I’ve been breaking writing rules my entire freelance career. Sadly, I don’t always break rules on purpose – often I just make mistakes. Luckily, for me, the rules I’ve broken haven’t hurt me much. When I stared out freelancing FT I broke way too many rules… I never pitched to small local magazines in an effort to work my way up. I sent queries to all the big name magazines I liked. I’d send the same query to multiple magazines too, thinking, most will reject me anyhow. I didn’t have any magazine clips for my queries so I’d send business [Read more…]
How to Write Blog Posts That Say Something
May 6, 2010. 11 Comments
Did you ever come across a blog post with a catchy headline but the actual content says nothing? Sure, there are a bunch of words there, but they never seem to back up the title. It’s kind of a pet peeve of mine. I’m a sucker for a good headline, so you can imagine my disappointment when I’m sucked in via blog’s title and end up receiving little or no return on my investment of time. It’s easy to ramble on when blogging. However, if you’re going to write a title that promises something, you need to be sure you’re [Read more…]
Will Casual Blogging Conversation Be the Death of Formal Article Writing?
May 6, 2010. 7 Comments
A couple of days ago I wondered if it’s OK for freelance writing bloggers to talk like they speak. After all, blogging is a much more casual form of writing than what most of us are used to. While some purists don’t always appreciate a conversational tone when reading the news or learning about vitamin supplements, the truth is, that’s where we’re headed. The Internet has turned writers into bloggers and everything is all so ultra-cas now. Writing for Short Attention Spans Look around at your favorite news, medical and even government sites and what do you see? News sites [Read more…]
Does Guest Blogging Work? Part 1: Traffic
May 3, 2010. 8 Comments
I have a love hate relationship with guest blogging. On one hand, I enjoy sharing with other bloggers’ communities. The flip side is that as a freelance writing blogger I’m supposed to discourage writing for free. It’s kind of a sticky situation because we complain that too many people are advertising on Craigslist for free labor but then we turn around and offer our expertise to other blogs because they’re supposed to be good marketing. So as you can see, we’re a little contradictory. What I’d like to explore in this series is whether or not guest blogging works. Over [Read more…]
Do you post breaking news at your blog?
May 3, 2010. 7 Comments
First off if you missed it be sure to check out Deb’s post on luck vs. work – it’s excellent and one of the better posts I’ve read in a while. Now, on the topic of breaking news at a blog… I’m bringing it up because recently one of my clients has been asking all the writers on staff to break more news. This isn’t a new deal; many clients want what they call, “breaking news” posted at their blog because they think it will be a good traffic draw which is true in some cases but not all (more [Read more…]
Feed Your Blogging Addiction with Highly Addictive Links
April 23, 2010. 11 Comments
Bloggers get addicted to all sorts of crazy (and not so crazy) things – coffee, surfing, Twitter and more. With this in mind, here are some super addictive blogging issues to ponder this week. Feast or Famine – how many times do you use this phrase as a writer. At least once a week? Twice a week? More? It’s true this phrase is highly addictive to writers, mainly because it’s true. However, our own Lorna Doone Brewer thinks it’s time we gave this addiction a great big shove off. Su.pr – Oh my gosh I am so utterly addicted to [Read more…]
Should Your Regular Blog Readers View Your Adsense Ads?
April 22, 2010. 10 Comments
I’m often asked why my regular blog readers view the Adsense ads here at Freelance Writing Jobs. Many bloggers feel that it’s somehow offensive or tacky to show regular readers these type of ads. Instead, Adsense should be invisible to all except those who land here via the search engines. I can appreciate that there are plenty of bloggers who don’t want to subject their regulars to their entire arsenal of ads. However, that’s not how I roll. I have no problem at all with everyone who visits knowing this is a heavily monetized blog, I think it’s good to [Read more…]
Increase blog traffic with email strategies
April 19, 2010. 11 Comments
There are all sorts of little ways that email can increase blog traffic for you or for a client you blog for. Following are five good ideas. Email a new reader; or two or three or twenty! Darren notes that emailing new readers was one of the main strategies he used to build up ProBlogger traffic back in the day, and if it’s good enough for that well… why not give it a shot. Note – some emails to new readers can be annoying. Try to keep track of who you send emails to so that you don’t send off [Read more…]
How to be a professional blogger
April 14, 2010. 8 Comments
The other day I posted about Google CEO Eric Schmidt not seeming to be all that on board with bloggers. Some agreed, some thought he needed to read some WordPress blogs (not just Blogger), some felt he was just being pro editor and not dissing bloggers in general. That’s all good but if you are a blogger you should be aware that you can expand your professional appearance as a blogger without having to resort to saying stuff like, “I’m really a writer; not a blogger.” Bloggers, in my opinion, can be completely professional. There’s a ton of stuff you [Read more…]
Google CEO Eric Schmidt not on board with bloggers
April 12, 2010. 13 Comments
So, last night Google CEO Eric Schmidt gave a nice little speech at the American Society of News Editors conference in DC, and apparently doesn’t find bloggers to be all that trustworthy. Maybe he was just trying to fit in with the print heavy crowd, maybe he only reads poorly written blogs or maybe he just really doesn’t like bloggers – who knows. However he did note… “We’re not in the news business, and I’m not here to tell you how to run a newspaper. We are computer scientists. And trust me, if we were in charge of the news, [Read more…]
Top Time Wasting Activities for Bloggers & How To Stop
April 9, 2010. 10 Comments
Below are some of the biggest time wasting activities for me and some other bloggers I know. Surfing: Nothing is more fun than surfing for new post ideas and it’s easy to go overboard. When it comes to surfing or researching blog topics set strict limits in order to stay on task and on time. Skype: I LOVE Skype. I love that I can use it to chat with friends and co-workers. I love the break it provides. I love that I can hop on at anytime and find someone to hear me out when I have good news or [Read more…]
Helpful Reminder – Using Blog Images for Increased Traffic
April 5, 2010. 1 Comment
On Sundays I tend to go over stats for all my blogs – both my own and my client’s blogs too to see how traffic is looking. I’m currently writing for around 9 or so blogs and while they’re all about different topics (or have different slants) all but two of these blogs have one traffic perk in common – images – meaning, an insane bulk of page views at the places I write comes directly from image searches. With this in mind I thought it would be a good time to remind you to use images wisely. It’s not [Read more…]
Not getting enough traffic? Key questions that can help
April 2, 2010. 1 Comment
If you’re writing a blog for a client (or writing for a blog you own) you’ll be more likely to get return traffic if you focus on writing posts that get across what the specific blog is trying to sell. By sell, I don’t mean products, although that may be one goal. Before you start typing away consider the following… What information, products or services does your blog offer? Is there any sort of benefit for readers who might come across your information, product or services and can they expect that benefit each time they visit? What’s the unique slant [Read more…]
How Do You Support Your Favorite Bloggers?
