I've moved

It finally happened!

Although over the past month or so it may have seemed like I gave up on blogging. That is not the case. I guess you can say I just gave up on blogger.

In my spare time, I've spent quite some time moving each and every post from the last year to the new blog format and location:
http://blog.mymarketingguide.com

You can also type in http://www.myblogguide.com to get to the same place.

Since we all know search engines have long memories, we will leave this site and all the old posts in place. However, if you'd like to catch up on all the new news, rants, and raves about blogging, blogs, and more, please come see us at our new location.

Thanks!
Samantha Rufo
myBlogGuide

Does anyone backup blogs?

A recent post made me think more about moving and losing blogs. Which then led me to the thought, "does anyone think to back-up their blog?"

I have to say I'm guilty of not backing up this blog. I guess it's because Google doesn't offer it and I can't say backing things up is on the forefront of my mind. Funny though, everything else I deal with is backed up regularly. My internal network, my other websites, even other blogs. I guess this is one of the things we all must take into consideration when we do something that's "free".

So, I wonder, how does one back up a Google blog? Anyone with any ideas?

A quick search on the web and I found this response from Blogger:
"Blogger does not have an export or download function. However, you can create a single file with all your posts which you may publish and then copy to your own computer for use as desired." Only 10 "easy" steps (not) and you can have something that resembles War & Peace on one page right on your desktop.

Oh, well. The trials and tribulations of being an early adopter...

Time to Move

As I've mentioned before, I'm a multi-blogger (I have multiple blogs). I set this blog up on Google's Blogger system as an experiment. Basically to see what kind of functionality it had and if it was worth recommending to others. Plus, I wanted to see if Google gave any special "treatment" to their own software when they were compiling search engine stats. (Yes, I was checking to see if I could get higher on Google's stats if I used their blog software rather than someone else's). As far as I can tell-no, you don't.

It's been a good run.

I've noticed of late that Blogger has let their RSS (really simple syndication) or XML feed fall behind in development. That means if you try to access the feed on this site you will probably get errors.

For someone like me, moving my blog is not difficult, just time consuming. You see I have other blog software and can easily move domain names around. For the average person however, I see a big problem looming!

What's that?

The average person with a large blog will have a heck of a time moving all their beloved posts. So what options do we all have when we do decide to change providers?
-Let the old blog go away? Like this one?
-Copy and paste every post into the new software? Then what happens to the comments?

So, anyone any ideas?

How a Ski Area Manager Blogs

Today I want to take a few minutes to highlight one ski area manager that took up blogging at the start of the 2005/06 ski season.

Ed Meyer is the General Manager of Ski Snowstar Winter Sports Park in Andalusia, IL. He's a regular fixture at the ski area and has a great sense of humor. Yes, he's a natural to blog.

At first Ed was concerned he'd have nothing to blog about. I recommended that he discuss the trials and tribulations of the "inside workings" at the area. That's just what he did. I think it almost became therapeutic for him. He'd write about his frustration with the weather, especially at 3am when it wouldn't cooperate. He wrote about his joy of being able to open the area the earliest ever. Then the heartache of having to close most of January due to unseasonably warm temps.

Readers and guests loved it! There's tons of supportive comments all over Ed's blog. He even said he's heard from people all over the country that he hadn't talked to in years! Talk about a win-win for both sides.

So what made Ed's blog successful?

A large part of it is Ed. He was consistent in writing and able to not take the blog or himself too seriously.

Want to check out this blog? Click here...

Spam Eliminated?

Maybe in our dreams...

Last night I was reading an article that made a quip about Microsoft and spam. Supposedly just 2 years ago, Microsoft announced that they would eliminate spam in just 2 short years.

Really?

Well, 2 short years later and spam is still growing exponentially. Now, it's not only in emails but blogs too. Over the weekend I played cat & mouse with a spammer on one of my other blogs (yes, I'm a multi-blogger). I tried using all the tools that come with my blog--banning the IP, marketing certain words as spam, and virtual bad thoughts. The spammer just did not seem to get the message. As fast as I deleted the posts for things I'd never mention here, they were coming back. Not only was it really frustrating, but ticked me off that I had to waste my time on it.

My question for the day, what can we all do to make "spam not pay"?

Blog stealing?

You've heard me complain about blog spam, not it's time to open your eyes to "blog stealing".

