Melanie Nelson's blog http://www.blogher.com/blog/6761/atom/feed 2009-07-09T16:41:59-05:00 Twitter as an RSS Reader? Publish Your Newest Post Links to Your Twitter Account http://www.blogher.com/twitter-rss-reader-publish-your-newest-post-links-your-twitter-account 2009-10-22T16:00:00-05:00 2009-10-22T16:42:04-05:00 Melanie Nelson For the last six or eight months, a friend of mine has told me that she uses Twitter as her RSS feed. She follows everyone she's interested in and follows the links they provide via Twitter (whether to personal or news blogs). She doesn't use any other aggregator. Her experience made me stop and think: do all bloggers think to link their blogs to their Twitter account? Depending on where you are in your social media journey, this may be a new idea for you. You may not be aware of the tools available to help you link your accounts so readers, no matter where they are, can find you.

]]> For the last six or eight months, a friend of mine has told me that she uses Twitter as her RSS feed. She follows everyone she's interested in and follows the links they provide via Twitter (whether to personal or news blogs). She doesn't use any other aggregator. Her experience made me stop and think: do all bloggers think to link their blogs to their Twitter account? Depending on where you are in your social media journey, this may be a new idea for you. You may not be aware of the tools available to help you link your accounts so readers, no matter where they are, can find you.

Twitterfeed

By associating your blog's RSS with your Twitterfeed account, any time you publish a new article on your blog, the URL is shortened via bit.ly and fed directly to Twitter via your Twitter account (you can also feed it to Facebook). In addition, the confirmation email I received said, "If you use Feedburner and have authorized their awareness api then you can also see those stats on your dashboard, making it easy to compare your traditional RSS distribution with Twitterfeed's social distribution." If you take advantage of that feature, you could find some interesting correlations. To set up a Twitterfeed account:

  1. Go to Twitterfeed.com.
  2. Complete the sign-up form with an email address and password.
  3. Choose whether you'd like your feed to be sent to Twitter or Facebook.
  4. Connect with the appropriate account by clicking either the Authenticate Twitter (to send your feed to Twitter) or Connect with Facebook (to send your feed to Facebook) button.
  5. Type in the name of the feed you want to send out.
  6. Type in the URL of the feed you want to send out.
  7. Click Update Feed.

If you like, you can use the advanced settings to set

  • update frequency (every 30 minutes, every hour, on up to every day)
  • whether to include the title and/or post description
  • which service to use to shorten your links (e.g., bit.ly, SnipURL, TinyURL, etc.)
  • post prefixes and suffixes

TypePad

TypePad has recently unveiled some new feature to its software. One of those features allows you to share your newest posts with Twitter, Facebook, and FriendFeed as they are published. To use this feature, though, you'll need to link your TypePad account with those third-party social media tools. Just go to Settings > Sharing and choose which accounts you want to share your TypePad posts with. Right now you can only share your posts with Twitter, Facebook, or FriendFeed. Once you've established a connection between your TypePad account and your other social media accounts, follow these instructions for sharing your posts with Twitter (and/or Facebook and FriendFeed):

  1. Write your post as usual.
  2. Check the box next to Twitter (and/or Facebook and FriendFeed) under Share This Post in the right sidebar of the New Post page.
  3. Save/publish your post as usual. When the post is published, TypePad will send the permalink of the article (shortend via bit.ly) to the accounts you checked.

Do it yourself

You may not want to tweet everything you post. Many people choose to tweet only posts by others or posts they've written themselves only if it relates to a specific, current conversation. In those cases, you can simply paste the permalink into your tweet and Twitter will automatically shorten the link via bit.ly.

One more tip

You've probably noticed that the tools I've recommended all use bit.ly to shorten your URLs. It's by far the most popular URL-shortener and I encourage you to try it out. The feature that makes bit.ly so popular, I think, is that it allows you to set up an account with them and track how many click-throughs your bit.ly links receive. If you're tracking that information, you can really get a good idea of which social media communities are using your information consistently. You can also track which topics are more popular than others. When it comes to data tracking, the possibilities are endless. Bit.ly is just one more tool for your arsenal.

Related interesting reading

Melanie writes tips and instructions at Blogging Basics 101.

]]> Tip, Links, and Advice for Making the Most of a Blogging Conference http://www.blogher.com/tip-links-and-advice-making-most-blogging-conference 2009-10-15T16:00:00-05:00 2009-10-15T16:42:04-05:00 Melanie Nelson Attending any sort of conference is hard for an introvert like me, but with a little planning, it can be the best part of blogging--meeting new people who share your passion. I'm here to tell you that attending a blogging conference is a lot of fun, you meet some great people, and you should do it if you have the opportunity. To help you out, I've rounded up some links to help you (and me) get ready for a blog conference.

]]> Attending any sort of conference is hard for an introvert like me, but with a little planning, it can be the best part of blogging--meeting new people who share your passion. I'm here to tell you that attending a blogging conference is a lot of fun, you meet some great people, and you should do it if you have the opportunity. To help you out, I've rounded up some links to help you (and me) get ready for a blog conference.

Get Your Head in the Game

I found these articles last year before my trip to Las Vegas for a blog conference and they helped me immensely. If you're an introvert like me, I encourage you to leave your comfort zone for a few days (you can always head back to the hotel if it's too intense) and meet some people you wouldn't otherwise approach. You'll be happy you did. If you're an extrovert, you'll be in heaven. A blogging conference is high energy!

Consider Finding a Sponsor

I've been lucky enough to secure sponsors for past conferences, but this year I decided to forgo sponsorships and make the investment myself. Why? Well, it's a lot of work to attend a conference, take notes, network, vlog, and share information with y'all. I love it, but it's a lot of work. If I add a sponsor into the mix, I also have the added responsibility of promoting that sponsor at the event as well as in my posts for you. Now, having said that, there are many bloggers who wouldn't be able to attend a blogging conference without some sponsorship help. To that end, here are some links to help you put together a proposal for potential sponsors.

You're There. Now What?

When I attend a conference, I usually attend because I want to learn something or become better at something. Then I want to share that information you so you can learn too. The problem is how to do that efficiently and still be part of the conference. You'll be networking and attending panels. You need to pay attention. You're also going to need to multitask. A few things you may already be doing:

  • Use Twitter. Use the hashtag for the conference and update your Twitter stream. You can also follow what others are tweeting about the event by subscribing to the event's hashtag.
  • Use an offline blog editor. There are times when you won't have internet access (yes! even at a blogging conference!) and you just have to get a blog post down. In those instances, it's helpful to have a third-party application installed on your computer so you can write the post and upload it later. Webhost Checklist and Six Revisions have reviewed many apps you might be interested in looking at.
  • Record your interactions. You're talking to interesting people all weekend, why not share those conversations with your readers? Invest in a small video camera and interview the people you meet. Have them talk about what they do, how they help people, what their blogging goals are. My Flip Mino allows me to take a few hours of video and upload it easily to my computer. I can share it instantly if I have an internet connection.
  • Live blog. Aliza Sherman's article, Preparing to Live Blog an Event will help you put together a live-blogging game plan.

That's a lot of information, I know. You may want to bookmark this page so you can refer to it as needed. Maybe you're not headed to a conference any time soon, but it's never too early to start planning.

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions for bloggers at Blogging Basics 101. If you see her at a blogging conference, don't be afraid to come say hi. She'll be forever grateful to you just for talking to her.

]]> The New FTC Guidelines and What They Mean to You http://www.blogher.com/new-ftc-guidelines-and-what-they-mean-you 2009-10-07T14:48:26-05:00 2009-10-07T14:48:03-05:00 Melanie Nelson If you're blogging professionally or even semi-seriously you've likely heard about the new FTC guidelines regarding bloggers and how we disclose any relationships with companies who have paid us to endorse or review products. As is usually the case when something changes, rumors and misinformation are swirling. This article seeks to give you a basic understanding of what's changing with the FTC regulations and how it may affect you as a blogger. I'll try to lay to rest the inaccurate rumors you may have heard.

