Sunday, June 9, 2013

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 20th, 2013

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 20th, 2013 data = {blogUrl: "www.engadget.com",v: 315};when = {jquery: lab.scriptBs("jquery"),plugins: lab.scriptBs("plugins"),eng: lab.scriptBs("eng")}; var s265prop9 = ('20584100' !== '') ? 'bsd:20584100' : ''; var postID = '20584100'; var modalMNo = '93319229', modalVideoMNo = '93320648', modalGalleryMNo = '93304207'; when.eng("eng.omni.init", {pfxID:"weg",pageName:document.title,server:"acp-ld39.websys.aol.com",channel:"us.engadget", s_account: "aolwbengadget,aolsvc", short_url: "",pageType:"",linkInternalFilters:"javascript:,",prop1:"article",prop2:"cellphones",prop9:s265prop9,prop12:document.location,prop17:"",prop18:"",prop19:"",prop20:"", prop22:"zachary-lutz", prop54:"blogsmith",mmxgo: true }); adSendTerms('1')adSetMOAT('1');adSetAdURL('/_uac/adpagem.html');lab._script("http://o.aolcdn.com/os/ads/adhesion/js/adhads-min.js").wait(function(){var floatingAd = new AdhesiveAd("348-14-15-14d",{hideOnSwipe:true});}); onBreak({980: function () { adSetType("F");htmlAdWH("93319229", "LB", "LB"); adSetType("");}}); EngadgetMenu NewsReviews Features Galleries VideosEventsPodcasts Engadget ShowTopics Buyers Guides Sagas Store HD Mobile Alt Announcements Cameras Cellphones Desktops Displays Gaming GPS Handhelds Home Entertainment Household Internet Laptops Meta Misc Networking Peripherals Podcasts Robots Portable Audio/Video Science Software Storage Tablets Transportation Wearables Wireless Acer Amazon AMD Apple ASUS AT&T Blackberry Canon Dell Facebook Google HP HTC Intel Lenovo LG Microsoft Nikon Nintendo Nokia NVIDIA Samsung Sony Sprint T-Mobile Verizon About UsSubscribeLike Engadget@engadgettip uswhen.eng("eng.nav.init")when.eng("eng.tips.init") onBreak({980: function () {htmlAdWH("93308280", "215", "35",'AJAX','ajaxsponsor');}});Mobile Miscellany: week of May 20th, 2013 MobileBypostedMay 25th, 2013 at 8:35 PM 0

Mobile Miscellany week of May 20th, 2013

If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought hints of a revitalized Galaxy Exhibit for T-Mobile, news of two additions to the lineup at Cricket and a peek at the next GoPhone for AT&T. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of May 20th, 2013.

Samsung Galaxy Exhibit leaked for T-MobileMobile Miscellany week of May 20th, 2013

The Exhibit product line is a familiar one for T-Mobile customers, and a recent leak from TmoNews suggests that the UnCarrier has an updated handset in the pipeline that'll arrive on May 29th. The smartphone will be known simply as the Galaxy Exhibit, which lacks the "4G" branding of its predecessors. With Android 4.1, a dual-core processor and what's said to be a 5MP camera, the phone will likely fill a gap that was previously occupied by the Optimus L9. Pricing currently remains unknown for the Galaxy Exhibit, but it's reasonable to assume that it'll be among the more affordable Android smartphones on T-Mobile. [TmoNews]

Samsung Admire 2 and Galaxy Discover shown for CricketMobile Miscellany week of May 20th, 2013

Alongside Cricket's announcement that the Galaxy S 4 would join its roster on June 7th, the prepaid carrier also revealed two other Samsung handsets for arrival this summer. First is the Admire 2, which is a re-branded version of the Galaxy Axiom for US Cellular (and globally, the Galaxy S III Mini) that runs Android 4.1.2. Cricket hasn't published a spec sheet for the Admire 2, but you can reasonably expect to find a 4-inch WVGA display, a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and a 5MP camera, along with LTE and NFC. Joining the Galaxy S 4 and the Admire 2, you'll also find the entry-level Galaxy Discover. Here, the phone includes a 3.5-inch HVGA display, an 800MHz CPU, a 3MP camera and stock Android 4.0. Pricing and availability have yet to be announced for either smartphone. [CNET 1, 2]

