9rules opens its doors to nominations once more

Back in 2003, 9rules established itself as a premiere collection of blogs highlighted by great content and a passionate community. The codex of the 200 and so blogs were summarized by the “9 Rules:”

1. Love what you do.
2. Never stop learning.
3. Form works with function.
4. Simple is beautiful.
5. Work hard, play hard.
6. You get what you pay for.
7. When you talk, we listen.
8. Must constantly improve.
9. Respect your inspiration.

Today 9rules has just opened up a new round of submissions and the door will be open for 24 hours. The submission form can be found here. If you think your blogging philosophy fits the nine rules, then by all means, submit.

9rules is part of Splashpress Media, of which Performancing is a member.

How to Get Traffic by Blogging about Future Events in Your Niche

Isn’t it great when you get a traffic spike?

The image above shows a spike I recently received. I credit the increase in traffic to blogging about an important future event in my niche.

In this post, I’ll tell you specifically what I did. Also, I’ll give examples from other niches to help you understand the principles behind my strategy. Finally, I’ll share a way to take the strategy to another level.

Defining an Event

First of all, let’s look at what constitutes an event. An event is anything on the calendar where you can expect many people in your industry to be a specific topic.

My blog is in the trading card game niche. Every 3-4 months we get a new product, which gets players excited and causes them to go online for information about the product.

Every product is associated with a tournament a week before the official release date of the product. Joining the tournament is the only way you can own the product before it’s actually released. As you can imagine, many people take advantage of this opportunity.

With a little bit of thought, you can define events in your niche. Here are two examples from other niches.

If you have a NFL betting blog, the first week of the NFL season is always a big event because gamblers are excited about trying to win money. Therefore, there will be a huge spike of traffic for keywords related to the this event.

If you have a gardening blog, you had a great opportunity a couple days ago. Fall season just started so there was a spike in traffic for keywords related to fall gardening.

Setting Up Your Landing Page

Since you can predict events in your niche, you can create a landing page that targets those events.

Two weeks before the tournament, I set up a page on my blog that gave strategy tips for doing well in the tournament. I used relevant keywords for my title tag and headline.

I placed a link to the page on my header so every other page on my site linked to it. I used relevant anchor text for the link. This internal linking tactic builds link equity for the page and tells Google you consider that page to be very important.

Why create the page two weeks early? This time period gives Google time to index and rank the page. Google doesn’t work instantaneously. It needs time for its bots to spider your site and find new pages.

Let’s go back to our other two examples. An NFL gambling blogger could set up a page entitled “Betting Picks: NFL Week One Games”. The gardening blogger could create a page entitled “Fall Gardening Guide: Fall Plants and Flowers”.

My recommendation is setting up a page rather than a blog post. If you have a blog post as your landing page, it will look old by the time the event comes around blog posts show the date of publication whereas a page doesn’t. Of course, you do want to create a blog post to tell your readers about the page right before the event.

Also, the page can be a place to add links to relevant blog posts. For example, with the fall gardening page, the blogger could update it with a link and short summary whenever she creates a new post about fall gardening. This keeps the landing page updated with fresh content.

Change in Mindset

I had to change my mindset to implement this strategy.

I got into blogging because it allows you to cover the latest information about your niche. I’m used to giving my thoughts about events that just happened.  Also, I like to blog about what is current, so it was hard for me to blog about something in the future.  But now that I’ve seen the results of a little planning and preparation, I’ll be aiming for more future events.

With this strategy, you’ll have to prepare and plan ahead. Your landing page won’t get much traffic in the beginning. But your preparation will be pay off as the event arrives and your page ranks well on the search engines.

Performancing offers link building services to promote your event landing pages.

Splashpress Media Launches Donation Drive for Philippine Typhoon Victims

As posted on the Splashpress Media blog, we’re running a fund campaign in aid of typhoon victims in the Philippines, particularly in Metro Manila and neighboring areas. Anything you can do to help would mean so much. [Read more]

A ‘Personal Blog?’ Just use Facebook!

Okay so maybe I was a bit brazen with the title, but after writing about technology for more than 5 years I had wanted to reboot and open up a personal blog where I talk about the more mundane “let your hair down” moments which only close friends can truly relate to. So I erased some content from domains I didn’t use and decided to install WordPress.