]]> If you're blogging professionally or even semi-seriously you've likely heard about the new FTC guidelines regarding bloggers and how we disclose any relationships with companies who have paid us to endorse or review products. As is usually the case when something changes, rumors and misinformation are swirling. This article seeks to give you a basic understanding of what's changing with the FTC regulations and how it may affect you as a blogger. I'll try to lay to rest the inaccurate rumors you may have heard.

What do the new FTC guidelines expect from bloggers?

The newest FTC guidelines require bloggers to disclose any relationship with an advertiser and to make "verifiable" claims. Relationships with advertisers include any compensation received in exchange for a review--including receiving a free product. As BlogHer.com's own Liz Gumbinner has said, "The intent of the FTC guidelines is to protect consumers from deceptive marketing practices."

Richard Cleland is Assistant Director of Advertising Practices at the FTC. He's been providing interviews around the country and clarifying the FTC's expectations for bloggers and disclosure. In a phone interview with Ed Champion of Reluctant Habits, Cleland told Champion that "the FTC’s main criteria is the degree of relationship between the advertiser and the blogger. . .If there’s an expectation that you’re going to write a positive review, then there should be a disclosure.”

However, the FTC does acknowledge that some cases are different from others. In an interview with Virginia Prescott at New Hampshire Public Radio, Cleland had this to say about receiving sample products versus being paid for a review:

"That's going to depend on the circumstances. If we're talking about getting one free product or something sent to you and you happen to write about it on your blog, that's not the type of relationship that has to be disclosed. But if you're part of a network and you're consistently receiving products to test and blog about, then that raises the implication that these gifts are quid pro quo and that's why you're writing the positive reviews."

In answer to Ms. Prescott's question about how the FTC will hold bloggers accountable for false claims, Cleland said, "It's going to be on a case-by-case basis. It's going to have to be a situation where it's actually justified, the extent of the injury is such that it justifies using our resources to look at the possibility of an enforcement action."

It's worth noting that those of us with Amazon Affiliate links are expected to disclose those as well. Champion says Cleland "didn’t see any particular problem with a book review appearing on a blog, but only if there wasn’t a corresponding Amazon Affiliates link or an advertisement for the book." Though that example is specific to books, it could apply to any product linked to an affiliate.

Do the new guidelines include Facebook and Twitter?

Yes. Many bloggers type paid tweets and/or become Facebook fans of certain products, then share those tweets and fan pages with their friends. Just because the advertising relationship is outside a blog, it's still a relationship and the blogger is still compensated--the rule for disclosure and true testimonials applies. Caroline McCarthy at Cnet gives this example of how the FTC guidelines apply to a blogger (or, in this example, a celebrity) on Facebook:

"[A] celebrity or other prominent figure with loads of friends on Facebook receives free hotel stays from Hotel Chain X in exchange for running Hotel Chain X ads on his or her blog. If that person then signs up as a Facebook fan of Hotel Chain X--which, remember, could mean that the person's name can show up for his or her Facebook friends alongside Hotel Chain X display ads on the social network--he or she could be held liable by the FTC."

As for Twitter, the FTC expects you to fit in a disclosure regardless of the 140 character limit. Cleland told McCarthy, "There are ways to abbreviate a disclosure that fit within 140 characters. You may have to say a little bit of something else, but if you can't make the disclosure, you can't make the ad."

How can the FTC monitor every blog out there?

As Richard Cleland made the rounds of interviews, this question often came up. Cleland's answer was that the FTC's goal right now is to educate people on what is expected of them. He also indicated that the FTC would be "looking primarily at the advertisers to determine how the relationships exist" (from Ed Champion's interview).

In an article on CNN, Eric Kuhn reports that "Richard Cleland . . . admits there will be no new team to monitor all the blogs, and that enforcing these guidelines would be a 'game of whack-a-mole' given the numbers involved." Kuhn goes on to say that, "The new guidelines are viewed as more of an educational tool than any kind of requirement, and geared at advertisers more than bloggers. If numerous complaints are filed regarding a blog, the FTC is likely to investigate that the advertiser has properly advised the blogger of these guidelines."

In his interview with Caroline McCarthy at Cnet, Cleland said, "...in the bigger picture, we think that we have a reason to believe that if bloggers understand the circumstances under which a disclosure should be made, that they'll be able to make the disclosure. Right now we're trying to focus on education."

What about the $11,000 fine for bloggers who don't disclose payment?

Mashable.com, TechCrunch, CNN, and several other trusted news sources were reporting early Monday that bloggers who don't disclose payment will be fined $11,000 per violation. In fact, the updated FTC regulations (link downloads a pdf) don't mention an $11,000 fine at all. Eric Kuhn of CNN tweeted Monday night, "I just spoke with an FTC spokeswoman. She said there is NOT a $11,000 fine for breaking the new guidelines re endorsements." Unfortunately, none of the original articles with erroneous information have been updated to reflect that there is not currently a fine for violations.

Do I need to go back to my old posts and disclose for previous gifts or payments?

Lisa Stone, one of BlogHer.com's founders, gave this advice:

"Since we started this network in 2006, BlogHer's editorial guidelines have prohibited putting advertising in editorial space on blogs. So if you're talking about posts you've made on BlogHer.com or in your blog IF it's in the BlogHer publishing network, this question should not apply -- it's against the rules!
If you're not in the BlogHer Network, we recommend that you update your "About" page with your blog policy about payments and review your blog for the current year and disclose any gifts or payments. For previous years, I think you can disclose on your "About" page the date on which you began your disclosure practices. We are not your lawyer, but as a a general practice we recommend that bloggers disclose any kind of payment at the top of every post written because of a payment of cash, goods, or services."

Most of us are already doing the right thing and we're not who the FTC is after. To be sure you're in the know, download the current FTC guidelines. Then write up a disclosure policy and post it clearly on your blog. Not sure exactly how to write your policy? DisclosurePolicy.org can generate one for you.

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions for bloggers at Blogging Basics 101.

]]> Sharing or Creating Video with Facebook http://www.blogher.com/sharing-or-creating-video-facebook 2009-10-01T22:54:03-05:00 2009-10-01T22:54:03-05:00 Melanie Nelson Facebook is a great way to share information with your community. Most of us use it regularly to provide quick updates about what we’re doing, where we’re going, or a news story that interests us. Most of us also regularly upload pictures to share with our communities. You know what I’ve noticed, though? Not many people are using Facebook’s video features. I’m not sure if that’s because not many people use video (really? I find that hard to believe--where are the vloggers?) or people just don’t know how (which I think is more likely). If the lack of video stems from the former reason, I can’t help; if it stems from the latter, read on! I’m going to explain how you can upload video to your Facebook account or create a completely new video on the fly on your Facebook profile.

]]> Facebook is a great way to share information with your community. Most of us use it regularly to provide quick updates about what we’re doing, where we’re going, or a news story that interests us. Most of us also regularly upload pictures to share with our communities. You know what I’ve noticed, though? Not many people are using Facebook’s video features. I’m not sure if that’s because not many people use video (really? I find that hard to believe--where are the vloggers?) or people just don’t know how (which I think is more likely). If the lack of video stems from the former reason, I can’t help; if it stems from the latter, read on! I’m going to explain how you can upload video to your Facebook account or create a completely new video on the fly on your Facebook profile.