Mobile Miscellany week of May 20th, 2013

Other random tidbitsThe Galaxy S III will be added to the roster at Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile next month, each with LTE connectivity, though pricing has yet to be revealed. [Sprint]Verizon Wireless now claims that its LTE network covers 95 percent of its CDMA footprint, and plans to achieve parity by mid-year. [RCR Wireless]AT&T launched its Digital Life service in Baltimore, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Sacramento and Washington, D.C. [AT&T]Ting has announced that it'll bring Windows Phone handsets from HTC and Samsung into its lineup this summer. [WPCentral]T-Mobile's LTE version of Samsung Galaxy S III has been outed for a June 5th arrival at the UnCarrier. [TmoNews]The Oppo Find 5 will go up for sale in Europe on Monday with prices that start at €399. [Oppo]The entry-level Samsung Galaxy Young arrives at Carphone Warehouse and O2 in the UK this weekend, which features Android 4.1 and runs £89.99 outright. [Android Central]Starting next month, Swisscom will begin a rollout of 150 Mbps LTE to its highest traffic areas, but subscribers will need a unique subscription to access the faster service. [ZDNet]Three UK confirmed that it'll carry the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3, but has yet to provide key details such as pricing or a release date. [Android Central]The Avail 2 by ZTE was leaked for AT&T's GoPhone lineup. [@evleaks (Twitter)]A new beta version of the Nokia Ringtone Maker for Windows Phone 8 is now available, which brings support for audio clips up to 60 seconds in length. [WPCentral]Availability for Google Earth 7.1 on Android has been extended to more than 100 countries. [Google Earth (Google+)]Must-read mobile storiesSamsung announces Galaxy S 4 sales of 10 million, new colors coming this summerSamsung buys 10 percent stake in rival phone maker PantechResearchers achieve world record in wireless data transmission, seek to provide rural broadbandHands-on with the Coolpad Quattro II 4G and 8920Nokia brings Lumia 925 for T-Mobile to CTIA 2013, we go hands-onKyocera Hydro Xtrm and Hydro Edge hands-onASUS PadFone Infinity review: the convertible phone goes full HD and beyondAT&T confirms that all video chat apps will work over cellular by the end of this yearA tour of the Jolla phone with company co-founder Marc Dillon (video)

[Mobile Miscellany photo credit: Thristian / Flickr]

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The Forrest Gump Guide to Writing That Bites Readers in the Buttocks

Posted by Jon in Uncategorized | 55 comments

Forrest-Gump

Southern Gentleman (John Worsham): “It was a bullet, wasn’t it?”
Forrest: “A bullet?”
Southern Gentleman: “That jumped up and bit you.”
Forrest: “Oh. Yes, sir. Bit me directly in the but-tocks.”

BANG.

One moment, you’re checking your email or surfing the web or browsing through the aisles of Barnes & Noble, minding your own business, doing nobody any harm, and that’s when it happens…

You read something that jumps up and bites you in the buttocks.

It’s so beautifully written, so painfully true, you can’t help feeling like you just got shot. No, it’s not a physical wound, but you can feel the ideas kicking around inside you, and you know somehow that they’ll stay with you for a very long time.

Maybe you even wonder how you can write like that yourself. So few can.

With blogging in particular, most writing is pitiful, full of shallow ideas and poorly told stories. The posts are hardly memorable, much less capable of making readers feel like they just took a physical blow.

The good news is Forrest Gump is here to help. Here are some of the best lines from the movie, along with advice on exactly how you can up your game:

Forrest Gump: “Hello. I’m Forrest… Forrest Gump.”
Army Bus Driver: “Nobody gives a horse’s shit who you are, pus ball! You’re not even a low-life, scum-sucking maggot!”

And the truth is, neither are we.

Yes, I know you have the world’s greatest untold story. Yes, I know you’re aching to tell it. Yes, I know it’ll turn readers into blubbering, sobbing messes of emotion.

But restrain yourself for a while.

There are times and places for stories, it’s true. I’ve even told mine once or twice (okay, three times).

