeklist and  Wunderlist. Here’s a comparison list.

Be-holden

OK, now that your ideas are organized in one place,  you know what you want to write about for your next next post, but you still have to sit down and do it. That is often the hardest part and when a  well-timed bout of procrastination can kick in. There are a lot of ways to fight this urge.

Besides a cornucopia of books, articles, sites, and tools to help get initial thoughts on that blank computer screen, there are shortcuts that can help: Written Kitten as promised, shows a kitten at  selected intervals (wonder when the puppy version comes out). Write or Die takes a more dramatic approach with its “gentle” to “kamikaze” non-compliance settings. This post also has several ideas to help you get that post done when it is fighting you.

Also be aware of your personal blogging habits: some people thrive on deadlines, others freak out with anxiety about The Looming Word Count. The key is to know your writing personality. I like to write my posts slowly but surely, starting about a week before, ideally, then edit (and edit). I know if I start a post the day before, it simply won’t meet my standards.

Of course, you can also use an editorial calendar to keep you on track. This may seem too formal for a small business or feel like extra work, but plugging in topics and dates will keep you focused on the big picture and reinforce your commitment. Besides, what a great accomplishment to see the blog post published on the day you planned for it!

There are many editorial calendars to choose from, but if you want to keep it simple and integrated, WordPress Calendar can help (.org site only). Heck, you can even use Microsoft Excel or Google Calendar, but using a tool built as an editorial calendar offers more features and functions.

Be Bold (and Brave)

However you get yourself on track for your small business blog, keep a schedule, be committed, and most importantly, know that your blog can make a big difference— both for your business and your readers.

What are your tricks to keep committed to your business blog?

Image credit: Bigstock

Your Blog: An Asset Worth Protecting? (Sponsored Post)

Author:

BloggerShield_Logo_RGB While many journalists and other types of media professionals have had the opportunity to secure insurance protection for their profession, bloggers have been ignored…until now. BloggerShield™, a brand new liability insurance product created exclusively for bloggers, is now available.

Unlike journalists, whose content often includes more reporting and less personal opinion, bloggers are typically valued for their point of view or their own personal brand. Often times, bloggers have a dedicated following, become social influencers, and are relied upon for information, insights, or even product promotions and reviews. With this power to influence, bloggers become vulnerable to an array of liability exposures as well as the potential backlash of critics.

Any reader may go so far as to use legal recourse to pause, halt, or counter one’s blogging activities. A blogger may experience this in the form of having a claim or lawsuit brought against them for defamation, slander, copyright infringement, or privacy violation. Regardless of the circumstances and the validity of a claim or lawsuit, bloggers are still faced with managing any legal action taken against them and keeping their blog and personal assets protected in the process. In addition, many bloggers are still unclear as to what their liability exposures are until it’s too late.

Let’s take a look at a few recent cases in which bloggers have found themselves facing litigation:

Woman Awarded $338,000 in Damages for Defamation as a Result of Anonymous Submissions

On July 11, 2013, jurors awarded Sarah Jones $338,000 in damages for defamation against gossip website thedirty.com. This high profile case arose out of two anonymous submissions posted in 2009 that claimed that Jones, a former cheerleader for the Cincinnati Bengals, had sex with every Bengals player and was afflicted with sexually transmitted diseases.

Nik Richie, the operator for the website, argued that he was protected under the Federal Communications Decency Act which provides immunity to website operators for content that comes from third parties. However, Jones argued that the protections did not apply as thedirty.com admitted to screening and adding comments before posting third party submissions. The jury agreed with Jones, finding that Richie acted with malice or reckless disregard in posting the submissions.

The posts were unrelated to Jones’ previous guilty plea to charges that she had sex with an underage former student. For more on the case, prior history can be found at Jones v. Dirty World Entm’t Recordings, LLC, 766 F. Supp. 2d 828 (E.D. Ky. 2011).

Blog Article Results in Libel Suit

On July 19, the District of Columbia Superior Court denied a motion to dismiss brought under DC’s 2010 Anti-SLAPP statute.  Separate but similar motions were filed by defendants National Review and the conservative think tank Competitive Enterprise Institute after climate scientist Michael Mann brought a libel suit over an article published last summer on the organization’s blog, Openmarket.org.

