Social Media Bio Meets Mind Map: It’s Vizify

Vizify.com

If you have read my blog for a while, you know that I’m a big fan of the visual mode: using things like doodling, drawing, mind mapping to get ideas across quickly and release the creative side of me. My friend Ralph Dopping from The View from Here blog also wrote an outstanding post on the topic.

Through my better half, Bob Dunn (AKA @bobwp), I ran across a fun, visually popping tool not just for writing your bio, but for managing your entire online profile.

It’s called Vizify.

Their message is, “”…looking good online matters.” Vizify is a unified bio that pulls all your stuff together from across the web, summarizes it and puts it into a cool, at-a-glance form that is easy to digest. We writers are fond of the mantra, “Show, don’t tell.” This tool does just that.

To show you what I mean, I’m including some screen shots below from Bob’s Vizify profile. The first one shows an at-a-glance picture of the important stuff: where he works, how many years he’s been in business, an icon for his WordPress services, how much he has talked about WordPress-related topics on the web, number of workshops and conference speaking gigs he has under his belt—things like that:

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The Surprises of Guest Posting

 The Surprises of Guest Posting

There are a bazillion bloggers who have talked about benefits of making guest appearances on other blogs. One of the best reasons to write guest posts is to reach new audiences and grow your own blog.

But sometimes when you write a guest post for another blog, things happen that weren’t even in your brain. You see, the thing is, you never know who is reading your post. And that makes guest blogging unpredictably fun.

For instance, just this week, my guest post for Write to Done showed up on the Holy Caw! All the topics that interest us page of Guy Kawasaki’s mega-popular site alltop.com. (If you didn’t know, alltop.com is now the authority in sorting through the flood of blog posts and articles that are published daily. Their goal is to filter through all the stuff and aggregate the best for you.) Because of the Holy Caw appearance, my guest post was shared on Twitter a whole bunch of times and got tons of traffic.

The next day, I got requests for an interview from a national magazine for writers and for quotes for an e-book. So what’s my point?

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The Hollywood Guide to a Better Blog Tagline

 The Hollywood Guide to a Better Blog Tagline

Some of us watched the inflated, over-the-top, “I’m good.” “No, you’re good” Oscars this spring. I did not. Since my daughter was in the biz, the glamour is gone.

I do remember, however, seeing the blow-by-blow on the front page of cnn.com. And watching the trailers on the Web, I couldn’t help but think.

Those folks in Hollywood know how to do some things well, like sell their product in one line. They know how to entice us in 25 words or less.

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Why I’m Dumping the Cat’s Eye Writer Blog

Cat's Eye Writer blogWe go way back, me and Cat’s Eye. And while this blog has morphed, from marketing advice for small businesses, to social media strategies for solopreneurs, to blogging tips for writers and small biz folks, I never messed with its name.

I had a solid brand, I had name recognition. Why would I want to risk losing that?

The Cat’s Eye blog started out as a spot to talk with readers about their toughest marketing challenges—as a small biz or solopreneur. It was an official outreach tool for our 20-year-old  business, Cat’s Eye Marketing.

But stuff happens and things change.

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Cat’s Eye’s Picks: 5 Good Stock Image Sites for Bloggers

5 Great Stock Photo sites

While I’m at BlogWorld 2012 in New York City this week, I’m leaving you with a post many of you have asked me to write: where I find my blog post photos and how to find images that don’t break the bank. Enjoy. And please, in the comments, do leave the sources you’ve found to be great ones—ones that didn’t make my list—so we can all learn from your experience and collect even more resources. 

Most bloggers recognize that quality images are an important part of their blog content strategy. In fact, post and articles with relevant images garner 94 percent more page views than ones without. If you need more incentive to use quality photos and other graphics to power up your blog content, see Danny Brown’s post at For Bloggers By Bloggers.

As you know, I’m a big fan of finding the just right photo for a blog post.

But, after four years with a phenomenal online stock image company, I am looking elsewhere for my blog photos.

For four years, iStockphoto, with more than 4 million stunning images, was my go-to stock photo agency. I knew I could always find exactly what I was looking for there. And I rarely had to pay more than a buck or two for it.

But things gradually changed. It started in 2006, when Getty Images acquired iStock. You can still buy credits in as little as 12-packs ($19.50 for 12 credits), but the price-per-credit is now $1.63.

But here’s the problem.  iStock has drastically reduced the number of images that cost just one or two credits. So the photo I used to be able to find for 1-2 credits ($1.60 to $2.26) suddenly had a 4-credit price tag (sometimes the one I fell in love with was 10 credits).

At a price of four credits,  each photo now costs $6.52. Not only am I spending way more time finding a photo in my price range, if I post once a week, my iStock bill is  $26.08 a month. And between Bob and I, with three blogs, using only one photo per post, our monthly photo expenses total $78.04. Ouch.

Photographers deserve fair compensation for their work

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have a problem with photographers being paid fairly for their work. In fact, I think it’s one of the professions where people tend to take advantage of the skill and talent. The number of people who steal images from the net and don’t give credit, let alone pay the artist for them, s is appalling.

