Our web connection, my blog setup and your blog writing

Our Web Connection

They don’t call this a web for nuthin’. We’re all connected, sometimes in strange ways, by its invisible strings.

Seriously, the number of times that I write something, then read another post and blink with surprise that my message is right there on someone else’s blog wrapped up in different words – is astounding. The reverse is also true, just look at the comments in my posts – it seems at least once a day someone links me to a brilliant post they wrote that connects right in or exclaims, ‘I was just thinking/writing/talking about this!”

I absolutely love this. To me, it’s like the air around us is ripe with these ideas and we’re all just plucking them off the tree and making them ours. To share this brain and thought process with so many other people is like getting to swim in that pool with the pods in it in Cocoon – I think it actually feeds us and makes us better. Sometimes it even glows.

So, I was not shocked when I woke up this morning and saw Chris Brogan’s post on the necessity of purpose and focus for your blog, when I was sitting here with the guts of a post with a similar vein. My post is about my blog and about yours…

My Blog Setup

Well, really my whole site. Way back when I started my copywriting business, I thought it was all about the website – so I got one. And I loved it. When I quickly discovered the world of blogging, I dove in full force – for my clients – helping them write and leverage this platform for their own businesses. But I didn’t blog for myself.

Eventually, the uber-talented illustrator, Elizabeth Whelan – after hearing me go on and on about what blogging could do for a shared client we had, asked me where my blog was. Uh, er, um, well… She told me she wouldn’t speak to me again until my blog was up and running. THANK YOU, Elizabeth. I pulled a WordPress blog onto the writingroads.com site and my life hasn’t been the same since.

And then, recently, I’ve been finding myself in another one of these ‘do as I say, not as I do’ situations. I’m telling people left and right…

• to just build a blog, not a traditional website
• and add static pages
• for SEO purposes
• for ease of use, content management
• for UI (user interface) or VEO (visitor enhanced optimization)
• to use plugins for expansion and growth
• to maximize sidebar real estate

And the whole time, I’m eyeballing my blog with a sideways glance. The cobbler has no shoes, the therapist’s family is full of nutjobs, and yes, the blogger’s blog is out of whack.

So, finally, with the help of the lovely, Shauna Callaghan, I’ve redone my site – the right way. You might not even notice, because it’s likely you didn’t ever click on those typewriter keys up above that shot you over to the ‘web’site and off the blog. But now when you click on them, they keep you here whilst showcasing my work and services. And www.writingroads.com gets you here now as well (no more need for writingroads.com/blog). Ahhh…c’est fini! (besides the incessant tweaking I’m doing). My wish is that it’s easier now for visitors to know who I am and what I do…

What does your blog/site need? How can you tweak it so to perform better?

Your Blog Writing

The other thing on my mind is your blog. This morning, when I tweeted CB’s post about blog focus and purpose, I added this: “(and if you need help focusing/purposing, call me)” – and several people responded with messages that looked something like, “Please help me!!!” in varying degrees of agony.

So, I thought it was worth putting it out there, but this time here: I help you figure out the blogosphere by helping you answer these questions:

• What is my blog’s purpose?
• What is my blog’s theme?
• How do I define and rein in my scope?
• What do I write about?
• How do I write it?
• How do I focus my content and outreach?
• Should I talk to other bloggers?
• Which ones?
• How do I do that?
• What plugins do I need?
• What is a plugin?
• Do I need to use Twitter and Facebook?
• How do I ______? (fill in the blank)
• …and on and on.

Let me know if you need help…after all, with the way this web connectivity thing is going, you were probably just thinking about all of this anyway…

Image credit: Jeff Smallwood

Filed under Blogging, Critical Copywriting, How To, The Business | Tags: blog, blog content, blog purpose, blog setup, blog strategy, blog writing, Blogging, Chris Brogan, copywriting, social media, social media marketing, Writing | Comments (18)

Learning to walk (as a way to move forward)

This post was inspired by Ann Hession, an extraordinary life & business coach and human being.

We were talking about change and growth – and how as momentum builds,  old systems (fundamental and foundational systems) have to be adjusted, reworked and reset. Ann provided the most intriguing example.

When people weigh a lot, as in obesity, they move in a specific physical way in order to accommodate the bulk that they have to carry around. Then, when they lose a large amount of weight – as in hundreds of pounds, they literally have to learn how to move again to match their new weight. Ann mentioned that because of her work as a massage therapist, she can spot people who used to weight a lot – because of the way they still move.

Bring it back to writing and social media. When you grow – as a writer, a business owner, a marketer – you have to let everything grow. But some of your stuff (or they way you do your stuff) is ingrained – it’s practically as innate as, wait for it,  the way you walk.

Examples:

1. You’ve expanded your marketing plan to include Twitter, but you haven’t built in any time to actually use it. Your daily schedule wants to go on as is and so does your internal clock, but you need to re-evaluate and shift.

2. You’ve increased your fee structure, but your internal idea of your self-worth hasn’t caught up. You need to take stock of your experience, skill and expertise and stand fully behind the new fees.

How does this apply to you? Do you have realtime examples? Could this help you move forward?

