Blogging and Mistakes
By Michele Martin | December 1, 2007
One of the reasons many nonbloggers don’t want to start blogging is because they’re afraid of making a mistake, especially on the Internet, where they imagine millions of people are witnessing their humiliation. I’d like to tell these would-be bloggers they have nothing to fear because they won’t be making any mistakes, but of course that’s not true. Bloggers do screw up. It’s part of the territory.
I’m thinking about this today because one of my favorite bloggers, Pamela Smart of Escape from Cubicle Nation, made a pretty public mistake that she’s really been struggling with. She misused a word, but in a way that brought offense, so like any good blogger, she publicly apologized. And then wrote another post on what she learned from the experience. Read the comments on her first post. You’ll see that not only did her readers understand and sympathize with her, the mistake and her subsequent apology made them like her even MORE.
That’s the difference between blogging and other forms of writing. We get to see a more human side of authors, without all the formalities and barriers that arise when you have to maintain a particular persona or when editors start working on your copy. And the thing is, we usually LIKE seeing that human side that makes mistakes, just like we all do.
Some people fear that blogging mistakes make them look less “professional.” I disagree. Mistakes are part of learning and I’m assuming that we all think that learning is part of being professional. Really, it’s better to learn as you go.
So I say, plunge in. Make the mistakes, but then use them as additional blog fodder and an opportunity to learn. You might be surprised where they take you.
Topics: Writing | 1 Comment »
What’s the Big Deal About Blogs?
By Michele Martin | December 1, 2007
Lee and Sachi LeFever have a great three-minute video series about various Web 2.0 tools called the Plain English series. This one is Blogs in Plain English and does a nice job of explaining how they work and why you might want to have one. Also check out:
Topics: Basics | No Comments »
Blogging by Visiting
By Michele Martin | November 29, 2007
One of the things that happens when you first start blogging is that you tend to be very focused on yourself. You’re consumed with things like:
- What should I write?
- How do I get people to come over here and read what I have to say?
- How often should I post?
- Should I keep tweaking the layout of my site or does it look OK?
The list goes on and on. It’s very easy to get absorbed in yourself.
But here’s the deal. Blogging is about conversation. It’s about talking with other people, reading their ideas, giving and receiving feedback. If you spend all your time at your place, then 1) you won’t meet any new people and 2) you’re not very interesting to hang out with.
Think of it this way. Your blog is like your house. Do you just sit at home and wait for people to come to you? Do they somehow magically know to appear on your doorstep to chat about the weather or the latest news? Of course not. You have to leave your house to go visit people you already know or meet new ones. Once you have some friends and start chatting then they come visit you at your place. But not all the time. Sometimes you have to go to their house, too.
Blogging is like that. Yes, you need to spend some time in your own home, fixing it up, making sure it’s inviting and interesting. But you also have to make sure you go see other people, find out what they’re up to, leave them a comment to tell them that you appreciate what they say or that their ideas interest you.
Alan Levine has some good thoughts on how to keep blogging as a social act, rather than something you do by yourself. It’s easy to forget the community aspect, but that’s one of the main reasons for blogging. Otherwise you’re just another web page.
Topics: Conversations | 1 Comment »
Evolution of a Blog Post
By Michele Martin | November 25, 2007
The video is not quite as clear as I would have liked. I used Camtasia to create it and for some reason in the conversion process for the web, the screencapture isn’t quite what I wanted. I’ll have to play around with this a little more to see what the problem is.
Topics: Writing | 1 Comment »
Save Time and Reach New Audiences By Repurposing Existing Content
By Michele Martin | November 21, 2007
As we discussed the other day, a lot of people shy away from blogging because they worry that they don’t have the time. One of the strategies I suggested for dealing with this issue was to repurpose existing content–that is, to use materials you’ve already created and turn them into blog posts.
