feed hat blog

Earlier in the week we looked at the importance of ‘niches’ when it comes to building profitable blogs. Today I want to extend the topic and gives the process that I tend to use when working out if I want to start a new blog in a particular niche. I hope you find it helpful.

Many factors will come into play when it comes to choosing a niche to blog about – but the following are those that I tend to pay most attention to:

1. Your Interest in the Topic

I started out blogging on topics that interested me – but as I began to see the potential to make money from my blogs began to experiment with topics that I had less interest in but which I thought would be profitable.

What I discovered in creating these blogs that had potential for profit, yet which I had little interest in, was that I couldn’t really sustain them. I had little to say on the topics and when I did write something I suspect that those who read my content could tell that it was a topic that I was not passionate about. As a result the traffic did not come, I did not become known for the topic, nobody linked up and the blogs were far from profitable.

On the flipside of this – the blogs that I did have an interest in and a passion for have flourished. My interest in the topic is not the only factor that made them successful but I suspect it is a fairly important one that underlies much of the success and profit that I’ve had.

One question to ask yourself in choosing a niche is ‘What are YOU about?’ Choosing a topic that reflects you means you’ll be in a position to be able to find enough to write about and you’ll write it in a way that engages with the topic and your readers.

2. The Popularity of the Topic

You can have all the interest in the world around a topic but if nobody else shares your interest you’re going to be fighting an uphill battle to build a blog that gets much traffic.

This doesn’t mean you need to choose the most popular topics going around – in fact they may not be a wise choice due to the competition also targeting those niches – however you will want to choose a niche that has some level of demand for content.

There are many ways to do research on this whether topics are popular – here are three that I use:

1. Google Trends – do some searches on Google trends for keywords around your niches (and compare them) and you’ll see whether the topic you’ve chosen has been growing or shrinking and how it compares to other topics.
2. Market Samurai – I’ve written about the potential ofhttp://www.marketsamurai.com/c/problogger(affiliate link but it gives you a free trial)tool for optimising posts on your blog for SEO – but it is also a useful research tool in looking at the popularity of topics – particularly the module that allows you to assess how many searches are being done on different tools in Google.
3. Your Local News Stand – perhaps one of the simplest ways to look for popular topics is to head to a local news stand and look at what publications are being sold there. Not only look at the topics of magazines – but check out what is being written about as hot topics IN the magazines and you might find an emerging sub-niche to focus upon.

Ultimately you’re looking for topics that people are interested in, passionate about, want to learn more on and/or that people want to talk about and interact in a community around. There is an unlimited number of topics and ways to tap into them. Watch TV, talk to your friends, head to a local library, read a newspaper – see what people are into and you could just identify a topic worth exploring.

3. Competition

One of the factors that I see some bloggers failing to acknowledge in the choosing of a niche is how much competition (and how strong the competition is) in their potential niche.

The danger in choosing some popular niches is that you might be competing against some very powerful sites in those niches. While this isn’t always going to be a factor to stop you exploring a niche it should definitely be considered and it can perhaps help you to shape your niche to be something that will give you a competitive advantage.

There are a variety of ways of assessing the strength of competition in niches.

One of the simplest is to simply do some searches on Google to look at how many sites exist for keywords on your topic. This won’t give you an indication of the power of the competition – but it will give you some indication on the ’size’ of competition and it will identify some sites that you will want to be monitoring.

Market Samurai (mentioned above) is one tool that can take your analysis a little deeper. As highlighted in my recent optimising posts on your blog for SEO post it has a module that will not only show you how many competing sites there are but also how strong they are (around a number of factors). It’ll also identify what type of level you’ll need to get to in order to compete with them.

As you begin to assess your potential competition in a niche don’t be completely put off by niches with lots of strong competition. Instead as you analyse what other sites are doing look for opportunities in two areas:

• ways to differentiate yourself – as you look at other sites look for gaps in the topic that they’re not covering or things that perhaps you could do that might differentiate yourself. Perhaps there is a sub-niche that everyone is ignoring, perhaps they all ‘look’ the same, perhaps they all approach the topic in the same sort of ‘voice/style’. These things could be things to explore in offering an alternative to the established sites.
• ways to interact and leverage the competition – as you look at other sites look for places that you might be able to connect with, contribute to and leverage in the building of your own site. Perhaps the competition has the ability to submit guest posts or articles or perhaps they have a forum area for interaction. Find ways to be a genuine contributor to your competition and you might find ways to help build your own site indirectly.

4. Is the Topic Sustainable?

Another factor that I see some bloggers neglecting in the choosing of a niche is consideration of whether the topic is one that they’re able to sustain.

This partly relates to the interest and passion that the blogger has for the topic – but it also relates to the topic itself and whether it is dynamic enough to have content written about it on a regular basis.

• Will it be possible to keep new content flowing on this topic?
• If the blog will be a ‘news’ blog – is there enough news or developments happening on this topic to keep reporting on it?
• If the blog will be a ‘how to’ type blog – Is the topic deep enough to be able to come up with enough tutorials or tips?

A number simple exercises to help assess the sustainability of a blog (depending upon the type of blog you’ll be developing):

• Brainstorm topics – set aside 10 minutes to brainstorm topics for blog posts. Do you run out of ideas or are they flowing easily? This will give you an indication on how many posts you’ll be able to write.
• List ‘problems/needs’ of readers – if your blog will be a ‘how to’ type blog list off problems or needs that your potential readers might have that you could tackle.
• Google News – if your blog will be a ‘news’ type blog – check out Google News for your keywords and see how often news is breaking on the topic. Is there lots of news or is this a topic that only has occasional news breaking?
• List Products – if your blog will be a ‘product’ related blog – do some research into how many products there are in that category and how often new products are released.