If you are a designer working on a piece you are going to charge your client $750 or $1,000 for, it makes sense to pay those prices. You can either absorb it as the cost of doing business or pass it on to your client.

But if you are running a non-monetized blog—that is, you are not charging for your content—anything you pay to support your blog comes directly out of your own pocket. So when prices take a jump, I tend to look for less expensive options.

Here they are, in alphabetical order: 5 potential stock image sources that my research turned up (there are many more but this will give you a taste of what’s out there):

What I found

As you look at this list, keep in mind that using free images has some drawbacks, mainly being the quality of the images and the time it takes you to wade through the substandard stuff to find what you want. But if you are not too picky, you’ll probably find what you need.

Often with a free photo, you are required to add the photographer’s byline, which for me mars the aesthetic look and feel, but that may not bother you at all. And, of course, with a free image, there is a greater chance that you will see it on many other blogs, too. Because it’s free!

On all the sites, you should click on terms of use to be sure you are not violating them.

And, unless you are independently wealthy, I strongly advise that you not lift images from the Internet and use them without permission.

1. Flickr – Creative Commons

Flickr Creative Commons

A photo management and sharing application, Flickr consistently lands on lists of the top free sites. It lets you explore and upload photos as long as you provide proper attribution under the Creative Commons license. Some photos may not be available for commercial use, so if your blog is monetized, it may not be a good choice.

Upside: Tons of free photos; nice variety.

Downside: Many have use requirements and limitations; time-consuming to search.

2. Fotolia

fotolia

Fotolia has both a free and a paid side. Several of my fellow bloggers, including Brankika Underwood of onlineincometsar.com, list them as their favorite site. Brankika has an excellent review of Fotolia on her blog.

Upside: Great selection; good search function; cheaper than iStock.

Downside: Many images are for purchase only.

 3. Freedigitalphotos.net

freedigitalphotos

My friend Tony Hastings of The Top 10 Blog uses this one a lot and I like his photos, so I’ll be looking into it. This site has a great selection and fast and easy download. To see some of the other sites Tony recommends, go here.

Upside: Lots of quality free photos by category; instant download, no registration required.

Downside: No access to lightboxes unless you register; must include photographer credit.

4. iStockphoto

istockphoto

From here on out, I may be save these guys for the times I want an amazingly special photo, but I’m still listing them here because the quality of their images is outstanding.

Upside: Bundled credits; pay-as-you-go; high quality; search by price and subject.

Downside: Not many free photos; recent substantial price increases.

5. Stock.XCHNG

stock.xchgn

Like iStockphoto, Stock.XCHNG is also now owned by Getty, although images are still free (at least for the time being). Hundreds of thousands of searchable images, categorized by subject.

Upside: Now has advanced search capabilities; images are free

Downside: User is required to rate the image and show the photographer the work they created with it; also, the site “cannot guarantee the legality of the images and cannot be held responsible for any copyright violations.”

What about you?

Have you used any of the above sites for blog post images?

Do you have some favorites of your own that you can share with us?

21 Things I Did to Get My Blog to Top 10 Status

kid with trophyDon’t you love it when you have a perfect storm thing going? When the new post you are  starting to write is on the exact same topic you’ve been getting questions about all week? Well, it happened. You asked me what I did to grow my blog.

Because I love answering your questions and because I have a heart for helping bloggers improve their game (once a teacher, always a teacher?), I pulled together some ideas for you.

Some bloggers like to focus on things like floating sign-up boxes and keywords and such. My strategy has always been to build your stage, with content front and center, and then use every strategy you can think of to let people know that you have helpful stuff.

Some of you asked: Did it help winning a Top 10 Blogs for Writers award?

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Your Blog as Stage: Building a Believable Author Brand

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 (“think different”).

“I don’t need a brand,” they would say. “I’m not a product.”

They were confusing a brand with an advertising slogan.

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6 Interior Design Tips to Make Your Blog User-friendly

This week, a guest post by Bob Dunn, AKA @bobwp. I think he’s been living around a writer for too long because he’s into those metaphor and analogy things. Learn how to spice up your blog so it’s a comfortable and inviting house your readers won’t want to leave.

6 Interior Design Tips to Make Your Blog User-friendly

BY Bob Dunn

Your blog is your house. And your visitors ring the doorbell with one question in mind: “Will I find what I need here?”:

Your content may be incredible, but it won’t get read unless you have set up the basics that will get your visitors from point A to point B quickly and effortlessly.

Your readers want clean, simple, easy-to-use. If the experience is clunky, complicated or cumbersome, you can bet they won’t be back—even if your posts are astounding.

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What Is Your Online Avatar Saying About You?

alienYou have a blog, or comment on blogs, or hang around on Facebook and Twitter for a reason.

Usually, it is because you want to get noticed. So you can sell your book, or get customers, or find business leads, or whatever your goal is for being on social media.

