MackCollier.com

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Where Do You Find Rich and Valuable Content For Blogging? Tonight’s #Blogchat Topic!

Here’s the transcript for tonight’s #Blogchat, click on Transcript on the left!

Hey y’all tonight we will be discussing where we find rich and valuable content for our blogs.  Thanks again to CCF for sponsoring #Blogchat in September!  You can check out their blog and learn more about their new report on The Conscious Consumer called THINK.

#Blogchat starts at 8:00PM Central tonight (September 15th, 2013). We’ll be covering four areas with tonight’s topic:

8:00-8:15PM – What content sources do you use as research for your blog posts?

8:15-8:30PM – What makes content more valuable and trustworthy to you?

8:30-8:45PM – How do you balance facts/evidence with sharing your opinion?

8:45-9:00PM – How do you feel about corporately sponsored content?

So make sure you are following CCF on Twitter, and join us on Twitter at 8PM tonight!  Or you can follow along below!  The best part about following the chat here is I’ve filtered out the spammers so their tweets aren’t cluttering up the stream 😉

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#Blogchat Topic For Tonight is Using Your Blog as a Networking Tool, Co-Hosted by Dave Delaney

Here’s the #Blogchat transcript thanks to Hashtracking!

Tonight’s (Sept 8th, 2013) #Blogchat will feature Nashville’s Dave Delaney discussing with us how to use our blogs as a networking tool!  Dave just wrote a book on networking, and will have a ton of tips and tricks for us on how to leverage our blogs and social media to better connect with others.

Here’s what we’ll be discussing, starting at 8pm Central:

8:00-8:20 – Figuring out the focus of your blog

8:20-8:40 – Leveraging your blog as a way to establish thought leadership

8:40-9:00 – Using your blog as a networking tool at offline events

It should be a fabulous discussion tonight, so make sure you are following Dave on Twitter!

Also, as you know CCF is the #Blogchat sponsor for September.  CCF has just released an interesting year-long study its done into the habits and mindset of what it calls The Conscious Consumer.  You can learn more about this study at CCF’s blog, and download the report for free here.

Oh, and you can follow along with #Blogchat right here in this post:

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#Blogchat’s Sponsor For September is CCF Plus All Topics For the Month!

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Transcript for tonight’s #Blogchat is now up!

I am thrilled to announce that CCF (Clarity Coverdale Fury) is sponsoring #Blogchat in September!  CCF is an independent, full-service marketing and advertising agency dedicated to helping its clients discover and nurture the emotional connection between their brands and their customers.  You can learn more about CCF at its website.

Additionally, CCF will be releasing a five-part series over the next few weeks into what CCF calls “The Conscious Consumer”. For the last year CCF has been studying this group of people and will be sharing what they have learned about them over the next couple of months on its blog.  You can check out CCF’s blog to read their current posts to get a bit more background into who The Conscious Consumer is.

Rob and the team at CCF have been following #Blogchat for a while now, so they are familiar with the chat and how it works, and I’m delighted to be working with them.  And along with that, here’s the topics we’ll be covering this month:

Tonight (September 1st) – Discovering Larger Trends and Ideas to Blog About.  We’ll talk about not only how you can figure out what the ‘bigger ideas’ are you want to blog about, but how to discover larger ideas and themes that others are talking about as well.  We’ll break the topic down tonight into two areas:

8:00-8:30 Central – How do you connect with others that share a common belief/idea/etc and provide them with coaching and support?  And what would that coaching and support role look like?  Via your blog, or something else?

8:30-9:00 Central – How do you keep up to date on the latest information so that you can discover larger trends?  For example, with blogging if more bloggers were using mobile devices to post, how would we discover that?  How would we research to learn about the larger trends?  And when does it reach the tipping point of becoming a trend?

 

So that’s tonight’s topic, here’s what we’ll be covering for the rest of the month:

September 8th, special co-host Dave Delaney on Using Your Blog As a Networking Tool

September 15th, Where to Find Rich and Valuable Content For Blogging

September 22nd, How Blogs Impact Purchase Decisions

September 29th, OPEN MIC!

 

So to prep for tonight, please follow CCF on Twitter as well as @Rob_Rankin, and please check out their blog.  Tonight’s #Blogchat begins at 8pm Central, as it does every Sunday night.

Also, if you are interested in sponsoring #Blogchat in November (October’s is already sold) then you can learn more about it here.

Hope to see you tonight, and if I don’t, have a great Labor Day!

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Learn How to Video Blog Tonight at #Blogchat With Chris Yates!

Chris Yates Image

UPDATE: Here’s the transcript from tonight’s #Blogchat with Chris, click Transcript on the left!

Tonight (August 1th, 2013) at #Blogchat we’ll have Huddle Productions‘ Chris Yates join us to chat about video blogging!  Chris has been utilizing video along with blogging for years for his clients and himself.  He’s also extremely active on Plus and utilizes Hangouts effectively there as well.

