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25 Posts About Blogging that Will Change Your Life

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The title of this post might seem a bit dramatic, but I believe there are some truly life-altering posts out there about blogging. These aren’t how-to posts or resource lists, which are wonderful in their own right, but passionate posts from people who are big dreamers and incredible thinkers about the very art of blogging.

And yes, they have changed me. They have changed how I think about the world and how I run my own blogs and what I choose to say online. They’ve inspired me to do better. So today, I wanted to share these posts with you.

(Note: These posts are in alphabetical order by author’s last name, not in order of importance.)

1. The Insidious Perfidiousness of Doubts, Overcome by Leo Babauta (@zen_habits)

There isn’t a single one of us who has overcome the human condition of self doubt. Whether you’re a supremely confident person, a content Zen monk, a successful writer…it doesn’t matter. You have doubts about yourself.

The question is whether these doubts stop you from doing amazing things, from leading the life you want to lead.

2. Haven’t Had Time to Blog by Chris Brogan (@chrisbrogan)

We pick our paths. We decide what we make time to do. We choose our own adventures every single day. Each and every day, we have the chance to make choices.

3. Bonus Post, Also from Chris Brogan: This Post Isn’t Worth Your Time

4. Confessions of a Narcissistic Blogger by Joe Bunting (@joebunting)

I first got into writing because I felt this explosion of feeling, like I could release everything I was on the page and fill it with beautiful and terrible truths. Sometimes I get so excited about writing, my eyes fill with tears. It’s a great experience.

This is life experienced to its fullest. But then I look at my pageviews and my game face goes on. All I care about is the numbers. Immediately, my joy fizzles out like soda gone flat.

5. Is F.E.A.R. Holding You Back? by Brian Clark (@copyblogger)

F.E.A.R. is an illusion. Something we fabricate in our own minds and pretend is real. It’s a fairy tale we tell ourselves that keeps us from doing what we really want.

False evidence appearing real.

The common label for F.E.A.R is anxiety, a less fundamental emotion that arises purely from our own thoughts, not external reality. And 50 years of cognitive psychology research demonstrates that while we can’t always control how we feel, we do have the power to choose how we think and act.

6. Bonus Post, Also from Brian Clark: Do You Recognize These 10 Mental Blocks to Creative Thinking?

7. Managing a Blog Is Great. Managing the Blogger is Even Better. by Brandon Cox (@brandonacox)

Your blogging success isn’t about your next post. It’s about all of your posts. It isn’t about a great headline, a huge list, or sweet graphics. It’s about the total package. Whether your blog is personal, corporate, or one of those that’s supposed to make you a millionaire tomorrow, your blog is really all about you.

8. Want People to Listen? Get a Life. by Jonathan Fields (@jonathanfields)

Fact is, every word you say, write, sing or film and release into the world is judged against a backdrop of who you are, what you’ve said, done and achieved in the past…and what you HAVEN’T said, done and achieved. That’s why one of the first things most people do when they read an interesting post on a new blog is jump over to the “about” page to see who the writer is. They’re looking to frame the message. Because…

Context is as important as content.

9. The Most Important Conversation I’ve Had About My Business Ever by Pat Flynn (@PatFlynn)

How many times during the day are you actually working when you’re supposed to? Probably not as much as you should.

I wasn’t.

In fact, after literally keeping track of everything I did during a normal day, I noticed some rather disturbing issues, especially when it came to checking my emails, checking website stats, opening my Facebook account (personal, not the fan page), and reading the news.

Basically, I did a lot of non-work related things when I was supposed to be working. On the flip side, I was working (or thinking about work), when I probably shouldn’t have been.

10. The Wealthy Gardener by Seth Godin

Sure, people make money growing orchids. Some people probably get rich growing orchids. Not many though. And my guess is that the people who do make money gardening probably didn’t set out to do so.

11. Bonus Post, Also from Seth Godin: Do It Wrong, Relentlessly

12. What’s Next? It’s You by Mitch Joel (@mitchjoel)

It was bound to happen. We were heading for a place where “top ten” and “how to”-types of blog posts may become redundant or rudimentary. We’ve come to a place where those who were never going to stick it out with blogging for the long haul are busy on Twitter and Facebook, where they can share without the burden of having a passion for writing. So, in the end, maybe what’s new for blogging is a place where the real bloggers step in and create a new type of copy for the world to consume. A place where more and more creative thinkers get to tinker with words in new and interesting ways. It’s a place where you (and everyone else who wants to write and have a voice) gets to be free to try it out and see what kind of audience their words, images and even video connects with.

13. Passion over Perfection. Love over politics. The Story of Mrs. Mulvey. by Danielle LaPorte (@DanielleLaPorte)

And that was a moment. One of those world-stops-for-a-nanosecond-so-you-can-glimpse-the-future kinds of moments. And I realized that I could do it. I didn’t know what “it” was, but I knew that somehow my passion was going to count.

14. Have Faith in Yourself and Your Writing by Ali Luke (@aliventures)

Faith doesn’t mean you never give up. Faith means that when you’ve fallen down – again and again – you get up and carry on.

I can’t tell you that the writing path is an easy one. I can tell you that it’s worth travelling. And if you want to be a writer, if your life doesn’t feel complete without writing, then you already have the faith that you need.

15. It’s OK to Give a Crap by Ian Lurie (@portentint)

It’s OK. Take this opportunity to feel good about it. You’re in a shrinking population of People Who Actually Give A Crap About What They Do.

I, for one, am sick of people telling me I should delegate everything, find someone offshore to do SEO for me for $10 a day, take my own work ‘less seriously’, blah blah blah blah. Screw that. And you, if you’re one of those people.

