One conference that I wish I had attended was Blogher10 in New York. A collection of 2,400 amazingly passionate, talented and fearless women from countries like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and all around the world share their insights on what, amongst other things, makes a successful blog. For some of these women, sharing an image online is a matter of life or death, for others their points of view generates an impressive and robust income. Key takeouts (from various women who attended the event and whose blogs I have read) follow…
What is your goal?
Like anything else in life, blogging requires a goal. If you are going to do it, make sure you understand why you like it and what you are trying to accomplish. Are you blogging for personal or professional reasons? If it’s personal, then stop stressing over it and have fun, no matter what your statistics look like. If it’s professional, then focus on defining your niche, establishing your audience, refining your message, and calling your readers to action. It seems like the days of popularity for online mummy diaries has passed. Rather, blogs with niches, impactful messages, communities and resources are achieving action and acclaim.
Focus your message.
In the same room with 2,400 bloggers are Fortune 500 companies trying to get their attention. That in itself is a statement; that marketers believe bloggers are influencers with purchasing power. So if you are a blogger, what productive thing can YOU do to harness this implied position of influence? If you have a message (whether it’s politics, the environment, parenting, etc.), now is the time to dive in and “find your voice”.
Get to know more geeky tools and techniques.
Your blog statistics should include measurements by unique visitors (real humans), as opposed to ‘hits’ or ‘pageviews’. To understand your statistics and analytics, tools like Get Clicky, Facebook Insights, Google Goals and Funnels, Hootsuite, Google Webmaster tools, and Alexa should be on your radar. For ecommerce, OpenSky seems to be the current hot topic. Also, become more familiar with Google Page Rank and how it can help measure the impact of particular websites
It’s not about saving the world, it’s about Micro-Activism.
Gina McCauley used this term to describe what she does. Focus on small things that have big value. Ask your readers and network to do something specific – sign a petition, call a switchboard, recycle a water filter. People take action when a goal is achievable.
Develop thick skin.
If you’re going to share your truth, you must have courage. People will come after you, whether it’s with a nasty comment, a personal smear campaign, or a death threat. It doesn’t matter if you’re blogging about women’s rights or raising your teenager. Remember, if you start a blog about kittens someone will say that they hate kittens. Hang on to your passion and stay focused on the positive effect of sharing your truth. There’s nothing more powerful than a reader saying, “Wow, you too? I thought I was the only one.”
Advertisers and brands need bloggers more than bloggers need them.
Relationships between bloggers and advertisers are improving. What’s changing is, women bloggers have a better understanding of their value/worth. Established bloggers are turning away from ”journalistic opportunities” to create free content for others. If they’re doing all the work, they want to be compensated. Respect needs to come from both sides.
Transparency rules.
Bloggers AND their readers value disclosure. If you’re being compensated, let your readers know.
You can edit audio files with audacity.
makes me want to drink alchoholic beverages
Thanks a lot for writing this, it was unbelieveably informative and told me a ton
i like it
cool
I just wanted to make a quick comment to say I’m glad I found your blog. Thanks.