Latest posts from Danny Brown

Enjoy the latest posts from Danny Brown, and feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments after the post.

Overview of SEO Data Transporter from StudioPress

This post originally appeared at For Bloggers By Bloggers, but I’ve been asked a lot of questions about theme changes and SEO settings recently, so I thought I’d share it here.

For any self-hosted WordPress blogger, the SEO Data Transporter plug-in from StudioPress could be one of the most useful plug-ins around.

Compatible with some of the most popular premium WordPress themes as well as SEO plug-ins, the SEO Data Transporter does exactly what it says on the tin – transports SEO data.

Not only that, but it’s incredibly easy to install, set-up and use – what more could you want?

In this video, I give you a quick overview of the SEO Data Transporter plug-in and its benefits.

You can either download the plug-in directly from the StudioPress website, or install from the WordPress dashboard using the Add New Plug-In option and searching for SEO Data Transporter.

This post contains a video. If you can’t see it displayed in your feed properly, you can view it directly here.

Why Facebook and Twitter Are Not Replacing Blogging

A recent post over at Forbes claims Facebook and Twitter are replacing blogging. Written by Jeff Bercovici, it uses statistics from the just-released State of the Blogosphere report by Technorati, one of the leading blog resources on the web.

In the post, Jeff points out that Facebook and Twitter are replacing blogging with the argument that less people are spending time blogging, but more time on Facebook and Twitter. From Technorati’s findings, “pure bloggers” like hobbyists are blogging less as their time is allocated more to the micro-blogging sites.

While Jeff uses the Technorati stats to paint his position, I can’t help but feel he’s missing the bigger picture.

Technorati and Blog Claims

While there’s no doubt that Technorati is one of the leading blog resources when it comes to statistics, it also only counts blogs that’s registered with the service.

So while there might be 180 million blogs registered (I think that was the number from the last report), there are a ton more that aren’t registered. Chinese bloggers, for example, are restricted by the Internet laws in China – you can quickly add a few hundred million onto the numbers there.

So while it may appear to Jeff that blogging is going down (at least from the hobbyist angle), not having the full picture skews the results a little.

Numbers and Interpretation

It’s not just the registered versus non-registered numbers that are important, though. Dig a little deeper into the Technorati stats, and you’ll see a lot of information that Jeff either fails to mention, or conflicts with his view.

In Technorati’s introduction post, they mention that they spoke to 7,200 bloggers to put the report together this year. Look at that number again – 7,200. Out of more than 100 million blogs registered with Technorati. While not insignificant, can less than 1% of your audience be a reflective number?

Part-time bloggers (13% of the blogosphere) spend at least three hours per week on their blogs, with at least a third of them posting at least once a day.

At Forbes, Jeff mentions that less time is being spent on blogs since they’re content to post on Twitter or Facebook. Yet according to Technorati, 49% of part-time bloggers and 62% of self-employed bloggers are blogging more because it helps promote them and their business.

But here’s the kicker. Jeff mentions that micro-blogging is taking away bloggers, and giving numbers over to Twitter and Facebook instead. Yet again, look at the Technorati report, and their exact quote is:

The key driver of decreased blogging is an increase in work and family commitments, which is reported as a factor by 63% of respondents who are blogging less. Compared with last year’s findings, slightly fewer of those who are blogging less said that their devotion to microblogging (30%) and social networks (28%) has curtailed their blogging.

So, while micro-blogging sites are becoming more popular with ex-bloggers, it’s actually less than last year’s figures. So blogging is more popular this year?

The Truth About Blogging

The thing about blogging is that it’s something that can’t easily be quantified by simple numbers (as shown here, with Jeff’s interpretation and my one, using the same statistics).

Additionally, you can’t always separate business blogging from personal blogging – the two often mix, whether it’s as a business owner or an employee blogging for your company. While you might be writing a business post, you could also be using the ideas in that for a personal one, and vice versa.

But here’s why I don’t think blogging will be replaced by either Twitter or Facebook anytime soon.

Control and ownership.

Twitter and Facebook are third-party sites, and as such you’re governed by their Terms and Conditions. If they want to change how their service is provided (and they often do), you’re screwed. You have to abide by their rules and how they want you to use the platform.

Twitter, while undoubtedly one of my favourite platforms, is still limited by its character count. Yes, you can be focused and make sure every tweet counts, but you still need multiple messages to carry a conversation; make a point; correct facts; and more.

Your blog is your property (at least self-hosted blogs are). You can post whatever you want, in whatever way you want, and not be restricted by length.

Until the micro-blogging platforms offer that kind of control and ownership, then blogging will continue to be the only way to share your message the way you want it to be shared.

Facebook and Twitter replacing blogging? Not for this blogger. You?

images: Technorati

317 Ways to Succeed in Social Media

The great thing about social media (and blogs that talk about social media and how it can be used for personal, business, blogging, marketing and more) is that there’s a ton of information available on how it can benefit you.

Hopefully, over the space of the last two years or so, this blog has offered you some tips, advice, strategy, call it what you will, that has helped you understand this cool toolset we call social media.

Just in case you missed any of these posts, here are some specific ones collected into one quick bookmarking option. I hope you find them useful.

