Guest Bloggers

5 Monetization Mistakes That Make You Look Slimy

by Marian Schembari on October 20, 2010

This is a guest post (and fantastic reminder) by the lovely Jennifer Gresham of Everyday Bright. Read it, weep, then share your thoughts in the comments.

Monetization is all the buzz. While “hot trends” make a maverick nervous, blog + awesome products has the potential to be a true win-win. Fans get problems solved and you get cash.

So where does it all go wrong? I’ve seen a rash of bad behavior when it comes to monetization from bloggers who frankly have been around long enough to know better. Greed and a desire for passive income does funny things to people.

You can see how it happens though. Everyone seems to have a story about a blogger making easy money, and they’re sure you can do it too. As more and more engage in unabashed pitching, poor manners can seem… completely acceptable.

Here are 5 indications you just might have sold your blogging soul to the devil–and how to get it back:

1. Treating readers like ATM machines

Do you only communicate directly with readers when you’re on the verge of a sale? Do all conversations lead back to your pitch?

I’m not hear to pass judgment on those who prioritize making-money over the human connection (except to say that such people are lame). However, it turns out that treating your readers like people will actually make more sales.

Who Gets It: Naomi Dunford. Few are as persuasive as Naomi. Virtually every post is a gem of a sales lesson. She also cares about her readers. Once, after leaving a particularly pitiful comment on her blog, she DM’d to ask if I was okay. Wow.

2. The “I’m-not-pitching (oh yes I am)” ploy

I once got an email that went like this: This is not a pitch. I’d rather tie my legs to the saddle horn of a galloping horse before pitching you. But I just wanted to let you know there’s only three more spots available in my new course for the special “I love you” price of $300…

I un-subscribed from the newsletter and vowed never to buy something from that blogger. Ever. This tactic may work with some, but has the potential to produce bitter readers who now hate you.

Who Gets It: Scott Young. He created a division between his blog and the business behind it. You either opt in for pitches, or you just read the blog. That kind of transparency is refreshing.

3. The illusion of access

Another kind of product that’s gained in popularity is the pay-as-you-go discussion forum. Usually an A-lister hints if you join the forum, you’ll have private and exclusive access to their time in exchange for a small monthly fee. It seems like a bargain compared to plane fares to attend blogging conferences.

Unless the blogger never participates. If you put your name behind a forum, there’s likely to be bad will if it turns out you’re charging readers to talk to one another.

Who Gets It: Jon Morrow. I’m enrolled in Jon’s Guest Blogging course, and recently spent an hour and a half on the phone picking his brain on writing, connecting, strategizing and more. I got a ton of information that more than paid for the price of the course.

4. Selling secret decoder rings

Make sure your free product can stand alone. There’s nothing more annoying than getting something for free that really requires a paid product before you can implement. Teasers are okay. Decoder rings are best left to cereal boxes.

Who Gets It: Chris Guillebeau. Can’t afford Chris’ Empire Building Kit? His manifesto, 279 Days to Overnight Success, is free and packed with great ideas you can start using right away. Chris truly understands the idea of paying it forward.

5. Lying

Marketers know that scarcity sells. Just make sure that before you announce the overwhelming demand for your product, it’s actually true. And please don’t tell me about all the people begging you to sell your product unless you’re willing to produce testimonials to go with it.

Who Gets It: Annabel Candy. She recently asked followers to send her to BlogWorld. When a reader offered to share her hotel room, Annabel stopped donations short of her stated goal. Now that’s integrity.

I’m sure I haven’t captured them all. What monetization schemes make your skin crawl? What other bloggers stand out as model salesmen?

Jennifer Gresham is a PhD biochemist who left a successful career in the military to pursue her passion for writing. She is the author of the blog Everyday Bright, providing inspiration and support for those interested in career design.

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Getting to London

by Marian Schembari on August 31, 2010

This is a social media blog at heart, but sometimes I like to show off the multi-passionate side and introduce you to people who are out there doing good in the world. Nailah Blades is one of them. She’s graciously offered up this guest post and it’s with crazy amounts of excitement that I’m posting this today… Read on!

