ALsocme: How to Deal with Negative Commenters.

Alabama Social Media Association had their second meeting last week, and the topic was "How to Deal with Negative Commenters".

Social Media guru Mack Collier shared some awesome advice about the subject. Although a lot of his advice was aimed at company/product blogs, he also had some great tidbits for non-business-related bloggers.

One of the most important things he said is to not get caught up in the idea that it's wrong to delete a comment. Your blog is your platform - don't let someone else use it to attack you or your readers!

If you do feel guilty about deleting comments, then simply write a comment policy - clearly explain what type of comments are acceptable, what type of language is acceptable, and that you will delete any comments that are unacceptable.

I felt that this was great advice - for the first year or two of my blogging career, I had the notion that to be an "honest" blogger, I had to leave all comments. Since then, I've realized that this is ridiculous. Although I do try to leave as many as possible, I will not let someone else abuse my sites.

How do you feel about deleting comments?

** For further discussion on the subject, Wade Kwon wrote a post on Birmingham Blogging Academy, interviewing me and two other bloggers who had experience with negative commenting.

Breaking Social Media News: Alabama Social Media Association!!

I am so excited to tell you all about the latest, greatest aid to the growth and relationships within social media in Alabama - the Alabama Social Media Association!!

Founded and led by some of the most prominent Social Media Pioneers in our state, Alabama Social Media Association (ALSOCME) was created to help businesses and community organizations find their way into our fast moving field.

It's an independent, grassroots nonprofit group, and is open to anyone who wishes to share ideas and grow in their knowledge of social media and how it is used by people and businesses of all types.

"Not only do we want those who are curious about social media on a corporate level to attend and join the Alabama Social Media Association, but we also want Alabama's bloggers who are already showcasing their social media skills to join us and take part," said Executive Director Kristen R. Heptinstall, who works as Senior Producer for Social Media and Community at AL.com. "All of our board members and I are bloggers and 'social media geeks' at a personal level."

The association, although based in Birmingham, will serve the entire state by sponsoring educational programming six times a year, including an annual conference. Social events will be held every month, and all members of the community are welcome to participate, regardless of their digital/social media experience.

ALSOCME’s kickoff will be held Wednesday, March 30, at The Hill Event Center at the Alabama Theatre, 1811 Third Ave. N. Ike Pigott, with Alabama Power Corporate Communications will present “Social Media: The 21st-Century Canary.” Pigott, a nationally known social media expert, will share examples of how he has used social media tools to spot potential crises and the tactics and strategies for using social media to address these issues.

Networking will begin at 11:30 a.m., with a program at noon. A complimentary lunch will be provided by Zoës Kitchen.

Sponsors for the March 30 event are The Hill Event Center at the Alabama Theatre and Zoës Kitchen.

The event is free, but participants must RSVP. To register, or for more information, visit www.alsocme.com. For questions about ALSOCME, write alsocme@gmail.com.

ALSOCME’s Board of Directors are Chair of the Board Jeff Vreeland of Vreeland Technologies, Erin Shaw Street of Southern Living, Wade Kwon (a communications consultant), and Stacey Hood of Stewart Perry Construction. Partners include the Alabama Tourism Department, the Alabama chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, the Internet Professionals Society of Alabama, the American Advertising Federation–Birmingham and Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos.

You can find out more about ALSOCME by following them on Twitter, or going to their website, www.alsocme.com.

SEO for Birmingham Businesses Using Google’s Wonder Wheel

by Cathy Reisenwitz

Many Birmingham-based businesses already know the power of Google’s local search. Appearing in the 7-pack of local results can give you a huge leg up over your competition.

Let’s say you’re a Birmingham-based restaurant. Clearly you want to show up when someone Googles “Birmingham, Alabama restaurants.”

What many businesses don’t know is that you can get even more qualified traffic to your site, and to your store, by targeting longer-tail keywords. But first you’ve got to find those keywords.

That’s where Google’s Wonder Wheel comes in. Google’s Wonder Wheel is a search tool that helps you find new keywords to target. To use it, go ahead and Google “Birmingham, Alabama restaurants.” You’ll see a results page with the local listings at the top, and the regular results below. On the left rail, you’ll see a link that says “more,” click it.


