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October 14, 2014

Help Me Determine if We Can Eliminate Spam Forever!

Are you sick of spam? I know I am, and want to eliminate it once and for all.

Akismet just isn’t cutting it, so I’ve switched to Anti-Spam. It might have to do with the current commenting system I’m using (as Connor Rickett points out in the last half of his video), but I’m just not sure.

Anyways, these are both FREE WordPress plugins, but one seems to be better than the other!

So far, Anti-Spam is doing the trick, and there is NO spam in my spam folder, but I’m not sure how it is going to affect people who want to comment on my posts, so I need your help!

My Commenting Plugin Experiment

I experimented with this in the past, but for only a few days. I wasn’t sure if I lost commenters. I know that Akismet sometimes classified a couple of my commenters as spam (a couple of times Adrienne Smith was considered spam, and I know for a fact that she is a real person), but, I’m tired of hunting for such commenters in my spam folder. Wading through spam comments is a time-waster, and my time is better spent elsewhere. I’m willing to bet yours is, too.

A New Commenting Problem

The problem that I’m facing now is wondering whether or not my commenters are going to make it through the filtering process. I’m afraid I’m going to lose commenters. I actually activated this plugin about 10 days ago, and so far have had no problems (that I know of) with peoples’ abilities to comment on my last post… so this post might be a waste of time on my part… but I don’t think it is.

At the very least, it will teach you about the Anti-Spam plugin!

What to do if you cannot comment on Wording Well

It’s no secret that I moderate comments on this site. I do this for three reasons: Read More

October 7, 2014

“F.I.T.S.” SERIES: Featuring #freelancewriter Joe Warnimont

FITS Series Welcome Image

Here is another entry in the F.I.T.S. (Freelancer In The Spotlight) Series on Wording Well.

The “Freelancer In The Spotlight” today is Joe Warnimont.

Be sure to stick around to the end, because I asked Joe a couple of questions, and have plans to ask him more in the comments!

Now please welcome Joe Warnimont to center stage.

Take it away, Joe!

How Joe Got Involved in Freelance Writing

I started freelance writing when I was at my first marketing job, straight out of college. It was in the golf industry, and although it allowed me to gain a better understanding about golf, that wasn’t exactly the most interesting industry, and not many people golf anymore.

I’ve always enjoyed writing down story ideas and random thoughts in a journal, but throughout high school and college, nothing ever came of this random hobby. I started structuring these thoughts when I built a blog and created twenty blog posts to start selling my writing to clients.

No, I didn’t start writing because of the passion; I eventually wanted to make money off of it. It never made sense to me when people said they just wrote for the love of it. Sure, it’s fun, but writing takes lots of work, and if you don’t have a plan to eventually gain recognition or make some sort of living, you can’t ever make a career out of it. You can’t drop that office job.

So, I built a blog in an effort to pitch to companies for my freelance services and to even make a bit of money through book sales and affiliate links. Read More

September 30, 2014

30+ Blogger-Sharks Spouting Oceans of Knowledge

This post is kind of a “Part 2” to 8 Action Tips For Guppy-Bloggers In An Ocean Of Sharks.

(This a guest post of mine that was published on Aha!NOW that performed extremely well and has over 130 comments on it).

Here are the actionable takeaway tips for bloggers to start feeling like a blogger-shark instead of a guppy:

Determine the Type of Blogger You Want to Be
Make Time For Learning
Stop Comparing Yourself to Other Bloggers
Realize that Blogging Growth Takes Time
Write Well and Own Your Own Voice
Build a Support System of Your Own
Position Yourself Properly and Support Others With Gestures of Appreciation
Focus on the Positive, and Don’t Give Up

NOTE: If you are a new blogger, read 5 Things New Bloggers Need to Know.

The Reason for this Post about Blogger-Sharks

I am considering this post to be an addendum to the aforementioned post because I want to tell you about the bloggers behind the faces, in case you aren’t familiar with them.

Plus, there was some information that I could not include in that post because there simply was no room for it, and so I’m including it here. 🙂

I also wanted to mention a few more people who are considered “sharks” in the blogging world that I have learned from and admire.

Some people might think that I’m only writing this to get the attention from those bloggers, but I’m not. I’m merely passing on what I’ve learned to YOU so that you can learn – and grow – too.

Just remember that growth takes time… and a lot of work!

Learn from these top bloggers. They’re sharks! #bloggingtips

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Blogger-Sharks from the Above Picture

The first four bloggers on the list below have been grouped together in other blog posts before. I’ve even had the pleasure of being grouped with them in 9 Inspirational Bloggers to Give You a Blogging Boost.

I’m pleased to be grouped again with them today, too, even if it is only in one of the specially created images that Mr. Singh made for me! (FYI, becasue I do not know how to use Photoshop, I paid Mr. Singh for his work. You can hire him, too. Just contact him via Google+. Here’s a link to his profile. Just tell him I sent you.)

Now, let me introduce you to some helpful people!

Ana Hoffman

Ana Hoffman (@AnaTrafficCafe) is the brain behind Traffic Generation Café. She gives away an ebook called, “Mommy, Where Does Traffic Come From?” and it’s chock-full of useful information you can use to grow your blog and business.

Ana might seem a bit intimidating because she’s so techie-smart, but she’s actually very helpful. Plus, if she doesn’t know the exact answer to a questions, then she knows someone who does.

Case in point: I was reading a post last week on backing up a website that was a bit complicated and so I shared it on Google+ and asked Ana and another techie-smart lady, Sherryl Perry, if there was an easier way to perform this task. Ana guided me to MaAnna Stephenson, who gave me one of her free reports on how to do just this.

You can see our entire interaction on Google+ for yourself.

