Blogging About Blogging

Tia Graham, theblogsultant.com

Conversational Branding

I haven’t had a lot of time lately for talking about doing because I’ve been too busy, well DOING.  Life Has Been Full and Has Been Full of Life. But the world of social marketing is changing and redefining (when does it ever stop?), and in my spare moments while stuck in traffic, chopping vegetables, or dipping sushi pieces into wasabi-rich soy sauce, I’m contemplating those changes and how my business needs to anticipate them.

Notice I said, “anticipate them” rather than “adapt to them”; important distinction there in how I view my business…the vision, though maybe not all the manifestations, are fluid instead of static. I may rarely succeed on being ahead of the curve on several things but I instinctively feel that doing so needs to always be my goal.

I’m still sorting out the changes, trying a few on for size, and remaining open to possibility. I’m not the only one out there doing the same; here are a few voices I’ve been reading lately. I read them because they are bloggers who value conversational branding, which I think may be the essence of what is going on with relational media these days.

  • she’s done it in many posts but this is her most recent record of her Twitter Exploration. Penelope never fails to get me thinking and this is fantastic food for thought: when branding, how important is it to be the same in every compartment?
  • Scott, over at Man Vs. Blog, has been exploring his use of Twitter and has a 3 part series worth reading.
  • My very favorite blog guru, Darren Rowse, has a brilliant title followed by his typically-excellent content, looking at formats like the one Twitter uses, and just above, shares his exploration of another, Plurk.

My blogging list of things to do seems endless, with all kinds of things near the top vying for space. For instance, I have a great header I had designed for this site, a brand new business site needing launching, and a journal full of article ideas just begging me to find a quiet moment to sit down and seriously write. My client’s sites all have lists and my search for an assistant became so much of it’s own endeavor that I had to either find an assistant to help me find an assistant or cut out the search! When a new internet “exploration” becomes necessary so often, it’s helpful to know other bloggers I’m watching are exploring as well. It’s that synergy that the internet and social media thrives on and no one gets anywhere alone.

I think in “conversational branding” my favorite part is still the conversation. To me, that is the literate beauty of this media-rich tool we all use.


I’m hiring!

Are you a writer and blogger seeking to find a way to make money doing what you love?

I, TheBlogsultant, am working on growing my business and developing it’s reach. I’m looking to hire a vitual assistant who is interested in training to become a potential partner in Conversational Marketing.

Hours are extremely flexible, will start minimally, and grow from there. The pay is based on my current management framework and will grow as responsibility does.

Skills needed:

  • web smart…experienced in social networking sites
  • type with speed and accuracy
  • editing ability
  • familiarity with Wordpress blog format a plus
  • html experience, or willingness to learn, along with css, a must.
  • fast turn around time and responsiveness; dependability
  • comfortable social skills

For more details, inquire with Tia: Tia AT bloggingwithflair DOT com.


Wi-fi on the move: panera is ahead of the free hot-spot pack.

Though I’ve used a laptop as my personal computer for well over a year now, until now I’ve only used my wireless portability within the various rooms of my house. I liked having the option of working at desk, kitchen table, bed, or front porch. When I left the house, it was almost always with all four kids in tow, with a list of errands to run and stuff to obtain, so sitting around in coffee shops and internet cafes was simply not part of my wireless environment.

One of the best luxuries of high-speed, wireless capability, I’m finding, is that business and communication need not come to a stand-still though the rest of my world may be uncertain and constantly changing. And this, makes it so much less of a luxury and more a necessity in order to accomplish certain tasks. What a blessing my laptop and wireless card have been! I can grab a cup of caffinated-courage and keep up with email, get the news, take care of book-keeping changes and when I’m done, move onto the next deadline or location-to-be. Not as portable as my Blackberry-using friends but a world away from having to “get back to the office”, freaking out that things were going down the proverbial toilet in my absense. As I write today, a daughter is doing school work at the table with me as we uber-multi-task through a day that will no doubt hold many, many redirects. Technology can almost seem like a grace sometimes with the freedom and flexibilty it affords.

And so a new challenge has become part of my travels: finding the free wi-fi. Others who’ve gone before me gave a little list of who’s got it and who doesn’t. And someone pray tell why Starbucks can charge BOTH 4.50 for a latte and 10.00/day for internet, when Krystal next door offers admittedly poor coffee but free wi-fi? This has confounded me on more than one morning, when coffee cravings assault (I get just the brew, not the latte) and drive over to find the free wireless. So much better to be lounging in dusty sunshine amid the boxes of christmas french presses and chocolate covered coffee beans….but I digress.

Anyway, one day this week had me jaunting down to a major city in the south and then back again before nightfall. The chosen rendevoux was an Olive Garden parking lot in what they called, “a shopping area”. And HOW. What it really was, of course, was a vomitous ode to commercialism and gaseous emmissions due to extreme traffic, that could only slightly be blamed on the coming holiday. I decided the best way to handle it was to pick the shopping pod closest to the restaurant, stay on that one side of the gridlock, and ferheavensakes stay out of any stores! And then I remembered I needed to check my email….