I waited years, though. Not because it took me that long to tell the tale, but because that’s how long it took me to earn it.

Before your readers care about you, first they have to know how much you care about them.

Their problems. Their dreams. Their questions.

Not yours. At least, not in the beginning.

An audience is only ready to hear your story when they feel you really and truly have heard theirs. Never before.

Jenny: “Do you have a dream, Forrest, about who you’re going to be?”
Forrest: “Aren’t I going to be me?”

Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to stick your personality in a box and stuff it in long-term storage. Lordy, no.

Any great writer’s personality bleeds into the page. There’s a special quality to their words, sentences, and paragraphs that’s as unique to them as a fingerprint.

Part of your job as a beginning writer is to find your own writing fingerprint. You were born with it, just as much as you were born with arms and toes and fingernails.

And the journey to find it, why, that’s one of the greatest journeys there is.

Truly dedicated writers don’t just explore topics and ideas and audiences, looking for the right match. They explore voices too, saying things this way and that until they find the voice that bubbles up right from their soul.

You can find that voice. It’s inside you.

You just need the courage to express it.

Drill Sergeant: “GUMP! What’s your sole purpose in this army?”
Gump: “To do whatever you tell me, Drill Sergeant?”
Drill Sergeant: “Goddammit Gump, you’re a goddamn genius. That’s the most outstanding answer I’ve ever heard. You must have a goddamn IQ of 160! You’re goddamn gifted, Private Gump!”

The best way to find that courage?

Get a mentor.

Too many writers struggle in solitude, fumbling to learn how to write all on their own. It’s a horrible mistake, not only because our craft is devilishly complicated, but because the anxiety of not knowing whether you’re good enough can rip you apart inside.

A mentor can tell you. A mentor can teach you. A mentor can make you a great writer decades sooner than you could have become one on your own.

So, where do you find one?

Well, you don’t. Mentors aren’t found. They’re bought.

In the olden days, parents would pay master craftsman to take their child in as an apprentice. Thousands of years later, it’s still largely the same. The only difference is you pay the master, in most cases, not your parents.

So, find yourself a good writing teacher and pay them to teach you. If you’re serious about writing, it’s the best investment you could possibly make.

(PS: You can find one of my mentorship programs here.)

 Forrest: “Now Bubba told me everything he knew about shrimping, but you know what I found out? Shrimping is tough.”

The harsh truth, though?

Yes, a mentor is a must, but there are also certain ephemeral lessons you can learn only by your lonesome. And it’s tough. Just as tough as shrimping, I would guess.

For example, deciding what to write. A mentor can teach you how to organize sentences, express your ideas, and even deal with your inhibitions, but tell you what to say? Sorry. Nobody can decide that but you.

The bad news is the decision of what to say is maybe even more important than knowing how to say it.

In my years as a teacher, I’ve taught more than 1,000 bushytailed bloggers how to write, and I like to think I’ve made all of them better, but there’s a certain percentage of them that just can’t help writing about the dumbest things. Oh, they write it well, but it’s a topic no one cares about, so it does nobody any good.

On the flip side, there are also bloggers who write about topics the world is so desperate to learn more about they can’t help become popular. When they sign up for one of my courses, I just take away the rough edges. Nothing more, really.

Which camp do you fall into?

Well, I don’t know, but I believe it’s a choice. And it’s one only you can make.

Lt. Dan: “They gave you the congressional Medal of Honor.”
Forrest: “Yes, sir. They surely did.”
Lt. Dan: “They gave you, an imbecile, a moron who goes on television and makes a fool out of himself in front of the whole damn country, the congressional Medal of Honor.”
Forrest: “Yes, sir.”
Lt. Dan: “Well, that… that’s just perfect!”

The good news?

Not all your decisions have to be right. In fact, you might as well prepare yourself – a fair percentage of what you write will be shockingly stupid, and when you publish it, you’ll look like a fool in front of everyone.

But therein lies a precious secret:

The difference between a great writer and a merely good one is being willing to look like a fool. You have to be fearless, writing not with a squeak, but with a roar.

That’s what readers remember. That’s what readers reward.