A couple of months ago Marian wrote an awesome post about how she found her “London” – that place where you feel at home, where you’re happiest. At the end of the post she charged all of us to go out and find our own passions or “Londons.” She’s totally right – we all should be doing whatever it is that makes us authentically happy – but I’m willing to bet that there are some of you out there who have squarely identified your “London” but have no idea how to get there. Figuring out what makes us over the moon happy can be a difficult and soul-baring experience but oftentimes figuring out how to get to that happy place is even harder. Here are my 5 Simple Steps for Getting to your Happy Place:

Get Crystal Clear

Get clear on what it is exactly that you’re shooting for. Are you looking to quit your day job and go out on your own? Do you want to move across the country? Or do you simply want to begin incorporating more creativity into your lifestyle. Whatever it is, be sure that you have complete clarity on what makes you happy – this is where the soul searching comes in.

Face your Fears

We all have limiting beliefs and blocks that may leave us terrified to take that first step. Identify where your blocks are coming from. Create a list of each of your fears. Then counter the fear in the column next to it. Ask yourself ‘what’s the absolute worst that can happen?’ and write it down. Most of the time we realize that the absolute worst thing isn’t really that bad and we already have a viable solution to the problem.

Bridge the Gap

In order to take the first step, you need to know where you’re going. Look at your goal and then identify where you currently are. What is it going to take the bridge the gap between your current situation and you goal destination? Do you need to take a course? Start saving up money? Or maybe learn a new language. Start taking the steps to close the gap between you and your dreams.

Do your Research

Immerse yourself in whatever it is that you’re looking to do. Talk to people who are living the life you’d like to live. Ask them how they got from point A to point B. Read books and blogs. Join forums. Do all the necessary research you need so that when you’re ready to take your big step, you’re nice and prepared.

Take Action!

Here’s the fun part: Start planning your action steps. Set mini milestones for yourself and start making progress on your overarching goal. Fight overwhelm by breaking up the larger goal into smaller, more manageable chunks. Sure, it’s great to say you’ll quit your job by January 17th but you should also have smaller milestones along the way to meet so that you don’t get overwhelmed and lose steam.

We should all be living the life of our dreams. Don’t forgo doing it because you get stuck along the way. With a clear vision and a good roadmap, you’ll be there in no time!

Nailah Blades is a Los Angeles based life coach who specializes in the quarter life experience. She is currently launching The Authentic Happiness Guide, a 4-week workshop to living life authentically, and would love for you to join her. She writes about personal growth, authentic happiness and everyday joy at PolkaDotCoaching and can be spotted on Twitter at @NailahBlades.

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How To Be A Completely Authentic Tweep (Without Sending People Screaming in the Opposite Direction)

by Marian Schembari on August 17, 2010

This is a guest post by the fabulously fab Steph Auteri – writer and coach and diva extraordinaire. Seriously, one of my favorite online peeps, y’all. Read it and weep.

Just last month, I subjected myself to a video interview over at Generation Meh, despite my paranoia over the way my hair looked, and my inability to settle upon just one normal facial expression. Over the course of the interview, Maureen and I talked about career coaching, consulting, and the freelance writing roadblocks I could help clients move past, but things got really interesting when I was asked about my sex writing, and how my promotion of it on Twitter affected my credibility as a career coach.

I knew the question was coming, but I still struggled with it. Because — honestly? — I don’t know how it will affect my chance at success as a career coach and, sometimes, I worry about it. But I like to think that those who are attracted to what I have to offer are attracted to the whole package… and to what my tendency to overshare represents. By being open and honest and completely authentic, I hope to connect with others on a deeper level and, as a result, help them.

And that’s what I look for in others, too. When I’m spending (far too much) time on Twitter, I’m not interested in accounts that spam me with their own links, or accounts that don’t engage in conversation or share relevant links. I’m not interested in accounts that do nothing but sell, and reveal nothing real about themselves. And I don’t believe that the bulk of those accounts are even truly successful in their business goals.

How to be authentic on Twitter without sacrificing professionalism

1. Be An Open Book. Talk about the activities of your day — especially as they relate to your work — without being salesy about it. Talk about the things that have nothing to do with your work… the things you love… actual life experiences. When appropriate, post photos using Twitpic, or another photo sharing app. People love being able to put a face to a username. If you’re into vibrators, classical singing, hoop dancing, and cats, feel free to be open about that, too. Consider it your personal brand. You should probably refrain, however, from posting photos of your vibrators. Cat photos are allowed.

