Blogging, they say, is a labour of love and I couldn't agree more.
Bloggers go through the process of researching topics, chasing news, running interviews, developing features and more because they are passionate about the subject matter at hand. It often is labour in the truest sense of the word.
The pay cheque
Finding money in blogging is tough. Google's ad platform is more "cents" than "sense" while, in my opinion at least, adverts on a blog just don't do it so I've never taken up the few offers that have come my way. Fair play to those that do though.
Blogging about digital media (on my other side) has thrown a few paid assignments my way but payment comes from completing the assignments myself not the blog itself. However such leads are the best example of monetisation I've seen from my experience.
Engagement and (self)fullfilment
The real value, and satisfaction from blogging comes from engaging with other bloggings and an audience, if you are lucky enough to develop one. Thai blogs are a particularly communal area so the chances that after linking to some and 'doing the rounds' with comments, interest the like, word will get about and the key to the expat Thailand blogosphere will be yours.
Happiness is also often found through the personal triumph of recognition - in the form of a link from a big fish or, better still, a moment of fame with "proper" media.
The other one
This blog has been going steady since I started in November 2008, having just moved over to Thailand. Thanks it to I've connected with some great people - both virtually and face in face - and have even had my name in lights once or twice.
Over at my other blog, the younger, trendy, fashionable kid on the block has had a far racier ride.
Blogging about social media might seem like naval gazing to some, but its a world I worked in, and still do from time to time, and one I see myself rejoining at sometime. It is also a trendy topic which generates a lot of interest from Big G which has put me on Thai TV, quoted me in media, generated a steady stream of work and seen me engage with a diverse audience.
Graduation
However after less than six month, it seems like yesterday that the little blighter was born, already I'm waving it off as it heads off to the big smoke and the world of Asian Correspondent.
That's right, my other labour of love is about to toss me a few gold coins each month as the hobby I (happily) do for free is now putting out. It isn't enough to retire off mind, but its a nice little earner, as they say, (particularly for Thailand) and it brings the potential of greater exposure and more potential to engage --- win, win.
There is a degree of sacrifice involved, for instance my unashamedly self-indulgent URL - jonathan-russell.com - has lost its mojo, going from host (with the most) to an invisible redirect which sends traffic to the new location at Asian Correspondent HQ.
It was never an easy decision to make but being invited to contribute to a website making serious waves was too big a chance to ignore, particularly as most of the well known writers have spent years building a reputation, unlike my vagabond blog which made it in less than half a year.
- - -
The point of this post, however, is to say that it isn't all about the money, and never should it be, blogging may not always monetise itself in the form of cash flow, but the benefits and enjoyment that come with are worth enough on their own.
But if you do get the chance, or feel inclined, why not head over to my social media blog that just flew the nest.
It seems likely that with little brother away, Jonny Foreigner may enjoy a renaissance...just to prove it isn't all about the cash.
Showing posts with label social media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social media. Show all posts
Friday, 9 July 2010
Saturday, 23 January 2010
A new arrival in the family
This blog isn't dead, it is just getting used to sharing the attention with another member of the family.
Once all settles down Jonny Foreigner will back to normal again, for now he's hugging his tear-soaked pillow tightly, reflecting the days as an only-child blog.
Social media blogging has been a twinkle in my eye for a while.
Last month I began with a few entries on Posterous (a site well worth looking at if you're considering blogging, or expanding the family) and after things began turning out quite well the Posterous sprog grew into the new addition to the blogging family, this social media blog.
The folks at Asian Correspondent have taken an interest in supporting my young new thing too, certainly a welcome boost.
So if you're interested in Facebook, Twitter, Hi5, keeping tabs on regular internet and technology news in Thailand, or just wondering why this blog has suffered with few updates - head over to www.jonathan-russell.com for a peak at the newborn.
You're welcome any time.
In the meantime, I'll get back to consoling poor little Jonny.
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Ten tips to creating a successful blog for your company
[Originally posted on the Director Thailand blog here.]
I can't say I follow all of these, been especially inactive of late.
We’ve discussed social media in detail but have yet to touch on blogging – perhaps the original social media platform – in any detail.
Here we present ten essential tips for developing a successful blog for your business.
1. Think it all over first
Blogging isn’t for everyone so, before you launch your company’s blog take a little time think and plan exactly what you are looking to get from blogging.
Keep your goals and aims in mind every time new content is posted or the site is edited. This way content will be consistent and more appealing to potential new readers.
