RE: Blogs

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Melanie has asked about blogs. And has asked a series of questions about blogs that I think writers would do well to deal with at some point.  Now, this exposes my bias right away – I believe that what we do as writers is part of a business.  I write to make money.  I happen to write about something I really enjoy (gardening) for the most part but I do write about other things.  If you write for the love of it with no expectation of having to make a living, then this post is likely of no importance to you. 

Melanies questions fall into the category of “leading” questions. :-)   You can’t answer one without answering others.  Let me give you a few thoughts and then an offer.  The thoughts are biased – the offer is genuine and comes from my years of messing about on the Net following it through its various cycles.

Writing is a business.  Blogs are only one very tiny part of the overall marketing plan.  If you don’t have a business plan or a marketing plan for your writing business I can only offer this well-worn adage.  “Those who fail to plan …. plan to fail.”

Starting a blog without knowing how it fits into your overall marketing message about being a writer reminds me of another hoary chestnut from the world of business marketing (borrowed from the military no doubt).  The proper way to set up a business marketing plan is to: get READY, then  AIM it and finally to FIRE! or implement .  Unfortunately, most marketers (and writers I suspect) follow the READY, FIRE!, AIM programme.  It is far less effective but we all fall into that trap regularly, I know I do.

The point, I’m getting to it I promise, is that what if you wrote a blog and nobody read it?  Why write the darn thing and spend the time/energy if you don’t know what it is you’re trying to achieve.  There are over 12,000 blogs a DAY being created right now – who do you think is reading them?  Is the readership tail that long?  (I surely hope it is) :-)  How have you marketed your blog?  How do you monetize your blog?

The other thing you have to understand is that over 50% of computerized households have no idea what a blog is.  Who’s your market and do you need a blog?  Promoting the use of blogs reminds me of listening to Jeff Lowenfels back in 1986 in Florida expound to the GWA on the need for garden writers to have computers.  Yes, they’re coming folks but right now?  LOL!!

An RSS feed is a method of delivering information over the Internet.  You can send text or graphics (blogs)  You can send sound (podcasting) , you can send streaming video (netcasting)    RSS is the delivery system (the paper) and a blog is the message (words)  (With apologies to Marshal McLuhan)

Your RSS feed has to have a business purpose if you are a money-making writer. If you are doing it for the love of it – go ahead but don’t complain when very few people read it.

The offer comes simply because I can’t answer a question about blogs in a single note.  It is like getting the question, “How do I garden?” at a garden festival and not quite knowing where to begin.  I don’t know what you need to know and I don’t know how I can best meet your need. 

There are a ton of e-books out there on blogging how-to’s. There are a ton of message boards about blogging. The net is vast.  The information on google about blogging is staggering (google owns blogger.com)   I spent over a month researching blogs and how to do them best, what they could or could not achieve, etc etc.

My own blog is a work in progress, the url is below.  It will change over the next month as I measure effectiveness and smooth out some of the rough edges/improve the graphics etc.

The offer is simple.  Call me and I’ll answer your specific questions.  613-544-9533  The call is on you. The information is on me.  I’m on EST and please don’t call in the mornings – that’s when I write. I do marketing “stuff” in the afternoons.

Doug

-----Original Message-----
From: gardenwriters-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:gardenwriters-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Melanie
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 12:07 PM
To: Garden Writers -- GWL -- The Garden Writers Forum
Cc: gardenwriters-on-gardening
Subject: [GWL] Blogs