Thanks, You Lovely People

by Jan Geronimo on September 18, 2009

blog alliance

An amazing thing happened when I asked you to check out Brad Shorr’s content strategy consulting blog.  You actually went there and left your comments.  Some like Holly even parked herself by the water cooler in Brad’s home and chatted up with  other readers like an oldtimer.

You guys are amazing.

And what thoughtful comments you wrote.  It tickled me so much it ruined my resolve to be dour that night.  I fell out of character!  Some of you even went back like a child who forgot to turn in his assignment, mumbling apologetically to Brad that I’ve sent you.  Of course, Darbs seemed to balk at the assignment and duly pointed to me as perpetrator of his unexpected visit.

Darbs, you shared a surprising slice of life you’re exposed to on a daily basis in New York city.  And Brad is right – it’s chilling.  Thanks as well to Holly, Jena Isle, Zorlone, TrinaMb, Roy and Charles Ravndal for your candid, introspective and honest contribution to the discussion.

Thanks as well to friends who visited Brad but stayed away from the discussion.  It’s all right. As first time visitors to a blog it can be sometimes daunting to just cut in on the conversation.  Don’t be a stranger next time though.  Brad is a gracious host as you might have noticed.

What does it all mean?

Marketing gurus will say I’ve just seen the power of a call to action.  You need something from your readers?  Tell them what to do.  You want them to comment on your post?  Ask.  You want them to buy your e-book?  Point them to your sales page.

Is that it really?

Do you as a reader really want to be told what to do?

Whatever it is, I’m starting to enjoy this.  Conversation is a fascinating thing, isn’t it?  A joy to behold in a blog comment section.  What more if it spills over into another blog wherein  insights are shared, life’s dilemmas sliced and diced into manageable pieces?  Aren’t you glad you’re not alone?  That’s inspiring, if you ask me.

So here’s the question: if helping each other is a beautiful thing,  are you up for more of the same?  What are the things – excepting of course that I lose the long face – that we can help each other with?

Photo Credit:  Jeff Bauche

Recommended Reading:

  1. Embrace Your Writing Community, But Don’t be Scared to Say ‘No’!
  2. Let Me Show You Inside a Secret Blogging Alliance
  3. Why you should Think About Encouraging Others to be Brilliant
  4. For the Next 7 Days, Stop Trying to Get New Readers
  5. The Collaboration Matrix or Why 1 + 1 = 3

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Tagged as: blog alliance, blog community, Brad Shorr, Darbs, Holly Jahangiri, Jena Isle, Roy, TrinaMB, zorlone

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  • zorlone
    Jan,

    I did not market anything at Brad's site. Just left a comment that I thought was proper for the post. I did enjoy his review about the book and it tells a lot about poets. (Feeling poet ako e)

    There are so much inspiration that comes with sadness and failure. It just keeps you challenged and to stand up and to fight again and again and again.

    Reading the comments of other people opened up new horizons in terms of the similarities that a "human" being feels. True, we may characterize happiness in so many different levels, but in appreciation of such, we have left a mark of ourselves and expressed a belief that was shared even if it was only in that post.

    Z
  • There's something to this comment that I can't quite place. What is it, Doc Z? Is it because you're pregnant again with a new poem? lols. Kidding. You sound a bit formal. It might be just me though. ",)
  • zorlone
    Jan,

    It must be my condition. I was, rather am sick. Recuperating now. ;)

    Z
  • I guess I have to say welcome Jan. I have been there, but I have not commented. Hmmm, actually, asking visitors to visit another blog is really of great help, specially if they are visitors like me, he he he. I normally visit links from a post, specially if I find them interesting :)

    BTW, already posted my "Interview With a Doctor" :)
  • Thanks, I added that special note because I noticed you've not left a
    comment. I checked kaya. Ahehehe. But that's okay. You've more than made
    up for it - you went there after all. And now this - you made good on your
    promise to write an interview with our good friend Doc Z. Have you tweeted
    it already? :)
  • You're always welcome Jan! I actually do the same thing in my blog: redirecting my readers to blogs that I frequently visit or recently discovered. Helping others is a reward in itself. It also goes with my mission to at least make 5 people smile each day.
  • Sharing is fun, isn't it, Charles. I didn't start this way. I used to
    hoard good links in my Reader - blogs that are extremely useful to me as a
    person and as a writer. But I've changed since then. It's more sensible to
    share, especially if you know if doing so will actually bring good results
    for your friends. And this makes for good relationships.
  • omg! as i looked into your top conversationalists, I only knew darbs!

    thanks for the visit. i think i have visited your site before.

    i included you in my blog links...

    regarding st. anthony --- he is the patron of lost things...that makes it ironic for a book entitled "st. anthony" to be lost...

