My top 5 ways of finding blog post ideas
Thanks you for visiting. Please consider subscribing to the RSS feed.
Bloggers occasionally go through periods where we don’t know what to write about. I’ve been in this place for a couple weeks now, since starting a new job. The more “newsy” blogs I maintain are affected the most, since I can’t keep up with the world during the work day anymore.
So, what do I write about? Where do I go for ideas? Here’s my top 5 ways of finding blog post ideas:
1. My logs. I check my analytics logs to see what people are searching for when they hit my blog. From here, I have three options: Give them more of the same, give them what they were looking for but didn’t find, or give them something related.
2. My RSS feeds. The blogosphere is an incestuous place. Lots of people ripping off lots of other people. Scrapers and thieves abound. Rather than go that approach, I look for posts that inspire me in some way to provide my own thoughts. I might react to a post and continue the discussion. I might think I can do a better job providing better information. Or, I might just want to give some link-love and tell everyone to go read something interesting.
3. Google Trends. There are a lot of sites that do nothing but monitor Google Trends and throw up a couple quick posts each day just restating something said on another site simply to get hits from Google searchers. It works, to a certain extent. But, that’s more of a tactical use rather than a strategic use. I use it to brainstorm ideas. Of course, I want to post what people want to read on a lot of my sites, so this is a great tool. But, I probably only use it 5 or 6 times a month. It just helps me generate ideas and it would work better for traffic if I did it in a more timely manner, but I really try to use it for more of my quality ideas rather than quick-crap.
4. Paid-post marketplaces. You don’t have to get paid to write about something in a marketplace if it inspires you. You also have the freedom to reference any site with any anchor text. An added benefit is these are frequently profitable subjects on which to write, as evidenced by the fact that someone is paying for bloggers to do so.
5. People-watching. I’m an introvert. But, I like being around other people, so I’m always watching them, eavesdropping, responding to questions, and imagining what their lives are like. I’ve often seen or heard something funny, cool, or outrageous and thought, “I HAVE to blog THAT!”
Where do you get your ideas?
Popularity: 9% [?]
Making blogging adjustments for lifestyle changes
Yes, things have been pretty light around here lately. I started a new job and moved to a new state, and this has limited all things web-related for me. But, the job is definitely worth spending a little less time online, and has changed my approach to reviews.
Oh, I’m still doing them and still believe in the model. I just don’t have time (or the appropriate firewall settings at work) to be monitoring opportunities across multiple marketplaces, so I’ve moved into a less proactive mindset where I’m only writing reviews on request, on a limited number of blogs where it makes sense (read: makes the most money). This has moved me more towards sites like ReviewMe and Sponsored Reviews and Linkworth. I never had many inquiries from PPP-Direct, but with SocialSpark kicking in I need to get involved in the community again and get back to networking because everything I’ve seen shows me that the platform will outperform the old PPP-Direct for advertiser-initiated reviews.
Popularity: 12% [?]
Stumble is not Digg
I have a new domain up and running that is in the middle of a Stumble explosion, to the extent that it is currently my highest-trafficked site just one week into a concerted effort to promote. I posted a silly video, a funny commercial from Europe, and a bunch of people liked it and a couple didn’t. Here’s something I’ve noticed from having been through a couple of these big Stumbles:
All thumbs up sucks for traffic. Well, really, it’s ok for traffic, but if you want to really see some numbers then Stumble is just like anything else - a little controversy seems to go a long way.
Case in point: the video I posted is from metacafe, using Embed code provided by Metacafe and modified only to add “nofollow” tags because it’s a commercial and this is a Google world we live in…
Ahem…
So, some guy who has Stumbled something like 17,000 pages accuses me of stealing the video. First off, real discerning guy, stumbling 17,000 pages… Second, I used code provided by Metacafe, which gets the uploader of the video more plays and provided attribution to the uploader and to Metacafe.
It’s called “Viral Marketing”. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. The company that produced the video WANTS me to embed it in my blog. That’s the whole reason for uploading it to a site like Metacafe or YouTube. They want eyeballs.