Forrest: “Sorry I had a fight in the middle of your Black Panther party.”

How, exactly, do you write with a roar?

Well, you can start by standing up to the bad guys. Not just obvious ones like serial killers and rapists and drug dealers, but every day baddies like mean-spirited critics, moneygrubbing gurus, and brainless bloggers.

Don’t do it in anger. Don’t call anyone names. Don’t be self-righteous.

In fact, be the opposite. Be humble, maybe even a little apologetic for having to cause a commotion, but also unquestionably firm in your convictions and unwilling to back down.

A lot of times, you’ll be all alone. You might even be surrounded by a whole industry of people who vehemently disagree with you.

But you’ll also get emails from people who are grateful for someone saying something. Seeing your courage, a few other brave souls might even speak up and publicly agree with you.

Your job is to be that spark, to be the lone voice of dissent willing to take a stand. A small but very loyal group of people will love you for it.

Lt. Dan: “Come on! You call this a storm? Blow, you son of a bitch, blow! It’s time for a showdown! You and me! I’m right here! Come and get me! Ha ha! Ha ha! You’ll never sink… this… boat! Ha ha ha ha!”

And most of all?

Never, ever give up.

Yes, you can make adjustments. Yes, you can change directions. Yes, you can even start over, if you have to.

But don’t quit. Not ever.

Not when you’re struggling to pay the bills. Not when your family thinks you’re crazy. Not when everyone ignores your work. Not when publishers reject you. Not when you feel like God is urging you to do something else.

It will be tempting, believe me. I thought about quitting lots of times. At the end of the day though, here’s the simple truth:

If you’re a writer, you write. Every day. For life.

That’s how you get good. That’s how you get respect. That’s how you build an audience.

And Forrest Gump?

If you remember, Jenny told him to run. You know, “Run, Forrest, run!”

Well, I’m changing that up a bit. For us, the motto is “Write, writer, write!”

Do that, and everything else will take care of itself. Just you watch and see.

About the Author: Jon Morrow has asked repeatedly to be called “His Royal Awesomeness,” but no one listens to him. So, he settles for CEO of Boost Blog Traffic, LLC. Poor man. ;-)


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Miuccia Prada Won’t Bow to Armani’s Pro-Milan Pressure

Italian designers showing their collections in cities other than Milan have recently felt the heat of the country's Chamber of Fashion members (and their very own designer brethren) breathing down their backs. The Chamber is currently in the midst of revamping Milan Fashion Week and Giorgio Armani also shared his thoughts on the issue, arguing the most effective way to put all wandering eyes back on Milan would be for all leading Italian houses to return and only show their collections in their homeland. But according to British Vogue, Miuccia Prada won't be heeding those words. While Prada shows in Milan, Miu Miu has been showing in Paris since 2006, and because of timing, won't change anytime soon. The designer explained, "It's the way we work, it's impossible. Nobody does it." Prada Group's CEO Patrizio Bertelli elaborated, "Miuccia is in the studio day in and day out and into the night. She creates the shows and follows every aspect, it is materially impossible to create two shows a couple of days apart ... If there were another show a week later —  she'd go there!" Barcelona, perhaps?


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58 Tips for Transforming Your Blog and Dazzling Your Readers

Posted by Marya Jan in Beginners, Motivation | 98 comments

Jan 29, 13 58 Tips for Transforming Your Blog and Dazzling Your Readers

Let’s face it…

We’ve all been deceived.

Once upon a time, we looked at blogging and thought, “Oh, I can do that. Writing a few posts a week? Piece of cake.” From the outside, it looks so simple, so easy, so fun, and so we rushed off to start a blog of our own.

But then we get a rude awakening:

This stuff is complicated. Blogging isn’t so much about writing blog posts as juggling dozens of little odds and ends, all of them important, all of them demanding your attention, and all of them requiring you to learn something.

And it’s easy to drop the ball, so to speak, or even all of them. Not because you want to neglect anything, but because it’s too much to keep track of.

What you really need is a checklist of sorts – an itemized breakdown of everything you need to do to transform your blog and dazzle your readers. That way, you can stop trying to handle everything all at once and just go through it one step at a time.