2. Write regularly
If a blog does not contain new content regularly readers will begin to lose interest and visitor numbers will decrease. Posting new content daily, or every day, gives regular viewers reasons to return to your blog meaning increased levels of traffic.
3. Use (a little) SEO
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the art of positioning a website well within search engines. SEO pays homage to the power of Google which will can, when done well, generate a large amount of traffic for your blog – Google, SEO and other search engines cannot be ignored.
SEO techniques vary but, in terms of blog content, a website which regularly uses key words (words which relate to the company’s business) will feature higher in Google searches and drive more traffic from search engines.
Despite the positives key words only work to an extent and should not be abused. SEO done badly, with too many keywords repetitively positioned, makes a blog sound unoriginal and too focused on driving traffic, making it less attractive for readers looking for interesting content.
4. Sprinkle social media dust
Social media, like SEO, is a popular and effective way of generating traffic to a site.
Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Hi5 or LinkedIn, posting snippets of content alongside a link can significantly boost visitor numbers to your blog.
Equally, posting information about social networking, for example details of a company’s Facebook group or presence on Twitter, can generate interest in the company’s social media presence(s) which may in turn lead users to recommend, visit or link to your blog or social media profile.
Social media buttons, which allow content to easily be posted to websites like Digg, StumbleUpon, Twitter, Facebook and more, can be installed and will spread blog content virally over social networks.
5.Engage with the community
Networks of bloggers who cover similar topics exist across the web. Engaging with and entering a community is an effective way to get noticed, generate traffic and discuss topics close to your business.
The first step is always to monitor conservations and track other blogs that relate to you business/keywords – which are the influencer? Which generate the most traffic/comments, etc?
These are the influential blogs that can boost your blog.
There are many ways to engage. Linking to other blogs and websites in posts is a simple way of alerting other blogs to your presence and encouraging link reciprocation, and consequently, traffic to your blog.
Most blogs have a blog roll, a list of blogs that the blog owner reads or recommends to their visitors, which generate visitors to the blogs listed on them. Creating and displaying a blog roll on your blog encourages other bloggers to include you on their blog rolls which, in turn, encourages more traffic to your blog.
Commenting on other blogs will also help increase our visibility in the blogosphere. This will encourage blog owners to list your blog on their blog rolls and post comments on your blog and discuss ideas and topics you raise on their blog.
6. List contact details
Blogging is about communication so providing contact details is essential yet still many bloggers do not do so.
If a visitor reads an interesting post or is interested in your business and wanting to find more information listing contact details will allow them to get in touch with you directly.
On a more principled level, blogging is about breaking communication barriers and transparency, listing contact details will help your blog achieve these goals.
7. Use multiple authors
With a need to post regularly and insightfully, the job of blogging is made easier when shared.
Using multiple authors will give a variety of insights, experiences and knowledge which may make your blog a more interesting read for visitors.
8. Be creative
A blog is more than just pages of text, it is a medium to entertain and interest. Adopting a creative approach will sustain visitors interest, maintain traffic levels and generate interest and buzz in the blogosphere.
For example, why not run surveys, regular features, interviews, guest posts, pictures and special offers in addition to regular blog posts. The variety and different angles will generate a greater level of interest and interaction with readers.
9. Have patience
Rome wasn’t built overnight and neither will your blog be. It may take anything from one month to one year before you start seeing regular numbers of comments and visitor numbers – persistence and patience are key virtues which pay off in the long run.
10. Monitor, monitor, monitor
There are scores of web analytics and monitoring tools which provide insightful data about your blog, its readership and how it is used.
Free services such as Google Analytics, Alexa, Technorati and others will help you understand more about your blog and how you can better use it as a resource. For example, which blog posts pull in the most visitors, which keywords generate search engine traffic and which websites are sending traffic to your blog.
I can't say I follow all of these, been especially inactive of late.
We’ve discussed social media in detail but have yet to touch on blogging – perhaps the original social media platform – in any detail.
Here we present ten essential tips for developing a successful blog for your business.
1. Think it all over first
Blogging isn’t for everyone so, before you launch your company’s blog take a little time think and plan exactly what you are looking to get from blogging.
Keep your goals and aims in mind every time new content is posted or the site is edited. This way content will be consistent and more appealing to potential new readers.
2. Write regularly
If a blog does not contain new content regularly readers will begin to lose interest and visitor numbers will decrease. Posting new content daily, or every day, gives regular viewers reasons to return to your blog meaning increased levels of traffic.
