Believing in Yourself

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Magaly Chocano, founder of Swebapps. It was a business meeting of sorts, but mostly it was also an introductory meeting since I am a huge fan of what they do and wanted to find a way for the show I co-host, Tech in Twenty, and her company to work together on a few projects. Pesonally, her story is amazing, the success of her company unparrallel, and the outlook is outstanding. All of it coming not just from hard work but from believing in yourself.

Blogging 101: 30 Most Asked Questions Part I

Today’s topic will highlight some of the most asked questions about blogging. Consider this a blogging 101 for those looking at starting a blog or at least understanding what they can do for their blog. I've known many people who start a blog not really understanding what else they can do with the content they are creating.

This post along with part II will highlight some common questions I get via email or have come across during the various presentations I've done.

Bringing Great Minds Together

Today I've had a great opportunity to gather with some great minds to work on some projects that I've got going and one that I was brought into. It never fails to surprise me the network that I have, and the types of thought leadership that exist within that network. It is from these individuals that great projects with great outcomes have been born.

I'm curious to know from my readers who they draw inspiration from and if they gather with local leaders to share ideas and lean on one another to start and finish projects. I think it's vital that as much as spend time online, that we not forget the people in our own backyard.

I can say I'm happy to know the people that I know and am always ready, when I'm available, to help them in their endeavors. So share your thoughts in the comments and let me know if you still rely on real world relationships, and also if your real world network has grown due to online engagement.

Photo Credit drinksmachine

Professional Awareness For New Media Types

New Media is the transition that we're seeing now, whereby traditional media outlets are now being transitioned to "newer" types of available media outlets like mobile technology, online sites, and various unique ways of creating content to either share information or promote a product or service. During these times of transition we see a lot of experimentation, some succeed while some fail, but all in all it's a space that is very fluid and forgiving. This allows for many of us who are exploring this space to go "back to the drawing board" as they say and determine what worked and what didn't and become better than our previous iteration. This forgiveness works for the industry and against it.

Live Blogging Introduces Informational Immediacy

For bloggers, nothing says success more than readers, and readers are drawn to bloggers that have valid and relevant information. This relationship can be hard to maintain and sometimes feel like a tug of war on certain days. Still, a blogger that allows themselves to lose the fight will find themselves alone, their message not getting to a single person except for the occasional web surfer that might find their site.

So how do you tackle this? What are some ideas that make viewers want to come to you as the source for information? I hope to answer these questions for you by explaining the tools and techniques of live blogging.

Bloggers Unite for Haiti Relief

If you're looking for a way to make an impact in the world around you, Bloggers Unite has always been a worthwhile cause, especially since...well you're a blogger. I woke up this morning with a notification that Bloggers Unite is looking for a few good writers to help with the relief in Haiti. If you look to the right hand side of this article you'll see a little widget in support of this cause.

Whether you joined the texting campaign or if you'd like to get your community to support the relief in this way, do something to help the millions upon millions affected by this horrendous natural disaster.

I've shown my support, why not get a widget for your site and show your support. If you need the code for the widget, let me know, I'd be happy to share it with you.

Top 10 Blog Promoting Techniques, Part II

I got a lot of really good feedback in the comments section, on Twitter, and on some personal messages on Facebook. A lot of you are really excited to push your content out, especially if you're involved in the 100 blogs for 100 days challenge. Creating content and refreshing your site is definitely key to having your site constantly crawled, but that alone won't draw readers.

So here is the second part of tips to promote your blog with some explanations. Perhaps one of these or more of these are exactly what you need to attract a new audience. If you've got some ideas add them to the comments section below and let's see what the community thinks!

If you missed the first part. Here it is.

The Heart of Community in Social Media Club San Antonio

As co-founder of the local Social Media Club, it's always amazing to see the minds we have in our city. Some will say that our city is laid back, moves at its own pace, is perhaps even boring, and at times I feel like that, but I came from L.A. before I came to San Antonio. Nevertheless, beneath the exterior that so many presume, are the minds of amazing individuals each doing something in their own way to progress not just themselves, but rather everyone around them. The benefits felt from this time of cohesion are immense, but even more so when they openly share ideas for others to grow just as they did.

Top 10 Blog Promoting Techniques, Part I

Driving traffic to your blog is the entire reason why you started in the first place. You began writing with the intention of sharing your thoughts with the world, and perhaps even provide assistance, guidance, or information to those that would come across your well spent efforts.

Today I will share with you the 10 best ways I have come across to expose your blog to a wide variety of readers, and possibly even share your thoughts beyond those in your network.

Elevator Pitches Strengthen Your Presence as a Blogger

The landscape of writers has been completely transformed by the emergence of a writing class known as the blogger. Many will argue that the weight of an article is less than that of a traditionally schooled writer, but those lines have long since blurred and been crossed. Today anyone has access to writing content and publishing it online for the world to read. Is all of it worthwhile? That's debatable, but suffice to say, the boundaries that once kept the word crafting to the professionals has been torn down and we are all now publishers in our own right.