Actually, I initially did an iWeb install, then got frustrated over it, and went into WordPress. Then it dawned on me that these platforms were not what I was looking for. All I wanted was Facebook. The updating of status message, getting very personal comments, photo uploads of the weekend dive trip … these were all the things I ever wanted to do in a personal blog. And the whole stats thing, really — did I need that?

So I scrapped the idea of a personal blog because all along, Facebook was there. I’d like to ask you — how extensive is your Facebook use? With the introduction of the custom URL, I’m able to include my Facebook address alongside my Twitter, email and IM when I print business cards.

7 Quick Blog Post Ideas

If you’re like me, you’ll run in to writers block from time to time. Coming up with a new blog post idea everyday can really be difficult, especially if your blog covers a very specific niche. So here’s a few quick ideas for your next blog post:

1. Build Off An Existing Post

One thing that I find really effective is writing a post that builds off of another one. It could be one of your old posts from your own archive or it could be a post someone else has written on a different blog. Basically, you start off where you (or they) left off and build from it.

2. Answer A Question

Nothing is more effective than answering a question. It could be something one of your readers left in a comment, something you found on Yahoo answers, or simply a general question that a lot of people ask. Not only will it make a good post but it will also help your readers.

3. Ask Your Readers A Question

If you don’t want to answer a question, you can also ask your readers a question. This helps generate comments since a lot of your readers will want to submit their answers.

4. Create A List Of Something

Of all the blog posts I’ve ever written on my personal blog, the majority of them were lists. Such as 10 ways to do this or 7 tools to make this easier. They make for really catchy titles and often spread like wildfire across the web.

5. Review A Product (Or A Blog)

If you’re in to software or gadgets, writing a review can be an easy way to come up with a new blog post. Don’t forget to look at the basic things like an application you may have downloaded. You can also write a review of your favorite blog. This not only gives the other blogger some recognition, but it also gives your readers a valuable resource.

6.  Interview Someone

Nothing gains credibility faster than interviewing someone in your niche. If you’re a writer, seek out to find an author you can interview. If you run a local blog, find someone in your area that will sit down and answer some of your questions.

7. Tell A Story

While it’s true that not everyone likes reading your stories, they can sometimes be very useful for your readers. Especially if you write about a struggle you had or an obstacle that you’ve overcome. This will help your readers avoid the problems you’ve run in to.

Have any more ideas? Feel free to share them below!

How Long Does It Take to Proofread a Blog Post?

Justin recently wrote a post about proofreading tool After the Deadline. True enough, it makes sense to check your draft for misspellings, and mistakes in grammar and punctuation before hitting the publish button. If you’re using web markup, it also makes sense to check the draft for any unclosed or misplaced tags.

But aside from these simple mistakes, it takes more time to actually check a post if it does make sense. First, you have to check if your argument is reasonable. Then, you have to check if you got your facts straight. Then you need to check if your sources are valid, and if your post does point to the original (or at least the best quality) source of information. And there’s also a host of other things I’d like to check before hitting publish. Here would be a short checklist.

• Check spelling.
• Check grammar.
• Check for clarity. I like using precise language. For instance, “hard” can mean many things. So I prefer to use “difficult.”
• Check for conciseness. Usually, during proofreading I remove unnecessary sentences and even paragraphs.
• Check for readability. I like to divide my posts into easily-digestible paragraphs. Better yet, I use headings, for easier scanning.
• I do a logic check. Does my reasoning really make sense? Sometimes I rearrange paragraphs for better buildup.
• Check categories and tags.
• Check the site URL. With the many blogs I write on, I might be writing on the wrong site!
• Preview the post to see how it looks like as a finished product.

I often find myself reading and rereading a draft before finally publishing. If it’s a feature post, proofreading often takes about 150% to 200% of the time I spent drafting the actual thing (or even longer). If it’s a news post, I’m more concerned with the timeliness of the article, so the time spent editing could be significantly shorter.

I think I may be too much of a perfectionist that sometimes i even scrap a draft if I think it won’t cut the grade in terms of quality and applicability to a blog. Sometimes I decide to move the draft to another site altogether, if my writing and editing results in straying away from the original intent or idea.

