I’m excited to be speaking today at the ASJA 41st Annual Writers Conference about Twitter for Writers. A couple of months back I spoke on this topic to a group of pet writers and now I get to take this message to the wider writing world.

Today’s talk doesn’t have a powerpoint but I will mention a few resources that I think are valuable, including the following posts:

Steve Buttry: Twitter Tips for Journalists

Tweepi: 5 Twitter Tips for Journalists

Change the World With Words: Twenty Twitter Tips for Writers

Poets & Writers: Thirty Three Twitter Feeds to Follow

Daily Writing Tips: 40 Twitter Hashtags for Writers

Carrie Mumford: Twitter for Writers: Powerful Tool or Evil Time Sucker?

I’m always looking for other great posts to add to my Twitter arsenal - please add them in the comments. And if you were at my presentation, please reach out on Twitter and say hi!

Last night I was a guest of the Philly Social Media Moms, presenting to a great group of bloggers on how to create media kits. Jo-Lynne Shane hosted and my friend Cecily Kellogg helped answer questions and get everyone get into the trenches creating their own media kits right there at the workshop.

Here’s the presentation – I hope that bloggers who complete their media kits will send them to me so I can include them in my database for future blogger outreach. (My contact info on the last page of the presentation.)

I was also able to do a bit of promotion at the workshop for the Digital Family Summit, enlisting the fabulous Philly Moms in helping to promote our conference. The Philly-area parenting blogger community is really strong, and they’re a big part of the reason we decided to do the Summit in Philly in its inaugural year. I know they’re going to be our best supporters (and attendees!) and I can’t wait to meet more of them at the Summit.

UPDATE: My friend Cassie Boorn has a very cool course online that teaches bloggers how to create media kits and work with brands. If you need some help and motivation, this could be a great way to get started! The class runs for the first time on April 28 from 2:00-4:00pm PST but you can sign up anytime and get all the materials afterwards. Cassie has given me a discount code to share with my readers, just click through here or use code “crackerjack” (no quotes) for a 20% discount.

I’ve written previously about good ways to use social media to connect at conferences and events, and mentioned this trick before, but it’s so cool that I feel it deserves its own post. I must give credit where credit is due – Jessica Kirkwood turned me on to this nifty trick about a year ago, and I’ve been using it ever since. I guarantee this will catch the notice of even the most jaded networker; they will remember you for sure.

Use a QR Code to Share Contact Information In Person

All you need to do is create a QR code with your contact information embedded in it in a vCard format, and then save the QR image to the photos on your smartphone. When you meet someone else with a smartphone, instead of bumping (does anyone actually do that anymore) or giving them a physical business card, just open your photos to the QR code you’ve saved and have them snap it with their QR reader.

Here are my two contact QRs, both of which resolve to vCards that people can instantly save to their address books. I made these graphically-enhanced QR codes, using my brand icons, with iQR, a Mac app (available in the App Store), but I also recommend i-nigma for a basic QR code generator. Use their contact fields to insert whatever info you want to include – I put my Twitter handle in the Fax field, for example. People will understand what you’re giving them once they open the vCard in their address book.

Be aware that the more info you put into a QR code, the less likely it is that all QR readers and phones will be able to read it – QR codes have pixels proportionate to the amount of info you’re embedding in them, and more pixels = less readable. Therefore try to keep it simple: don’t add your physical address, fax, etc. unless you always give them out. My codes are pretty packed and may not be readable by all; it’s a risk I take because I want to include my Twitter handle, mobile/landline, etc., but I did try two different levels of “reliability” for each of these QR codes, and I’ll see which one works best with my friends’ phones. If you have any problem scanning these images, will you please let me know in the comments?

Now go forth and party at SxSW – and leave your business cards behind! I’ll be at Dad 2.0 Summit, running concurrently outside of Austin, and at some SxSW parties and events through the weekend. Please show me your QR code if I see you there!

Your Twitter bio is one of the most important pieces of content you will write on Twitter.  People will use it in search, to find people that match their interests. They will use it to decide whether to follow you back when you follow them.  You only have 160 characters, so it’s important to make the most of every one.  When you first get started, do the best you can to describe yourself but don’t worry about it too much; your bio can easily be changed.

