This is a bit of an experiment to put up a blog post entirely from my Android phone, while parked at a highway rest stop but not using their WiFi, only 3G on the phone.
The answer is yes, it can be done, but it’s driving me batty; way too slow drafting it directly into WordPress, even though I have a little slideout keyboard.
Thought for the day….
As many of you know, I’ve been dealing with the nasty WordPress Pharma hack here on Sheila’s Guide (don’t worry, it’s safe for your computer or mobile device to be here; the hack only messes with this blog’s search engine results.)
After running after it for weeks and weeks, I’ve called in some more help, but this is not keeping me up at night. At all. I mean, I DO care and it IS embarrassing to have pharmaceutical results come up as the title of my Speaker page, but I’m not frantic.
Why?
Because my analytics data shows me the multiple ways that people find my content other than search engines.
There are lots from people coming to the homepage URL directly, through referral links, Twitter traffic is big for me, occasionally StumbleUpon (especially Stumbles on the recent press trip “exclusive” guest post,) there’s Facebook of course, LinkedIn spikes sometimes, the blog URL is in my email signature/on my business cards/in every online profile I fill out, and then there are my loyal RSS and email subscribers.
This blog doesn’t have a huge subscriber list, but the important thing is that they care enough to have my posts come to their email IN box, which for most people is a busy, crowded place with a lot of things demanding attention. It is nice to be welcomed there, so yesterday I went over and took a look at my email and RSS subscriber data in Feedburner, just to gaze delightedly at the names of the people who support me like that.
I even sent a quick follow-up personal note to several who were listed as “Unverified” – they’d signed up to get my posts, but never completed the final confirmation of their email subscription. Sure, it was only a few people, but every single one of them means something to me and I want to retain them as readers.
Their interest has staying power in a way that random drop-ins from search engines does not.
Until the hacking mess, I’d never truly appreciated in my gut how important it is to vary the means by which people find your content. Search engine optimization (SEO) is important, of course, but the Google basket is not the only place for your eggs.
How many different ways do people find your content?
Have you thought about how you can best nurture and grow those channels?
Please leave a reply in the comments below – and thank you!
*** Credit for post title goes to the old Timex watch ad – “Takes a licking but keeps on ticking.”
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Some of you may have noticed lately that while search engines can find my posts, the titles for some of them are for those famous pharmaceuticals like Viagra and company.
Yes, although I keep everything updated security-wise, I was hit by the WordPress Pharma Hack.
It won’t hurt your computer if you come here, but it sure messes up my SEO (Search Engine Optimization.) I don’t live and die for SEO, but it would be great if people could find my content when they’re searching for information on things that I’ve written about.
There are a number of things that must be done to fix the Pharma Hack, but it is really difficult to completely kill AND prevent re-infection.
Meantime, it’s safe to be here, but if you see weird search results for this blog, you’ll know why.
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Want to know how NOT to invite writers to your press trip or fam (familiarization) tour? This guest post by Kara S. Williams will lay it out for you….
A couple of weeks ago, I received an email with the subject line, “An Exclusive Invitation to [resort & spa] FAM.” The body of the email was in press release form, and the lack of personal salutation should have tipped me off immediately to its lack of exclusivity. Still, I read the words “Exclusive Invitation” again in the headline and soaked up details about the press trip in the subhead: “Including airfare, lodging, ground transport and most meals for 3 qualified journalists.” A small group with airfare included? Sign me up!
I checked the itinerary – spa treatment! special dinner! – and figured that the short trip would fit beautifully into my fall schedule: not too much time away from my family and I didn’t have plans on those particular dates.
The bottom of the release/invite noted, “Writers must show credentials.” No problem, I thought. As a travel writer and blogger, when I am invited to resorts or to destinations I’m accustomed to telling PR folks where I can place stories (guaranteed on my own blogs) and where I might be able to pitch stories (other magazines and websites I have a freelance relationship with). This didn’t raise a huge flag with me.
I wrote back to the PR person inviting me to this event, “This sounds like an incredible opportunity! What more do you need from me?”
She asked for statistics and demographics of the websites I co-own; I sent them and then didn’t hear anything for five days, so I followed up to confirm the trip was a go.
Turns out, as I should have gathered, the “exclusive invitation” was not an exclusive invitation at all. It was a call for interest for this particular press trip.
I was told that the trip did indeed garner a lot of interest from all those who received the “invite,” that my information was passed on to the ultimate decision makers at the resort, and that I did not make the cut.