If you think video isn’t important, check this out:

161 million U.S. internet users watched online video during [August], the largest audience ever recorded. Online video reached another all-time high in August with more than 25 billion videos viewed during the month, with Google Sites accounting for more than 10 billion. (via Bizzia)

Not only can you post video quickly and easily to your Facebook account, you’ll be jumping on the new wave and making the most of this trend.

Upload video from your computer

  1. Go to your Facebook profile. On your wall is the text box where you usually update your status. Below that box is the word Attach with a line of icons next to it.
  2. Click the icon that looks like a video camera. You’ll see two choices: Record a video and Upload a video.
  3. Click Upload a video.
  4. Click Browse, find your video on your hard drive, and upload it to your profile.

Record a new video on your Facebook profile

  1. Go to your Facebook profile. On your wall is the text box where you usually update your status. Below that box is the word Attach with a line of icons next to it.
  2. Click the icon that looks like a video camera. You’ll see two choices: Record a video and Upload a video.
  3. Click the Record a video. You'll see a box asking if Facebook has your permission to access your computer's camera and microphone. If the answer is yes, click the radio button (the circle) next to Allow.
  4. Click the "Close" button in that box. You'll see a picture of yourself in that box. Position your screen in a way that centers you in the box.
  5. Click the red button with the dot in the middle to start recording. To stop recording, click the button again (it's a square now).
  6. You'll have the option to play the video, save the video, or reset the video. To see how the video came out, push the play button (the triangle). If you're happy with it, click Save. If you want a do-over, click Reset and re-record your video.

Once you've saved your video you will have the opportunity to tag people in the video, give the video a title and description, and choose the thumbnail that will accompany the video (these are stills from the video).

Finally, you have the option to Save (publish to the group), Delete (delete the video permanently), or Skip for now (which means you want to publish the video, but haven't actually given it a title, description, or chosen a thumbnail).

Once you get over the initial horror of seeing and hearing yourself on video, it’s actually quite fun to make a daily Facebook vlog and share a moment or two of you with your community. Why not give it a try? It couldn’t be easier.

Want to learn more tips for Facebook? Check out Why Facebook? by Mari Smith. But before you go, leave me a comment about whether you use Facebook’s video feature or not. If you’re one of the many who don’t, why not? Is it because it never occurred to you? Or because you don’t want to see yourself up there? Or because you weren’t sure how? Now that you know how easy it is, will you try it? How do you see the video helping you promote your brand? Thanks for reading; I can’t wait to hear what you have to say.

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions at Blogging Basics 101.

]]> Tutorial Links: Learn HTML, CSS, and WordPress http://www.blogher.com/tutorial-links-learn-html-css-and-wordpress 2009-09-24T16:00:00-05:00 2009-09-24T16:42:04-05:00 Melanie Nelson I have been a collector my entire life. I think I come by it naturally since my mother's side of the family tends to "collect" things in the form of never throwing anything away on the off chance it might be valuable or hold the key to the family's history. From reality television, I now know they are hoarders, not collectors. Me? I tend to deny my problem because what I mostly collect are links. That is, when I read an article online that I think may come in handy some day, I save the link. I have a folder on my computer's desktop called mhl, (short for Mighty Helpful Links). Within that folder are sub-folders for specific categories for things like SEO, vlogging, analytics, etc. Oh, yes. Make no mistake: I hoard links. Today, though, that may work in your favor--especially if you're at all interested in learning the basics of HTML or CSS or have a WordPress blog you'd like to tweak. That's right, folks, I'm sharing some of my links to tutorials.

]]> I have been a collector my entire life. I think I come by it naturally since my mother's side of the family tends to "collect" things in the form of never throwing anything away on the off chance it might be valuable or hold the key to the family's history. From reality television, I now know they are hoarders, not collectors. Me? I tend to deny my problem because what I mostly collect are links. That is, when I read an article online that I think may come in handy some day, I save the link. I have a folder on my computer's desktop called mhl, (short for Mighty Helpful Links). Within that folder are sub-folders for specific categories for things like SEO, vlogging, analytics, etc. Oh, yes. Make no mistake: I hoard links. Today, though, that may work in your favor--especially if you're at all interested in learning the basics of HTML or CSS or have a WordPress blog you'd like to tweak. That's right, folks, I'm sharing some of my links to tutorials.

HTML

  • HTML Tutorial Series via Beep the Geek. HTML is the most basic part of structuring web pages. You'll need to understand a little HTML and the logic behind it if you want to move up to CSS and PHP and some other stuff I don't pretend to know a lot about. You'll be surprised by how much you can fake it if you know a little HTML.
  • Web Basics via Web Monkey. Rather than point you to a specific article at this site, I'm pointing you to the main page for the Web Basics category. Here you'll find tutorials for HTML, CSS, and XML.

CSS

  • 20 Websites To Help You Learn and Master CSS via Six Revisions. If you aren't currently following Six Revisions, you should be. I noticed that many of my hoarded links are from this site. I learn a lot there. And they use the word "grok", so, you know, I love them and stuff. This particular article lists and describes 20 sites with tutorials. You're sure to find at least a few that can help you get started with CSS.
  • 30 Exceptional CSS Navigation Techniques via Six Revisions. Are you fairly comfortable with CSS and want to try your hand at a nav bar? This is the article for you. It provides sample nav bars and, when you click on the title of the nav bar, you're taken to a page with instructions on how to build that nav bar.
  • Custom Styling for Posts via Blogging Tips. As the author, Sarah, points out, customizing the style of individual posts can be handy if you're using a platform like WordPress as a content management system (CMS). This article shows you how to customize a single post, all posts in a specific category, or all posts in a sub-category.
  • CSS Builder via MetaTitan. This is a simple tool to help you build CSS on the fly. There you go. Done.
  • Resetting Your Styles with CSS Reset via Six Revisions. I told you I learn a lot here. This article shows you how to set the styles of your page elements "to a baseline value so that you avoid cross-browser differences due to their built-in default style settings. By resetting your styles, you avoid defaulting to the browser’s built-in styles, which differs from browser to browser."

WordPress

  • WordPress.tv. The tagline says it all: WordPress.tv is your visual resource for all things WordPress. If you are at all interested in learning about WordPress, this should be your first stop. The web site is categorized so you can find what you're looking for easily. On the home page you'll see options that offer Latest Videos, WordCamp Videos (WordCamps are mini conferences where WP fans congregate to share their knowledge; all levels welcome), and Popular Videos.
  • 100+ WordPress Video Tutorials, from Basic to Advanced via SpeckyBoy. This article provides a list of tutorials grouped by web site. The tutorials listed cover everything from installing WP to configuring your Google site map to inserting an image in PHP list.
  • 25+ Essential Articles for Every WordPress Beginner via Elite by Design. This list points you to information about the WP Codex, using SEO with WordPress, choosing plug-ins and widgets, using your admin settings, and more.
  • How to Create a WordPress Theme via ThemeShaper. Are you ready to make your own theme? Perfect it and sell it? I applaud your tenacity and drive. Start here.

Miscellaneous

  • A List of Essential Web Design Skills via Hub Pages. Liz is one of my favorite tech gals. In this article she explains what you need to know if you want to design web sites or, at least what you should be looking for if you're hiring it out.
  • Web 2.0 in just under 5 minutes. An interesting visual overview of Web 2.0, how we got here, and where we're going.

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions for bloggers at Blogging Basics 101.

]]> What is HARO & How Can I Use It? http://www.blogher.com/what-haro-how-can-i-use-it 2009-09-17T10:53:39-05:00 2009-09-17T13:37:00-05:00 Melanie Nelson Finding sources for a news article is hard when you don't know where to look or if you don't have contacts within an industry. It's also hard to contribute your knowledge on a given subject when you don't know who needs your help. Enter HARO, which stands for Help A Reporter Out and is a source for news people (traditional and new media) to find sources for their stories quickly.