16. Important by Anissa Mayhew (@AnissaMayhew)

If the worst thing that happens in your day is that someone sends you an ugly email, try waiting for a call from the doctor to give you results you’re pretty sure you don’t want to hear.

If you’re going to argue about who makes money and if they’re doing it right, you’ve never sat in front of your checkbook and wondered what you weren’t going to pay so that you can afford to give your child the treatments they need AND keep a roof over their head.

If you can talk about your mafia, feel slighted because you weren’t the center of attention, or fret about your PR connections, you’ve never had to sit and contemplate the moment when they cut into your child’s brain to see what the tumors are doing.

17. How to be Unforgettable by Jon Morrow (@JonMorrow)

If we’re being honest, I think maybe that’s one of the reasons many of us start blogging. There’s something immensely comforting about knowing your thoughts are out there for the whole world to read. You could kick the bucket tomorrow, but your words will live on, teaching, inspiring, and taking root in the minds of readers for generations to come.

Or at least that’s the idea.

What really happens, of course, is that you pour your heart and soul into a post, and no one seems to care. No comments, no links, no nothing. Come on over, friends, and check out my blog. We’re watching my ideas die in real time. Yuk, yuk, yuk.

And it’s disturbing.

18. Let Them Love You by Elizabeth Potts Weinstein (@ElizabethPW)

You refuse to share your gifts with the world, just because you are not perfect? Because you are human? Because you don’t have ever answer to every question even invented, because you have flaws, because you are still growing and learning yourself?

Stop wasting yourself on all that crap.

19. When it Feels Like Nobody is Reading Your Blog by Darren Rowse (@problogger)

As I would preach to the empty pews and as my word echoed around the room I found that I learned so much about the topic I was exploring and how to deliver it. I also learned a lot about preaching. New ideas would come, I’d try different ways of expressing it and slowly the final version of the sermon would begin to form – to the point that when I got up in the same room on Sunday to deliver the final version it would flow.

20. See The Rats For The Fleas by Joey Strawn (@joey_strawn)

It’s so easy to look at a situation, see something we are already afraid of and place the blame there. How much more often could we investigate further and find the little things being ignored are the real issue?

You complain that your blog isn’t getting the audience you want or that not enough people are subscribing to your amazing feed, but are you looking at the right things?

21. 106 Excuses That Prevent You From Ever Becoming Great by Tommy Walker (@tommyismyname)

Be honest. How often do you sabotage yourself?

On any given day, you have tasks you’d like to finish because you know they’d positively impact your business, and tasks you actually do.

You trick yourself into thinking that keeping up with industry news, and reading the latest “10 tips to ______” post is “working.”

You know better, but some part of you believes that simply reading the article will help you move forward.

22. Bonus Post, Also from Tommy Walker: Blogging and the Definition of “Insanity.”

I’ll humbly add to this list, two posts I’m extremely proud to have written, one here on the NMX blog and the other on my blog, Blog Zombies. I hope they have really affected my readers and changed them for the better:

23. Does Your Blog Just Tell People What They Want to Hear? A Honest Look at Social Success
24. Don’t Be a Scumbag (And Other Advice I Can’t Believe I Have To Tell You)

Where’s post #25? Well, I leave that one up to you. I hope you take a moment to leave a comment with a link to the best post you’ve ever written, a post that you hope has changed the lives of your readers.

If you’re having trouble thinking of a post that fits into this category, maybe it’s time to write one. Give me your best!

Chris Brogan’s Lessons About Blogging

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Yesterday’s BlogWorld & New Media Expo keynote, Chris Brogan, talked about lessons he’s learned as a blogger. If you missed the live stream, you can still catch this and other sessions with the BlogWorld Virtual Ticket. Here are some of the take-aways:

  • “Nobody has time.”

Blogging (and podcasting and web content creation) takes time. Stop writing “sorry I haven’t written” posts and instead just write. Chris mentioned that when he switched from posting every day to posting a few times a week, he saw a major drop in traffic. While you don’t necessarily need to post every day, stop complaining that you have “no time.” No one has time; we’re all busy. If you want to be successful, you have to do a lot of work.

  • If you want your blog to be a business, think about what kind of print magazine it would be.

Successful magazines don’t talk about everything. They also aren’t super niche-y. If you want to make money with you blog, think about your own content in this way too. Very few people are successful when they don’t have a niche, and if your niche is too small, you won’t be able to find enough readers. Think about how your blog can find this happy medium.

  • “Pride does not replace hard work…If you believe your praise, you become that jerkhead.”

We all know that person – the one whose head starts grow as they find success online. Whatever you do online, there will be people who vocally love what you do, as well as people who vocally hate what you do. The truth is somewhere in the middle, and it’s best to always remember that.

  • “The hard work isn’t writing the blog. The hard work is getting out there and connecting with people…That’s the trick of it all. Connect with people and talk about their stuff.”

Too many bloggers, especially when starting out, work too hard at promoting their own stuff and forget to promote what other people are doing instead. When you take notice of others, remember their names, and actually take an interest in whatever they are doing. When you don’t ask people for things, they actually want to do stuff for you. So be a giver, rather than a taker. Build those relationships and always think about how you can help the other person, rather than the reverse.

  • Be yourself online.

As Chris put it, if he can be successful online being himself, anyone can. You have to be brave sometimes, but it’s worth it. If you have a few haters, that’s okay, because it’s better to get an emotional reaction than for people to feel “meh” about you.

Chris Brogan Talks About Online Relationships

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No matter what your niche or what kind of content you create, the Beatles lyric that always pops into my mind when it comes to online success is, “I get by with a little help from my friends.” It’s really hard to be successful online without a support system. You need people who are willing to give you that boost, that leg up just when you need it.