This ruffled my feathers, even though I should have recognized some warning signs regarding this invite. I decided to tell the PR person that I felt a bit duped – figuring this could be a learning experience for both of us.
Here’s what I wrote back to her:
“I don’t think we’ve worked together before, so I hope you don’t mind this constructive criticism.
1.) Perhaps in the future, consider calling the invite an ‘announcement’ or ‘invitation to show interest’ — not an ‘exclusive invitation.’ That was most definitely not exclusive, if you sent the information to more than the 3 people who could fill your slots.
2.) Perhaps in the future, find the 3 people you really want to have come, and invite them FIRST. If they can’t make it, continue moving down your list.”
I am accustomed to being asked to attend press trips or being invited to visit a resort because the PR folks have vetted me and they want me to attend an event or cover their property. I am MORE THAN HAPPY to share statistics, my outlets, etc. at any time. But I prefer not to be told I’m invited somewhere (with air) and then suddenly… not.
And you know what happened? Instead of getting an angry response in return, I immediately received an email back from the PR person: she apologized, she said she appreciated my insight, and she admitted some “rookie mistakes.” I was thrilled that my constructive suggestions didn’t fall on deaf ears.
Now, before I get flamed for not appreciating this generous semi-invite/call for interest to begin with, I’d like Sheila’s Guide readers to know that I do feel extremely fortunate for all of the incredible travel opportunities that have come my way over the past couple of decades in the editorial industry. Trust me, I truly value (okay, delight in) all of the amazing trips I’ve taken – alone, with other travel writers and with my family – especially since I decided to focus on travel writing in the past five years. I absolutely adore my job as a travel writer, and I appreciate the perks that come with that job, namely free and discounted travel.
However, as I noted in my email back to the PR person, I also appreciate full transparency when I am offered such fabulous perks.
To me, this story of a press-trip-invite-gone-wrong ended well. I confirmed that being honest and, when needed, politely forthright with PR folks is the best way to conduct business. I’d like to think of my relationships with PR companies as collaborative endeavors – no “us vs. them” mentality – and encourage others in the industry to do the same.
Freelance travel writer Kara Williams is a member of ASJA, SATW and TBEX. The acronym-loving mom makes her home in the Colorado Rockies and blogs about all things travel- and spa-related at two websites she co-owns, TheVacationGals.com and TheSpaGals.com. Learn more about her and read clips of her recent work at KaraSWilliams.com.
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For those who are not surrounded by like-minded people (whether you’re into chess, growing roses or technology) the world can feel like a lonely place.
“Am I the only one who understands chess problems like Allumwandlung and Maximummer and Zepler doubling?”
“Am I some sort of nutball because I really like deciding between spotted-bloom roses like Cramoisi Picoté and striped ones like Patriot Kordana?”
“No one else in my small town seems to ‘get’ why I care about broadband Internet access, why I blog and what in the world I’m doing on Twitter.”
Fortunately, social web tools like blogs, Twitter, Facebook and the still-relevant forum/BBS make it so much easier than it used to be to find people who share your enthusiasms and interests. I’m not up to speed on where chess or rose people hang out online, but I can tell you where a bunch of rural and small town technology and social media enthusiasts will be on September 20, 2011.
They’ll be at the 140 Characters Conference Small Town in the gorgeous Fox Theatre in downtown Hutchinson, Kansas.
Uh, where?
Look below:
Right; so if you’re a city kid like me, you’re probably thinking….geesh, look at all that empty space, and those absolutely straight roads going through nothingness, it’s probably flat as a pancake, and I think I recognize the name Wichita for that nearby city….look, did I hear correctly….this is a technology event in the middle of Kansas?
It is, and I give it my City Kid Stamp of Approval.
Not that rural folks need any approval from anyone, and that’s partly the point of this particular event – rural and small town people are geeks and communicators just like urbanites, but it’s a bit harder for them to find one another, learn and socialize when they’re all spread out in less populated areas. This is the first technology-based conference that brings them all together, on their terms but with a global audience, in a cool small town like “Hutch,” with speakers that include farmers, ranchers and small town economic development experts who don’t think a one-stoplight community is a bad idea at all.
After attending the first version of 140 Small Town in 2010, I knew I’d return this year, and I’m honored to be one of many speakers from 17 states on the schedule. My topic is “City Kid Among the Cattle - How Twitter Connects Me to Another World,” wherein I’ll talk about my newfound appreciation, thanks to Twitter, of wide-open spaces, cattle management and farm equipment with mysterious prongy things.