3. Use (a little) SEO
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the art of positioning a website well within search engines. SEO pays homage to the power of Google which will can, when done well, generate a large amount of traffic for your blog – Google, SEO and other search engines cannot be ignored.
SEO techniques vary but, in terms of blog content, a website which regularly uses key words (words which relate to the company’s business) will feature higher in Google searches and drive more traffic from search engines.
Despite the positives key words only work to an extent and should not be abused. SEO done badly, with too many keywords repetitively positioned, makes a blog sound unoriginal and too focused on driving traffic, making it less attractive for readers looking for interesting content.
4. Sprinkle social media dust
Social media, like SEO, is a popular and effective way of generating traffic to a site.
Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Hi5 or LinkedIn, posting snippets of content alongside a link can significantly boost visitor numbers to your blog.
Equally, posting information about social networking, for example details of a company’s Facebook group or presence on Twitter, can generate interest in the company’s social media presence(s) which may in turn lead users to recommend, visit or link to your blog or social media profile.
Social media buttons, which allow content to easily be posted to websites like Digg, StumbleUpon, Twitter, Facebook and more, can be installed and will spread blog content virally over social networks.
5.Engage with the community
Networks of bloggers who cover similar topics exist across the web. Engaging with and entering a community is an effective way to get noticed, generate traffic and discuss topics close to your business.
The first step is always to monitor conservations and track other blogs that relate to you business/keywords – which are the influencer? Which generate the most traffic/comments, etc?
These are the influential blogs that can boost your blog.
There are many ways to engage. Linking to other blogs and websites in posts is a simple way of alerting other blogs to your presence and encouraging link reciprocation, and consequently, traffic to your blog.
Most blogs have a blog roll, a list of blogs that the blog owner reads or recommends to their visitors, which generate visitors to the blogs listed on them. Creating and displaying a blog roll on your blog encourages other bloggers to include you on their blog rolls which, in turn, encourages more traffic to your blog.
Commenting on other blogs will also help increase our visibility in the blogosphere. This will encourage blog owners to list your blog on their blog rolls and post comments on your blog and discuss ideas and topics you raise on their blog.
6. List contact details
Blogging is about communication so providing contact details is essential yet still many bloggers do not do so.
If a visitor reads an interesting post or is interested in your business and wanting to find more information listing contact details will allow them to get in touch with you directly.
On a more principled level, blogging is about breaking communication barriers and transparency, listing contact details will help your blog achieve these goals.
7. Use multiple authors
With a need to post regularly and insightfully, the job of blogging is made easier when shared.
Using multiple authors will give a variety of insights, experiences and knowledge which may make your blog a more interesting read for visitors.
8. Be creative
A blog is more than just pages of text, it is a medium to entertain and interest. Adopting a creative approach will sustain visitors interest, maintain traffic levels and generate interest and buzz in the blogosphere.
For example, why not run surveys, regular features, interviews, guest posts, pictures and special offers in addition to regular blog posts. The variety and different angles will generate a greater level of interest and interaction with readers.
9. Have patience
Rome wasn’t built overnight and neither will your blog be. It may take anything from one month to one year before you start seeing regular numbers of comments and visitor numbers – persistence and patience are key virtues which pay off in the long run.
10. Monitor, monitor, monitor
There are scores of web analytics and monitoring tools which provide insightful data about your blog, its readership and how it is used.
Free services such as Google Analytics, Alexa, Technorati and others will help you understand more about your blog and how you can better use it as a resource. For example, which blog posts pull in the most visitors, which keywords generate search engine traffic and which websites are sending traffic to your blog.
Friday, 6 November 2009
Thailand Twitter List
Decided to practice my preachings about Twitter Lists.
I've created a list, @jonrussell/thailand, for English-language Twitter users in Thailand - both Thai and non-Thai - which is pretty comprehensive.
You can access it at by clicking here or browsing the widget near the top of the blog's right sidebar.
Whilst it is unlikely to deliver breaking news like other lists, it's a neat way of seeing what people are talking about in the Thai Twitter community and may help you find new people to follow.
If you're not on the list my apologies, it's not easy to go through 400 plus contacts. Just drop me an email or find me on Twitter, I'm @jonrussell, to remind me.
If you don't know what Twitter is and you live in, or have an interest in, Thailand, read this post and come back to this page.
Thursday, 5 November 2009
DISQUS
I'm putting DISQUS on gardening leave whilst the rest of the world, and my small portion of readers, catch up with the service and start using it.
I think the service is top notch in putting all of a person comments together, and other elements which seem obvious but no one else is doing. Alas precious few seeming to use it, it's coming down for the moment to be replaced by the bog standard Google comment machine.