So, that’s what I created for you. Here are 58 things you need to do, along with some links to help you learn how to do them well.

Enjoy. :-)

1. Move to self-hosted WordPress, if you haven’t already. Yes, you can build a popular blog on WordPress.com or Blogger.com, but there are lots of reasons to move your blog to your own host, including having more control and looking more professional. (Note from Jon: for newbie bloggers, I recommend Hostgator (aff). If your blog is already gaining some traction, Synthesis is a good premium option.)

2. Are you in the right niche? If you make it too narrow you’ll struggle to build a large audience. Make it too wide, and you’ll find it really hard to stand out.

3. Rework your tagline. Your tagline needs to tell your readers who the blog is for, what it offers them and what makes it special (think unique selling proposition – USP). Clear is always better than clever.

4. Set up Akismet. It’s a plug-in that helps you eliminate comment spam. Most hosts include it by default, but you still need to set it up and get it going.

5. Schedule regular backups. You never know when your blog might get hacked, and the best defense is scheduling regular backups using a plug-in like BackWPup.

6. Create an ideal reader profile. If you know who your target audience is and write every post with them in mind, your results will improve significantly!

7. Develop a basic Editorial Calendar. Jot down the type of posts (list, interview, reader question, personal, epic, etc.) and fill in post ideas. This is fairly simple to do, and it keeps your content regular and flowing.

8. Showcase a clutter-free design. Nothing sends your readers running faster than being greeted by a cluttered, tacky or spammy feel. Make a great first impression by with a stunning, clean and professional design and improve your website trust factor instantaneously.

9. Link to the archives. We would all like to believe our readers browse through the archives of our blog, but the reality is, they don’t. You need to remind them. In every new post, try to link to at least three or four old posts, sending your readers back in time to read your best work.

10. Display a list of your most popular posts. Showcase your best work and impress the heck out of first time visitors.

11. Position your opt-in form in a prominent position. People often hide their subscription form and then complain that nobody subscribes. Make it very easy for people to find your sign-up form. Top right on your sidebar or just above your main navigation bar are two good places.

12. Create a contact page. As soon as you start getting traffic, some of your readers will want to get in touch with you, so create a contact page and use a plug-in like Contact Form 7 to make getting in touch with you easy.

13. Show your social media profiles. Encourage visitors to connect with you on social media. This builds trust and deepens the connection.

14. Perfect your About Me page. This is the most frequently visited page of your blog after your home page. It also has the longest shelf life. It’s worth really looking at how others have done it, and then to make yours as professional and well thought out as possible. You certainly don’t want people bouncing off this page. They need to subscribe to updates then and there.

15. Have clear guidelines for guest posting. If you want to attract quality posts from other bloggers, have a section with detailed advice on the requirements and the process.

16. Add a sign up form after every post. Remind your readers that they should sign up to get your latest updates and special offers. People are distracted. They have tons on their minds. If you don’t remind them to sign up and make it very simple, they won’t do so.

17. Display social share buttons. Again… If you don’t make it simple for people to recommend or share your work, chances are absolutely zero that they’ll do so. Make it really easy for them to participate.

18. Focus on and master one social platform. Instead of trying to be everywhere, attempt to do one well. Excellent results on one social network trumps mediocre results on five.

19. Schedule promotions for your own posts. Sign up for a free Hootsuite account and pre-schedule Tweets or Facebook updates.

20. Maintain an idea file. Always be on the lookout for new ideas for getting inspired to write. And have someplace where you can easily record them to refer back to later.  Use Evernote as an online catch-all for writing ideas.

21. Maintain a decent posting frequency. Posting every day is a silly strategy and you need to follow the 80-20 rule. Spend 20% of your time creating content and 80% promoting it.

22. Conduct surveys. At one point or the other, you’ll be struck by writer’s block. Ask your audience what they want to read about. They might surprise you.

23. Learn from the best. I don’t care what anyone says, content is still king. Make sure your content doesn’t suck. Otherwise, your subscriber count might be stuck on single digits — indefinitely.

24. Hone in your headline writing skills. You need to make your audience curious, and you always need to spell out the benefit of them reading the post. Make prospective readers and subscribers think: I have to read that, right now!