Each speaker only gets one 10-15 minute time slot (better make it snappy!) and no PowerPoint is allowed. WIN.
Follow the #140conf hashtag on Twitter for info and discussion about all the 140 conferences, including this one, and if you can’t make it in person, Small Town will be livestreamed on UStream.
The best idea, though, is to see it in person: student passes are only $14 and pssst….for non-students/adults, code “friendof140″ gives you a nice, fat discount when you register here.
If you’re a journalist or media person who would like to cover the conference and/or the topic of tech in small towns, here’s the excellent, comprehensive Small Town Media page.
For a quick 90 second overview of the conference, here’s my Tourism Currents business partner Becky McCray (who organizes Small Town along with its original founder Jeff Pulver) on an Oklahoma Horizon TV episode (direct link to video here.)
Hope I meet you in Hutchinson!
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One of the best social networks for professional development is Twitter.
It is not only an extraordinarily fast news grapevine, but with hour-long knowledge tsunamis like #tourismchat you can get a whole lot of helpful information without paying a dime for it or schlepping luggage onto a plane (plus you’ll connect with a lot of smart people.)
Another way to learn from Twitter is to follow conference hashtags.
Using the hashtag in a tweet allows people to follow all tweets about one particular event or topic. Even if you aren’t on Twitter, you can plug in a hashtag on Twitter’s search engine and see what comes up.
Many hashtags start buzzing well before the event (BlogWorld and New Media Expo West in Los Angeles in November – #BWELA – where there’s a tourism track, is already busy.)
Others go year-round, like #SoMeT for the Social Media Tourism Symposium, #TBEX for the Travel Blog Exchange conference and #SOBCon, the business blogging conference.
Here are a few tips for enjoying the wonders of conference hashtags….
1 ) Notice someone tweeting really good stuff? Go follow them; send a quick tweet to say hi, and tell them that you appreciate their efforts. This includes supporting the speakers.
2 ) Notice when someone new comes onto the hashtag. At conferences, many people finally decide to join Twitter or get active on their long-dormant account. Support them by following and saying hello.
Many times these newbies are executive types who don’t yet really know what they’re doing, so cut them plenty of slack, including being patient about them not knowing how to change their default egg avatar. 
3 ) Don’t promote your product, service or upcoming event on the hashtag. It’s just tacky. People will see your avatar joining the discussion, and they are perfectly capable of reading your Twitter bio to see what you’re about. If they want to talk business, that’s fine, but take it off the hashtag.
4 ) Don’t be a carnival barker. I’ve noticed more and more vendors at trade shows filling the hashtag with hourly “Come by our booth and win an iPad!” sorts of tweets. This is annoying noise and makes them look desperate. Cut it out, booth babes.
5 ) Be sensitive to services that automatically tweet when you do something. For example, no one cares about seeing your Klout score sent from Klout in the middle of a conference. We’re not that into you.
6 ) Don’t just sit there RT-ing (retweeting) what everyone else is saying. As Troy says in his helpful post about how to tweet at a tourism conference: add context, value and insights.
7 ) Be sensitive to how busy people can be at a conference, trying to keep up with things, and don’t expect real-time replies just because you see them live-tweeting….good tip from Sarah Vela of the awesome startup HelpAttack!
8 ) Take it outside, folks – don’t get into arguments on the hashtag. As my friend Connie Reece says, “You can pack a lot of heat into 140 characters.”
I’ve seen a Twitter cruise hashtag devolve into an online dogfight between ship passengers and environmental activists, and a tourism conference this week had someone stomp into the middle of it to yell about the host state’s liquor laws.
When I feel a rant coming on, I move it over to certain circles on Facebook, or here to the blog. There’s more room for discussion, it doesn’t hog the hashtag and most importantly, my blog and my Facebook profile are MY “house.” Conference hashtags are not.
9 ) Remember, you aren’t physically there. You’re an observer. Don’t parachute in and run your mouth too much; kinda like IRL….In Real Life. Otherwise, you’ll get reactions like, “Who the hell IS this person, and if they have so much to say, why didn’t they pony up the conference fee and show up in person?”
I know, sort of cranky and piggy, but the thought WILL cross people’s minds.
Did I miss anything? Tell us in the comments down below – thanks!