Got the picture? Really it is about doing a little analysis of the topic to see if there is enough in it to keep producing new frequent and regular content. If there’s not enough – perhaps consider either another topic or a different format for your site (blogs tend to do best when they’re updated but you could create a more static site).

5. Is the Niche Profitable?

This won’t appeal to everyone as not all people want to monetize their blog but if it’s a goal to make money from your blog then you’ll want to assess the potential for profit before you start.

There are a few ways to get indications on whether a niche will be profitable – including:

• Google Ads – do a simple search on Google.com for your topic/keywords. Look at what ads Google is serving for those keywords over on the right side (or above the search results). Doing some analysis of these ads can be useful on a few fronts. For starters they’ll show you if any advertisers are actively targeting those keywords. This is handy to know if you’re planning on running AdSense on your blog. It will also be handy to check out who is advertising as they could be potential direct sponsors of your site. The other useful thing to note is whether any of the ads are for products that have affiliate opportunities as they could be products you could promote as an affiliate.
• AdWords Analysis – another related way to check on the value of a niche is to do some analysis of how much people are willing to pay as advertisers in the Google AdWords program. Just knowing there are advertisers is a healthy sign but they could all be just paying a cent or two to have their ads appear. Using the AdWords Keyword tool will give you a bit more of an indication of what people are paying to rank highest for their ads.
• Affiliate Products – speaking of affiliate products – do a little hunting around to see if you can find any products online that have affiliate promotions that you might be able to promote. Sometimes this is as simple as Googling ‘keyword affiliate product’ but other times you’ll want to check out affiliate networks like Commission Junction or PepperJam (aff) to see if they have any relevant products listed for your niche.
• Brainstorm Potential Products of Your Own – what could YOU sell directly to readers? As you’re pondering a niche it could be well worth while keeping in the back of your mind potential products that you might be able to develop to sell from your blog. These might include information products (e-books, training etc), membership areas (where people pay a monthly fee for extra teaching, community etc), personal services (coaching, speaking etc), a physical product relevant to your niche – or something else. More and more bloggers are turning to developing their own products as ways to monetize their blogs so keep this option in your mind from the beginning.
• What are others in the niche monetizing with? – one of the quickest ways to work out whether there is potential to monetize a niche is to check out what other sites are doing to make money on that topic. Check out the biggest sites first and look at whether they run advertising (and what sort), whether they’re promoting affiliate promotions, what kinds of products/services of their own they sell etc. You might find that you come up with a quick list of things to start monetizing your own site with very quickly by doing this.
• Market Samurai – I know that Iv’e mentioned Market Samurai already in this series but it’s a tool that also has a monetization module that allows you to look at the profitability of a niche. In fact there are a couple of tools within the Market Samurai system that are worth using when assessing the profitability of a niche. One is in the ‘keyword research’ module which gives you options to look at three factors including the Adwords value of the work, the SEO value and some assessment of whether people are searching with the intent of ‘buying’ or just surfing for ‘information on the keyword. The other module allows you to search for affiliate promotions relevant to your keywords (very handy).

6. What Else Do You Bring to the topic that You Can Leverage?

Previously when I’ve covered the topic of how to choose a blog niche I’ve stopped after exploring some of the above points. However there are almost always a number of other factors that individuals bring to certain topics that can make those niches more sensible choices.

I guess ultimately it comes down to looking at what you have at your fingertips that you will be able to leverage to help you get your blog up and running and working really well.

There are many factors that might come into play including:

• Expertise/Experience – you might be someone with years of experience in the industry which would give you a real head start in the creation of content and also building authority and profile in the niche.
• Contacts/Network – perhaps you already have some good contacts with other bloggers and web site owners in the niche that you’ll be able to leverage to help you promote your blog.
• Established Sites on Related Topics – maybe you already have another blog, newsletter list, website, forum or site on a related topic that you could use to help you launch your new blog.
• Repurpose-able Content – some people already have a lot of content written for other purposes that they can use as the basis for their new blog (for example I met one person recently who had been training in an area and who had already created hundreds of documents for offline use that could easily be used on a blog).

This list could quite easily go on and on. Essentially you need to do a bit of a SWOT analysis of the topic and see what strengths and opportunities that you uniquely have that will help you to get a leg up into this topic.

Sleep On It

My last advice on choosing a niche for your blog is to take your time and don’t act too hastily. While you don’t want the process to drag out too long – I look back on the 30 or so blogs that I’ve started over the years and wish I’d taken a little more time going through this process. I went through a phase where I impulsively started a series of blogs that I quickly knew were not right for me – if I’d only given the ideas a little time to breath I might have discovered before I started that perhaps there were better ways to use my time going forward.

So take your time – share what you come up with with a trusted friend or two – do a little research into the topic and then, when you’re ready and are in a good position to make a decision – ACT!

Also keep in mind that you might need to go through this process with a number of topics before you find one that fits for you. You’re unlikely to find a topic that fits all of the above criteria perfectly – but hopefully something will stand out to you a little to help you make an informed decision.

Questions for Discussion:

1. What other factors would you say come into play when choosing a niche?
2. If you already have a blog – what were the most important factors for you in choosing that niche?

Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger.

How to Blog: How to Choose a Blog Niche [6 Tips]

Share This

Read more: 
How to Blog: How to Choose a Blog Niche [6 Tips]

I’m learning to belly dance.

Okay, that’s totally overstating it. I’m wiggling to music in what is labeled a belly dancing class.

I’ve found that I enjoy the constant movement, manipulating my limbs and taking any excuse I can to be silly. But more fun than the belly dancing is the instructor.

She loves this stuff. Her eyes light up when she enters the room, her voice changes pitch, and she hops around throwing out euphemisms that make even the bravest people blush. She’s a complete fruit loop. And she’s loved for it. It’s her schtick.

Or, in marketing terms, it’s her personal brand.