There are different styles of bio but it’s best to stick to some general rules for crafting your Twitter bio. (At least until you become a household name, and then you can do whatever you want.)

Guidelines for Twitter Bios

• Use keywords that are descriptive of your work (realtor, chef, or copywriter)
• Modify these terms with specific words that help set you apart (realtor in Topeka, Asian-fusion chef or email copywriter)
• Add something personal about yourself if you occasionally tweet about it (tennis, mom, eats out a lot)
• Even in 160 characters, your bio can have a “voice.”  If it does, make sure it’s in keeping with your brand voice. The tone can be humorous, friendly, coy or sophisticated, as long as it is in keeping with the image you want to present
• Make use of the link that can be added to your bio (this will usually be your website), but you may also add a link in your Twitter bio if you have more than one site you want people to look at to learn about you. Don’t use a shortened URL if you can avoid it, because those links are also powerful branding for you (especially assuming they’re your blog or company website)

For more inspiration, check out these lists of Twitter bios that others have compiled.

• 20 of the world’s most clever Twitter bios – from Mark Schaefer
• 5 Twitter Bio Examples That Will Rock Your Socks – from Marian Schembari
• Twitter List of Effective Twitter Bios – a Twitter list comprised of people with effective Twitter bios, curated by Sree Sreenivasan
• And don’t use these: 20 Twitter Bios That Suck – from Devon Zdatny

Remember that your bio is your way of saying hello to potential followers.  You don’t want to be too salesy when you first say hello.  Think about who you want to appeal to and what might interest those people. Take your time crafting your Twitter bio and modify it as you learn and grow.

Portions of this post originally appeared at the Social Media School blog.

Image source: flickr (Asiatic League)

I’m presenting “Twitter for Writers” today at the Business of Pet Writing Conference here in New York City, by invitation of the pet writer and media personality Charlotte Reed.

Twitter is one of my favorite social media topics to present on; as a longtime user (I joined with my first, now dormant, account in early 2007) I’ve found it consistently the most valuable tool in my arsenal. It’s my go-to resource for news and information daily; I’ve learned about nearly every major world event in the last three or four years through my Twitter stream. I’ve also made amazing connections through Twitter, including wonderful friends as well as clients. Accordingly, I feel pretty passionate about why everyone should use Twitter (though I know not everyone will) and I think that passion comes through when I present about it.

This presentation is very brief; I only have about 40 minutes to present and 10 minutes for questions, so it’s a pretty streamlined overview of why writers should use Twitter with some tips and tricks on how to use it effectively.

If you’re a writer, journalist, an aspiring writer, or, well, really anyone who’s looking for quick ideas and solid takeaways on using Twitter, I think you’ll appreciate this. As always, I welcome your feedback in the comments.

 
 
P.S. Those of you who know me well….no, that’s not my cat Joey on the front slide. But it sure does look like him!

I’ve been really angsty of late, worrying about things I shouldn’t worry about. That’s the life of a Jewish mother, I suppose. But it’s also the life of a social media marketer who is valiantly trying to stay on the right side of the law. The FTC law, that is.

No doubt most of you are aware that the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) regulates advertising and marketing practices here in the U.S. They’re the governmental group who has brought us the CAN-SPAM act (email marketing), COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) and, more recently, their Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, which helped to bring about a more open and transparent level of disclosure by bloggers about their relationships with brands, organizations and events. The FTC is also one of the governmental bodies which regulates Contests and Sweepstakes (others being the Postal Service, the Department of Justice, and regulatory bodies within each of the 50 U.S. states).

I’m on the verge of losing sleep because of the FTC. It’s because I get upset every time I see something like this in a blog post:

What’s wrong with this picture? Well, just about everything. This “giveaway” is actually a sweepstakes and, as such, it violates U.S. and state regulations in about a half-dozen ways, not to mention Facebook’s Promotions Guidelines as well.

The bigger problem? That there are hundreds, if not thousands, of these “giveaways” on blogs each and every day. Don’t you think that at some point the Feds, or one very consumer protection-oriented state (like my own state of New York), are going to sit up and realize that bloggers are mostly doing this wrong? And what’s going to happen to the brands whose stuff is being given away in these “giveaways?” Just as with the Endorsements guidelines, the burden is more likely to be on the brands than the blogger to make sure that every giveaway they are involved with is being run in a manner that complies with federal and state guidelines.

