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| How to Build Credibility as a Young Blogger/Entrepreneur Posted: 10 Jun 2009 08:42 PM PDT
When it comes to the blogosphere it may be all about the content, but when it comes to content, credibility is king. Credibility can make or break a blog. Take a look at the successful blogs out there; TechCrunch, ProBlogger, Shoemoney, Huffington Post, Mashable, and the list goes on. What do all these blogs have in common? They are written by credible sources people trust as experts in their niche. Building credibility is a crucial part of any business or blog. It is a process that requires tireless effort and can take months or years to build. In my opinion, your credibility is by far the greatest asset you have as a blogger, regardless of your monthly page views, RSS subscriber count, or even ad revenues. While building credibility is difficult for anyone, it is especially difficult for young entrepreneurs who may still be completing college or even high school. Society seems to have this misconception that credibility and wisdom come with age and the older one is the more credible they are. Young entrepreneurs and bloggers definitely have to work harder to build their credibility, but speaking as the founder of a successful public relations firm I started as a freshman in high school at the age of 14, it is by no stretch of the imagination impossible for student entrepreneurs to brand themselves as credible resources. Here are a few ways I built up my credibility: Always Provide QualityThe best thing you can do regardless of age to build credibility is to always deliver a quality product. When I ran my public relations firm I did the best job possible for all clients. Hence, they provided my service with positive reviews and recommended me to their peers. This word-of-mouth marketing was crucial to the success of the firm. In the blogosphere, focus on the quality of your posts and the content you provide. Over time, if you consistently provide quality output, no one will care how old you are. Associate yourself with Industry Leaders |
| How To Land Big Interviews When Your Blog Is Still Small Posted: 10 Jun 2009 07:45 AM PDT A Guest post by Josh Hanagarne – World's Strongest Librarian
Seven weeks ago, my blog was one day old and I was staring at the keyboard thinking "Oh man…what now?" World's Strongest Librarian was live on the web and I was faced with the same blank screen and choices every blogger faces when it's writing time. I started plugging away, reading Problogger and gaining momentum. A much bigger blog noticed me and I accepted an offer to be mentored by someone who had achieved what I wanted to in my own niche. I followed his advice and all was well—until I ran into some advice that scared me. "Interviews can be a great source of traffic. Do some." I believed it, but you have to be an established expert to get someone's attention. Everyone knows that. Right? Wrong Questions to ask yourself if you are scared to ask for interviews
What am I afraid of? In discussions with bloggers, the following reasons pop up frequently:
For your own sanity, choose to believe this right now, today: 1) It's never going to be the perfect time so stop wringing your hands; 2) Assume they'll say yes. What if they say no? What if they do? Go on like before. Focus on what is working. What is the worst case scenario if you are rejected? Will your bed wash out to sea in the night? Will your family be sucked into a black hole? Will Google delete your blog and put you on their list of losers who got turned down for interviews by big names? NO! Life goes on. If your blog is progressing, you've lost nothing. That's one of the great things about cyberspace: I handle rejections by email much better than in person. I'd rather delete an email that says "No thanks" than have someone look me in the eye and shake their head. Then you have to gracefully avoid sobbing and getting defensive while you stumble out of their office. My interview projectLast week I decided to compile an e-book of strength-related interviews for release later this year. The book spans many fitness disciplines: the goal is to interview people who are champions in their own niche while simultaneously showing that we all train for similar reasons, no matter how different the methods. But who? Who to interview? I ignored my racing heart, opened a Google document, and made a list. Five minutes later I was looking at that list thinking: "You fool. Who do you think you are?" The list included the following names and target areas
The list went on and on. I sat there quivering, trying not to have a seizure. But I had committed to this one thing: I will not shoot small…yet That was four days ago. Results to date, surprising connectionsYesterday I got an email back from Laree Draper, Dave Draper's wife. Dan John and some other experts are going to be in Salt Lake City this very weekend. She invited me to come to dinner with them all and committed them all to interviews. Assuming they are as willing as she says, I will knock several interviews off my list. I also get to go work out with these guys and pick their brains. Remember this point. Peter Nestler and Jim Smith committed later that day. Dave Draper committed this morning. Jedd Johnson should later today. Peter Nestler is a friend of Dennis Rogers (I had no idea). That may open doors. When I opened that invitation from Laree, I screamed out loud in my office. I'm not sorry. It was worth screaming about. Why I believe this has worked so far
Here is one of the emails I sent: (I've taken the names out because I want to maintain surprise later) Hi Mr_____. Thanks for taking the time to read a brief message from a fan. My name is Josh Hanagarne. I’m a librarian in Salt Lake City, UT. I write I’ve partnered with______, a massive strength website, to I would be honored to add your expertise as a ____ ace to the mix. If Interviews will be between 1-10 questions. You can choose how much or Interviews can take place by phone or email, whichever you prefer. Questions to ask in the interviews will be chosen from fans of World’s If all goes well, the e-book will be released in December across a variety I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. If you I personalized each email to fit the person. The email contains:
Lessons and suggestions
No reward without riskI'll admit it—I was nervous to even pitch this post to Darren. I don't feel especially worthy to be writing for you all. Yet, here we are, on Problogger. This is the purest distillation of the 80/20 principle in action. Maybe I don't have any business being here. It doesn't matter what I think about this. If someone agrees to let you ride their coattails for a while, don't argue with them. Don't second guess yourself. Just enjoy it and thank them profusely. Did I worry about how I would feel if Darren rejected me? Of course. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about. Just ask. PS: as the experiment unfolds, I'll provide more updates assuming I stay in Grandmaster. Rowse's good graces. Good luck! You can visit Josh Hanagarne at World’s Strongest Librarian, flailing away at the universe, one post at a time. The as yet e-book mentioned in this article will be released later this year as a partnership between World’s Strongest Librarian and Straight To The Bar. Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger. How To Land Big Interviews When Your Blog Is Still Small
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