Men With Pens » Better Blogging

Bloggers versus Copywriters: The Rhetoric Debate

James — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 05:00:47 +0000

A few days ago, Glenn Murray wrote a post for ProBlogger called Bloggers Versus Copywriters: 8 Reasons Why Bloggers Do It Better.

Sly fox that he is, Glenn warned me the post was controversial, knowing full well I’d rise to the challenge of debate. He was chuckling over my impending comments, and I hadn’t even made any yet!

Of course, comment I did. I had 500 words banged out in three minutes. Then I came to my senses and decided to write a post about it all. It’s much more fun that way.

Now, to be fair, comparing bloggers to copywriters is a little like comparing masterful wizards to sword-in-the-stone apprentices. They don’t perform the same job, have completely different goals and career motivations and have very different skills sets.

They do have one common trait: they write. They have a second common trait: they use copywriting techniques to get results. They have a third common trait, which is listening to Brian Clark’s wisdom on the subject, always a smart choice.

There are possibly other common traits, such as alcohol consumption, but for the sake of this post, none of that applies. (One should never drink before 5pm, after all, and my clock says it’s noon.)

But I digress. The matter at hand is Glenn’s conclusive statement that bloggers do it better.

Have I ever mentioned that one of my favorite classes in university was Critical Thinking? For a year I studied the art of argument, and it was a great deal of fun. You take an argument and then pick it apart to determine its validity of premises (supporting statements) and conclusion (the ultimate “therefore” claim at the end). It goes something like this:

Bloggers know what they’re writing about: That’s quite the sweeping statement, there. Some bloggers don’t have a clue what they’re writing about. Some rewrite other people’s posts. Some scrape. Some run to Wikipedia. Just because they call themselves a blogger doesn’t mean they’re an expert. Some are, though, so let’s give Glenn a half-point start from the gate. (I like to be generous.)

Bloggers have a more immediate and real incentive: Another sweeping statement? More immediate? More real Tsk, Glenn, really. How do you know this? Do you have proof? I didn’t think so. Moving on…

Bloggers know their audience: Ah, Glenn, it’s been a while since you’ve been in the real world, yes? Some bloggers know their audience, but truthfully, some have just launched their site, have no clue who they’re talking to or have been paid to ghostwrite and have never even come close to knowing their audience. I wish I could give you points for this one, but you missed the net by a mile.

Bloggers aren’t writing for clients: Only if you define client as “person with cash in hand”. I consider my readers clients – I provide them with material they like to read, and they provide me with their loyalty and friendship, or maybe a comment. There’s an unspoken agreement in place with blogging, which does indeed create a client-provider relationship. Oh, and by the way, this premise does nothing to support the conclusion, which is that bloggers do it better than copywriters. Out it goes!

Bloggers get immediate and real feedback: True, but copywriters also get immediate and real feedback, though just in a different form from bloggers – cash form. Copywriters can pen a page of good copy, publish it, tweet the link and watch sales occur before their very eyes. Sorry, Glenn, but this premise ends up in the black hole of doom.

Bloggers aren’t writing for themselves: Well, if they’re not writing for themselves, who they’re writing for? No one’s put a gun to their head, and they have to have some sort of direct motivation to begin blogging in the first place. Were bloggers not writing for themselves, thousands of blogs would shut down – you can’t carry out an activity you don’t enjoy for very long, and bloggers always counsel each other to write for themselves first.

Bloggers aren’t writing for their teachers: No, they’re not. True. And last time I checked, neither are copywriters. Do I smell the beginnings of a red herring? (And is there anything Glenn said that actually upheld his conclusion? I’m beginning to wonder…)

Bloggers follow best practices: I’m sorry, I think I missed something here. Which best practices? What kind of best practices? Whose best practices? What are these best practices that Glenn speaks of? A mystery! (And one more premise for the black hole of doom).

So without even needing to defend the consort of copywriters, Glenn’s argument crumbles and withers away. Which does indeed prove a point: that maybe some bloggers should consider making solid arguments with supportive statements we can all applaud.

You know, like copywriters do.

Are Your Blogging Efforts Worth It?

James — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 05:00:45 +0000

When you blog for some time, you eventually reach a point when you begin to wonder whether blogging is actually getting you anywhere. Is it bringing you results? Have all the posts you’ve written been worth it? Is the strategy working out as expected? Are you getting anything back from your investment?

Those are good questions to ask. And sadly, not many bloggers ask them.

People like to be cheerleaders with inspirational rah-rah-stick-with-it-good-things-will-come-chin-up encouragement. It’s nice to boost people’s spirits, and we want to be seen as nice people. Very few openly discuss the bad side of blogging, for fear of being called a pessimist.

