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Jun30
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Earlier this month, I promised that I would post three times every weekday for the rest of June 2006. I did this because I wanted to teach myself to blog more frequently and more regularly. As you may know, I staked my beloved Yoda PEZ dispenser (an emblem of my Know More Media bloggerhood as an unbundled microchunk publisher) on my ability to stick to my goal. This post will officially save Yoda. Here are my thoughts on the whole ordeal experience: - Posting frequently is hard. The more you post, the easier it gets to post, but the harder it gets as well. Easier because you're better at it, but harder because there's less time for it. - Posting frequently is rewarding. At least personally - I feel great satisfaction - but also, in many cases, in terms of traffic and recognition. - If you promise something in public, you're more likely to do it. I just couldn't let any of you down - or let you get your hands on Yoda. - There' s a lot more to blogging well than simply writing and hitting publish. There are people to talk to, facts to check, opinions to flesh out, comments to make, and most of all, a blog to maintain. - I have no regrets. As I write this, I am feeling stress from having had to bend over backwards on some occasions in order to keep my promise. But I've proved to myself that I can do what I say I will do. I hope to post more about my experience saving little Yoda in the coming days. If you've learned anything by watching my little experiment unfold, or if you just want to shake your electronic fist at me for keeping Yoda safe from its grasp, please leave a comment below. Here's to the future and enjoy your blogging!
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Jun30
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This month I'm going to do some really stealth blogtipping by sneaking up on three bloggers I really don't know. Nevertheless, and in the spirit of Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, I'm moving forward furtively and am now crouching in preparation to...
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Blogtipping Day is already in force in some time zones ... I just thought I'd warn you while I could - you just might get tipped! Remember the Bronze Blogtipping Rule: On the first day of the month, pick three...
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Jun29
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Chris Garrett recently posted at Performancing about a ten-step plan for creating a profitable blog. Hos do his tips apply to corporate blogs that are not (with some exceptions) directly profitable?Let's go down the list. Chris's writing is indented and...
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In Part 1 of this series, I explained why and how to monitor the blogosphere to help your business blog. Now here are (in my opinion) the best, most effective free tools to help you mine the global conversation for...
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I'm glad that Steve Rubel understands the need for improvement in blog search engines. He recently pointed out that, despite the plethora of blog search tools currently available, it's still quite difficult to consistently locate the bloggers, blogs, posts and...
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Jun28
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If you're blogging for an employer, Christopher Salazar at e-Bizz has a nice list of employee blogging do's and don'ts. Christopher has learned those tips by experience, so I would pay close attention to what he has to say about...
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Are you seeking a blogger job in India?I found that Criagslist offering via a search feed from Recruit.netSo far I have found Recruit.net the useful source of blogging job information. I know that probably no one who reads this lives...
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With 2006 about halfway over, I decided to look through my archives and select the ten best posts I've published so far this year. I hope you enjoy these posts. If you don't, let me know why not!#10 - 10...
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Jun27
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Here's when I think you should say sorry in a blog post on a corporate blog:1. You've done something wrong in your business and your blog is the most effective way to communicate with the people you've disappointed or hurt.2....
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So I've read the latest study on successful blogging from cover to cover, all 60 pages, and here are my favorite quotes and my notes.Warning: If you don't read this whole post, you will miss out on some of my...
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I want to do something special, something focused and unique, at BusinessBlogWire next month. Will you help me decide? I've got a few ideas:- Review 31 corporate blogs in 31 days. For each corporate blog review, I could rate the...
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Jun26
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Richard MacManus, who writes at the excellent Read/Write Web blog about Web 2.0 topics, is looking for savvy business bloggers to help jumpstart his project called TransMission, which he describes as "a corporate blogging and podcasting program that aims to...
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Darren Rowse, one of my blogging heroes, has started and repeatedly updated a growing list of well over 100 links to professional blogging tools and resources. I highly recommend that you peruse the list - no, actually scour it. Dig...
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Two more reading resources that we all ought to digest and maybe incorporate into our business blogging wiki:- By the end of 2006, it is likely that a majority of large companies will have corporate blogs. (Found via MediaBuyerPlanner.) Which...
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Jun23
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If so, you heard it here first ...(In order to save Yoda tonight, I've had to whip up a very brief, yet very important piece of news.)Comment tracking on a grand scale, if it works, would enable a whole new...
