“Never consider the possibility of failure; as long as you persist, you will be successful.” – Brian Tracy

I have to admit, it’s been a while since I’ve fully attended to my blog. I rested, wrote, read, worked, played, argued, slept, ate, drank, played some more, ate, worked, researched, wrote, studied, climbed, stumbled, walked, typed, googled, designed, apologized, organized, and mused since the last time I posted regularly on this blog. It’s been a hiatus, a sabbatical, but without purpose or direction.

So why all the work earlier this year to build such a great blog, with awesome readers, if only to leave it a few months into its inception?

I’m working on bringing this blog back from the ashes. The proverbial phoenix rising from the ash. At the high point, this blog brought in close to 500 visitors a day. Now it’s at an all time low. What better way to test my determination than to belly up to the table and begin working?

Steps to Bring a Blog Back to Life

Step One – Question Your Purpose

The first step always has to be a personal question. Does the blog still meet some internal goal? Do you have time to do the writing? Does it still feel rewarding? Does it still interest you? If you answer these questions, like I have, then you can probably determine if you want to bring the blog back or give it up. If you want to sell, then you can likely find interested parties at forums like DigitalPoint.com and SitePoint.com.

Step Two – Update Software

I use WordPress. I have posted since 2.5, but I never updated my installed version. I was too lazy to go through the process. Frankly, I was a little afraid it would be a disaster. I’ve already completed this step on the blog, since I think it’s crucial to be safe and secure. It also helped me get a recent backup of the database.

Step Three – Reacquaint Yourself with Social Networks

I have a lot of this to do still. I used to Twitter all the time. I haven’t been active on there at all recently. It sounds like a good place to turn on the lights and see what I can uncover. Entrecard is another useful place to start. I can drop, drop and drop some more. That should help in the long run.

Step Four – Write Content

A post like this is good, but it’s not the only one I need to write. I’ve said before I wanted to pay more attention to my blog. With anything, it takes time and effort to earn back reputation points from previous readers. If your blog has been dormant for a long time, consider doing a post series, reanalyzing your site’s content direction, and even spinning the viral marketing wheel in your favor. A good place to start would be to welcome back readers in comments, be active in your niche, and bolster your reputation with quality writing. Just keep with it.

Step Five – Stay Active

Mistakes will be made. It happens. It happens to me, to you, to our mothers, fathers, grandparents, and elected officials. It happens everywhere. Just suck it up and move forward. If you lose a few readers, then fine. If you stay with it, then you’ll see the reward soon enough. A few months and the internet will have changed yet again. Other bloggers will fizzle out and new ones will pick up the torch. If you write content, post comments, and interact with other bloggers then you have a good chance of staying in the saddle.

Bringing a Blog Back to Life from Jason Boom

Stand up comedians work a rigorous schedule, and they have to produce laughs. What a life, right? It seems easy, until you set out to write something funny. I’m sure comedians each have their own ways of finding, creating, and writing their bits. One may work it out with friends, others may record their thoughts, while some may just jump on bits from their own experiences. Why should bloggers care how comedians create their material?

A blogger typically has to be unique to receive any sort of Blogo street cred. Blogs that provide fresh insight receive backlinks, subscribers, and usually receive the stumble, Digg or other social media traffic they deserve. The blogger that regurgitates others ideas as their own usually experiences limited success. They may find some who haven’t heard what they’re saying on another blog, and view them as an inspiration, but most will see their site as the trapping of the unenchanted.

A comedian has to be funny, albeit funny with their own material. They may even poke jabs at another comedians’ bits, but usually they have their own material, a persona, and a delivery.

We’ve all seen comedians we enjoy. I’m sure if we looked at that comedian we’d see one thing. They have a perspective on life that stands apart from the norm. They see things differently and express their vision with style. Let’s take a look at a few examples.