I have written before about how important it is to have a platform and a believable author brand. But did you know that your online avatar is an important part of your brand and image?

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

dog with prizeI 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 city outside Seattle.

It was the Business Committed to Kids Award. We were recognized for our volunteering in schools and pro bono design and copywriting work for education projects that were near and dear to our hearts.

So the awards don’t have to be huge national or global ones.

They just need to be what you are about. What means the most to you.

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Less Is More: The Cat’s Eye Writer Blog Makeover

girl paintingI am not a designer and never could be one. Yet, as a blogger, I know how important it is to get a nice, clean, visually appealing look. I want to entice my readers, give them a reason to stay. And good design will do that (along with stellar content, of course).

You may have noticed that today’s post looks a little different.

Okay, a lot different.

I believe in regular blog “remodels” because the process makes me look at every single piece of my blog with the question, “How does this help my readers have a better experience?”

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5 Reasons Facebook and Twitter Will Never Replace My Blog

Facebook is cool. I think I’ll just hang out there.

I don’t have a lot of time for social media and Twitter only takes me 10 minutes a day.

I’ve built a huge network on LinkedIn and it’s my main marketing strategy.

As a blogger and content marketing specialist, I hear this all the time.

Writers, authors and small biz owners love the ease of social media sites. They don’t have to spend tons of time (although sometimes they do). And that frees up more minutes and hours for what’s important: writing that book, developing that product, selling those services.

I get that.

I really do.

After all, if you don’t do the hard work, your book—or your business—will die.

Social media is the new marketing

Social media tools have made promoting our work easier. We don’t have to go out into the world as much because the world comes to us. We can pop into Facebook or Twitter for a few minutes every day and our marketing takes care of itself, right?

Well, yes, but it comes with some risks.

Other social media platforms are just that. Other people’s platforms. If you make Facebook or Twitter the home base of your operations, you are giving up some control of your marketing message.

And that’s not always a good thing.

5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Make Facebook or Twitter Your Home Base

Your platform is where it all takes place. It’s where you talk about your work, whether it’s your products, your services or your book. It’s where you collect and engage readers—and build a loyal fan base.

To make that work, you need a hub—a home base.

A place to put your content that is your own. A place to connect with readers and develop a subscriber list so you can continue to communicate with them.

Here are just 5 of the reasons why Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn may not be the best home base.

1. You don’t have full control over the delivery of your content.

Though Facebook and Twitter don’t actually own your content, they own access to it. If you place your content on someone else’s platform, you are giving them control over who sees it and when.

In its Terms of Service, Facebook tells us that they have a “non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free, worldwide license” to use any content we post. Add the fact that Facebook and Twitter have the right to (and often do) change their fine print policies and you have a potentially troublesome situation.

What’s the answer?

Make sure you are not posting your full content solely on a platform like Facebook. And be sure you are not hosting your blog in someone else’s space (WordPress.com. Blogger, etc.). because they have the power to make all your posts disappear at the flick of a switch.

I was having a conversation with some readers of the Writer Unboxed blog not too long ago and that very same day, Blogger failed—was offline for an entire day—and the readers who were blogging on that platform were worried (there were rumors that it was going to be permanent).

It was okay and back up by the next day, but you never know.

2. You lose your brand identity.

You may be the one talking on Facebook or Twitter but the brand is theirs, not yours. People remember the Facebook name and logo better than they retain your name as an author or business owner.

Is that what you want them to remember when they read your stuff?

A blog or website is an effective way to build your brand. To get your personality out there. To create a look, style and tone that is uniquely yours.

3. Your network of followers is not really yours.

This one is huge.

Whether you have an account on Facebook or Twitter or somewhere else, the people you are building relationships with—and their email connections—belong to that platform, not to you. If Facebook decides to close your account, or if you choose to leave, you don’t have a way to communicate with those people anymore.

One of my colleagues built a network of more than 1,000 rabid followers on a popular business networking site. He lost all those contacts when they accused him of violating their terms of service and closed his account.

Tough lesson to learn. Better to post excerpts of your content on these sites but direct people back to your blog or website and build your list there, where you have more control.

4. You have limited messaging space.

With their word count limitations, Facebook and Twitter work much better to point readers to your full content. I use them to post brief tips and teasers to draw people to my content.

Where is that content? On my home base, of course.

On my blog.

5. You don’t have anywhere to send the traffic and convert readers into fans.

One of the main benefits of a social media presence is to cultivate a following. To do that, you need to lead them back to your own space—to your blog or website—and ask them to do something.

You might want them to sign up for a webinar or study group, subscribe to your e-newsletter, opt in for electronic delievery of your blog posts or something else. The point, of course, is to be able to contact your readers, which they give you permission to do when they give you their email addresses.

What about you?

Do you only use Facebook or Twitter to promote or do you have a blog or other home base, too?

How is your plan working for you? Anything to add here?

This post was revised from a post CatsEyeWriter originally published on the Writer Unboxed blog on May 10, 2011.