Wordpress Wire Newsletter
Issue 3 May 29 2006

Hi

For Streaming Podcast, click PLAY button. To download MP3, click on link below.

Download WordpressWire Issue 3 Podcast here
(17 min 44 sec | 7.2MB)

For all my American friends observing Memorial Day - my prayers and best wishes to you…

[Last issue] we covered - a Secret time-sensitive loophole - 3 easy ways to install Wordpress - Tools for recording, hosting and publishing audio & video on your blogs - How to promote your blog - Cool freee apps I'm using - Who benefited from my System Seminar offer…
Check out the last issue here ==>
http://www.wordpresstutorials.com/42/ww2

[This issue] we're covering - Teaser paragraphs how-to - Changing dates of your posts - "Taylor Time" - My notes from The System (what I learnt from Mike Stewart, Declan Dunn, Dave Taylor, and Marc Harty) - Cool apps discovered and in use - and more…
Check out this issue on my blog here ==>
http://www.wordpresstutorials.com/43/ww3

- - - - - - Level: Novice - - - - - -

Question: How do I offer a teaser paragraph to my viewers instead of showing a long article?

Answer: A teaser refers to the first few sentences or paragraphs of a post. This is an effective feature to present short truncated posts, only showing enough, hence 'tease' your visitor to want to click to read more of what you have to offer.

When typing a long post or article, you can insert the [!–more–] Quicktag after a few sentences to act as a cut-off point. (use the sharp angled brackets like these < and these > so that the code works).

How? In Write > Post, click your mouse where you want the text to truncate, or cut off, then click on the "more" Quicktag (located just above your body text section) to insert this code.

When the post is displayed, the teaser, followed by a hyperlink with the text "Read more" is displayed.

Your visitor can then click on that link to see the full version of your post. An easy application, but what a wonderful feature to showcase just a paragraph or two in a string of posts in a category, to lead your visitor to drill down into your blog. Enjoy!

- - - - - - /Level: Novice - - - - - -

- - - - - - Level: Intermediate - - - - - -

Question: Can I change the date of my posts? What if I want to pre-schedule my posts?

Answer: Yes you can.

In Write > Post, there's a "Post Timestamp" feature in the right column. Click on the "+" symbol to open the timestamp feature. Check the "Edit timestamp" box, and post-date your post for your desired publishing date and time, then Publish it.

All posts dated in the future will not appear on the site until that time has passed. Cool huh?

- - - - - - /Level: Intermediate - - - - - -

- - - - - - Level: Advanced - - - - - -

Question: What's one strategy to blog on a regular basis without going crazy?

Answer: Good question. There are several options & strategies. Here are two strategies I recommend, assuming you're not using some automated script/software to scrape content or feeds into your blog.

This strategy I label "Taylor Time", one I learnt from Dave Taylor of www.AskDaveTaylor.com. He's a genius, a blogging dude, and we had a ball laughing at and with each other at The System in Chicago.

He shared with me (and his workshop attendees) how he automated his blog publishing for a week while he was with family in Hawaii, and returned to thousands of dollars in contextual advertising revenue, and a host of comments added to his pre-scheduled posts from visitors to his blog.

Dave recommends investing a weekend to write tips, articles or posts - enough to post-date for everyday for the next month, or two, or three. Then using my "Intermediate" strategy above, pre-schedule the posts, so they automatically publish on the date scheduled.

This offers you a two-fold benefit.

One, it trains the search engines to spider your blog on your publishing schedule, be it daily or weekly.

Two, it educates your visitors of your posting schedule, and encourages them to read your blog, or posts in their blog reader according to your posting frequency.

Two birds with one stone. Taylor Time. Gotta love it.

The other strategy is simple. Hire a virtual assistant or ghostwriter to write with his/her/your personal voice, and keep it real. Of course your VA writing like its your voice is contrary to keeping it real. But you get the point - you don't have to be the go-to-dude-or-dudette to publish on your blogs. But its oh so much fun!