Oh no, not another post about personal branding

We’ve been hearing about personal brands ad nauseum for the past year. Even if you’re not sure why you need one, you’re certain that you do. It’s like a 401k. Or a spouse.

The trouble is, most personal brands make everybody else want to jab forks straight into their eyes. They’re based on egos, false promises, and personalities so obnoxious that you’d never be friends with this person in real life.

But as my belly dancing instructor has taught me, you don’t have to build a personal brand on being an egomaniac. You can build your brand on simply being human. Or better yet, you can build your brand on being your favorite version of yourself.

How do you create a personal brand that will garner attention instead of hate? Here are some tips I’ve picked up from my experience on the Web.

And belly dancing.

Claim your niche

My belly dancing instructor doesn’t teach the hip hop class that takes place after her session. Nor does she teach the weekend kickboxing class. She’s limited herself to belly dancing because she knows that’s where she can offer the greatest value.

Trying to teach everything would undermine what she’s about and the tribe she’s looking to attract. She sticks to what she does better than anyone else.

Think niche. You can’t be known for everything. Pick what’s most important to what you do, break it down to its simplest core, and be it.

While Copyblogger has established itself as one of the Web’s top resources on content, Brian Clark has branded himself the master of headlines. It’s a tiny microcosm of the whole content creation space that he owns. It’s where he’s untouchable.

Create your character

Like I said, my instructor is a fruit loop. The moment you think you’ve seen everything, she ups the ridiculousness.

She tears her sweats so you can watch her legs curl, and refers to body parts in ways you wish you could erase from your mind. She knows who she needs to be to attract the right audience, and she plays up her quirks to do so. She builds a tribe that falls in love not only with her class, but with her. It becomes so that the class and brand are so intertwined that you can’t tell them apart.

Lots of people will tell you to “be yourself” in social media. I’d advise creating a persona that mixes who you are and who you want to be. This heightened version of yourself allows you to lose the performance anxiety and magnify the personality traits needed to attract the right people.

We fall in love with those who are brave enough to do what we think we can’t. As long as you’re basing your character off who you really are, you’ll be able to keep it authentic and still look great naked.

Treat people like humans

My instructor has been dancing for longer than I’ve been an adult. She’s trained in moves and styles that my stiff body can’t even comprehend.

But you wouldn’t know that by talking to her. She’s unassuming and talks to you like you’re old friends meeting up for coffee. And she keeps that tone even when instruction has begun. There’s no jargon to confuse us, no making things complicated so we feel dumb and she wouldn’t dare call herself an “expert” or a “guru.” She’s just someone who loves belly dancing and is excited about the opportunity to share it with us.

Finding your voice and using it to be relatable is what will make or break your personal brand. It’s what separates the brands we love from the brands we wish would die.

It’s all about your ability to talk to people in a genuine way and show them that you’re one of them. This is where most people get tripped up. We elevate ourselves thinking that it makes us more impressive and authoritative and that our audience will trust us more. Truthfully, all this does is alienate you from the people you’re trying to connect with.

Figure out what the real you sounds like, and then use that voice to be real with others. You can’t fake this.

Make your brand accessible

My instructor shows up to class early. She stays late. She takes questions in the middle of instruction and will show and re-show certain movements until you’ve nailed them. Her email address is publicly available so that students can email her with questions. She has an email newsletter to help us stay in contact with not only her, but one another.

She’s not teaching a class, she’s creating a community.

When you make your brand accessible, you help it grow beyond your niche. Become part of your community. Answer questions. Lift up those who are doing well. Share trusted information. Look for ways to extend your brand through blogging, guest postings [cough], email newsletters, and direct mail.

Everything that you put out should incorporate and promote your personal brand. The more people see you and your tribe, the more they’ll gravitate toward it. It’s social proof.

Your personal brand is you. It’s who you are, what you believe, and what you want to put out there to others.

Use the social tools available to be you as loudly as you can, while always offering a benefit to those around you. Your personal brand may be all about you, but it’s also about how you make others feel.

It’s emotional DNA, and what separates the personal brands we love from those we love to tear apart.

About the Author: Lisa Barone has the totally pompous title of Chief Branding Officer at SEO consulting firm Outspoken Media. She tries to make up for the title by blogging Important Stuff on the Outspoken Media blog and being amusing on Twitter at @lisabarone.

Originally posted here:
What Belly Dancing Taught Me about Personal Branding

We all have great ideas, but finding them is the difficult part. When you can’t think of an article to write, a way to attract more readers, or the next chapter of your book, you’re suffering from a mind block. What do I do, is the question you might ask yourself. It is important to get you thinking, get your mind in motion. Here are ten steps to keep you innovating.

1. Newspapers/Magazines

Pick up a few newspapers and magazines and start flipping through pages. Search everything including advertisements and classifieds. Read the articles that are really interesting. The New York Post always offers an odd article and their cartoons are great. Cartoons can even help you relate to something and come up with an idea.

2. Blogs

There is pretty much a blog on everything. Search blogs similar to the content you offer. Read the RSS feeds of your favorite blogs. Maybe find a new blog in a completely different field. All these will help you create ideas.

3. Books

Read something. Learn about something you never knew about. Getting knowledge on a new subject will create a lot of opportunities.

4. Music

Insert the mixtape that you love and groove to. Music is motivational, inspirational and symbolic. If you don’t think of something while you’re listening and bopping your head, you might learn something within the lyrics.

5. Phone a friend

Call someone you can talk to and also listen to. Ask them about problems they have been facing or if they have anything exciting to talk about. They might say one thing and it will click for you.

6. Ask the audience

This is starting to sound like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire! In all serious though, ask your audience. Bloggers, write a post asking the readers what they want to see from you. Ask for feedback. Let them know what you want to do and ask for ideas. Remember that the readers are the one’s keeping you going, so they will love that.