But too many people are focused on what they need and not on what their friends need. In this video, one of our keynote speakers, Chris Brogan, talks about the importance of having a real relationship, not on just constantly asking what others can do for you:

The point is, just because a relationship is virtual does not mean it is okay to take, take, take and never give in return. Make an effort to actually cultivate relationship, being the friend you want others to be to you. That way, when you need help, you don’t even have to ask.

Check out this other recent interview we posted with Chris Brogan, and don’t forget – Chris is our Wednesday keynote speaker at BlogWorld New York. Register today to hear him talk about Power Up Your Blog: Lessons Learned Over 11 Years of Blogging.

Three Must-Read New Media Interviews from 2011

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Interviews give you a unique view of a topic matter from a fresh perspective. I love reading interviews, interviewing other people, and being interviewed! Today, I wanted to share three links to top new media interviews from 2011 as part of the 12 New Media Days of Christmas series. Check them out and then add your own favorites with a comment below!

17 Digital Marketing Experts Share Their Top Tips, Tricks, and Tools by Tamar Weinberg (@tamar)

This is a fantastic post that I’ve highlighted before, but it’s definitely worth linking again! Tamar compiled advice from 17 different professionals in the digital marketing world. Some of the people who share advice in this post include Jason Falls, David Armano, Chris Brogan, and Kristi Hines, so you know you’re getting some good tips and tricks in this post! I’m a fiend for new secrets on using the best tools in social media and content creation, so I’ve bookmarked this post and I still go back to it to get some fresh ideas from time to time. If you’re looking for some new blogs to follow, this is also a great place to find 17 of them!

Expert Interviews by Michael Stelzner (@Mike_Stelzner)

Okay, I’ll admit it – this isn’t actually a single post; it’s an entire category on the Social Media Examiner site. He does awesome interviews with top players in the new media industry where you’ll learn about everything from content creation to building relationships online. Some of the most recent interviews he’s posted are with Marcus Sheridan, Cliff Ravenscraft, Jesse Stay, John Jantsch, and Dennis Yu, but I encourage you to browse through the archives – there’s a lot of gold there! I’ve linked you to the category page, so you can also bookmark this link if you’re interested in Michael’s interviews, since the newest content will always show up right at the top.

Interview with Waylon Lewis of Elephant Journal by Chris Brogan (@ChrisBrogan)

I like this interview because they cover a lot of topics, including branding, how to market to your audience, moving from an offline publication to online, and driving traffic with social media. It’s interesting to get the behind-the-scene posts of what’s going on with Elephant Journal – even if you’re not into that site specifically, they’re doing some pretty innovative things and Waylon has some great ideas. These two powerhouses pack a lot of info into just a short interview, so get ready to take notes fast and furiously on this one!

Now it’s your turn – what were some of your favorite new media related interviews from 2011?

Here are the other posts from this series:

12 Bloggers Monetizing
11 Emailers List Building
10 Google+ Users a-Sharing
9 Vloggers Recording
8 Links a-Baiting
7 Community Managers a-Managing
6 Publishers a-Publishing
5 Traffic Tips
4 New Media Case Studies
3 Must-Read New Media Interviews (this post)
2 Top New Media News Stories of 2011
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

The 12 New Media Days of Christmas 2011: 10 Google Plus Users a-Sharing

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During the 12 New Media Days of Christmas, we’re counting down the days until Santa comes by featuring some of the best blog posts of 2011 from awesome writers within the BlogWorld community! Skip to the end to read more posts in this holiday series and don’t forget to leave a comment if you’ve written a post about today’s topic!

Back in July, I did a huge link round-up on Google+ posts as part of our Brilliant Bloggers series. Since then, the platform has evolved and even more bloggers have weighed in with their opinions and advice about this social network. So today’s topic is Google+ and rest assured that I have some awesome links for you!

Post too long? Head to the Quick Links section for just a list of the links included in this post without all the analysis and quotes!

1. Google Plus – 5 Key Strategies to Get You Started by Wendy Moore at WendyMoore.net

If you’re brand new to Google+ and want to get started quickly, this is a great post to check out. Wendy covers five topics you need to understand to be successful on this platform. Since Google+ is slightly different from Twitter and Facebook, I really recommend you check out a helpful beginner’s guide before getting started. It’s much easier than wading through it yourself like I did the first few weeks! One of her great tips, for example, is about using keywords on Google+.

From the post:

Take advantage of keywords and phrases when posting content on Google +.

Keep in mind that Google Plus is powered by the king of search engines so what you’re sharing can be indexed. By using keywords, you can have a better chance of being ranked higher on Google searches.

After reading the rest of Wendy’s post, you can find more from her at Savvy Web Women. Wendy is also on Twitter @wendy_moore, and if you sign up for her mailing list, you can download a free copy of Savvy Success Tips: How to Use Social Media in Your Business.

 

2. Google Plus as a Storytelling Platform by Chris Brogan at ChrisBrogan.com

I don’t think it would be a valid list of top Google+ posts without mentioning something written by Chris Brogan! His Google+ presentation at BlogWorld with Guy Kawasaki was packed and for good reason – the guy knows what he’s talking about. He’s written tons of posts about Google+, but I definitely wanted to highlight this one, which talks about the value of this platform from a content marking standpoint. Writes Chris,

One great value of Google+ is that it makes a great platform for cultivating visibility. If your organization is hoping to “save a seat at the table” in between sales calls, one way to do this is to create compelling content that nurtures your business relationships by educating your community and by making them the hero in their own story. Said differently: If you want to nurture leads while they’re still at the wide end of the sales funnel, using Google+ is an effective addition to your content marketing strategies.

Chris is on Twitter @ChrisBrogan and you can also, of course, add him to your Google+ circles. He has a free email newsletter available to readers and is a the co-author of the New York Times bestseller book Trust Agents.