This will reveal several options, one of which will be “Wonder Wheel,” click it.



The Wonder Wheel gives you ideas of phrases people search that relate to your search. Every result is clickable, and clicking reveals the searches related to the search you clicked. These ideas are phrases you can target to get more traffic, and more customers.


So with the “Birmingham, Alabama restaurants” example, some related searches are “Birmingham, Alabama restaurant coupons” and “romantic restaurants Birmingham Alabama.” These, if you have coupons or your restaurant is indeed romantic, would be great phrases for you to target with some of your site’s interior pages.

Hope that helps. If you’re a Birmingham-based business and you’d like consultation on how to get the most out of search, don’t hesitate to contact me with questions.


Cathy Reisenwitz is a Birmingham, Alabama-based blogger, SEO and internet marketer. She is addicted to her Google Reader, longs for her very own iPad, and blogs at the Birmingham SEO Blog.

Blogging Conference Coming to Birmingham!

Blogging conferences are a great way to learn great tips and to network with other bloggers at the same time. Most of them tend to be in the big cities (Chicago, New York City, Las Vegas), but there will be one in September in Birmingham!

WordCamp Birmingham will be held September 18-19th at UAB Heritage Hall. The conference cost is a VERY affordable $40, and there will be quite a lineup of great speakers and topics.

Although the central theme of the conference is regarding the Wordpress platform, I've been assured that many topics covered will be relevant to all bloggers, regardless of platform. And I'm personally hoping to be able to attend because I'd love to MOVE my blogs to Wordpress at some point in the near future, and there will be many experts on hand to help with all of the details and technicalities of such a move.

So, if you'd like the opportunity to learn more about blogging and meet other local and regional bloggers, check out the WordCamp Birmingham site, follow @wordcampbham on Twitter, and register to attend!

What Are YOUR Blogging Tips?

By Rachel

After working on it agonizingly for months, I finally managed to get my thoughts on paper and write my version of "Blogging tips". It was horribly awkward for me because I usually write posts about the silly, the inane, the crazy...being serious and all how-to-ey was WAY out of my comfort zone. But I got so much positive feedback from it that I'm so glad I finally (wo)manned up and wrote it!

At any rate, we've all discovered tips about blogging along the way that have opened doors, lit lightbulbs, made it easier, and made it more fun and rewarding. So why not learn from each other? What are your tips? Either leave them in the comments, or if you've written a how-to post in the past, link it up!

Using Social Media to Build a Blog

By Kathryn

Blogging eats up time when you get into it. Adding forums, visiting other blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social media can leave you staring at the computer until the wee hours of the night. Balance must become a factor for you to successfully maneuver through the web of connections online. But there are some social media tools that can help you build up the following on your blog.

Twitter – this is a newer social media tool that lets you send messages to others in under 140 characters. One of the keys to using twitter is to follow people that are posting things of interest to you. You also want to spend a few minutes of each Twitter day replying to others and retweeting their posts.

Facebook – many consider this a more adult version of Myspace, but I find that I get just as many game invites and “gifts” so I’m not sure that is completely true. I ignore all of these aspects of Facebook and focus on making connections and sharing links.

LinkedIn – is the professional site that allows you to join groups with similar interests to your own. I have not yet mastered this particular media but have used it to make a few connections that might otherwise have been missed.

Forums – there are literally hundreds of forums out there that you can participate in. I actually got my online career started writing for some of them (but that’s another story for another day). Google or do a search for things that you are interested in and you will discover some of them. Jump in and participate. Two that I love are forum.athorityblogger.com and christianwriters.com because of the interaction and the relationships I have made.

Blogs – visiting other blogs and making comments on those blogs or even guest posting on them can add to your own visitor numbers and especially your authority level. When you find a blog that you like and that goes along with what you are doing then offer to do a guest blog. The worst that they can say is no – or maybe that’s “yes, please do one a week.”

Building your blog and setting up your online writing to make money all comes down to numbers. Those numbers are built through relationships. You have to make time to reach out and get to know the others on the internet. Social media can help you make those connections.
You can connect with me on twitter at http://twitter.com/Kathrynclang or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/Kathrynclang?ref=name.