]]> Finding sources for a news article is hard when you don't know where to look or if you don't have contacts within an industry. It's also hard to contribute your knowledge on a given subject when you don't know who needs your help. Enter HARO, which stands for Help A Reporter Out and is a source for news people (traditional and new media) to find sources for their stories quickly.

If you're chosen as a source, you have the opportunity to ask the reporter to include information about you and your blog. As you can imagine, it's a popular site both for reporters and would-be sources because everyone is winning in that formula. The one rule of HARO is that you must not waste people's time; if you aren't an expert in a field, you should never respond to a query (not that any of you would, but it's an integral part of the site and worth mentioning to be clear).

When you respond to a request from HARO or any other news source, you have to convince them that you're the best person to ask for answers to their questions. The way to do that is to knock their socks off when you query back with your bio.

You can subscribe to HARO via their web site and you'll receive three e-mails every day with requests for sources in specific areas (e.g., travel, tech, general). If you see something you can speak to, you respond directly to the reporter making the query.

Here are some tips for writing a successful response to queries:

  1. Keep it short, two paragraphs is sufficient. Introduce yourself, address the necessary information the reporter asked for (e.g., any questions from the query), and why you'd be a good source. This is where it gets tricky--you should be short and to the point, but not so much so that the reporter doesn't really know why she should work with you. To help make your point, give a short overview of your expertise and links to back it up. Be sure to tell the reporter how you can help them.
  2. Answer the questions, if any, in the original query. You're more
    apt to be chosen if you're responding to the reporter's actual request rather than something close, but not quite the same. She's under a deadline and is asking for what she needs--don't give her something else. Speaking of which...
  3. Pay attention to the deadline. Most of the HARO queries have a deadline for submitting yourself as a source. Be mindful of those.

More advice on writing responses to HARO (and other other) queries:

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions for bloggers at Blogging Basics 101.

]]> Keep It Together: Use an Editorial Calendar http://www.blogher.com/keep-it-together-use-editorial-calendar 2009-09-10T16:00:00-05:00 2009-09-10T16:42:04-05:00 Melanie Nelson I've worked with a form of social media since 1995. It wasn't until 2004, though, that I was taking an active role in writing and sharing information via social media (before that I was usually working in the background coordinating projects and coding stuff). In the past five years I've had more experience with project management as a stay-at-home-mom who blogs than I did as a web developer who had multi-million-dollar clients. At one point I was writing for three blogs I owned personally, contributing to BlogHer and another network, and driving carpool. I only had about four hours to spend writing for or managing those blogs and I thought I was going to lose my mind. Then I had a brilliant idea: I needed to start keeping an editorial calendar.

]]> I've worked with a form of social media since 1995. It wasn't until 2004, though, that I was taking an active role in writing and sharing information via social media (before that I was usually working in the background coordinating projects and coding stuff). In the past five years I've had more experience with project management as a stay-at-home-mom who blogs than I did as a web developer who had multi-million-dollar clients. At one point I was writing for three blogs I owned personally, contributing to BlogHer and another network, and driving carpool. I only had about four hours to spend writing for or managing those blogs and I thought I was going to lose my mind. Then I had a brilliant idea: I needed to start keeping an editorial calendar.

For a long while (before my brilliant calendar idea) I simply wrote on my whims about whatever came to mind at that moment. Rarely did I think about what was coming up or where I needed to be in a week. Needless to say, that wasn’t working consistently for me. I missed deadlines, wrote uninteresting posts, and wasn’t meeting the goals I had set for myself. As I reflected on my goals and my personal standards, I wasn't happy with what I saw. I was determined to turn my work habits around and be more positively productive. To that end, I began using an editorial calendar and I can't recommend it enough. (Just a quick side note: Although I no longer write for that many different blogs or have myself going in so many directions, I still try to keep my editorial calendar going.)

An editorial calendar is simply a schedule of where you are writing, what topics you plan to cover, and when you plan to write about those topics. I use my editorial calendar to help me remember daily and weekly writing tasks and assign myself topics and deadlines. This is crucial when I am being pulled in many directions. Each one of my blogs demands a different strength, but they all demand my time. My editorial calendar helps me see where my time needs to be allocated and when. It also helps me keep track of what topics I've covered at which blog so I don't duplicate.

Before I started keeping my editorial calendar, I didn't keep track of the topics I covered each week and I was doomed to never know what I was writing about or whether I'd already covered it. And organizing all the daily and weekly tasks for my blogs without a calendar was a nightmare. I forgot ideas or simply ignored them. I became overwhelmed and ended up sitting at my computer reading celebrity gossip online or fiddling with iTunes--anything to avoid starting because I didn’t know where to start.

Once I determined my editorial calendar and stuck to it, writing became a pleasure again. I felt as though my posts were better, I was more organized, and I actually liked my job.

If I can swing it, I try to look at my editorial calendar (which has ideas assigned to specific days up to a month out) and write posts at least a week ahead of schedule. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you I do that all the time, but it sure helps when I can. I find that writing ahead gives me a little more ease if I have a day where I just can’t write due to family duties or anything else that may come up.

Writing posts in advance also allows me to focus on what is coming up and not be pressured to finish my post immediately. I can write, walk away, come back, edit, re-write, etc. I can take my time and ensure that my posts are interesting and well-written.

Having a calendar telling me which topics I’m going to be covering keeps me thinking about them in the back of my mind. As I consider new ideas and angles for each topic, I write them down in my journal or on the calendar itself (Google Calendar has a place for notes! How you can you not love that?).

One thing to note about an editorial calendar: include wiggle room. There are topics that will pop up and demand your attention or a post immediately. Or, you just may not feel like writing about that topic at that moment. A writer’s muse is a fickle thing. It’s OK to switch things up; sometime our writing flow just goes a different way than we expected and we’re ready to write about a memory instead of coding. Just make sure each item finds a place on your calendar.

You’ll be happy to know that once you start using an editorial calendar, you will be in good company. Here are a few other posts to help you start:

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions for bloggers at Blogging Basics 101. Although her editorial calendar isn't as packed as it used to be, it's still an integral part of her every day life.

]]> Writing Your Blog's Media Kit http://www.blogher.com/writing-your-blogs-media-kit 2009-09-03T16:00:00-05:00 2009-09-03T16:42:04-05:00 Melanie Nelson People ask me all the time: How can I encourage marketers and PR reps to consider me for some great opportunities? My first piece of advice is write a great About Me page and make sure you include your contact information; a close second is have a media kit. Since we've already talked about your About Me page, today I'll give you tips on putting together a media kit for your blog.

]]> People ask me all the time: How can I encourage marketers and PR reps to consider me for some great opportunities? My first piece of advice is write a great About Me page and make sure you include your contact information; a close second is have a media kit. Since we've already talked about your About Me page, today I'll give you tips on putting together a media kit for your blog.

A media kit is a summary of how your blog reaches an audience and how you can help someone reach that audience. I think everyone needs a media kit--especially as your blog grows. Every PR rep or marketing company I have worked with has asked for a media kit with my advertising rates, traffic statistics, and, if available, my demographics. Your media kit is the document you can send to PR and marketing reps, potential advertisers or vendors, and anyone else who may be interested in working with you. It's your opportunity to tell people why they should work with you.

So what should you include in your media kit? The key is to include information that is relevant to whomever you're corresponding with. It's not a bad idea to tweak your media kit for specific contacts, just like you'd personalize a cover letter when applying for a job.