Ever see a list of the richest black people in the country? Oprah’s on there. Cosby. Michael Jordon. Magic Johnson. Tiger Woods. Movie Stars. But you can’t get past number eight without running across a brother who just hit the Lotto jackpot last week. — Chris Rock

A recent survey stated that the average person’s greatest fear is having to give a speech in public. Somehow this ranked even higher than death which was third on the list. So, you’re telling me that at a funeral, most people would rather be the guy in the coffin than have to stand up and give a eulogy. — Jerry Seinfeld

New Blogging Perspective

We may not be looking for the funny in our blog posts, but we most certainly need to entertain or inform in a unique way. To create some truly creative content, we only need to look at the minutae.

The small details unravel a thread we can use to spin a nice article. For instance, look at the sports world. If I were writing about baseball right now, I would first look at the strangeness surrounding all the controversial homerun calls within the last ten days. I could be funny about it and call it a conspiracy, even though we all know no one could hit the top of the fence, nail the side of a foul pole, or some yellow steps on command.

Perspective gives our readers a unique way to see old ideas. We can still talk about the same blogging tools, websites, or methods, but this time do it with pizazz. Think of it as a lens we put on our eyes. The lens doesn’t have to be rose colored. It can be anything we want it to be.

We all hear the advice regarding blogging longevity: stay excited about blogging, remember why you started, read other blogs, and eat peanut butter without jelly. They all work! They work because they focus on changing perspective. So lighten up. Step up on that stage and take your tomatoes like a man. We’re waiting with stained hands and shirts here.

The Stand Up Blogger from Jason Boom

In the wild, bloggers tend to group together inside networks to survive. These instincts have been honed over several years of dangerous online activity. For instance, they survived the Blogger buyout, the various WordPress hacks, and the influx of comment spam. They’re strong creatures.

But there’s always one that stands apart from the rest. When you spot an Alpha blog, we suggest walking backwards slowly. Do not break eye contact, as the blog will likely take you down like a gimp zebra. Just stay calm. Here’s several ways to spot an alpha blog.

1. You notice your hair stand on end when you visit their blog. It’s a biological reaction to the blog’s superior writing, resources, and design. It could also be related to the large RSS numbers seen in the Feedburner counter.
2. When challenged, the alpha blog will exert superior debating skills, causing the beta blog to falter. Alpha blogs do not casually exist, but are regarded as authorities.
3. Alpha blogs eat first. Their posts circumvent other news sites as they have contacts within organizations. Who wouldn’t go to the alpha blog with their spectacular press release?
4. Beta blogs act on command of the alpha blog. The alpha blogs say, “Use this monetization method,” and within weeks thousands of loyal beta blogs have implemented the method. This also works for contests. Beta blog contests usually fall flat, while Alpha blog contests win the web.
5. Alpha blogs receive their status from sheer willpower. They gain momentum with readers through superior content and marketing maneuvers. They can however be toppled by beta blogs. In this highly social species, politics may take a part in determining the next alpha blog.

In this highly social society, it’s often blog eats blog. Be sure you know your territory well. You may be walking into the jaws of an Alpha blog.

How to Spot an Alpha Blog from Jason Boom

With the rain coming down all around you, have you ever paused between your car and the door of your house to feel the cool water?

Moments can be universal. We can share a specific instance with our readers and invite them to relate on an entirely new level.

We may relate to our readers through any of the following commonplace blogging dilemmas:

1. I have nothing to write about.
2. My comments have dropped dramatically.
3. I need more traffic.
4. Where’s my money from Adsense?
5. Will I ever make money from my blog?
6. How do I [insert WordPress functionality here].

The most important reason to write blogosphere truths? Trust. We can share a trial on our own blog and guide readers towards a solution. (What solution am I providing now?)

This isn’t groundbreaking stuff. Some of the more popular blogs offer advice, tutorials, life hacks, and more. They have found a way to give away what comes naturally to them. In this way, they’ve built a niche around their particular expertise and interest. It’s a win-win. Readers gain information and the bloggers gain an audience.

Blogging Like Kindergarteners

In kindergarten we all learned one thing — how to share.

