Blogging for Dollars: How to Optimize Your Blog for Monetary Profit
October 27, 2008
Everyone wants the inside track to making money from blogging. “Give me 10 steps to a quick million dollars, and I’ll be happy.” There’s so much wrong with that outlook, I wouldn’t know where to begin if I had to counsel someone who truly believes such a statement. I’m a firm believer in making money the old fashioned way.
The Way of the Web
Websites that proclaim they make millions of dollars from a blog that is painful to read, is either lying or has very loose business ethics. But the sad fact is that websites who claim to make tons of money do get tons of traffic from poor souls looking for a better way to earn a paycheck. (Or not earn a paycheck, but collect one anyway.)
Blogging for Dollars
I’ve been blogging nearly exclusively for SEO companies for a couple of years now. (I could tell you which ones, but then they’d send out a team to waterboard you and your family in retaliation. 
) What I know about SEO and marketing is from on-the-job experience. I’ve taken a few classes, read dozens of books, and had hands on training by SEO executives. I work for reputable companies that have been in business for many years and take pride in a job well done.
Can you use Black Hat SEO to increase traffic? Sure. Can you choke your blog full of flashy ads and affiliate programs to bring in a few extra bucks every week? Of course. The real question is, should you deceive the average Joe to line your own pockets.
Tune in tomorrow for Part Two of Blogging for Dollars.
Picking the Brain of Naomi Dunford
October 9, 2008
For our interview of top bloggers this week, we have Naomi Dunford visiting Blue Duck Copy. Naomi’s bold, smart, and daring writing style draws in a large crowd of loyal readers to Itty Biz, her blog designed for small businesses seeking marketing tips and services.
She weaves sarcasm, humor, solid advice, poignant personal experiences, and marketing genius into one big ball of blogging greatness. Naomi’s blog immediately caught my attention the very first time I visited, and I’ve been returning to her classroom daily since then. Her humor and honesty is refreshing. If you haven’t visited Itty Biz, stop in and prepare to laugh your way though some solid marketing teaching and street-smart advice.
Enough of my jabber, on to Naomi’s interview.
What writing habits do you practice daily?
Well, I blog between three and five days a week, and I’ve always got a couple of books on the go. At this point, most of my writing is what I’m professionally obligated to do. Not much time for Morning Pages anymore, although they were nice while the lasted.
What is your process for improving your writing?
If I feel like I’m starting to lose my voice, I read Dooce. Preferably the really old posts. Also Amalah and The Bloggess. If I feel like something sucks, I cut 35%. I read stuff out loud to make sure I’m not repeating words. (“Bunch”, “stuff”, “bazillion” and “shit” in every conceivable part of speech are big culprits.) I refuse to write when I’m tired because I’ve finally learned that whatever I come up with when I’m sleepy sucks and I have to redo it the next day anyway.
What books or blog posts have influenced the mechanics and heart of your writing the most?
Heart, yes. Mechanics, no. I have absolutely zero time for mechanics. If I die under the wheels of a bus tomorrow, I don’t want to have spent today worrying about my grammar.
There are the usual suspects – Writing Down the Bones, The Artist’s Way, Bird by Bird — but those are obvious. I really liked Making a Literary Life: Advice for Writers and Other Dreamers by Carolyn See. (No! A book about writing novels by a person who’s actually written novels? Say it ain’t so!)
Also, if you want to write fiction of any genre, there are two fantastic and totally underutilized resources that come to mind. JA Konrath’s website, and the community and lessons at eHarlequin.com. (Romance editors are vicious when it comes to things like characterization, so if you can learn to please them, you can pretty much please anyone.)
“If I die under the wheels of a bus tomorrow, I don’t want to have spent today worrying about my grammar.” That ’bout says it all.
Thanks Naomi for letting us pick your brain. You’ve given me enough information and resources to occupy my brain for the next month.
Up to bat next week is Leo Babauta, of Zen Habits. Mr. Babauta will provide us with his insight on how he improves his writing. You won’t want to miss it.
(Just a note, while the books listed in Naomi’s interview are linked to Amazon for your convenience, these are not affiliate links. Feel free to click away.)
Do You Write Pork Rinds or Meatloaf?
October 8, 2008
How do you begin a post on the quality of content without whining or going on a rant?
I am greatly disturbed by the number of websites I find that tout Content is Not King, become a millionaire in 3 months, or 10 SEO rules to get #1 ranking in all three search engines. My first reaction is offense.
That an author would write such drivel, expecting me to swallow it hook, line, and sinker, is like a slap in the face. I have a brain and I’m not afraid to use it. I don’t buy things from late-night infomercials, and I see through the poorly-veiled garbage you are peddling Mr. or Ms. Get Rich Quick.
My second reaction is very near to disgust. At the risk of sounding old-fashioned, what ever happened to a job worth doing is a job well done? These “high paid” bloggers clog the Internet with their poorly written, painful to read, no nutritional value content. They are the reason when you search for desired information, you leave disgusted because all you find are penis enlargement ads, porn advertisements, the same article reprinted in 20 ways, and two unique sentences about the term you were searching for to begin with! (OK, that borders on a rant.)
