March 28, 2008

Reviews and More

J.E. loves movies. She has reviewed almost three hundred of them since she started her blog, Reviews and More eighteen months ago. Now I like movies too, but I don’t go to the theatre, being perfectly content to wait until each film comes to me on TV or DVD. Conseqently, I had to scroll through several months of J.E.’s reviews before I found movie I’d seen so I could get a feel for her handling of something that I was familiar with. That movie was The Princess Bride, which she reviewed on the occasion of the release of the 20th anniversary special edition DVD. She has done a solid plot summary with minimal personal input and critique. I don’t agree with her rating of 6.5 stars out of ten, but she makes it clear that that’s based on her own personal reactions, so it’s still a good review. I found her reviews of several other movies, including My Fair Lady and Because of Winn Dixie to be agreeable, so I’ve decided to forgive her for not loving Buttercup and Westley as much as I do. I’ve added several movies to my “must see” list based on her opinions. An alphabetical listing of her movie reviews would be a nice addition to her blog, making it easier to find out her thoughts on any given film. I’m not criticizing what she’s got, just offering a suggestion that readers might find helpful.

You would think that J.E. wouldn’t have time for anything beyond all of the movie-watching that she does, but there are more reviews of TV shows and individual episodes than of movies on her blog. I had a better basis for comparison here, since she’s reviewed several shows that I watch, including Without a Trace, Criminal Minds and House. I found her TV posts to be thoughtful and thought-provoking, causing a “Duh! Why didn’t I notice that?” reaction several times. Why didn’t I notice that a character was behaving inconsistently or that a plot seemed to contradict prior episodes? I suspect it’s because J.E. is much more cerebral in her TV-watching than I am. I rarely focus on what I’m watching, but J.E. is dedicated to providing comprehensive reviews so she really pays attention. Her recent general observation about a discrepancy between small screen life and real life? Spot on!

Reviews and More is a good source of product, service and website reviews, too. While her opinions are all “personal,” J.E. is consistently fair and informative. She approaches her posts on everything from video games to cheap flights to web hosting with equal focus on the task at hand, which is always to provide a service to her readers. She does that, and does it well.

Technorati Tags: blogs, reviews, Reviews and More

March 22, 2008

Simple Kind of Life

Y’all know Colleen, right? Of course you do. She’s everywhere, what with her seven blogs, her message board community and, oh, yeah, her work for sponsored blogging companies. She was the first to hit the $10,000 earnings mark with PayPerPost, and right this minute is less than $25.00 away from passing $20,000. I think I’ll go ahead and congratulate her now, because it’s already morning at her home in Florida and she’ll probably be posting with her morning coffee while I’m still sleeping. Congrats on being the first $20,000 postie, Colleen! Y’all should go congratulate her, too. She hangs her hat at Simple Kind of Life, where the welcome mat is always out.

I’m not sure where the simple part of her life comes into play. She juggles three kids, a hubby, a full-time job, school, her blogging duties, year-round promotion of her annual 3 Day walk for breast cancer … and still somehow manages time for relaxing, a social life and travel. She and her family take regular vacations together, but she and hubby also sometimes travel without the kids. On their last big “adults only” trip they did something I’ve always wanted to do. They went to Amsterdam and, while there, toured the Anne Frank House and Museum. I remember how overwhlemed I was when I went to the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor and came to the realization that I was in the exact spot where horrific historic events occurred. To have had that same experience, and to have it associated with a person whose story we all know so well and whose face we know - can you imagine how incredibly moving it must have been? Actually, you don’t have to imagine it, because Colleen describes it well. Make sure you click the flickr link in the post to see pictures of the Anne Frank House and the rest of their trip.

You should get to know Colleen (if you’re one of the few people who doesn’t already know her.) Simple Kind of Life features pithy comments about all of the TV she watches (though I can’t see how she finds the time,) family stories and commentary on everything from men’s fashion to the weather in Antarctica. You’ll enjoy her her quirky and sometimes hilarious take on some unfunny things like being harrassed by a cop for blowing her horn and how a snail trial proved someone was trying to pass off used merchandise as new. She’s smart, sassy and funny, and so industrious she’ll probably be running the world in a few years. You’ll be wanting to call on her for favors then, so yeah - now would be a good time to get to know her.