It’s universal that we learn to share with others at an early age. The mountain of Web 2.0 content has been derived from this concept. It’s users sharing creations with others. It’s the pinnacle of kindergarten success. Mrs. Redwick would be proud.

So do what comes naturally, well, as naturally any lesson taught at an early age provides. Share you insights. Share you moments. Be yourself.

What can you share with readers that may bolster their opinion of you?

Kindergarten Blogging from Jason Boom

Blogging is not racing. There is no finish line. There is no checkered flag. However, there are a lot of cars turning the corners at breakneck speeds. We can use the idea of drafting to take our blog to the next level. What is drafting, you ask. Let’s look at the Wikipedia entry on the topic.

Drafting or slipstreaming is a technique in sports racing where competitors align in a close group in order to reduce the overall effect of drag or fluid resistance of the group in a slipstream. Especially when high speeds are involved, drafting can significantly reduce the average energy expenditure required to maintain a certain speed. [source: Wikipedia]

So when racecar drivers draft, they reduce the wind resistance of their own vehicle by following closely behind another. The wind streaks right over their hoods, giving them the momentum and power to slip past their competitors at the right moment.

I’m not suggesting bloggers are competing. Quite the opposite. If Entrecard has taught me anything, it’s that bloggers together do some interesting and fascinating things. I am suggesting we can compete only when we network and find support of other drivers.

This is nothing new, you say. We all know the pack mentality works to survive. So then why would we streak ahead of the pack? What possible motive would we have to be the first car in the race? Furthermore how can we break away from the pack to position ourselves in the lead for any niche?

Pole Position

The time trials prior to a race determine the frontrunners from the beginning. Those who lag behind often times have to fight the entire race to gain on their competitors. In the blogging world, those who began blogging years ago have a leg up on the blogs that began in 2007 or early 2008. What can the newcomers do to reduce the drag and increase their velocity?

I’ve been asking myself this very question for a while now. I’m sure many of you have read blogs discussing techniques to increase page views, RSS subscriptions, and site traffic. I’ve come up with a few questions to ask yourself about your own blog, which I’ve asked about my own, that should propel your site towards your own finish line.

1. What purpose does your blog serve? – This question may seem like an easy answer, but when I asked myself this question a few weeks ago I had to step back to think. I want a site that’s helpful, honest, and committed to writing and to marketing. I also want a site that caters to bloggers and to their views and ideas. My purpose is to inspire those reading to create, to write, and to gain excitement about their chosen niche.
2. Does the blog meet my expectations? - I ask myself this before I start writing about whatever comes to mind. It helps me focus on what needs filling in on the site. I have a lot of content, but I see it like building a foundation brick by brick. Each new article represents a piece of the foundation. If I’m writing content that veers from my site’s message then I’m creating a faulty foundation. I need to go back to question one and recalculate.
3. How can I keep the blog on target or mold it into what I need? - I can keep my own blog on target by mapping out the course. I know the turns and conditions I have to face before I ever put rubber to road. If I know what’s coming, then I know where to turn. I become more organized and stay focused.

I know for certain no finish line exists, only our personal one. We have pit stops and some cars drop out of the race, but we always keep moving. 

Alexa, Technorati, Exactrank, and other sites will tell you the popular blogs — the frontrunners. If we fixate on the numbers, and forget to look for the opportunity to spring ahead, then we may be just running out of gas waiting for the next pit stop to catch our breath and reconsider it all.

How do I draft?

I draft in the blogosphere all the time. I join networks like Entrecard, forums like Bloggeries, subscribe to RSS feeds of fellow bloggers, read content on popular blogs, write content that’s helpful to others, and guest post on other site’s in my niche.

Through blogging, we sometimes might rub other bloggers the wrong way. But, we all know rubbin ‘s racin. The important thing is to stay in the race.

Do you draft with your blog?

Formula One Blogging from Jason Boom

You remember the Jack Handey quotes from Saturday Night Live? I think Jack would have been an inspiring Twitter friend, with his quirky one-liner jokes. I took some time to adapt a few of his quotes for blogging. If you don’t know Jack, you can read about him on Wikipedia, and review the quotes that inspired this post.