Staying positive is part of The Secret, after all.

Well, since I’m not a fan of that book, I have no qualms about talking downsides. When you blog, you need to:

Spend time and invest energy writing new posts and publishing them
Maintain your blog on a regular basis to keep it running smoothly
Invest money into improving and upgrading your site and design so it doesn’t become outdated
Stay consistent with the quality and usefulness of content to meet reader expectations
Continually market and promote, either via advertising (which costs money) or presence on social media (which takes time)
Stay inspired and creative so your posts always sound fresh and interesting
Present your best foot forward at all times to maintain a good impression
Change the game from time to time to maintain interest and continue to grow

You can’t skip any of the above if you want your blog to succeed. Well, you can, but you’ll soon find that your readership drops, your traffic dwindles and people don’t talk as much about your blog anymore.

Here’s a thought: What if that dropping readership, that dwindling traffic and that lack of discussion lets you invest your time in better projects, ones that help you get closer to your goals?

Hey, you get the luxury of asking yourself that question. We’re the early adopters of blogging, shaping it and changing it as we learn about its potential. Who says we’re doing it right? Maybe we’re not using it properly at all. Blogging has only been around for a few years, and people are still testing different methods to get what they want.

They’re constantly changing their game to see what works and what doesn’t.

Are you?

I think we emphasize blogging for the sake of being an expert far too much. I think too many people don’t realize, forget, or ignore the pain of blogging. It takes time, energy, skills, money, creativity and consistency to make it work.

And the truth is that most people don’t have these resources at their fingertips.

This is why you need to pick your pain and know why you’re subjecting yourself to it. This is why you need to choose which pain is best, and which is just masochistic. Think hard about whether blogging as you are now is helping you reach your goals. Ask yourself how it’s working out for you.

Is there something you should change? What could you do differently? Would spending your energy elsewhere be better?

This doesn’t mean you should give up on blogging. But do analyze your game plan and figure out whether it’s working to get where you want to be. Revaluate your blogging methods and think about whether making changes to how you blog would have better impact.

And let me know what you think! Go ahead and share your thoughts right here in the comment section. Or ask questions. The more people we get talking about blogging, the better we can shape it so that we can all profit.

Can You Learn How to Be an Overnight Success?

Agent X — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:00:49 +0000

It’s easy to look at someone else’s success and feel envious about it – especially when the person seemingly shot to celebrity status nearly overnight. It’s not so easy to remember that everyone started from nothing – and that there’s a history you can look back on to find the steps you need to reach success as well. Amy Harrison tells us all about it in today’s guest post – enjoy!

When you start freelancing, you usually spend time online looking for the big names in your line of work. You become familiar with them, admire them and you’re comfortable aspiring to be just like them.

Then a few months go by and pow! A new name’s on the scene. The A-listers are talking about this person, people are recommending his site, and you wonder how he became this overnight success.

You can’t help but get a twinge of envy as the new kid on the block releases an ebook to resounding online applause, followed by a fully subscribed e-course. As you follow the fuss, the temptation to do what this person is doing feels compulsive.

You tell yourself you should be moving faster, working on releasing your own product sooner, spending more time on Twitter promoting your work – just like he did. And you add “idea for ebook and ecourse” to your to-do list, thinking that this’ll help you reach that success you wanted.

This makes you panic a bit, because you realize you might miss the success boat. You want to get moving quickly, but you’ve got so much work on your plate already. But if that guy’s doing this, then you should do this as well, right?

So you decide you’ll just work longer hours and beat yourself up a little bit more. The problem with this is that…

You’re looking at the wrong part of his success.

It’s not a bad idea to keep an eye on what the success stories are up to today, but if you’re really looking to learn something useful (and reduce your stress levels), then you need to go back in time.

If that overnight success has a website, look at his blog archives. Go right to the beginning when his posts weren’t getting any comments, and see how long and how many posts it took for him to grow his followers. It’s likely that you’ll see a long archive of posts that took time to build up. A clever tool to try is the wayback machine, which shows you what the site actually used to look like as much as a few years ago.

What you probably find is that where this new huzzah was 6 months, 12 months or a couple of years ago is where you are today. Take comfort in this. This guy isn’t superhuman. He had the same passion for his work as you do – he’s just a few steps ahead.

Study those steps. What did he do that lead him to success today?

Don’t believe all the hype

Who you believe might be the next big hit might not be a hit at all. There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors in the online world, and there are a lot of incredibly “successful” personalities with shiny avatars that don’t have the tangible success that you might be looking for. It might just be that the person you think is making it is just very good at playing the social media game, but not at making any money. So…

Put that “panic energy” to good use

Take that sudden burst of ohmigod-I-have-to-do-something and put it into your current work. Keep working hard and with passion for your current clients and keep trying to find new ones.