One more tip – social media can get out of control fast. I have recently started using tweetdeck. It is a free, downloadable program that will let you monitor your accounts without having to constantly step in, refresh or stop what you should be doing. It integrates Facebook and Twitter and sends me a popup when someone posts.


Let’s get connected. Where can other Alabama Bloggers find you in the social media world?

Favorite Blogging Tools

By Rachel

If you haven't noticed, I'm a bit of a blog geek. And with that comes a love for all tools blog related. So here are a list of my favorite, most useful tools that I use to enhance my blogging. I hope it helps, and I would LOVE to know what tools you like to use best!

Statcounter - I have tried MANY stats tools, and this one is by far my favorite.

Pros: You can see each visitor as they log onto your site, where they go, what they do. You can label them if you know who they are so that you know who they are when they come back. There are also many different ways to look at the data to help you find what you're looking for.

Cons: It only saves the details of your last 500 hits.

Google Reader - I'm sure that most of you use this, but if you're a blogger and you don't, then you're missing out on a huge time saver and awesome tool. It allows you to "subscribe" to blogs, and shows all of the blog posts of your subscriptions that you haven't read yet.

Pros: AWESOME way to make sure that you don't miss any blog posts from your favorite blogs.

Cons: You can't comment from Google Reader - you need to click through to the blog. I'm pretty sure that this is true of any blog subscription service - tell me if you know of one that it's not true for.

Twitter - I use twitter mainly for my blogging relationships. It is a great way to add another dimension to interaction between other bloggers. It can be very overwhelming, and it takes a while to really get the hang of it, but when it clicks, your life will change.

Twitter Tip: DEFINITELY use a third party application to run it. Twitter is unbelievably more valuable that way - looking at Twitter from the Twitter website is SO confusing. I personally use TweetDeck.

Windows Live Writer - I've just started using this tool in the past few months to compose my blog posts. It is great if you're using Blogger for a platform and put a lot of pictures in your posts, because it gives you more diverse options for picture arranging, text options, etc. It uploads photos MUCH faster than Blogger. It also imports in your blog background and dimensions so that when you are in compose mode, you are seeing exactly what the post will look like when published.

Google Analytics - My second favorite stats website. This is a great site for seeing a high level view of your blog stats. It's also a great place to see all of the crazy things that people are googling that land them on your blog.

Compete.com - If you would like to see how you stack up against other bloggers, this is a great tool to do so.

Con: It only works for people with first tier, or private domains. i.e. - you could search for alabamabloggers.com, but if my domain were alabamabloggers.blogspot.com, the data wouldn't be available.

Feedburner - Ever wonder how many people subscribe to your blog? This tool lets you see that, and lets you put it on your site, if you so desire. It's a little technical to get it started, but once you do, it's quite addictive to watch.

What are your favorite blogging tools?

Blogging for Money – Ready to Leap

By Kathryn


Once you have the basics of your blogging plan in place it is time to start putting it into practice. Putting up a blog is not difficult but putting up one that has the ability to generate money can be a bit trickier.

Steps to Building a Money Blog

1. Choose a format that will allow you to add advertisements and affiliate links. A self-hosted Wordpress blog is one of the best ways to have complete control over the add-ons to your blog.


2. Research affiliate programs and ad programs to see what works for your site. Google AdSense may not make you rich over night but it could give you a steady amount of income. The down fall is that you do not have complete control over what is advertised. Amazon Affiliates allows you to add specific ads or scrolling ads to your blog and anything that is purchases when a reader clicks through will count towards your total. Other companies also offer affiliate programs, so find the one that suits your website content.


3. Keep your blog design simple. Too many ads or an overwhelming theme will make it difficult for visitors to find what they are looking for and they will likely click back and search again. Be sure to get some feed back from other bloggers and do not get offended if they make suggestions for improvement.


4. Talk to companies directly about running ads on your site. It might be that you have to build up a visitor base first but you may also be able to offer a trade – service for ads – that you could work out (like a website designer giving you a discount).

There is no guarantee in any business but if you want to launch a blogging business then creating a website that has room for ads is a great way to start. The next step is to get visitors.


Kathryn Lang writes about writing at Successful Freelance Writer. You can also learn more about her writing and speaking career at her home website - Kathryn Lang.com.