March 25, 2010. 6 Comments
During our last night at SXSW, my good friends Andy Hayes, Chris Garrett and I enjoyed some dinner and conversation. Our topic revolved around blog community and whether or not our communities owe us anything for all the information we share. We all agreed that our communities support us in many ways including visiting our blogs every time we post. Without this type of support, there would be no reason to blog at all. I always said that without my community I’m nothing and both Chris and Andy agreed. We appreciate the loyalty of our individual communities and we find [Read more…]
Try not to suck as much as Chris Garrett
March 18, 2010. 1 Comment
Actually I don’t think Chris Garrett sucks. In fact, I was just telling Deb today that while I browse other blogs about blogging daily, his is the one I usually stop at and read. That said, Chris has an excellent post up – Why I Sucked at SXSW So You Don’t Have to (ha). Now, maybe he did suck there, or maybe not (I’m guessing not) but this is an excellent post to read if you ever attend writing events or conferences; plus you can see a cute picture of Deb in said post Also I was struck by how [Read more…]
Postcards from SXSW
March 15, 2010. 6 Comments
I’ve been trying to write a SXSW post for several days now. This has honestly been the first chance I’ve had to sit down at my laptop and write, read emails, post a few leads and handle other obligations. It’s been a busy, but extremely rewarding weekend. Warning: Long Post Ahead In the early 90′s I worked for a music and tattoo publication that sent photographers and journalists to the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas each year. It looked like a fun time and I was rather envious. The conference has grown to include film and interactive [Read more…]
10 Turnoffs Keeping Readers from My Blog
March 7, 2010. 27 Comments
Reader feedback is a blogger’s most important tool. By reading comments, emails and survey results pertaining to our blog, we’re receiving valuable information. Stats also provide a gold mine of information. For the most part, the feedback received regarding the Freelance Writing Jobs blog network is extremely positive. However, that doesn’t mean the negative feedback we receive isn’t treated with the same respect. Every comment, every criticism and every stat is given the same consideration. It’s from our regular survey and from reading feedback regarding this and other blogs that inspired today’s list. If you’re struggling with traffic or you [Read more…]
The Argument Against Multiple Blogging
March 5, 2010. 10 Comments
I have a confession to make. I’m used to engage in multiple blogging. When Freelance Writing Jobs began to become successful, I figured blogging for myself was the way to go and approached it the wrong way. Instead of working my hardest to cultivate one blog, I began several different types of blogs. Only one achieved a smaller level of success and that’s because it’s a joint project with another blogger. I found that by focusing on too many different personal projects, I wasn’t devoting enough time to one individual blog and they all suffered. I also made the mistake [Read more…]
On Deleted Blog Posts…
March 5, 2010. 7 Comments
Dear Deb, I came by looking for a post called “WAHMs: Make Sure the Ends Justifies the Means” that you wrote last summer about residual writers. I know it was there and now it’s gone. Several posts in that same discussion are gone too. I think what everyone says about you, that you change your tune to suit your sponsors is true. I don’t respect you anymore. Only people with something to hide delete blog posts. I dare you to post this. Signed some anonymous emailer So I’m not posting this email because I was dared to, I’m posting it [Read more…]
Are Blog Contests Worth Your Time?
March 4, 2010. 6 Comments
I used to run a heaping handful of blog contests at my client’s blogs. Contests and giveaways can be fun, improve traffic stats, connect you nicely with companies and draw in and encourage new readers, but I’ve come to realize that contests and giveaways are not worth it at every blog you write for. When it’s not worth it: If they take too much time. Hosting a decent two week giveaway at a blog requires extra time. For example, you’ll have more comments to moderate, PR reps (or the company) hosting the giveaway to deal with, and time spent making [Read more…]
Complaining About Your Freelance Writing Clients
March 3, 2010. 10 Comments
What is Bounce Rate?
March 3, 2010. 7 Comments
Bounce rate is a measure of how many people visit your blog and continue on to the different pages. For example, if your stats show visitors land on your site and leave without hitting any blog posts beyond the entry page, your bounce rate will be relatively high. If visitors stick around and visit several pages before moving on, your bounce rate will be on the low end. The lower the better. Different blogs and websites have different purposes and therefore will experience differences in bounce rates. In essence bounce rate is the equivalent of walking into a store. A [Read more…]