As for someone not liking it and giving it a thumbs-down… good! It sure seems to help! I understand that the algorithm is theorized to take take into account the velocity of the reviews, and apparently it either doesn’t distinguish between thumbs-up and thumbs-down, or the algorithm may measure a diversity of opinion to drive traffic. Either way works.
Some people seem to think by giving a site a thumbs-down they are burying it, a la Digg. Stumble uses the thumbs up to learn what YOU like and present YOU with more like it, and a thumbs-down to learn what YOU don’t like and present YOU with less like it. Giving a thumbs-down is your decision. Just understand that you’re not killing the post.
Indifference kills the post.
Popularity: 15% [?]
Focus group video
Colleen posted the video of our focus group with then-PPP, now IZEA, from something like 6 months ago. I’m the male blogger with hair. I didn’t hear any of my insightful comments, but trust me, I was brilliant. In the video, all I do is nod my head thoughtfully and giggle like a schoolgirl.
The only “thing” of mine that really made it in the video was a shot of me at 3:10 wearing a sombrero taking a picture with Ted, who is wearing a viking hat with blond braids.
No, we weren’t drinking. That’s just how I roll.
Also, be sure to stick around for the outtake in the closing credit.
———–
Oh yeah, be sure to check out a great piece of linkbait and diggbait from Colleen: New from Old Navy - crusty, vaginal discharge pants!
Popularity: 19% [?]
Town Hall Chat With Ted Murphy, IZEA CEO
Ted Murphy, IZEA CEO, held a town hall chat with bloggers this evening. I clipped a few key points that were of interest to me (I think you can tell from the chat where I am focused), along with some Q&A from a few other bloggers:**
Bob: when will social spark beta testing begin?
Ted Murphy: I have a meeting about that friday morning. I hope to know more then.Tim @ Bloggerista: What is the advertisers’ feedback to nofollow in socialspark?
Ted Murphy: Some good, some bad. the seo’s don’t like ti much, but the regular advertiser have no problem with it. my guess is that 98%+ of all online ads have no-follow, most advertisers aren’t looking for seo, they are looking for clicks and sales.brettbum: Has any progress been made with Google or Matt Cutts or did everyone agree to not quite agree?
Ted Murphy: There is still some potential there, but there are definately some issues we don’t agree on. I want to do right by Google but they need to have a uniform application of policies.Tim @ Bloggerista: If advertisers are looking for clicks and sales, is socialspark (and us) going to be competing with affiliate programs? Are they responsive to the buzz marketing sales proposition?
Ted Murphy: it is a blended value proposition. for someone like a car manufacturer I can sell on the creation of the post alone. Would you pay $15 to have someone explore and research your vehicle and write 250 words. That is as good as it gets whithout having you go to the dealership. For other advertisers it is more about the clicks and direct sales. each advertiser has their own metricsryan: Are there plans to release ROI rank on a seperate site, like Real Rank?
Ted Murphy: ROIRank will be part of IZEAranks and will have an API like RealRank.Tim @ Bloggerista: You don’t have to answer it this if you don’t to, but are you holding back any big-brand advertisers so socialspark makes a splash (instant credibility)?
Ted Murphy: there are a few big advertisers that are lined up for SS. we have been getting some really great feedback.mistipurple: getting advertisers from asia? you have a huge market waiting to be tapped.
Ted Murphy: not a ton from asia, but 10% of business coming from the UK.
Key takeaways:
- “most advertisers aren’t looking for seo, they are looking for clicks and sales”
- “it is a blended value proposition. for someone like a car manufacturer I can sell on the creation of the post alone. Would you pay $15 to have someone explore and research your vehicle and write 250 words. That is as good as it gets whithout having you go to the dealership.”
- “there are a few big advertisers that are lined up for SS”
This makes sense when you consider the largest brand-name advertisers that IZEA wants to reach. For instance, Ford doesn’t necessarily require SEO, but they wanted to get buzz going for the Ford Scholars program and bloggers stepped up. Same goes for many of the movie studios - it’s more about buzz. From my experience, these advertisers are spending in big chunks with IZEA. While everyone has their individual preferences, these are the advertisers I enjoy writing about and embrace their opportunities.