Either that, or perhaps I’m afraid of criticism.

My point here is that for me, I think readers deserve shorter, clearer blog posts that make an impact, rather than a post that just rambles and rambles and isn’t even clear on what the author wants to say. It’s more difficult to edit than write. But with more effort put into editing a post, it makes it easier for your readers to understand what you want to say, and this makes for better writing.

How long does it take for you to edit and proofread a blog post?

Image credit: flickr/data_op

Maximize Your Social Media Marketing by Focusing Only on a Few Sites

One mistake I routinely see with bloggers is stretching themselves to thin when it comes to social media marketing.  They hear about the benefits of social media so they join 10 social media sites and start marketing on each of the sites.  After the initial excitement wears off, they find themselves stressed out trying to keep up with each site.  And they’re disappointed because they’re not getting the results they expected.

The reason the above strategy doesn’t work very well is because social media promotion requires time, patience, and focus.  It’s hard to devote the necessary time and focus when you’re juggling a lot of sites.  Remember the old saying, “More is not always better.”

Social media is like the real life social environment.  What does it take to influence a group of people in real life?  It takes time and focus on those people to earn their trust.  You need to add value to their lives for an extended period of time.

Consider the people that you trust offline. Chances are they are people you have know for a while.

Time, Focus, and Adding a Lot of Value

Focus on just one or two sites and really make an impact on that site.  Add so much value to that site that over time you become known as the expert in your field.  This means not only promoting your best stuff but also pointing to content from other sites.  By doing this, you show that you are well read.  Also, you demonstrate that you are not a spammer only looking to promote your content.

It takes time to really understand a social media site.  Each site has its own culture.  You want to understand that culture so you can fit in well with the community and earn a positive reputation.

One of the best ways to build your reputation is networking with the influential members of a community.  Again, it will take time and focus to get them on your side and trust you as a valuable member in the community.

Less Stress and More Success

Marketing can be stressful because you don’t know if your plans are going to work. And the stress only increases, if you keep up with too many sites. Reduce your stress by focusing on a few sites. With less stress, you can focus better, which gives you a better mindset to add value to a site.

Plus, you can now be a regular of the few sites you choose instead of the irregularity that comes from picking too many sites.

Marketing on a few sites will lead to more success, which will keep you from getting discouraged.  The success will motivate you to continue on with your marketing.

For example, let’s say you want to promote on Digg, StumbleUpon, Mixx, Twitter, and a popular forum in your niche.  Think about all the work it will take to become an influential voice on all of these sites.  The task is very daunting especially if you want to continue posting regularly on your blog and you have a full time job and a family to take care of.  However, if you pick just one or two of the sites, your social media marketing will be a lot more manageable.

Take a long term view and don’t rush social media marketing.  It’s like building a friendship offline.  It takes time but the rewards are worth it.  Once you’ve built that reputation, you can leverage it increase your traffic and income.

A year ago, I was using too many social media sites and not getting anywhere. I scrapped all the sites except Twitter and a popular forum. My stress level went down and my blog started picking up. My subscribers have steadily gone up since that point instead of staying stagnant and I’ve developed good relationships with a couple of people. In addition, I’m having more fun.

Performancing offers social media marketing services to jump start your blog.

Don’t Forget To Respond To Your Readers

If you currently run a blog, my guess is that you allow comments on your blog posts. If you dont, you should! Not only does it give your readers an easy way to leave feedback, but it also allows you to build a community around your blog.

However, many bloggers forget (or don’t take the time) to respond to the comments people leave. This is not a good way to build your blogs readership. There’s nothing worst from a readers standpoint than leaving a comment, specifically a question, that never gets a response. I’ve personally left a few questions in the past that never got answered, which gave me the impression that the blogger did not want to take the time to respond.

Make It A Habit

So from now on, make it a goal to always respond to your readers. Not only will it build up your blogs comment section, but it will also let your readers know you care. Depending on the amount of comments you get, it may only take a few minutes every day to go in and respond to any open comments.

Once you implement this strategy, you will start to see more readers leaving comments because they are reassured that they will get a response back. Plus it’s a great way to build up the trust from your daily readers.