A call to a local provided a tip to find a McDonald’s….yessirree, McD’s also offeres free Wi-fi, and I found them…BUT they do not have a single power cord in the entire dining room! This was after I bought their fake-food, promising myself that it could be my one-annual McD’s “meal”. That was also after watching 10 minutes of the most profound inefficiency possible, in an empty restaurant utterly overstaffed with clueless teenagers and an even more clueless manager, who could not understand why I’d ask for a power outlet. If you have to ask then…..

A sympathetic listener directed me to a panera in the mall. Malls are kinda devil-playgrounds in my pov but I steered my car in that direction and we circled twice, not finding any such bread company. What WAS there was, you probably guessed it, a sunny, warm, Starbucks with a brick patio and smart people all about. With resignation, I parked.

45 mintues, one tech call, and one intelligent and helpful student nearby later, I was on. Thankfully that day pass is good for 24 hours and I used it three other times in other locations before it expired. What’s more is that I was soon back in familiar territory, where panera has it for free AND good coffee to boot. Oh, and they are neither overstaffed, nor under, and quite efficient from the looks of things.

And so I offer my plain-coffee-one-cream in salute to panera bread company…you get it right. Thanks a bunch.


Reputation Management

Stephan Spencer’s recent article on DYI Reputation Management was recently a helpful reminder, which I thought would be a good idea to pass on. I am currently in the midst of a major personal life change and my primary blog is started out as a very personal blog; then evolved into something more topical and informational. The question of how to transition the blog along through my life transition has been pre-eminent on my mind this week.

The truth is, a blog only provides a slice of a view of a person’s life, yet like any powerful image tool, can sway one’s reputation amongst their peers or audience.  Care must be taken, yet in a relational economy, honesty matters. In my case, so does the ability to have a certain level of transparency and the freedom to write through my creative process.  When a site has aged and a loyal following of readers has developed, the relationship between writer and reader becomes entangled and opinions emerge. It has proven to be difficult to navigate.

From a tech-standpoint, this post of Stephen’s was an easily scannable, bulleted reminder of what concerns to keep in mind in a time such as this. It’s a good example of a layout well done. Many thanks to both writer and editor.


Aweber: a Customer Service review

Blogrush is working on some issues and still has dashboards down; I did notice in doing month end traffic reports yesterday that I have seen traffic on all my sites coming in via blogrush. So we will optimistically wait to see what they unveil.

Mumdinger is unfortunately, not something I can give any more time to. Maybe later when they are bigger. Right now, I’ve seen so little change on the site that I must cut it from my daily intinerary.

But last week I set out to vamp up my weekly newsletter a bit. It had a long way to go; until then I was just sending out a group, plain text email! I started with FeedBlitz, having heard good things about it on recommendation. But after two frustrating hours I gave up and went to my second choice, which ironically should have been my first! Aweber.

Set up was easy. Within a half hour I had my first newsletter created and distributed in graphics that complimented my theme. Two days later I got a phone call…knock me over with a feather! It was someone from the company welcoming me and wondering if I had any questions; I was so bummed that I was driving and had to let voicemail get it! But wonders of wonders, the next day I got a letter in the snail mailbox…more welcome, more offers of help should I have any questions!

Now mail-outs and phone calls can be intrusive and I usually view them that way. This time though, I felt like they actually cared to have my business. I felt that there genuinely offering their assistance and that it matters to them if I’m satisfied or not. Today I need to create another newsletter and I’m actually a little giddy looking forward to it! I am totally relaxed about something I’d been procrastinating on, knowing that if I run into any problems, they are approachable for help. Wow!

Hats of to you Aweber! I’m proud to be using your service! Thanks for making me feel valued as one of your customers.


Mumdinger and BlogRush Update

So a week into using both, here’s a sampling of how things are going:

Mumdinger is showing itself to be tiny and slow. There is little new content and what is there is added and ranked at a snail’s pace. The stories I submitted didn’t receive many votes…but neither do their “top” stories so it seems to be of little consequence. Maybe this is a matter of “more time will tell”, which I’m willing to allow for. But they ought to come with some ways to drive some traffic their way; a site like that NEEDS the participation of many in order to succeed.

BlogRush….I have over 1700 impressions…to 2 click throughs. They say the click thru rate is artificially low due to some abuses of the system that should be cleared up shortly. Last week I had over a thousand “credits” but today I have a negative number….not sure I understand that, nor is a burning issue on my hot plate today.

The jury is still out on both traffic services.


How to kill your blog.

A few months ago, my friend Julie, who usually fills her thought-provoking blog with her spiritual journeys, cultural revelations, and life-savoring moments, was having a very busy season and noticed the resulting effects on her traffic. What it led to was a little burst of sarcastic humor, and like the best of sarcasm, it was funny because of how close to the truth it actually sat.