Mann accused the publication of defaming him by accusing him of fraud in his research and by drawing comparisons between Penn State’s investigations into his research and the school’s previous investigations of assistant football coach and convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky.

In denying the motions, Judge Natalia Combs Greene found that the statements in the blog had crossed the line from protected opinion to factual assertions. Accordingly, Judge Greene wrote, “there is a strong probability that the NR Defendants disregarded the falsity of their statements and did so with reckless disregard.”

For more on this story, the case has been filed in the District of Columbia Superior Court under the docket number 2012 CA 0008263 B.

Anonymous Blogger Compelled to Identify Himself for Making Defamatory Statements

A New York trial court recently directed Google Inc. to identify an anonymous blogger who had been criticizing New York attorney Frederick Shulman on blogspot.com, a Google owned company.  In his affirmation before New York Supreme Court, Shulman argued that Google should be compelled pursuant to the New York rules governing pre-action discovery to disclose the identity of the blogger posting defamatory statements to stopfrederickschulman.blogspot.com and frederickschulmancrookedattorney.com. Shulman further argued that “in the era of internet savvy individuals . . . the damage continues to mount with each day these web blogs continue to remain visible to the public.”

Justice Debra A. James found that Shulman had sufficiently shown a meritorious cause of action for defamation and the necessity of the information. Accordingly, the Court ordered Google, barring objections, to disclose reasonably available creation IP addresses as well as the name(s) and email addresses(es) used to register the blogs.

Counsel for Schulman has since disclosed that Google has cooperated with the order and that ongoing litigation is expected.

For more on this story, see In re The Matter of Schulman, Frederick Esq. v. The Go Daddy Group, Inc., et. al. at New York County, Index Number 155629/13.

So what can bloggers do to stay protected from lawsuit?

Most bloggers have some idea as to standard blogging best practices, i.e., using proper disclosures, correctly citing sources, etc. However, in many cases, this is simply not enough to stay protected from the consequences of legal action.

With the formation of BloggerShield™, a new insurance coverage created specifically for bloggers, protection is now available to bloggers. BloggerShield™ is a form of liability insurance designed to help mitigate loss and cover legal fees associated with issues arising out of a claim or lawsuit for one’s blogging activities. To learn more about blog liability exposures and BloggerShield™ Insurance, please visit www.bloggershield.com or call 888-228-7988.

Mark Malkoff Skypes with Skypes with People in 160+ Countries [Video]

Author:

Skype turned ten this year, and to celebrate, one of our favorite speakers, Mark Malkoff, used Skype to talk to people in 162 countries from around the world. He “high-fived” a girl from the Bahamas. He got yelled at by a a guy in Indonesia for accidentally calling at 2 AM. He even talked to a tour guide in North Korea who was at a football (soccer) match in Kim Il-Sung Stadium.

[youtube width=”480″ height=”360″]http://youtu.be/XIMuvMhFkXU[/youtube]

What I like about this project is that it is a reminder just how small the world is and how new media platforms like Skype are changing world. And I love what Mark had to say about the project: “Though the world is separated by geography and cultural differences, this project illustrates that smiles and love are universal.”

7 Phrases That Make Me Ignore Your Guest Post Query

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Doesn’t it just make you cringe when you see a subject line about a guest post?

No, don’t get me wrong. I love guest posts. The world of guest posting might be changing, but here on the NMX blog, we’re guest-post-friendly! But the problem is that 9 out of 10 people who send me queries about guests posts are unoriginal and off target. What can I expect from a guest post if you can’t even write a 100-word email properly?

I do try to reply to everyone, even these poorly-written emails, but there are only so many hours in a day. So, if I don’t reply to your guest post query, it probably included one of the following phrases and made me wrinkle my nose.

“Our writers will create…”

If you’re not the person who will be creating the guest post, I probably don’t want to talk to you. I want to talk to your writer. Now, occasionally, I do work with agencies and others who relay information to a writer…but most of the time, people who email me regarding what their writers will do submit horrible posts from a team of “writers” (I hesitate to even call them that) who clearly do not have a grasp on the English language.

For a guest post to be beneficial to me, it has to be your BEST work. Your best work. If you’ve hired a team of writers to create 100 guests posts a week, I’m not going to get something high-quality from you.