25. Start every post with an irresistible introduction. Draw your reader down into the rest of the post. Get them from one sentence to the next, working their way through your post. If people aren’t even reading, none of the other good benefits will come.

26. Make your writing screen-friendly. Take a step back and see how your writing looks — visually. Pretty it up by adding sub-headings, bulleted points, numbered lists, images and lots of white space. Make it easy on the eyes.

27. Incorporate effective communication principles in your writing. Clarity, conciseness, and connection: they make the world go round.

28. Show off your personality. Develop your personal writing voice. Dare to be a little different. Don’t try and sound like everyone else. This will help you seem less boring.

29. Tell stories. Captivate your audience instantly.

30. Add a call to action to every post. What do you want your reader to do? Give it a powerful ending. If you inspire people to act, they will see results and love you for encouraging them.

31. Create link bait. Give people reasons to link to you… Epic posts. Huge list posts. Interviews. Reviews of other (popular!) bloggers’ work and products. One successful link bait post can bring you traffic and subscribers for years.

32. SEO friendly content. Write for humans first, and they’ll make sure that your content ranks well for search engines. Win win.

33. Engage with your community. Aim to increase the number of comments on your posts every time you write one.

34. Have fun with content syndication. Submit your content to various content syndication sites like Alltop. These sites can be good sources of targeted and engaged readers.

35. Be consistent in your guest posting strategy. You don’t have a strategy, you say? How on earth do you plan to grow your list? If you can’t get people to come over to you, it only makes sense to go where they are. Devise a strategy.

36. Follow blogs in your niche. Your blog is not an island. You can’t do it alone. You have to find your tribe and become a part of it. Find your people or remain invisible.

37. Comment on other bloggers’ posts. Be strategic about it. Be smart. Know what you want to gain from your efforts. If you said traffic only, you’re in the doghouse. Quality connections are just as important.

38. Reach out to A-list bloggers via email. Keep it short and tell them why you appreciate their work. Ask how you can help them (not the other way around).

39. Follow them on social media. No brainer.

40. Link to them. Duh!

41. Interview them. Ask them to answer a few questions on a topic they’re passionate about. When they’re committed advocates for some cause, it’s hard for them to say no.

42. Ask for a guest post. Only after you’ve developed a meaningful connection with them and know their blog and audience intimately, pitch them a great idea. But be sure to do your homework first.

43. Ask them to share a post published on your own blog. Only after your guest post has done really well, or you have guest posted multiple times. Only when your post is your best work, and will really resonate with their audience. There aren’t any exceptions.

44. Build your email list. First, attract the right kind of traffic to your blog. Then impress them with your savvy, knowledgeability and generosity, and guess what? They’ll subscribe.

45. Offer a subscribe incentive. Give new subscribers free access to an ebook or report they can’t refuse. Make it super useful. Make it a killer. Give them something they’ll want to read (not something you think they should read).

46. Do consultations. The best way to find out what your readers want to buy is to get on the telephone and do some good old-fashioned consulting. Listen to their problems, and then try out different solutions. Soon, you’ll find a common problem and a solution that seems to work for everybody. That’s when you know you have promising product idea.

47. Create a hire me page. You’re running a business, so start acting like you are. Add a hire me page for all to see. Don’t be shy about this. Use your blog to build your business.

48. Get and display testimonials. Back up what you offer by positive feedback from past and present customers.

49. Be careful with advertising. Only display ads on your blog if the income is too good to refuse. If you do, keep the ads relevant to your audience.

50. Consider affiliate marketing. When you’ve reached the point where you actually have a substantial list, it might make sense to recommend quality products that will solve some of your audience’s problems.

51. Venture into creating your own products and running continuity programs. Multiple income streams… The name of the game.

52. Find mentors. Even the self-appointed ones who have no clue that they’ve taken this role work fine.

53. Invest in your online business education. Coaching, classes, courses, training, events, ebooks — whatever works for you. Keep doing it.

54. Shift strategies — evolve. It’s OK to change things as you grow. Your blog isn’t static. It’s constantly evolving, just like you are.