- - - - - - /Level: Advanced - - - - - -

- - - - - - Sherman's Notes From The System - - - - - -

Let me share the drama first…

American Airlines lost my luggage. Yes, enough said.

Good thing I had my computer bag, gadgets, and my presentation on me.

Then I almost spilt ketchup on my last clean outfit - Marc Harty (www.prtraffick.com) called me 'accident prone'

He was my saving grace over the weekend. He introduced me to one of his favorite menswear stores in the local mall called Bachrach (www.bachrach.com) and I shopped for a weekend's worth of clothing and personal stuff. Wow. Now I know how you gals feel after you shop… GOOD

I have a few more videos to upload to www.wordpresstutorials.com/system - so stay tuned for more videos and when I get my audio from my workshop, I'll post it to that blog too.

Anyways…

(Sidenote: If you're a Backstage Member, I'll be revealing more juicy notes backstage, k?

—[ What I Learnt From Ken McCarthy ]—

It's amazing how rich you can get without being perfect. Imperfection equals action.

—[ What I Learnt From Mike Stewart ]—

Mike recommended online video hosting services like iFilm.com, Video.Google.com, and YouTube.com

—[ What I Learnt From Declan Dunn - FunMoneyGood.com ]—

The near future will allow publishers to program their own channels as consumers will control the system and their subscriptions.

The key is to offer information to your subscribers - not just from their computers, but also 'away' from their computers, to offer them freedom to receive your info via their cell phones, TVs and mobile players.

Turn your existing content into audios, CDs, and videos.

What kind of content will grab your audience? Interesting, funny, opinionated, controversial content.

You had better talk 'with' your customer.

Your blog is your dialogue. Be genuine, be real.

Don't copy others/your competition. Create and use your personal voice.

Use blogs and podcasts as promotional tools.

Use blogs for organic, viral &/ storytelling.

Get in the shoes of your customer - search for your competitors and experience what they experience

Forrester Research for 2010 reveals that:
- 85% of US households own mobile phones
- 50% of them own laptops
- 35% of them own MP3 players
What hardware devices do you think information publishers will attempt to penetrate to get mass acceptance and distribution?

We learn via the methods below:
- 10% Reading
- 20% Hearing
- 30% Seeing
- 50% Seeing & Hearing
- 70% Discuss with others
- 80% Experience it personally
- 95% Teach it to someone else
(survey results by Edgar Dale)

—[ What I Learnt From Dave Taylor (AskDaveTaylor.com) ]—

Determine your value proposition.

Establish your credibility.
- this will help the long term health of your business

What's your sustainable differentiation (to your competition)?

Create your voice.

How are you establishing yourself as a thought/opinion leader?

Are you adding value to your marketplace?
What are you giving to your marketplace?
How can you establish your expertise?

Focus on fresh content, for Google' sake.

(Sherman's take on Dave's point: Be like Wayne Gretzky, and skate to where the puck is going to, not where it is) So ask yourself, where is Google trying to get to, and build your business to be where Google is going to.

Blogging Pros:
- Establish your voice
- Establish your credibility
- Cheaper to build than traditional websites (no need for webmaster)
- More search engine friendly (search engines want content)
- Easy to manage, fun to produce
- Establish a dialogue with customers (think 'focus groups'; engage customers)

Blogging Pitfalls:
- Takes time and effort
- Coping with bloggers' temperaments
- Expectations of update frequency
- Saying too much
- Spammers
- Being suckered into using digital polluters (aka good content vs. machine generated junk)
- Using machine generated apps to create junk is an ethical and strategic biz mistake

Smart Blogging Techniques:
- Allow comments
- Have an authentic voice
- Identify your bias and relationship
- Establish your credibility
- Write about what you know
- Share testimonials
- Follow your industry and market news
- Stay focused

—[ What I Learnt From Marc Harty (PRTraffick.com) ]—

Marc's new definition of Web PR:
" A proven vehicle to instantly and consistently generate leads from the public, the media and other sources via tested online methods"

Use a great hook in your PR headline.

