I was delighted to give a presentation for the Dallas Area Romance Authors last month. I talked to them about blogging and even a little about social media.

Here are some snippets of what we talked about:

What is blogging? – Blogging is just writing/journaling in a public forum

Why is important? (Specifically why is having an online presence for writers
important) – Writers need to have a community. Meeting in person, having a review group is great but having you work always available to lots of different sources is only something you can do online.

Where to blog: Deviantart, other writer communities, Facebook, actual blog. There are lots of writing communities but its also great to start your own, more eyes can see you and also you can connect and form your own community.

How to blog: Etiquette – the golden rule still stands. You like comments? Give them. You want links? Link to others.

Wordpress: I suggest starting with a free wordpress blog to get started. You can always get a personalized domain later and lots of snazzy add-ons but for basics Wordpress is the most SEO and user-friendly.

Fears: Other people taking your work – A couple of ways around this. First of theft does happen online. Fortunately it doesn’t happen terribly often. If you’re really concerned, don’t post anything you plan to publish, or post just sections. Little bread crumbs about your work can really get people intrigued.

Blogging can help you

*         Gain an audience – one you didn’t previously have access to

*         Improve your writing skills -  Just like journaling you are exercising those writing muscles. Also you have plenty of critics to help you improve!

*         Help you stay on track with your goals – it helps to be accountable. Having readers will force you to connect on a regular basis and stick to what you promise.

*         Promote your published works – Once you’ve written something feel free to shout about it on your blog! Publish reviews or cover art. Tell people where to buy it. Create a splash page promoting it if you are using wordpress.

*         Getting involved in an online community – Once you start updating regularly find some other writers you trust and connect with them. Create a little circle of people helping one another.

Paid blogging – Paid gigs exist out there. They don’t pay a lot (some time $10 an article) but it can be a great way to earn a little cash doing what you enjoy.

We also talked about social media, specifically about how Twitter works and how to connect better using it.

This is the list of blogs and Twitter handles that I have. If you are part of DARA feel free to email me or put your information in the comment to keep the list updated.

Non-DARA people: These are wonderful, talented women. If you enjoy romance take a minute to check them out!

• Raquel Rodriguez: http://raquelrodriguezauthor.blogspot.com/
• Kathy Ivan: http://www.kathyivan.blogspot.com/
• Sandy Wills: @sandy_wills http://sandy-wills.livejournal.com/
• Sally Felt: @Sallytex http://sallyfelt.com/
• Wendy Q: http://wendyquest.blogspot.com/ http://wendyquest.wordpress.com/
• Nile Landry (Dren James): http://nilelandry.wordpress.com/
• Jennie Bryant: http://www.jenniebryant.blogspot.com/

Today RD2 did a presentation at the DFW Wordpress monthly meet-up. I was very excited once they started talking because we feel very similar about design and approach as they did. So instead of doing a review of them, I’m mostly going to summarize their presentation with a few of my own thoughts interjected.  This presentation was given either for people planning to work with a design team, or someone who creates blog/website design.

What is the biggest challenge of design?

Design is subjective, its personal. Most people have trouble explaining why they pick a color scheme. What needs to happen is you need to move to an objective place. Colors, for example, maybe they support the mood of the pace, exemplify a fundamental change in the company, convey the message, or just support their branding colors.

Why?

The best way to be objective is to apply the “why” filter. With every design, color, piece of content, we need to ask why? The answer to the question why should line up with one of the following:

• Overarching reason or purpose
• Mission
• Key Summary
• Core Value System

You need to keep an overall goal in mind. What is the purpose of the website? Is it to put out information, leverage your clients or customers, share knowledge, network or maybe just establish yourself as an expert? Get this well defined.

Steps

1. Know your goals

We talked a little bit about the why up above. Spend a lot of time defining the goals. Again, just apply the “why” over and over again. Without goals you won’t be able to get anywhere.

2. Identify Your Audience:

Its so important to KNOW your audience. RD2 suggested actually doing full profiles of possible users of the website, including slice of life descriptions. (AKA, how old is the user, where do they live, why are they on the site, what do they do, activities, family, etc.) User profiles can be real people. Feel free to interview the kinds of people who would actually visit the site.

3. Know your competitor.

Visit competitor sites. Pick what you like and don’t like on those sites. What can you use? What can you improve on? Take those elements and decide what would make someone come to this site instead.

4. Research some Inspiration.

Inspiration can be about content or design, it can be cause by competitors or outside influences.

5. Plan Your Content

Its important to know your content before your design Layout pages, text, what you know you want. Have it written down in a flow sheet. Start a layout and plan as much as you can before you ever design anything.

6. Plan Your Features

After you know what you want on the pages and all the content you expect, try to decide what you want the site to do. (Again, looking at competitors might help here.) Do you want to connect to social media? Do you need a contact page? Interaction? Write all those down. Even brainstorm without the web (aka, “if your website could do anything, what would you have it do?”)

7.Outline Your Needs

Once you’ve got your content and features decided on, start wireframing the site. Decide exactly where you want everything to go before you ever start with the art.

But we want to end up on the importance of “Why”. Everything you do must go back to the goals, values and needs of the site itself. Make that your foundation and everything else will fall into place.