The Pork Rinds and Cotton Candy
These bloggers claim that anyone can write their own website content. They preach spelling, grammar, and even information are unimportant, as long as you include the right keywords, market your blog, and buy their latest product teaching you how to make buckets of money and retire to some tropical island, all before your 21st birthday. The truly sad thing is that these bloggers seem to have collected a loyal following of Kool Aid drinkers who hang off their every word.
Can you play the system and get higher page ranking, more traffic, and your own gang of worshipers? Evidently so. Does that mean you should? Well, that depends on your values. If you value a job well done, desire to contribute to society, or take pride in your work, the answer is a resounding NO.
If you’re looking to grab the next shiny bauble dangling in front of your eyes, or make a quick dollar with no plan for tomorrow, sure, go for it. Add “blogger” to your long list of failed occupations and move on with your life. When you’re serious about building a business that offers a valuable service or product to the public, go visit websites like Men with Pens, Copyblogger, Zen Habits, Remarkablogger, or Freelance Folder.
Bad Advice
This rant post began after I read a blog that recommended submitting your articles to a service that “spins” that article and submits it to several directories to market your content. I asked the author to clarify if he defined “spin” as rewriting the same content in 5 different ways and posting all of this duplicate content in various nooks of the Net.
His reply was immediately defensive, and confirmed that spin does indeed mean to produce duplicate content disguised with synonyms. He name dropped “John Reese” as an proponent to support his recommendation. Who is John Reese, I wondered and why should I listen to him, or you Mr. Thomas?
(I ran an Internet search for John Reese, and Google returned several links to websites that spoke unfavorably about Mr. Reese’s marketing methods and products. It appears that Mr. Reese is in Internet marketing. I am not saying Mr. Reese is anything but an honest business man trying to make a buck on the Net, neither do I ever intend to purchase his products.)
Balance is Best
What ever happened to balance? You cannot sacrifice quality content for the sake of marketing, nor can you create quality content and expect it to reach your intended audience without marketing.
Are You Improving the Internet, or Trashing it for Everyone Else?
Churning out duplicate content is not an acceptable marketing technique in my book. When you are looking for information, do you want to find 10 websites that say the exact same thing only in different words, or do you want to find 10 differing viewpoint and facts on the same topic? Duplicate content is a lot like junk mail, read it once and there’s no need to open any more just because the envelope is pink or yellow, or has smiley faces on it.
The Solution
If you are going to use this technique, at least rewrite your own content, then add something of value that was not included in the original. Your readers can’t live on cotton candy and pork rinds, they need meat and potatoes. Business ethics apply to online business, too.
Your words matter. Raise your business to the next level. Create responsible content; words with value, not just fluff.
My Apology
To make up for my whining rant disagreeableness, here’s Chuckie singing Meatloaf. I am sorry for being a downer today, but I feel it is too important to leave unsaid.
“I would do anything for reader love, but I won’t do that.”
Pick the Brains of Top Bloggers!
September 26, 2008
I am constantly looking to improve my writing, and have been struggling with attaining just the right amount of crisp, clean prose while maintaining punch and a flowing cadence. This is my ever-elusive goal. Frustrated by my bang-head-against-wall approach lately, I had a late night/early morning conversation with James Chartrand of Men with Pens yesterday about the issue. (I asked James for help because that’s kind of guy he is. He’s passionate about his profession, cares deeply for others, and is an all-around nice guy. But don’t spread it around that I said that!)
The Wheels Start to Turn
During our email conversation, I began thinking about what other professional writers do to evolve their writing. How do they achieve their writing goals? What motivates them to excel in their craft?
Harebrained Ideas Always Begin After Midnight
So late last night, I came up with a harebrained idea: I would interview top bloggers with distinctive writing styles that others emulate. Whom did I contact? Well, that’s the crazy part. I emailed bloggers like Sean Platt, Darren Rowse, Susan Johnston, Sonia Simone, Bob Younce, and Tom Chandler. Then, a crazy thing happened- they agreed to my interview! (I emailed a few other interesting surprise personalities, too!)
Let the Brain Picking Begin!
I am champing at the bit to read these exceptional writers’ answers! Keep an eye out in the next few days as the responses to my mini-interviews come in as the bloggers’ schedules allow. I will post them, unedited, giving you a chance to pick the brains of top bloggers in the online copywriting and freelance industries.
Does this sound like fun to you? If you would like to see responses from a particular blogging favorite, drop us a line and we’ll see what we can do!
Let the brain picking begin!
9 Steps to Clearer Writing: Cutting the Fat and Choosing Words Carefully
September 20, 2008
Big is Beautiful!
“Big is Beautiful!” may work for plus-sized underwear ads, but it fails miserably in the world of online writing. Clear, concise writing is best. You have 500 words or less to take your reader on a journey with a destination of your choosing.