Another major advantage of re-using content is that it allows you to reach new audiences. I may have missed that book you wrote, but if you turn parts of it into blog posts, I’m more likely to find you AND potentially buy your book. This can breathe new life into old projects and attract a completely new group of people to your ideas and approach.
Where Do I Find Old Content?
Depending on your professional level and previous experience, blog fodder is probably littering your office. You can find it in the:
- Books, articles and reports you’ve written,
- Newsletters
- Emails
- Research notes
- Conference presentations.
- Audio and video recordings
If your profession involves creating these kinds of materials, you’ll probably be shocked at what already exists to make your blogging job easier.
What Can I Do With These Materials?
Once you’ve gone through your old content, start thinking about new ways of using it. You can:
- Republish articles “as is” if you own the copyright. If not, see if you can get permission from the publisher, who will probably be thrilled to find that your blog posts may drum up additional interest in your previous materials.
- Edit the original piece to be more “blog friendly,” using a more informal, conversational tone.
- Rewrite your information for a different audience–maybe simplifying more advanced materials for beginning readers who visit your blog.
- Take a multimedia approach by creating a short podcast or video that builds upon your original work or simply converts it to an audio format.
- Expand on notes and emails you may have written as part of thinking about an issue or planning for an article.
You Can Remix Blog Posts Too
Once you get into the remix mode, you’ll realize that repurposing content isn’t a one way street. You can republish blog posts as articles for both on and off-line publications. You can also turn posts or a series of posts into books, ebooks, How-To Guides, online seminars and workshops, and reports.
Learn More
To learn more about repurposing content, try these articles:
- What is the Fastest, Easiest Way to Repurpose Content? Be sure to read the section on how you could take a single article and turn it into several different publications.
Do you currently repurpose content for your blog? If so, let us know how you do it by dropping us a line in comments.
Topics: Blog Content | 2 Comments »
Reader Question: How Do I Find the Time to Blog?
By Michele Martin | November 18, 2007
It’s been a few days since I posted here, so it seemed appropriate that the next reader question from our continuing series that I should tackle is:
How do I find the time to blog?
Let’s start with the fact that you will not always have the time to blog. Other parts of your life will intrude and it will be more important to address those than it will be to blog. This is OK, as long as you observe one simple courtesy–Tell your readers.
If you’ll be taking a planned break from blogging (like a vacation), put up a post saying you’ll be away for a few days and will return to your regular schedule when you return. If you’re swamped with other things, post about that to let people know what’s going on. Most readers know and respect the fact that you won’t always be able to blog on a regular schedule. As long as you keep them informed, they’ll usually stick with you.
That said, let’s get back to the original issue–how do you find the time to blog on a regular basis? Here are a few suggestions:
- Do not treat blogging like writing a report or article. Blogging, by its nature, is a more informal type of writing. It is expected that your blog posts won’t be as well researched and articulated as your more formal writing efforts. That’s not the point of blogging anyway. So while you should make an effort to ensure that what you write is accurate and reasonably well-written, don’t get hung up on perfectionism. It isn’t the nature of the this beast.
- Make blogging part of your process. In her article, Blogging without the Time Sink, journalist Amy Gahran advises that you treat blogging as a sort of “back-up brain” where you write about in-process research, interactions, initial brainstorming, etc. One of the primary reasons for blogging is to engage in online conversations. Blogging as part of your work process gives you an opportunity to obtain feedback for final products (like that report you’re working on) and to reflect on what you’re learning.
- Re-purpose old content. You don’t always have to start a blog post from scratch. Look back through other materials you’ve written and see if you can find a post in there. Usually with a little editing, you can find some good content.
- Write shorter posts. Jakob Nielsen has done extensive research on how people use the web. He’s discovered that a mixture of short posts (600 words or less) with some longer posts (around 1,000 words) offer the best value for most blog readers. The majority of your posts should be shorter, supplemented by some longer posts for more in-depth coverage.