As Charles said recently "management reserves the right" blah blah blah.
Bye bye DISQUS, see you soon I hope.
I think the service is top notch in putting all of a person comments together, and other elements which seem obvious but no one else is doing. Alas precious few seeming to use it, it's coming down for the moment to be replaced by the bog standard Google comment machine.
As Charles said recently "management reserves the right" blah blah blah.
Bye bye DISQUS, see you soon I hope.
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Google fake highlights issues with online news
Today's announcement of the 'new' Chrome OS showed why relying on the web for news has its problems.
First off, the news was fake - hats of to TechRadar, if its article wasn't, as it appears to be, the first to call it out, TR was certainly the most vociferous voice spreading the reality.
The story, which was run on a "major website" (despite not appearing on Google's own blog) before being subsequently pulled, exemplifies a growing trend of online news sites failing to research before publishing - such is the race to get the news out first and gain momentum on services that drive web traffic, like Twitter, Digg, Google News, etc.
With media and news now emanating almost entirely from the web, it is worrying to see onlines being fooled as they put SEO and web traffic before the accuracy of reporting.
Secondly, away from the news gathers, is the news spreaders. News of the fake launch was all over Twitter, marketing as a huge announcement, when in fact it was anything but significant.
Being viral doesn't make facts or stories true - why do people continue to blindly circulates link without at least visiting, or reading the articles in full first? Many will forward a link through Twitter, Digg, Stumble Upon, etc just because it is interesting at face value.
First off, the news was fake - hats of to TechRadar, if its article wasn't, as it appears to be, the first to call it out, TR was certainly the most vociferous voice spreading the reality.
The story, which was run on a "major website" (despite not appearing on Google's own blog) before being subsequently pulled, exemplifies a growing trend of online news sites failing to research before publishing - such is the race to get the news out first and gain momentum on services that drive web traffic, like Twitter, Digg, Google News, etc.
With media and news now emanating almost entirely from the web, it is worrying to see onlines being fooled as they put SEO and web traffic before the accuracy of reporting.
Secondly, away from the news gathers, is the news spreaders. News of the fake launch was all over Twitter, marketing as a huge announcement, when in fact it was anything but significant.
Being viral doesn't make facts or stories true - why do people continue to blindly circulates link without at least visiting, or reading the articles in full first? Many will forward a link through Twitter, Digg, Stumble Upon, etc just because it is interesting at face value.
Part of the TechRadar story is below, it is in full here.
Reports of Chrome OS arriving for the masses look to be premature, with the site that is being pushed containing a proviso that the content is nothing to do with Google.Update - Google has now blocked the download page which was available through a site hosted by Google (this was not the Google website).
A report went up on a major website which sparked a Twitter furore, but the article is now gone and only the echoes remain.
The facts certainly stack up; the site at http://sites.google.com/site/chromeoslinux/download is not what you would expect an official release to be hosted on for one thing.
Clincher
The lack of an official post from Google announcing the build is a second, but the real clincher comes on the very page itself
"Chrome OS is not related to Google," says a footer on the page "Service provided by SUSE Studio. See the license."
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Google Wave
I don't often cross-post my work from Director but I'm going to shamelessly pimp out today's piece on Google Wave - a name that will become familiar with over time, if not already.
Google Wave is likely to be a major part of how we communicate and use the internet in the future
Check out the official Wave website for more info.
Why Your Business Should Care About Google Wave
Since its preview release at the end of September, Google Wave has barely been out of the headlines, being regularly touted as the future of internet communications.
Yet despite the hype only 100,000 people, worldwide, are invited to use its preview version, leaving the rest of us with a lot of questions.
What is Google Wave? How will it change the way we communicate and why should businesses be interested at this stage?
This week, the Business 2.0 column will take a look at Google Wave and why businesses, and others, should take an interest in its progress.
Internet Communications Born Today
Put simply, Wave has the potential to be a ‘game changer’ in the same way that MSN Messenger, Skype, email, Google Search, YouTube, eBay and others have shaped the state of the web and consumer habits today.
The principle belief behind Wave is to update internet communications. The founders saw that, whilst instant messaging and email are successful and popular, they were designed a long time ago and therefore to do not make the most of the web as it is today.
Wave is a difficult concept to grasp let alone explain but leading web technology blog Mashable succinctly described it as:
Note the absence of lines like "Ride the Google Wave" or "Surf's Up as Google Wave comes in", tempting though they were.