“We are offering this to you free of charge…”

I didn’t come to you asking you to post on this blog. You came to me. Noting that what you’re offering is free sounds extremely arrogant, almost like you expect me to say, “No, no. Let me pay for it.” If you approach me, you aren’t doing me a favor by guest posting. I’m doing you a favor by giving you access to my audience.

Some blogs paid for guest posts, but it’s our philosophy that guest posts are freely traded in exchange for promotion. If you think you deserve to get paid, apply for a freelancing job or find a blog that pays guest posts. No hard feelings. We all gotta eat.

“All we ask is…”

If you’re asking me for a guest post spot, please don’t make demands. That’s like asking a neighbor to feed your fish while you’re out of town and then saying, “In return for getting to feed my fish for a week, all I ask is that you also clean his tank.” Yes, I know that there are benefits to having guest posts on my blog. But you are approaching me. You don’t get to make demands.

Furthermore, we have rules. If you cared enough to read my guidelines, you’d know that. Most of the time, what the person is asking for breaks the rules. No es bueno.

“Please reply in…”

I receive this “threat” all the time. If I don’t reply in x number of days, then they’re taking their ball and going home.

Listen. I’m a busy gal. I try my best to respond to all guest post queries in a week. If I don’t respond to you, by all means, follow up with me, and note that if you don’t hear from me you’ll be pursuing other opportunities with the proposed guest post. But giving me a deadline in your initial email when you have no idea what my schedule about is just rude. I almost certainly won’t reply if you make a demand like that. It just tells me that working with you will be too stressful, and I hate stress.

“Let me know what you’d like me to write about…”

I have no idea what you’re an expert on. The biggest advantage of having you guest post is that you’ll provide insight into a topic that I haven’t covered (or perhaps don’t have the skills to cover). If you don’t know what you want to write for your guest post, it tells me know of two things:

  1. You aren’t really an expert on anything in this niche.
  2. You haven’t reviewed the blog at all to see what kind of content we publish.

Usually both. If you’re pitching me on a guest post, PITCH ME on a guest post. Don’t half-hearted ask if you can write something for me and then expect me to tell you what you are capable of writing.

“…high-quality, well-researched article…”

First of all, they are blog posts, not articles. Second of all, if you have to say something is high-quality and well-researched, it usually isn’t. The vast majority of the emails I get regarding guest posts include this phrase (or something very similar) and it is always a red flag for me.

“Dear sir/madam…”

This is ridiculous, but I get it all the time. If you can’t be bothered to find my name, am I really going to believe that you read through the blog to see what kind of content I publish? Half the guest post queries I get don’t even know if I’m male or female. Come on, people.

Beyond telling me that you didn’t care enough to read my past posts, it also tells me that you’re taking the “spray and pray” technique to this whole guest blogging thing. Which means you are probably writing crappy, quick posts for everyone and maybe even “spinning” low-quality copy to take one piece of content and create dozens of versions, each worse and more generic than the last.

So those are my seven most hated guest post email phrases. What would you add to the list?

6 Ways Stories Make Your Podcast Powerful

Author:

Stories make your podcast powerful The art of storytelling can be powerful. A story can pass life lessons from one generation to another. Tales can help people remember information. Stories bring words to life.

There have been thousands of great storytellers throughout time. You don’t need to be Chaucer or one of the Brothers Grimm to use stories to make your content come alive. Use stories wherever possible, and your information will become engaging and entertaining. It will also be memorable.

Here are six ways stories help the information in your podcast become powerful, engaging content:

A Land Far, Far Away

Stories help your listener escape his everyday life. A tale that is told well will transport your listener to another place and time through their imagination. You help them forget their problems.

When you tell stories in your podcast, you give your listener hope. Tales of success help your listener see what is possible. Tragic stories make him thankful for what he has. Stories that simply make your listener think help her better understand something.

Stories that contain wonderful, vivid words create fantastic pictures in the mind of your listener. When your listeners are intently focused on your story, they forgets they are listening to a podcast. They are so engrossed by your story, everything around them disappears. Your content becomes their sole focus.

Hey, I Know You

People trust people they know. If you’re selling a product or service, people buy from people they trust. If you hope to make that sale, you need to create strong, meaningful relationships with your audience. Stories will help you develop those powerful relationships.