“If you’re asked to guest post on a blog, I think its best to ask if they like nude photos.”

“I can’t stand it when contest winners email me asking for the $50 they won. I mean, come on. Are you really that cheap?”

“If content is King, who would be the King’s subjects? Would a sentence be the subject, or would the subject of a sentence be the subject.”

“Bloggers need to have thick skin, but if its too thick they’d look like a strange elephant blogger. No one subscribes to strange looking elephant bloggers’ feeds.”

“I think the next time someone says to me that I should join this or that social network, I’ll squiggle a little mustache on my avatar, put up a profile filled out entirely in Spanish, then write them back with a link to it anchored by Que Pasa?”

“If you feed an RSS would it eat meat or be a vegetarian? If you thought it would be a meat eater, you are wrong. It’s a vegetarian.”

“Think for a minute about World Peace. While you’re doing that, I’ll be scraping your blog’s content.”

“I hope, when they die, bloggers have to answer for their misspellings.”

“If I really were to stumble upon your site, wouldn’t you be angry that I scrambled the words and cracked the background?”

“I think sometimes you have to comment crazily in another person’s blog, then ban their IPs from coming to your site. When they email asking you why you said what you did, just say it’s not like it was in ‘Nam, then block their email address.”

“The new blogger got offended I called his post stupid. But to me, that’s how it read.”

Have any to add? Leave ‘em in the comments.

If Jack Handey Twittered from Jason Boom

Mrs. Boom had an interview this afternoon. She’s looking to change jobs. I took her to her interview and waited patiently for her return.

In the meantime, I ate lunch and read a magazine. You know what popped out at me from my Men’s Health magazine? No, not the scantily clad women or the brutish men — the perfume pages! You know those fragrance samples that come inside popular magazines. For years I have associated magazine reading with the light scenting of CK or the robustness of Bvlgari. After reading an article, I realized I was awash in nostalgia brought on by simply holding and smelling a magazine.

Reloading Your Blog Magazine
I have heard the arguments that we are not bloggers anymore, but web publishers. I know some blogs carry themselves as magazines rather than weblogs. One of my favorite new sites, Trend Spike, has a magazine feel to it. I wonder, can we create the same nostalgic, yet subtle presence that a perfume page brings to a magazine on a blog.

What’s that Smell?
What is a perfume page? For those who don’t know, a perfume page is a full page ad for some cologne, as was the case for my Men’s Health magazine. The page is unique because in the flap along the side they have sprayed, gelled, or otherwise deposited the scent of the fragrance. That flap can be like opening the long forgotten Tupperware dish in the far recesses of the refrigerator, the smell hits you like a ton of rotten eggs. But even if you don’t open the flap, the fragrance saturates the pages and give a light smell to your reading.

Your Blog’s Smell
I’m still waiting for the scratch and sniff webpages. Until that time, we’ll have to create our own olfactory stimulation. Our pages may not give off the scent of fresh flowers but we can harness the power of nostalgia that perfume pages create for magazines.

A fragrance sampler gives users something new with each magazine, and it’s usually pleasing.  It may peak a reader’s interest enough to seek out the fragrance in a department store. So the secondary effect of the ad was actually the aroma saturated magazine pages. The primary goals was to move product.

How can this help bloggers? We sell ourselves with each post. Our blog is our product. We move ourselves.

If we emulate the fragrance sample pages, we need a secondary nostalgic reaction for visitors to our blog.

Creating Nostalgia
We cannot supplant ourselves into the past experiences of our readers. We can however relate to them. We can connect and forge a bond that creates the subtle fragrance sample page experience. Here are a few things that will give your readers a sense of having been there before, and associate that feeling with a positive memory.