 

3. The Pros and Cons of Google+ Pages by Grandma Mary (Andrea Vahl) at AndreaVahl.com

If you haven’t yet been introduced to the Grandma Mary Show, you’re missing out! Grandma Mary is the alter ego of Andrea Vahl, and whatever her persona at the moment, I think this post is super smart. Google+ rolled out their new pages feature recently to allow businesses on Google+, but the system isn’t perfect – at least, it isn’t perfect yet. In this post, Grandma Mary goes over some of the points you need to understand about this platform if you want to create a page for your business, along with instructions for starting and whether or not you even need a page. From the post:

Why even have a page at all if you aren’t going to post there, aren’t going to circle anyone, and aren’t going to participate as your Brand Page?  If you don’t have time, if your audience isn’t there, then don’t create a Page, people!  This isn’t some land grab to see who can be in the most places at once!  If your customers are still all on Facebook, then stay on Facebook.  Take a poll – find out if they are over there!

Andrea is the co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies and is the community manager for Social Media Examiner. You can also check out her various products to help you grow your business using social media. She’s on Twitter @AndreaVahl and @GrandmaMaryShow.

 

4. Public Posts: Are They Spam? by James Barraford at Media Tapper

This is actually a really interesting question, given that public posts are not only sent out to everyone who has you in a circle, but are also picked up by Google’s search engine. James weighs in with his opinion in this post, and also includes the opinion from some of his connections on Google+ about whether or not your public posts on this platform are spam. I think there are good arguments to be had on both sides of this debate, personally, and I certainly don’t want to see Google+ overrun with spammers and other undesirables. Still, I like to use Google+ for promotional purposes and almost all of my posts are public. So am I a spammer? Eek! Writes James,

The term spam gets tossed around a lot on Google Plus. I see it used frequently in situations where people don’t care for a particular post, thread, or superstar tech blogger. I don’t think I’ve seen a photograph of a beautiful mountain scene — that’s been shared dozens of times on my screen — be labeled as spam once. Have I seen +Robert Scoble resharers called spammers? You bet. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and often people forget they have the power of mute… or uncircle.

After checking out his post on Media Tapper, you can add James to your Google+ circles or follow him on Twitter @barraford.

 

5. Google Plus Tips & Shortcuts by Andrew Shotland at Local SEO Guide

Holy resource list, Batman! Pretty much everything you every wondered how to do with Google+ is on this list, with tips about everything from Chrome Extensions to Searching to Hangouts. I can’t accurate describe to y’all how gosh darn useful this list is, and although hasn’t been updated super recently, it looks like Andrew does occasionally come back to add more information. This is one to bookmark, folks! Seriously. Even if you’re not using Google+ right now, bookmark this post so that when you’re ready to jump on board, you can make the process SO MUCH EASIER. Here are just a few examples of the tips and trick he includes in this post:

– If you make a post aimed at your “Friends” circle, people in that circle who aren’t yet inGoogle+ get mailed.

– After you add a circle in the ‘share’ dialog, hover over it and an option will appear to ‘notify about this post’. That helps you control whether people get mailed.

– You can share your G+ posts to Twitter and Facebook with this Google Chrome Extension.

You can add Andrew on Google+ here, as well find him on Twitter @localseoguide.

 

6. Study: Will You Abandon Facebook in Favor of Google+ by Brian Solis at BrianSolis.com

I love Brian’s blog because his posts are so in-depth and packed with information and analysis, and this post is no different. Brian polled nearly 2,000 people to see if they would leave Facebook to commit to Google+ instead. Many people are calling Google+ a game-changer, but there are still so many people still getting used to Facebook; I’m not sure the general public is ready to jump ship just yet. Still, those of us in the new media industry set the trends for everyone else in terms of social media, so I think Brian’s study is an important one.  From the post:

As I noted in my initial analysis, Google+ is not a Facebook or Twitter killer and I don’t think that’s the right lens for which to survey the social landscape. In the U.S., we have a few top traditional TV networks, CBS, ABC, and NBC. In social networking, we now have three top social networks to compete for global online attention and interaction. In this example, none of the traditional networks successfully captured the attention of every viewer possible nor did one network kill the other. Instead, the programming of each network attracts people through content, creativity, and timing, defining, segmenting and sharing the audience around shared interests. The same can be true in social networking.

Brian on Twitter @briansolis and you can also add him to your Google+ circles. He’s the author of Engage and The End of Business as Usual, both of which you can pick up on Amazon.

 

7. Why Google Plus Pages (Will) Beat Facebook. And Twitter by Caleb Garling at Wired

While I’m not sure I necessarily agree (or at least, I’m not ready to make a call either way at this point), I think Caleb makes a really compelling argument in this post, which pits Google+’s new pages feature against Facebook and Twitter. In the past few months, Google+ and Facebook have grown more and more alike as the companies try to one-up one another, but Caleb makes a good point that Google has the advantage of, well, being Google. Will Google’s advantage not be in the platform itself, but rather in their ability to draw on their other departments to promote and integrate Google+ profiles? Caleb writes,

This is where Google will have an advantage over Facebook: With a broad array of services like search and Gmail and Chrome and Android, Google offers tools that are fundamental to the online lives of so many people — and these can be tied to Google+. As Google+ evolves, Google will have the means to promote its social network — and the branded Pages within it — in ways that Facebook or Twitter cannot.

Check out the rest of Caleb’s post on Wired and then head to Google+ to add him to your circles or find him on Twitter @calebgarling.