It’s so easy to become addicted to RSS feeds, commenting, reading blog posts and spending hours running in circles and then panicking because you’ve got nothing done. A little bit is useful to interact with your online community, but too much and not enough work on your business won’t get you the clients that put food on your table.

I’ve been hungry and desperate before. A sandwich beats a retweet every damn time.

Remember the unsexy steps the overnight successes had to take

There’s nothing gorgeous and exciting about staying inside with your computer all day while the sun is shining because you have to work. But there is something sexy about completing a project that you’re proud of and that results in a happy client who refers you to someone else while you cash his cheque at your bank.

Think back to that overnight success you envied. The person may have worked on those unsexy steps for years. He’s bought courses and put them to use. He’s honed his skills, improved his business and had more than his fair share of bumps along the way.

He know that no one owes him anything, and that the glory of being where he is today is secondary to building a sustainable, profitable business that gives value to its customers.

So keep your eye on those “overnight” successes. See what you can learn from them to make your business better.

Over to you! Any lessons you’ve learned from “overnight” success stories? Any methods you’ve used to keep calm and carry on when you feel like you’re getting left behind?

Amy Harrison runs Harrisonamy Copywriting. She loves helping excitable business owners communicate to their customers how awesome they really are. Subscribe to her blog or follow her on twitter: @littleunred for more copywriting (and sometimes irreverent) updates.

How to Create Guest Post Guidelines for Your Blog

Agent X — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 05:00:18 +0000

It’s well known that one of my strategies used to rise to fame came from being everywhere, all the time. I used the power of guest posting and blog commenting tactics to reach people around the globe.

If reaching people is what you want, you’ll find plenty of advice on guest posting right here at Men with Pens, including great tips on accepting guest posts to your blog – like this post on submission guidelines from Ann Smarty. Enjoy!

You know there’s power in guest posting and that it’s mutually beneficial to both parties. You might even be thinking of accepting guest posts on your blog. (Check out this post for great tips on how to find great guest post authors.)

The next step is to create a solid guest post policy of guidelines.

Why You Need Clear Guest Post Guidelines

With a clear list of guest post guidelines, you can:

Cut down on low-quality submissions: If you state your criteria for approval, chances are that most people will adhere
Cut down on irrelevant submissions: Let people know what topics to cover in their posts
Cut down on poorly-formatted post – and save your time on formatting them)
Avoid any misunderstandings
Have solid grounds to modify or reject the post without offending anyone

What to Add to Your Guest Post Policy

Besides the obvious such as how to apply as a contributor or the process of submitting the guest post, you may want to include the following in your policy:

Your Quality Requirements

Some people (myself included) think that strict standards limit the author’s creativity. For example, a post shouldn’t be too long to be awesome. However, without standards, you’ll be flooded with low-quality posts, so clearly state the quality you expect in terms of word-count length, language, originality and uniqueness.

Your Preferred Topics and Subjects

List some specific topics you’d prefer for guest post content. You can suggest some areas that you don’t have expertise in and thus would like an outside perspective. Alternatively, you can share some post ideas, basing them on posts that you know are especially well received by your audience.

Your Link Requirements and Policies

It’s very important to mention what you’ll accept in regards to linking, because that’s usually what causes plenty of issues and misunderstandings. You might:

Ask the guest poster to link to other posts found on your blog, or make it clear you’ll add internal links yourself
Specify how many links guest posters are allowed to use in the content and byline
Specify your position on affiliate links within post content (normally forbidden)
Express your opinion on keyword-rich anchor text (like Daniel, you may be against SEOd links in guest posts)
Mention whether guest posters are allowed to link to their own content within the post

Your Post Image Requirements

Do you require an image sent in with the guest post to make it more attention-grabbing? That’s up to you. But keep in mind that if you do request images or the poster sends one in, you should know that image attribution is important. All images should be properly attributed and have been credited. Remember, the image is published on your blog: you don’t want stolen images there!.

Your Republishing Policies

Some blogs allow republishing of guest posts; some don’t. The traditional position is that the post belongs to the blog owner, is credited to the author and cannot be republished anywhere else. This protects from duplicate content issues. Some authors may be unaware that they can’t publish their guest post elsewhere, so it’s best to make clear whether you only accept original content and whether you expect your blog to be its ultimate home.

Your Editorial Policies

Do you edit guest posts? How many edits should a guest post author expect? Let people know to avoid misunderstandings. : “Please don’t be offended if we suggest changes.”