Technorati Tags: blog review, blogs, Simple Kind of Life

March 20, 2008

Can a brainpan babble?

Most of us have before/after days in our history, days that divide our memories into distinctive realms: before we bought the house, before the baby came, after 9/11. Some of them we share with many people, while others are our own personal markers for events that changed everything about the way we live our lives. I have such a day that is the stuff of nightmares even after the passage of many years. It pales in comparision to the one that brought profound change to my friend Whim’s life. You know those terrible things that you read in the paper, the things that happen to other people? Whim is one of those people. On December 21, 1994 her world was changed forever, not by accident, not by fate, but by the vile act of a despicable excuse for a human being. That was the night of the fire.

Whim’s blog journals her road back to normalcy. It can be hard reading sometimes. She’s brutally honest about the physical, emotional and mental demons she wrestles. Those who live with depression, PTSD and/or anxiety disorders may have to take her in small doses. The experiences she shares may sometimes trigger unpleasant episodes. There’s a payoff for getting past them, though, because you cannot read Whim without putting your own petty struggles into perspective. Whim is not a quitter. She is proof to me that the secret to overcoming adversity is to look it in the eye, know it for the bastard it is, and refuse to give it dominance. Her journey continues and it’s a triumphant one because she makes it so. She made up her mind long ago that she would face down whatever challenges life handed her. She’s uncomfortable being called a hero, but that’s what she is, for the trials that she’s endured and for her unflinching honesty in the telling of her story. She reveals her most vulnerable moments, not in a bid for pity (which she emphatically does not want) but as parts of the story that she’s committed to telling.

I’ve always found the name of Whim’s blog to be a bit ironic. She doesn’t babble, nor does she fit the definition of whimsical as I understand it. She’s a skilled and intelligent wordsmith, an excellent communicator with a wicked sense of humor. She’s writing a book and I’m one of many predicting it will be a bestseller. I’ll take that a step further and predict high interest from Hollywood. I’m thinking Sandra Bullock should portray her, though Julia Roberts is also a likely contender. After you’ve gotten acquainted with her you’ll know that I’m not being facetious or making a joke at her expense with that declaration. She’s the real deal and she’s that compelling.

Technorati Tags: Babblings of WhimsicalnBrainpan, blogs, life stories, review

January 26, 2008

Yay me! Yay me?

I woke up to some good news this morning. Well, kinda, sorta. I’ve been selected to be a guest blogger on the IZEA blog. I’m excited and flattered and, quite frankly, more than a little intimidated. It’s my first paid, professional blogging gig. That’s a good thing. It lends credibility to what I do here and could possibly lead to more offers through other outlets. I’m getting kind of old to be crawling around beneath houses and on attic joists for a living. Today’s announcement brings hope that I may someday be able to hang up my probe and flashlight and rely on something a little less physical than termite inspecting for my income. Sure, it’s still a long stretch from here to there, but at least I have my little pinky toe in the door now.

You’ll notice in the announcement post that Ted has certain expectations. He wants videos from Mr. Fab. Kissing booty is something Fab does very well, so we all know he’ll give Ted exactly what he wants. Ben Spark (Drew) already produces amazing photos every day, so there’s no way he’ll disappoint. I don’t know David Ponce but he’s only required to be “special.” I’ve just taken a look at his blog and I think he can be relied on to come across. Then there’s me. What does our fearless leader expect from yours truely? Apparently nothing much beyond a “unique perspective.” Perspectives are like backsides: everyone has one of their very own. Mahalo Ted. You’ve set the bar right there where I can almost envision myself reaching it. If I find myself lacking inspiration, though, could we go with the picture thing? I do pretty pictures.