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If you are a blogger, here is how you develop a professional reputation to catch the eye of tourism and hospitality organizations that offer press trips and fam (familiarization) tours….
Start in your own town.
Yes, start with the assets right under your nose.
Not coincidentally, this is precisely the sort of advice that new writers get when they ask how to get published in the big national print glossies/magazines – “Get something in your local publications and newspapers before you get the big head about your stuff belonging in the New York Times.”
What was my first big break in a national magazine? When National Geographic Traveler accepted my article proposal about a historic highway that was only a few miles from my Florida home.
I watch with some bemusement as newish bloggers wonder aloud in Facebook Groups and at conferences about how to get invited on press trips (which are work, not play, and come with their own drawbacks and requirements) and then when I ask the person if he or she has approached tourism assets in their backyard, they usually have not.
So here it is, bloggers: reach out to your own local CVB (Convention and Visitor’s Bureau) or Tourist Office – town, regional and/or state or province – and see if they’d be interested in a “Like a Local” series on your blog, for example. The same thing might work with a nearby heritage highway or wine, microbrewery or quilt trail. Even pet bloggers could do a series for their CVB on dog parks and leash-free play areas; visitors to your destination need that information if they travel with pets.
Don’t sit passively by the phone or in your email IN box, waiting for things to magically happen. Craft a proposal about why someone’s support of your travels might be beneficial to them, and pitch it. Your town’s CVB may not even know you exist. Pick up the phone or even go by the Visitor’s Center in person. You have a big advantage over a stranger, especially if they’ve never worked with a blogger before.
Starting out, you won’t get and don’t need press trips to far-flung places. Build a base first: experience, content and reliability. Demonstrate your chops in Des Moines before worrying about Rio de Janeiro.
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Welcome to the Carnival of Cities blog carnival, where we tour the world in a single post, via submissions from a variety of different blogs, all about any aspect of one, single city (or fair-sized town.)
The previous edition was hosted on Edutech Musings (my husband Chris’ teacher blog – thanks, Sweetie!) and the September 7 edition will be over on La Vie Francaise.
If you would like to host a future Carnival edition on your blog, please contact me at Sheila “at” sheilascarborough “dot” com. Thanks!
Off we go….
Loudun, France Jason tells the odd story of 1634: Urbain Grandier, for the Loudon possessions posted at Executed Today.
Columbus, Ohio, USA Joe Vargo saves your morning with the Top Three Coffee Shops in Columbus at The Columbus Experience, saying, “Columbus Breakfast Blogger Nick Dekker saves visitors from hotel-lobby coffee with his top three picks for a cup of joe in the city.”
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Sleep tight! Julie Ovenell-Carter presents Vancouver Hotels: Rosewood Hotel Georgia posted at WhyGo Canada, saying, “Classy is cool again and in the world of Canadian hospitality, no one does it better that the recently revamped Rosewood Hotel Georgia–home of Vancouver’s newest “it” restaurant, Hawksworth.”
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA jeri has cool photos of A wooden street in Philadelphia on touristmodern.
Atlanta, Georgia, USA Trey presents art plus biology in Alex Grey Redefines Human Anatomy in Atlanta posted at Always ATL.
Portland, Oregon, USA Kara Williams speeds up your travel with Willamette Jetboat Tours in Portland, Oregon posted at The Vacation Gals, saying, “We love this guest post from Jessica Spiegel about exciting jet boat rides in Portland, Oregon!”
Destin, Florida, USA Heather Thomas wrote a guest post - Destin Florida One of top 25 destinations according to tripadvisor for Freelance Tourist: Travel Tips.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Be careful out there. Katie Sorene wrote Rio Travelers BEWARE these 6 Common Dangers for the Tripbase blog, saying, “Safety tips for travelers to Rio de Janeiro. Heed this important advice to avoid being robbed, arrested or scammed in Rio.”
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Estella Gold makes you drool about Commander’s Palace; tuck in a napkin for …. In Which I Ride A Streetcar Named Delicious posted at One For The Road.
Lake Placid, New York, USA Zhu finds Olympic glory in Lake Placid, NY State posted at Correr Es Mi Destino, saying, “We crossed the border at Prescott/Ogdensburg, stopped to have a look at the car show and kept driving West, on small scenic roads. Most sported yellow Amish buggy signs, warning motorists they could get stuck behind these vehicles for a while. I wouldn’t have minded, the road was very nice, bordered by corn fields and farms.”