Note: Each link opens in a new window, so you probably don’t want to open all at once.

Social Media

Blogging

Twitter

Facebook

Online Goodness

And as an added bonus, here’s a chat I had with the awesome David Siteman Garland yesterday over at his Rise to the Top show, where we talk about (amongst other things) social media “success”.

Enjoy!

(For more resources like these as they’re published, why don’t you subscribe to the blog? Choose your preferred method – email or RSS – from the options at the top of the sidebar to the right.)

This post contains a video If you can’t see it properly in your feed, you can view it directly here.

image: Leo Reynolds

Business Lessons from Theme Parks

When you go to a theme park, do you spend time waiting on the best rides and rollercoasters? Or do you bypass them and go for the more sedate ones with the lesser crowd? Or don?t you go for the rides, more the experience of an enjoyable day out with friends and family?

If you?re like me, you?ll happily wait for an hour (or more) for the fastest rollercoaster, or the one with the biggest drop, or any of the other thrillseeker-type rides. It?s a no-brainer, and if I have to wait to enjoy it, so be it.

Yet is it really a no-brainer?

Think about why you want to ride that rollercoaster, or go on that attraction that shoots you 150-feet in the air before bringing you crashing down to earth in a matter of seconds.

Is it because of your adventurous side, or is it because of the way the ride has been sold to you? Are the words ??death-defying?, ?ultimate thrill ride? and ?your fear is all that stops you? the real reason that you?re in the park?

Theme park operators are some of the canniest minds in marketing.

They know how to reach their target audience and they know exactly which buttons to press to get that audience into their parks. And with theme park technology advancing at such a fast pace, hitting your mark is what separates the must-visit theme parks from the sympathy stop-off when there?s nothing better to do.

Own Your Theme Park

How are you communicating with your target audience?

Do you offer the most exciting rides and the reason why customers should choose your business over the competing one? You need to make sure that your customers are happy to stay in your line ? you need to offer them an end result that blows them away.

You may not have the fastest ride; you may not have the biggest; but if you have the best (or at least the best in the eyes of your customers) then you?ll fill your theme park up regularly. So, how do you make your ride the star attraction?

Offer choices. A theme park would be nothing if there was just one ride, no matter how exciting it was. The ones with the most visitors get them for a reason ? choice.

Your customers are no different ? but are you catering to them, or excluding them? Do your products cater to left-handed people, for example? If not, you can knock 10% from your potential sales figures immediately. Are you excluding minorities? Are there different sizes or designs for the same product? If not, should there be?

Look at what you offer and ask yourself if you can offer alternatives for those that need it. Use analytics and market research to understand your audience and what they?re buying. More importantly, understand what they?re not buying and why.

There are thousands of theme parks all vying for your visitors. Are you giving a reason why yours is the best?

image: Carol Browne

Drinking From the Kool Aid

The phrase ?drinking from the Kool Aid? is a strange one. Originating from a cult mass suicide, it?s also used to describe belief in perspective. I still can?t decide whether I?m a fan of the term or not, but that?s neither here nor there.

Either way, if I was to drink from the Kool Aid and share with you, here are ten bottles of Kool Aid that would fill your creative juice needs anytime. I hope you enjoy.

How to Choose the Right Blog Tool. Informative post from Arik Hanson about how to decide which blogging platform to use for your business needs, with reasons why each of the covered platforms might be better.
The Mad Men Guide to Changing the World with Words. Okay, I’ll admit it – I still haven’t watched a single episode of Mad Men. But this post from Jon Morrow over at Copyblogger might change that – and it’s a damn fine post on the power of words.
Unethical Social Media at Its Worst. Uber-smart PR guy Dave Fleet shares a sordid tale of politics, social media and the recent Toronto mayoral elections. Interesting views in the comments as well.
Lessons Learned at a Parking Garage. Not as naughty as it sounds, this is a great post from Frank Dickinson on why businesses should think smarter, or end up with BMW customers (you’ll have to read the post for the acronym!).
Over 140 Marketing and Business Development Ideas for You. One of my favourite marketing bloggers is Jim Connolly. This post, and the resources in it, shows why. Read, bookmark, use.
Blogging Through Storytelling. We all know the power of a good story – but are you using that power in your blogging? Andrew Rondeau shares his storytelling advice over at Kikolani.
Will It Matter in One Year? Oftentimes, we let so many situations take control of us when we don’t need to. Andrew Weaver shows us how, in the long run, a lot really doesn’t matter after all.
Moderating Blog Comments. Always guaranteed to be a hot topic, the question of whether blog comments should be moderated didn’t disappoint over at Spin Sucks. Read the post, then join the great debate inside the comments.
10 Smart, Thought-Provoking Comments from the Future Buzz Community. I’m a big believer in a blog only being as good as its community makes it. Adam Singer clearly agrees, as he highlights some of the best from his.
The Boy with the Bread. Okay, I’m cheating a little here by sharing one of my own. But this might help you understand why size doesn’t always matter; it’s how you share bread that does.

Hopefully I?ve satiated your thirst with these drinks. But now I?m thirsty. So, what would you suggest I drink ? any recommendations?

image: dolmansaxlil