What's that?
It's when some other site takes your content and passes it off as their own.

Why do it?
To get free copy to increase search engine rankings. It has nothing usually to do with adding information to a quality site.

What's being done?
Oh, the usual "task force" by private companies and the government. Blogs really are so new that issues like this will come up. That's one of the risks of being an early adopter. However, the benefits I believe do outweigh the risks, which is why I continue to blog and encourage others to do the same.

Where can I find out more info?
US Blog Copyright law: http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/faq-ip.php
Copyright site info: http://www.copyright.gov
Site that tracks copying on the web: http://www.copyscape.com

Too much email; not enough rss

I get complaints all the time from clients, "where do I find the time to take care of a blog" they ask.

My answer, ease up on the email a bit. Both reading and sending. Instead learn how to use RSS and let technology do the sifting through information that you want.

The Truth Hurts
-53% of business users check email at least 6 times during each work day
-34% check email constantly
-On average, business users spend 49 minutes per day managing email
-Up to 80% of email is deemed unnecessary
-42% users check email even while on vacation
-23% users check email on the weekends

If you are ready to take back some of your time from email and use it for more important things in your life, take up RSS. All blogs have it (at least they should) and most larger companies are starting to offer it.

Want more info about how to start? Go here...

Size does matter!

Especially, when you are writing for your blog. Keep it simple. Keep is focused.

Blogs are made for content but readers are not made to read large blocks of information on a computer screen.

My recommendations for the best blogs:
-Use bullet points when you can
-Vary sentence length. (Use short and long)
-Don't let paragraphs get over 3-4 sentences if you can.
-Block your information and use titles.

Have any tips to add yourself? Go ahead, post them here...

Dare to be Different

It surprises me how easy it is sometimes to see other people's problems. Of course, since that's what we get paid to do, I guess I'm in the right business.

I was talking to a business owner this morning. He was complaining about the success of some of his competitors compared to his company. He said he couldn't understand what the difference was. He did EVERYTHING the same way they did. Yet they seemed to get more business than he did.

I listened for awhile and finally asked the question that kept running through my mind, "If you do everything like they do, why would I as a customer choose you?" It stopped him for a few minutes. I told him my point was not to be disrespectful, just to point out the obvious--

Build your business on what your customers want, not what your competitors are doing. Yes, staying in-tune with them is important. But, if they are already doing something, it's too late for you! You need to go and find out what your customers need that no one is addressing.

Which of course brings me back to blogs. Just because few others in your industry may be blogging, doesn't mean you should ignore it. On the contrary, you should embrace it!

We all have choices. We can choose to be the mouse that stayed behind (Where's my Cheese book reference) or the mouse that starved but eventually made it, or the one that accepted the situation and decided to do something about it.

Stay tuned, I'll let you know how it turns out.

Samantha

101 Dumbest Moments in Business

Just when I thought I had short-comings...I stumbled upon this great article from CNN, (or is that Money, or Business 2.0?) If you visit the site you'll see that there's so many names on the page I can't quite tell who's in charge.

Anyway, they've done a great job at picking some of the dumbest moments that have passed into history. Remember some of these great blunders that just made you wonder (just a few of my favorites):

-General Mills launches a new marketing campaign touting the "healthiness" of Cocoa Puffs, Lucky Charms and Count Chocula. That's the way to fight obesity!

-Talk about bad timing! Starbucks releases a new coffee called the "Black Apron Exclusives Aged Sumatra Lot 523 coffee", just days after the tsunami killed tens of thousands on the Indonesian island.

-Even too expensive for Vail? People have complained for years that housing was so outrageous in Vail that few can even live there anymore. I guess including the ones who started the whole thing...unable to buy office space in a community where the average home price recently headed north of $4 million, the Aspen Board of Realtors heads north too -- to Basalt, Colo., a town of 3,000 residents 20 miles away.

-A bit more than they bargained for. Looks like this contest didn't work out quite as the airline planned. The winner of the American Airlines "We Know Why You Fly" contest, which promised to award 24 round-trip tickets to the traveler who submitted the best video about his airborne experiences, turns down the grand prize. Why? Because American fails to cover the winner's federal, state, and local income taxes, which amount to about $19,000, or $800 per ticket.