Your Formatting Preferences

You may want to include a few lines about how you prefer guest posts be formatted, such as:

Using subheadings in the post body (I usually ask guest posters to include H2-H3 tags)

Whether you prefer HTML formatting

Using short paragraphs or bullet points (to make the post easier to read)

Now that you have a good idea what to include on your guest post guidelines policy, write one up! Don’t forget to make it easy to find on your blog, and give the link to anyone applying to be a guest poster.

Do you have guest post guidelines? Share some of your favorite policies or guidelines in the comment section!

Ann Smarty has been guest posting for the past two years. Her passion resulted in My Blog Guest, a community of guest post bloggers. If you want to submit to hundreds of high-profile bloggers or find quality writers ready to contribute to your site, come join!

How to Wow Blog Editors (and Get Published)

Agent X — Mon, 17 May 2010 05:00:05 +0000

Today’s guest post comes to us from Laura Spencer, a well-known crack writer, blogger and head editor at Freelance Folder, one of the blogosphere’s largest hangouts for freelancers. She responded to a post written last week about when your guest post is held hostage – and her comment was so well thought out that I asked her for her opinions on how to be a great guest poster. Here it is – enjoy!
So, you’ve decided to incorporate guest posting into your marketing strategy. Good for you.
Guest posting can be an effective way to reach your target audience.
Guest poster Chris Birk did a good job recently of describing how a writer feels when a guest post is accepted but has not yet been published. However, with all due respect to Chris’s excellent insights, that’s only half the story.
As an editor at a blog, a writer for three blogs, and an owner of two blogs–I have been on the receiving end of a lot of guest posts over the years. I can tell you one thing: While many guest posters are extremely talented, some are not. A few are pushy and some are even rude.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of emailing off four, five, or more guest posts quickly and then expecting to see your work on the blog of your choice the very next day. After all, the blog editor/owner has probably been waiting breathlessly for your little darlings, right?
Sorry, no. Usually, things don’t work that way.
Thoughtful Actions to Help You Get Published
First of all, every single blog is different. Every blog editor or owner has different expectations and needs. This can make it tough to break in as a guest author.
However, there are some relatively easy steps any guest author can take. These steps will usually increase the chances of getting a post published. Here are my suggestions:

Before your write your guest post, read the blog where you want to submit your guest post. I mean REALLY read it. Take the time to study the last four or five posts published. Look at the style and tone of the blog. Scan the topics that have already been covered.
Look for a writer’s guidelines page. Not all blogs will have this page and sometimes the page is hard to find. But, when a guidelines page is there make sure that you follow it to the letter. This page is a blueprint for you and usually describes what a blog is looking for.
If the blog is missing a writer’s guideline page, that doesn’t necessarily mean that a blog doesn’t accept guest posts–but, it could. Look at the blog site again to see if any other guest authors have already been published. If in doubt, a polite email to the site owner may be in order.
Make your post as editor-friendly as possible. This includes proofreading your post thoroughly. If possible, format the post in HTML. If the blog uses images, find a royalty-free image that fits your topic and attach it your post.
Once the post is accepted, be sure to iron out the important details, such as whether or not you will be paid for the post and who owns the published post.

What to Do While Waiting to Be Published
Oops! You’ve sent your post in. It’s been a day or two and you haven’t heard back from the editor yet. Or, the editor said they would use your post, but it’s been over a week and they haven’t published it.
It’s time to shake the dust from your feet and move on, right?
Wrong! If you submitted your post to a large blog, remember that they may get dozens of guest posts each week. Often, posts are scheduled in advance (sometimes way in advance).
If you submitted to a smaller blog, the site owner may be blogging in addition to doing a regular job. He or she may be busy with work, or they may even be on vacation.
Be patient. It’s perfectly acceptable to email your contact and ask about the status of your post.
Common Mistakes Guest Authors Make
Here are some common mistakes that I’ve seen guest authors make. (You’re reading this post, so you now know better. I don’t want to catch any of you making these mistakes. )
Don’t submit:

A guest post that has nothing to do with the topic of the blog
A guest post that is a thinly disguised advertorial, chock full of affiliate links
A guest post that has been used elsewhere
A guest post that you wouldn’t be proud to put on your own site

Do you accept guest posts on your blog? What guidelines do you have? Are you a guest poster? Has this post been helpful to you?
Laura Spencer is a freelance writer with over 19 years of professional writing experience. She blogs at Writing Thoughts and is editor for Freelance Folder.

