The Write Spot, LLC

Newspapers Blog (and a Mention in the Denver Post)

Kristen Browning-Blas, the Food Editor at the Denver Post mentioned two of my blogs today in her article Join me as I jump into the blog about her new blog, On Tucker's Plate (with Tucker Shaw).

Here's what she writes:

Delving into the food-blogging community in Colorado and nationally has turned up some addictive sites:

Mamarant.blogs.com/mamacooks: Anne-Marie Nichols is a transplanted New Yorker and copywriter who started blogging in 2004. I love the tagline for her main site (mamarant.blogs.com), "Writing about motherhood, complaining about everything else." The cooking portion of her site has become a diary of sorts as she tries to lose weight on the "Extreme Fat Smash Diet," an actual book by Ian K. Smith.

I'm thrilled even if she didn't get the names of the blogs right. But the URLs are out there, so all is fine.

Anne-Marie Nichols joins Parents Behaving Badly

I've joined Jay Allen, The Zero Boss at Parents Behaving Badly. The blog is part of b5media's blog network, and is about all the horrible things adults do to kids.

My first two posts at Parents Behaving Badly deal with Michael Barber, the lowlife who beat up his former girlfriend's two-year-old. At his recent parole hearing, Barber took responsibility then blamed the boy's mother for the beating.

Blogging at Parents Behaving Badly should be a depressing gig. Except by the time the news hits the papers, the kids are in protective custody and the adults are in jail. Thank goodness for the small glimmer of hope in these stories.

But what about the cases that don't make the news, and the parents who haven't been caught yet? That's the real tragedy, folks.

Goodbye to the gatekeepers?

Thomas Frey in his Denver Post article, Gatekeepers on info highway disappearing, brings new prospective to blogging and the new media:

Enterprising people have begun to find the keys to unlocking their future, and it's a future that doesn't include the barriers provided by gatekeepers. Publishing an article no longer requires the approval of an editor. Articles can easily be published on blogs or Web pages without ever needing someone's approval. Videos and podcasts can be posted on iTunes or YouTube 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The true impact is far more significant than any of us can imagine.

The no-gatekeeper lifestyle means you can create whatever product you want and sell it to people around the world without ever having to get someone's blessing.

While he does have a point here, there has been plenty of instances in history when there weren't gatekeepers. After all, wasn't Ben Franklin the ultimate self-publisher? Like bloggers, when you're the editor and the writer, little stands in your way.

Then there's the example of Martin Luther's 95 Theses protesting the sale of indulgences. As legend tells us, in 1517 he posted a copy on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. The 95 Theses were translated from Latin into German, printed, and copied on printing presses throughout Europe. Within two weeks, word had spread throughout Germany, within two months, Europe.

An early example of pre-Internet blogging, linking, social networking, and viral marketing? Or does history show us that it's all been done before, except that it took months, not seconds, to get the word out.

Why your business should have a blog

I recently participated in a survey seeking the reasons why a business should blog. The survey was sponsored by Write2Market. While the number of respondents was small, their initial findings were interesting:

• 56.2% have received qualified leads via their blog
• 46.9% closed on business that came to them through their blog
• most find blogs useful as an educational, networking, or marketing tool

So why blog for your business?

1. Blogging is an effective tool for increasing web traffic. Search engines love new content. And since the point of a blog is to post regularly, adding one to your company website should increase your search engine ranking.
2. Providing extra value to your customers, prospects, and business partners. In your blog, you can tell them about new products or your monthly sale. Or you can post about new ways to use something they've already purchased. You can also give tips and advice. For example if you're a real estate agent, you can give advice on increasing curb appeal, why buyers should have a home inspection, or how to avoid mortgage fraud.
3. Public relations. As you see in this blog, I write about awards I've received, new partnerships I've formed, and clients I'm doing business with. Not only do I get to brag a little, it shows my customers and prospects that I'm serious about my business and am successful at it.

Need further proof? Check out these articles on why your business should have a blog:

• Does Your Small Business Need a Blog? by Karen E. Klein of BusinessWeek Online (5/15/06)
• A Company Blog Keeps People Connected by Karen E. Klein of Business Week Online (8/21/06)

Epicurious.com blogs about This Mama Cooks!

It's always nice to get noticed by food editors. Over the years I've been contacted by a couple of The Denver Post's editors via my food blog, This Mama Cooks! They were always very complementary and generous with their advice.

So it was lovely to see the Tanya Wenman Steel, food editor at Epicurious.com picked on my Food Blog of the Week feature in her "Epi-log - notes from an over-caffienated editor" blog. She blogged about me in her Retro Cooking post.

What Happens in Vegas...

Now A Mama's Rant has been picked up in Las Vegas by the Fox affiliate, KVVU Fox 5. I'm not sure I'm a permanent feature or just a temporary blog link. But it sure is fun to get these links.

A Mama's Rant Says Hello Oregon

My personal blog, A Mama's Rant, has been picked up by Oregon's KPTV Fox12's website in the Surfing with Steph section.

So I've now got both coasts and Texas. What next, the world?

A Mama's Rant syndicated by the Austin-American Statesman

A Mama's Rant has been syndicated by the Austin-American Statesman. I've been listed under the BlogHer: A Collection of Blogs By Women, For Women thanks to signing up with BlogBurst.

BlogBurst is a syndication service that places your blog content on top-tier online destinations. Bloggers get visibility, audience reach and increased traffic, while publishers get a wide range of new coverage to broaden their reach and increase page views.

A Mama's Rant is at the Orlando Post

I got a comment over at A Mama's Rant last week from MaryAnne Horne in response to my post, Meet the new blog, same as the old blog.

I am one of a four journalists who do a blog called "Parent Place" for the Orlando Sentinel in Florida. We have A Mama's Rant on our blogroll, because it's original and informative -- and it makes us chuckle. We all blog on whatever topics strike us as parents, and we want to recommend to our readers a good variety of other interesting blogs. We are constantly adding, subtracting and reviewing.

So not only am I at the Denver Post's BlogHouse, but at the Orlando Post's Parent Place. How cool is that?

A Readable Feast Launches

A Readable Feast - A blog about cooking and children's books at ClubMom MomBlogs - launches on June 1.

While it's the beginning of summer break for the kids, it's the beginning of a whole lot of enjoyable work and being part of ClubMom's social network.

Stop by and enjoy!