So Copyblogger finally has a Facebook page.
I suspect that this has to do with psychology more than public relations. I mean, sure, Copyblogger has a lot of subscribers. On Twitter, it has a lot of followers and gets a lot of retweets. But does it have any friends? Does it have any fans? Well, it does now, and it’s about time….
Which leads me to conclude that Facebook today is kind of like a McDonald’s birthday party when you were a kid. All you have to do if you want friends is to sign up, and stay away from the clown. Now, if we could only get a PlayPlace around here. I have my fingers crossed that they’ll spring for the big slide, but Brian keeps arguing for a ball pit.
In any event, here’s what happened this week on Copyblogger:
Monday:
The “Common Sense” Mistake That Makes Your Writing Lifeless
Want your writing to be more effective and interesting? Ignore common sense. And yes, sure, you can read about some kinds of common sense to ignore in this post, but it’s best to be safe and ignore all of them like most unknown bloggers. I once heard about a guy who tried to remove a bunion with a shotgun. Now THAT’S senseless!
Tuesday:
How to Capture Your Reader’s Attention
Some proven ways to get attention: Yell “fire!” in a crowded theater. Streak at the SuperBowl. Fall into a neverending sequence of drug rehab and jewel thievery incidents beginning shortly after starring in a remake of The Parent Trap. However, I wouldn’t recommend any of those after having tried them all myself. And since you’re going to need to get attention if you’re going to be able to sell anything at all or move anyone to act, you’d really better read this post.
Wednesday:
The Straight Dope on Facebook, Twitter, and SEO
Finally… the long-awaited answer to whether my fifty Twitter spam bot accounts are increasing my ability to rank in search engines for the term “elephant examinations.” First Google says that social media doesn’t contribute to ranking, then they change their mind, and then they declare that all of the actual ranking is done by magical faerie savants. I guess we now finally have our answer. (Hint: faeries.)
Thursday:
I totally misunderstood the title of this episode of the IMfSP podcast. It’s actually about the need to convert readers and casual visitors into paying customers (with a detour into how a really popular way of doing business can sink you) but I thought it was literal. So, in a misguided panic, I sent my entire stack of 1980s action-adventure videotapes to the Ukraine, where they’re able to do VHS-to-Beta transfers using a process that somehow involves oxen and a yeti. The nice man I talked to on the one phone his village owns assured me that “American stereotypes seeing much better in glorious new Beta format,” but I remain skeptical.
Thursday Part 2:
Save $100 on Search Marketing Expo: Early Bird Discount Expires Saturday, 2/5
I think the headline says it all. Except for this sentence and the previous one.
Friday:
5 Steps to Captivating Readers with Your Secret Message
Did you know that you’re telling your readers something even though you may not be directly intending to do so? It’s true. You should read this post and figure out how to 1) maximize the positive impact of that message and 2) minimize the impact of the stupid things you’ve told them over the years. Example: Remember the time you ran out of paper towels and decided to use the cat to dust the top of the TV? Yeah, you told them about that, too.
This week’s cool links:
- Use YouTube to Build Your Blog’s Audience: I’ve always heard that YouTube can be a great traffic source but wondered how exactly you were supposed to use it. Now I know.
- In Social Media, Everyone Can Hear You Fart: When I first heard that Kenneth Cole made a politically incorrect tweet about the Egypt riots, I figured people were overreacting. But then I saw what KC had done wrong. It was just a stupid tweet. One lesson from this: if everyone can hear you fart, at least fart in a clever or funny way.
- How Small Business Can Get BIG Online with Content Marketing: This is a good “101-style” post that delivers what the title says. If you’re tired of drill-down articles on specific content marketing topics and need to see the big picture, read this.
- Do welcome popups work?: Sigh. I’ve very seriously considered a popup myself for one reason: People are distracted online, so I figure putting something right in front of them might be a good idea. I’m now convinced it works, and the question is whether I want to be (more) annoying.
About the Author: Johnny B. Truant specializes in selling through stories and is the proud creator of The Badass Project, a site profiling amazing people who make your excuses look stupid.
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The Responsible Blogger’s Guide to Dealing with Big Brother
by Erika Napoletano on September 23, 2010
“What should I be doing better with my blog?”
That’s one helluva question, isn’t it? As someone who blogs to support a thriving business, I think about that question every day.
There are a lot of answers, many of which involve sexy topics like traffic, subscribers, and getting one zillion followers on Twitter.
But when’s the last time you sat down and answered the question above with:
“I should be paying more attention to blogging ethics.”
Not so sexy.