Technorati Tags: blogging, Izea, paid blogging

January 23, 2008

Confessions of a no-niche blogger

I blog about stuff. My blog is one that is identified as personal or general, one that doesn’t have a central focus on a particular niche. There are a lot of advantages to being a general blogger, the primary one being that everything fits so you can write about whatever you want. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you should write on every topic, though. After a blog has built up some content it begins to develop a voice. That voice reflects the interests of the bogger and attracts a following of readers. To be successful as a non-nich blogger you need to identify your voice and concentrate on creating content that reflects the personality of the blog - your personality (for what is a blog but a public proclamation of ones own viewpoints and interests?)

I think the biggest mistake that general bloggers can make is to try to shoehorn inappropriate content into their blogs. It’s a mistake I’ve made numerous times, and one that I need to guard against. I did it last week when I blogged about Skeet porn. The post described what I called the fluke factor, the phenomenon which occurs when a serch term brings you traffic that wasn’t actually looking for your site. If I’d stopped there I probably would have had a much more successful post. Instead I went outside my own realm of interest and I bombed. I redirected the focus of the post towards the manipulation of search engine traffic - definitely outside my areas of expertise. My wording was awkward and my ineptness showed. I rambled on for almost 1600 words trying to clarify things that I don’t understand very well myself. I confused my readers and I suspect that very few of them read the whole rambling wreck.

That was a wakeup call, reminding me that I need to be true to my blogging voice. I’m a good storyteller - I know this because me readers say it’s so. Some of my most popular posts have been stories about my family, about growing up in the South and about life in Hawaii. I’m addicted to hidden object games and visual puzzles. My fanaticism shows and my readers respond to it with enthusiasm. Cooking has always been another of my passions. I don’t share many recipes, but when I do I almost always tie them to stories about learning to cook as a child or why the dish became a family favorite. My readers relate to those stories and it’s particularly gratifying when they respond with similar memories of their own. Supporting childrens charities and advocating for the homeless are important parts of my life. When I posted about the Keiki Slippah Wish Project I was astounded at the response. I should not have been. The most ardent fans of skeet’s stuff read my blog because they have interests similar to my own. They responded so generously to the needs of children in Hawaii that the project was able to expand to include the homeless children in my own community. Gardening, stories about my dogs and essays inspired by photos have also attracted new readers and kept them coming back for more.

The common thread that runs through all of those topics is that they reflect my own personal interests. The same can be said of my most well-received sponsored posts. Stories about growing up in the rodeo culture and my son’s love of baseball generated keen interest in my sponsors’ sites and resulted in effective advertising for them. Those early posts taught me a valuable lesson. When I inject my voice into a sponsored post I produce something that works for my blog, works for my readers and works for my sponsor. Any post that doesn’t satisfy all three falls short and should have been reconsidered before I hit “publish.” While it’s tempting to snatch up every money-making opportunity that comes my way, it’s more satisfying at the end of the day to know that I’ve produced something I can be proud of.

As a relatively new blogger I still have a lot to learn. I’m an avid reader of “better blogging” articles and tutorials. The lessons that have had the biggest impact, though, are the ones I’ve learned through trial and error. Delving through my archives brings those lessons into focus and allows me to assess my own strengths and weaknesses. It’s helped me to see that my voice is my biggest asset. Do me a favor, would you - slap me around a little the next time you see me forgetting that.

Technorati Tags: better blogging, blogging

January 4, 2008

But what about Google?

My friend Evelyn, who blogs at Homespun Honolulu, recently signed on with PayPerPost and has done a few sponsored posts. Some of her readers think she’s made a mistake and have shared their opinions with her. What follows started as a comment to her post on the topic, but I have a lot to say so I’ve decided to do it here instead.