How To Kill Your Blog In Six Easy Steps:

1. Don’t post

2. Don’t post anything worth reading when you do post

3. Post about your family

4. Post about not blogging

5. Post about sports

6. Make your posts so short, they can be skimmed.

Yep… if you do all that, I promise you’ll not have to blog ever again. :)

Now, numbers 3 & 5 are of course debatable… there are plenty of scenarios where blogging about family or sports is contextual, relevant, and helpful. But in Julie’s case, the family and the sports is the occasional spice on the entree… making it the beef will not fly and she knows that. It’s true for most business blogs and niche blogs….most of your content MUST be relevant, helpful, contextual, and consistently there. Never take the traffic for granted, never disrespect their time or their intelligence and a healthy blog you’ll make.

And the best lesson? Busy seasons happen. When they do, don’t forget your sense of humor. Tomorrow is always another day.

Tia Graham, blogsultant, builds, manages, and empowers business blogs that can help you generate income, improve publicity, and interact with your audience. See bloggingwithflair.com for more information.


Blogrolls…Bridges To the Mainland.

Blogs are different than static websites in many, many ways but one way they can become very similar is by neglecting to link out. A link, a blog roll, an optimized site…these all are ways to take your island weblog and bridge it to the mainland, making traveling to your destination easier.

And it’s pretty plain… an island that is inaccessible just sits there. It waits for the population to come but leaves it to them to figure out how to get there. Naturally, the rate of visitation will be quite low.

On the other hand…build some bridges. Get some ferries going. Build a landing strip and airport. Advertise. Suddenly the island is a vacation destination hot spot. And the best promotion and travel access will also provide an idea of what the place (or person behind it) is like.

Today I built a blogroll for a client, two guys who jointly blog; I expected a few links on a few websites they used daily, maybe a blog or two. What I got instead was a comprehensive list of their favorite resources, hobbies, recommended tools for their trade, affiliations and partners… after I picked my jaw up off the floor and I got to work… within the hour, felt I had a better understanding of them, who they are, how they work, and where they’re going.

Their site, through this method and several others I employ, will take their blog from an isolated web island to a destination authority in their field. They are visible, they are easy to get to, and they are relevant.

Tia Graham, blogsultant, builds, manages, and empowers business blogs that can help you generate income, improve publicity, and interact with your audience. See bloggingwithflair.com for more information.


Technorati is letting me down….

I’m bummed. As a practice of blog management, I always claim the sites I work with on Technorati. I have three that I’ve been trying to claim for over a month…first the embedding code was missing. I tried the “quick claim” option and emailed them with a question about the missing code. No response. Now when I try to go and claim blogs I’ve started the process with, I get a “Technorati is borked right now” screen..something about their missing monster.

I suppose this is an attempt to be cute when the site is down. Strangely, no other part of the site seems to be having an issue…so are they just not accepting new blogs? What’s going on?

I googled, “alternatives to technorati” and these are what I found. Apparently Technorati was having some issues that led to death rumors back in 2005…they seemingly did NOT die, if we are still using them today. But I’m not impressed. Take a look at what these articles offered; I gathered some helpful tips from them all.

Tia Graham, blogsultant, builds, manages, and empowers business blogs that can help you generate income, improve publicity, and interact with your audience. See bloggingwithflair.com for more information.


You Can Lead A Horse To Water But….

I’m not really calling any person a horse. But I was reminded today that ultimately, no matter what we do for another person, change or development is up to THEM.

In my business, I manage blogs and work on traffic growth for the client. For a monthly fee, they can email me at any time for assistance, guidance, or maintenance. I teach them the ropes of the blogging world. I network their site and coach them on what is relevant and “hot” at the moment. I feed the pets and get the paper when they’re out of town. Okay, not really…. but in essence, I do watch things for them even while they’re away.

In every case, their traffic is growing by literal leaps and bounds. Life. Is. Good for the blog getting TLC from me. But what can I NOT do for any client?

I can not be them for them. I don’t write their content. I can only fan the air that they give lungs to. Ultimately, it’s up to the owner to own their own stuff. And when they have an audience, to speak to it.

I have a great bunch of clients who all understand this. It’s proven to be a fun and synergistic business for me; a very good fit for my service-oriented mind and creative spirit. My toddler may not care that I bought him cute fire-truck undies, show him where the potty is, and offer to wipe him when he’s done…it’s up to that little horsey to drink from the river I provided him when he’s good and ready.

Somewhere I heard a quote that said something to the gist of, “never do for someone else what they can do for themselves.” Well, that leaves those of us in a service-industry in a little pickle. But the sentiment of empowerment and ownership is not lost on me tonight.

Tia Graham, blogsultant, builds, manages, and empowers business blogs that can help you generate income, improve publicity, and interact with your audience. See bloggingwithflair.com for more information.


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