I like to include the following items in my general media kit:

  • Branding. Your media kit should reflect your blog's brand. You can use the same color scheme and any graphics that emphasize that brand. If someone is familiar with your blog (and even if they aren't) they should be able to tell this media kit came from you and your blog.
  • Contact information. This may seem obvious, but you wouldn't believe how many times bloggers assume we know how to contact them. Your contact information should be front and center.
  • Elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is a short explanation of what you do. For example, my elevator pitch for Blogging Basics 101 is I write tips and instructions for beginning and intermediate bloggers. It tells you what the site is about, but it leaves me room to expand if I want to.
  • Explanation of your blog's topic or niche. After you've stated your elevator pitch, you can expand the explanation of your blog's niche, why you are an important part of that niche, and why you are a good fit with a potential vendor or PR representative. This is a great place to explain why you'll add value to a specific campaign.
  • Statistics. When discussing your traffic statistics, include unique visitors, feed subscribers, total page views, and total visitors. If you have particularly good Google Page Rank or Technorati and Alexa page rankings, definitely include that information here. You may want to include your Twitter and Facebook followers if those accounts are part of your reach and are places where you'll share a campaign.
  • Influence. If you don't feel like you have high enough numbers, focus instead on your influence and how you reach a specific audience. Remember that your influence isn't just online. Are you active with in the PTA at your child's school? Do you volunteer? What groups are you involved in that look to you for advice? Share that information here. Also include awards or accolades you've received (if they're relevant). Do you regularly speak at conferences (local or national)? That lends credibility, so tell people about it.
  • Demographics. If you haven't already, you should take a demographic survey of your readers. You can use a free service like SurveyMonkey.com to set it up. Marketers are usually interested in whether you're reaching males or females, what the family's income is, their education, their marital status, etc. I have found that when I ask my readers to complete a survey, they are more than happy to help me out, especially if the survey is anonymous and I explain exactly how I'm using the information (i.e., to gauge who my audience is so I can cater my posts to their interests and as part of my media kit). Be sure to remind your audience that you will not sell or give away their personal information and that you'll be presenting your findings as a percentages of a whole, not as individual responses.
  • Advertising sizes/options, rates, and guidelines. What size(s) of advertising will you offer (e.g., 125x125, 120x600)? How much does each type of ad cost for a week? A month? Consider whether you'll give discounts for clients who book several weeks of advertising and explain that policy here. This is also the place to discuss whether you'll accept animated advertising or ads that do not relate to your audience, and whether you'll issue refunds for certain situations.

Do you have a media kit? What's in it? Throw out some ideas of what's important and what's not. Tell me what's worked for you and what hasn't. If you're a marketer, what are you looking for? Have you ever received a media kit that knocked your socks off? What made it so great? Let's get this discussion started.

More ideas for your media kit:

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions for beginning and intermediate bloggers at Blogging Basics 101. She has a media kit, but she doesn't make money from her blog. Go figure.

]]> Twitter Best Practices: Three Things You Can Do Right Now to Make Twitter Better http://www.blogher.com/twitter-best-practices-three-things-you-can-do-right-now-make-twitter-better 2009-08-27T09:30:42-05:00 2009-08-27T09:30:42-05:00 Melanie Nelson Twitter is a place for conversations and the people who gain the most out of Twitter are using it as a discussion tool. Now, granted, those discussions can vary widely from ideas for dinner to the latest viral marketing campaign and everything in between. The key, though, is that whatever you decide to tweet, it should be relevant to your community and encourage a response. Here are a few best practices to help us all make Twitter a better place to converse.

]]> Twitter is a place for conversations and the people who gain the most out of Twitter are using it as a discussion tool. Now, granted, those discussions can vary widely from ideas for dinner to the latest viral marketing campaign and everything in between. The key, though, is that whatever you decide to tweet, it should be relevant to your community and encourage a response. Here are a few best practices to help us all make Twitter a better place to converse.

1. Use the Twitter DM feature as it was intended.
The Twitter DM, or direct tweet, seems to be a source of much contention among twitterers. Certainly it has a place: You may need to have a side or private conversation with another person, but you don't want to broadcast it to the network. Unfortunately, many twitterers use the Twitter DM for things other than a quick private conversation. Any time I discuss Twitter etiquette with others, the single most popular request is stop with the auto-DM thanking someone for the follow and/or spamming that follower with a link to your site. There really is no argument for using the auto-DM this way. Now, I've heard some say they don't apologize for using the auto-responder DM as a thank you; they believe it's polite to say thanks. However, Robin from Pensieve.me had this to say, "They aren't thanking me (with) an auto reply, their robot is." Think of it in terms of blogging: The auto-DM on Twitter is like auto-loading music on your blog. People won't tell you outright that they hate it, but they'll unsubscribe from your feed (blog) or unfollow you (Twitter).

Alli Worthington from Blissfully Domestic is writing an e-book on Twitter (due out Monday, August 31). "While researching the Smart Girl's Guide to Twitter, I found one Twitter behavior that annoys everyone: asking via Direct Message for a ReTweet," said Alli. I think the reason people may be annoyed with those requests is that if something is worth re-tweeting, you won't have to request the re-tweet. If your information is interesting and relevant, it will be re-tweeted. The annoyance may also come from just being asked to do something (like re-tweet information) so many times from so many people. It may not always be you asking for the favor, but your request may be one of several a user receives every day.

2. Don't spam your followers by tweeting the same message repeatedly.
If a business (or an individual, since these days you are your brand) is just tweeting self-promotion and then re-tweeting it some more (via sites like HootSuite where you can set tweets to post automatically), that business is effectively spamming its followers and those followers won't stand for it. You may think that by re-tweeting the same information at different times over and over throughout the week you're reaching new people who may not have seen your original tweet. In the larger scheme of things, you are annoying your loyal followers who are watching what you type.

3. Take your Twitter campaign up a notch.
Businesses have discovered that Twitter is an easy way to reach an audience. Unfortunately, they're reaching out to that audience with tired and spammy campaigns. Augie Ray wrote a piece about Twitter etiquette for Social Media Today. In it he encourages marketers to use Twitter, but to "find a way to create Twitter promotions that engage others rather than irritate them . . . Marketers need to challenge themselves to get people sharing something of interest and not just spammy and irrelevant tweets, because what worked for Moonfruit once could well become a PR disaster for a brand running a Twitter sweepstakes in the future."

When a brand uses Twitter as a way to engage an audience, how that brand is perceived on Twitter is directly tied to how that business conducts itself in 140 characters on a consistent basis. If a business is only broadcasting and not conversing, that business isn't going to do well in the long-term. In other words, if the business is only tweeting links to their shop or marketing info on why they're the best, then those tweets are filtered out eventually (or users unfollow that business) because those tweets don't add anything to the discussion. That business is missing the point of the Twitterverse: adding to the community.

Adding to the community can be many things: providing discount codes for useful items (not every single discount code you have), responding to specific queries from customers (including complaints as well as praise), or just sharing something interesting (even if it doesn't directly relate to your business). When your followers perceive your company's Twitter presence as something more than a marketing ploy (i.e., they see your brand not as a brand, but as an interesting peer in their community), then you've achieved a significant goal.

Twitter can be an important part of your social media campaign or even your personal community, but you'll have to make it give and take. No one likes to hang out with the guy at the party who only talks about himself. Don't be that guy. Instead, bring something interesting to the table, share what others are bringing to the table, and develop a dialog.

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions at Blogging Basics 101.

]]> Tech Podcasts You'll Want to Hear http://www.blogher.com/tech-podcasts-youll-want-hear 2009-08-20T12:19:48-05:00 2009-08-20T12:19:48-05:00 Melanie Nelson These days almost everyone I know has some sort of smartphone, definitely has an iTunes account, and is usually plugged in some way or another. I know I spend an inordinate amount of time sitting in my car waiting: waiting for my kids to arrive at the bus stop after school, waiting for the nurse to call me back to the exam room for my appointment, waiting for my oil to be changed. I realize that some of you may like a little down time, and I agree. But I find myself also wanting to make the most of that time and if I can listen to a podcast that has the double-bonus of being interesting while I learn something, I'd just as soon be plugged in.

