Category Archives: Blogging

Power Up Your Blog: The Emotional Impact of the Right Photo

LionRoar

Do people remember your blog posts? Does your content have staying power? If you evoke emotions in your readers, I can guarantee that your ideas will remain firmly planted in their brain. How do you do that as a blogger? With the right photo, of course. I’ll be writing a post soon to help you…

Eight Powerful Ways to Build a Loyal Readership for Your Blog

Child with puppy

Today’s guest post on the Cat’s Eye Writer blog comes from Ali Luke, who heads up aliventures.com. I met Ali on Twitter and both she and my other half, @bobwp, will be presenting at Blogworld in New York City in June, so I’ll get to meet her in real time. I’m also looking forward to…

Here’s to the ‘Crazies’: 5 Insanely Easy Ways to Get Your Blog Post Noticed

CrazyBird

The passing of Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs on October 5, 2011 was a watershed moment for me. No matter which side we are on—the PC lovers or the Mac addicts—I think we all recognized the genius of this man. Do you remember Apple Computers’ 1997 Think Different ad campaign? Narrated by Richard Dreyfus, it had…

How to Get More Blog Traffic from Pinterest: The Power of Photos

GirlWithCamera

As a wordster, my favorite TV game show in the world was The $100,000 Pyramid. It started out as The $10,000 Pyramid, but, you know, with inflation and all, they had to up the ante. The best part was the final round, The Winner’s Circle. One player, with hands strapped to the chair’s arms, so…

What’s Under Your Bed?: 10 Monster Blogging Fears Worth Chasing Down

scared girl

Write for yourself. No, you should write for your readers. Posts over 500 words will bore your readers to death. But nothing worthwhile can be tackled in a post in fewer than 1,000 words. Your posts don’t need to be interesting; just instructive. Wait. Your posts had better be interesting or your visitors will click…

Can Google+ Pull More Readers to Your Blog?

GKSmaller

Just one month ago, I would not have written this post. Because I needed a fourth social networking time suck like I needed another stray cat to show up at my door. (We have already adopted two.) But then Guy Kawasaki sent me a copy of his new  digital book, What the Plus! Google+ for…

Your Blog as Stage: Building a Believable Author Brand

boyonstage

When I taught blogging workshops for writers and authors, one thing was predictable. Their eyes would always glaze over when I got to the part about building an author brand. They thought of selling out, of compromising their art, of consumer brainwashing. They had seen too many taglines, too many TV commercials—Coke (“refreshing”) and Apple…

When Blogging Is Seriously Hard

GirlWithTear

We have all been there before. We sit down at the keyboard, poised to crank out today’s blog post. We stare at the screen, willing the words to come. We type a bunch of garbage, in hopes that the good stuff will eventually spill out. We fidget. We frown. We try some more. But the…

Is Writing with Vulnerability a Sign of Low Self-Concept?

sad baby

When I was a teacher, one of the worst things a kid could have, the thing that would hold her back throughout life and beyond, was low self-concept. It was whispered about children, as though they would never get any farther than flipping hamburgers at McDonald’s because they had, you know: a low self-concept Of…

How to Remove the OCD from Your Blogging

boy at computer

Please give a warm welcome to Krissy Brady, the first guest blogger on the Cat’s Eye blog in 2012. I met Krissy when she began reading and commenting here. I checked out her blog and was impressed by the resources she so freely offers to writers. I encourage you to visit her blog. And if…

Be My Guest: Cat’s Eye Welcomes Livefyre’s New Commenting Feature

fancy waiter in restaurant

When I think about my vision for the Cat’s Eye blog, I usually think of two words: community and inclusive. I care about and appreciate my lurkers just as much as my active commenters. Some people just want to get the information and run. Others like the back and forth and new friendships made with…

Contest Season: Could This Be the Year Your Blog Wins an Award?

dog with prize

I have always loved contests. And while the random chance (will my name be picked?) ones are fun, the competitions that involve skill are my favorites. When I owned my marketing business, Cat’s Eye Group, my most meaningful award ever was a special little one I got from a Chamber of Commerce in a mid-sized…