 

8. How to Hold a Google+ Hangout and Why You Should by Marc Pitman at Social Media Examiner

Marc Pitman is pretty much the coolest guy in a bow tie ever (okay…the second coolest), and this post makes me like him even more – it’s everything you need to know about using Google+ for hangouts. I’ve personally never done it before, so I found his advice (and easy-to-follow instructions with pictures) super helpful. Actually, his post makes me want to check out this whole hangout thing, which is a real feat in itself, because I don’t really like being on camera (turning on my webcam makes me nervous!). From the post:

We all know that people only purchase from us when they know, like and trust us. That used to mean we needed to go to a lot of conferences to meet people. But a tool like Google+ Hangouts can help you do the interacting right from your desk. And as Google rolls out the ability to broadcast Hangouts, you’ll be able to extend your reach beyond the 10 people in the Hangout.

And as you do more Hangouts, and capture more images from those Hangouts, your company will stand out. People will know you’re approachable.

You can find Marc at The Fundraising Coach and add him to your Google+ circles, as well as follow him on Twitter @marcapitman. He’s also the author of Ask Without Fear, which you can check out if you’re interested in fundraising

 

9. Using Google+ Ripples to Connect with Influencers by Casey Henry at SEOmoz

This post outlines a really smart way to use Google+ and one that I don’t see many other people talking about. I think one of the benefits of Google+, especially over Twitter (my first love), is that it is less noisy, so there’s a better chance of getting through to the top people in your niche. Since I don’t use Google+ a ton (yet!), I haven’t really looked into Ripples and why it might be helpful, but wow – I think Casey hits the nail on the head when it comes to why you should definitely check it out. In this industry, networking is everything. Writes Casey,

Sometimes getting an influencer to share your content can be very difficult, if not impossible. Ripples provides an easy way for you to investigate who are the influencers of the influencers. Let me give you an example of how this might work in a real world situation. Let’s say I write a blog post on Google Analytics and am hoping to get Avinash Kaushik to share it, since he is a leader in the Analytics area. However, I don’t have a direct relationship with Avinash, so I need to find someone approachable who does.

After checking out how Casey goes on to use Ripples to connect with Avinash, you can check him out on Twitter @caseyhen. His personal site is GR Web Designs.

 

10. 14 Bloggers Share 14 Awesome Tips For Using Google+ by Srinivas Rao at The Skool of Life (guest post for Social Mouths)

Y’all know that my mouth waters when I see lists that feature advice from a bunch of different people, so this is definitely a post I wanted to share! In this guest post for Social Mouths, Srini talks to people like Kelby Carr, Karl Staib, and Angela England about how they use Google+ as a way to connect with readers, drive traffic, find interesting content, build their communities, and more. From the post:

I’ve been spending quite a bit of time on Google Plus and I’m finding that the quality of conversation with content creators is significantly higher there.

So I decided to put that theory to the test and ask some bloggers to share their best tips to on using Google Plus.

You can find Srini at The Skool of Life and BlogcastFM. He’s on Twitter @skooloflife, and you can add him to your Google+ circles here.

Quick Links

For those of you short on time, here’s a list of the links covered in this post:

  1. Google Plus – 5 Key Strategies to Get You Started by Wendy Moore (@wendy_moore)
  2. Google Plus as a Storytelling Platform by Chris Brogan (@ChrisBrogan)
  3. The Pros and Cons of Google+ Pages by Grandma Mary (@AndreaVahl/@GrandmaMaryShow)
  4. Public Posts: Are They Spam by James Barraford (@barraford)
  5. Google Plus Tips & Shortcuts by Andrew Shotland (@localseoguide)
  6. Study: Will You Abandon Facebook in Favor of Google+ by Brian Solis (@briansolis)
  7. Why Google Plus Pages (Will) Beat Facebook. And Twitter by Caleb Garling (@calebgarling)
  8. How to Hold a Google+ Hangout and Why You Should by Marc Pitman (@marcapitman)
  9. Using Google+ Ripples to Connect with Influencers by Casey Henry (@caseyhen)
  10. 14 Bloggers Share 14 Awesome Tips For Using Google+ by Srinivas Rao (@skooloflife)

Other posts in the 12 New Media Days of Christmas series will be linked here as they go live:

12 Bloggers Monetizing
11 Emailers List-Building
10 Google+ Users a-Sharing (this post)
9 Vloggers Recording
8 Links a-Baiting
7 Community Managers a-Managing
6 Publishers a-Publishing
5 Traffic Tips
4 New Media Case Studies
3 Must-Read New Media Interviews
2 Top New Media News Stories of 2011
 And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

You can also check out the all the posts from 2010 and 2011 here, and don’t forget: If you wrote a post in 2011 about today’s topic (Google+), PLEASE leave the link in a comment below to share with the community!

The Difference Between Facebook and Google+ is Passion

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For those of you who are at BlogWorld Los Angeles, did you attend the Google+ for Business session with Guy Kawasaki and Chris Brogan? I sat in mainly because I am still trying to figure out this mystery we call Google+. It’s still a mystery to me as to how to use it, if I should use it and who is using it.

There have been dozens and dozens of articles written on how people think Google+ is not doing well or the fact that it’s doomed to fail. (Guy commented on the fact he can’t understand why the tech world seems so negative about Google+.)

What it seems most people want to know is why would they put any focus on Google+ when they are active on Facebook? More time on a social network? Are you kidding me? Most of us barely have time to focus our efforts on Facebook and Twitter, much less adding something else in.

But both Guy and Chris believe Google+ is a must for your business. They listed a bunch of reasons why, but the one quote that stuck out to me the most was when Guy gave his opinion on the difference between Facebook and Google+.

He said, “For me, Facebook is for friends and family and Google+ is for people who share your passion that you don’t know yet.”

What does he mean by that exactly? He means that Google+ is full of people who are passionate about a specific subject. He’s found communities based around everything from photography to hockey. And within these communities, you can build a relationship with people who share the same passion as you.