7. Go for a walk

Fresh air is a beautiful thing. Take deep breaths of it. Get your blood flowing and the ideas will come too.

8. Meditate

Just relax and let go. Go to another place. Come back once that innovation wakes you up.

9. Eat

Mmm…cheeseburger and french fries. According to The Thinking Business, proteins and carbohydrates are essential in business. They explain that carbohydrates leave you feeling “calm and relaxed” and proteins “improve mental performance”. After a good meal, your brain will be back on track.

10. Get your mind off it completely

If nothing seems to be working for you, it might be because you give yourself no down time. You give your work time, but you don’t give yourself time. YOU time is extremely important because it gets your mind off your work. You have been working so hard being innovative that you exhausted your resources. Go to the movies, play a sport, watch some movies, and then when you return to your work the next day you will feel refreshed and ready to exhaust yourself again.

You know what to do now. You have ten ways to get innovative. Now do it!

Alex Monroe is the founder of GetYourBizSavvy.com, a source for entrepreneurs featuring interviews with leading entrepreneurs from around the world.

Discover the SECRETS I’ve Learned to go from zero a month to over $40,000 a month from blogging. Download Make Money Online with John Chow dot Com for FREE!

See original here: 
10 Innovative Ways To Get Yourself Out of a Mindblock

The life of a freelance writer is pretty sweet.

It’s interesting, challenging work. You meet great people. You have a lot of freedom to organize your work life the way you want it. The pay can be excellent, and you get to make a living doing something you love.

But there are aspects of the profession that aren’t much fun.

As a freelance copywriter, you need to get professional about how you deal with the parts of freelancing that aren’t unicorns and rainbows. Today, I’m going to talk about how to handle one of the more irritating hassles in the life of a writer: Requests for rewrites.

Rewrites are inevitable in any writer’s life. No matter how brilliant you are, no matter how strongly you wield your pen, eventually someone somewhere is going to absolutely hate that first draft you sent in.

And they’re going to ask that you rewrite it.

Rewrites are not revisions

First, let me clarify one distinction.

A rewrite is not the same thing as revising what you wrote or tweaking the copy to be just right. Most freelance writers offer a certain number of revisions per project for free — usually one or two at most. And those rounds are based on an assumption: the client likes the first draft, but wants to tweak a few things.

Even if your client loves that first draft sideways, they’ll wind up asking for a few minor changes:

I actually prefer to be called a coach, not a consultant. Could you fix that?

I’m not sure I like the way you describe me in the About page. Could you take out these adjectives and put in other ones?

I love what you’re saying, but I think this technical point needs to be clearer. Here’s how it really works — could you change that paragraph?

You’ll notice something about most of those tweaks. They’re things you couldn’t possibly have known. No matter how thorough your initial information-gathering phase might have been, some little details slip through the cracks.

Often they’re details that the client never realized were important — until he saw them in his copy.

Revisions are easy fixes. You can usually knock them out and send back a perfect final version before you finish your first cup of coffee.

Rewrites are a whole ‘nother animal

A major rewrite can really mess with your confidence. They can be terrifying, because you have absolutely nothing to go on. When the client asks for a rewrite, it’s usually because he wants you to scrap everything you’ve written and start over.

The problem with that is that you can’t actually scrap everything. For one thing, he’s still presumably in the same line of work. If he was a corporate lawyer before, he’s still a corporate lawyer. If she was a large-business marketing consultant, she’s still a marketing consultant.

The way they wanted to be presented probably hasn’t really changed either. They still want their customers to think of them as a professional with years of experience who knows the ins and outs of the trade. Or they still want to be presented as a caring, nurturing type who can make all the woes of life go away.

The facts have not altered.

It’s the way you present those facts that needs to go.

You’re going to need to start from scratch. And that’s hard for a few reasons:

One: You already thought you had a good grasp of what the client wanted, or you wouldn’t have written the copy that way. Clearing your mind and starting over with a whole new perception is going to be tough.

Two: You’re probably feeling hurt or stung. Rejection sucks, and being told your writing wasn’t even close to right is painful. You’re not exactly in the mood to try to please this client again.

So how do you deal with someone who wants a complete rewrite?

I usually send a hit man. Solves the problem and it’s no work for me.

Oh, no, wait, that’s in my dreams.

Actually, usually the best thing to do is take a break. Take deep breaths. Try to remember that the client is just as disappointed as you are and that they deserve the copy they were hoping for.

Try to remember it isn’t personal. It’s useful to look at it as a misunderstanding. The client thought they communicated what they wanted. You thought you understood it.

You were both wrong.

So, go back to the computer and write a nice, calm, apologetic email. Ask them to clarify a couple of points for you so you can write a draft that is more to their liking. Use the feedback they gave you — even if it’s couched in angry terms — to get the questions.

You said this copy ‘doesn’t sound like a lawyer.’ Could you explain what gave you that impression so I can avoid that mistake in your next draft?

Be calm. Be apologetic. After all, you’re half to blame for the miscommunication. If you’re understanding and sympathetic, that client isn’t going to be upset at you for long. In fact, he’ll get over it as soon as you give him the rewrite.

The rewrite that’s so kick-ass the client can’t believe it, because you made doubly sure this time that you understood just what he was going for.

What if you can’t please him no matter what you do?

Politely refer him to another writer that you think might suit him better.

At a certain point, this person isn’t going to be happy even if you hand him the Gettysburg Address of website copy. He might have better luck elsewhere, and sending him to a good alternative may be the best thing you can do for him.

And for you.

About the Author: For more freelance writing advice that helps you succeed, check out James Chartrand’s blog at Men with Pens. It’s chock full of advice to help you be one of those no-rewrite-required writers.