1. Use a memorable theme that compliments your niche.
   The right theme can bring back memories from a previous visit. Hopefully, they encountered fantastic content on that earlier visit and remember it. The positive memory may be enough to encourage them to subscribe to your RSS feed.
2. Create a Persona
   A persona, like Regis, Oprah, Dominick Dunne. You get the idea. These TV figures have distinctions about them that keep people watching. While their schtick might not be your fancy, a quality persona can endear readers to your blog.
3. Use Memorable Graphics
   Our graphics become our face on the Internet. If we use cheesy, overused images, then that’s the image we’re portraying -literally. Use quality, memorable graphics and readers will remember them just as they remember a certain smell. With the right picture, it will detail what type of content exists on the site.

Conclusion
The moment wasn’t long. The smell from that magazine wafted up from the pages, triggering memories. This was marketing, I thought. An institutionalized marketing ploy. It’s been around forever. Why not use it on our blogs? Can you think of ways blogs have used perfume pages throughout the years?

How to Create Your Blog’s Perfume Page from Jason Boom

Have you seen the experimental set creator from Google? You can see the very application on the Google Labs webpage. The sets application ostensibly takes three words from the user and finishes the set of items. I have been toying with the application, trying to find a practical use for it. At first I thought, it would make for a great keyword finder, but there are already plenty of those out there. Google Sets would have to do more than that to tickle my fuse.

What Does Google Sets Do?
We write in sets quite often, or at least I do. When I’m drilling home a point about why I blog, I may mention five to ten items that relate to the activity. This litany creates a set. Sets can be beneficial when targeting keywords in SERPs, building ad campaigns around products or services, or emphasizing statistics.

We often times find sets in statistical form. We have a set of numbers that correlate to site traffic. The words that help us interpret those numbers also come as a set, like bounce rate, visitors, pageviews, sources, referrals, and traffic. So what does this all mean?

We live in a world of sets. Affiliate marketers work on narrowing their sets of keywords so they get the most boom for their buck. Bloggers in general speak of sets quite often. When we write, we can look to tools like Google sets to complete the holes in our own lists.

Practical Use
I don’t think the Google Sets application will be as exciting as Obama at a Clinton rally. However, it can be useful.

Our own writing may contain sets at one point or another, and the Google Sets application may be just the thing we need to springboard that set to completion. I know I have struggled to think of just one or two more items.

The next time I’m struggling to think of the completion to hamburger, fries, and coke I won’t have to run to McDonald’s to figure out cheese and heart attack.

Creating with Google Sets from Jason Boom

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For a long time now, I’ve held one tenet to be true – do one thing a day you otherwise wouldn’t like to do and success will come of it. This doesn’t mean I do something that collides with my ethics or morals. It simply means I do some grunt work, push an idea through the grueling phases, like register for affiliate programs, and other things that take me one step closer to my goals. Why not, right?

We sometimes call upon spiritual guides to bring us nuggets of wisdom. Let the Boom tell you there’s no procrastination bomb shelter. We need to be on top of our game to succeed. We can look for inspiration outside ourselves, but motivation comes from within and explodes outward. A lot of times I motivate myself by asking ‘why not’ followed by some activity. So here are 100 different why not ideas to light your fuse today.