]]> These days almost everyone I know has some sort of smartphone, definitely has an iTunes account, and is usually plugged in some way or another. I know I spend an inordinate amount of time sitting in my car waiting: waiting for my kids to arrive at the bus stop after school, waiting for the nurse to call me back to the exam room for my appointment, waiting for my oil to be changed. I realize that some of you may like a little down time, and I agree. But I find myself also wanting to make the most of that time and if I can listen to a podcast that has the double-bonus of being interesting while I learn something, I'd just as soon be plugged in.

I went searching for tech podcasts that fit that double-bill: they needed to be interesting and teach me something (or at least refresh my fading memory). Here's the list of what I found. I link to the main web site, but everyone (except #5 and #6) are available for free on iTunes.

  1. GeekBrief.tv featuring Cali Lewis. Video podcast "with news about tech tools and toys. I've saw Cali speak at WordCamp Dallas and loved her enthusiasm. She's fun and she talks fast because there's a lot of information to share in a short amount of time. Her video podcasts are usually three to five minutes long and she updates several times a week so you can keep up with the latest tech gadgets and happenings. Available free on iTunes.
  2. MAKE Magazine: MAKE Podcast. Kip Kay hosts these weekly weekend projects from the pages of MAKE magazine. Make is published quarterly, but you can have projects every weekend with this podcast. "Make celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend technology any way you want." Available free on iTunes.
  3. WebbAlert with Morgan Webb. Another fast talker who gives you tech updates and discusses what's happening in the tech world. It's set up a bit like a newscast. Webb covers everything from tech news and culture to video games and gadgets. The best part is she injects her personality and dry sense of humor into her videocasts. Ms. Webb doesn't update this podcast any longer, but they're fun to listen to. Available free on iTunes.
  4. X-Play's Daily Video Podcast with Morgan Webb and Adam Sessler. Yes, Morgan Webb is co-host of this podcast as well. She and co-host Adam Sessler offer "brutally honest game reviews of the hottest new video games available." Available free on iTunes.
  5. Tech in 20 with Jennifer Navarrete & Luis Sandoval offers advice and information on using social media, and internet and mobile apps. They offer screencasts as well as podcasts. They follow trends and share with you how they think those trends will affect you and your online presence.
  6. Expressive Programming by uberGeekChick. She offers interesting commentary on the state of coding. It's like having a conversation about your favorite topic (coding) with a friend. uberGeekChick is offering her opinion on how people code, the issues that come up with so-called best practices, etc. I found her podcasts to be a bit distracting with the music playing. It's hard for me to distinguish background noise from important noise--in this case background music and uberGeekChick's interesting information.
  7. Moms Gone Geek. Just because you're a mom doesn't mean you can't get your geek on. These women talk about everything from synching your peripherals to managing your reputation online. Available free on iTunes.
  8. TED talks. If you aren't familiar with TED, I weep for the things you have missed. These talks are entertaining, informative, and just all-around awesomeness on a stick. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. TED hosts conferences all over the world and these podcasts and videocasts are how they share that information with those of us who can't be there. TED is building a "clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world's most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other." Available free on iTunes. TED also has an iPhone app.

There are so many options for technical podcasts. If you go to the iTunes store you can sift through so many it will make your head spin. I tried to focus on those hosted by women because those seem to be overlooked, but there are definitely some great tech podcasts by men as well. I'd be interested to know what tech podcasts you download (by women or men). Leave your suggestions in the comments, please! I'm always looking for something new to download.

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions at Blogging Basics 101. Her favorite non-tech podcast it The Moth.

]]> Tutorial: Easy, Automated E-mail Signature with WiseStamp http://www.blogher.com/tutorial-easy-automated-e-mail-signature-wisestamp 2009-08-13T11:08:05-05:00 2009-08-13T11:08:05-05:00 Melanie Nelson E-mail signatures are an easy way to promote yourself and your projects in your everyday correspondence. They're fairly un-intrusive (if you keep them short and simple), but they let your peers know what you're working on and how they can contact you via social media. I use WiseStamp for my e-mail signatures and I've had several people ask me how they can get the same type of signature. So today I'll show you how to set up and use WiseStamp for your own elegant e-mail signature.

]]> E-mail signatures are an easy way to promote yourself and your projects in your everyday correspondence. They're fairly un-intrusive (if you keep them short and simple), but they let your peers know what you're working on and how they can contact you via social media. I use WiseStamp for my e-mail signatures and I've had several people ask me how they can get the same type of signature. So today I'll show you how to set up and use WiseStamp for your own elegant e-mail signature.

I like WiseStamp because it allows me to customize my signature with a few links, but it also uses icons for popular social media sites that I belong to. The signature is short, informative, and, best of all, easy to set up!

  1. Go to http://www.wisestamp.com/
  2. Click the Download Now button. This will download the software to your computer (it's safe) so you can customize it an use it. (You may have to re-start your browser in order for it to recognize you've installed new software.)
  3. Find the WiseStamp icon in the bottom left corner of your browser (it looks like an old-fashioned ink stamp with a handle).
  4. Click on the WiseStamp icon and choose Edit Signature. A new dialog box will come up with information you can customize. At the top of the dialog box are two tabs: General and Settings.

General Tab
This is where you'll be able to see what your signature looks like as you build it. You can even build separate signatures to appear on business or personal e-mails.

To start building your signature, choose whether this is your personal or business signature, then start typing your information into the text box. This is the info I included (but you can use whatever is relevant to you):
Melanie Nelson
Blogging Basics 101
TravelingDisneyMom at TravelingMom.com
Contributing Editor, BlogHer.com (Web/Tech)

I included a link for each of the URLs so recipients can easily click to find out more.

You can use the dashboard to add formatting to your signature. Just highlight whatever you'd like to format and choose the related button from the dashboard. For example, if I wanted to bold my name, I'd highlight Melanie Nelson, then click the B button on the dashboard. To add a link, highlight the URL or word(s) you'd like to make into a link and click the link button (looks like the earth with a chain link). Then type in the URL or permalink you'd like to include.

Once your text signature is complete, look underneath the text box and start filling in the relevant social media accounts, IM, and RSS information. I don't use the IM or RSS info, but you certainly can.

Settings Tab
The settings tab gives you even more options relating to how your signature will display. I won't go into each of the options because that would take too long. However, you can try things and tweak or change them as necessary until your signature looks exactly as you'd like it to appear.

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions at Blogging Basics 101. She loves easy stuff like e-mail signatures.

]]> How to Set Up Google Alerts (And Why You Need To) http://www.blogher.com/how-set-google-alerts-and-why-you-need 2009-08-06T04:00:00-05:00 2009-08-06T04:41:58-05:00 Melanie Nelson Google Alerts is one of the most versatile online tools. It allows you to listen to conversations you may not be aware of. Conversations that involve you or your brand (and maybe even your competitors). As you manage your online presence, it's important to listen to what people are saying and how they are saying it. You want to know if other sites are linking to you, quoting you, supporting you, or complaining about you. You want to know what your competition is up to and how they are faring. Enter Google Alerts, the free online tool that lets you track keywords and phrases effortlessly so you never miss another important conversation.

]]> Google Alerts is one of the most versatile online tools. It allows you to listen to conversations you may not be aware of. Conversations that involve you or your brand (and maybe even your competitors). As you manage your online presence, it's important to listen to what people are saying and how they are saying it. You want to know if other sites are linking to you, quoting you, supporting you, or complaining about you. You want to know what your competition is up to and how they are faring. Enter Google Alerts, the free online tool that lets you track keywords and phrases effortlessly so you never miss another important conversation.