Here’s the schedule for our chat, which starts at 8:00 pm Central:

8:00-8:10 – Chris will talk to us about how video blogging differs from regular blogging, different demands, etc
8:10-8:30 – Chris will tell us what types and styles of videos are best, what type of content we should focus on creating.
8:30-8:45 – Advice for shooting great videos
8:45-9:00 – Open Q&A on video blogging

 

So if you need help with video blogging, this is your chance!  Make SURE you are following Chris on Twitter and here’s your transcript.

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#Blogchat Topic For Sunday Aug 4th – Keeping Your Sh*t Straight on Your Blog!

UPDATE: Here’s the transcript!

You know those posts I write from time to time where I show you how I’ve screwed up something here in the hopes that you won’t repeat my mistakes? Yeah, we’re about to have another episode in that series…

So this has been a rough year for this blog.  In February the blog was hacked, and it took me about 3 months to finally get rid of all the gremlins, with the help of Sucuri.  Apparently, I had let hackers get access to this blog because I hadn’t kept my plugins and WordPress updated quickly enough.  Typically I would wait a week or two till I had several plugins that needed to be updated, then update them all at once.  BIG mistake, as I learned the hard way.  Often, one of the main reasons that a plugin updates is to address an existing vulnerability!  So always update your plugins as soon as possible!

Anyway, one of the things I did from Feb-May when we were dealing with the malware is I went apeshit getting security plugins.  Anything that promised to restrict this or block that, I got it.  At once time I think I had like 5 different security plugins.

So on Wednesday, July 23st I noticed that traffic fell about 30% over the previous day.  Now this isn’t a huge deal and happens from time to time.  I was traveling then from Y’all Connect and hadn’t been posting as much over the last few days, so I assumed that was the reason for the decline in traffic.  I should have dug into Google Analytics at this point to figure out what the problem was, but I just assumed there wasn’t a problem.

Then the next day on Thursday the 24th, traffic fell another 20%, then another 20% on Friday.  Something was definitely wrong.

On Friday the 25th I finally dug into Google Analytics and found the problem.  My search traffic was falling like a rock:

SearchTrafficBadSearchSearch traffic on Monday, July the 22nd was 543 visitors, but by Saturday, July 26th that number had fallen to a lowly 34 visitors.

What the hell happened?

It seems that one of those many security plugins I had added that I wanted to block and restrict everything was actually blocking Google from crawling my site!  During #Blogchat on July 21st, a few members had mentioned the advantages of creating a Sitemap for your blog, and how that would help you with search.  So I did that on Sunday night via a plugin, and apparently, that somehow triggered the security plugin to start blocking Google from crawling the site (I am assuming here, this started happening almost immediately after I added the Sitemap).

I discovered this by going into my Google Webmaster Tools dashboard and I discovered the crawl errors (BTW you should set up an account for your site as well.  It might seem like overkill but it’s worth it).  I also started digging into my crawl stats and realized that while there was a huge spike in errors right after I added the Sitemap, that there had been a smaller amount that had consistently been there for months.  Apparently, since I had started adding all those security plugins.

Sooooo….what I did was I started disabling plugins one by one and attempting to ‘Fetch as Google’ after each one.  After disabling the first security plugin, suddenly the crawl errors disappeared!  I did this on Saturday, July 27th.  I immediately noticed that search traffic began to bounce back.  By last Friday (Aug 2nd), search traffic was all the way up to 471 visitors for the day, the most search visitors ever for here on a Friday.  I saw good search traffic yesterday as well, and I am hoping this continues from here out!

But the point to all of this is that:

1 – You need to be careful about adding plugins.  Sometimes they can actually hurt your blog’s performance, so you need to understand exactly what they are doing.  It’s tempting to just add a bunch of plugins to get access to cool new features, but they can sometimes cause more problems than they fix.  And if you do add them make sure you keep them updated.

2 – Keep a close eye on your blog’s traffic and understand why changes are happening.  If you don’t have it already, add Google Analytics to your blog.  This will help you understand the traffic on your blog and track changes.

So tonight at #Blogchat we are going to discuss how to keep your blog clean and less cluttered.  I am a digital packrat (and real-life one too), but I have learned the hard way this year to streamline everything as much as possible.  You can follow #Blogchat tonight on Twitter starting at 8pm Central!  And here’s the transcript so go ahead and save this for later!

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The Beginner’s Guide to Understanding Blogging SEO

UPDATE: Here’s tonight’s #Blogchat transcript! (Click ‘Transcript’ on the left to view).

Well this is a topic I can definitely blog about, since I am no SEO expert!  We will also be discussing this topic tonight (Sunday, July 21st 2013) at #Blogchat on Twitter.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.  Effectively, what you are doing is ‘helping’ search engines understand what topics you are writing about.