The Challenge
Your goal is to transport readers from point A to point B in a manner that inspires them to continue following your lead. Most readers aren’t that picky, they’ll follow nearly anyone that piques their interest for a short time; the challenge is to keep their interest.
Step Three: Cutting the Fat
Cutting the fat is a painful process for many writers. Laboring over a creation only to trash your beloved words in a pile on the floor is unnatural. However, the trimmed up product is often a creation more beautiful and valuable than the first draft.
The Trimming Process
Cutting the fact begins with eliminating or revising any confusion in your writing.
- Take out any parts that do not move the reader toward the destination. If it is not related to your topic, get rid of it.
- Organize your thoughts to create a logical flow. (We mentioned these first two steps in Focus and Keep it Flowing.)
- Break up long paragraphs into smaller chunks of related information. This creates a little more white space and is easier on the eyes. It also allows readers to scan for information quickly before they decide to invest the time it takes to read an entire post.
- Replace flowery prose with powerful descriptions. Long-winded descriptions are nice for poetry and story telling, but are not a good fit for most online content.
Step Four: Choosing Words Carefully
If you are a writer, you already know that word choice can make all the difference. All writers have a love for words, and sometimes we have a difficult time choosing which words to romance for a post. One way to select the right words for a post begins with determining your tone for the piece. Let’s say you are writing a sample blog post for a website that sells lightning rods. What emotions underlie your post on lightning storms? Are you conveying wonder, fear, fascination, or fast and hard clinical facts?
Once you identify the tone of your writing, brainstorm words that express your thoughts and evoke the emotions behind your tone. For example, words such as sizzling, singeing, ear-splitting, ground shaking, hair raising, and white hot invoke images of a lightening storm that convey power and fascination. In contrast, charring, electrified, scorched, random, split-second, and life threatening convey an attitude of fear.
Once you have a word bank to draw from, you can replace dull or incongruent words with selections from your brainstorming list.
Focus, flow, and lean writing are essential elements of clearer writing. Next up in the Clearer Writing series: Originality. Stay tuned to learn how marching to the beat of a different drummer can be a good thing.
9 Steps to Clearer Writing: Keep it Flowing
September 10, 2008
“That has got to be one of stupidest movies I have ever seen.” My friend sat curled on the couch with half a snarl as the credits rolled for The Sixth Sense. “You would have had to have seen the whole thing to get it,” I explained. Coming in on the middle of a movie with a complex or fast-paced plot is never a good idea. Unless you start at the beginning, the end is a confusing disappointment.
Beginning Your Journey
We’ve all experienced a similar situation with a poorly plotted movie or book, or when someone spills the beans and tells you that the bomber is really the main character suffering from multiple personality disorder, right after you read the first chapter of Three by Ted Dekker. (Oops! If you haven’t read the story, it’s still well worth the read.) To continue with our Clearer Writing Steps, this same principal of logical flow holds true for your writing.
Your writing must have a destination (focus), but it also must have a means to get to that destination. Every article, blog post, or story is a journey. There are no short cuts and you must know where you are going. In order to write clearly, your writing must follow a logical flow.
Step Two:Keep It Flowing
Just as in the movies, your writing needs to have a clear cut beginning, middle, and end. Your beginning should captivate the reader’s attention and compel them to keep reading. Attention spans are short on the Web, and if your opening is dull, your readers move on.
Introduce Your Destination
Introducing your writing should ease the reader into the point you are trying to make, and if possible, present some kind of tension. This tension can be in the form of two opposing view points, a controversial statement, or a question posed to the reader. Tension is not an essential element for every piece, but it does help draw your readers in and keep them hanging on until the end.
Writing the Body: Digging Into Meat and Potatoes
The body of your article is the meat and potatoes of your writing. This area presents facts supporting your argument, informs the reader, or tells your tale. The body should be streamlined, just like a trip on the highway. This means every point should carry your reader closer to the destination. The scenic route may be great for a country drive, but it is not pleasant in writing. No one wants to read a meandering, winding story with no real destination.
Each paragraph has its own theme or point to make. Sentences should be short, as should each paragraph. Online content is not the same as a college thesis. Each idea should flow logically from one idea to the next, with transitioning sentences where necessary. Break the flow and you lose your reader.
Wrapping It Up: The Fortune Cookie of Writing
Clear writing also includes a conclusion. This does not mean that you can copy and paste your opening paragraph at the end of the piece. Repetitive facts are boring and not worth the time it takes to read them. One way to create a nice wrap up is to read each paragraph of your body and ask yourself what four words summarize each paragraph. I call this this the fortune cookie method. Each paragraph is condensed into a short and sweet Chinese proverb to be listed in your conclusion.
Keeping your writing flowing from beginning to end helps make your posts pleasant instead of painful to read. For clearer writing, hug the curves, check the map often, and put up a few roadsigns along the course to help others find their way.