  • Hi, Fr. Felmar. Thanks for the visit and the info about St. Anthony de
    Padua. Waaaah. Now, I know and can now enjoy your joke. :)
    You will? Thanks, Fr. Felmar. :)
  • I haven't read Brad Shorr's article yet, but I will soon. On your question: It would be nice if people would give me suggestions on what to write about. I often stumble into writer's block, simply because I'm no writer. I am a freelance graphics designer, for crying out loud... hahaha.

    The fact that I love to ramble on my blog doesn't make me a writer of sorts, doesn't it? Anyways, I'd really appreciate suggestions guys. I have a blog about kidney failure and dialysis, a personal blog, a food blog, and setting up a graphcis design blog...

    Thanks!
  • I have not checked your archives when I last visited. On top of my head,
    I'm interested in how-tos with regard to web design. You know the simple
    things a blogger with next to zero knowledge about web design can work on
    his blog. I mention this because there's no getting around these things. A
    blogger has to deal with these stuff anyway. We might as well start now. A
    nice tutorial will be helpful - with lots of pictures to make clear to us at
    what stage of the process you're talking about. Maybe there's more, but I
    have to go back to your blog and read again. :)
  • Thanks for this wonderful idea! Although I'm more into advertising-type of graphics design, I am currently taking in interest in web design as well. I tend to tinker with my blogger templates, and taught myself and learned some html-coding along the way.

    I'll think of writing some tutorials, just like you've mentioned, to help my fellow bloggers who's new to this.

    Thanks again!
  • That's great, Julius. You only have to think of the problems in your blogs that you've solved through your investigation and even through trial and error. I'm sure a lot of blogger are facing or will be facing the same problems and are rather clueless about how to solve them... HTML coding itself is like Latin to some of us. Simple HTML tricks can be a lot of help, too, especially in making a presentation of a post very attractive. :)
  • Arf! arf! (hope you get my point... jejejejejejeje)
  • Good boy, thanks! You really are a man's best friend, aren't you! Ahahaha. Thanks, Jaydee.
  • Ahahahahhah slight lang... jijijijijiji...
  • What you achieved Jan is what everybody keeps repeating on the blogosphere, if you want to succeed, and that is not necessarily have to be "Making Money Online". What I am trying to say is that you have built credibility, trust and respect, all of which are ingredients to gain friendship and build a lasting network of online buddies.

    That said, of course I won't jump a 10 story building if you told me to, but most likely I will jump over to any blog you point me to. Simply put and just like what Roy said, you have built the trust where you can actually influence people on any recommendation or suggestion you may have. It comes from you, ergo, it must be OK.
  • zorlone
    I agree DiTesco,

    There are certain limits that had to be set. First of all, I only jump a building for the sake of Base jumping. LOL Secondly, I'll make sure that Jan will be there with me to jump off of it. he he he.

    Yeah, it is trust. If we didn't trust Jan enough to go there, then his persuasion would have been in vain.

    Z
  • You may not jump from a 10 story building, Ditesco. Not until you named me in your will. You know - the spa business and the budding blog empire you're building? Ahehehe.

    I have the oddest way of getting info, Ditesco. I continue to amuse myself with my bumbling web savvy. Perhaps that merits an investigation, don't you think? I'm talking about how I discovered Holly's guest writing stint in your blog. lols
  • Hahaha, Will you settle for the the number 3 spot on my will? You've been beaten by DNA - my kids, lol JK

    Anyway, you got me intrigued about how your RADAR is working. DO I have to find out or is there a shortcut there somewhere:)

    BTW, I was finally filled in by Holly about the "Raw Tripe", whew. Anyway, I have posted my Echo #2 today and the last one links to The 6 Most Terrifying Foods in the World. guess who came in #1 - Balut! hahaha This one, also a compliment from Holly.
  • Haha, you make it sound like you are a member of "Special Ops". But I hear you and I can imagine how you manage, to manage, your list. Real time retaliation of unfollowers, that's an idea, but as of now, I'm still on the bulk ops squad, for that matter:)

    Yeah, it would be a killer (literally), would it not? Unfortunately, the Filipino community here is very small if not zero. Last time I checked, we do not even have a consulate here (just a representative which I applied for, lol). The nearest consular service is in Madrid, Spain. There the community is bigger.
  • With a heavy heart, I'd settle for the beach house - the one facing the Atlantic. I'm just fishing here, of course.

    No, I've got you all covered. I've got my listening bugs in place via Google Reader. It just takes long for me to get from one end to the other in my huge reading list. It's a good thing I happened to read your Facebook update - not in Facebook but in my inbox.