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A Proofreading Tool For WordPress

You’ve just finished typing up a great post for your blog and you’ve made sure all your links work. You’ve also made sure to break up the text using various heading sizes so the readers can easy scan through your document. Now you’re ready to click the publish button and send it out to the world. But wait! Did you proofread your post?

And I don’t mean scanning through it using the spellchecker to make sure all your spelling is correct. Did you actually go through and make sure your sentences make sense? Did you use the proper instance of every word (there, write, etc.)?

Proofreading Is Important

While spending a lot of time reading blogs, one thing I often notice is poor grammar. It can make the best post in the world seem less credible. Luckily, there is an awesome tool for WordPress that can help you. After the Deadline is an easy to use plugin that will scan through your post and look for any spelling or grammar mistakes. If it finds any, it will underline it with the appropriate color.

Here’s a screenshot of the plugin in action:

As you can see, it’s easy to use. Simply click on an underlined word and it will give you recommendations.

It doesn’t catch everything, but it definitly helps find things you normally would overlook. I highly recommend using it on your WordPress powered blog. If you blog with WordPress.com, you already have the tool built in to your blog. You just need to click the green check mark to start using it.

How to Blog With Emotion

Have you ever noticed that some of the most popular blog posts are the ones that are filled with emotion. When you read them, you can sense a lot of emotion.

They might read like a passionate rant or a sad lament. Some are very positive and you can quickly tell that the blogger is very happy.

No matter what emotion a post reveals, emotion is a great way to attract readers. Emotion makes you more personal to your readers.

It helps you relate better to them. See we are emotional creatures. And as behavioral studies show, we usually use emotion to make decisions rather than logic including purchasing decisions.

On the contrary, think about blogs that read like boring college textbooks. If you’re like the vast majority of people, you don’t read these blogs regularly.

So, how can you portray emotion in your blog posts?

Adding Emotion to Your Blog

Think of areas in your niche that triggers an emotion.  If you’re passionate about your industry, you should have topics that make you happy, mad, sad, or any other emotion.  As you write posts on these topics, your emotion should shine through in your posts.  You can even try the basic tactic of just writing why that topic makes you feel the way you do.

For example, the following type of posts are often winners:

Why I Love Traveling to Paris
7 Reasons Why Microsoft Makes Me Mad
A Tribute to Heath Ledger, RIP

Sometimes it’s hard to get emotional, so you’ll have to find an emotional trigger. One of the best ways to do this is just to keep up with the content in your space. If you do this, you find something that stirs you emotionally. This could be a forum post, an article, a video, a podcast, a Facebook message, or a blog post. If you have a robust online network, you probably receive emails that trigger an emotion.

Once you run across one of these triggers, respond with your emotion, or save the link and then find time later to respond.  However, in my experience, it’s much better to respond right away – even if you only have time to craft a couple of sentences.

Then, take your response and use it as the basis of a blog post.

Much of our communication online is great fodder for quality blog content. Yet, many of us will communicate ideas through sites other than our blog but those ideas never make it to our blog.  Don’t be afraid to recycle those ideas.

For example, I’ve been active in the last couple of months on a forum for my gaming blog.  I’ve found it much easier to create content on the forum because forums naturally lend themselves well to responding to others.  While browsing the forum, I’ll usually find a forum thread that causes me to respond because I want to share my opinion and expertise.

After a while, I realized that I should recycle my content on the forum and publish the same ideas on my blog. This strategy has helped in overcoming writer’s block.  I’m publishing blog posts more regularly and the posts are more emotionally driven and personal.

Finally, write like how your talk. When we’re talking to others, our emotion naturally comes through.  We can’t hide it unless we try.  But something happens when we write.  Emotion can often get stifled by writing.

Therefore, try these tactics for having a more personal voice.

• Read your posts out loud and edit the parts that seem too robotic and bland.
• Try using voice recognition software.
• Think about the question that your blog post is trying to answer.  Then, pretend that you’re in a chat room, when someone asks that question.
• Pretend you are sending an email to a person.
• Separate the writing process from the editing process.  The editing process can slow you down and stifle your fresh emotion.  I sometimes close my eyes while I type if I find myself trying to edit while writing.

Over to You

How do you let your emotion come through in your blog?

Want to spend more time writing emotionally driven content and less on marketing? Performancing offers link building and social marketing services so you can focus on creating content.