2. Be Helpful. While it’s okay to use an application that allows you to tweet your blog posts as they publish, you shouldn’t be sharing only your own content. Share other blog posts and magazine articles that are relevant to your brand. Doing so will be seen as a gesture of goodwill by the content creators, and will make you a valuable resource to your followers. Don’t go RTing willy-nilly, though. Only RT those pieces you’ve actually read and enjoyed, as each tweet will be seen as an endorsement by you.

3. Be Social. I don’t like following those who can’t be bothered to @reply to others. After all, Twitter has always seemed — at least to me — a tool for engagement. If you’re not engaging in conversation with your fellow tweeps, how can we even be sure there’s a humanbeing behind that RSS feed? So take care to respond to those who try to start a dialogue with you. @reply others, even if they haven’t @replied you first. Ask questions in your tweets, or even in your RTs, as a means of inspiring discussion and interaction. People respond to people. Not faceless brands.

4. Be Human. With all those experts, gurus, ninjas, and rock stars crowding the Twittersphere (I personally like to think of myself as a pretty pretty princess), tweeps are left hungry for someone who is merely human. You’re not infallible. Don’t pretend to be. Why would anyone seek out help from you if they felt you couldn’t understand or empathize with them? Show your weaknesses. Show your mistakes. Show your self-doubts and show the instances in which you’ve struggled. Then, show how you overcame those things, or are managing them. Your followers will appreciate your honesty, and will feel as if there is something to learn from your experiences.

5. Be Sensible. Of course, there is such a thing as TMI, even when it comes to me. When should you hold back? There’s no one answer to this, as it varies from industry to industry. Some companies and/or industries are more open-minded, or blasé, or comfortable with online transparency, than others. Ask yourself: Would I be comfortable with my employer/colleagues/clients seeing this? Also, try to refrain from being outwardly negative about specific projects or clients. It will come back to bite you in the booty. Either the client will see it and become offended, or others will avoid hiring you because they don’t want to be the victim of your next angry tweet.

Want more of Steph Auteri’s boundless wisdom and cat photos? She just happens to write a blog on the freelance lifestyle, and also offers career coaching to those looking to navigate their way through the publishing industry, or rock it as freelance writers. In fact, you can still enroll in her upcoming e-course, 5 Weeks To Freelance Awesome. She is also a freelance writer and editor.

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Get Found on Google

by Marian Schembari on October 26, 2009

I mentioned this a while back and figured I’d go into a little more detail on how exactly to get your name out there. By now, we all know about the social media aspect, but here’s the thing: if you can’t be found online, you don’t exist.

Because there are hundreds of people applying for that one job, if it’s not easy to read your resume, find your contact information, etc then HR is going to give up and go the next person. You need to make it as easy as possible for people to find you. Not comfortable putting your contact info online? I wrote another post addressing that specifically, because I had a story. But now is not the time. Lesson for today is: how to exist online.

5 easy, but time consuming, steps:

Google yourself. Make sure to use quotes, ex: “Marian Schembari” (that prevents Google from showing Marian Jones and James Schembari who happen to be on the same page). Are all the sites on the first page you? If not, on to step two:
If you have a super common name, you might be out of luck. But if you can find a way to get yourself online along with keywords for your industry, that could definitely help. Ex: “‘Marian Schembari’ and publishing”. Now, I think I’m the only Marian Schembari in existence, but you get the point.
Create a web page. Doesn’t have to be complicated, but I say the prettier the better. I like 1&1 for website hosting. Include your resume, contact info, references and work samples if applicable.
Create as many profiles as you can: LinkedIn, Google, ZoomInfo, Jigsaw, Naymez, Ning, etc etc. Because these are all big sites, they’ll show up first on the page. It takes awhile for your own personal homepage or blog to show on a search, but if you’re linking to it left and right, it will pop up quicker.
Blog. Use your free time during the job search to become an expert. This blog is about publishing, but the job hunt doesn’t differ much from industry to industry. My friends are in acting so they should learn about how the economy is effecting theater prices, stage manager layoffs, movie reviews, whatever. Not only does it get your name out there, but it gives you something to talk about during interviews and establishes you as a valuable resource.
Guest blog. Find people with similar sites or blogs based on your interests and ask nicely if you can post. Many wont respond and many will say no, but just having one or two a) highlights your writing and b) puts your name out there! And you can link back to your online resume… When I Google myself (yes, yes I do) one of the first things that pops up is Debbie Stier’s post on HarperStudio. Because tons more people read her than me, it’s almost always first on the list. That being said, she links back to me so it works.

