Blogging

Let’s #bloglikecrazy!

Thanks to Carol Marks
for creating this graphic for us!

Today is the day! Today is Day 1 of #bloglikecrazy. I’ll be participating in the challenge with my personal blog, The Writeous Babe Project.

Here are the rules:

1. Visit the See Jane Write Magazine announcement of #bloglikecrazy and leave your name, blog URL, and Twitter handle in the comments section of the article to let me know you’re in!

2. Publish a new post on your blog every day in the month of November.

3. If you’re on Facebook, share links to your posts in the See Jane Write Birmingham Facebook group.

4. If you’re on Twitter, tweet out links to your posts and use the hashtag #bloglikecrazy.

5. Have fun!

You’re free to write about anything you want this month, but if you find yourself struggling with blogger’s block, use these prompts for inspiration.

I’d love for you to also grab the code for the image above and add it to your blog sidebar in case your readers would like to join the fun. (You can find the code to the right of this post.)

Now let’s blog like crazy!

It’s Almost Time to #bloglikecrazy

bloglikecrazy

It’s about to be that time again; it’s almost time to blog like crazy!

Last year I challenged the women of See Jane Write and some of my other blogger buddies to “blog like crazy.” The challenge was simple: for the month of November post new content to your blog every day. That’s a new blog post every day for the 30 days. Sure, it sounds simple, but if you’re a blogger you know that posting every day is a lot easier said than done.

But many ladies of See Jane Write gladly stepped up to the challenge, posting daily and sharing their posts in the See Jane Write Birmingham Facebook group and on Twitter using the hashtag #bloglikecrazy.

Starting Nov. 1 we’re going to #bloglikecrazy again this year. I hope you’ll join us. You don’t have to be a member of See Jane Write or live in Birmingham to participate. You just need a blog and willingness to write.

You may be wondering why you should bother blogging every day. Some people believe that writing daily can kill your creativity or result in sub-par content. While I believe there is some truth in those statements I also believe in the power of practice. Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones explained this notion best:

This is the practice school of writing. Like running, the more you do it, the better you get at it. Some days you don’t want to run and you resist every step of the three miles, but you do it anyway. You practice whether you want to or not. You don’t wait around for inspiration and deep desire to run. It’ll never happen, especially if you’re out of shape or have been avoiding it. But if you run regularly, you train your mind to cut through or ignore your resistance. You just do it. And in the middle of the run, you love it. When you come to the end, you never want to stop. And you stop, hungry for the next time.

 

This summer I exercised every day for 30 days as I was working to complete Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred workout plan. This meant that one night, after a very busy day and an evening spent at a friend’s birthday dinner, I had to exercise at 10:30 p.m. with a belly full of Indian food. But I was determined not to skip a day. That month I likened exercise to brushing my teeth and in November I’ll do the same with blogging. You don’t skip brushing your teeth because you’re too tired or too busy, do you? (I sure hope not.)

I believe that choosing not to write simply because you don’t feel like will, in the long run, hurt your craft because you won’t learn the discipline and dedication necessary to succeed at writing.

You may be thinking, “But what if I have nothing to write about?”

Don’t worry. I have you covered. Head to See Jane Write Magazine for prompts for each day of #bloglikecrazy. Now, you don’t have to follow these prompts to participate. But these suggestions are here in case you find yourself experiencing blogger’s block and staring at a blank computer screen.

If you plan to participate, visit the See Jane Write Magazine announcement of #bloglikecrazy and leave your name, blog URL, and Twitter handle in the comments section of that post.

Let’s get ready to #bloglikecrazy!

Fro Fashion Week to Host Blogger Boot Camp

‘Fro Fashion Week is one of the most popular celebrations of natural hair and fashion in the country, drawing thousands of attendees from all over the nation. Now in its 6th cycle, ‘Fro Fashion Week is headed to New York, Sept. 5-8, 2013, just in time for New York Fashion Week.

Since its first Blogger Brunch featuring Patrice Yursik of Afrobella, ‘Fro Fashion Week has always worked to equip bloggers with the tools they need to build relationships with beauty and style brands as well as grow their own brands. This year ‘Fro Fashion Week is taking those efforts a step further with Blogger Boot Camp.

‘Fro Fashion Week is offering 10 natural hair or fashion bloggers the chance to take their media savvy to the next level. If selected for Blogger Boot Camp you will receive:

  • training from ‘Fro Fashion Week/Naturally Me Media founder Tarin Boone on brand partnerships, appearances, and event creation 
  • the opportunity to host your own segment of ‘Fro Fashion Week
  • blog promotion and recognition in ‘Fro Fashion Week marketing materials
  • VIP access to all ‘Fro Fashion Week events
  • premium seating at the ‘Fro Fashion Week Fashion Show
  • ‘Fro Fashion Week Goodie Box filled with sponsor products
  • complimentary beauty services 

The deadline to submit your blog for consideration is TODAY, JULY 31, 2013. 

To submit your blog for consideration for the ‘Fro Fashion Week Blogger Boot Camp, please contact Toni Martin at tmartin@brainchildassociates.com.

What Writers and Bloggers Can Learn from Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift
Image by WEZL via Flickr/Creative Commons

I am not a fan of Taylor Swift’s music. At all.