What to Do When They Hold Your Guest Post Hostage

James — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 05:00:26 +0000

Photo credit Antonov Roman

A polite intro, a list of my choice of topics and a really well-written email got my attention, and Chris swooshed right through the hoops (not that I have any) to be today’s guest poster. His advice is perfect for those who write and submit guest posts around the web – use it wisely, young Jedis, and always for the power of good.

It’s an awful, mind-numbing, frustrating feeling.

You’ve successfully completed a stellar guest post. You’ve pitched it just as successfully. The site editor raves about your work and welcomes you into the authors fold. You take a fleeting moment to revel in self-satisfaction before heading off to the next assignment.

And then nothing happens.

Days elapse, but there’s no sign of your published piece. No emails from the site editor. No indication whatsoever that your work will ever see the light of day.

Your guest post is being held hostage.

It’s not like you can all the police. But God knows you want to.

Why Does This Happen?

There are dozens of reasons why writers wind up in this content limbo. Bloggers and site editors, especially at top-tier outlets, are generally busy people. Dozens of content requests and guest post submissions pour in each week. Editors are often multitasking for their site and can easily get sidetracked.

But some tilt a little too far toward instant gratification and lose sight of a contributor’s work as soon as an agreement is in place. Mutual respect and empathy are two keys to cultivating a worthwhile writer-editor relationship, and an imbalance can contribute to a guest post being held hostage.

So what should you do?

It probably depends (at least in part) on who you’re writing for. If it’s a big-name site, you’ll probably want to take a different tack than you might with a smaller outlet with less traffic and credibility.

But silence from you only services to tacitly condone the practice of a hostage guest post, which only means more headaches down the road at other sites.

Definitely stop to remember that whole mutual respect thing. Writing posts and creating relevant content is part of a symbiotic relationship between authors and site owners. Getting a reputation as a snarky, demanding writer probably won’t boost your industry rep or your bottom line.

Here are five steps writers can consider when their work has suddenly disappeared into the ether:

Calm Down

It’s tough but true. Firing off a biting email demanding answers and an apology probably won’t win you repeat business. Write the email and then trash it. Or just take a breath and stop to remember that other people have lives. Give the editor at least a week if there’s been no discussion about a timeframe for posting your piece. Get back to pitching and writing.

Determine Intentions

It’s probably time to circle back to the editor after a week to 10 days. Check in to inquire about the pending publication of the piece and make sure there are no lingering questions or concerns. It’s always a good idea to ask about headlines or artwork (and it’s an even better idea to include them as part of your initial submission).

Get a Firm Commitment

By this point, that nasty email is starting to feel like a missed opportunity. If you’re closing in on the two-week mark, it’s probably time to respectfully seek a firm commitment from the site editor. Ask for a specific run date and remind the editor why your piece was timely and a solid fit for their site in the first place. Especially note any time-sensitive elements of your work as a way to spur action.

Shop Elsewhere

Site owners and the search engines alike abhor duplicate content. But writers with a piece in limbo should consider pitching the idea to other sites. If the original piece finally comes through, then you can always conduct a substantial rewrite and push the piece along to other interested venues. This is also a way to gain some leverage when the time comes to have one last email exchange with the original site editor.

Ultimatum

This is the end of the line, somewhere around the four-week mark. Your work has been hostage long enough. Firmly yet respectfully give the site editor an ultimatum — publish the piece by this date or you rescind the right to publication. Or, better yet, that you’ve changed your mind and will be submitting the guest post to a competing site that will publish your work instead.

No matter your method, remember that professionalism and mutual respect should still win the day — if for no other reason than it’s a small world, especially among people who create and share information for a living.

Chris Birk works with GrowthPartner, a unique firm that provides angel investment and online marketing expertise to emerging companies. A former newspaper and magazine writer, he teaches journalism and media writing at a private Midwestern university. He blogs at Write Short Live Long.

Imperfection is a Good Thing

Taylor — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 05:00:43 +0000

Do yourself a favor and look around the blogosphere. Look at the people who have almost obsessive cult-followings. The people who have started their own movements and revolutions. The people whose fans would knife you if you said an ill word against their favorite blogger.

Realize something with me:

We are not looking for perfection.

If anything, perfection kind of pisses us off. The high and mighty are not our favorite people. We like people who can acknowledge their imperfections, people who admit they screw it up not just sometimes, but often, and the people who can say, “Yeah, I’m really scared too, but I’m going to do it anyway.”

We don’t like people who don’t have a past.

Think of it this way. I’m a millionaire. (I’m not actually a millionaire, but I am in this hypothetical scenario. And yes, my bathtub is made of gold in said hypothetical, thank you for enquiring.) You, as my reader, get to decide which kind of millionaire you would rather I become. You have two options:

Option #1: I have always been a millionaire.
Option #2: I have become a millionaire through my own hard work.