But as bloggers, we have to face facts about the world we live in. It feels like an anonymous platform where we can do and say whatever we want. But 2010 has a lot in common with 1984, and Big Brother comes in some forms that George Orwell never dreamed of.
You need to be aware of one very important fact that many seem to forget:
You can’t unGoogle anything
When you launch your words into the blogosphere and social media universe, you’re laying a digital footprint in concrete. That concrete is the Internet Elephant, and it never forgets.
Old versions of your site are cached. Facebook privacy blunders have ugly real-world consequences. And the Library of Congress is even planning on archiving our tweets. It feels like you can’t be held accountable for your rash words, but you can.
Here are some tips on blogging ethics that will help keep your reputation clean. Especially if you’re going to make blogging a part of your business, you need to protect your interests.
Your comments policy
The bottom line is, it’s your blog and you have ultimate control over what gets posted in your comments section and what doesn’t make the cut.
Please realize that whatever policy you decide on, not everyone is going to agree with you. I personally have a “post all comments” policy, except in instances of spam or blatant self-promoting garbage that adds nothing to the conversation. I also hold all comments that include links from first-time commenters for moderation (legitimate commenters are then white-listed).
Some blogs allow trash talk, some don’t. Some allow profanity, some don’t. Every blogger needs to figure out what to do with the trolls. It’s your blog and your call.
It’s always smart to make your comments policy clear. My developer is working right now on coding my site so my comments policy shows up in a cool style below each post.
If you become known for deleting comments just because the reader isn’t a fawning yes-man, your credibility and authority will suffer. On the other hand, letting the trolls run free or allowing spam to trash up your comments won’t do your reputation any favors either.
Proper accreditation
If you use photos in your blog posts, use legitimate sources for images. (Assuming, of course, you’re not using your own images or photos.)
Photos purchased from stock photo houses usually don’t require photo credit, although a few do. On the other hand, images you get under a Creative Commons license do have various requirements, usually at minimum a credit to the image owner.
This should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: Don’t steal other people’s images or words and put them on your blog. That content doesn’t belong to you. It’s unethical and scummy.
When you love a blog post so much that you want to send it to your readers, it is not okay to copy the post and paste it into your own blog or newsletter (even with accreditation) unless you get permission from the blogger.
A better way to show your adoration is to select a handful of quotes (I prefer to stick with no more than 50-100 words) from the post and then provide a link back to the original post, with credit to the author.
Understanding libel
Ohhhhh — legalese! (The recovering attorney in Brian Clark will love this one.)
Some bloggers make a hobby of calling people out for what they consider to be inappropriate practices, stupid decisions, or the like. Other bloggers are just plain malicious.
If you’re going to go down this road, get your ducks in a row first. Read up on what constitutes libel. You owe it to yourself. What you might consider “free speech” could get you into trouble, as the line between opinion and malicious intent can be a very fine one.
Make sure you have a liability insurance policy in place (this is a must). If you’re a member of The Author’s Guild, they offer Media Liability Insurance. You can also contact your insurance agent for a general business policy, but make sure it also covers libel and slander.
You are not invisible
Some people imagine that the internet lets them don a Cloak of Invisibility that bestows permission to do whatever the hell they want.
It’s simply not true. You are responsible for your words on the web (and in life) no matter where you leave them or how anonymous you think you’re being.
I don’t accept anonymous comments on my blog (including commenters who give fake email addresses) and here’s why: it shows me you’re not willing to be held accountable for your words.
If you’re running a blog, there are some pretty cool tools you can use to verify identity or lend at least some level of “real world” status to a commenter you might hold in question.
The best thing I can do here is to put just a bit of healthy fear into you.
You’re not invincible, you’re not invisible, and you have a responsibility to both yourself and your audience.
While you might have been looking for a more entertaining post on ethics (given my propensity for, ahem, colorful language), putting your thoughts out there on the web is serious stuff.
As I said, nothing can be unGoogled. It’s not like a late-night TP-ing of your least favorite junior high school science teacher’s house. Drive-bys don’t work online.
Strong ethical guidelines can keep your brand and keep your blog shop clean. If there are other best practices I’ve missed, lob them into the comments section below. While we don’t want to go all George Orwell, you have to remember that 1984 still applies in 2010 … and beyond (and it’s not such a bad thing).
About the Author: Erika Napoletano is the Head Redhead at RedheadWriting LLC, a Denver-based online strategies consultancy. Her blog, RedheadWriting, is a bastion for “unpopular thoughts and blunt advice — delivered” and consistently strives to say what others won’t (but should) about marketing, social media, business integrity, and life in general.
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