55. Be persistent — and consistent. You don’t have a choice.

56. Celebrate your wins. A few Facebook likes. A couple of retweets. A comment here and there. A guest post invitation by a popular blogger. 70 email subscribers in a day. Orders pouring in. Being completely booked out… You get the drift. Celebrate your positive moments to keep yourself motivated.

57. Thank your advocates and fans. You’re here today because of them. Don’t forget that.

58. Have fun! Be unforgettable.

And that’s a wrap!

I know, it’s a long, long list, but there’s also a bit of a silver lining at the end of the rainbow here. The good news?

Yes, blogging is a lot of work. Yes, it’s complicated. Yes, it’s overwhelming.

But it gets easier.

As you check off the items above, you’ll slowly have less and less to do. One by one, you’ll be snatching balls out of the air and putting them down forever.

Sure, there are a few types of tasks like creating great content and forming strong connections that you’ll always be doing, but you can check off at least half of the items on this list once and for all, never having to worry about them again. Or at least, not for a while.

And the best part?

You now have links to all the resources you need to help you do it. So, get to work, start checking those babies off, and make 2013 the year when you become a blogging superstar!

About the author: Marya Jan is a blogging coach for solopreneurs, small business owners and bloggers looking to grow their business. Find more of her stuff at Writing Happiness. Don’t forget to grab her free ebook “9 New Rules of Blogging – How to Grow Your Business with Little Traffic, No Connections & Limited Hours.”


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Scientists find that graphene can be used to build lasers

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Scientists find that graphene can be used to build lasers

You already know that graphene can be used to make transistors, solar cells and even Sennheiser-quality cans. But if you think that's about as cool as the carbon material can get, listen to this: It can also be used to make ultrashort-pulse lasers. According to scientists from a smattering of institutions, the atomic-scale chickenwire material has the ability to absorb light effectively -- much like a sponge -- over a broad range of wavelengths. It can then release the light it absorbs in quick bursts that last a few femtoseconds each (with one femtosecond lasting one millionth of one billionth of a second), which is what ultrashort-pulse lasers do. With graphene as a component instead of traditional materials, scientists could develop a laser as small as a pencil that's immune to thermal damage typically caused by intense beams. The finished product, if ever someone actually concocts one, could be applied across a variety of fields -- everything from pollution monitoring to medicine. For those unafraid of technobabble, there's plenty more in the source link.

[Image credit: Michaelpkk, Wikimedia]

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5 Lessons Cats Teach Us about Creating Blissfully Mindless Content

Posted by Marie Rotter in Engagement, Viral Marketing | 70 comments

Mar 06, 13 5 Lessons Cats Teach Us about Creating Blissfully Mindless Content

Wouldn’t it be great if all you had to do to get people to pay attention to your blog was to climb into a cardboard box and play with some string?

It works for cats. Collectively, the cat videos on YouTube are more popular than… well… everything.

And it’s totally not fair, right?

Nothing is more frustrating than spending hours writing a thoughtful post, only to get ignored because everyone is too busy watching a cat play the keyboard. And yet, it happens all the time.

Is it wrong to want to actually teach people something? Is all that hard work creating educational content just a waste of time?

Well, I don’t think so. If I did, I wouldn’t be writing this post.

At the same time though, I believe all the cat videos are trying to teach us a very important lesson:

Think about it.

After a long day at work, solving problems and stomping out fires and juggling hundreds of different tasks, do you really want to come home and watch a documentary?

Of course not. Your brain is fried.

Well, many of your readers feel the same way. For them, the Internet isn’t a fount of knowledge; it’s something they tinker with before they go to bed. A cat video makes them laugh for a few minutes, and then they go to sleep.

Does that mean educational content is worthless?

No. It just means you have to consider people’s mental state.

Sometimes we want long posts that give us dozens of ideas and really make us think. Other times, we just want to watch stupid cat videos.

The best blogs do both. If you look at the blogs that really get a lot of traffic, some of the posts are fun, and some are there to make people think.

The problem?

You can find lots of smart advice on how to create great educational content, but that’s only half the equation. If you want to build a popular blog, you need to learn how to be mindless too.