Guess what, folks? There’s life after Google. Yes they took away my PR4 because I do sponsored posts for PayPerPost. I have more traffic, more regular readers and have continued to make money on my blog at the same rate since the Google slap. My readers don’t come to skeet’s stuff because of my page rank or lack thereof. They come because they like to read what I like to write. I’m a small-time blogger with no niche, yet my traffic remains healthy despite my loss of Google status. Take a look at the Awstats numbers below for the first four days of January and you’ll see that I’m alive and well. Advertisers know this, too. They are seeing that Google PageRank is not a worthy measure of a blog’s value because it is given and taken so arbitrarily. The recent Googlespank was not applied evenly and across the board, but rather in a manner that smacks of a desire to quash competition. You are mistaken if you think that Google has deindexed those of us who do PayPerPost. I still get the same traffic from Google searches every day. My blog is still positioned exactly as it was for relevant search terms. Advertisers know this and know that there is still value in paying me for placement of their content. We’ve also always had a strong base of advertisers who are not looking for an SEO boost when they sponsor our posts. They are looking for visibility, buzz, WOM - that hasn’t changed.

If retaining your PR is your primary concern then I certainly wouldn’t recommend signing on with PayPerPost, at least not until Social Spark is introduced later this month. With SocialSpark advertiser links will be no-followed, satisfying Google’s terms and letting bloggers avoid Google penalty. Some bloggers have chosen to remove advertisers’ links from their older sponsored posts and have applied to Google for reinstatement of their PR. This also removes the threat of deindexing. I won’t knock anyone who chooses to do that, but I choose not to for a simple reason: I don’t blog for Google. I blog for me and my readers. If an advertiser asks me to remove their links I’ll do it as a courtesy to them, but otherwise, no. Google doesn’t own my blog.

The threat of deindexing does still exist. Matt Cutts (Google’s most web-present mouthpiece) and Ted Murphy (CEO of PPP) have had discussions and exchanged emails about Google’s stance. Perhaps there will be peace between the two. Perhaps not. {{{{shrug}}}} The world will go on, regardless.

Yes, there are spammy blogs that are filled with nothing but rubbish in order to provide a platform for sponsored posts. If you think all blogs that do sponsored posts fit that description, you’re wrong. A lot of us have fallen into the trap of finding the money too enticing and have spammed up our blogs in a fever of sponsored posting. Most of us who did soon realized that our blogs were more important than the money and scaled back significantly. I now probably average six or eight sponsored posts a month and I’m selective about the opportunities I choose to post. Good bloggers will post relevant content and will seek out items that they think will interest their readers, whether they’re being paid or not. There are a lot of good blogs and good bloggers associated with sponsored posting. Don’t paint everyone with the same brush.

The content of a blog is the personal choice of the blogger. If you honestly believe that the non-sponsored content is no longer of interest to you because the blogger has chosen to do some sponsored posting, so be it. Move on. Their blogs won’t implode because you’ve chosen not to read them. Be aware, though, that you may be tossing the baby out with the bath water. No only have you cut yourself off from a source of good original content, you may have also deprived yourself of products, sites and services that are sponsored on that blog. Yes, there are actually readers who find our sponsored posts of interest and occasionally follow the links to one of our sponsors’ sites. It’s not required, but it happens quite frequently. Who’d have thought it?

I was pleased to see that Evelyn’s comment thread has remained civilized. Some of her readers have dissenting opinions and and have expressed them, but they’ve avoided name-calling and chest-thumping. You’re invited to engage yourselves in like manner on my blog. I find feeback from my readers to be one of the most satisfying aspects of blogging and I value your input. You don’t have to agree with me, but I do insist that you play nice.

Technorati Tags: blogging, Google, page rank, PayPerPost, sponsored posts

December 17, 2007

Web hosting solutions

Finding the right Web Hosting Services is the first step in establishing your website, whether you’re creating a personal blog or a professional site. Your web host provides the online storage space for your site’s content and makes it available for viewing online. The most important factors you’ll probably want to consider when selecting a host are server reliablility (ie: rarely has downtime) and the adequate space to meet your needs. Web Hosting Services from Network Solutions offers several packages at affordable prices:

Prices start at $9.96 per month when you purchase an annual service for standard web hosting, $13.30 per month for the more robust advanced web hosting and just $29.13 per month for your high-traffic or professional site. Domain name (web site address) is free for the first year with annual purchase and all plans come with a thirty day money-back guarantee. Additional features include:

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Technorati Tags: web hosting, website design, website services

November 18, 2007

It’s official! I’m B.A.D.!