What is Google Alerts?

In Get Started with Google Alerts, Rebecca Leaman explains what Google Alerts is: "You can think of Google Alerts as a customized Google Search — on-going — that delivers the search results to you automatically. You can set up any number of Alerts (up to 1000 per email address) to help you monitor online activity for the search terms of your choice."

How can I use Google Alerts?

Catherine White reminds us why Google Alerts is a powerful tool: It allows you to monitor your competition, your influence, the conversation, your social media accounts, and your relationship. That's a lot of bang for your buck--especially since Google Alerts is free.

Lori Osterberg (Using Google Alerts for Blogging Ideas) suggests using Google Alerts as a sort of writing prompt: "By using Google Alerts for your keywords and key phrases, you can find a lot of ideas for future blog posts. You’ll be led to other websites and blogs with ideas you can continue on with. And you’ll receive news and press releases on brand new items coming out that you can alert your readers to."

How do I set up Google Alerts?

Setting up Google Alerts is a simple process--you don't even have to have a Gmail account to use Google Alerts.

  1. Go to http://www.google.com/alerts/ where you'll see this page:
  2. Sign in if you have a Gmail account. If you don't have a Gmail account, you can just start filling out the Google Alert form.
  3. Enter the search terms you want to track, separated by commas. You can edit this later if you find you have too many or too few terms. If you're not sure what to track, start with your name and your blog's name. You may also want to include keywords related to your brand and your niche.
  4. Choose the Type of search you want Google Alerts to create. Rebecca Leaman's article on setting up Google Alerts explains each type of search and what you can expect:
    • News (includes the latest news articles that mention your terms and "appear in the top ten results of your Google News search.")
    • Blogs (includes blog articles that mention your terms and "appear in the top ten results of your Google Blog search.")
    • Web (includes web pages that mention your terms and "appear in the top twenty results of your Google Web search.")
    • Comprehensive (includes results from News, Blogs, and Web, etc. that mention your terms. It's, um, comprehensive.)
    • Video (includes videos that mention your terms and "appear in the top ten results of your Google Video search.")
    • Groups (includes posts that mention your search terms and "appear in the top fifty results of your Google Groups search.")
  5. Choose how often you'd like to receive your Google Alerts. I like to receive mine once a day simply because I'm trying to cut down on the time I spend checking e-mail. However, if you're tracking a timely project or news story, you may want to choose as-it-happens. Likewise, if you're just keeping tabs on something that mildly interests you, but isn't critical, you can choose once a week.
  6. Choose where you'd like the Google Alerts delivered. If you have a Gmail account, you can receive them via gmail. If you'd rather, you can receive them via RSS or another e-mail account.
  7. Click the Create Alert button and finish.

That's it. Easy and free. Honestly, does it get better than that?

Melanie Nelson writes easy-to-follow instructions and tips for beginning and intermediate bloggers at Blogging Basics 101. She thinks Google Alerts are genius and wishes the simplicity of that tool would bleed over into her life.

]]> 5 Blogging Etiquette Tips http://www.blogher.com/5-blogging-etiquette-tips 2009-07-23T16:00:00-05:00 2009-07-23T16:41:58-05:00 Melanie Nelson I was recently interviewed about blogging etiquette and it helped me realize that etiquette is something that seasoned bloggers sometimes take for granted, but that many beginners are just discovering. When you first start blogging there is a trial and error period where you are just trying to figure out what's accepted and what isn't in the blogosphere community. Those bloggers who've been at this a while tend to evolve seamlessly without thinking about how things change daily--they go with the flow. So what I'd like to do this week is discuss five etiquette rules (if there really are any rules in blogging) that beginners can use.

]]> I was recently interviewed about blogging etiquette and it helped me realize that etiquette is something that seasoned bloggers sometimes take for granted, but that many beginners are just discovering. When you first start blogging there is a trial and error period where you are just trying to figure out what's accepted and what isn't in the blogosphere community. Those bloggers who've been at this a while tend to evolve seamlessly without thinking about how things change daily--they go with the flow. So what I'd like to do this week is discuss five etiquette rules (if there really are any rules in blogging) that beginners can use.

1. Use permalinks whenever you can. A permalink is the link to an individual blog post. These are important because if you ever need to link to an exact blog entry, you use the permalink as your link. It’s poor blog etiquette not to use the permalink.

If you don’t use the permalink, you’ll just be linking to your main blog page. The problem with that is that, as you post new blog entries, the newest entry appears at the top of your main blog page and the other entries are pushed down on the page. The entry your readers are looking for may be down at the bottom of the page or already in the archives; your reader has no idea where to find the entry! If they click over to your site expecting to see a specific post related to a carnival and they see a different post, they may not take the time to find the “real” post they’re looking for.

2. Don't hotlink images. Hotlinking is when you are directly linking to another site’s graphics, files, video, etc. instead of linking to those items from your own server. A better way to use graphics (once you've asked permission) is to right-click the image and save it to your computer and either insert it into your blog from your computer or upload it to your account at PhotoBucket (or a similar third party) and use that code.

This is important because every time an image is viewed on a page on the web, it’s pulling bandwidth from wherever it’s stored. If many people were using an image on their site and it was being viewed on many pages at one time, then the main site (who's hosting the image) will experience excessive use of bandwidth and that gets expensive (yes, some hosts make you pay for bandwidth). Be considerate and a) ask permission and b) download the graphic to your own server.

3. Ask permission (for almost everything). Familiarize yourself with copyright and Creative Commons. While you don't have to ask permission to link to someone, you do have to ask permission to use their photographs and their content (if it's more than Fair Use would allow).

4. Don't sell yourself in comments. Bloggers have differing opinions about whether it's OK to link to your own blog in the comments at another blog. Some think it's a bit like poaching traffic or promoting yourself in an inappropriate place (after all, this is someone's personal blog space). Others think it's OK to leave a permalink if you've written something extremely relevant. Just linking to yourself for the sake of having your link out there is a definite no-no.

Most platforms ask you to enter your name, e-mail, and URL before you leave a comment and then, when your comment is posted, readers can click on your name and be taken to your blog. Putting your URL in the comment itself is redundant.

If you're reading a post and you've written something similar you can go two ways:
1. Give an overview of your thoughts/post, then let readers know you've said much more on the subject and invite them to read your post by listing a permalink to that article.
2. Give an overview of your thoughts and leave it at that.

5. Don't be offended if someone doesn't accept your tag in a meme. Memes are easy ways to fill your blog with content when you are first starting out. I think they're popular to beginners because, at first, it's really fun to share information about yourself and mems offer an easy format to follow. However, memes have been done to death on blogs and there a more than a few bloggers who don't want to bother with them. If you tag someone and they decline or do not respond, let it go.

More advice on blog etiquette:

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions for beginning and intermediate bloggers at Blogging Basics 101. She has a whole section on blogging etiquette.

]]> Optimizing Your Images for the Web http://www.blogher.com/optimizing-your-images-web 2009-07-16T16:00:00-05:00 2009-07-16T16:41:58-05:00 Melanie Nelson One of the questions I'm asked most often is How can I use graphics effectively in my posts? or some variation thereof. Many beginning bloggers want to use the biggest picture possible in their posts, more seasoned bloggers know to use smaller pictures but still want to know how make those pictures load faster. That's what I want to tell you about today: optimizing your graphics (whether those graphics are photos or not) for the web.

]]> One of the questions I'm asked most often is How can I use graphics effectively in my posts? or some variation thereof. Many beginning bloggers want to use the biggest picture possible in their posts, more seasoned bloggers know to use smaller pictures but still want to know how make those pictures load faster. That's what I want to tell you about today: optimizing your graphics (whether those graphics are photos or not) for the web.

Why include graphics in posts?