Guy spends 2 to 3 hours a day on Google+ interacting with people and using it as a marketing platform. Yes, 2 to 3 hours a day.

They both gave many more reasons they believe NOW is the time to get involved in and active on Google+. If you want to hear their session, be sure and check out the BlogWorld Virtual Ticket.

So, let’s open up the floor for discussion. For those of you who were in the Google+ for Business session, what did you walk away with? For those of you who weren’t, what are your thoughts on the difference between Facebook and Google+ Guy gave? I would love to hear your thoughts and if you think spending time on Google+ is worth it.

Chris Brogan and Guy Kawasaki Team Up to Present Google+ Track Keynote

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Two of Google+’s biggest supporters are coming together to present a track keynote called “Google+ for Business.”

Chris Brogan

Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawasaki and Chris Brogan will share the reasons why Google+ is their social network of choice as well as why they feel Google+ will become a force to be reckoned with over the next few months.

Do you want to get ahead of the game? Drop in to their track keynote on Thursday, November 3rd at 9:45 to learn how both bloggers and business owners can use Google+ to succeed in business.

Please visit BlogWorldExpo.com for a complete rundown of all our speakers, sessions, workings, networking events, track keynotes and keynotes.

 

Is Chris Brogan a Google+ Expert or Just Stealing Your Money?

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Earlier this week, Chris Brogan announced that he’d be offering a 2-hour webinar for $47. The topic of choice? Google+. Now, it’s inarguable that Chris has been spending a ton of time on Google+, but some are calling foul, given that the platform is so new.

So the question I hope to answer today is this: Is Chris Brogan a Google+ expert or is he just stealing your money?


Before I start, I’d like to note that since this is such a strong opinion piece, my opinions might not be the opinions of everyone at BlogWorld. Furthermore, if you wrote about this debate on your own blog, just because I don’t agree with you doesn’t mean I think you’re stupid or that your opinion is invalid. It’s a little sad to me that I have to even type this paragraph, but there’s some venom in the blogging community about this topic. Also, I’m not trying to “call anyone out” here – I just don’t like when bloggers are obviously writing about someone but refuse to link to them or use their name. It feels a little like talking about someone behind their back.

First, to catch you up to speed, I want to invite you to check out the landing page for Chris’ webinar. In case he takes it down after the webinar happens, the video he posted is on YouTube here. Are we all caught up now? Good. There are two things in particular that I want to talk about now: being an expert and knowing your audience.

Is Chris A Google+ Expert? Is Anyone?

Back in January, I wrote a post about how you shouldn’t call yourself a social media expert, especially if your claims are unfounded. My argument is that although you might have a lot to teach about social media, this is an industry that is so new and changing so quickly that no one person can truly be an expert yet.

Do I think this argument applies to the situation? Yes and no. I wholeheartedly agree with bloggers who claim that Chris is not a Google+ expert because, frankly, I don’t think that anyone can claim to be a Google+ expert. Over on Spin Sucks, Gini Dietrich actually wrote a post called “Beware the Google+ Experts” about the situation, which I was excited to read because the title aligns with my feelings perfectly. Google+ is way too new for “experts.”

Only…well…Chris isn’t actually calling himself an expert. That’s where I think the whole “Chris Brogan isn’t an expert so you shouldn’t pay him” argument falls a little flat (and to be clear, Gini isn’t by far the only one making this argument).

In my opinion, there’s a difference between being an expert and charging someone money for something. For example, in my work as a writer, if a client wants me to write articles that use keywords, I charge extra. I’m not an SEO expert at all – I just know how to insert keywords into an article. I don’t bill myself as an expert and neither does Chris. In fact, in one of his blog posts about this debate, he writes,

I’ve seen dozens of comments and posts and blogs saying “How someone can claim to be an expert after 250 hours is laughable.” What’s laughable is that I’m not saying I’m an expert. I’m saying that I’ve used the service a lot and I’ve got some ideas that I think are worth your time and some money.

So, no…I don’t think Chris Brogan is an expert. I think he’s a guy who has had some success on Google+ and is offering to teach you what he’s learned so far – and that’s all he’s claiming to be. He’s being very transparent about his relationship with Google+ so potential buyers can make up their own minds about signing up (or not). You don’t have to buy things only from experts.

The Blogging Bubble: Know Thy Audience

Chris’ webinar is being offered through Human Business Works, which he writes is “an online education and community company for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs.” As a blogger or social media professional, you are definitely a solo entrepreneur (if you want to be, at least)…but so is my dad, who runs a part-time business as a metal fabricator or my aunt, who has her own beauty salon. Sometimes, we’re caught in this blogging bubble where we forget that there are people out there who barely know what social media is, let alone how to use it. They’re part of Chris’ audience, just like you and me.

Let’s face it – most of us here, the BlogWorld audience, has been exploring Google+ because we’re interested in that kind of thing. This is our industry. It’s what we do. But Google+ is for everyone, and not all of my friends fall into my blogging/social media circle. If I invite my dad to join, he would have no idea what is going on and although he is a smart man, he’s just not interested enough to take the time to learn. Chris’ seminar would make perfect sense for him.

In other words, you are probably not Chris’ target market for this product. Allen Stern recently wrote a post where he voices his opinion that Chris is taking advantage of his fan base – but I think maybe he misses the fact that Chris’ fanbase isn’t just made up of bloggers.

It’s kind of like the Dummies books. Let’s say I decide to pick up the one about blogging. It would be a total waste of money…for me. I’ve spent 5+ years learning that stuff myself. But let’s say my dad decides to pick it up because he wants to start a blog. It would be perfect for him, saving him lots of time. Yes, he could learn everything covered in that book for free, but it would take him a long time. Someone buying a Dummies book isn’t paying for information that can’t be found anywhere else. They’re paying for convenience, because it is a shortcut to learning something specific. Chris’ webinar is for people who don’t want to spend 250 hours figuring out Google+ for themselves because, unlike those of us interested in social media, it’s not their primary area of focus.