Which one did you choose? I’m betting on Option #2, not just for the totally selfish reason that maybe I’ll give you tried-and-tested tips to become a millionaire yourself, but because no one likes the guy who’s already achieved what we’re hoping to achieve through no work whatsoever.

We don’t like the people who have achieved perfection.

We like the people who strive, every day, to reach perfection and fail.

We like them because even though they fail at reaching perfection, they are still much, much farther along than the rest of us because they’re trying. And we think, “Okay, so-and-so isn’t perfect, but she’s doing much better than I’m doing. So maybe if I stopped trying for perfection and just started trying, I could do pretty well too.”

That’s inspiring.

Imagine this scenario: A unicorn appears before you. An actual unicorn, and it’s sparkling in the sun and has rainbows dancing around it. A small, evidently invisible, angelic choir is singing extremely choral praise-songs to the beauty that is Unicorn.

The unicorn says, “Look at me! I am magical and powerful and amazing! Go unicorn!”

You say, “Um, okay. Why are you here, unicorn?”

Unicorn says, “TO BE AWESOME.”

You say, “All right . . . um. Am I getting anything out of this?”

Unicorn says, “NO. Revel in my beauty! Bring me tribute! Be excited, for I am unicorn!”

Then you stab the unicorn and have steak for dinner, because you can’t do anything with that unicorn. It is totally useless.

This is what a lot of blogs out there sound like. “I’m perfect, I’m amazing, I know all the secrets.” But those bloggers aren’t realistic, and they aren’t of any use to you unless you feel like sitting around and watching someone else talk about how great they are.

We don’t want unicorns. We want human beings who are just like us. Human beings who are flawed and who are willing to give a helping hand to other human beings because they know it’s rough out there. Human beings who get knocked down and have to get up and try again. Human beings who need you as much as you need them.

Human beings are not perfect.

If you’ve been thinking about starting a blog but you’re afraid it won’t succeed because you’re not smart or funny or interesting enough, then repeat after me:

“I do not have to be perfect. In fact, it is better if I am not perfect.”

(Because then no unicorns get stabbed. )

Are You Becoming a Lazy Blogger?

Taylor — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 05:00:09 +0000

As your readership grows, it’s easy to think you’ve got this blogging thing down pat. Everyone likes you, you have lots of subscribers, and your posts are Tweeted and Dugg and Stumbled all over the place. You can kick back and relax, right?

Afraid not. There’s a growing trend around longtime bloggers: newbie mistakes.

Producing Lackluster Content

This is perhaps the most common problem among longtime bloggers. If you’ve been around for a few years and you enjoy even moderate popularity, it’s almost a guarantee that newbies show up, all wide-eyed and open-mouthed, to gape at your brilliance.

Even if it’s nowhere near as brilliant as it was two years ago.

Because you’re not trying as hard as you used to.

It’s understandable. If you can put in less effort and continue to enjoy the same perks as when you put in hours for each post, why wouldn’t you slack off?

The problem with that logic is that some new up-and-comer is going to steal your show. People only have so much room in their RSS feed. If they get tired with lackluster posts, they’re going to decide you’re not worth it anymore. They’d rather read that new guy. He always has something new and innovative and well reasoned to say, and his writing is just so clean.

It should be. He’s putting in the hours, and you’re not.

Complacency is a terrible thing. Don’t let it get you.

Not Keeping Up With New Trends

As blogs develop and evolve, new technology emerges to accommodate the needs of your readers. For example, threaded comments wasn’t the norm a year ago.

Now it’s almost everywhere – and many readers are thoroughly enjoying it. It’s an excellent addition for many blogs, and it’s helped foster debate on blogs that encourage community interaction in the comments.

It’s also something that newer blogs are more likely to have than older ones, simply because they were forming their blog at about the same time this trend came out. Newer bloggers saw this tool and decided to throw it in there.

Many older bloggers are often not even aware the new tools exist until their readers start to kick up a ruckus about the absence.

This isn’t to say you need to pick up every single new trend that goes by. (We chose to opt out of threaded comments here at Men with Pens.) But keep your ear to the ground and consider what your readership would enjoy.

What would keep your blog fresh? What would make those whose interest is waning find a new reason to hang out on your blog? Odds are good that there’s a new tool out there your readers would love.

This is also true for different kinds of layouts, better ways of getting in touch with you, and social media tools. Remember when every blog had a Reddit button? You don’t see those often anymore. That’s because all the bloggers saw the way the wind was blowing.

Make sure you’re not left in the dust.