- Write less often. Most bloggers try to find a regular posting schedule and stick to it. One post per day is pretty common. But depending on your blog’s focus and audience, you may want to post only a few times per week, especially if you write longer posts. It’s OK to do this–just set the expectation with your audience that this is how you post.
- Write list and link posts. When I’m short on time but feel like I need to put something up, I’ll often turn to a list post or a link post to fill in the gap. A list post is what it sounds like–here’s an example on Ten Tips for Writing a Blog Post. A link post is a list of links to other sites or resources, like this one. And here’s an article on how to write a link post. If you blog using Wordpress, there’s even a way to automatically create link posts using your de.licio.us bookmarks so that as you find and bookmark new content, you can add the info to your blog without writing a separate post. A very nice timesaver, especially if you’re in research mode.
- Plan ahead. One thing I’ve learned is that if at all possible, it makes sense to plan and write a week’s worth of posts at one time. It may take you a few hours to write everything, but then you’re done for the week and can move on to other things. Usually you’ll find that you’ll get into a writing groove and can knock out several posts fairly easily. This is also a good way to write a blog series.
Time is always going to be an issue when you’re blogging. There will be weeks when blogging fits easily into your schedule and weeks when it doesn’t. For most people, though, with a little planning and thought, time can become less of an issue. And the benefit you get from regular blogging will be a great inducement to finding the time.
Tags:TimeTopics: Reader Questions | 6 Comments »
Reader Question: How Is a Blog Different From a Web Page?
By Michele Martin | November 12, 2007
In the first of our several part series responding to Reader Questions on blogging, I’m going to address a really basic, but really important question:
How is a blog different from a regular web page?
Before we do that, let’s start with how a blog is the SAME as a regular web page:
- You access both through a URL or “domain name,” such as www.blogging4community.com
- Both use hyperlinks to help you move within the site as well as to other locations on the Internet.
- You can include text, photos, audio and video on both kinds of sites.
So a blog is really a type of website that has special characteristics that make it different from a regular web page. I’ve discussed some of these characteristics in a previous post on Why Blogs Matter, but let’s review a couple of key points:
- Blogs consist of individual posts or articles, usually arranged in reverse chronological order with the most recent post at the top. Although you may also be able to access articles in other ways (such as by category), the main organizing principle for a blog is the calendar approach.
- Blogs are easier to create and maintain than a website. If you can write and send an email, you probably have the technical skills to use blogging software to create a blog. Websites, on the other hand, usually require the skills of a webmaster.
- A blog encourages two-way communication between the author and readers. Blogs are set up to allow for commenting so that as visitors read information on your site, they can click on a link to easily comment on individual articles. This is different from a regular website, which often doesn’t allow for any kind of feedback or if it does, the feedback is more general, such as through a “reader feedback form.” Blogs are designed to encourage discussion. Web sites are designed to share information.
- Blogs use a more informal, “personal” voice than websites. Because blogs were created to encourage conversations, you generally use a more informal tone in your blog posts than you would on a website. This informal approach allows you to develop a greater sense of community and connection with customers and others for whom you may be writing your blog.
- Blogs make you more “findable” on the web. When you blog, you will generally be linking to other blogs who will, in turn, link to you. This increases your online exposure–more ways for people to get to you. In addition, you will be publishing more frequently on a blog than you do on a website, which means more mentions of you online. Both of these result in higher search engine rankings.
- People can subscribe to a blog. Readers of your blog can use RSS to “subscribe” to be notified when you publish new articles. This makes it more likely that they will read your content because the information will come to them. They won’t have to remember to visit your site to get updated stories.
So that’s my long list of differences. But I think that Darren Rowse probably said it the best:
“A company has a website. That website talks to customers.
A person has a blog. That blog talks to people.”
And one more thing, in case you’re thinking that a company doesn’t need a blog–People buy from and are connected to people, not companies. So if you want to create connections to people, then you want to blog.
