Blogs Are Best For...

Problogger's written the most clear description of what a blog is best for that I've seen. Although he's talking about the business/sales blogging niche, I think it contains great information for anyone just starting out (as well as anyone else who's interested.)

Here he describes blogging's strengths:

"While blogs can be used as a tool for selling they are at their best when they are relational, conversational and offer their readers something useful that will enhance their lives in some way. Ask most blog subscribers why they follow a particular blog and you’ll find out that in almost every case they get something out of the blog (whether it be entertainment, advice, research, ideas etc)."

Thanks, Problogger!

There's Always A Catch

Lifehack has a fascinating post on the "open source" concept, and it's a great piece. It made me think about how open sourcing not only puts the power in our hands, but grants us some problems we haven't had to address before in our lives.

By far, the toughest thing about maintaining a blog is coming up with interesting content at least five days a week. I've seen friends start a blog and then, after a few days or a week, give it up. The reason? They feel they ran out of interesting things to say.

To me, this problem can be seen in a different light. If you start a blog, then you're starting a communications tool that can have far-reaching and maybe even global ramifications. Kind of like starting a newspaper, or developing a new cable channel.

Starting a newspaper means you have to come up with page after page of content every single day -plus ads to pay for it. Starting a cable station means you have to come up with 24 hours of content 7 days a week 365 days a year, without end.

No wonder channels like Animal Planet start running movies that have appeared on other cable channels!

You've got the same problem with your blog - although at a much smaller scale. It's a problem we all inherit when we take on a role that was traditionally only available to people with huge amounts of cash and or power.

So instead of thinking "OMG, I have to write something interesting every day for five days!" change your thinking to "Wow, I only have to come up with a short paragraph of interesting information for five days, then I have two days in which I can see how many ideas I can generate before I have to do it all over again!"

And you can even miss a day if you have to.

Ignore Mainstream Media

I'm advocating for a radical idea here, one that could be of definite benefit to small organizations, and individuals too.

Ignore mainstream media. Don't generate newspaper and television coverage of your issue or interest area. Don't bother with op-eds, features, and interviews if they're going to be carried over the airwaves, on cable, or in newsprint across the country.

And do what instead? Do what you're already doing, but optimize it. Worry more about your Google ranking than your news releases. Generate daily online content instead of fact sheets for the press. Treat your current audience - as listed in your mailing lists - like they're MacNeil-Lehrer. Like gold.

Why would I propose such a heinous idea? Because newspapers and television aren't there for you. (We won't even start discussing radio.) Their number 1 focus is on making money - and this goes for public broadcasting too. They only care about your issue area or interest if it relates to their bottom line - and they'll tell you how it relates.

It's just not cost effective to spend the time courting and obtaining mainstream media coverage.

Look at what you're up against:

• You're competing against Paris Hilton.
• You're yelling at the top of your voice in an information-oversaturated marketplace.
• There are just too many channels and too many newspapers to count.
• Mainstream media requires variety over substance - which means even if they run a story on you/your issue, you can bet that'll be the only story they run on it for the next year.
• It's useless to use newspapers and television to "build awareness" - you're firing a musket spraying buckshot when you should be injecting a hypodermic needle.
• Mainstream media's audience is not your audience, unless your audience is the general public (and you should have a really good reason for courting that audience.)
• You could be working more from your ego than from an unselfish desire for doing good.
• Media doesn't just set the agenda, it creates its own agenda - and face it, you're just not on it.
• You're constantly asking permission, instead of just going ahead and implementing.
• You know your audience better than anyone else.

However, if you get a call from a media source, by all means, give them what they need, and meet their deadlines. But let them come to you. If the story's big enough, they will.

But your story doesn't have to be big enough in order to attract the interest of a smaller, defined audience.

If you positively, absolutely have to get the media to pay attention to you, check out "Maximum Exposure for your Business or Blog" at Lifehack.org.

But first, read about how ABC's 20/20 found Scott The Nametag Guy.

REAL LIFE LEARNING: My Other Blog IS NOT a Spam Blog!

Blogger researched my other blog (krooz) and found it was not a Spam Blog, which means I'm once again able to post to it. It only took about 24 hours, so I wasn't down all that long. And I was able to continue saving drafts. See my previous post for the beginning of this mini-saga.

Here's the email I received from Blogger yesterday:

Hello,
Your blog has been reviewed, verified, and cleared for regular use so that it will no longer appear as potential spam. If you sign out of Blogger and sign back in again, you should be able to post as normal. Thanks for your patience, and we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.
Sincerely,
The Blogger Team

Not bad at all. However, if my blog was monetized, I'm not sure how I would feel being down 24 hours. But I'm not overly concerned at this point. Blogger came through for me, and no matter what we do online, there are going to be down times.