1. Why not write an extra blog post today?
2. Why not sign up for an affiliate program?
3. Why not comment on a blog in your niche today?
4. Why not read blogs outside your niche today?
5. Why not drop 300 Entrecards today?
6. Why not submit a guest post to a popular blog?
7. Why not enter a blog contest to up my exposure?
8. Why not create a blog posting schedule?
9. Why not read an ebook on Affiliate Marketing?
10. Why not take some time to brush up on SEO skills?
11. Why not learn how to Freelance like a Rockstar?
12. Why not digg an article?
13. Why not do something for someone else?
14. Why not thank your blog readers?
15. Why not cleanup your blog categories?
16. Why not backup your blog today?
17. Why not learn a little about writing headlines?
18. Why not experience a new blog submission network today?
19. Why not send a friendly email to a fellow blogger today?
20. Why not read through the backlog of feed subscriptions in your reader of choice?
21. Why not learn to make money online?
22. Why not drive traffic to your blog by writing a controversial post?
23. Why not write a recommendation for a blog you love?
24. Why not update your site’s stylesheet?
25. Why not consider your brand?
26. Why not check your site traffic?
27. Why not submit your RSS feed to a few directories?
28. Why not hold a contest on your blog?
29. Why not contract a new logo design?
30. Why not sign up for twitter?
31. Why not follow someone cool on twitter?
32. Why not setup a profile for yourself to network your blog on a social network?
33. Why not create an avatar that brands your site?
34. Why not write an ebook chapter on what you know?
35. Why not update your site’s keywords and title tags?
36. Why not install a helpful plugin to your WordPress blog?
37. Why not write a constructive About page?
38. Why not create custom business cards for offline marketing your site?
39. Why not write keyword rich content for your site?
40. Why not submit your blog to dmoz.org for consideration?
41. Why not backup your WordPress blog to your local hard drive?
42. Why not find a cheaper webhost?
43. Why not explore other money making endeavors online?
44. Why not search for your blog in Google?
45. Why not try out new blog networks to increase your readership?
46. Why not give a shout out to a blogger who has helped you recently?
47. Why not buy some exposure on the Project Wonderland ad network?
48. Why not buy some ads from recent blogs on Entrecard?
49. Why not increase your backlink numbers by visiting Aboutus.org?
50. Why not buy a keyword on OneBuckWiki.com?
51. Why not stretch our imaginations by creating an innovative marketing campaign?
52. Why not offer a prize for the top commenters on our blog for a month?
53. Why not install the Do Follow plugin for our comments?
54. Why not shop for Entrecard items through their marketplace?
55. Why not add a widget to your sidebar?
56. Why not submit your site to all the search engines?
57. Why not plan a blog attack for the next year?
58. Why not try to build a huge readership?
59. Why not follow everyone on Twitter who follows you?
60. Why not setup your comments as a contact form?
61. Why not remove non-used categories?
62. Why not learn about your blog post’s secret life after publishing?
63. Why not create a budget for your blog?
64. Why not monetize your blog in a new way?
65. Why not research new browser toolbars?
66. Why not come up with a new series of blog posts?
67. Why not encourage your readers to leave you feedback?
68. Why not strip your blog of useless badges?
69. Why not buy a notebook to write down blog post ideas for when you’re on the go?
70. Why not tell someone in the offline world about blogging?
71. Why not teach someone the basics of your chosen profession?
72. Why not write a blog post that will help others?
73. Why not write a blog post that reveals a little something about you personally?
74. Why not administer a poll to find out what direction readers would like to see the blog head?
75. Why not stumble other sites, creating positive karma your own site will get stumbled?
76. Why not sign up for Sphinn?
77. Why not create a contest for your blogging friends to all emphasize on their blogs?
78. Why not join a community on MyBlogLog?
79. Why not create a MyBlogLog account?
80. Why not boost your understanding of grammar rules?
81. Why not cement an understanding of common internet phrases?
82. Why not pump up your blog traffic by being Dugg?
83. Why not try your hand at Entrecard slots?
84. Why not do some exercise while blogging?
85. Why not come up with a memorable tagline for your blog?
86. Why not sift through your own archives to rejuvenate your blog purpose?
87. Why not seek out advice on your blog’s post quality?
88. Why not try a new meme you haven’t seen on any other blogs?
89. Why not check old posts for misspelled words?
90. Why not create a custom 404 page?
91. Why not submit a sitemap to Google, Yahoo, and MSN?
92. Why not suggest your blog for inclusion in a blog review site?
93. Why not buy a banner ad on a popular blog, if you can afford the space?
94. Why not add helpful information to your sidebar?
95. Why not add a line to your template so readers are reminded to subscribe to your blog?
96. Why not give a compliment to a new blogger?
97. Why not write about the services your enjoy using for free online?
98. Why not learn new ways to increase RSS subscriptions to your blog?
99. Why not seek advice from an old school blogger?
100. Why not write a list of 100 things to inspire others?

100 Why Not Activities for Bloggers from Jason Boom