So what’s a brand (or blogger) to do? It’s really not that complicated, you just have to be sure your sweepstakes (or contest) is run according to the FTC and state guidelines. My friend Sara Hawkins, an attorney-turned-blogger, has written a handy post with key points of the sweepstakes guidelines. Based on Sara’s post, this really great post from the Keller and Heckman law firm, and my own understanding of the guidelines, here are the definitions and rules you need to know:

Type of Promotion

A Sweepstakes is a giveaway where winners are chosen at random.
A Contest chooses a winner based on some merit: best photo, funniest tip, etc.
A Lottery is a prize drawing where people pay money for a chance to win. Lotteries are even more highly regulated and brands (or bloggers) should never run a lottery without strong legal guidance.
Thus, most giveaways are actually sweepstakes: a winner is chosen at random based on an entry (like leaving a comment).

Sweepstakes Prize Value

Sweepstakes prizes valued over $5,000 must be registered and bonded in the State of New York and Florida (so don’t offer prizes over $5,000 unless you have the time and money to register and bond your sweepstakes).
Any prize over $600 is required to be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). (The reality is that bloggers must pay taxes on anything they receive with value over $25, but that’s another story entirely.)

Official Rules

All sweepstakes and contests must have Official Rules associated with them, prominently available to the entrant (attorneys I’ve spoken to always prefer that an entrant must check a box to say that they’ve agreed to the Rules, though I’ve also been told that if the rules are prominent enough and verbiage says something like “by entering your name below you are agreeing to the Official Rules” you may be covered.
Key points for Official Rules:

• Must state “NO PURCHASE NECESSARY”
• Must include eligibility requirements (age, residence – it’s generally problematic to include entrants under the age of 18 in your sweepstakes, and, given that every country has its own requirements for promotions, it may be wise to limit entrants to U.S. residents only)
• Duration and deadlines (when does it start, by what date must you enter, etc.)
• Entry procedures (Can you also enter by mail? What, specifically, do you need to do to enter?)
• Prize descriptions (very specific – including an approximate retail value of the prize, if no actual retail value is available)
• Odds of winning (this may be “The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.”)
• How a dispute or mistake will be handled (disclaimers for technical failures or typographical errors; identity disputes related to the winner)
• How and when winners are selected (you must set a date for winner selection and also for how long winners have to claim their prize)
• Right to obtain winners’ names and how to do so, as well as the right to publicize their names and likenesses (if for whatever reason you’re not collecting their name on entry, you’ll want to get their name when you certify them as the winner; at the same time, you’ll probably want to have the right to use their name and photo for promotional purposes)
• Method of distributing prizes not claimed (often something like, “If potential Grand Prize winner forfeits or does not claim the prize, prize will be re-awarded, in Sponsor’s sole discretion.” and “All prizes will be awarded.”)
• Liability release (this holds the company harmless in the event that the prize or sweepstakes in some way negatively impacts the winner; this is often done alongside the certification of winner, where the winner must furnish proof of identity, address and birth date to win the prize, and at the same time sign the liability release)
• Sponsor name and contact information (mailing address at the very least, plus email address and/or phone number)
• Legal venue (in what state or jurisdiction is the sweepstakes being regulated in?)
• Also state “VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW”

Additional Info for Contests

Most of the same rules and requirements apply to contests, with a few additions. If you’re running a contest where you’re collecting any materials from the entrants (photos, essays, artwork, poems), you should state how those materials are to be used and returned (if at all). As well, it may be necessary to restrict photos to images of people over 18 (to stay on the right side of the COPPA laws) and also to state that any inappropriate materials will result in automatic disqualification (be sure to define “inappropriate” for your specific contest).
If you are running a contest, there’s another whole discussion your lawyers will want to have about voting for the winner vs. judging the winner. Go ahead, ask them. Double-dare you. It’ll be a long discussion. The upshot: lawyers don’t like voting on contests. So make the final winner selection based at least 60% on judging by an “expert panel” vs. voting by regular people. Or vote for round one, then have the panel pick the winner out of a number of finalists. There’s too much randomness in voting, which makes it a sweeps vs. a contest. Lawyers don’t like it when lines blur like that, you know.