Basically, you’re only taking advantage of people if you’re not delivering on your promises. And I obviously haven’t been to Chris’ webinar since it hasn’t happened yet (and I probably won’t go because I’m not the target market), but I’ve followed him for years and got the chance to meet him in New York through my work with BlogWorld. My professional opinion of him is that he’s a trustworthy guy. I don’t think he’s going to bait-and-switch ya with this webinar.

That’s not to say that you should be out there recommending this webinar to your readers. Who is your audience? For example, Kirsten Wright wrote a post called “Why You Shouldn’t be Paying to Learn How to Use Google+…Yet,” and for her audience (which I suspect is similar to the readers here at BlogWorld) I think it’s good advice. But again, her audience isn’t necessarily Chris’ audience – at least, not his whole audience. I don’t agree with the idea that he’s wrong to offer this webinar.

So, no…I don’t think Chris Brogan is stealing your money. I think he has a product for sale and you can choose whether or not that product is right for you. As Chris Pirillo puts it,

I’m largely in the camp of “Let Chris Do What Chris Wants to Do” – which intersects with the “Do What You Want to Do but Don’t Piss in Someone’s Cheerios” camp. I’m not here to claim that what Chris has to share is anything more than Chris’s insights on Google’s new social network, but… hey, how much is two hours of your time worth?

For someone who is interested in learning Chris’ opinions on how to best use Google+, two hours might be worth $47 to you. If it’s not, that’s okay, but it doesn’t mean that Chris is wrong for offering it. After all, we’re all adults here. I have a problem with “experts” presenting products that make outlandish promises to feed on people’s fears, but when the scope of a product is made clear, as I feel is the case with this webinar, I don’t have a problem with someone selling it…and I don’t understand why anyone would. After all, people pay for a lot of weird things. Haven’t you ever purchased anything that others think is worthless but that was important to you?

The bottom line is that the title of this post is a little misleading because I don’t think either option applies to Chris. He’s not a Google+ expert and he’s also not stealing your money. He’s offering a webinar, and you have the option to buy or walk away. You also have the option to promote it or to tell your readers that you think it’s a bad idea – but in both cases, try to understand the product before posting what amounts to a review of someone’s idea. Just like it’s unfair to your readers to promote something that is low-quality or not right for your audience, I feel like it is also unfair to your readers to recommend against something that could be helpful for some people.

I hope you’ll leave a comment, whether or not you agree with me. All comments are welcome as long as they’re respectful! Also, when I mentioned this post on Twitter a lot of people showed interest in reading something where I disagreed with the mainstream opinion out there. If you enjoy that kind of thing, this is my shameless plug for Blog Zombies, a project I’ve been working on for over a year now that’s being released this fall, where I’m going to be voicing opinions that heavily go against the status quo. I hope you’ll check it out if you think you might be interested.

BlogWorld NY 2011 Keynote Speakers Announced!

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BlogWorld NY 2011 is less than a week away and we’ve got some amazing keynote speakers lined up!  If you haven’t registered, there’s still time.

Keynote Speakers – Day 1:

Gary Vaynerchuk, Jeffrey Hayzlett and H.P. Mallory

Gary Vaynerchuk (social media pioneer, author of The Thank You Economy); Jeffrey Hayzlett (Change Agent, Sometime Cowboy and Best-Selling Author of The Mirror Test: Is Your Business Really Breathing); and H.P. Mallory (self-published author of best-selling novels, Cauldron Bubble and Fire Burn) will discuss social media in business beyond marketing and PR, including the changing roles and rules for sales, customer service and more — and how social media is radically changing the face of entire industries. You’ll learn about the transformative powers of amplified communication in their panel: Social Media Game Changers

Keynote Speakers – Day 2:

Mike Schneider, Aaron Strout and Josh Karpf

Mike Schneider (SVP, Director Digital Incubator at Allen & Gerritsen, co-author of Location-based Marketing for Dummies) and Aaron Strout (WCG, co-author of Location-based Marketing for Dummies) lead this discussion on location-based marketing and technology with representatives from three of the world’s top 25 brands: Josh Karpf (Senior Manager of Digital Media Communications, PepsiCo); Tom Aronson (Director, Digital Marketing for Disney); and David Wolf (Vice President of Global Marketing Capabilities, American Express). They will explore what knowing a person’s exact location means to key activity streams in the era of data-driven personal marketing, and the opportunities to provide a piece of content exactly when a person needs it in their panel: Exploring 3 Key Opportunities with Location-Based Marketing

Keynote Speakers – Day 3

Chris Brogan, Chris Pirillo, Andrew Breitbart, Shuana Glenn and Sara Benincasa

The “New Media LIVE!” Talk Show has become a favorite closing keynote tradition at BlogWorld, one that you won’t want to miss! Chris Brogan (president of Human Business Works, co-founder of the PodCamp new media conference series, co-author of the New York Times bestselling book, Trust Agents, featured columnist at Entrepreneur Magazine); Chris Pirillo (former CPU Magazine columnist, author, producer on CNN.com Live, Internet entrepreneur and former TV host); Shauna Glenn (hilarious author, columnist, blogger, and mother to four children); Sara Benincasa (VH1, MTV, NBC Today Show, comedian, writer, and political blogger) and Andrew Breitbart (commentator for the Washington Times, author Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World, publisher, commentator, and founder of Breitbart.com, Breitbart.tv, Big Hollywood, Big Government, Big Journalism, and Big Peace) offer an irreverent, humorous, off-beat, entertaining, insightful and edgy panel, in a late night talk show format, to wrap up the conference. Special guests may be announced on-site…stay tuned!

