My office phone jingled. “Blogging Bistro. This is Laura.” “Hi. My name is Beth.* I own a local store.” Long pause. “I started a blog. But it’s… well… really ugly. And I hate writing it. But I know I need it. Do you write blogs? How much do you charge?” I smiled. More than a […]
[ Read more ]Joshua Williams listens to his customers… and responds. The manager of The Salt Shaker bookstore in Enumclaw, Washington, Joshua has created a comfortable space for folks to browse everything from books to video rentals to gifts to church supplies. The store’s children’s department features a custom Noah’s Ark reading and play area. In addition to […]
[ Read more ]An increasing amount of blogs are implementing interactive commenting systems that encourage readers to engage in conversation — not just with the blog’s author, but with each other. I’ve enjoyed participating in these forums on others’ blogs, and after evaluating several commenting systems, I installed Disqus (dis·cuss • dĭ-skŭs’), a free, easy-to-use comment moderation tool. […]
[ Read more ]“I don’t understand blog posts, emails and other messages that begin with an apology,” writes Seth Godin on his blog today. My readers and clients often ask me: If life gets in the way and I haven’t blogged in a while, should I apologize to my readers when I return? No. Frankly, the vast majority […]
[ Read more ]Last night, at the meeting of our local writers’ association, a woman approached me. “I really like getting your Social Media Tip of the Day in my Inbox,” she said. They’re helpful, and they seem to come at the exact time I need to hear that particular bit of advice.” Social Media Tip of the […]
[ Read more ]In Friday’s guest column, Geoff Hoff points out that using fiction techniques in your business blog posts makes your writing “more viscerally appealing to your reader.” I couldn’t agree more. I write non-fiction, but I read fiction (55 novels in 2009). As I inhale novels, I mentally dissect each one to learn how the author […]
[ Read more ]Have you considered showcasing some of your best blog posts from 2009? “Best of…” posts are always popular with readers, and they also help you get more mileage from your archived articles. I enjoy creating tutorials for beginning social media users; here are 16 of my most-requested ones: The Blogging Barista’s Best How To-torials of […]
[ Read more ]Did you know… …John Lennon was murdered December 8, 1980? … the computer mouse was developed December 9, 1968? … Emily Dickinson’s birthday was December 10, 1830? (a fact every poet should have memorized!) Whenever your blog post idea bank runs dry, consider writing an article that focuses on a historic event, date, or […]
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I eagerly downloaded and printed a 30-page Special Report from a well-known blogger. Highlighter pen in hand, I began reading, expecting to find many nuggets. I did do a lot of underlining, but not the things the author hoped I’d highlight.
Instead, I marked 10 words and phrases the author used repeatedly. Here they are, followed by my translation of each:
[ Read more ]Yesterday we discussed the top 8 reasons why people decide not to blog. Today we’ll chew on the top 10 reasons why people blog. 1. To make new friends Everyone longs to feel like part of a community. Blogging connects you with a worldwide community of like-minded people with whom you can engage in conversation […]
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