And who better to teach us than cats themselves?

Here are their five most powerful lessons for creating blissfully mindless content:

Even if you’re not a cat person, you can’t deny the appeal of big dew drop eyes and fluffy tails. (If you can, you’re obviously a cyborg.)

Cats have universal appeal that transcend cultural barriers, even language. That’s what makes them so popular.

How does that apply to you?

The truth is, blogging is the world’s biggest and most competitive popularity contest. People don’t read your blog just because you publish useful content. They read because they like you.

So, insert little tidbits about yourself into your posts. When your readers can relate to you, they’re more likely to comment and share your posts with others.

Of course, you can also overdo it.

It’s OK to talk about yourself once in a while, but you need to keep your blog focused on the ones that matter most — your readers. Whenever you tell a story about yourself, wrap it inside a larger lesson that benefits the reader.

Here’s why: your readers are like cats.

They care about you, yes, but only as it relates to themselves. You’re there to serve the cat (or the reader), not the other way around.

And that’s a good thing. I think most of us become bloggers because deep down, we want to help people. There’s a need within us to offer something greater for the world.

We believe that our ideas have value and by offering up this value, we can help someone. They will read our blog and say, “Wow, I never thought of it that way.”

The secret to getting that kind of response?

Care about what your audience wants more than you care about what you want to say.

If you watch a cat video, you know you’re going to get one of three things:

Cuteness overload, a cat being confused, or a cat completely freaking out. Regardless of exactly what they’re doing, it’s fun to watch, and you know exactly the experience you’re going to have.

Can readers say the same thing about your posts? Or are the benefits somewhat… murky?

Ideally, you want every post to offer an immediate and obvious reason to keep reading. It also needs to be a reason that’s relevant to your audience.

For example, Jon Morrow likes to read. A lot. He doesn’t write book reviews on here because he knows when you do come here, it’s not to learn about books.

If he does mention a book, it’s all in context. He’ll talk to you about writing lessons he’s learned from Stephen King.

The secret?

He knows what his readers want to achieve (i.e., becoming a better writer). He also makes sure you know exactly what the post is going to help you do when you read it.

Sounds like a simple thing, I know, but a lack of clarity is one of the major reasons why most bloggers don’t get more traffic. People come to their site, look around for a few seconds, and can’t figure out exactly how the site benefits them. So they leave, and they never come back.

Don’t let that happen to you.

When you watch to cat video, you feel something. Always.

Maybe you laugh. Maybe you get the warm and fuzzies. Maybe somebody does something to the cat that makes you angry.

The stronger the emotion, the more popular the video is too. That’s because people come back to it again and again to get their “feeling fix,” and they also share it with their friends.

You need to do the same thing with your blog posts.

When you sit down to write, don’t just choose a topic. Choose an emotion. Decide in advance how you want readers to feel when they finish the post.

Do that, and people will be a lot more likely to come back to your blog. Not only because of what you teach them, but also because of how you make them feel.

Cats are really silly, but in an evil genius sort of way. It’s this complexity that makes people either love or hate them, but none of us can turn away when they’re chasing a laser pointer into a wall.

That’s why it’s important to be silly once in a while. People get tired of being lectured by know-it-alls. Sometimes, they just want someone they can laugh and hang out with.

So, be that person. Tell a joke, post a funny picture, or make a video of yourself doing something crazy.

You might worry that it’ll diminish your authority, but it won’t. People like to see their leaders having fun. Just look at all the politicians who go on comedy shows.

The bottom line?

Somewhere along the way, bloggers got the idea that our job is to educate the world. Day in and day out, we have to publish content that teaches people things and makes them think.

But it’s not true.

Our real job is making people happy.

It doesn’t matter how. Give them a useful tip, make them laugh, tell them an inspiring story, whatever. Just make sure they leave your blog happier than they came.

Educational content is one way to do that, sure, but it’s just one tool in an entire toolbox of techniques available to you. Why not use them all?

Cats do. Maybe they’re smarter than us after all. :-)

About the Author: Marie Rotter helps businesses discover marketing strategies that attract customers without losing their minds. You can find her steps to better marketing at http://zenofentrepreneurship.com.


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