When you tell stories about yourself and your experiences, you reveal things about yourself. Revelation is a natural part of storytelling. Self-revelation allows your listener to get to know you. Your listener spends time with you every week as you tell him more and more about yourself. Then, even if you have never met him, your listener feels like he has known you for years. You’re building a relationship without ever meeting. Stories of self-revelation help those friendships develop.

Humanity

Stories can be compelling, humorous, tragic. A great narrative will make your audience marvel, laugh, or better understand something. These strong feelings make you human.

When you evoke emotions in your audience, your listeners feels like you are just like them. Your stories reveal real-life experiences. You are telling your audience that you’ve had similar things happen in your life. They can relate.

I Remember That

The Grimm Fairy Tales are so memorable, because they are lessons disguised as wonderful stories. Over 200 lessons were included in the books from the Brothers Grimm. Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Hansel and Gretel are all stories that are remembered well nearly 200 years after they were written. Stories link words to pictures in order to make the words memorable.

Great stories will make your information memorable as well. Use the tale of your latest saga to make your point. It will help your listener remember your content.

Live Vicariously

Your listeners can live vicariously through you when you tell them a great story. If you tell you listeners how you made a fortune with your information, they get to experience your joy almost as if they made the fortune right along with you. Your words help create the imagery in their minds.

Help people dream. Create fantastic stories that people can see in their own theater of the mind. Paint great pictures with your words. Your listeners will see your story in their heads.

Stories allow your listeners to feel they joy without experiencing the risk. Your audience can walk through your hardships and feel the elation as you survive without actually living the pain. Delightful stories entertain listeners, because they can experience so much in a short period of time through you.

Take a Car Ride

Your podcast is 30 minutes long (or maybe even longer). That’s quite a bit of time to spend with someone. Will your listener want to spend 30 minutes in a car with you each week? When you record a podcast, you are asking them to do just that.

Your listener will spend meaningful, personal time with you each week. You better do all you can to create a strong relationship with your audience. Get listeners to like you.

When you reveal things about yourself through your stories, people will decide if they like you or not. Be real. Don’t force your story or change the details simply to make people like you. Tell the truth. If you bend the truth this time, you may forget next time. The truth will always come out. When it does, your relationship will be tarnished for good.

Reveal the truth. People will see you as a real human being. They will get to like you for who you are, flaws and all. The friendship will develop. Next thing you know, you’ll be taking a 30-minute car ride with them every week. Stories can make that happen.

Stories are powerful tools. They help your audience escape their problems. Anecdotes help your listener get to know you. That’s where relationships begin. Your tales will show you are human. You are a real person with real flaws, just like your listener. Stories will make your information memorable, by drawing pictures in the mind of your listener. Your audience can live vicariously through you when you tell them about your experiences. When you create that friendship, your listener will be willing to take that 30-minute car ride with you every week.

Begin creating great stories today, and make your podcast powerful.

On Agony and Blogging: How to Start Writing and Stop Panicking

Author:

bigstock-Crying-Girl-In-The-Office--9619043 I was in second grade when I wrote my first blog post.

Okay, back in 1992, blogging wasn’t exactly a “thing” yet. But I had just received a shiny Lisa Frank diary for Christmas, and the blank pages were killing me. I had to fill those pages, and I had to do it now, before the white sheets drove me crazy.

So that night, I wrote my first entry. Or, at least, I tried. But as I sat there with purple gel pen in hand, I didn’t know what to write. I had so much to say that I didn’t know how to start writing. I began to panic. How would I ever grow up to be a famous novelist if I couldn’t even write a diary entry? I can remember my cheeks streaked with tears that first night as I cried myself to sleep, my new diary still completely empty.

Eventually, I filled that diary and several others like it with my joys, frustrations, and deepest, darkest, childhood secrets. Reading them now is hilarious. I was an intense child. And they are clearly “blog post” style – I wrote to a reader, not to myself, with apologies when I didn’t have time to write for a few days.

To this day, though, what sticks out to me most about writing in my diary is that terribly agonizing feeling of having a world of word jumbled in my head and not knowing how to start. It is one of the most frustrating part of being a blogger.

The Power of a Good Opener

Online, you a reader’s attention for only a moment. They’re gone in the blink of an eye. The best blog posts, the ones that thousands of people stop to read, have one thing in common: their opening paragraphs are awesome. I mean truly awesome.

