Can Anyone Blog?

Does it take a journalist to blog, or can anyone do it?

That’s the question that was raised in an article in my local newspaper this past weekend.

A reporter wrote an article on a blogger that was fighting a $25 million defamation lawsuit for something he wrote about another business owner. Journalists are taught what is acceptable and what isn’t in the world of reporting. But can bloggers go too far, and write in such a way that a lawsuit is brought up against them?

Or is it all just a scare tactic?

Journalism as a whole is changing every day. The younger the audience, the less likely they are to gather news in the same way as their parents. And it’s not just the 20 -somethings that are changing. I myself get almost 100% of my news from online sources. I haven’t watched news on tv in a long time (I don’t watch much tv anyway) and I only get the Sunday news for the comics and ads (there’s still something about sitting down and reading the comics with my daughter) and reading things like the book reviews. 

Blogging is perfectly safe – just keep these three things in mind.

1. Blogging creates a permanent record. Always think twice about your posts; list facts, references and resources; and make sure things are written the way you desire.

2. Use your blogs as an extension of your business and your expertise. Share your knowledge, and give people information about what you do. Don’t step out of your areas of expertise.

3. Instead of writing up certain issues – link to stories instead. Let your readers make their own opinions.

Do you have any stories about blogging, or ideas to stay safe online?

Summer Blogging: Get Your Kids Active

So you’re looking for something for your kids to do this summer. What can you do to keep them busy and entertained?

How about blogging? 

Blogging is easy to do, easy to create, and provides a wealth of knowledge to a budding writer or businessperson. (And yes, it’s what my daughter will be doing this summer – she’s actually excited about it.)

1. Make it exciting. Don’t set too many boundaries for your child’s blogging project. Let her choose something of interest to her, and help her refine what the focus will be. The only limits should be Internet safety, depending on the age of the child. Things to keep in mind are not revealing your real photos, real name, or detailed information about your life.

2. Make it entertaining. Who would want to read your blog? Write to entertain your readers, provide them with something of value, and give them a reason to come back and visit again and again.

3. Make it rewarding. How about earning a few extra bucks while blogging? The easiest way is to affiliate with Amazon, and let your child link back to books, magazines and other products of interest. It takes just a few minutes to create an account, and you’re child will learn valuable skills in the process.

4. Make if fun. Don’t feel like blogging to day? Don’t sweat it. This shouldn’t be a chore. If your child is having fun with it, have her create a few extra posts. You can always post-date them, and have information ready for days when you prefer to lie by the pool.

5. Make it educational. Learn a few new skills along the way. Maybe it’s how to create a graphic design. Or maybe it’s a little about computer security. There are many ways to have fun and learn about this exciting new endeavor.

Want help setting up a blog for yourself or your child? Learn How To Blog

Email Statistics and Trends for 2008

I sat down to read my Interactive Marketing Guide 2008 put out by B to B last night, and found some very interesting statistics that will impact the way I plan my business for the future.

How business owners view email

• 64% view email on their BlackBerrys or other mobile devices.
• 69% users at work view their email in preview panes.
• 59% of online consumers block images in email.

How business owners view spam

• 79% of email recipients said that if they don’t recognize a sender, they sometimes mark messages as spam.
• 20% said they use a spam button as a way to unsubscribe from messages or newsletters they’ve signed up for in the past.

What this means to you and me is we really need to be careful about the amount of email we’re sending out to the people on our list.

Because your recipients are just as likely to hit the spam button as they are the delete button, you could soon be disallowed from sending to certain servers. Does email need more refinement as a marketing tool? Definitely. But for now, we have to work within the systems.

One way is to blog, and begin relying more heavily on RSS feeds. Your customers can sign up for your feed directly to their favorite reader, and read you as time permits. It does have positives and negatives, but it is a viable solution.

Or maybe combine the two – I work my blog and my newsletter together in every issue.

If you don’t have a blog, maybe its time to have one custom designed for you. I love blogging (I have several custom blogs that I maintain) and would highly recommend you find out more about blogs.