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If you read the comments following my recent review of the new Southwest Airlines "Nuts About Southwest" corporate blog, you'll learn what others think of the blog and also get a taste of Southwest's own views. Angela Vargo stopped by...
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Andy Wibbels has started posting at Business Blogging Confidential for the newly-expanded Duct Tape Marketing blog network. Andy knows how to educate while entertaining and vice versa, and I recommend that you grab his feed and give it a shot. ...
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In Part 1 of this business blogging tip series, we'll discuss why and how you should monitor the blogosphere (the ever-expanding universe of blogs) to discover what others are saying about you, your business, your blog and your industry.Why bother...
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Jun22
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Liz Strauss is at it again with her refreshing and illuminating posts. Let me turn the spotlight on some of that illumination as I play off of her recent post titled "6 Steps to a Branded Business Blog in Record...
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How personal should you be or not be on your business blog?Robyn Tippins says you shouldn't be afraid to break the unwritten rule that prohibits personal anecdotes and digressions on your blog about business (or your blog that you monetize). ...
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Here are five places to find information and/or reviews about specific corporate blogs:Blogs by Fortune 500 Companies The Fortune 500 Business Blogging Wiki offers a free, regularly updated list of large companies with publicly accessible corporate blogs.Blogs by Small Businesses...
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Jun21
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The ever-insightful Liz Strauss shares seven steps to becoming recognized as an expert on your blog topic of choice. I highly recommend Liz's advice and blog to you as valuable resources for business blogging information.The money quote for me: "You...
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I found an interesting post by Anil Dash at the Six Apart news blog (Six Apart makes Movable Type, the blogging platform I use for this blog) that talks about team business blogging. Since I recently took on the question...
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Feed reading can be very addictive. I once gorged on hundreds of feed items a day from over 1,200 unique feeds. Since then I've learned that reading too much and writing too little can be an exhuasting time and energy...
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Jun20
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Darren McLaughlin at The Blog Republic, a fine blog about professional blogging, is looking for more bloggers. If consumer electronics, finance or entertainment are up your alley, give Darren a holler.I've posted a few times lately about blogger job opportunities. ...
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It's been way too long since I took an in-depth look at a corporate blog. (I do have a slowly-growing archive of corporate blog reviews.) Having heard some good things about the Southwest Airlines blog, I decided to take a...
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I've started a Wetpaint business blogging wiki. If you're interested in contributing, let me know: easton A T knowmoremedia D O T com. I plan to put some thoughts in there on a regular basis to benefit others who want...
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Jun19
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Thomas Silkjær at The Undersigned shares several reasons why blogs can be important for businesses. If you're just getting started learning about business blogging check out Thomas' article. Actually even seasoned business blog veterans should find something of value in...
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Steve Remington of the brilliant reverse-psychology "Why My Blog Stinks" published a 5 part series a few weeks ago on the worst mistakes business bloggers can make.For me, here is the ideal way to destroy a business blog: 1. Stop...
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B. L. Ochman talks about why business blogs could benefit from publishing humorous posts from time to time: "Make it fun. Make your customers smile. Laugh even. ... Hardly any bloggers have any sense of humor." I've posted before about...
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Jun16
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Hello again! By now I should be in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon (or hopefully past it) on my way to the Phoenix area. (I'm moving with my family today, in case you hadn't heard - see my last...
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A few more links related to business blogging for your enjoyment while I move from Utah to Arizona:Eric Sinrod shares a few great corporate blog policy suggestions.Here are some reasons why you should (or perhaps shouldn't) highlight popular posts at...
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Hello everyone,By the time you read this I may well be on the road, cruising down through Utah and into Arizona. My family is moving! So today will be BusinessBlogWire Speedlinking Day. I had all these great links I could...
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Jun15
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Darren Rowse, one of the world's most famous professional bloggers, has taken a stab at basic business (corporate) blogging tips. While he admits is from the perspective of one who doesn't have corporate blogging experience, Darren's advice is still very...
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By adding polls to your business blog, you can encourage visitor participation and feedback and even spice up your blog in the process.I've been researching a few different blog poll tools and was pleased to come across Vizu. I don't...
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One of the best blogs I've discovered recently is Steve Remington's "Why My Blog Stinks." No, it's not a personal pity party. It's Steve's way of offering blogging tips - typically by starting off with a title like "Don't Think...