Advertising the Promotion

If the “giveaway” is to be referenced in any other place besides the actual sweepstakes page itself, there are additional guidelines for advertising that apply. Each reference to the giveaway must state the eligibility requirements (age, location), deadlines, how to obtain Official Rules, and must also include the two phrases “NO PURCHASE NECESSARY” and “VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.”

Children and General Privacy

I’ve referenced COPPA law a couple of times now, and can’t state emphatically enough how important it is to steer clear of the issues related to marketing to children under 13. However, a few states, such as Maine and California, have recently written new laws governing the collection of personal information for minors under the age of 18. Given that state laws vary on this point, it’s far safer to restrict your sweepstakes or contest to those over 18, and to require proof of age for winners upon certification of the winners.

Additionally, your sweepstakes or contest should either include or reference a strong privacy policy which governs your use of their personal information, including whether or not your site collects cookies, and with whom you will disclose or share their information.

Facebook: A Whole New Can of Worms

Facebook adds a whole new additional of complexity to promotions with their promotions guidelines. Sara has a good round-up here; the basics on this are that you cannot use any of Facebook’s native applications to enter people into a contest. Native applications include the Wall, the Like button, photos, videos and using Facebook to notify winners. Meaning, in the really bad example above, requiring people to “friend” someone (or “Like” a page) in order to gain an extra entry into the giveaway is not allowed. This is a topic for a whole other post, and many people have already written it, so I’ll just suggest you Google “facebook promotions guidelines” and you’ll get an earful. Or eyeful.

In short, “giveaways” are nothing to mess around with casually. There is no such thing as a “giveaway,” they are all sweepstakes, and, as such, are governed by myriad federal and state laws to which attention should be paid. If you’re a blogger who runs giveaways the wrong way, I really hope this post gives you pause: please step back, evaluate, and decide if running the giveaways brings you enough monetary value to either a) hire an attorney to help you setup your giveaways correctly, or b) to fight a lawsuit if a disgruntled non-winner (or winner) decides to take you to task for not following the law. If you’re a brand running giveaways via bloggers, it truly behooves you take control of the situation for yourself, and to sic your attorneys on this matter immediately.

Now go forth and giveaway. Properly. This angsty Jewish mother thanks you.

DISCLAIMER: I am not an attorney, nor do I play one on TV. The information provided herin is not legal advice and is only based on my own experiences as a marketer with sweepstakes and contests, including counsel I have been given by numerous attorneys over my many years as an internet marketer. None of the above should be considered a substitute for you consulting your own legal counsel who will guide you and your company (or blog) in how to create and manage sweepstakes and contests.

This post originally appeared in on Social Media Explorer, where I’m a regular contributor on social media topics.

 
In late 2011 I presented my 2012 social media predictions on Social Media Explorer. I think they’re well worth repeating here.  I did pretty well with my 2011 social media predictions, so here are the five social media trends I think marketers need to be aware of in the next year as we grow and change along with technology and consumer demand.

Content Marketing

Content curation was so last year. In 2012 we’re going broader; we’ll be talking about a marketing discipline called “Content Marketing.” It’s actually not all that new; in fact, some social media pundits have been talking about it for years. But 2012 is the year content marketing is hits the social media trends list and the mainstream, because content marketing is now a concept that executives can finally sink their teeth into.

Content marketing is essentially the same thing that social media gurus have been discussing for quite some time, which is that brands must “be the media.” But “be the media” is a scary concept for a CMO or CEO, because they think that media = expensive. Because corporate execs are finally beginning to understand how writing blogs or creating video can enhance SEO, lead generation, customer relationship management, and more, budgets seem to be loosening to allow marketers to create, as well as curate, content as a marketing strategy.

As such, we will be looking for marketing staff with more and varied skills. We’ll need people with great editorial skills; who can write blogs, white papers and slide presentations; and who can conceptualize and perhaps even edit video. If the marketing staff has those capabilities, the costs for content marketing get absorbed into the department and no longer represent a scary line item.