Original post: 
How Smart Freelance Writers Handle Their #1 Hassle

Lets look at another idea of what to do in your first week of blogging. Related to our previous post in this series which focused upon writing compelling content – is a task that I think can be a very useful habit to get into – developing an Editorial Calendar, or at the very least doing some planning on the future content that you’ll be producing for your blog.

Today I want to show you three techniques that I use in my process of future planning for posts.

1. Capturing Ideas

One of the most useful folders that I have on my computers desktop is one that I simply call ‘Ideas’.

Inside that folder are four other folders – one for each of my blogs and another for miscellaneous ideas.

Inside each of those folders are many many text files. Each text file is a different idea for a blog post.

• Some are completely empty and the name of the file is simply a short phrase which is an idea I could write about.
• Other text files are simply a list of 3-4 points that I could write about.
• Others are more developed ideas – they might contain an introduction or even a full draft of a post (although generally once they are at this stage I move them over to saving them as a draft in WordPress).

These text files generally begin their lives at random times during the day when I’m thinking about something else and an idea pops into my mind. The key is to capture them quickly, record them in a way that they can be found again and to develop them as much as I’m able to as the idea is fresh.

Sometimes, if I have the time and energy for it, I’ll work on the ideas for a while straight away but many times I simply get as much of the idea down into the file as I can and then save it for another time.

This means that at any point of time I have quite a few post ideas at different stages that I can tap into.

2. MindMapping

I won’t write an extended post on this as I’ve covered it previously but one of the most powerful techniques that I’ve ever used for coming up with blog ideas to write about is mind mapping.

You might choose a different method of brainstorming – but the key is to set aside specific times (I try to do it monthly) to simply come up with ideas to write about.

You can read more about how I do this in at Discover Hundreds of Post Ideas for Your Blog with Mind Mapping. Note: I used to use whiteboards for this process but now use a Mac tool called MindNode.

Generally once I’ve done the mind mapping exercise I’ll then convert the best of the ideas that I’ve generated into text files to save in the ideas folders mentioned above.

Note: Incidentally – I also use mind mapping when planning a new blog. It’s similar to the technique outlined above on coming up with post topics but I find it also helpful in planning out categories for a new blog.

3. Editorial Calendars

I’ve used a variety of approaches to creating editorial calendars over the years. I’ve adapted my approach over time to suit the different stages of my blogs. These days as I’m actively editing two decent sized blogs with up to 30 posts a week I find that I need to map out what posts I’ll be doing ahead of time.

In doing this you’re able to develop content that builds momentum (posts that build upon each other), take your readers on a more thoughtfully planned journey and give them a more balanced run of content.

I found previously that if I wasn’t planning ahead in this way that I’d end up with too much of one kind of content all in a row which didn’t really benefit readers as much.

The other good thing about this approach is that you know what writing you need to have done by certain times of the week – deadlines work well for me in motivating me to work.

My Editorial Calendar approach these days is pretty much based around spreadsheets. I’m on a mac and use its ‘Numbers’ program for this and simply have a spreadsheet which looks like a weekly calendar. Here’s last weeks:

You can see here that DPS has a 2 post per day schedule and that ProBlogger is on a 1 post per day schedule – but I like to throw in a few extras each week. This is obviously a completed week – I generally am playing around with it during the week and am finalising timings as the week progresses as I (and my writers) finish posts.

I also have editorial calendars on the go for future weeks at any given time – they’re less developed but I do add to them as I get closer to the beginning of each week.

At this point spreadsheets work best for me but previously I’ve taken different approaches including using a paper diary, using iCal and Google Calendar, using tools like Basecamp etc. It’s about finding a system that works for you and setting it up so that you do it naturally as part of your workflow.

Also check out Day 12 in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog – it is all about Editorial Calendars.

Tasks for Your First Week

Perhaps an editorial calendar like the above one is a little advanced if you’re in the first week of your blog – however the concepts behind it can be good to explore. If I were starting a blog today I’d be taking the above three exercises and doing something like this:

1. Set up an Idea Collection Process – whether it be using folders and text files as I’ve mentioned above, getting a notebook and pen or using a tool like Evernote on your iPhone – set up a system where you can collect ideas as you have them for future use.
2. Set aside time to brainstorm topics – schedule time into your monthly (or weekly) workflow where you’re simply setting aside time to brainstorm possible topics to write about on your blog.
3. Develop some kind of system to help you look ahead at the future posts on your blog – You might use a calendar of some kind or simply have a section of your notebook where you plan your next week or month of content.

Share Your Approach to Planning Future Content on Your Blog

I’ve shared 3 of the techniques I use to help me keep fresh content coming on my blogs – I’d love to hear from you on how you do it in comments below!

Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger.

Your First Week of Blogging – Plan Your Future Blog Posts

Share This

Here is the original post: 
Your First Week of Blogging – Plan Your Future Blog Posts

As we continue to explore principles of successful blogging I want to turn our attention to a matter at the heart of the topic – content.

Much could be said on the topic but in the presentation that sparked my principles of successful blogging series of posts I spoke at length about the idea of ‘crafting content‘.

The idea of of successful bloggers displaying ‘craftsmanship’ began to strike me after meeting a number of pretty high profile bloggers at the SXSW interactive conference a few years back. I remember sitting down at that conference with a number of bloggers who’d build great blogs to pick their brains and having the realisation that their blogs had not ‘just happened’ but that they’d really put time, energy and thought into shaping them over the years.

This ’shaping’ of their blogs happened on two levels – it happened on a daily basis in the posts that they wrote – but also over time as their blogs grew and matured.

Crafting Blog Posts

My own experience of blogging is that in my early days of experimenting with the medium I would tend to sit down at the computer on any given day and then put up on the web whatever I was thinking about at that moment and within seconds of punching out a first draft the post would be live online.

