Are blogs dying?

And therefore, subsequently, is the future of sustaining an online presence moving the way of social engagement on Facebook pages and Twitter feeds only?

I found this to be fascinating, because several “old school” military bloggers, who’d been around since 2004/05, mentioned they’d noticed their readership vastly deteriorating. However, some younger bloggers talked about how their Facebook engagement was growing, the conversation therefore moving away from their blog to social networks.

The Social Movement

OK, so here’s what I think: Blogs are not dying (they better not be, or else what the freak am I doing here?). Their methods of drawing website traffic are merely evolving.

Is this a bad thing? Well, that depends on YOU. How resistant are you to accepting change and implementing it? From my personal, as well as professional experience, it appears blogs are not becoming obsolete; however, it’s completely pointless to maintain one if you’re not on Facebook, or Twitter, or both.

I’ve built a readership using my blog. It’s a way for me to write and find readers. I’ve even gained a few freelance jobs through this blog (God bless it!). However, if I relied on my blog solely, would I have reached success?

Definitely not.

I relied, and still do rely, on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and other bloggers to drive traffic to my site. Without the “social platform,” my blog would not—and could not—survive.

Perhaps the bloggers at the conference had a point. Blogs, in their older forms, are dying. They are no longer the go-to hubs for conversation. Maybe it’s time to think of blogs in a different light. Let your social pages drive conversation, and let those conversations drive traffic to your blog, where visitors can delve deeper into subjects or ideas. Best of all, they can learn more about YOU.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Are you seeing less traffic to your blog? Are blogs, in their original forms, dying?

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If you liked this post, you may also enjoy:

• My Secret to Finding New Readers, Followers
• The 3 Questions EVERY Blogger Must Ask Themselves
• How to Get (Many) Comments on Your Blog

If you haven’t heard about “50 Shades of Grey” yet, you might as well be living in a cave … an ice cave … at the top of Mount Everest. And even there, I can’t promise you’ll escape this hyped, erotic trilogy which sold 10 million copies in just six weeks, according to GalleyCat.

I’m not going to get into whether the book is really porn that deserves banishment from libraries, or a profound statement on society’s sexual repression of women.

What struck me as discussion-worthy, is the numerous tweets I’ve read among Twitterville, which has been buzzing about this book the past few weeks. And really, I think the variety of tweets reveals quite a lot about the conversation taking place on “50 Shades of Grey.”

So, without further ado …

Here are the top (funniest) tweets that I found, on “50 Shades of Grey:”

“Every time someone says 50 Shades of Grey is awesome, a kitten dies. You wanna kill a kitten? Do you?” –Lauren Hale, @unxpctdblessin

“I think 50 Shades of Grey is ruining my life. If you’re not a gorgeous billionaire that needs work on his ‘issues’ lose my number.” –Jessica Chenoweth, @jessicachenow

“NO I haven’t read 50 Shades of Grey – I’ve been close enough to Jay Leno in real life.” –Sarah Thyre, @SarahThyre

“Started reading Fifty Shades of Grey in the airport and am now 50 shades of red.” –Latrice Davis, @LatriceWhyDavis

“50 SHADES OF GREY IS ON THE COVER OF ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY???? I am going to quit my job and write porn.” –Carina MacKenzie, @cadlymack

“Contractor: ‘Oh, you’re reading 50 Shades of Grey. My wife is reading that.’ Plumber: ‘Everyone’s wife is reading that.’” –Sarah Watson, @SarahWatson42

“You want to hear something funny? When coming out of anesthesia, I made sure to ask hubs if ’50 Shades of Grey’ was still on his kindle.” –Whitney, @imatriplethreat

“That awkward moment when you text the wrong person a quote from 50 shades of grey.” –Leah, @leah_klacko

“What’s with all the women reading ’50 Shades of Grey’ on the subway?” –Apivat Hanvongse, @KhunPump

“Can you imagine Rick Santorums wife reading 50 Shades of Grey?” –Spencer Graves, @SpencerGraves

“I really need to refrain from taking out a pen to edit all of 50 Shades of Grey as I read it. #thiskillsme” –Alison, @alipierre16

“Since it’s so popular, I thought I’d lend my voice for the audio book of ’50 Shades of Grey.’ Not the best idea.”–Ellen DeGeneres, @TheEllenShow

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK? Discussion worthy? Twitter worthy? Trash worthy? Why do you think it’s getting so much attention?

