I promised to post ideas that bloggers could use for their own blog posts and I thought I had this week’s post nailed. I was planning today to suggest using the blog to share news and then demonstrating with an announcement of my own, but technology got in my way.
I was going to announce that I’m developing a newsletter and that anyone interested in learning more about writing better could sign up on this blog. As of the posting of this post, however, no such sign up exists. I signed up create the newsletter using  Mail Chimp. This is easy. Then I went to WordPress to set up the sign up. This is not easy.
At this point, I could have just put off posting until I get it figured out, except that I sort of started this blog challenge and how would it look if after telling everyone how easy it is to post at least once a week, I didn’t?
Just turn to the tickler files, right? Well, as will sometimes happen, nothing there inspired me. So I went on the hunt through other people’s blogs (as suggested in last week’s blog) and came across an excellent explanation on how to use Twitter by J Cambell. It’s a great post about how to effectively and efficiently use this quick-hit social media too.
At this point, I’ve fulfilled the requirements, found something to say and I could file and flee. That’s fine if you’re pressed for time and you feel you have fulfilled your overall goals for your blog. But what if you want to say more?

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One of the best resources in your ongoing challenge to find fresh blog material is other bloggers. As you surf the web, you may come across other posts that spark your interest or that  you think might be relevant to your readers. There are a few ways to do this. You could get permission to reprint the blog with credit, but generally the better alternatives are to summarize the post and refer to it, or add your two cents about the subject and refer to it. Allow me to demonstrate.

Marvin Kane, a web developing colleague at kaneworks.com raised the complex issue in a recent blog post of how to define success. His conclusion is that it varies from person to person and changes over time.

What struck me is how relevant this topic is to blogging. What is success in blogging? How will you know if you are a “successful” blogger? Is it the number of posts? The number of readers? The number of comments?

Once you’ve determined what success is, how are you going to get there?

In his post, Marvin offered a few quotes on the topic. My favorite is this one:

“Success isn’t a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.” –Arnold Glasow

Regardless of how you define success for your blog or yourself, you have to make it happen. For instance, you have to write posts – even if you’re not sure they’re good enough or you’re afraid what others will say about them. Simply put, you will get no more out of a blog than you put into it.

What is your definition of success for your blog? How will you know when you’ve achieved what you want?

What was that thing I was going to write about? It was a great idea. A blow-your-socks off insightful bit of brilliance. If I could just remember what it was. I was driving somewhere, I think. Heard something on the radio that made me think about something I knew would make a great blog entry. Or maybe I was watching television? Or maybe it was at the beach last week when summer dropped in just to tease us.

Now here it is Tuesday and I’m a day past when I wanted to post and I’m pressed for time because of deadlines and I’m tempted to push it off a few more days or maybe just forget this week. But then, what happens next week? And the week after? And the week after that? Why would anyone come to read a blog when all they’re going to find is what they’ve already read?

Part of the solution is to (drum roll please) write down those snippets of ideas as soon as they occur to you! That way, when you are pressed for time or you’re brain dead from a big project, or you’re just plain out of ideas, you’ll have some at your fingertips.  Collect them in a “tickler” file that you can dive into when you need a reminder. In fact, you may want to have a few – one on your computer for the electronic items you come across, one on the desk top for papers and one that goes with you. (If you’re feeling crafty, you can make decorate your own like the ones in the photo.)

Save everything and anything that you think might be useful, even if you’re really not sure why just yet. Those ideas will sit in the folder simmering and they might just be ready when you come back to them. You may be surprised to find that you have a completely different idea about what to do with them.

I’ve used this concept on the job with success for years. I have two pieces of advice based on hard earned experience:

• Make sure you put the files in a place where you can find them again
• Don’t forget you have them

Now that you know one of the secrets to generating content for your blog, why not join the 90-day blogging challenge starting April 1? Blog just once a week (or more) through the end of June. I have a top designer working on a Badge of Honor to display on your blog for anyone who completes the challenge.

The creator of the world’s thinnest wallet is getting ready to release his first infomercial. It’s a big step for the Big Skinny, which up until now has largely been sold at shows and on the Internet. This sort of mass exposure has incredible potential, so every detail has to be just right. Take, for example. For this ad, there are just two: luxurious tuxedo black for the daring, dashing and discerning customer and  comfortable chocolate brown, for the steady, dependable, let’s just hang out sort.

It would have been easier, and just as accurate, to say that the wallets come in black or brown, but studies have shown that adding a descriptive word increases sales. This make sense; the simple addition of a word creates a story around the color. It’s just a hint, but enough to spark the imagination.

Why settle for plain pink fingernails when they could be painted in pink celebration? And certainly a “racing red” car is more fun to drive than an plain red one.

These words matter just as much in your writing as in advertisements. This goes way beyond colors.

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One of the best things you can do as a blogger is to share content that you come across on the web. You will find things that could be of interest to your readers, or you might see something that illustrates a point you want to make. In general, bloggers are happy to have their content disseminated by others and you will likely be thrilled if other bloggers pick up your posts.

However, although it seems sometimes that it’s  a free-for-all and technology makes it easy to cut and paste, the laws still apply. You can still get in trouble for things like infringing on copy rights and defamation. This was the topic of a recent South by Southwest  Interactive Festival panel discussion. You can read more about that panel discussion at SmartBlog on Social Media.

Do business bloggers suffer from Rodney Dangerfield syndrome? Getting “No respect, no respect at all?”

Yes, according a recent survey of ten well-read bloggers by the Ten Company and Gotham Research Group.

These bloggers working for top tier national, regional and trade outlets said they believe that chief executives don’t take them seriously enough. They said there is a lack of appreciation for their power and potential influence. They also said they feel that companies are slow to respond and public relations staff are too controlling.

As a veteran journalist, I can tell you this is not new.  It’s long been an issue for reporters. It is probably a challenge that dates back to the ancient scribes. Sometimes it’s because of the media outlet for which they work. Sometimes it’s because the reporter lacks creditability or respect. Sometimes it’s because companies simply don’t recognize the importance or potential of good media relations.

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Dogs To walk

I had a great time presenting a workshop this morning at the Enterprise Center at Salem State University. Thank you to all who came and are now stopping by the blog. I was impressed with all the great ideas for blogs, as well as the overall energy in the room. I’m really looking forward to reading what people come up with.

Of course any idea is only as great as its execution, and you could have the best blog in the world, but if it remains locked in your head, it won’t do you or anyone else any good. In order to help unleash that potential, I’m issuing a 90-day blog challenge.

 Starting April 1 (no April Fool’s joke), commit to blogging at least once a week. If I can do it, you can do it! I know, you’re saying, well I’m a professional writer it’s easy for me. Sometimes it is, sometimes it’s not. I get writer’s block and, like you, I’m busy. I have a business to run. I have a column to write. I have kids to transport and feed. I have dogs to walk.  Plus, sometimes, I confess, I get a sort of stage fright. I worry people will read what I’ve written and think it’s stupid. But I’ll get over that if you will.

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