Archive for Writing
How to Blog for International Audiences
Posted by: | CommentsThe blogosphere is by its very nature a truly global phenomenon. Anyone with an Internet connection can, in theory, access your blog, no matter where they are in the world. But that doesn’t mean they will. To blog for an international audience, you need to make sure your content is appealing and accessible across cultural and linguistic divides.
Target your blog
Christian Arno
On the day The Huffington Post launched its French edition, founder Arianna Huffington said, “While we will be importing the platform, technology, and tools from across the pond, Le Huffington Post will be rooted in French culture and will reflect France’s own unique personality, rich culture, and diversity of voices.”
As with the preceding Canadian and UK versions, the news giant has tailored its French content to appeal to a specific international audience. We can’t all have the resources of Technorati’s current top-rated blog, but we can focus our efforts on markets that are likely to pay dividends.
The exact nature of your blog will help determine where you should start. A blog about soccer will have a wide potential appeal throughout much of the world but may have a more select, niche appeal within the USA. Concentrating on the Major Soccer League (MSL) could help reach that niche audience while in-depth coverage of leagues based in South America or Europe could give you inroads into those markets. Read More→
Why Can’t Graphic Designers and Their Clients Ever Agree?
Posted by: | CommentsI decided to ask designer and blogging buddy, Dennis Salvatier, this question — having worked with many designers over the years. Here is our conversation.
Jeannette: I’ve worked with many graphic designers over the years. These are designers whose work I’ve really admired. Strangely, though, when working on a project, some designers do not seem to grasp that the objective of the work is usually to sell a product or service. Sometimes, they fall in love with a design and try to sell it to the client even if doesn’t work.
By the way, I love my company logo design and masthead. A designer with whom I’ve worked on other projects created it. And I love your work, Dennis. But why is there this disconnect between design studios and their clients?
Dennis being playful
Dennis: Thanks, Jeannette. The biggest problem with the client/designer relationship is that there is rarely a conversation about the relationship itself. Roles need to be defined before any work is done and that is the responsibility of the designer.
A good designer starts the conversation, but a great designer provides a design brief. This is a short questionnaire that includes questions about the brand, competitors, target market, budget and goals. Read More→
Lucky to Be Alive and Blogging
Posted by: | CommentsA few posts ago I wrote about an infographic from copyblogger that listed 20 ways to find inspiration for your next blog post when you don’t have a clue what to write. I don’t ordinarily publish a blog late on a Saturday night. But I’d like to add a 21st idea that I’ll reveal momentarily.
The weather has been gorgeous in New York and those of us who live here have heaved a sigh of relief that we had such a mild winter compared to last year’s piles of snow and freezing temperatures. I took a long walk and when I entered my apartment lobby I was enchanted by the vase of flowers — they are changed every week. I took out my iPhone and snapped a photo. Of course, if I lived in the ‘burbs the image would be of a flower bed in my back yard. But this bouquet is inspiration enough for me.
So tip number 21: blog about something that makes you happy.
When You Don’t Have a Clue What to Write for Your Next Blog Post
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’re a blogger then you probably know about Brian Clark, founder of the popular copyblogger blog.
Brian Clark
He’s also a successful entrepreneuer, creator of two WordPress themes, and Scribe, the SEO plugin. He also gives courses on internet marketing. He’s no doubt raking in megabucks. Good for him.
He just posted his first infographic and kindly gave his readers the code to embed. It’s called “22 ways to create compelling content.” You can see it when you scroll down this post. Read More→