Topics: Reader Questions | No Comments »
The Reader Questions Series: What Professional Association Members Want to Know About Blogging
By Michele Martin | November 12, 2007
Last week, Christine and I facilitated a session with Rob Pusch on The Art and Practice of Blogging at the Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research (SIETAR) conference. During our workshop, we fielded a lot of questions about blogging basics and how blogs can be used in the professional realm. There were many issues we didn’t have time to address, so over the next few weeks we plan to post some answers These will really benefit anyone who’s interested in exploring how to use blogs in a professional setting.
Some of the questions our participants had included:
- Why should I blog?
- How do I store/organize materials?
- How do I use a blog with a class, particularly integrating it into something like Blackboard?
- How does a blog fit in with other tools, like email lists, our own website, Second Life, wikis, etc.?
- How do you find a “point of focus” for your blog?
- Is this a good way for me to go about reaching international students?
- Will my university be upset that I am skipping/leaving them out?
- How do I balance having my blog serve as an open forum with being sensitive to/careful about participants, customers, etc.?
- Do I need to moderate my blog?
- Should it be “dangerous” for institutions?
- A blog looks like a web page–is it?
- Why do people like to read blogs? I know I’d like to write one, but I’m not that into reading other people’s blogs as much, so why would they want to read mine?
- How do I find the time to maintain a blog?
A lot of great questions here, as well as good fodder for discussion. Please feel free to add to the list and/or to let us know how you’d answer these.
Topics: Reader Questions | No Comments »
Advice for New Bloggers
By Michele Martin | November 5, 2007
Over at The Bamboo Project, I asked readers to share with me their advice for new bloggers. Here’s what they had to say:
Deciding to Blog
On the subject of deciding to blog in the first place, the consensus seems to be to start a blog when you find something you feel strongly about and that you feel personally connected to. This is true for both personal and professional blogging.
Cathy Moore sums it up this way:“A good sign that it’s time to start your own blog is when you leave long comments on other people’s blogs and still want to say more.”
And Harold Jarche says,“Write for yourself and on something that you’re passionate about.”
New blogger Lance echoes this with his advice:
I’m in two minds here; it’s either don’t, unless you have something to say, or jump in the deep end and see where it takes you. I think I’m leaning to the “don’t” theory. My reasoning here is that unless you feel that there is some value in what you write, that will generally show through. (”What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.” Samuel Johnson). Additionally without some purpose, disillusionment will not be far behind. I jumped in, thinking it was something that I should try. Thankfully, I had some very supportive people to help me.
Learn the Terrain
Before you leap into blogging, many readers suggest getting comfortable with the genre. As Maya Norton points out in her excellent follow-up post, you need to study the craft of blogging and learn from the experts, even if you’re a great writer in other venues. The blogosphere is a distinctly different animal and it will pay for you to get acquainted with it first.
To learn from the experts, Glen Ross suggests checking out blogs like Copyblogger and Problogger. I’d add Skelliwag to the list. Also look within your niche to see who everyone else seems to link to. For example in nonprofit technology, Beth Kanter is a legend and I’ve learned a ton about blogging from her. Through Beth I’ve found some other great bloggers, too–a chain of best practices to follow and experience.
Finally, study this list of 101 Essential Blogging Skills, provided by Robin Reagler. It’s a great set of skills every blogger should have. But don’t let this list stop you from starting to blog. It’s only through the actual experience of blogging that you’ll be able to develop most of these skills. Reading and commenting on other blogs will only give you a brief warm-up for the real activity that lies ahead.
Build It And They Will Come?
Many bloggers get online because they want to reach an audience. But as Lance points out, building a blog doesn’t mean instant readership. Says Lance, “Be realistic - you are not going to have a huge reader base when you start. Tenacity is required. Keep at it and write as if the world were reading it.”