And they’re engineered to be that way. The Internet’s top bloggers don’t get lucky. They know that a strong opening that really grips the reader is going to keep the reader reading and, eventually, sharing. Without a great opener, it’s nearly impossible for a post to go viral.

But writing a good opening and writing your first sentence aren’t the same things. There’s no rule that says the first sentence you write has to be the first sentence of your post (and if that were a rule, I would recommend breaking it). That said, there’s power to the first thing you write, too.

The Power of a Good First Sentence

You know that moment you write something good. You just know it. The sentence sings.

And then, suddenly, the floodgates open. The words begin to flow, I get into a groove, and the rest of the post makes it out of my head. The first sentence I write isn’t always the first sentence of the post, and sometime I end up cutting that sentence in editing or moving it to a different post. Having a first, finished, good sentence, though, is powerful. It unlocks the block in your mind and gives you the confidence it takes to write the post.

That’s something lost of people never talk about: blogging takes confidence. Your words are going out there for hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of strangers to read. They matter. Writing words that matter is scary. When you don’t know how to start, panic sets in, because people are counting on you (even if they don’t know it) to improve their lives in some way.

How to Start Writing

So how do I do it? I’ve written thousands of blog posts (no, I’m not exaggerating), and many of them have started with me wanting to throw my computer out of the window. So what’s my secret?

I’m sorry to say that it’s nothing magical. The way I write so many posts, always jumping that hurdle of not knowing how to get started is this: I force myself to just start.

I do a little outline of all the topics I want to cover in the post, and then I start writing. If I don’t know what to write, I just write something. Even if it isn’t good. I don’t let myself delete that sentence and go back to a black screen. I write another sentence. And another. I write until I have at least one good paragraph, then I delete all the crap and re-read what is left. And then, I don’t feel so bad. Because I have something that doesn’t completely suck.

I have a start.

Even on my worst days, when the agony of not being able to put my words on paper feels like it is strangling me, I don’t let myself quit. Sometimes I get mad and slam my laptop closed a little harder than I probably should. I go for a walk, I get in the kitchen and cook something (that’s my zen place), I read a few chapters.

And then I make myself write again.

Don’t give up. Don’t let the panic drive you to tears like it did to me when I was a kid. Blogging is not easy. Let me say that again: Blogging is NOT easy. Sometimes you have to force yourself to keep going, even when you want to stubbornly quit. But once you get that first good sentence ready, it will get better. It always does. You just have the first hurdle to jump, then you’ll be running downhill from there.

Image Credit: Bigstock

Blog Post Schedule: When and How Often to Publish New Blog Posts

Author:

calendar blog post schedule Editor’s Note: Guest Poster Bill Belew wrote briefly about this topic back in March. Check out his advice, as well as reading this different perspective from guest contributor Shanna Mallon.

Whether you’re a new blogger or an old veteran, one thing’s for sure: You’ve heard you should be blogging regularly. If you’re going to blog at all, everyone says, you have to blog on a schedule. But how often is often? What blogging pattern translates to regular? Likewise, do certain days of the week or certain times of the day bring in better results? How can you tell? When should you post?

To help answer these questions, here’s a look at blogging’s big “When?” question and what you need to know.

Basic Blogging Post Time Principles

Before we look at the possibilities for blogging frequency, we need to look at a few key principles that guide scheduling decisions. Understanding these facts makes it easier to decide how often to post.

  • Quality Trumps Quantity

No matter how often a blogger posts, one thing is certain: Quality trumps quantity. Readers care more about what you’re posting than when. If your content is empty filler content, readers won’t care if you post every day or multiple times a day: Your content doesn’t matter. If, on the other hand, your posts are legitimately valuable, readers are more likely to keep coming back, even if posts are infrequent.

  • New Content Invites New Views

The logic is the same as the logic behind daily newspapers—People like to read content that is new. So just like you wouldn’t buy the same issue of a magazine every week, your readers are less likely to come back to a blog that shows the same old content every day. When you post new content, you give new readers a reason to check it out.

  • Readers Like Consistency

Posting consistently—whether that’s every Tuesday morning, every day, or every hour—communicates an unspoken promise to your readers. They learn your schedule and come to expect new content will appear as usual. When you always post at the same time, you build trust with your audience.