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Jun14
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At Performancing, Raj Dash wrote a couple of weeks ago about team blogging, addressing the question of whether (and for what reasons) blogs with multiple authors might perform better than blogs with only one author.Raj brings up a good point:...
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Yesterday I attended the brief, but very rewarding Utah Bloggers conference in Sandy, Utah. Tim Stay of Know More Media has a great review of the event, as do several other bloggers. Here are my main thoughts on the UT...
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As of right now, my email inbox is empty. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (to borrow a sound from Jeremy Wright). I can't tell you the relief I feel. It's like a great weight has been lifted off of me.Business bloggers often deal with...
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Jun13
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Did you know that you can set up search alerts and/or feeds to help you find blogging jobs? Here are just a few to get you started:Monster lets you save a job search as an RSS feed - just stick...
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Disclaimer: I work full-time for Know More Media, a blog network. I love working for KMM, but I'll try not to be biased in offering an answer to the following question:Should You Blog Solo, For One Or More Networks, Or...
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This post started as a comment at a post where 9rules blog network co-founder Paul Scrivens used blogger Colbert Low as a hypothetical example of tension involving blog network blogger allegiance. I'm curious to learn more about this subject, and...
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Jun12
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Claire Tompkins, who writes at ProductivityGoal for Know More Media, left an interesting comment today in response to my promise that I would post three times each weekday to this blog for the rest of June. (It's either that or...
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Yes, world, there are a significant number of excellent pro bloggers in Utah - and tomorrow evening they will descend upon the Larry H. Miller Innovation Center in Sandy for some free blogger elbow-rubbin'. If you're a Utah blogger, you...
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I just wanted to add my thoughts to the conversation surrounding Robert Scoble's decision to leave Microsoft to become vice president of PodTech.Scoble is probably the most well-known corporate blogger today, and his move demonstrates that business bloggers can possess...
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Jun 9
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I really meant to write a long post responding to Eric Kintz's post which says that blogging frequency isn't important, but the weather is getting awful here and my computer might shut off at any moment (thunder and lightning are...
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It's not the weather - although it is a-fixin' to storm here in Salt Lake City right now.It's my voracious reading habit and thirst for knowledge. NewsGator, my feedreader of choice, is usually my best friend because it serves up...
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Anil Dash of Six Apart has a nice post up today at the Movable Type News blog about how to recover gracefully from a corporate blogging screw-up. Read his post for an interesting case study involving Six Apart itself.My take...
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Jun 8
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I love Performancing. It's a tip-filled site that functions much like a forum where bloggers can share ideas.The other day I came across Ahmed Bilal's Performancing post on blogging inexpensively. In it, he explains how to cast off the extraneous...
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Seth Godin's list of 56 tips on how to drive traffic to your blog is a must-read, if only so you can enjoy the man's intelligence and charm. The tips are all great for bloggers in general, and that post...
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Darren Rowse is at it again with another smart group blogging project. Last time the theme was habits of highly effective bloggers; this time it's blogging goals in general.In the spirit of Darren's call for variety, and in a last-ditch...
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Jun 7
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I want to get your impressions on the new BusinessWeek article about "Web 2.0." The article is called "Web 2.0 Has Corporate America Spinning." (The article also links to a few other interesting items I won't cover here, such as...
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Jun 6
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The other day I asked bloggers to respond to the question: What impact do you think blogging will have on business? It's meant to be very open-ended, to encourage a wide range of answers.Pete Abilla of Shmula.com had this to...
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Jun 5
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Steve Rucinski talks about how to be a blog evangelist.His first tip? Read blogs. I agree with Steve that this is a far more important step than you may think. Think about it: how well can you socialize if you...
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Jun 3
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June 1, 2006 was the second monthly Blogtipping Day, and a good number of bloggers - I'd guess about fifteen or twenty - went blogtipping with me. I used simple Technorati searches for blogtipping and "blog tipping" to track what...
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Jun 2
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I'm not yet finished with my Blogtipping Day summary post (there's just so many of us blogtippers now!), but it was great fun and very constructive.For now, then, the big news from here is ... I've been blogtipped. Wintermute is...
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Jun 1
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Happy Blogtipping Day, everyone!I'm excited to go blogtipping today! I want to highlight three excellent, totally unsuspecting blogs that business bloggers should read. I'll give each blog three compliments and one helpful suggestion. Feel free to critique my blogtipping technique...
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