Five Things I Learned at BlogWorld, Part I
Blogging Comes of Age
There were five basic lessons I learned at the Blogword 2007 conference in Las Vegas last week, the fabulous and seminal Las Vegas trade show hosted by the redoubtable Dave Taylor. Here are lessons one through three:
1. Blogging has gone beyond pastime and into prime time.
How else to explain the hundreds of participants, speakers and exhibitors willing to pay top dollar to hob-nob with their fellow bloggerati? How else to explain the star-studded line-up? A few years ago, who would have thought that A-listers like radio talk show hosts Hugh Hewitt and Michael Medved, or Dallas Mavericks owner and dot-com billionaire Mark Cuban, would have lined up to schmooze with a bunch of “little bloggers” like us? Well, it appears that the long tail is finally beginning to wag the dog.
2. The first rule of blogging is to develop your audience.
If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a noise? Who cares? No one heard it, so it doesn’t matter. Sure, you may want to keep an online diary just for friends and family. It saves on stamps. But chances are you’re blogging for dollars, which is why you’re reading this. A small audience means little opportunity for revenue. Begin developing your audience by finding your niche, and make sure that that niche is monetizable (i.e., that there’s gear or other goods or services involved that advertisers and merchants can offer through your blog).
3. The other first rule of blogging is to concentrate on your content.
This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many bloggers think they can throw just anything up, slap a few contextual ads on it, and the money will come pouring in. You can’t hope to build an audience if you don’t offer compelling, targeted content that offers information or entertainment that users are unlikely to find elsewhere. This applies to your headlines, as well. Write snappy headlines that explain what an article is about. Most of your new users will come to you via some kind of search or other. By offering concise headlines, you increase the chance of a searcher clicking on you in search results. And remember, people like lists, like “Five Things I Learned at BlogWorld.” Lastly, when writing headers, people tend to search for problems (i.e., “leaky faucet”) not solutions (”fix my faucet”).
Stay tuned for lessons four and five—the 7 1/2 ways to monetize and why it’s wise to analyze.
—Michael Mattis, Blogster-in-Chief
Read Comments (7) | Post Comment | categories:: Events
November 14th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
[...] Read the rest of this great post here [...]
November 14th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Michael I agree with your points about developing your audience and concentrating on your content. The trick is finding your rhythm. It takes time don’t you think? I also reckon there are very few people out there who get it right from the start. Maybe guys like Avinash Kaushik (who blogs about nothing but web analytics, because thats his expertise and passion).
I dont and wont advertise on our site. Adsense is simply distracting and given many small bloggers have traffic that is within the hundreds of hits a day, then simply not worth it. I know there are other options, but I’d rather as you say, develop the relationship with the audience.
Blogging keeps me focussed on the industry, on the part of the web that interests me and that is principally why I do it.
Good post by the way.
November 14th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
[...] Allie had some great ideas on this topic.You can read a snippet of the post here.There were five basic lessons I learned at the Blogword 2007 conference in Las Vegas last week, the fabulous and seminal Las Vegas trade show hosted by the redoubtable Dave Taylor. Here are lessons one through three: … [...]
November 14th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
eightblack — Thanks for reading and for your thoughts. Stay tuned for more from BlogWorld in the coming days.
Stay Engaged,
-M2
November 14th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
[...] Five Things I Learned at BlogWorld, Part I, Yahoo Publisher Network Blog [...]
November 14th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
[...] Five Things I Learned at BlogWorld, Part I, Yahoo Publisher Network Blog [...]
August 22nd, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Why UGG Boot is So Popular?
Ugg boots, also spelled ugh boots and ug boots, are a style of sheepskin boot, with wool as the inner lining and a tanned outer surface worn by both men and women. Ugg boots often have a synthetic sole, although this is not universal. Uggs are popular with the teenage set, worn by girls with mini skirts, leggings, and with jeans tucked into the boots. UGGS Boots are also popular with boys, wearing jeans or tracksuit bottoms inside them most commonly.
UGG UK Sale, In Australia and New Zealand, sheepskin boots have long been popular with people in rural occupations, such as sheep shearers, who have ready access to the raw materials,. Their popularity increased as a result of World War I and World War II, when they were popular with aviators, because of their need to keep warm in non-pressurized planes at high altitudes. An exhibit of a WWI aviator’s outfit in the Canadian War Museum cites the term "fug" boots. UGG Cardy, Ugg Boots have also been popular with surfers and competitive swimmers since at least the 1960s, for keeping warm while out of the water. The terms ugg boots, ugh boots and ug boots have been used as generic terms for sheepskin boots in Australia since 1950s and 1960s, when they first appeared in advertising and other publications.
The natural properties of sheepskin results in thermostatic benefits. Thick fleecy fibres on the inner part of the boots allows air to circulate and keep the feet at body temperature. Synthetic and faux fur boots do not have these properties and sheepskin boots are highly prized for their effectiveness. Ugg boots are designed to be worn without socks in order to maximize the benefits of sheepskin.
What’s more, This Year’s Hottest UGG Boots Style–UGG Bailey Button Boots, is already starting to sell well. UGG UK Sale, it is not a matter of if this style sells out, but how quickly. Every year people procrastinate and then they can’t find the Ugg Boots they want. So, Shop early for the best selection.