• little thought went into the planning of posts
• no more time than was absolutely necessary was put into the writing of posts
• no consideration was really ever given to improving posts before they went live
• it was rare that I gave thought to how to time, launch and promote posts

My blogging was very impulsive and minimalistic in terms of how much effort I put into the most important factor of blogging – the content on it.

I got away with this to some degree, perhaps partly due to the fact that the blogosphere was in its infancy – but look back on that time now wondering how much more I could have achieved early on if I’d just given more time to ‘crafting’ my content.

Don’t get me wrong – I still sit down some days to impulsively write – but over time I’ve found that I get better results if I take a more craftsman-like approach to blogging.

One of the factors that changed my own approach to blogging was out of the experience of beginning to write series of posts on my blogs.

I don’t even remember what the first series was (or why I did it) but I do remember the realization of how much better my writing was when I put some time into planning what I would write ahead of time.

Setting oneself the task of writing a series of posts ahead of time mean you need to consider what you’ll write about (in general terms) but knowing what topics you’ll be covering in the future means that your ideas begin to marinate ahead of time and that by the time you come to write your posts you’ve given the topics thought, you’ve got ideas on how to explore it on a deeper level and you’ve hopefully got some creative ides of how to introduce and explore the topic in a way that makes the post stand out a little.

Crafting Content can happen on many levels and depending upon the type of blog you have you might not find them all to be relevant to every blog post you write – however here’s a series of posts that I wrote on the topic in 2008 that was designed to help bloggers consider ways that take a little extra time could improve their blogging:

1. How to Craft a Blog Post – 10 Crucial Points to Pause
2. Choosing a Topic – take a little extra time defining your topic and the post will flow better and you’ll develop something that matters to readers.
3. Crafting Your Post’s Title – perhaps the most crucial part of actually getting readers to start reading your post when they see it in an RSS reader or search engine results page.
4. The Opening Line – first impressions matter. Once you’ve got someone past your post’s title your opening line draws them deeper into your post.
5. Your ‘point/s’ (making your posts matter) - a post needs to have a point. If it is just an intriguing title and opening you’ll get people to read – but if the post doesn’t ‘matter’ to them it’ll never get traction.
6. Call to Action – driving readers to do something cements a post in their mind and helps them to apply it and helps you to make a deeper connection with them.
7. Adding Depth – before publishing your post – ask yourself how you could add depth to it and make it even more useful and memorable to readers?
8. Quality Control and Polishing of Posts – small mistakes can be barriers to engagement for some readers. Spending time fixing errors and making a post ‘look’ good can take it to the next level.
9. Timing of Publishing Your Post – timing can be everything – strategic timing of posts can ensure the right people see it at the right time.
10. Post Promotion – having hit publish – don’t just leave it to chance that your post will be read by people. Giving it a few strategic ‘nudges’ can increase the exposure it gets exponentially.
11. Conversation – often the real action happens once your post is published and being interacted with by readers and other bloggers. Taking time to dialogue can be very fruitful.

Crafting Blogs on a Big Picture Level

The other level that I think bloggers could do well to apply the idea of craftsmanship to is thinking about the big picture of a blog and seeing the blog, in its entirety, as something that needs crafting.

Over a time as a blog grows and matures it takes on a certain shape and form.

The accumulated body of content, the voice and personality behind the content, the visual design of the blog and even the interaction with readers and emerging community are all things that go into how a blog is perceived.

Some blogs manage to evolve without much thought in a good direction – but behind the scenes of most successful blogs there is a person or team of people who are shaping the blog, plotting its course and making sure that it stays on that course.

I spoke once with a museum curator who told me about her job and it reminds me on some levels of what I do on my blogs.

Curators do many tasks to get an exhibition together – good exhibitions don’t just happen. Their work starts with careful planning, research, study and sourcing of exhibits well before an exhibition takes place.

They are not only involved in deciding what to exhibit but they’re also involved in what to leave out of exhibitions (avoiding clutter and confusion for those attending).

Once they’ve sourced the exhibits they’re involved in arranging them and making sure that they are presented in a way that draws people in and takes them on a journey.

As I spoke with this curator about the care in which she put together an exhibition (a process that took a lot of detailed thought and energy over considerable time) I was challenged to apply some of what I saw in my own blogging.

Great blogs don’t just happen – they take thoughtful consideration, planning and shaping. They too are not just about what you publish but about what you don’t publish. They too take thought as you consider the journey you want to take your reader on.

Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger.

Craftsmanship – Principles of Successful Blogs #9

Share This

Read more here: 
Craftsmanship – Principles of Successful Blogs #9

A week ago I asked blog readers to fill out a brief survey to analyze the SEO community’s priorities in 2010. The results are in.

First, some background on the survey and its goals. With a new year comes a new start — an opportunity to establish priorities and reevaluate strategies. Part of strategizing for the year ahead involves keeping an eye on emerging trends in Internet user behavior, competitor tactics and technological developments. Once the projected future is understood, a search engine marketer can choose which trends to capitalize on and decide which tactics are needed to do so.

The survey listed 13 Internet marketing tactics and asked respondents to indicate the relative importance of the tactic in their overall marketing efforts for the year ahead. From “not important” to “vital in 2010″, SEOs rated each tactic, and some telling results have emerged.

In the week the survey has been open, 22 Internet marketers in at least 9 different countries have submitted their responses. Here’s the break down of survey respondents:

Next, let’s get into the responses. Several of the tactics did not clearly fall into the category of important or not important and instead responses were across the board. For these I’d be willing to bet that much of this variance was due to the different demands of particular industries in which respondents specialize.

One such example is the creation of a mobile-friendly Web site. While I believe that it will become increasingly important for businesses to make their Web site available in a simple and easy to use mobile version, in the coming year a mobile site may not be a priority for a business where conversions are complex and not regularly done on a small mobile device.