Were you ever bullied as a kid? Forced to give up your milk money? Endured long hours of whispers or sly smirks, followed by giggles behind your back? Maybe you weren’t cool, maybe you blinked too much. Maybe you looked five years younger, or maybe your legs stretched too long.

But today, you’re different. Your writing stands out from the crowd. And that’s freakin’ awesome.

Let me tell you why

Whether you’re an artist, writer, marketer, photographer … etc. … you see things differently than others. You think “out of the box,” which makes you the best at what you do.

And hey, if it wasn’t for all those great, awkward experiences in your youth, do you really think you’d have all this awesome material to pour onto paper?

I’m sure you’ve heard of the international bestseller, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” Author Jeff Kinney said in a 2010 Huffington Post interview, “I was an average kid, but I definitely had my wimpy moments. I used to spend my swim team practices down by the creek, collecting tadpoles, until I got caught by my mom.”

Don’t you just love it?

So embrace your outcast-ness!

I sure do hunker down and hang onto mine. Oh, and now that I’m 30, I LOVE looking younger (contrary to my years as a teenager).

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT YOU? What aspect of yourself do you embrace that’s different from the crowd—which you use as a writer, or artist, or just overall creative?

To force myself to stop obsessing over everyone else who’s been (super) successful, and why I’m not there yet.

We’re writers, right? So for the love of GOD—just do some dang writing already! And stop worrying about “making it.”

Success Obsessions Gone Wild

You know those cool, collected writers with 500,000 Twitter followers? Who’ve been published in The New Yorker and the Boston Review, all while running a blog that everyone drools over (didn’t you read Entertainment Weekly’s review on it last week)? They always seem to sport those geeky/chic wired glasses with a quirky beret.

Yea, I want to be that writer.

And since I’m not, I’ve spent time reading their success stories. And then I analyze: When did they start their blog? How did they word their entries? Who are their connections? How long did it take them? The list goes on and on, my friends …

But in the midst of this obsessing, I’m missing one key component. I’m not writing.

Just F-ing Do it, Man!

Perhaps understanding how the “big ones” made it can help the rest of us begging to just lick the bone. However, trying to craft our success strategy around their journey is only to our detriment.

As my boyfriend pointed out, I’m wasting all my energy on analyzing and planning. Meanwhile, I have no finished products to promote to an agent or editor, since I’m not writing.

Over the past week, I’ve finally forced myself to stop reading what everyone else is doing, and just start doing sh!t myself. And you know what? Stuff’s gettin’ done … finally.

Do you ever struggle with this curse of success obsession? If so, how do you overcome and just get back to your own writing again?

[Love animals? Then you'll want to check out this new Facebook page, just launched two days ago: "The Chance Chronicles: A Jewish Cat's Life." Trust me ... you won't be sorry.]

Below is a 2-minute photo slideshow to music I created to help express the true uniqueness of this historic mining town on the border of Mexico and the U.S., famous for its ghosts of Old West prostitutes and miners! And yes, all images are copywritten by me.

Please enjoy (and if you’re reading this in an email, you’ll have to click through to my blog to view the slideshow)!

“I’m in media relations,” I always correct them.

I don’t spin. I don’t twist. I just educate the public the best I can for a company. Would I love to pound the pavement again as a journalist seeking the truth, living the edgy life? Yea, I dream about it. I’m not gonna lie.

BUT … I will say that I’ve learned several lessons on my road from reporter to “media relations.” And if I ever make it back, I’ll definitely apply them!

So, here are my top five takeaways I’d like to share—whether you’re a writer, reporter, or PR hack:

1) Not all journalists are honest, or accurate.

Trust me, this was a HUGE surprise to me. And quite honestly … a blow. My job on the newspaper was my first out of college, and I truly believed that every journalist was ethical—like me. But after working on the PR side, I realized that some reporters don’t care about the truth; they only care about their angle. Whether from laziness or an agenda, I’ve witnessed journalists report blatantly false information. Lesson? Don’t believe everything you read, always research the facts yourself, and treat ethical journalists like royalty.  

2) Understanding media strategy or content marketing can HELP writers or reporters, not hurt them.