Posting Every Week vs. Posting Every Day vs. Posting Many Times a Day

OK, assuming you’re creating quality content that actually benefits your readers and you want to do it regularly, what does that look like? Should you post every day? Every hour? Let’s take a look at the options.

  • Posting Every Week

Most experts agree that if you blog regularly, that means blogging at least once a week. There are exceptions, especially for celebrity bloggers or other bloggers with established reputations, but in general, once a week is the minimum. If you choose this routine, consider making your once-a-week post always on the same day—Mondays, for example. Over time, your readers will remember your posts always appear on Mondays and want to come back to your site accordingly.

  • Posting Every Day

Say you want to increase your content frequency to something more regular than weekly posts. Maybe you post every Monday and every Friday; maybe every other day; or, perhaps, you decide to post every day. Daily posting is pretty standard for large blogs, whether they’re run by individuals or groups. Keeping this schedule can be time-consuming, so if you decide to post daily, you may want to enlist other writers to help.

  • Posting Many Times a Day

The largest, most trend-focused blogs post many times a day. Like news outlets or television stations, they are constantly providing new content for readers to view. Running this sort of blog requires a significant investment of time and energy, so you surely want a team of writers, but it also offers many rewards. Constant content often attracts a larger following, higher traffic numbers, and more potential for advertising or lead generation.

Your Thoughts on Blog Post Schedules

How often do you post on your blog? Do you post on a specific schedule, or do you post when you feel like it? If you haven’t tried a schedule before, maybe it’s time to give it a shot—to build trust with readers, keep yourself accountable, and prime your site for growth.

10 Brilliant Bloggers Talk About Google In-Depth Articles

Author:

Brilliant Bloggers is a bi-weekly series here at NMX where we look at the best posts from around the web all surrounding a specific topic. Every other week, we’ll feature a brilliant blogger, along with a huge list of more resources where you can learn about the topic. You can see more Brilliant Blogger posts or learn how to submit your link for an upcoming edition here.

This Week’s Topic: Google In-Depth Articles

Google recently announced a new search feature: in-depth articles. This new feature allows your content to get found, even if it is older, when you create a top resource about a specific topic.

I wrote a little about Google in-depth articles last week. Today, I wanted to direct you to even more brilliant advice on this topic.

Brilliant Blogger of the Week:

ana hoffman Google In-Depth Articles: How to Rank for Them in Google Search Results by Ana Hoffman

This was one of the first posts I read about in-depth articles back when this feature was introduced. I think Ana does a great job of covering the topic and giving you some insight about how to rank in search results using this feature. More importantly, however, I love this idea from Ana: “I am very excited about investing in thoughtful in-depth content that will remain relevant for months or even years after publication – for my incredible Traffic Generation Café readers, not for Google.”

After reading Ana’s full post on her blog, don’t forget to follow her on Twitter at @AnaTrafficCafe.

Even More Brilliant Advice:

(Please note: There are literally hundreds if not thousands of news stories about there about in-depth articles. My intention here was to post interesting views and how-tos on this topic, rather than just announcements of the new feature.)

Did I miss your post or a post by someone you know about Google in-depth articles? Unintentional! Help me out by leaving a comment below with the link.

Next Brilliant Blogger Topic: Facebook Storybumping

I’d love to include a link to your post in our next installment– and if you head to the Brilliant Bloggers Schedule, you can see even more upcoming posts. We all have something to learn from one another, so please don’t be shy! Head to the schedule today to learn how to submit your post so I won’t miss it.

Do Bloggers Need to be on Google+?

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google plus The principle behind the founding of Google is quite simple: Some webpages are much more important others. How do they decide which are the most important? Basically, importance is given to content that Google believes answers questions users have about a particular topic better than other webpages.

The face of internet search technology was completely changed by Google webpage evaluations. They evaluate each link pointing to a particular webpage according to the quantity, as well as how much Google trusts the sites the links come from.

However, in 1998 things changed even more. That’s when Google also began judging the popularity of a webpage based on the amount of likes it receives through social media sharing. Social sharing helps to increase the search engine rankings of a particular webpage. Yet, Facebook and Twitter still aren’t exactly cooperative with Google. The webpage itself was always the focus of the story, until recently. Thanks to Google+, the writer is now a central part as well.