Business Opportunity - SXSW Proposition

SXSW is just around the corner. Many of you might be saying that March is still a ways off, but it'll come quicker than we think. In that time many of us are preparing to attend the extravaganza that is SXSW. A place where new media, social media, interactive media and all media in between can gather for a week of innovation, collaboration, and conversation. The panels, the hallway discussions, the get together, simply amazing. I mean let's face it, there aren't many times during the year, aside from Blog World Expo perhaps, where all the greatest minds and thought leaders come together to converge on topics involving engagement on a media platform.

Last year was my first experience at SXSW, it was a minor one, but the ability to connect with people from around the world at this one event, throughout all the panels, was unparallel. So this year I wanted to extend an offer to the general online community.

Customer Service is More Than Marketing, It's A Culture

Suffice to say that marketing should never be something left ONLY to the marketing department. Marketing is something that everyone in the company from top to bottom should be responsible for. Strategies and implementation come from a marketing department, but it's up to those involved to execute the plan.

Nothing frustrates me more than employees or customer service reps who know nothing about the marketing that is being advertised to the general public. When I walk into a restaurant and mention an online special I expect the employee to know, not take fifteen minutes of my time to ask the manager simply because they were not informed.

Good customer service is not just something you turn on and turn off, it should be a part of the office culture. Be aware of what customers will be asking for, educate, train, and prepare. I can't stress this enough. If you're promoting something for your product or service, be sure that your employees are aware of it, savvy enough to respond to it, and capable of handling it.

10 Post Ideas for Business Blogs Part II

In continuation to the first post I did on the first five post ideas for business blogs, we look at interesting ways to keep your audience engaged that aren't so obvious. Companies would be surprised at the types of information their readership would respond to. Alternatively, I think it's also surprising for the audience if they saw content that they didn't expect to be posted. Keep the symbiotic relationship between reader and blogger in balance is hard, but when building relationships, is it ever easy?

As you think of ways to diversify, here are the remaining five post types to complete the series. Enjoy!

10 Post Ideas for Business Blogs Part I

The foundation for any business to build relations with their audience is to start with their website. The inclusion of a blog is a critical platform to begin engagements about what is happening within the company, but also include what is happening within your industry. For those companies fearful of using social networks, the blog can provide a "testing of the water" so to speak, and give readers something to connect with.

Don't know what your audience wants to read? Some ideas may come either than others, but this two part series will hopefully shed some light on the kinds of topics you can include and hopefully give you a great jump off point to start the conversation.

Successful Blogs with 5 Types of Posts

If your blog is looking for a new lease on life, or perhaps you’re just starting out, take a look at these topics and make sure that your blog has a little bit of eveything peppered throughout!

5 Common Reasons Blogs Fail

There is nothing like having something that you’ve created fail to reach the popularity you had in envisioned when you first started out. No one ever starts a project with the intent to fail, nor does anyone start out thinking that their presence will be ignored. Too often though our vision and actual reality are never aligned, which can be attributed to a variety of reasons.

As writers, our blogs our the extensions of who we are and what we think; encompassing our thoughts, ideas, fears, and hopes. We grant access into our minds every time we post an article for online communities to read. This is something not everyone is comfortable with, but we exist because we long to share and communicate our ideas. This is the vital crux where success and failure is determined, the motivations we have will either make us sink or swim, and today I will discuss the top five motivations that will sink not only your blog, but all of your efforts.

Promote Blogs Like A Pro

Social communities have allowed for interactions that have cut out the traditional methods of marketing products and services. This paradigm shift that had erupted onto the scene in 2009 has taken a strong foothold in how we choose to interact with others, whether it's with individuals or brands. Note the word "choose" in the previous sentence. The world of online communication is an opt-in scenario where traditional medial no longer calls the shots. WE can choose to not view commercials, block spammers and advertisers, ignore a brand all together, or call them out on their online methods and create a movement that can force the brand to either back away or apologize and change their tactics.

So how does a blogger promote their new posts in a world that is keen to blocking direct marketing and ignoring the traditional salesman pitches? Unless you have an audience like Mashable, Guy Kawasaki, or any other major thought leader or trusted brand, you’ll have a tough uphill battle ahead of you. But today’s post should offer some insight into the issue.

When in Excess, Trim the Fat

I just returned from a holiday trip to visit my family, and like all other trips in the past, my wife and I returned with more than we went with. Not just gifts, but leftovers from holiday meals (don't ask), hand me downs that my parents don't want (which I don't mind at all), but it can be a little overwhelming. What would normally have taken a few trips from the car to the house in  unloading now becomes a full blown expedition where I feel pack animals are needed just to unload the van.

As I sit in my living room surrounded by the remnants of my trip it reminds me that too often we over burden ourselves with tasks, calendar events, to-do's and other engagements then we know what to do with. The effects of our overcommiting don't seem to fall on us until we sit down during a still moment and think "what did I just do?" It happens to be the best of us.

Goals and Focus for Strengthening Confidence

2010 is here and hopefully we've all made it through today. A decade is behind us, and a new one in front of us. It's a a good guess that most of us probably made a lot of new resolutions and we have big plans for ourselves or the partnerships we are in.

My wish for you is to move forward to make things happen and don't let anyone or anything steer you from the ultimate goal. Recently I was browsing the local metropolitan paper and while looking for inspiration and came across the same ideas that I had come across in a blog post by Chris Brogan.