I know y’all all think I’m just some middle-aged frump living an old-maidish existence on my little island. Well, okay, I mostly am, but Beth at Ramblings of an Undisturbed Mind has peeked beyond the facade and discovered the woman of substance I thought I had carefully disguised. Actually she just thinks I’m funny and tell good stories, but that was good enough for her to declare me Certified B.A.D. That’s Blog A Day for those of you who don’t know, the status Beth awards to the blogs she reviews. I gotta tell you, she made me look good when she made me B.A.D. You can submit your blog for review too, and if you’re not a middle-aged frump living an old-maidish existence on an island she’ll probably let you be B.A.D, too. That category is already taken.

Mahalo, Beth! You sure did perk up my day!

Technorati Tags: blogs, blog reviews

November 10, 2007

PostieCon in Vegas!

I’ve been pretty bummed out that so many of my friends are at the BlogWorld Expo today and will be at PostiesCon tomorrow and I’m not there! Not that I don’t want them to be having a wonderful time, you know - just sad not to be there meeting so many folks that I’ve been sharing the blogging experience with for over a year now. Ahhhhhh - maybe next year. I know they’re having a really great gathering & will be blogging it so I can share the experience.

I wrote that last night but was too sleepy to continue. It’s Saturday now and I’ve spent the morning “attending” PostieCon via live hook-up:

Okay, not quite the same as being there. I didn’t get to taste the cake or give real life hugs to anyone. Don’t get a swag bag or have a ticket for prize drawings. But there’s live chat tied in, so we can “attend” the sessions and make copmments or ask question of the speakers, so it’s very cool. Come join us! Oh, you can see the live video with a chat board next to it on full screen over at Andy Beard’s blog. Mahalo Andy! Great set-up!

Technorati Tags: bloggers, blogging convention, PostieCon 07, PayPerPost, video feed

October 31, 2007

Do you NaBloPoMo?

It’s almost National Blog Posting Month! That means that a whole bunch of crazy people have gotten together and each agreed to post every single day of the month of November. Why? Well, because we can, of course! There are some other good reasons, too, though. Participating in NaBloPoMo is a great way to stretch yourself creatively and to get into the habit of posting regularly. Joining in the fun is also a great way to meet new people while promoting your blog. Newer bloggers like my friend Jessica will find it especially helpful because being in NaBloPoMo means you’re introducing yourself and your blog to thousands of potential fans. Jessica is blogging lately about how to get hard-to-find tickets for popular events like SNL and Oprah tapings, so I’m predicting that her blog will be wildly busy once she gets the word out.

NaBloPoMo was born in admiration of the hardy folks who will be participating in NaNoWriMo. Writing a blog post every day is taxing for some. Producing a novel in one month is totally insane, but thousands of writers do it each year and will do it again simultaniously with the legions of us doing NaBloPoMo. It’s a fact folks: the only way to be a writer is to write. Both of these programs help us develop the discipline to make writing a part of our daily routines and to commit ourselves to being a little better each day. Both provide a reading audience to help us get past any reticence we may have about putting ourselves out there, and honest critque if we want it. If you’re serious about your writing, whether through blogs or other media, you can only benefit from joining in on the fun. I don’t seem to have what it takes to fully develop a novel, but I can blog daily and will hopefully be better at what I do when the month is over. Get yourself signed up for NaBloPoMo, then pop on over to my page, “friend” me and say hello. I’ll return the aloha and we’ll all help each other get through this! Happy blogging!

And hey - good luck to all of my NaNoWriMo friends, too! You may be crazy but I loves ya anyway!

Technorati Tags: blogging, insanity, NaBloPoMo, NaNoWriMo, TicketStrategies.com, writing, writing exercises