How to Increase Your Google+ Audience

Google+ profiles serve as verifiable identities for bloggers. Your reputation on Google+ is influenced by several factors:

  • The actual number of Google+ followers you have.
  • The actual number of reshares for your content.
  • The actual number of +1’s you receive.
  • Your Google+ activity: regular posts, comments, reshares and +1’s you’ve given others.

Thanks to Google+, your content is not the only thing users can vote for to grow your reputation. Today, when you get a +1 on your content, you, personally, are also getting a +1 vote. Many users say that Google+ profiles appear to grow much faster than on both Facebook and Twitter.

So, what are some effective ways to build your Google+ audience? Just keep in mind that G+ is a social media platform made up of groups of like-minded people, called communities. Therefore, that’s exactly how you should treat it.

  • Create a Great Bio – Effective Google+ bios include your actual name or pen name, a summary describing who you are, what your business does, why you’re using Google+ and the type of content you plan to share on G+. Make sure that there are keywords included in your places, education, employment and introduction sections of your Google+ bio.
  • Build Relationships – When you first begin, follow people you actually know. Then, simply search for more people to follow and get to know. Google has also implemented Google+ Hangouts, which gives users a more unique way to interact with other G+ users.
  • Share Content – Create original content for your blog posts. These can be video, photo or text posts. Then, share links to your content on G+. Be sure to create an attention-grabbing headline and add a brief though about the content. Also, end your post with an intriguing question to encourage user comments.
  • Comment, Comment, Comment – Leave relevant, interesting comments on photos and posts, asking thought-provoking questions. You can also refer (or tag) other users by typing “+” and their name to get a display of results to choose from.

Using Google+ for Social Media Marketing

Your blog must contain interesting content that’s relevant and valuable to the lives of your target audience. Social media marketing is one of the most effective techniques for getting the word out about your blog and its great content.

Are you using Google+ to interact with your target audience? If so, what are some of the methods you use to lure readers to your blog posts using Google+?

Coming to the NMX 2014 Stage… (Our Biggest Podcasting Announcement Ever!)

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It’s Podcast-a-Palooza here at NMX this week! Our Director of Podcasting, Cliff Ravenscraft, has been hard at work preparing for NMX 2014, and the Podcasting Track is on track to be even better than last year, if that is possible.

And for THIS WEEK ONLY we’re giving away NMX 2014 discount code specifically for podcasters and podcast fans. Use PODCAST20 right now to save 20% on your ticket. Register now >

Welcome to 20+ Amazing Podcasting Speakers

Today, we’re happy to make our biggest podcasting announcement EVER! Starting with a huge group of speakers you’ll see if you attend the podcasting track sessions at NMX 2014! (And announcing speakers is just a start…keep reading for even more podcasty goodness!)

podcasting track group 1

Woah, mama, that’s a lot of speakers! Here’s a little more about them:

  • Kenn Blanchard is a former pastor and a gun rights activist who has been podcasting since 2007.
  • Jason Casbassi’s “The Walking Dead ‘Cast” is the the #1 Walking Dead podcast out there. It’s fueled by passion, enthusiasm, and braaaaaaaaaains.
  • Rob Cesterino was a contestant on Survivor and now podcasts about it.
  • Chris Christenson is a top travel podcaster who’s doing both video and audio podcasting.
  • Darrell Darnell began podcasting about Fringe in 2008 and hasn’t looked back. He is now involved in several other fan podcasts as well.
  • Erik Fisher’s podcasting, social media and productivity passions come together on his “Beyond the To-Do List” podcast.
  • John Dumas hosts “EntrepreneurOnFire” – and we think he’s on fire too!
  • Jared Easley teaches others how to manage their fear with his “Starve the Doubts” podcast.
  • Pat Flynn started as a blogger, and now has evolved into a successful podcaster as well. Is there anything this man can’t do? We think not!
  • Jeremy Frandsen and Jason Van Orden are a double threat. They co-host Internet Business Mastery, the #1 podcast on Internet marketing since 2005.
  • Rob Greenlee began “WebTalk World Radio Show” in 1999 and turned it into a podcast back in 2004, making him one of them most experience podcasters in the world.
  • Dave Hamilton, the host of “Mac Geek Gab Podcast,” is your go-to guy for anything Mac.
  • Dave Jackson from “School of Podcasting” is the first person to podcast about podcasting.
  • Daniel J. Lewis hosts an entire network of podcasts, on everything from Once Upon a Time to using Audacity.
  • Rick Mulready’s  Inside Social Media podcast features social leaders from some of the biggest brands in the world.
  • Amy Porterfield is a Facebook expert and no stranger to the NMX stage. Did you know she’s a podcaster now too?
  • Cliff Ravenscraft never disappoints with his sessions…which is why he’s now the NMX Director of Podcasting.
  • Mike and Izabela Russell own the audio production company Music Radio Creative which now serves customers in over 77 different countries.
  • Scott Stratten was named one of the top 5 social media influencers in the world by Forbes.com. 
  • Jaime Tardy  has interviewed 100 millionaires on her show “Eventual Millionaire.”
  • Rob Walch is Vice President of Podcaster Relations for Libsyn and the founder of podCast411. Podcasting for Dummies lists him as one of the top five most influential persons in podcasting