    It's a complex operation, see? Things are not what they seem. Ahahahaha. No, I get reports of Facebook updates, new Twitter updates as well as list of new followers and those who have unfollowed. Time consuming and makes my inbox ugly with all those hourly reports. But I want to retaliate every unfollow in almost real time. It's my thing. No good deed goes unpunished in my book. Ahahaha.

    Echo # 2. Now that's interesting. Does Portugal have a large Filipino community there? You can make a killing selling balut, you know? lols
  • "I continue to amuse myself with my bumbling web savvy."

    Well put, Jan. That's about where I am, as well. And I think we do okay in our bumbling - we're amused, our souls are safe, and our reputations are intact. We are surrounded by friends, we have great conversations, and we can make our own coffee until the PC learns how. What more do we need, really?
  • The safety and eternal love and patience of our loved ones? Your wonderful grandfather and his little princess come to mind. ",)
  • Jan, many thanks to you and your community of readers for taking part in what's turned out to be probably the most meaningful conversation ever on my blog. You are all so generous to stop by and share your ideas and experiences. I feel like I've made a whole bunch of new friends, and that makes me feel great. I am definitely not against happiness! But I did love the book. Thanks again to all of you.
  • I have made new friends by just reading you and Joanna's sites, too. Anytime, Brad.
  • Well, just as Roy said, we trust you. If you say it's good , then it must be. What are friends for?

    You take time to promote us too and be generous with your help whenever you can.

    Love begest love. It's as simple as that. Cheers!
  • Hey, Jen. Really? Are you sure? Thank you! That's why I'm cutting down on my tweets. I used to be pretty democratic about tweeting what appears to be useful links. Now I check first if I really like them and worth paying them forward. I've a change of heart because I notice that many are really checking out the URLs I've been tweeting. It's scary to lose face by posting so-so links. Yay!

    I'm supposed to write a follow Friday list for Twitter. But I changed my mind. My new thing is to write a post with outgoing links that point to bloggers Twitter accounts. That's much better, I think.

    This way it's more natural. And I'd not be tempted to add guys out there who are very friendly and conversational only during Fridays. Did you notice that?

    I'd be posting #followfriday recommendations still. But only if I have time. And I'd be tweeting two persons per #followfriday tweet at the most. The best of course is one #ff shout-out per person. But only if time permits. It's so time consuming! Ahehehe
  • I used to assume that all RTs were really recommendations, until I caught a mutual friend RTing my Wednesday post - and no one had actually taken the vocabulary quiz!! He remedied that, and you followed, but it made me a little wary of all the RTs. I actually LOOK at the links before I pass them along, but that probably stems from the fact that I often enjoy articles whose titles are decidedly sarcastic, so I'm very highly aware of the fact that the title may NOT reflect my views at all.

    #followfriday links are great, but only if they, too, can be trusted. #ff doesn't tell me WHY to follow someone - it just relies on me doing it because you suggested it. It's nice, but doesn't always make Twitter a more interesting place for those of us who follow strictly to be nice. I like your new plan.

    When I do #ff tweets, I rarely do more than 1 or 2, and it's always people I've had some kind of meaningful interaction with in the past week.
  • It used to be that I generally add most of the recommended people on #ff. It's so time-consuming. Because I don't use a script or twitter app, it takes me at least 2 hours to add each person. Then you have to at least thank the persons who gave #ff mention or recommendation.

    I'd be more strict now. Instead of adding people in the hope that they'd reciprocate, I'd just visit those who interact with me on Twitter. That makes more sense.

    If I recommend tweeters but I don't even read at least one of their posts, what does that say about my recommendation? lols
  • Love BEGETS love, OMG, it has been a long time since my keypads had acted up again. lol...

  • And because I miss your uncooperative keypads - it's been quite a while since it acted up no? - I'm not going to delete this post script. lols. I want to see this every now and then. If it's there, sure it must be making you uncomfortable, but it signals to me some things are still okay. Ahehehe.

    For crying out loud, does that even make sense? Ahahaha. I meant the last sentence I wrote. ",)
  • Roy
    first, we are friends and second, we believe in you... if you say it's good, we'll take your word for it

    and of course, we weren't disappointed... the review was really good. I honestly wish I could get my hand on that book... the topic is right up my alley ;)

    about helping each other? you're doing it Jan, reciprocating without being asked to, most especially reciprocating not because you were oblige to, but because you really want to.

    those long, thoughtful comments you left on our blogs are obviously not borne out of obligations ;)

  • Thanks, Roy. Maybe because I've chosen wisely which blogs to read and which blogs to avoid? Really that helps. Good content encourages good comments. A good post is just asking for it, if you ask me. For example, point me to a terrible blog and ask me to comment. Do you think I will do it? No way, I'd rather watch television. And you know, how I consider television as a waste of blogging time these days.
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