Not to brag, but I believe I’m the perfect example of this. As a reporter, I’d slap you if you mentioned the word “blog” to me. However, after entering the world of media strategy, I started this blog, Facebook, and Twitter. Now, I have a readership … and I haven’t even published a book yet! Lesson? Any reporter who can build an ENGAGED following will more efficiently distribute the news … so don’t run from the concept of content marketing.

3) Multi-media and diverse writing is now a requirement, for anything.

I left journalism right as the newspapers began to collapse in December 2007. I began my new job in PR at the start of 2008, allowing me to witness the media world’s transition from the outside. I used this time to develop my skills in writing for the Web, social media, blogs, magazines, newspapers, e-newsletters, business, and to persuade. No longer can I find a writing job that merely asks for experience in print. Lesson? The more you understand multi-media–as well as writing for different audiences—the better chance you have of landing a job!

4) Learning to pitch well isn’t only for PR people. Freelance journalists need it for editors, and writers need it for literary agents.

I’ve been able to help creative writer friends perfect their query letters to literary agents. And I’ve advised journalists on pitching a solid story to a magazine editor (and landed freelance gigs myself). Why? Because I’ve become an expert in pitching. Understanding “the tease” has become a vital skill in anything media-related today. Lesson? Don’t think of pitching as selling out; instead, embrace what you can learn, and use it to your advantage!

5) The basics ALWAYS apply.

Bottom line, I still attribute information to its sources, even when writing for a company. My leads are always 30 words or less. And I always keep my readers in mind; the goal is still to inform them, regardless of the outlet. Lesson? The basics are taught for a reason. THEY WORK. So … never forget them.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Do you agree with my observations? Have you witnessed something contrary, or additional? Discuss …

It’s one I’ve picked up while working as a media strategist for both my day-job, and as my own consultant (not to mention, building MY readership, as a writer).

It’s a very simple concept, really, but a difficult one for many to grasp. Are you ready? OK … here it is:

You need to find new readers or followers where THEY live—and not expect them to find you, anymore.

The Customer-Centric Business Model

Let me take a step back for a moment. Because really, this stems from a business model.

Businesses used to develop their strategies around them. If you wanted a new Verizon phone, you had to drive to the store. If you needed help with your new laptop, you called the tech support number.

If capitalism was a solar system, then the business was the sun, while customers were the planets.

But that’s all changed now. In today’s world of social media, the customer has become the sun. And if businesses want to survive, they’d better turn into planets.

So How Can YOU Become the Planets?

Here’s a tidbit of encouragement. You already know where your customers or readers live: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, WordPress, Blogspot, etc.

• If you’re an author, many of your target readers may live on Goodreads or Amazon.
• If you’re a communications consultant, many potential clients probably follow ProBlogger.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

From a business perspective, if a customer has a complaint, they may no longer call the service line. Instead, they may post a “tweet.” If no one is listening and responding, then the customer may start a blog bashing the company. Which could attract OTHER upset customers, forming an angry online mob.

But that’s a whole other topic, on reputation management. My point is, if you want to build an online presence, you need to determine WHO your customer or reader is, and where they live.

Finding Your Reader

So, just how do you find this elusive goldmine? You need to start by listening. Just listening.

For example:

• Use Twitter’s search function to type in a keyword related to your subject of interest. Are you a writer? Search “writing.” Are you a lawyer? Search “law.”
• See what people are saying about these topics, as a collective.

Think of yourself as a CIA agent, gathering intelligence. And when you collect enough to understand what people need, you can start reaching out. @Reply to people’s questions on Twitter. Maybe write a blog post about a common concern.

And when you start understanding where your target readers live, make yourself available … there (i.e. become the planets).

About three months ago, I wrote a post for ProBlogger and linked back to my Twitter account, as well as my blog. That gained me several new blog subscribers and dozens of Twitter followers. And here’s the kicker:

They didn’t find me (even if they THINK they did). No, I found them. And you can too …

Mashable wrote an article about him earlier this week (which is why I didn’t wait until next Thursday to post).

In short, from the article:

During a lunch break last August, Erwin joined a Reddit thread and laid down the first installment of a sparse, noir-ish narrative addressing whether a modern American marine battalion could defeat the entire Roman Empire. Fellow Redditors were immediately hooked. They demanded more with up-votes and comments, pushing his work to the site’s front page. By day’s end, Erwin had an offer for representation from the talent management firm Madhouse Entertainment. Two weeks later, he had an offer from Warner Brothers to do a full screenplay.