And if our marketing staff is also our content creating and curating team, we also need to think about hiring for our department in a different way: people who are in social media roles most likely need to be the customer they’re serving, or at least must be able to walk comfortably in their shoes. A 45 year old man likely won’t be the content marketer for breastfeeding supplies. Brands will be looking for content marketers who match their demographic, which may open up new corporate job opportunities to subject matter experts in a variety of disciplines.

Social Media Influence

Influence in 2012 might be defined by Klout, or Kred, or PeerIndex. It doesn’t matter. The point is that anyone who is looking to court customers is wanting to understand who’s who, else they wind up in a morass of names, unable to know whom to court to help them spread the word about their product or service. Influence-ranking services such as those above, as maligned as they are, are merely trying to help marketers cut through the clutter of tweets and blog posts to figure out who they should talk to. 2012 is not going to be the year that a perfect tool emerges, but it will be a year for broad adoption of the ranking tools and lots of C-suite talk about “influence” in general.

Personally, I think the future of social media influence is in a combination of online and offline factors. For example, how do you augment someone’s influence score if they’ve written a book? Or if they’re the president of their kids’ school PTA? Or if they have an extensive speaking career? Any of those factors would indicate that those individuals have opportunities to spread messages to groups of people who likely trust them and rely on their opinions, yet this is in no way reflected in any of the online influence scores. Because of this disconnect between online and offline influence, I’m not putting my money down on any of the influence rankers at this point. I am, however, using them all personally to understand how they work, and selectively relying on them to advise clients, though my rolodex of bloggers whom I know personally is still a far better asset. After all, social media is still about relationships, and there’s no substitute for getting to know the people you are hoping will help you promote your brand.

Convergence of Marketing + Technology + Data

Perhaps the most important of the social media trends to come, tighter integration between marketing, technology, and data is at topic I predict we’ll hear a lot about. New positions like “Marketing Technologist” and “Marketing Scientist” will emerge; within marketing departments people will learn these new skills and take on new roles.

Imagine what would happen if you, the marketer, had someone on staff who could create technology to meet the needs of your content and your promotions, who understood Facebook Connect and maybe even iPhone development, to boot? What if that person were a WordPress expert too? The future of marketing does not include waiting for the IT department to figure out what a WordPress plugin is. Marketers are going to take technology into their own hands and either train or hire people within their own departments who can move much more nimbly and creatively than traditional tech departments can.

I’m also seeing a trend towards marketers who are becoming masters at data analysis; smart marketer Dan Zarrella is one of the best known in the genre of Marketing Scientist. Some companies, like my client (and SME colleague Ilana Rabinowitz at) Lion Brand Yarn, are starting to install analysts within their marketing departments. At Lion Brand they have a staffer devoted to gleaning insights out of Google Analytics, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube; they use the data generated to determine what content to provide within each of their platforms, to develop better promotions and events, and to figure out which products are resonating within various consumer communities.

Just as with content marketing, above, smart marketers are going to figure out how to train or hire for the skills they need to make savvy social marketing decisions, rather than waiting for budgets to be approved or for help from other departments internally.

Legal Challenges Within Social Media

Let’s talk for an honest minute about one of the pitfalls of the crazy growth social media has experienced over the past few years. It’s a bit hard these days to figure out who’s shilling for whom and what are the rules, exactly. In order to quell some of the confusion, a couple of years ago the FTC laid out some very clear guidelines for blogger disclosure, and though there’s been continued debate about how to comply (do we really have to indicate a sponsored tweet?), disclosure is now the norm, not the exception. So good on you, bloggers and brands, for making that happen. And keep it up.

However, I predict that in 2012 a new legal menace is going to rear its ugly head, and it’s largely due to the plethora of bloggers who have cropped up and devoted themselves to reviews and giveaways, many of which are created and run in ways which do not comply with FTC and state guidelines. The law and how it handles this new, vast world is going to be one of the most important social media trends we see. In case you missed it, I’ve recently written nearly 1,800 words on the topic of Sweepstakes and Contests in these very pages, and I encourage you to check it out. In a nutshell, it says that most bloggers, and therefore brands, are doing it wrong: there are rules, and they’re not being followed. Ouch.