You may ask yourself. Self? How does this relate to blogs? Well, it's been mostly blogs that have brought these stories out into the public. As you can imagine, an organization's goal is to down play negative publicity as much as possible. So, the only way most of us would ever know that all is not "perfect" in the corporate world is thanks to blogs.

Have you thanked a blogger today?

Go ahead and do it, then go read the 101 Dumbest moments. You'll either laugh until you cry or be horrified, or both. But either way you'll know what not to do on your next marketing campaign.

My blog shortcomings

I hate to admit it. But, it's true. I have blog short-comings.

In my effort to address them, I realized that I had to first admit to them. Here they are in all their terrible glory:

-I don't spend as much time preparing posts as I should. I usually sit down and write whatever happens to come to mind. This "free flow" of thought means that I may not keep on topic or concentrate enough on my grammar or punctuation. Since this is a business oriented blog, I feel it should be a bit more "professional" in style. Which leads to my next shortcoming...

-I probably drive English teachers and content editors or "proofers" crazy. Over the years, my writing style has changed to match the unique writing style of the web. That means I sometimes flip back and forth between traditional writing and web writing. It's hell on the sentence and paragraph structure.

-I may be a bit too technical at times. Yes, I live and breath technology and marketing. Which means sometimes I forget that not everyone else does. I really try to keep topics "non-technical" since blogs are built for non-technical" people. However, I know sometimes my geek talk slips in and "non-tech's" (who this blog is focused on) have no idea what I'm talking about.

-I don't post or link as much as I'd like to. It's a time thing. I wish I had more or it.

So, that's all I can handle to publish and work on for today. What about you? Do you have any blog shortcomings? Feel like sharing them with me? Or possibly offering advice as to how to fix my above mentioned ones?

Is there a Blog in your Future?

Your markets are already talking online. Blogging is your chance to join them. Clinging to the illusion that you can control everything that’s said about you or your organization won’t help your business. Accepting the realities of blogs and how they affect your business could not only win you points in the blogosphere but also ultimately improve your bottom line.

How?
-By giving you a voice (no matter what your size) the ability to connect with your audience (customers, employees, media) on a personal level.
-By promoting you in a less expensive, non-traditional way: PR, search engine rankings (links), and direct traffic.
-By engaging your customers one-on-one in direct conversations online.
-By keeping track of what people are saying about you and your competitors.

Need help making your blog a reality? Why not give me a call at 888-215-0820? I can have you up and running in less than a day. (virtual hand holding included)

Dealing with negative blog comments

The first time you get a negative comment on your blog can be devastating. All your "feel good" thoughts about building community go right out the window.

Immediately, you start wondering if blogging is worth it. Then, the "fight" gene kicks in and you want to defend yourself or your organization.

Although it’s tempting to jump to defend you might want to take a good look before you do just that. Here's what I do with negative comments:

1. Review what they have to say. Is anything in what they wrote true? Did they leave a name or way to contact them? (Usually it means they have a genuine concern)

2. Think carefully before you comment or post. Maintaining good blogger relations depends on how you respond to the bad as well as the good.

3. If you find the comments have some merit. Admit it and explain your side of the story. That's usually all people want to know. If the comments do not have merit, state why and move on. No one believes you are perfect. Having a few negative comments will actually make you seem "more human" and morelikeablee.

Lastly, deal with negative comments. You have a blog, use it.

Tread Carefully with Comments

Whether you have a blog or not, leaving comments is for anyone and everyone. It's so easy! That's why I say, "tread carefully with the comments you leave."

More lightning-quick (if not long-lasting) damage has been done to corporate and personal reputations in blog comments than anywhere else online. More honest disagreement and deep understanding has also been reached in that same venue. Because it is so easy to respond to blogs (as simple as clicking the “'Comments'” link on a blog post), you should really think carefully about how the comments you leave.

Don'’t forget, comments are indeed a double-edged sword: they can tell your side of the story and lend credibility OR get misinterpreted and have ugly repercussions.

The most critical time to watch what you write is after a disagreement or challenge. Wait a day or so before responding. There is no "take it back" on the web. Sure, technically (as in software that let's you remove it) you can try to "take back"” a comment. But erasing history by editing your comments (and especially the comments of others) is wishful thinking and never works.

Bloggers are like elephants; they never forget. And if they do, Google is there to remember for them.