On the other hand, some tactics were clearly considered important or unimportant by the majority of respondents. It’s these tactics that I’ll analyze in further detail here.

Local business listings More than half of the respondents indicated that the optimization of local business listings is important or vital in 2010. Last April SEOs noticed that Google had begun returning local results for queries without geo-modifiers. Google now analyzes a query to determine if there is a local intent, even if it isn’t specified. For instance, Google recognizes that there’s a good chance a search for “pizza” is an attempt to find local pizza restaurants. With Google’s increasing emphasis on local results and with users’ increasing use of mobile devices, local search listings can’t be overlooked.

Link buying Again, more than half of the respondents indicated that link buying is a tactic that is not important or is merely somewhat important over the next year. Google has cracked down on link buying over the last year, and the tactic is a risky one for almost any business. Most businesses can’t afford to face the penalties exacted by Google when link buying is detected. While generating inbound links remains a goal of any SEO, buying links is one tactic that will generally be avoided this year.

Link building through strong content Rather than buying links outright, more than half of the respondents reported that when it comes to link building it is important or vital to generate links by publishing strong content. Attracting links through valuable content is a long-term link building strategy, however the links gained are typically long-lasting and originate from highly relevant sites.

On-site optimization Here the message is clear. All respondents indicated that on-site SEO is important in 2010. An optimized Web site is the foundation of Internet marketing, and on-site optimization is now a basic requirement of doing business online. Not a single respondent marked on-site SEO among the two lowest priority levels, which was unique among all other tactics listed.

Building or rebuilding a site with siloed architecture The tactic of siloing, or theme-based site architecture, was a unique tactic in the survey because both extremes — not important and vital in 2010 — were represented equally among responses. I contribute this to the fact that siloing remains a misunderstood SEO tactic. Logical site architecture that groups pages into related themes with a strong landing page at the top of the silo is not only user friendly, it also demonstrates to the search engines a site’s subjects of expertise.

Targeting a new demographic The most popular response for the tactic of targeting a new demographic was “not important.” I take this as a hopeful sign because it suggests that SEOs understand the importance of creating content and targeting keywords based on the intended audience, to the point where it is no longer a priority in 2010. However, Internet marketers should not close their mind to the fact that finding new user niches for their product or service can be an effective way to grow a business.

You can find the results of all 13 questions in the Bruce Clay, Inc. Flickr set SEO Priorities Survey.

All charts created with Create A Graph.

SEO Priorities Survey: The Results was originally published on BruceClay.com, an SEO services company.

See the rest here: 
SEO Priorities Survey: The Results

Over the last few years, I’ve been absolutely amazed at how many blogs and websites spring up only to fade off into the distance. It seems the hopeful beginning is fresh and exciting but the author quickly gives up, only letting their hosting and domain name expire.

Chances are, they weren’t getting the attention they hoped for, nor did they know how to fix it.

The sad thing is their idea or motive for starting a website was probably a good one. Hell, it may have been an incredible idea. However, they just didn’t have enough patience or lacked some of the necessary skills to get some momentum going.

Below, I’ve picked a few of the biggest pitfalls a blogger will face when they are seeking a loyal following and lots of attention. I’ve also provided some ideas suggesting how to get out of the rut and get more attention almost effortlessly.

You’re Boring

This is the number one factor I’ve noticed over and over again as I peruse the internet. In my experience, writing well is the key to effective communication online (or anywhere for that matter). The truth is that you don’t have to be a great writer to be successful. It’s unnecessary to be perfect when it comes to grammar, punctuation and all of the little things you learned in high school English class.

The one thing you must be freaking awesome at, though, is the art of being interesting. You must possess style and creativity; your readers should be able to distinguish your voice from all of the other hopefuls out in cyberspace.

If you’re boring, people have no reason to keep reading and they’re highly unlikely to share your content, no matter how damn great it may be.

Quick Fix for the Boring Blogger

• Read, read and read some more. The more you read, the better your writing will be. Chances are the more you read, you will eventually discover a style or a voice you enjoy. Then you can begin mimicking that writer, and in time, develop your own style.
• Write daily. You will never get better at something if you fail to practice. I don’t care if you just take 5 minutes per day to write something in your journal. Whatever you have to do, practice, practice, practice.

You’re Just Not Into It

If you’re not the boring blogger, you’re the sleazy, I’m just not that into my topic blogger. These are the folks who often start out blogging to make money online. These people just crack me up because reading their content is only bearable after a few shots of bourbon.

Then you have the person who is the ultimate expert in the field of feline training. They are so good at what they do; they can teach a cat to use and flush the toilet instead of a litter box in 1.4325 minutes flat. The problem is, despite being an expert, they hate what they do. Either that or they’re just so bored with their profession and it bleeds right through their content.

You get the “I’m just writing this because I know it so well” vibe instead of the “I freaking love training cats so much that I had to devote an entire blog about it!” mentality.

Quick Fix for the “I’m just not into it” Blogger

• Quit. Yes, just quit. You are wasting your time and spinning your wheels. Your potential audience can see that you obviously aren’t too interested in what you’re writing. They can see right through the plethora of semi-useful content.
• Find something you are in love with and sell out for a while. Write like a bat out of hell and actually enjoy what you’re creating. I promise, the response will be much better and you will develop a tightly knit group of followers.

You’re Afraid To Be Different

This is probably the most blatant error I see in my niche. The fitness field is so full of generic, useless information. Don’t believe me? Just take a look at ClickBank’s myriad of fitness products with generic, outdated information for sale.

Go take a gander at all of the fat loss and muscle building sites with the supposed latest and greatest information. You will notice most of them contain information that’s been repeated and rehashed regardless of what the current scientific studies say about the topic – even if the old dogma has been disproven.

If you want to build an audience, gain exposure and stand out from the crowd, you must be willing to take a different course. Be willing to burn some bridges. Be the person to state what others are afraid of saying.