Tips for Going from Full Time to Blog Time

By Kathryn


Making the leap from a regular paycheck to a freelance or independent paycheck brings up concerns and worries in the best of us. No matter what the field that you are entering or leaving, stepping out on your own can be a leap of faith. The best way to prepare for that leap is to make a plan.
Plan for Becoming a Writer

1. Start with a budget. You know how much you need to make each week and month so begin to save your money towards that amount. The goal is to have around six months worth of income set back before you leap out on your own.


2. Create a business plan. Having money set aside is great but knowing how to get money when you step out on your own is just as important. Lay out where you plan to find jobs, find income opportunities and what you will face along the way.


3. Build up a support system. Stepping out on your own does not mean stepping out alone. Gather around friends and family that will encourage you along your new journey.


4. Find support in your field. Look around the internet and around your community to find support for and from other entrepreneurs.

Taking a leap into full time writing (online or otherwise) is not for everyone. It is important to build up some income reserve to help pull you through any tough times. Finding support for your new journey will also help see you through.

Going full time with a blog does not have to mean leaving a regular job to make the leap. Set aside an hour a day or one day a week to create posts for your blog. As your following builds and your writing increases you may find that the switch from regular job to blogger is as natural as the change in seasons.

Transforming Your Blog to Make Money

By Kathryn

Most blogs start out as journals. We post about things going on in our own lives, around our community, around the country or a combination of all things depending on the mood and the day.

There is nothing wrong with a blog that meanders along. It is like one of those scenic roads or country roads that will give users the benefit of amazing views. The trouble with meandering blogs (and scenic roads for that matter) is that companies are looking for high traffic. This means the main interstate – niche focused blogs or blogs with EXTREMELY high unique visitors each and every day - get all of the great stores, restaurants and most all of the ads.

How do YOU get a blog that is main interstate material? That is the million dollar question and one that does not always have the same answer. It is much like writing a best selling FIRST novel – if the answer could be found then everyone would be doing it.

Tips for Transforming a Blog

1. Find a niche with little competition and strong interest. I heard about one lady that had started a blog because she was dealing with a sickness in one of her children. The blog was intended to help family and friends keep up but it went viral (meaning it spread like a cold in preschool). She was soon up to 15,000 unique visitors each and every day. Now that it is interstate material.


2. Create a blog that is focused on meeting a need. Flylady is an extremely popular site that is helping women get their homes and lives organized.


3. Learn the internet. Find forums, blogs and internet leaders to follow. Begin to ask questions about what, when and how you should do things on your blog. Remember that no ONE WAY is the right way. Use the tips and suggestions to find your own way.


4. Sell something. Creating a blog just for writing is probably not the easiest way to make money online. Having something to sell – whether it is your own expertise or you create an online store to sell products that match your niche – is up to you. There are a number of places that offer affiliate programs (where you have an ad up on your site and when people click through and buy then you get a percentage of the sale). Look into the income potential and then follow one of them or all of them. Remember that you are your only limitations.

Transforming your blog may mean starting a new one or just tweaking the one that you have right now. Always remember that if you are not passionate about what you are doing then you will struggle with the doing. Find your passion and the pursue that to the income potential.

Finding Your Audience

By Kathryn

Making money online typically requires a strong showing in a niche area. There are a few exceptions to this rule – there are always exceptions to the rule! But most bloggers have to hone in on a particular area or subject to make money online.

The majority of casual bloggers are writing about their lives. The posts are random in that the only connection is the blogger. The material can cover everything from marriage to parenting to cooking to lawn care. Finding the thing that drives your passion will help your develop a blog that has the potential to make money.

Finding Your Niche

Christina Katz has written two great books that help guide new writers to the subjects that will fit well for them. “Writer Mama” and “Get Known Before the Book Deal” both help you discover your audience so that you can write for them specifically. Here are a few pointers:

1. Write out all of the titles that you are (mom, writer, wife, sister, friend, leader – you get the idea).

2. Write out all of the jobs that you do or the responsibilities that you have.

3. Write out all of the things that you enjoy doing.

4. Combine these lists into groups. Some of the items may have a home in more than one area.

5. Pick out three or four that speak loudest to you.

6. Who would want to read about these items? This is your core audience and the ones that you want to speak to in your posts.