Stevensville, Montana, USA Tractor parades and other delights! Donna Hull writes about Traveling Slow in Small Town America on her Boomer travel blog My Itchy Travel Feet, saying, “The 99th Annual Creamery Picnic Parade in Stevensville, Montana introduces visitors to small town America. Tractors, horse groups, fire brigades, muscle cars – you can’t beat it.”
New York, New York, USA Why a live, experienced guide like Stan O’Connor can save a tour despite insane traffic – Off-season and Off-route, or, “Tours Shouldn’t Be Given by CD-ROMs.” posted at The Green Guide’s Tour, saying, “The post highlights a long detour through Manhattan and the impromptu point-to-point touring that was necessitated by the detour.”
Paris, Texas, USA A getaway without the jet lag! Tui Cameron takes a Weekend Road Trip to Paris, Texas posted at Mental Mosaic, saying, “Paris is one of those rare American towns which resists looking like “Anytown, USA” by actively cultivating its charms. Plus, you’ve gotta love the Eiffel Tower replica, the Jesus in Cowboy Boots, and the beautiful marble fountain in the town square.”
Canton, Ohio, USA The 25th US President gets his due, as Dominique King presents Discover something for everyone at the William McKinley Museum in Canton, Ohio posted at Midwest Guest, saying, “Dinosaurs? Star gazing? A vintage village? The William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum in Canton, Ohio, has so much more beyond presidential papers.”
That concludes this Carnival edition, and thank you for visiting.
Please submit your (ONE, non-spammy) blog post to the next edition of the Carnival of Cities using our carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
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Everyone from a newbie travel blogger to an experienced destination marketing organization has confessed to me that the only thing they pay attention to on Facebook is how to get more followers and bigger numbers.
When I ask what they are even doing on Facebook – what are their business goals for their Facebook business Page – they really don’t know.
Hint: bigger numbers for their own sake is NOT a worthy goal, especially on a site where you own nothing, zilch, nada (Mark Zuckerberg owns it all.)
Just because something is a free social communication service doesn’t mean that it doesn’t require thought and effort to be successful….in fact, they all do, which is why social media is not really “free” except in monetary terms. Done well, it is hard work.
What are your goals for your Facebook Page?
How do you capture data that you can control, like a supporter’s email address?
Since Facebook is a job, it deserves to be treated seriously, with metrics and goals and all that serious stuff.
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I’m working on a book, and it’s NOT about travel or social media!
Seems as though every time I turn around these days, someone I know is cranking out a book. For speakers like me, it’s almost a rite of passage.
I spent a lot of time wrestling with the idea, and trying to figure out why my portfolio of print articles and blog posts since early 2006 wasn’t enough to give me the credibility that can apparently – even today – only come from a book.
Honestly, it seems a bit silly that all of my tech and blogging buddies consider a book, made of paper, to be a pinnacle of geek achievement. Does anyone else find that a bit, well, ODD?
So I did what I do….I stewed and pouted and tried to find reasons to say No, and ultimately it ended up the way it always does for me….I decided that it was worth my time and effort to write a book, but not the one that people might expect.
A travel guidebook is a pain in the rear to compile and write, there’s no real money in it and it’s often outdated very quickly.
A social media book would be a rather naked bid to catch this year’s hot marketing topic. An offline entity doesn’t seem like the best medium to convey thoughts about online topics – especially when this blog works just fine for that, thanks.
I wanted something evergreen; something that could be picked up at a bookstore or ordered online five years from now, and would still be relevant, engaging and helpful. When in doubt, I turn to my own experiences because I know them best, and thus was born The Elastic Waist Entrepreneur (or here is the book’s Facebook Page, if that’s your thing.) It’s about launching an online business for older women, especially when you really don’t know what the hell you’re doing, like me.
Since I have this project on the brain, I submitted a speaking proposal with serial entrepreneur Wendy Piersall to the South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) tech conference, held every March in Austin, Texas. It’s right down the road from me, and I’d be an idiot not to attend one of the world’s biggest tech events when it’s a 30 minute drive away.
As part of the unique Panel Picker process at SXSW, you can vote for and comment on proposals, so here is my shameless plug for you to add your vote and voice to the comments about the proposal, if you’d like.
Our proposal page: Elastic Waist Entrepreneurship for Women 40+
Why elastic waists? Because as a comfort-seeking old lady of 50, that’s what I was wearing when I came up with the book idea.
No matter how it ends up, thanks for your support, and see you in Austin in March 2012!
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