**All clipped chat is unedited, typos and grammatical errors included
Popularity: 33% [?]
An easy way to get custom-printed mailing labels
I first found Vistaprint in 2003 when I needed business cards in the wake of a job loss.
I appreciate the ease with which Vistaprint allows me to order my print needs. There are always plentiful stylish templates, and I’ve also ordered cards using my own design. But, I’m a sucker for the free products, where you’re only paying for shipping.
I’ve also received mailing labels / address labels as part of past promotions. My wife loves there, because she handles paying our bills.
I admit it. We still pay bills by snail-mail. No electronic bill paying when we’re given the option. We had a bad experience with a mortgage payment that disappeared between banks. Nothing like having your home inching closer to foreclosure to shake your faith in technology.
There are three ways to design an address label at Vistaprint:
- Browse or search for a design template by industry or style
- Upload your own design
- Use the Vistaprint design wizard to create a custom label
You can play around with the various options before ordering, so go on over and try it out. There are also always great special, so be sure to check those out as well. As I said, I’m a customer multiple times over, and I can recommend the products and service firsthand.
Popularity: 23% [?]
Pulling together the Google penalty threads
Let’s tie the various posts I’ve written over the past few months together into some coherent form, shall we?
In October, I pointed out that using human reviewers to penalize websites for selling links was unfair, given that this is a highly subjective process that can’t possibly address all, or even a majority of link-sellers. One especially egregious loophole certain A-list bloggers were attempting to slide though were the monthly “Thank you” posts, complete with DoFollow links. This has recently been addressed by several of these A-listers in an attempt to come into compliance before losing their livelihoods, although the market has now been deprived of competition for advertising dollars.
This last point is critical to understanding Google’s motivation and the insidious nature of the company’s monopolistic business practice. Because Google sells the top search results in key searches, websites that sell links that allow other websites to rank for those key searches are deemed a competitive threat. When link-ad sales were done directly between the advertiser and publisher, the threat was not seen as significant; as soon as the market began to organize into marketplaces like PayPerPost, Google could see the potential for siphoning significant advertising dollars from Adwords.
Google’s argument is that search results must be kept relevant for searchers. But a company can pay for one of the top 3 spots in key searches on Google, thus skirting the “inbound-links-as-a-measure-of-relevancy” requirement (Seriously, Ditech and Lending Tree are more relevant than Bank of America? Who knew?). In so doing, Google destroys its own argument. It also speaks volumes about Google’s true motivations when it is revealed that Google did not get its own house in order with regard to paid links, before penalizing their competitors.
In the past month, whispers have grown louder about the supposedly penalized sites continuing to pass PageRank, causing me to wonder if advertisers are receiving great deals from publishers that have reduced their prices in the belief that a lower toolbar PageRank passes less link juice. Later in the month, Andy Beard accused Google of manipulating public and advertiser opinion by showing that the Google Directory displays what appears to be the internal PageRank, which is different from Toolbar PageRank, and I demonstrated that search engine traffic on my websites has grown despite a significant penalty.
In summarizing these various posts, I hope I succeed in painting a picture of a company that does not “walk the walk” with regard to their “Do No Evil”. Top search engine results are available to the highest bidder, and anyone with the chutzpa to compete with Google must be stifled.
Popularity: 63% [?]
Should PayPerPost file an antitrust claim against Google?
Came across this article thanks to Digg: Could PayPerPost Have an Antitrust Case Against Google?
To think that an antitrust case isn’t part of the exit strategy at IZEA is probably naive. If Socialspark catches fire, there would probably not be any action. But, if theyre just treading water and burning cash, a lawsuit does two things: First, it might force Google to go back to relying on an objective algorithm rather than subjective humans, and second, it might be easier for Google to pony up the cash to buy IZEA out rather than fight it out in court.