Be sure to use a headline that grabs people's attention.

Use credibility and social proof in your press release.

Don't sell, tell.

Use your keyword in your headline.

Keep your paragraphs short for easy reading.

Use call to actions in your press release.

—
There you go. Hope you enjoyed my notes from speakers that have made a difference to me, and in my current and future business plans/strategies.

Would love to get your feedback on my blog about how some of these points have impacted you/your thinking, and how it'll affect you going forward from today.

- - - - - - /Sherman's Notes From The System - - - - - -

- - - - - - Cool Apps Discovered & In Use - - - - - -

[Blogging]

[!] Social Bookmarking Sites
==> del.icio.us (have an account but infrequent use)
==> www.digg.com (have an account but infrequent use)
==> www.furl.net
==> www.reddit.com
==> myweb2.search.yahoo.com
==> www.blinklist.com (I use this daily)
==> www.technorati.com

[!] Desktop Blog Editors
==> www.qumana.com (Windows and Mac; no-cost)

[!] Browser Blog Editors
==> www.performancing.com

[!] Blog Metrics & Stats
==> Performancing Metrics… www.performancing.com/metrics

==> StatCounter for Wordpress… http://citizenk.wordpress.com/wp-plugins/statcounter-for-wordpress/

==> BAStats (scroll down)… www.redalt.com/downloads

[!] Blog search
==> www.IceRocket.com
==> blogsearch.google.com

[!] Email Blog and RSS Subscription Services
==> www.FeedBlitz.com
==> www.Feedburner.com

[!] 15 PR4 Announcement Blogs for Faster Indexing, PLR Articles
==> www.ArticlesUnderground.com

[!] Wordpress Themes
==> www.WordpressProTheme.com
- My personal favorite, I use it for all my personal and professional blogs;
+ Last count 76 plugins included
+ Drag and drop easy sidebar feature arrangement
+ 6 theme designs
+ 11 font choices
+ 9 layout styles
+ 12 header background, or create your own
+ Even comes with audio and video plugins to make PIMPing your blog that much easier!

[!] Multi Wordpress Installer and Manager
==> www.WPManagerSoftware.com

[Podcasting]

1. Spoken audio entertainment, information, and educational
programming for your iPod or digital audio player. I just
downloaded 4 new audiobooks:
- The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive (Patrick Lencioni)
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team (Patrick Lencioni)
- The Five Temptations of a CEO (Patrick Lencioni)
- Captivating (John and Stasi Eldredge)
- Story (Robert McKee)
… transferred to my video iPod, and have been enjoying these audiobooks on the run
==> www.Audible.com

2. All things iPod, iTunes and beyond
==> www.iLounge.com

3. Audio/Video Hosting and Publishing Services
==> www.OurMedia.org
==> www.Hipcast.com
==> www.AudioAcrobat.com

[Videocasting]

[!] Video Stock Footage:
==> www.ThoughtEquity.com

[!] Video Conversion Tools:
- VideoRA Video Converter
==> www.videora.com

- iTinySoft's Total Video Converter
==> http://www.effectmatrix.com/total-video-converter/index.htm

[Misc Tech Stuff]

[!] Wireless & Hotspots
- I predict I'll be traveling more in 2006-2007, so looking at hotspots and wireless services to be connected while on the road.
==> www.canarywireless.com
==> www.boingo.com
==> www.jiwire.com

Also considering picking up the new MacBooks or Powerbooks (www.apple.com) with Intel chip + Bootcamp (boot both Windows OS and MAC OS) in the fall, to (technically) swing both ways

- - - - - - /Cool Apps Discovered & In Use - - - - - -

- - - - -

That's it for this issue Thanks for reading. Let's chat again
soon, k? Till then…

Live Well, Live Strong, & Live Your Best Life!

Sherman Hu

P.S. Please forward this newsletter to your friends