Getting Repetitive

I know it’s hard to come up with new content, but that’s no excuse to start repeating yourself. I’ve seen some popular blogs with posts that sound eerily similar to ones I’ve read on that very same blog. Perusing the archives, sure enough, there that topic is, only a few months earlier.

Naturally, you’ll wind up saying the same thing a few different ways, but push yourself to find new examples and anecdotes. Take rom pop culture, from your own experiences in the offline world, from a new book you’ve read – but find new ways for your ideas to grow and flourish.

Or they’ll become stale and repetitive.

Forgetting to Make a Connection

If you’re super-huge, you don’t have time to answer every single comment. We understand that. We live that ourselves some days.

But if you do have time, respond to people who had something interesting to say, and make them feel that you see them, and that you appreciate they even took the time to comment in the first place. You can’t afford to start ignoring your readership until you’re so ridiculously famous that it’s unreasonable to expect your personal attention anymore.

If you’re not there yet, make an effort.

And even if you are there, do your best. Your readers are a huge part of your success. No matter how big you get, show ‘em some love whenever you can.

How to Avoid Wasting Your Blog Client’s Money

Agent X — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:00:30 +0000

There are people out there that have been readers for a long time – they’re like old friends by now, and I’m always glad to see them. One of those old friends is Rebecca Laffar-Smith, who tossed me a guest post that I think carries a pretty cool message worth thinking about. Enjoy!

We’ve all heard the hype that every business must have a blog. And many online copywriters are thrilled to land a new blogging gig – so thrilled they rarely pause to wonder if writing for their client’s blog is really the best investment of that person’s marketing budget.

Have you ever considered how your time could more effectively benefit your client by not writing for their blog?

Why Would Your Client Pay You to Write Free Information?

Your clients have heard what you have – that every business should have a blog. They’ve heard that blogs generate free advertising. Blogs are effective tools for viral communication. Blogs are loved by search engines for fresh content. Blogs keep customers coming back again and again. Blogs build brand and trust. Much of this is true.

But a blog is free information. And free information is readily available these days.

What’s more, your clients are rarely in the information industry. They’re not in the business of giving free information to their customers. Free information doesn’t make money. Free information doesn’t pay the lease on their brick-and-mortar store. Free information doesn’t feed their employees or put dimes and dollars into their 401k plans. Free information doesn’t pay for health insurance or holidays.

There are other, more effective, time-efficient, cost-reduced ways of achieving everything a blog can provide. And, for most businesses, it does NOT make sense to have a blog.

Good News for Content Writers

Don’t worry. You don’t have to give up on blogging. In fact, you can make even more money as a content writer if you choose NOT to write blog content. Tell your clients:

You can offer them greater value for money by not writing for their blog.
They can save money and increase their return on investment by eliminating their blog.
They can increase their exposure by having you write for OTHER people’s blogs.

By offering guest post services to your clients, they’ll enjoy benefits such as:

Their name on the lips of their competition
Content that will be syndicated across MANY blogs
More page views direct to their sales copy, higher conversions and targeted visitors

There’s more you can offer your clients instead of blogging services. You can write an information product they can sell or give away free that leads to residual income and exponentially increasing their site visitors. You can bring them traffic by leaving well-written comments on the blogs of their competitors. You can spruce up the conversion rate of their existing site content and sales copy.

Your clients can have all this with no ongoing commitment to pay or perform, no continued maintenance, no time or money-sinking additional self-promotion techniques, no risk to their business brand, and for the same (or less) money than they currently pay to maintain their blog.

Sometimes, the most effective way to be the best freelance writer for your client is to tell that person why you shouldn’t be hired for a specific job. If you know that your client would be better served in other ways, say so. Offering honest insights that save your clients time and money makes you memorable – and both you and your client make more money doing less work.

Have you ever suggested alternative ways you can benefit your client’s bottom line? Have you considered if your own blog is cost effective? What other ways can we increase the return on investment our clients make by NOT blogging?

With over ten years experience writing web copy, Rebecca Laffar-Smith now focuses on maximizing the effective online presence of small business with web technology and design solutions. Rebecca hosts a community of writers with the Writer’s Round-About Collaborative Blogging Project and encourages writers to do less for more by creating efficient routines and eliminating unnecessary procedures.

Are You Interfering With Your Readers’ Lives?

Agent X — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:00:10 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, Marc and I stumbled upon an ebook that, quite frankly, had us both stunned. Despite being well written, the information was dangerously misleading and in several areas, false. We spoke out in public about it, of course.