In Elise Bauer's article How to Build Blog Traffic - Content she suggests bloggers incorporate graphics simply because ". . .people want them. Graphics and photos can help to accent or illustrate your points. They also break up the monotony of text, and give relief to eyes tired of reading online." Regardless of what your blogging niche is, at some point you'll want to include graphics of some kind. When you do, you'll want to make sure those graphics are optimized for the web.

What do you mean by 'optimize'?

Optimizing a graphic for the web simply means compressing its data so the file is smaller and will load faster. When you take a digital picture, for instance, there is a lot of noise that is included in that digital file that isn't necessary for the picture to be viewed. You can clean out that noise, and thus make the file smaller, simply by choosing "Save for web" in your graphic-editing software (e.g., Photoshop Elements or Gimp). If you don't have that option in your software, save the file in the appropriate format--JPG, GIF, or PNG (discussed below) and choose the smallest file size in that format. By optimizing your graphics, you'll be optimizing your site's download time (i.e., it will load much faster). Your readers will thank you.

What size should the file be?

Back in 1995 when I was designing web sites, we tried to keep the file size of each graphic to under 26k. Of course, back then, most people were using dial-up connections to the web. These days, with broadband so prevalent, it would be acceptable to keep each graphic to less than 50 kilobytes. I understand that sometimes that's not possible. In some cases it may be worth it to post a larger file. One option would be to make a thumbnail of the image (perhaps 300 pixels by 300 pixels or smaller) and link it to the larger image.

Should I use JPG, GIF, or PNG? And what's the difference?

The three most common formats for graphics are JPG, GIF, and PNG. Each of these file formats is best used for a specific kind of graphic: JPG is used for photographs, PNG or GIF is used for everything else. Why? Because a JPG file can contain millions of colors, but GIF files can only be saved as an 8-bit image which means it contains up to 256 colors. PNG files were created to replace the GIF format and can be saved as 8-, 24-, or 64 bit images and are about 20% smaller than a GIF image. You can read more in Benefits of the PNG Image Format.

Further Reading:

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions for beginning and intermediate bloggers at Blogging Basics 101. She loves PNG.

]]> How Do I Write an About Page? http://www.blogher.com/how-do-i-write-about-page 2009-07-09T16:00:00-05:00 2009-07-09T16:41:59-05:00 Melanie Nelson I've been working with a company this month doing blogger outreach for a project. Part of my job is to vet blogs and determine their audience, their traffic, and whether they're a good fit for this particular project. Having spent several hours reviewing blogs in several markets, I've come to a conclusion: We all need to work on our About pages.

]]> I've been working with a company this month doing blogger outreach for a project. Part of my job is to vet blogs and determine their audience, their traffic, and whether they're a good fit for this particular project. Having spent several hours reviewing blogs in several markets, I've come to a conclusion: We all need to work on our About pages.

What is an About page?

Your About page is a page that explains who you are, what your blog is about, and how to contact you. If someone is new to your blog, they'll most likely click on your About page to find out more information. Likewise, if you're passing out business cards at an event or conference, when people return home and check out your blog, they'll likely click on your About page first just to get a feel for who you are.

These days a blogger can't ignore her About page. It's your online resume of sorts; your virtual "How do you do?" Whether you're using your blog as a way to attract PR and marketers, a resource for your new book, a way to attract publishers, or just as a hello to new visitors, you need to put some time and effort into this page.

Lani Rosales writes a blog aimed at realtors, AgentGenius.com, and has written an article with an example of a bad About page (generic and unpersonal) and then offers a few examples of better About pages (really focusing on the "you" of the blog). Her examples cut across niches and are relevant to all blogs. She explains why About pages are so important:

"A frequent offense we witness with bloggers is an outdated, useless, lame or ugly “about” page. When people visit websites, a shortcut for their getting to know you is to click on your “about” button, so this is your opportunity to capture them. Your about page needs to be catchy and capture the essence of who you or your company is, it should contain some sort of contact information and it should be like a handshake at a party with a quick introduction as to who you are and what you do."

What should a basic About page include?

Don't groan and tell me you don't know what to write about yourself. I'm not buying it. You just wrote an entire blog about yourself; now we just have to pare it down a bit.

  • A picture of yourself. Including a picture helps your readers connect with you on a more personal level.
  • An overview of what your blog is about. Share your elevator pitch (the short explanation of what your blog is about) and then expand the explanation. This is the perfect opportunity for you to explain why you're different from the other bloggers who write in your niche. What makes you special?
  • Contact information. People are going to want to know how to contact you. Your e-mail address should be prominently displayed on your sidebar and in your About page. If you're worried about bots harvesting your e-mail and using it for spamming purposes you can make it harder for those bots by using a modified version of it (e.g., melanieDOTnelsonATbloggingbaiscs101DOTcom; most people are well-versed enough by now that they understand the DOTs and AT should be replaced with a period and the @ symbol) or making a graphic with your e-mail address on it (like a button). Including contact information is particularly important if you're hoping to be contacted by marketers wanting you to review their products. Don't bury your e-mail address inside the page either, make it as prominent as you can.
  • Interesting information. When writing about yourself, it may be hard to determine what to share and what not to share. Since this decision will largely depend on you, your readers, and the goal of your About page, my advice to you is make it interesting. If it's not interesting or funny, people won't read it.
  • Your goals. This can be your goals for your blog, your short- or long-term goals for your life (if it's related to what you blog about), or just the goal of the About page (to introduce yourself or encourage people to contact you or whatever).

What shouldn't your About page include?

Although you want your readers to gain an understanding of who you are and what you're writing about from your About page, you don't want to lay it on too thick. Your About page should be concise. Don't include

  • Your list of 100 things. This is a cop-out and is in no way to be considered a form of the About page. It's too long and it's usually not interesting to anyone but your closest friends (who already know those 100 things). If you can pare this down to about 25 things and make them incredibly interesting you may be able to get away with it.
  • Your life history from birth to now. As a reader, I'm only interested in what you're doing now. Unless your childhood is directly relevant (a bird pecked my ear when I was 8, now I can't hear and I write a blog for the hearing impaired), don't include it.
  • Irrelevant information. Which is just another way to say keep it short and simple.

Ideas for customizing your About page

As I mentioned above, your About page can be used for many purposes. Therefore, you'll want to consider what additional information you can include pertaining to that purpose. Here are few examples you can consider:

  • Purpose: I want to establish myself as an authority in my niche. Include links to online interviews or include video if you have it. Link to articles you've written at other sites. Include a few quotes from people who have used your information.
  • Purpose: I want to speak at conferences or be a consultant. Include information about your experience and why a company would want to hire you. Tell them again what sets you apart from others in your niche.
  • Purpose: I want to find a sponsor to help defray my costs to an event. While you'll want to reach out to companies individually with customized requests, it can't hurt to include this information where people can find it. Include exactly what you're looking for and what you'll provide for the company in return. The more information you can give, the better.
  • Purpose: I want to work with marketers to host giveaways or provide reviews. Include a link to your disclosure policy and explain what types of products you're interested in receiving and why (you don't want to be pitched for baby food if you don't have kids or if your kids are teens). Give an overview of your traffic statistics (e.g., I reach mostly women who are interested in teaching themselves about technology). You don't have to give everything away (i.e., specific numbers or demographics), generalities are OK as long as they convey enough information to pique the visitor's interest.

Examples

If you're like me, seeing some examples of the end product can be helpful. I like to see what other people are doing. Mark Nutt wrote Best Practices For Effective Design Of "About me"-Pages and in it he provides screen captures of some truly interesting About pages. They're sure to give you some excellent ideas.

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions for beginning and intermediate bloggers at Blogging Basics 101. She tweaks her About page all the time and it's still not perfect.

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