Google Wave is likely to be a major part of how we communicate and use the internet in the future
Check out the official Wave website for more info.
Why Your Business Should Care About Google Wave
Since its preview release at the end of September, Google Wave has barely been out of the headlines, being regularly touted as the future of internet communications.
Yet despite the hype only 100,000 people, worldwide, are invited to use its preview version, leaving the rest of us with a lot of questions.
What is Google Wave? How will it change the way we communicate and why should businesses be interested at this stage?
This week, the Business 2.0 column will take a look at Google Wave and why businesses, and others, should take an interest in its progress.
Internet Communications Born Today
Put simply, Wave has the potential to be a ‘game changer’ in the same way that MSN Messenger, Skype, email, Google Search, YouTube, eBay and others have shaped the state of the web and consumer habits today.
The principle belief behind Wave is to update internet communications. The founders saw that, whilst instant messaging and email are successful and popular, they were designed a long time ago and therefore to do not make the most of the web as it is today.
Wave is a difficult concept to grasp let alone explain but leading web technology blog Mashable succinctly described it as:
“A real-time communication platform. It combines aspects of email, instant messaging, wikis, web chat, social networking, and project management to build one elegant, in-browser communication client.“Read this rest here on the Director blog.
Note the absence of lines like "Ride the Google Wave" or "Surf's Up as Google Wave comes in", tempting though they were.
Monday, 28 September 2009
Economist: Did you know?
A week or so back the Economist posted the below video on YouTube. I'm shocked it has only received 26,000 odd views (particularly when Five Little Monkeys has more than 10 million views, albeit over 2 years) as it is insightful and fascinating - all in all highly recommended.
The video, which was developed by information design consultancy XPLANE, looks at the changing media landscape, including convergence and technology.
So if you are into the internet, social media, technology (esp mobile phones), traditional media, interesting stats and future trends then this is right up your street.
I originally posted it on Twitter but, upon reflection, decided it deserved a little more exposure.
The video, which was developed by information design consultancy XPLANE, looks at the changing media landscape, including convergence and technology.
So if you are into the internet, social media, technology (esp mobile phones), traditional media, interesting stats and future trends then this is right up your street.
I originally posted it on Twitter but, upon reflection, decided it deserved a little more exposure.
Friday, 25 September 2009
The social media makeover
Found this quite magnificent social media scribble via Charles Frith.
I write a fair bit about social media and in particular how businesses and companies can use it.
It's a hugely important topic. Social media has the potential to be "game changing", as the Yanks say.
All consumer communication will be turned on its head. The boot is on the other foot, consumers are enfranchised with potential to stick-it to major companies. Suddenly every poor customer experience has the potential to generate poor PR via online, viral, word of mouth.
What used to be a customer complaint letter read by a handful is now something with the power to influence, persuade, dissuade, promote, reject and hold companyies to account.
Check out the Debtors Revolt on YouTube, United Airlines breaks guitars or, on a wider but more shallow scale, there is Facebook. With more 256 million users pouring their thoughts, good/bad experiences onto the web for friends to see.
But, before we get carried away, the great 'socialist web' revolution is yet to occur. In today's market, precious few are getting close to turning this potential into value.
All too often business are misfiring and misusing social media.
They just don't get it, yet...
I write a fair bit about social media and in particular how businesses and companies can use it.
It's a hugely important topic. Social media has the potential to be "game changing", as the Yanks say.
All consumer communication will be turned on its head. The boot is on the other foot, consumers are enfranchised with potential to stick-it to major companies. Suddenly every poor customer experience has the potential to generate poor PR via online, viral, word of mouth.
What used to be a customer complaint letter read by a handful is now something with the power to influence, persuade, dissuade, promote, reject and hold companyies to account.
Check out the Debtors Revolt on YouTube, United Airlines breaks guitars or, on a wider but more shallow scale, there is Facebook. With more 256 million users pouring their thoughts, good/bad experiences onto the web for friends to see.
But, before we get carried away, the great 'socialist web' revolution is yet to occur. In today's market, precious few are getting close to turning this potential into value.
All too often business are misfiring and misusing social media.
They just don't get it, yet...
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
If websites were people
Love this - one to be appreciated by fellow social media users/addicts/geeks out there.
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Can Twitter-Tattle Lose Your Battle? - Director
Shameless plug for my latest piece for Director's blog - Can Twitter-Tattle Lose Your Battle? - looking at the lessons business can take from the recently announced social media policies of armed forces in the US and UK.
Read it in full here.
Read it in full here.
Plug over...
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