This is something I wrote about earlier this year in Preaching to Empty Pews, recalling the first months of The Bamboo Project. Feeling like you’re writing into the void can be disheartening and keeps many people from getting started, but remember there are advantages to not having an instant reader base. You get some time to practice alone before having to blog with an audience.
The point here is to not get so worried about having readers that you never start blogging. If you’re passionate about your topic and are willing to stick with it, you can begin to develop an audience. Don’t quit before you even try.
Getting Started With Your Blog
Once you’ve made the decision to start a blog:
- Get together a week’s worth of posts– Bronwyn Mauldin suggests that you be sure to have a week’s worth of posts in hand before launching your blog. She says, “instead of posting them all in one week, space them out at one per week. It’s easy to go crazy when you start, then burn out quickly. Pace yourself. This is a marathon, not a sprint.” She’s most definitely right about that!
- Don’t get too hung up on tweaking your design–Cathy Moore warns:
“One challenge I faced: I’m a design and control freak, so I spent too long tweaking my WordPress design. I’d recommend that a new WP blogger get a recent design that supports widgets and simply accept that it won’t ever look exactly right.”
This is good advice no matter what platform you’re using, especially when so many people will be using a feed reader to read your posts.
- Don’t freak about blogging platforms–Related to Cathy’s comment, I’d suggest not getting too worked up about blogging platforms, either. If you just want to try things out, Blogger or Vox may be your best bets. I think that they’re probably the easiest to get up and running, especially if you’re in the experimental stages. You can also try Wordpress, which many, many bloggers swear by. I use Typepad myself, but there is a monthly fee, unlike the other three I’ve mentioned here.
- Read these tips from other bloggers–From Problogger Darren Rowse, learn what his readers wish they’d known when they started blogging. Some good info here.
- While you’re at Darren’s site, check out his Blogging Tips for Beginners Series. These posts cover just about everything you’d want to know about how to start a blog.
What advice do you have for new bloggers? And if you’re a new blogger yourself, what questions do you have?
Topics: Basics | 1 Comment »
Commenting Do’s and Don’ts: Some Advice to Get You Started
By Michele Martin | October 11, 2007
A few days ago we discussed the different ways you can get your feet wet in the blogging pool. Commenting on blog posts is one of them. It’s also a great way to develop relationships with other bloggers and to introduce yourself into the online community.
Here are some Commenting Do’s and Don’ts to get you started:
DO . . .
- Read this Blogger’s Guide to Comment Etiquette. Lots of good advice here for even more experienced commenters.
- Add value to the conversation. An occasional “Me too” comment is OK, but the point of commenting is to participate in a dialog with the author of the blog and/or others who have commented on a particular post. Try to extend the conversation by adding something new, rather than just agreeing with what’s already been said.
- Be prepared for a range of responses from the blog’s author. It’s human nature to want a blogger to respond to any comments we’ve left on their blog. The best bloggers will get back to those who leave comments, either via a personal email or by responding to the comment by leaving their own comment on the blog post. But this doesn’t always happen. Bloggers get busy and may not have the time. Or if they run a large blog with lots of commenters, they may not be able to respond to every one. Don’t take it personally. And keep commenting.
DON’T. . .
- Be afraid to leave a comment. A lot of readers are afraid to leave a comment on a blog post, especially if they’re the first ones to do so. Don’t be intimidated. The blogger has already started the conversation by writing the post. It’s up to you to respond to keep the conversation going.
- Use comments strictly to drive traffic to your own blog. If you’ve written something on your blog that relates to another blogger’s post, by all means feel free to share a link to your site in comments. But don’t make a habit out of using comments primarily as a way to drive others to your own blog. It usually doesn’t work and has a way of upsetting other bloggers. The currency of the blogosphere is sharing. Anything that looks like you’re taking without giving will be viewed poorly.
Commenting is one of the key ways you can engage in the online community of bloggers, regardless of whether or not you maintain your own blog. Be sure to hone your skills in this area. It will pay off.
Topics: Commenting | 1 Comment »