Here’s a quote from Ana: “I’d say a blogger becomes a shark when other sharks start sharing their content.”

Thanks for all you do to help #bloggers and #marketing folk, @AnaTrafficCafe!

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Neil Patel

Neil Patel (@neilpatel , @CrazyEgg and @KISSmetrics) is the epitome of inspiration to anyone with a dream, and living proof that simple will, determination, and passion is what it takes to be successful. Read his about page to see how he went from a vacuum salesman to the co-founder of Crazy Egg, Hello Bar, and KISSmetrics, as well as being recognized in the top 100 entrepreneurs under the age of 30 by President Obama (and one of the top 100 entrepreneurs under the age of 35 by the United Nations).

Hiten Shah (@hnshah) is Neil’s other co-founder.

Thanks to Neil and Hiten, you can get your website analyzed.

More importantly, you can learn a lot from Neil’s Definitive Guide to Copywriting.

There aren’t enough words to describe how great Neil is. Take a look at his about page. He’s “kind of a big deal.”

Thank you for helping #bloggers and #entrepreneurs @neilpatel!

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September 22, 2014

Why You Should (+ How to) Act IMMEDIATELY When Hit With Inspiration

Do you take action when you are hit with a moment of inspiration? You should… regardless of what you are doing!

Read on to find out why.

My Inspirational Nugget of Wisdom Once Disappeared

A few weeks ago, I had an idea for a blog post that I thought was simply brilliant. I went to the dashboard of my website, opened a “new” post, wrote something in the “title” field and a few sentences, then went to find some cool images to use in my post, and then… blanked out.

My idea did not get fully developed. My inspiration had disappeared. All I was left with was… a few really cool pictures that I found.

I was upset with myself. I knew I should have written down everything the moment my inspirational idea hit me.

Now, try as I might, I cannot retrieve that glimmering thought from the recesses of my brain.

Ugh!

I know I’m not alone

Has the same thing ever happened to you? Have you ever forgotten what you were going to say?

Have you ever gone into your office (or kitchen, or bedroom, or another room) to get something, and then “forgot” what you went there for?

(I can see you nodding.)

We’ve all been in that situation, I know. That is why you need to act IMMEDIATELY when you are hit with inspiration… so you DON’T forget.

Why You Should Act Immediately When Inspiration Hits

Our brains are like computers, but only to a point.

Although we have an information retrieval system, we tend to only remember that which is most familiar to us.

We struggle with “new” ideas, ideas that are “outside-of-the-box,” and ideas that bring us outside of our comfort zones.

This is why it is often difficult to “hold that thought” when we have it.

And this is why we should IMMEDIATELY write it down. So we don’t forget it!

In addition, when you are hit with inspiration and plan to write it (or about it) at a later time, chances are you will not remember your initial excitement, why you were so inspired, and so, when you finally do write about it, the magical feeling will have dissipated or disappeared completely.

Others have testified to this, too:

“When it finds you, act, don’t wait, act!”

– taken from Don’t go searching for inspiration

“I’ve learned over the years that if I don’t write these flashes of inspiration down straightaway, they’re usually gone forever, or even worse remembered but not understood in the same clarity of when they were received.”

– taken from When you are inspired – act immediately! (SOURCE LINK NO LONGER WORKS)

Why You Should Act Immediately When Inspiration Hits #memorytips

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How to Act Immediately When Inspiration Hits

Because I don’t want this to happen to you (or to me… again!), I’ve put together a list of 5 actionable things to do to help you to remember your inspirational idea.

Do these 5 Actions When Hit with Inspiration

1. Write it down. Quickly. BEFORE you forget. Use Evernote. Use Post-Its. Record it… somehow!

“Ideas slowly trickle into your mind. And before you know it, you’re infused with passion and carried away in that magical state of ‘flow’ where the world fades away and nothing matters but you and the words in front of you.”

– taken from Kat Eden’s guest post on Write to Done: Why You Should Stop Waiting for Inspiration

2. Develop it as much as you can while the idea is fresh in your mind.

3. Don’t worry about sentence structure, grammar, editing your writing, or even typos! Get it out, onto paper or an electronic device, as fast as you can. There’ll be time enough later for refinement. Read More

September 19, 2014

“F.I.T.S.” SERIES: Featuring #freelancewriter Brian Morris

FITS Series Welcome Image

I’m continuing the F.I.T.S. (Freelancer In The Spotlight) Series on Wording Well, and the “Freelancer In The Spotlight” today is Brian Morris, who is also an author!

Did you pick up your free gift yet? Get it when you subscribe to my author newsletter.

Now please welcome Brian Morris to center stage. 😉

Take it away, Brian!

Focus On the Noose

“Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight,” Samuel Johnson once said, “it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”

But frequently, we don’t get that much warning.

A couple of years ago, I worked for a local utility company. One day, I was called into a meeting with the regional head of HR who told me what a terrific employee I was, what great knowledge I brought to the job and hoped that I could find another job where I could use 11 years worth of crazy mad office skills.

With the gallows looming (loss of income, loss of house, loss of a reason to put on my trousers every weekday), I knew it was time to go from part-time writing dilettante to full-time freelancing.

I liked the idea of a direct link between my efforts and my rewards and of being my own boss. The idea of not having to put on trousers or shave ever day was appealing too, but that’s another issue. Also, if I wrote some books, the books would sell online while I slept. The idea of a passive income stream was VERY appealing.

A couple of years later, I’ve now got a couple of books out, writing two more, waiting on one to be formatted and published, and working towards publishing another written by a friend. I also have a Facebook page where I encourage my friends to take up writing seriously and share information. Of course I do this with my copious amounts of spare time because at the time I’m writing this, I’m also moving into another time zone and trying to rectify everything I’ve neglected to take care of in the old home.