Whew, what a list! You can see more about all of the podcasting speakers, as well as other speakers we’ve announced, on our 2014 Speaker Page. Or, head to our Podcasting Page to see just podcasting speakers and other information about that track.

cliff on stage

What You’ll Learn in the 2014 Podcasting Track

And if that wasn’t a big enough announcement for you, we’re also announcing some of the sessions titles you’ll find in our NMX 2014 Podcasting Track! If names don’t impress you as much as actual session topics, here’s a list of just some of the educational sessions and panels you’ll be able to attend:

  • Audio Branding: Ways to Improve Your Podcast “Brand” with the Use of carefully Scripted Jingles & Voice Overs (Beginner)
  • The Power of Niche Podcasting – Three Reasons You Should Narrowly Focus On One Topic (Beginner)
  • How Do I Record My Podcast So I Can Sound Good All The Time? (Intermediate)
  • Why Podcasting if We’re Already Broadcasting? Social media/blogging addicts reveal why they started podcasts (Intermediate)
  • How Not To Screw Up Your Podcast Interviews – Tips On Creating Interviews That Will Increase Your Credibility (Intermediate)
  • Podcasting Profits: How to Use Your Podcast to Generate Income (Intermediate)
  • Building A Successful Fan Podcast Devoted to Your Favorite TV Show, Movie or Book Series (Intermediate)
  • Guaranteed To Stand Out – Authenticity And Transparency Behind The Microphone (Intermediate)
  • How To Land The Expert Interviews You Want For Your Podcast (Intermediate)
  • How To Audio Podcast 100% from an iPad or iPhone (Advanced)
  • From No Online Presence To Six Figure Income Within Six Months. A Podcasting Success Story (Advanced)
  • The State of Podcasting For 2014 (Advanced)

You can learn more about all of these sessions/panels on our Podcasting Page. We’ll be adding even more sessions and speakers over the next few weeks.

podcasting awards The Return of the Podcasing Awards!

Last year, Todd Cochrane brought his Podcast Awards to NMX, and it was a smashing success, with so many podcasters and fans attending that we ran out of seats and people were standing along the walls! We’re happy to announce that the Podcast Awards are coming back. We hope to see you at the 9th Annual Podcast Awards, which are open to all NMX attendees.

Mark your calendars – nominations for these awards open on October 1. Want an email reminder? Click here.

podcasting at nmx The Return of the Podcasting Pavilion!

NMX 2013 was also home to the “Podcasting Pavilion,” where podcasting speakers and attendees could broadcast live from the exhibit hall floor. It was extremely popular, so we’re bringing it back for NMX 2014.

Interested in learning more about podcasting live from NMX 2014? Click here.

Here at NMX, we’re committed to bringing programming, networking opportunities, and recognition to podcasters. How are we doing? Leave a comment – we’re love to hear from you!

Your Podcasting Ticket to the Show: Here’s a Discount

Of course, if you haven’t already, there’s no time like the present! You need to register for a pass in order to attend our keynotes, sessions, networking parties, and the Podcasting Awards. For this week only, we’re offering a discount code specifically for podcasters and podcast fans.

Use PODCAST20 to save 20% on your ticket to NMX 2014.

So what are you waiting for? Register today!

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