Three Words for 2011: The BlogWorld Team Weighs In

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By now you probably know about Chris Brogan’s three word challenge. Every year, Chris  chooses three words to help shape the upcoming new year. Each year, Chris also challenges the rest of the blogosphere to come up with their own three words. Well, the BlogWorld team took him up on his challenge. On Sunday morning, we all woke to a “Happy New Year” email from Rick Calvert. An excerpt:

We wouldn’t be where we are today without each of you but I want to challenge you all to challenge yourselves to exceed even your own expectations in 2011. Not just when it comes to your BlogWorld responsibilities but in your personal lives as well.

Chris Brogan has a great blog post explaining a little twist on New Year’s resolutions. Instead of having traditional resolutions, he picks three words that represent an overarching theme that helps guide all of his goals for the year. I think it’s a great idea and would like to encourage each of you to think of three words that represent your goals for 2011.

As we all shared our three words via internal email, it occurred to me that you all might be interested in our three words as well.Not only does it tell you something about us, personally, but it will also show you our focus and determination for2011. So I asked for, and received, everyone’s permission to share their three words with you.

Behold, the BlogWorld team’s Three Words for 2011:

Rick Calvert:

Live includes several things for me, including getting healthier, spending more time with my family and enjoying and making the most out of every minute of life.

Learn includes reading more , keeping up with the latest technology and developments that effect our industry, playing my guitar, and mastering a foreign language among other things.

Lead includes trying to make the best possible decisions to help each of us and BlogWorld as a whole to succeed, positioning BlogWorld as the leading event in our industry and leading by example.

Dave Cynkin

(Who also considered adding “brevity” to his list):

Fitter: Last year, I resolved to get into great shape. I put forth some effort, but didn’t really achieve what I’d envisioned (I injured myself multiple times and it kept me from exercising consistently). Still, the small, incremental forward steps I made amounted to a platform I can continue building upon. I’m resolving this year to get myself into better shape than last year. I started a fitness post series on our blog, but got so busy with the event coming up, I didn’t continue. I’m now going to continue researching and improving my own nutrition, experimenting with new exercise and training regimens, and I’ll continue posting about fitness to help others as I help myself. The times when I’ve felt, thought, worked, created and performed best was when I had great health and fitness. My mind is tied to my body, and I’m resolving to improve them both as part of my daily life. I have some specific sports goals which are dependent on fitness, but that’s another conversation.

Friendlier: I’m generally a fairly friendly guy, always calling friends to keep in touch while driving on the freeway, emailing to say hello, inviting others for the rare dinner out, and I try to get out and meet up with friends when possible (meetups, tweetups)…but I want to be a better friend and family member. I want to listen better, strengthen my relationships with friends and relatives, and spend more time re-connecting with those who are dear to me (which can be challenging with business, kids, sports and keeping a household running). I often think the year goes by so quickly, but the way I mark time over the course of the year is with fun get-togethers spent with friends and family members. I don’t quite know how I’ll create more time to increase frequency of these occasions, but it’s important to find a way. I love social media because it creates a bridge to new relationships and conversations with new people, but it’s also important to appreciate and nurture the relationships I have and am grateful for.

Faster: This is really about organization and time management, rather than somehow getting faster like a superhero (although the thought of a cape is mildly intriguing). Like all of us, I’m busy and I never seem to have enough time to get everything done. I get up early and stay up late, yet there’s just a big darned pile of to-do’s waiting for me the next morning. Well, it’s high time that I get more organized and efficient. It’s easy to let emails and phone calls distract from getting things done efficiently, but this year I’m going to get better at focusing, completing, moving on to the next thing. Better to have 10 things done and another 10 on deck, than to have 20 things incomplete and insufficient forward motion. I think I’m pretty productive, but being more methodical, I’ll get tasks done quicker and free up time for the other 2 items listed above. Once I’m working more efficiently, I can also easier determine which items I cannot get to in a preferable amount of time, and I’ll seek help to get those things done and not wait for me! 🙂

Patti Hosking:

Health, Prosperity, and Balance.  I’m sticking with them and will do my best to live up to them through my BlogWorld role.  2011 will be phenomenal especially if we keep working together!

Deb Ng:

Positivity: I take a vow of positivity each year. It keeps me from firing off at comments or emails in anger, and encourages me to find the “bright side” of every situation. It works.

Productivity: I’ve gotten more productive in the business sense, but not in the personal sense. This year’s productivity relates to my body more than anything else and I am going to work hard to get my body into shape and be productive in body, mind and spirit.

Patience: I hate waiting. Bad things happen when I wait. I need to fix that.

Nikki Katz:

Growth:  I really want to grow in all aspects of my life – spiritually, learning, writing, traveling, working … From growth comes excellence and I always strive for the best!
Cherish: I need to learn to cherish my kids, my friends, my family, and the little things in life. I’m always going forward at 500% and need to take time to appreciate the present.

Patience: Sorry Deb, I have to take this too! Patience is a constant struggle with me. I have a temper and it is quick to flare when I’m angry – whether its waiting or whether its when someone else doesn’t understand something I’m trying to explain (that would be my children!)

Alli Boyer:

Focus: In the past, I’ve been going in a bunch of directions, but I’ve found that in trying to be good at everything, I haven’t really been excellent at anything.

Risk: I’m going try to push myself in 2011, get out of my comfort zone a little more.

Connect: I’ve made some awesome friends in the blogging, and in other parts of my life, and I want to do my best to stay connected to these people, rather than getting wrapped up in my own life too much and letting those friendships and business relationships die.

Did you blog about your three words for 2011? If so, please share in the comments.

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