One thing I've been doing lately, in case I do want to move my blogs out on their own, is begin studying CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). I picked up a great book titled Head First HTML with CSS and XHTML. It's as thick and heavy as a phone directory, but that let that put you off. It's a blast - a ton of fun - to read and work through! It's helping me identify gaps in my knowledge - I learned HTML one morning a few years back, in a Macromedia Homesite class, and I've been able to do much with (admittedly) limited knowledge. Also, the book's really helping me develop a foundation for understanding Web site workings. I look forward each day to spending time with it.

And now, it's time to study!

REAL LIFE LEARNING: My Other Blog is a Spam Blog

Here's a problem with having Blogger host your blog:

This blog has been locked by Blogger's spam-prevention robots. You will not be able to publish your posts, but you will be able to save them as drafts.

Save your post as a draft or click here for more about what's going on and how to get your blog unlocked.

That's the message I received today when I tried to post to my other blog titled "krooz."

I'm sure it's because of two things:

1. I ran the list of blogging metaphors from Liz Strauss's blog (which included my metaphor post "Feeding on Plankton.")

2. I've been linking to my previous posts in my series "It May Not Be Your Passion If" - perhaps not the most efficient method of linking, but hey, shoot me!

I'm not sure when Blogger will let me post again to "krooz." I did a quick Google search on the words "Blogger's spam-prevention robots" and came up with a bunch of similar stories.

I am not now, nor have I ever been, a spam blog. One pair of human eyes could quickly come to this conclusion.

This could go either way - Blogger could quickly restore my ability to post my own writings, or it could take days. And I could go either way too - I could stay with Blogger and continue to recommend the service, or I could jump ship and go somewhere else (most likely On My Own) if I'm unhappy with the outcome.

The ball's in your court, Blogger...

Old Newspapers and Flying Cars

A frustrating and fascinating aspect of New Media is what it's doing to our old and beloved methods of mass communication.

And we have to face it at some point or another: Newspapers and Television (capitalized to stand for the institutions themselves) have lost their place at the top of the pyramid.

Sure, we all still dream of having ourselves or our stories carried on the Fourth Estate. But that's the old paradigm continuing to influence our egos. We can't shake the believe in that correctly-placed television ad or news story - and how it will focus so much attention on us or our issue that we'll need Starbucks House Blend IVs providing our energy to deal with it all.

Steve Pavlina, the enormously influential blogger, has a compelling blend of data and opinion on this in his post "New York Times vs. Digg - Strange New Media." From the article:

"While old media has feedback channels as well, the general perception is that they’re still too corporate and aren’t really listening. I don’t think many people genuinely believe that if you suggest a story to the New York Times via their web site that your idea will be forwarded to a writer for consideration within the next few hours. Yet blogs and social bookmarking sites give you that opportunity in abundance."

I started this post saying New Media is frustrating and fascinating. Frustrating because there's so much to learn, the pace of change and improvement in online capabilities sends us running for those Starbucks IVs, we don't know where it's all going, and we've just learned how to work the Old Media. Fascinating because... well, I can't speak for you, but I find it fascinating! Not least because so much is now in our hands.

Take a look at Liz Strauss's post "The Internet’s Not Finished, But Flying Cars Are Unlikely" at The Blog Herald. I think it's a good follow-up to the Brave New Media post, as it gets us thinking about the different dimensions our communications can take.

And for that headache and panic slowly building when faced with all this new stuff? A couple of Tylenols and some time in a quiet room. That works better for me than coffee!

A Few Early Steps

Liz Strauss has posted the first submissions to her "Metaphor Project," which asked for bloggers to tell what metaphors they use when talking about this method of online communication.

I'm excited because I've received very positive feedback from a number of sources on my "Whale Metaphor" (originally from the the "Moonlight" post of May 27 and revised as "Feeding on Plankton" on my other blog "krooz.") Big thanks from me to Liz for including my metaphor in this early round!

Heres' the list - they're a richly varied group, and hopefully one will catch your eye and deepen your understanding!

What metaphor do you use to explain blogging? at Ian’s Messy Desk
Blogging Metaphor–The Salad Bar Blog at Word Sell
My blog is a smorgasbord, come and eat… at Juggling Frogs
Feeding on Plankton at krooz
My Preferred Metaphor for Business Blogging at Business and Blogging
10 reasons why blogging is like dating” at Romance Tracker
Equestrian Ecstasy - Portal to another Reality at INNside Innkeeping in Montana
Blogging Metaphors: Bridge-Building at Middle Zone Musings
Blogging Metaphor: Blogging is like Exercise at Virtual Impax
My Blogging Metaphor: BNI at Kiss2
Why Conversational Blogging Is Like A LineConga at dawudmiracle
Blog 101 and the New Cocktail Party at What Would Dad Say

It's taken me awhile to get used to comments, memes, and other online conversation builders. I hate to be thought of as a "lurker," someone who reads blogs and doesn't leave his mark through a comment or some other means. There have been times I've drafted a comment, but end up deleting it, thinking it's uninteresting. So, when I receive great feedback and get recognized by others out there, it builds up my confidence and energy to get out there and talk some more!