I must warn you. Being so bold does not come without negative consequences. You are going to face opposition as people do not like to hear the cold, hard, truth all the time. Other bloggers are going to be pissed at you for exposing their fallacies. You will get hate email and comment spam. It’s okay, someone has to go against the grain; why not you?

Quick Fix for those Afraid to be Different

• Write on topics and subjects that others in your niche won’t touch.
• Be ready to call someone out who is blatantly lying or misguiding someone. Don’t be afraid to tell it like it is.
• Be real and transparent. Write what’s on your mind and forget about pleasing every single soul.

There you have it. If you’ve been struggling with exposure and getting your blog off on the right foot, give some of these quick fixes a try and get yourself some much needed attention.

JC is the author of JCDFitness, where he writes about fat loss, building muscle and his relaxed approach to all things fitness. Be sure to check out his free eBook, A No-BS Approach to Looking Great Naked and follow him on Twitter.

Discover the SECRETS I’ve Learned to go from zero a month to over $40,000 a month from blogging. Download Make Money Online with John Chow dot Com for FREE!

Original post:
Why Your Blog Is Not Getting Attention And How To Fix It

You don’t have to look far to find a list of the best books a writer should read. A benefit for new writers, no doubt.

Unfortunately, those of us who have been around for a number of years often own every book that tends to make these lists.

Not only do we own them, we’ve absorbed them into our bloodstream.

It wouldn’t be so bad if the list changed from year to year.

But it doesn’t.

So while the usual best-books-writers-should-read lists are fine for the greenhorns in the field . . . what about the rest of us?

What about those who want to go from undergraduate to graduate work? Who want to inject a tangible and seductive element in their writing that growls “You better take notice of me”?

What are the best books they should read? And why?

As you might guess, I have an answer.

A different list

Below is a list of books on my shelf that are stained, dogeared, loose-in-the-binding, and scrawled on from front to back. Some are “writing books,” most aren’t.

They’re unusual recommendations, to say the least. But I have my reasons for that. As you’ll see in a minute.

Until then, enjoy the list.

1. King James Bible

The authors of this Bible edition made language their slave. They relished words like derision, rage, smitten, asunder, wrath, vex, begotten, uttermost, vessel.

Make a study of the Old Testament and you’ll develop a vocabulary that smacks your readers in the chops.

2. The First Five Pages

by Noah Lukeman

What you do in the first five pages matters. And it matters a lot.

(The same is true for your first five lines.)

Literary agent Lukeman discusses the craft of writing well-plotted fiction that makes your writing as sexy as a young lady in a saucy skirt.

3. Emotional Structure

by Peter Dunne

Emmy- and Peabody-Award winning producer, writer and teacher Dunne delivers some of the best tips you’ll find on how to inject emotion into any story.

4. Barbarians at the Gate

by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar

This is business nonfiction at its best. It helps that the story — the $25 billion leveraged buyout of the RJR Nabisco Corporation — is loaded with flamboyant characters and edge-of-your-seat action.

Study it to learn how to make your stories pop off the page and your readers cling to every word.

5. Letters to a Young Poet

by Maria Ranier Rilke

Not into German poetry? Get over it. A good copywriter marries a hard-nosed attitude for results with the soft capital of poetic wisdom. He becomes the killer and poet. Besides, your business-saturated soul could use a dose of the wisdom of the artist.

6. One Hundred Years of Solitude

by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Legend has it that one reader wrote out every word of this 448-page novel — to make sure it was real.

Who could blame her, when the first line reads: “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.” And it never lets up.

7. Gravity’s Arc

by David Darling

Bone up on the history of science in this strikingly readable explanation for the complex phenomena at the cutting edge of contemporary physics — gravity.

(Hint: Read this book and you’ll walk away with some magnificent metaphors.)

8. American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson

by Joseph J. Ellis

This psychological portrait of the sage of Monticello demonstrates two things: People like stories . . . and people really like stories about people.

Imitate the ebb and flow of people-centered tales to make what you write memorable.

9. Complete Odes and Epodes of Horace

Roman poet Horace is like the E. B. White of the Roman world. He has that same loathing for pompous verbosity. The ruthless cutting of crap, jargon, and extra words. In other words, he’s hellbent on mindless simplicity.

10. Outliers

by Malcolm Gladwell

In his third book, Malcolm does what Malcolm does best: expose the mysterious pattern behind a particular phenomenon.

This time he writes about genius and how culture, circumstance, timing, birth, and luck account for success. This book will push your motivation button something fierce. Read it.

OK, I need to come clean with you

Yes, I think you should read every book I listed above, for the practical, get-your-hands-dirty lessons you’ll learn.

But I have another reason I want you to read them.

Namely, to expand your mind.

What do I mean by that? The more you have in your brain — both from study and from direct experience — the more fresh, new, killer ideas you’ll come up with.

Reading Why Evolution Is True might give you a complete new set of powerful metaphors to illuminate your current project. Scanning the design magazine Wallpaper could give you an incredible angle for your blog relaunch.

My point is not necessarily that you read the above particular books.

My point is that you read — and read widely.

That you get out of your rut and read things way out of your subject zone.

Wade into some strange dimensions

Get into dimensions that are totally alien to you. When you do, your writing will go from paralyzed old coot to strapping stud.

Bottom line: One of the most important keys in writing is the ability to blend totally divergent concepts into something radically new.

And the more divergent data you have to work with, the better you are going to be coming up those great ideas that put people under your spell and keep them loyal to you.

Which doesn’t sound like a bad idea, does it? So, what’s on your bookshelf?

About the Author: Demian Farnworth is Senior Web Writer for an international humanitarian aid organization and blogger for Fallen and Flawed. Follow him on Twitter.

Originally posted here: 
10 Surprising Books That Will Transform Your Writing