Filed under Blogging, Critical Copywriting, How To, Marketing, Social Media, The Business | Tags: Ann Hession, business, fee schedules, Julie Roads, Marketing, marketing writer, self-worth, social media, social media marketing, Twitter, Writing, Writing Roads | Comments (12)

Is your cab light on???

This concept is taken directly and unabashedly from Sex and the City wherein Miranda explains to the girls that when a guy is ready to get married, his cab light goes on. If it’s not on, there is no use, he is nothing but an epic fail. To try to get him to marry you or even commit long term is fruitless…oh, and stupid. He isn’t ready, you can’t change him and he’s a waste of time.

So, how does this apply to writing? Your writing career? Any career? Social media participation?

The way I see it looks like this:

Are you ready? Do you want to be where you are? Doing what you’re doing?

Because we can tell when you aren’t. No one seeks you out because they can feel your hesitation, your negativity, your non-commitment. Your light isn’t on, so the good clients probably can’t even find you. And the people that do hire you? Well, think about the girl that constantly chases the ‘wrong’ guy (and talks about it all the time) – do you want to work for the analogical equivalent of her?

When it feels right – your energy is contagious, people want to be around you. You’re positive and always looking for a solution. You ooze success and upward movement and staying power.

If you don’t feel good about your work or your marketing plan, rethink your chosen path. Make a change and find what feels right. Then, look up. Your cab light will be on…and everyone will be flagging you down.

Filed under Critical Copywriting, How To, Marketing, Social Media, The Business | Tags: copywriting, Julie Roads, Marketing, marketing plan, marketing writing, right career choice, social media marketing, Writing, Writing Roads | Comments (7)

Trees that make a difference and change the way we remember

Trees Instead, founded and run by Daniel Diaz (Civil Engineer) & Pablo G. Martinez (business grad), is a fantastic business that’s doing good in the world, one tree at a time, by planting trees as memorials, honorariums and gifts. I’m continually impressed by their work and generosity. And, since I found them on twitter, I became even more intrigued by the web and social media slant of their business – so I asked for an interview, and of course, they obliged. Here ’tis.

Writing Roads: How did you get started? What was your inspiration, motivation, raison d’etre?

Trees Instead: In 2001, a dear friend of ours passed away after a long battle with cancer. At his funeral, the family made the request to donate money to the American cancer society in lieu of Flowers. Instead, we decided to make a picture slide of all the good times we had with him. We noticed that our best memory was a camping trip we all did to a national park while in college. We called the park and had a tree planted there in his memory; we then made a certificate and give it to his Mother…she loved it. Then the funeral director who was present at that time asked us if we could do one for another family…the rest is HISTORY.

We noticed that the available services for memorial tree planting were very impersonal, so we did some research and made our business plan with the mission to have a service that would be elegant, original and sustainable. We put our savings in and 100,000+ trees later – here we are! We now plant trees in all 50 states, Canada, The Amazon & Israel.

Writing Roads: How do you use social media for your business? How do you use your blog? (I know blogs are part of soc med, but I just wanted to make sure you talked about both…)

Trees Instead: We are in the business of making green trendy & thoughtful, to position our service/product as a unique experience for both sender & receiver. We’ve found that social media is the best way to let people know about us. There are many tree planting companies, and they are in it for many reasons we are – the “end result of the service,” the satisfaction of going green & doing it in an elegant & original way. Blogs & social media engines like Facebook & Twitter allow us to get in touch with the people on a one by one basis and have a long term relationship that will end up with us positioning our service in their minds.

Writing Roads: Any thoughts on the importance of content to your business? (The writing in particular…)

Trees Instead: Well there is an ongoing debate about global warming and the need for sustainable living. We like to stay out of the debate. The extremists & alarmists about global warming are not doing any good for their own cause and those who think nothing is wrong are in lala land.  A business like ours enjoys the balance of doing good actions for the environment while facing one absolute truth: “Sustainable living is good for the wallet, the earth & future generations…. No matter what.”

Writing Roads: Do you have an opinion on the difference (benefits, hardships) of running a nonprofit web business as opposed to a for profit biz?

Trees Instead: We’re a not-for-profit because we like the freedom of decision we have with an LLC – there’s little bureaucracy. Nevertheless, we use our income not only to plant trees, but to find ways to make sustainable reforestation projects in developing countries. I admire organizations like the Arbor Day Foundation or American Forests, but I don’t want the government, a board, nor powerful activists telling us how to act, what to believe ad how to live our dream. We do miss the grants and goodies available to non-profits, yet we don’t want to be huge, just big enough to matter.

Writing Roads: Anything I missed that you want to say?

Trees Instead: Well, we really appreciate your generosity. Also, we like to support any group or cause that makes sense – our only enemies are ignorance & narrow minded people. Daniel is on the liberal side of things and Pablo is the Conservative, yet, we don’t let media or agendas dictate common sense.

Keep up the good work, Daniel and Pablo – knowing people like you exist in the world helps me sleep better at night…Thanks!!!

Filed under Blogging, Social Media | Tags: Blogging, Facebook, green business, social change, social media, social media marketing, tree memorials, trees instead, Twitter | Comments (3)