As stakeholders in what happens, a lot of bloggers like myself are anxious and impatient, but we don’t have the wherewithal to fight the battle in court. With money in the bank, IZEA can afford to wait a while and see how the market develops, and it can be expected any decisions that are made down the road will be in the best interest of the investors, as it should be.
What say you?
Popularity: 30% [?]
Tips for buying business gifts
In my past professional life, I did several tours as a marketing manager, responsible at various times for market communications, market research, and strategic marketing. In these roles, one of the more enjoyable tasks was selecting and purchasing promotional gifts, mostly for trade shows and customer visits.
Today, this world is much easier since you can now purchase business gifts online, as opposed to the way I had to do it - catalogs and salesmen. But, I learned a lot along the way, so here’s a couple tips for those of you in marketing, or you bloggers that are thinking of bringing a few items to your next blogger-get-together so people will remember and link to you:
1. For trade shows, have two classes of gifts - the cheap giveaways to the greedy people that have no interest in you, your product/service, or your company. Pens, post-its, that kind of thing. Then, have nicer items for your existing customers that take the time to visit with you, and for quality prospects - maybe a golf shirt or something in that price range, or a hat if money is tight. At one point, I gave away nice multi-purpose tools (leatherman-like) and flew all over the country with them in my briefcase, pre-9/11.
2. For customer visits to your facility, consider how much business that customer is/will be bringing. Our customers were bringing us multi-million dollar contracts. While a nice denim shirt wasn’t going to influence that kind of decision, you don’t want to look cheap by giving them a ballpoint pen. If the boss is set on pens (been there, done that, got the cheap-o pen to prove it), get a nice business gift pen set that looks and works like a quality item.
3. No matter what, always have personalized business gifts. You have a logo, so use it! If you can’t put a logo on the item you’re giving away, you’re wasting your money. The whole point is to leave the customer with something that has your brand attached to it.
4. Consider giving your customer’s something useful. A VP of engineering at one company I worked had a collection of coffee cups, and he didn’t drink coffee. So, he set up shelves in a conference room and displayed them there - hundreds of them. We called it the Cup Room. I couldn’t remember a single logo today, and when he left those cups stayed behind. On the other hand, I have a caribiner from a company that laid me off years ago that I still use for my keys.
Hope these tips were helpful. Please leave a comment if you have some ideas that should be considered as well.
Popularity: 22% [?]
Google Page Rank Penalties Not Real?
Oh, it’s been a while since I used the phrase Google Lies, and since I believe I may now be legally bound to use it at least once a month, just click the link below to Andy Beard and read for yourself. Here’s a teaser:
It seems Google used their real dataset for PageRank for the Google Directory export, forgetting that they are telling their millions of users lies on their toolbar with manual penalties, which until now had no visible proof.
Google have the right to do whatever they like with their search engine, but this is another major demonstration of how Google are manipulating public and advertiser opinion…
Why is this important?
Because the idea has been floated that penalized sites are still passing PageRank at the rate of their “internal-to-Google” PageRank, not the visible PageRank. This is the first solid sign I’ve seen that this may be the case.
Since PageRank is SUPPOSED to be a measure of trust, you would expect SERPs to be affected by the penalty. However, this does not appear to to be the case; SERPs seem to be unaffected. I know one of my penalized sites has exploded with traffic from Google, in relative terms, since the penalty. If the penalty had cascaded into the SERPs, my Google-traffic should have gone away. In fact, the opposite has happened. For Florida Sun Dog:
October traffic from Google: 172
November traffic from Google: 177 (penalty received)
December traffic from Google: 540
January (to date) traffic from Google: 467
Yes, I’m on track for 5x the traffic from Google for January as compare to October despite taking a penalty two months ago. It’s important to note that December’s traffic from Google was less than 5% of total traffic, and thus far Google’s traffic is about 8% of traffic.
So, the penalty has hit me in the wallet, but not in my audience. I’ve been denied nothing except the ability to make money. So the world will just have to excuse me when I get frustrated with the insistence by Matt Cutts and his fans that Google is just protecting it’s search results.
Popularity: 100% [?]