Blogging has become an essential part of good online marketing. Most people have either connected a blog to their site or link to one hosted elsewhere. A blog page has many different aspects, which makes it easy to ruin. Here are my top ten:

1. Hiding the RSS feed

No visible RSS feed might be the most frustrating thing ever. If I find a blog that inspires me, I want to subscribe right then. If I search for 5 minutes and can’t find the feed, I’ll probably leave and never come back. If you want to retain readers, keep your RSS feed at the top and bottom of your page. (Also, consider offering email subscription, too.)

2. Captcha doesn’t work to comment

I admit, I am guilty of this one. For two months no one could leave comments on posts because my captcha created impossible to decipher words. Finally someone told me and I fixed the problem. Check your captcha!

3. Requiring a log-in to comment

Most Wordpress blogs don’t require a log-in unless you add a plugin for that, but some other blogs do. Sure, this deters spam, but it also deters serious responses. I know I will usually fore-go commenting if I have to take an extra step. Note: this is not because I am lazy, but because I am busy. Forcing people to log-in disrespects their time.

4. No structure in posts

Some blog pages show just part of a post, while others show the entire thing. I don’t really have a preference, but if you show an entire post, make sure to give it structure. (Actually, give it structure anyhow.) By structure I mean paragraph breaks, headings… They call it, letting your writing “breathe.” People except one idea to stop before you begin the next one. Structure helps signify those changes.

5. Design doesn’t mesh with website

Sometimes blogs are embedded into a site, or just linked to the main page from another host. The design of the blog may not match the rest of the site. The clash of designs can range from disjointed branding to omg-my-eyes-are-burning.  Strongly consider integrating your blog; or at least matching your blog with the rest of your site.

6. Blog content doesn’t match goal of website

Your blog should play a part in your marketing. If your blog content is too personal or isn’t useful to clients its not functioning in your favor. Make every post work for you in some way. Sit down and think about the goal of your website and your blog. They should be complimentary.

7. Fifth grade writing skills – sometimes you should pay for content

Not everyone can boast beautiful writing technique. I don’t mean you need an English degree or the best grammar. Just make sure your writing is readable. If you just don’t have good writing skills, consider hiring someone or buying content. Don’t give up on a blog just because you can’t spell, but if you’re not willing to invest the time, pay someone else to.

8. Not using your own work (or at least claiming its yours when it isn’t)

DO. NOT. STEAL. Copying may be the highest form of flattery but its not worth it. If you get caught, imagine how that would destroy your credibility. Plus its just wrong. You can point to other blogs and even quote them, just link back and give credit.

9. Not taking advantage of Titles

Even if you don’t display entire posts on your blog page, readers will at least be able to see titles. Use your titles to keep people clicking! This is a great way to convert a causal browser into a possible client. Your posts may already have good information, but your titles aren’t urging people to click RIGHT NOW!

10. Clutter

It happens far too often. You spend hours adding links to your blogroll. You play with all the fun plugins and options. Its easy to suddenly have a blog just covered in random crap. Live by this rule, only add things you would click on someone else’s blog.

So ends our series on How to Ruin Your Website! Was there any particular page you would have liked to cover? Which page do you struggle with?

I got some great feedback on the post Want Free Advice? Join a Freakin’ Meetup. Most of the feedback didn’t show up as comments on the post but showed up on Facebook, in my inbox and even over the phone. Its probably been the most discussed post I’ve ever written.

One of the best comments I got came via email from someone who you should know if you don’t yet. I met him at Word Camp Dallas, where he was a speaker, he’s also an active member of the WordPress Meetup, and gave a presentation there in April. Lovely readers I’d like to present to you the Now-Famous Randy Hoyt!

First, I’d like to tell you a little bit about Randy and then I want to share with you the most FANTASTIC link he sent me! (Seriously, if you read any business blogs and want to get spotlighted, email the blogger the video I’m about to share, its like omg-I-peed-my-pants good.)

Randy gave me a little bio when I asked about him: “Randy Hoyt is a web developer and myth enthusiast living in Dallas, Texas. He offers his web development services through his freelance company Amesbury Web. He studies mythology and literature in his free time, editing and writing articles for his online myth magazine Journey to the Sea.”

What Randy means by all this very nice, demurely written information (its okay, he’s not used to being famous yet) is that he is a seriously ROCKING programmer. Like to the point where I’m gonna say if for some reason you don’t want to pay us, you should pay him to do your work. In fact, we’re hoping Veribatim will be able to use Randy in some future projects because its always great to know someone who creates user-friendly plug-ins. Randy gave the most technical presentation at WordCamp without scaring everyone. And to top it all off, Randy has this mythology site which is awesome. As a former creative writing major, I am crazy about this site of his. And let me tell you, a programmer who enjoys writing in any literary capacity is a rare find indeed.

So, GO CHECK OUT HIS SITE. Do it! Do it now! (Or, at least right after you watch the clip.)

Now, let me share with you the main reason Randy earned his spotlight. After I ranted about clients expecting things for free he sent me this youtube video:

If you are in business and that didn’t make little rainbows come out of your nose because you were laughing so hard you are just. not. human.

Now, go! Go check out Randy and give him some love! Here’s a post of his that I enjoyed, you might like it too. Leave him a comment and let him know where you’re from!