A great way to do this is to use keywords and phrases that tie back to your topic, in your blog post itself.  For example, notice that the phrase ‘Blogging SEO’ appears in this post’s title, as well as throughout the post itself.  By placing this phrase in the title and in the post itself, I am helping Google and other search engines to recognize what this post is about.

So when someone searches for a term related to blogging SEO, or blogs and SEO, this post will likely do better in search results as a result of me using those specific words.  This is why you’ll see bloggers often write their blog post titles in the form of a question.  Such as ‘So what’s the best way to use Twitter?’  Because if someone does a Google search for the term ‘What’s the best way to use Twitter?’ that post will rank higher in search results for that exact term!

So if you are just getting started trying to optimize your blog posts for search, think about which keywords you are using with every post.  And then focus on using those keywords in three locations:

1 – The post title.  Notice that for this post ‘Blogging SEO’ is in the title.  So if someone searches for ‘Blogging SEO’, that will help this post rank higher in the results.

2 – The post itself.  I have repeated the term ‘Blogging SEO’ several times in this post.  That further helps to impress on Google and other search engines that this post is about blogging SEO, and should be higher in the search results.

3 – The post’s URL.  This is a tip that a lot of blogger’s miss.  Notice that the URL for this post is https://mackcollier.com/blogging-seo  The keywords ‘blogging SEO’ are literally part of the post’s URL!  That also helps Google identify that this post is about Blogging SEO.

 

So those are some beginner tips for optimizing your blog content for search, and you’ll get a ton more tips tonight during #Blogchat, starting at 8pm Central time.

Finally, I know that #Blogchat has been hammered by a few spammers lately, so I have embedded the tweets here, and most of the spam tweets should be deleted from here.  So if you want please follow along with #Blogchat here!

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How Do You Organize the Information On Your Blog?

UPDATE: Here’s the transcript from tonight’s #blogchat!

I am currently helping a friend launch their new website.  One of the things she’s trying to figure out is what information goes on the site’s homepage, and in what order.  You should be thinking about the same things on your blog.

For starters, ask yourself what are the top three things that you want someone to do once they visit your blog.  And prioritize your answers.

If I came to your blog right now, what’s the ONE thing you want me to do?

If I don’t that one thing, what’s your 2nd choice?  3rd?

For example, I am using my blog here as a way to create valuable content for current and potential clients.  So my blog is technically a way to get a relationship started with you where I provide you with content that’s valuable to you, that will hopefully lead to us doing business at some point down the road, or hopefully you referring me to someone that needs my help.

So notice that at the very top of my blog, next to the content, is my signup place for my TLARS newsletter.  That’s the ONE thing I want a visitor to do when they come here, is signup for my newsletter.  So I put it front and center.  If a new visitor doesn’t signup for my newsletter, I want them to at least read my post and comment.  So I also highlight recent commenters, to show readers that if they comment, they will get the spotlight put on their comments.  Also, I have Popular Posts listed at the top right, because I want you to find as much valuable information as possible, so you will want to keep reading my blog and tell others about it.

Now if I was launching my first blog today, my top goal for this blog would probably be to use it as a tool to directly sell my consulting services.  But over the last 4 years, I have tried repeatedly to use the blog to directly drive consulting sales, and I’ve had very poor results.  Through simple trial and error, I’ve learned that visitors here would rather connect with me, build a relationship with me, and then do business with me.  So now the focus of my blog’s organization is geared toward us staying in contact and building that relationship.

Want to discuss this more?  You’re in luck, we are going to discuss this topic tonight at #Blogchat, starting at 8pm Central!  If you have some points or comments you’d like to make before the chat, feel free to leave a comment here, and we’ll chat up your point.

And after the chat ends, come back here to continue the discussion, and I will post the transcript here as well!

Also, here’s the #blogchat tweets for this week:

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Mitch Joel is Co-Hosting #Blogchat tonight!

Mitch Joel

UPDATE: Here’s the transcript from our chat with Mitch!

I’m super-pumped to announce that Mitch Joel will be joining #Blogchat tonight at 8pm Central!  Mitch will chat with us about how he does blogging, as well as his new book, Ctrl-Alt-Delete!  Here’s the schedule:

1 – 8:00-8:15PM – We talk about where Mitch gets his blogging ideas from.  I always find it fascinating to see where bloggers such as Mitch that have been blogging so well for so long get their ideas from.

2 – 8:15-8:30PM – We talk about Mitch’s view of responding to commenters.  Many bloggers are told that you should respond to commenters, but Mitch typically does not, and he’ll tell us more about his thought process behind this.

3 – 8:30-8:45PM – We talk about some of the most important lessons Mitch has learned from blogging.

4 – 8:45-9:00PM – We’ll close out #Blogchat by talking about Mitch’s new book, Ctrl-Alt-Delete!