Yea, tell me about it …

But the thing I wanted to emphasize here, is the power of social media for writers, if used correctly.

Erwin is no everyday Joe. Personally, I think the man is brilliant. According to Mashable, he’s written TWO encyclopedias and is a two-time Jeopardy winner. But that’s not why I think he’s Einstein.

Erwin understands the power of “the tease,” and the psychology behind using social media to peak others’ interests. Of course, you can’t count out luck … but you have to give the man SOME credit.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Was Erwin just plain lucky, or was his social media strategy planned to get some attention? How does this story make you re-think your antics to garner exposure, as a writer?

[Stay tuned! Two Thursdays from now, I'll share the SECRET I've discovered to get more readers and followers, using social media! Don't miss it; subscribe for blog updates via email, in the upper right-hand corner.]

I also wanted to let you know they’re currently seeking new essays for publication!

And since many of you are writers, I highly recommend heading over and reading up on submission guidelines. I know many of you have awesome stories to share that would fit perfectly in the Anthem Exposition.

And, one more small reminder that I’ll be publishing on Rogue Writer every OTHER Thursday, moving forward. As life allows, I’d like to eventually go back to posting every week. Until then, however, look for fresh posts every two weeks on writing tips, funny stories, media strategies for promotion, and industry news!

See you soon!

Jessica McCann is a new author who just launched her first historical fiction novel a year ago, All Different Kinds of Free. Personally, it’s on my bookshelf and I CAN’T WAIT to read it, as Jessica’s book has received raving reviews so far.

But today, she was kind enough to share some insights on reaching success as a writer and author. Not to mention, we live in the same city (Phoenix, Ariz.), so I was pumped to have Jessica write a post for Rogue Writer.

Is Your Writing Ready to Take on the World?

GUEST POST BY JESSICA MCCANN

Writing is a lot like parenting. It’s hard to know when it’s time to let go. It doesn’t matter if the writing is a magazine article query or a novel manuscript, it can be difficult to send it out into the big, bad world alone.

How do know if you’ve done all you can? How do you know if it’s ready? The short answer is, you never know for sure. That unknown can be intimidating, and it holds many people back. It locks them into the “I want to be a writer” mindset rather than letting them move into the “I am a writer” mindset.

If you’ve provided your writing offspring with unconditional love, a balanced education, steady discipline and a chance to mature, then it’s time to stare down the fear and let it go.

Love

It all begins with this, in my experience. You must love your writing, warts and all, if it is to ever thrive and be loved by others. Don’t hold back. Write your passions. Let your first drafts flow unbridled. Consider reading Wild Mind: Living The Writer’s Life by Natalie Goldberg, one of my favorite tomes on being a writer, for encouragement and inspiration.

Education

Does your writing have a balanced education? Know your subject matter inside and out, whether it’s gardening, personal finance or the hometown of your fictional characters. Do your homework, and infuse your writing with facts. Authenticity shines in both fiction and nonfiction.

Discipline

Make your writing behave through firm, consistent editing. Introduce it to William Strunk and E.B. White’s The Elements of Style. This slim book is loaded with writing and editing gems. Among my favorites? “Avoid qualifiers (rather, very, little). They are leeches that infest the pond of prose, sucking the blood of words.” Nice.

Maturity

Give your writing a chance to mature. Once I’ve researched, composed and revised, I let my writing let sit for at least a day or two, longer when possible. I let it age. Coming back to it with fresh eyes helps me assess whether it’s ready to leave the nest.

Ok, so you’ve loved and nurtured your work. You’ve learned and grown and matured right along with it. Now it’s time to let go. Like parenting, it can be scary as hell sometimes, but you’ve got to have faith. No one can soar without taking a leap.

Are you ready to let go?

If not, what do you think is holding you back?

Jessica McCann, a professional freelance writer and novelist, lives with her family in Phoenix, Ariz. Her nonfiction work has been published in Business Week, The Writer and Phoenix magazines, among others. All Different Kinds of Free (http://www.AllDifferentKindsOfFree.com) is her award-winning debut novel. She welcomes interaction with readers and writers at her website (http://www.jessicamccann.com) and on Twitter (@JMcCannWriter).

Watch the book trailer to All Different Kinds of Free