But after yesterday’s Y’all Connect conference I am a fan of Swift’s marketing strategy and you should be too.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend Y’all Connect Presented by Alabama Power, a blogging and social media conference all about digital storytelling.

One of my favorite sessions of the day was Mack Collier’s talk called “Think Like a Rock Star.” In this session Collier examined why businesses and brands only have customers while rock stars have fans.

The answer was simple: while businesses focus primarily on winning new customers, rock stars focus on rewarding their brand advocates, a.k.a their fans.

This seems counterintuitive. If you want your blog, book, or business to reach more people it seems the best thing to do would be to concentrate on seeking out new customers or readers. But what many of us don’t realize is that if we continue to excite and empower the people who already love our work, they will win new customers or readers for us. And they will be much more effective than we could ever be.

Think about it: are you more likely to purchase something because a salesperson said you should or because your best friend enthusiastically recommended it?

In his talk, Collier explained how Swift and other musicians cultivate an army of fans (who are advocates for their brand) by constantly devising amazing experiences for them. Swift, for example, has what she called a T-Party after her shows. During her concerts her team will scan the audience for the most enthusiastic fans — those having the most fun, screaming the loudest, and waving homemade signs.  Her team selects about two dozen of these special fans to join Swift and her crew backstage.

In 2010 Swift did an autograph signing in Nashville as part of the CMA Music Festival. She was going to sign autographs for 13 hours (13 is her favorite number) but when that time was up and there were still fans waiting, she kept going. Swift signed about 2,000 autographs for 15 hours that day, taking a break only to give a quick performance for the fans gathered.

By creating experiences like these, Collier said, Swift is communicating two very important messages to her fans: I appreciate you and I love you.

Here’s how you can communicate the same to the people who follow your work:

Be accessible. Interact with your readers and look for ways to have closer connections with them. Don’t spend all your time on your own blog. Visit their blogs or other sites that your readers love and leave comments. This will also give you a better idea of the kind of content your readers want.

Be relevant. Find the bigger idea behind the content you create. What problem does your writing solve for your readers? What void does it fill? Swift’s songs are so popular, Collier said, because they’re autobiographical and deal with issues many teen girls experience. They’re relatable and let those girls know they’re not alone.  You need to create content that raises awareness of ideas and news relevant to your niche. You need to be a teacher; everyone loves a good how-to post. And you need to create content that is inspiring.

Be humble.  While you need to think like a rock star, remember the spotlight should be on your fans, not you. Create content that focuses on and celebrates your readers. Get them involved by asking for feedback and suggestions. And remember to do something to make your fans feel special. Now that See Jane Write is becoming a membership organization, I plan to do this in part by planning events and extending offers and discounts that will be just for members and sponsors. If you’re an author you could do this by giving your fans early access to your new book or maybe you could have an intimate book signing and author chat with them.

The major takeaway is this: Your fans are the real rock stars.

For more on this topic, read Mack Collier’s book Think Like a Rock Star.

You can read more on my experience at the Y’all Connect conference Monday at SeeJaneWriteMagazine.com.

Finding a Niche for Your Blog

Sponsor Spotlight: Southern Belle Simple

southern belle simple
When Kate Spears started her blog in fall 2009 it was called Small Town, Big Dreams. But Spears struggled to find a way to weave what the name represented into each post.
“It finally dawned on me that so much of who I am, both positive and negative, has been established because of my experiences growing up in the South,” Spears says. “I knew that because my love for the South runs deep, I would never tire of writing about it. Plus I wouldn’t have to reach very far to find topics to write about because it’s just what I know best.”
And so Southern Belle Simple was born. Spears’s decision to blog about the South has served her well. Her blog has nearly 3,000 Facebook fans and more than 1,600 Twitter followers. Spears was a presenter at The Southern C Summit in Jekyll Island, Ga., in May and she has used her blog to develop relationships with Southern brands and businesses.
Spears has taken these relationships to the next level with her new company Screen Door Media. Through this company Spears offers companies traditional marketing and public relations services as well as help with social media marketing and content development. She has clients not only in Southern states such as Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee, but in California as well.
“Sometimes the business of doing business keeps folks so busy. They don’t always realize their stories are interesting to their customers and other audiences,” Spears says. “I can help them take an objective look at how to best tell their stories to engage and capture the attention of the right audience who will help them be successful. Your story is unique to you. It’s one of the most important things you have, as an individual or a business.”
And as you blogging, finding a niche for your site may help you tell your story more effectively.
“If you are just starting out, having a niche can help you find your unique voice. If you are in a content drought or a creativity dry spell, having a niche helps you push past it,” Spears says.
Having a niche can also build your audience.
“It’s always good to help readers know what they can expect from a blog because this helps to keep them coming back for more,” Spears says.
Just as Spears did, choose a niche that reflects your interests, something you’re so passionate about that you feel you could write about it endlessly. For Spears it was the South. For you it may be fashion, feminism, or food. Perhaps you want to blog about DIY projects or gardening. Maybe you want to blog about relationships or politics or career development.
“A good blog is an expression of the person writing it,” Spears says. Don’t choose a niche just because you think it’s popular. If it isn’t authentic, readers will pick up on that.”
If you choose a niche and soon realize it’s not a good fit, it’s OK to switch.
“Don’t ever be afraid to change directions if you feel like something isn’t quite right,” Spears says. “Trust your instincts!”