 

It should be a great and VERY fast-paced chat with Mitch, so make sure you are following him on Twitter, and reading his excellent blog, Six Pixels of Separation!  See everyone at 8pm Central tonight!

PS: Want to sponsor #Blogchat in August?  Here’s details on what you’ll get, email me to discuss pricing!

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Jay Baer Co-Hosting #Blogchat Tonight Discussing Youtility and Blogging!

JayBaerTonight at 8pm Central, Jay Baer will join #Blogchat to co-host and talk about his new book Youtility, which launches this week!  Here’s what we’ll be discussing:

From 8:00-8:15PM, Jay will talk about Youtility and what it means for your marketing and your business (it also applies to anyone that creates content).

From 8:15-8:45PM, Jay will teach us how to apply Youtility to our blogging efforts.  This will be especially valuable if you are trying to decide what to blog about and how to create more engaging content.

From 8:45-9:00PM, Jay will talk about his book Youtility.  I’ve just started reading an advance copy and it’s very interesting, I’m looking forward to learning more about it from Jay tonight!

Here’s a great primer post on Youtility from Jay.

So the fun starts at 8pm Central, tonight!  Hope to see you there and make sure you are following Jay on Twitter!

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Think Like a Rock Star: How to Create Fans of Your Blog

RockstarsTonight at #Blogchat we’re going to apply the Think Like a Rock Star principles to building your blog’s readership and fans.  In the book, I talk about the four reasons why rock stars have fans instead of customers.  You can apply each of these areas to your own blogging efforts to grow your readership and actually create fans of your blog.  Here’s the four things that rock stars do to create fans:

1 – Rock stars are fans themselves.  This means they are connected to their fans, and understand them, because they occupy the same space.  What this means for you as a blogger is that you need to interact with your readers in their space in order to understand them, and to give them a reason to come read your blog in your space.

One way you can interact with your readers in their space is by commenting on other blogs.  Bruce Sallan is someone that does a great job of this.  Bruce is constantly commenting on his readers’ blogs, and in doing so, he drives interest back to his blog as well as #DadChat on twitter.  When you comment on a reader’s blog, they appreciate that and want to return the favor by commenting on your blog.  The same principle applies by promoting the posts that your readers write, by interacting with them on Twitter, etc.  The point is if you connect with your readers and show them you appreciate them, they will become fans.

2 – Rock stars look to shift control to their fans.  Fans are special people.  They love their favorite brand/rock star/ blogger and want to see them succeed.  If you will reach out to them and give them ways to do so, they will work to this end by promoting you to others, sharing your content, etc.  This can be something as easy as asking your readers what topics they want to see covered, or even selecting them to write guest posts on your blog.

One of the things I do here from time to time is I will highlight someone that leaves a particularly interesting or valuable comment by either calling it out in the post itself, or by mentioning it in the post and asking everyone to read the comments.  The point is to show the readers that they play a role in helping to create the content here.  That shift in ownership is powerful, and it makes readers feel more vested in the blog to see that they have a voice in the content being created there.

3 – Rock stars focus on the Bigger Idea behind their music.  This is probably the most valuable lesson you can learn from a content creation standpoint.  Rock stars don’t sing about themselves (well, not all the time), they typically sing about ideas and values that resonate with their listeners.  This makes their songs more relevant to listeners, and makes it easier to create fans.  Why is Taylor Swift adored by teenage girls worldwide?  Because her songs speak to the lives they are living every single day.  That makes it easier for teenage girls to relate to her songs, and to become her fans.

If you want to apply this to your own blogging efforts, focus on topics that relate to what’s important to your readers.  For example, Patagonia’s The Cleanest Line blog focuses on protecting the environment, sustainability, the outdoors, etc.  Instead of focusing directly on its clothing products, Patagonia chooses instead to focus on the larger issues and ideas that relate to its products.  Because these larger issues and ideas are what’s more important to its customers.

4 – Rock stars embrace their fans.  Rock stars value their fans and literally love them right back.  This creates an incredibly powerful bond and rock stars actually thrive off being close to their fans, and look for ways to embrace them and become closer to them.

A blog that does a wonderful job of embracing its fans is Spin Sucks.  First, Spin Sucks does a great job of engaging with its readers that comment.  Second, the blog finds ways to put the spotlight on its readers.  Often, the most frequent commenters are chosen to write guest posts.  Each Friday, Gini writes a Follow Friday post that highlights someone that readers should follow, who is typically a Spin Sucks reader.  Spin Sucks does a great job of rewarding its readers through engagement and letting them help create the content on the blog.

So tonight at #Blogchat starting at 8pm Central, we will discuss how your blog can cultivate more fans.  Please join tonight on Twitter!

PS: If you haven’t ordered your copy of Think Like a Rock Star, it’s on Amazon and Kindle!