Marc and I realized, though, that this ebook was just one case amongst several where people (often innocently and unwittingly) end up damaging someone else’s life – by trying to help. This is a reminder for all of us that it’s not just buyer beware – it’s writer be careful, too.

Ahh, science fiction, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways… Or as Ray Bradbury so eloquently put it:

Science fiction is the most important literature in the history of the world, because it’s the history of ideas, the history of our civilization birthing itself. …Science fiction is central to everything we’ve ever done, and people who make fun of science fiction writers don’t know what they’re talking about.

Science fiction may be about ideas, but it also carries a warning that we should all pay attention to.

A recurring theme in science fiction is that of non-interference. From Star Trek’s Prime Directive to Stargate SG-1′s race of “Ancients”, it’s a tale often told: When one person or society interferes with another, even with the purest of intentions, the results can be devastating.

The internet, including the blogosphere, is a very powerful entity, because it gives voice to millions of people. But we are all aware of how power corrupts. Like Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars, corrupted by what he fought against, bloggers and business hopefuls obliviously walk the same path as the fated Dark Lord of the Sith.

The problem? Self-help manuals and do-it-yourself user guides.

I’m not talking about the manuals that promote get-rich-quick schemes or dodgy products peddled by snake-oil salespersons. Those we can spot a mile away. No, the self-help info-products I’m talking about are in fact more dangerous. They destroy websites, businesses and even lives.

From “How to SEO Your Blog Posts” to “101 Copywriting Tips for the Beginner” to psychology type e-books packaged as “user guides”, we find self-help manuals aplenty out there. Most have one thing in common: the authors don’t have the expertise or – perhaps worse – the qualifications to write on the subject.

Like a Kid with a Gun

Don’t you see the danger, John, inherent in what you’re doing here? Genetic power is the most awesome force the planet’s ever witnessed, yet you wield it like a kid that’s found his dad’s gun.

~ Dr. Ian Malcolm. Jurassic Park (1993)

In science fiction, there’s often someone warning others of potential danger of interference. The group listens and avoids disaster, or the group doesn’t and chaos ensues.

This happens in real life, too. Take psychology-style self-help books as an example, arguably the single most destructive e-book on the internet today. I have personally witnessed the negative psychological effects these books can have on those who choose to read and believe the words as truth. Continued denial, avoidance and a perpetual cycle of repeated, destructive behaviour.

All because many authors write from their personal experience alone, which does not make them qualified to provide advice or help to others. In fact, they seriously lack in professional qualifications, the kind required to be dispassionate and unbiased – essential skills if you truly want to help a person.

When you don’t know the proper methods for providing advice and help, without knowing what to say and how to say it, you may as well be handing a child a loaded gun. By all means, go ahead and share your experiences with others, but before you decide to package your experience into a guide for others and sell it as an e-book, ask yourself:

Is your interference going to do more harm than good?

Writing on Any Topic

The example above related to psychology, but you can easily substitute psychology with “SEO advice” or “business tips” and the results are the same: a large amount of money required to repair the damage. Many people out there have learned their lessons the hard way, assuming that because it’s for sale, it must be accurate information.

Not so. Today we can find helpful blogs, ebooks and info products about all sorts of subjects, written by all sorts of people who aren’t at all qualified to sell this information in the first place. Worse, a common occurrence is that the information being sold is being embraced by people who seem to lack judgment enough to discern fact from… well, science fiction.

Advice for Those Selling or Seeking Self-Help

Most powerful is he who controls his own power.

~ Star Wars: The Clone Wars

As an author, you have some responsibility for the potential effects your words might have on others. No matter what the topic is, before you put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, be sure that you have the qualifications to write about whatever you are about to share. If not, move on to something else.

And if you’re about to buy information that claims to provide you with the self-help you feel you need, do yourself a favor. Check the facts. Is there a legal disclaimer in place? What does it say? Does the author have an About page? Are there any credentials that makes this person an authority? If the author has qualifications, exactly what are they and where do they come from? Is the educational facility a recognized one?

Now, of course, self-help books are not always a total waste of time. They can be inspiring, they can be uplifting, or they can help you reach your goals, from learning how to juggle to shaking off low self-esteem to improving your business. Good, valuable information should never be underestimated.

But a good self-help book knows its own limits. It makes accurate claims that can easily be backed by facts, studies and authorities of the subject. It has an appropriate disclaimer – visible on the website and clearly mentioned in all promotional copy – if the author is not qualified in certain areas. And it should always recommend that readers seek professional help.

It’s advice I strongly agree with.

About the Author: Marc Pieniazek is the Successful Ghostwriter and an SEO consultant who works to get you up in the rankings and up in the credibility department, too. Contact Marc to learn more.