So there you go. Make it easy for employers to find you, a more detailed work history you can’t fit on a resume, comments from other employers (email them for quotes, if you left on good terms, I’ve found they always want to help) and your contact info. By doing this you’re showing them who you are and that you’re a serious contender for a position.

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A Lesson in Respectful Hiring Practices

by Marian Schembari on August 31, 2009

By Elizabeth Perovich

A good friend of mine, Margaret Thatcher, recently experienced the labors of Lady Luck herself. Many months into her yet-to-be successful job search, Margaret began to lose the hope and optimism that propelled her desire in the first place. Fighting for her place in the dog-eat-dog world of publishing, a place that she has certainly earned, Margaret was frazzle-dazzle excited when she received a phone call from Mark Twain, the hiring manager at Dream Company, asking if she would be at all interested in interviewing for an entry-level editorial position.

As a direct result of this phone call, Margaret suffered the inevitable cheek cramps of full perma-smile glory, displayed proudly for no less than three days. She interfaced with Dream Company, following the various constituent parts of the interview process we have all come to know and hate. Phone interview. Successful. Invitation for round one formal interview. Wait for phone call. Successful. Invitation for final round formal interview. Wait for decision. Receive infamous phone call of regret regarding non-existent future with Dream Company.

With this rejection came much confusion. Never leaving a stone unturned, Margaret channeled her confusion through professional inquiry, carefully penning a letter to Mr. Twain himself. She was candid with her request for post-interview feedback and expected the same professional courtesy from Mr. Twain. He did, after all, invite her to apply for this position.

Eager to utilize the sage advice of Mr. Twain, Margaret stalked her inbox. Two days, 13 hours, 26 minutes and 42 seconds had lapsed before the following e-mail glowed on the screen of Margaret’s computer:

TO: Margaret Thatcher

FROM: Tori Spelling

RE: Request for Interview Feedback glowed on Margaret’s screen.

_________________________________

Dear Ms. Thatcher,

I regret to inform you that company policy does not permit the exchange of feedback proceeding interviews.

Sincerely,

Tori Spelling, HR Associate

What just happened? Margaret became acutely aware of her heart beat as it pulsed rapidly through her sweaty temples, spiraling downward through the clenched fist and elbow supporting her head. Scattered thoughts abounded. I e-mailed Mr. Twain, not some Joe-Blo-Nobody in the HR department. Tori Spelling is so not Mr. Twain. Screw Dream Company. He couldn’t even tell me himself that providing feedback is against company policy- I became some HR minion’s problem.

This scenario displays the ubiquitous lack of professional courtesy plaguing hiring practices today. In 2006, Taleo Research surveyed over 1,500 job seekers; the study concluded that “the single most important frustration that candidates have today is the lack of good feedback.” This begs the question: Should companies provide feedback to candidates following rejection?

“An employer owes you candid, detailed feedback after a job interview,” states Nick Corcodilos, a seasoned headhunter and management consultant and author of How to Work with Headhunters & How to Make Headhunters Work for You. Why? “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

The vast majority of us never receive any feedback after a job interview, and we have come to accept this as just another part of the hiring process. Corcodilos continues, “the answer is not to accept how companies behave,” rather, the job hungry public at large must “raise our standards even higher…expect more…let companies know it.”

Among other debated reasons, some companies feel that offering candidates constructive criticism poses the threat of a law suit or risks bad PR if the candidate is in disagreement with said feedback. Others focus on the cost of doing so, acting under the faulty assumption that taking the time to provide “candid, detailed feedback,” does nothing to improve a company’s bottom line. Companies do not realize that utilizing disrespectful hiring practices, as in the case of Margaret Thatcher, provides them with the bad PR they fear in the first place. Do they think Margaret is going to spread the word about how Dream Company treats prospective employees with utmost respect? Doubtful.

Companies must recognize each candidate as a prospective client, as a customer. Dream Company lost Margaret’s service, along with however many other hopeful interviewees they “couldn’t” respond to over the years. One day, Margaret Thatcher will be in publishing, and one day Dream Company might desire her services. Unfortunately for Dream Company, she will be too busy advising the CEO of Second Choice Company, who also rejected her many years ago. The difference? Second Choice Company did so with courtesy and class, providing her with the feedback she needed to land a job at Third Choice Company the next time around.

*All names have been changed to protect parties involved.

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