Finding your niche is only the beginning. Making money with a blog is just like building any business. It may take some time to build up the blog that will draw advertisers and provide you the income that you desire.

There will be a giveaway on my successfulfreelancewriter.com website for Christina’s book, “Get Known Before the Book Deal.” Stop by and comment if you want to be in the running.

What do YOU Want from Your Blog?

By Kathryn

Everyone wants to make money doing something that they enjoy. Bloggers are no different. Anyone that has taken the time to build a blog and then contribute to that blog on a regular basis would love to find a way to make money using that blog. There is good news and there is bad news.


The Good News

Anyone can make money off of a blog – the amount of money will depend on the blog subject, the internet interest, the advertising dollars available and the determination of the blogger.

The Bad News

Making money from a blog is just like any other business. It will take work, energy or the luck of being in just the right place at the right time (although even those people know the market and how it works so that the can BE in the right place at the right time).

The Bottom Line

Monetizing a blog develops from different directions. Understanding more about your own needs and desires will help determine those directions.

Who are you talking to in your blog?
What do you want to make from your blog?
What are you doing to get advertising for your blog?

My own personal journey into online income has led me to write for other blogs and I make my living doing that (and writing for other companies and magazines as well). Monetizing my blog has become less important and I am able to focus on providing quality posts instead of SEO, links and page rank.

Tell me what you are looking for and I will try to help uncover the key to get you through that door. Comment with your questions or thoughts about making money with a blog and I will respond to those in a follow up post.

Begin the Path to a Better Blog

By Kathryn

Start with a plan. It doesn't matter what you are doing in life. A good plan is the best way to start. Success is guided by a plan that is followed with consistency and determination. Building a blog that does all that you want it to do starts with a plan.
Tips for Building a Blog

• Track your readers - you need to know exactly how many people are visiting and when so that you know what changes to make to increase your numbers.


• Keep It Simple . . . - set up an easy to find RSS feed button so that readers can continue to follow your blog.


• Keep it clean - an easy font, limited widgets, fewer applications and add-ons and basic images will all make your blog easier for the reader to enjoy.


• Make it you - every path to success is a unique path known only to you. Make your journey to your blog your own by writing what you want to write the way you want to write. Passion will do more to draw readers than anything else you have to offer.

Building a better blog starts with a plan. Make a plan that includes a method for tracking visitors, a clean and simple design and content that is unique to your site.


www.successfulfreelancewriter.com

Growing Your Platform: Make Blogging Consistent

This post was written by Kathryn Lang from Successful Freelance Writing. She will have a weekly column here called "Growing Your Platform", which will include tips on blogging, making money through blogging, and many other topics.

By Kathryn

Consistency is always a good thing and it is one of the most important keys to success in what ever you are attempting to accomplish in your life right now. It is not always easy to get into the good habits that help create a better life or a better career, but it is possible.
Getting into a regular groove with your blogging posts will help you make blogging a consistent part of your writing and those good habits can be started by following just a few simple tips.

5 Easy Tips for Blogging Consistently

1. Set up a schedule – Monday Musings for rants or random thoughts. Tactless Tuesday for those news stories that are too bad not to be shared. Wordless Wednesdays for great photos and on. Knowing what you will be writing about will help you get the blog post done.

2. Make an appearance – guest blogging regularly on other sites will push you to get your own writing done (so there is something to link to).

3. Build up a reserve – if you can pre-post on your blog then do that but otherwise have a reserve of general posts that you can put on the blog for those days when the muse refuses to dance.

4. Write one long article with multiple points each month and then plan all your other articles around that one.

5. Use holidays, special events and regular meetings to create blog posts. Attending the local council meeting or creating a post for Father’s Day can be great inspiration for blog posts.

Any action must be done repeatedly before it becomes a habit. Making blogging a natural part of your day or your writing career can be accomplished by following a few easy tips. Get started today and stay consistent in your blogging so that you can be successful at your goals.
For more information about becoming consistent in your blogging visit Successful Freelance Writer.

Kathryn's reason for blogging is to help others fulfill their passions and dreams as she has been able to do by being a freelance writer. She has written an E-book called "Make Money Writing" to help achieve this goal. She is also a Christian, a wife, and a homeschooling mom of boys.