To be perfectly frank, I admit to welcoming some state or federal scrutiny on giveaways practices because I feel it will raise the bar for participation by bloggers (and brands) and help blogging get back to what it once was: storytelling and resources, not simply crass commercialism. I’m quite sure I’ll hear differing opinions on this score; please bring it on in the comments.

Social Security

Nope, this is not the kind that Congress is endlessly debating. It’s the kind you’re going to need now that your social networking information is being used by all sorts of outside agencies and companies to judge you in ways you never thought possible. Like insurance. And loans. And law enforcement.

Insurance companies are already using social media to validate claims: if you say you were in a car accident one night but update Facebook to say you had a fantastic evening, you may be sniffed out by your insurer. This will go even further in the coming year(s) as your social updates as well as your network may be part of the evaluation when you look for new insurance or apply for a loan. On the law enforcement side, social media can assist individuals and communities in the case of a disaster or accident by monitoring community social activity, looking for calls for help, and evaluating needs as information comes in from across the range of social networks. We also know that cops and agencies are using publicly-shared social media data to help fight crimewhich could lead to challenges in privacy rights and changes in how the social networks protect (or don’t protect) individuals’ data.  Even charities are getting into the act of co-opting individuals who may or may not be entirely aware of how their images and social connections are being used.

While privacy and security concerns have obvious implications for individuals, there are correlating considerations for marketers as well. If you’re selling products or services in a way which could potentially use customers’ social connections to enhance your offering, you’d better get working on it quickly before new startups step in to fill the void. Even if you personally don’t love the idea of using social connections in that way, trust me, someone else out there is going to do it, so you might as well protect your brand and figure it out.

What’s Not Here: Google+

I actually have a sixth prediction: that there will be dozens of 2012 social media predictions posts which include Google+. Yet I’m not really including it here, because it’s simply a platform, not a trend or movement. Brands will use Google+ as well as Facebook, Twitter, blogging, video, etc. to implement any or all of the above trends in one way or another. There is no question that Google+ will likely be a major force for brands in 2012, particularly now that brand pages have been rolled out and it’s seems pretty clear that good SEO for brands in the future will involve Google+ in some way. So keep your eye on this one, but don’t call it a trend, use it as a tool.

So friends, how did I do? Did I get social media trends for 2012 right in your eyes? What major trend did I miss? As always, I’m totally up for the debate and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Image source: flickr.com (Bruce Dupree via aafromaa)

Even if you’re a great writer, you may struggle now and then with how to structure a blog post to make sure your key points are getting across.  In nearly seven years blogging and helping clients with blogs, I’ve learned a few tricks along the way which may help you, whether you’re just starting a blog or refreshing one you’ve been writing for a while.

Keep it short – or only as long as it needs to be

Why struggle with a long post if a shorter post will work?  While some business blog posts average in the 750-1,000 word range, many are quite successful at 300-500 words.  If you can explain what you want to explain in fewer words, do so, and your reader will get to the point more quickly.

Keep posts focused on one primary topic

If you find yourself starting to describe a second or third topic, step back and determine whether you can break the post into two or more posts.  A focused post will have a greater chance of getting read all the way through, so your key content will more likely get noticed.

Use headers, bullets, or other organizing tools to make important content stand out

Posts are easier to read if they have markers to break up the content and help draw the eye to important parts.  Using headers will help to highlight the key points you’re making (as in this post), as well as help search engines to find keywords within your post (if your headers include keywords).  Bullets can be used to similar effect – anything you put into a bullet will be more easily readable and noticed even if someone is skimming through the post.

Include an image near the top of the post

Sonia Simone from Copyblogger says, “Images are steroids for your headline.”  Using a great image will help draw readers in and focus on your content.  Look for images which are either literal – directly related to your content, or evocative of your content with a concept or theme.

Put time into your title – then think about it some more

As the old journalism adage goes, you should put 50% of your time into writing the article and 50% into the headline.  The same holds true for blog posts.  If you get the right title it will draw your reader in and help them to focus on your content – but the title has to match the content.  It can’t be too broad, too punny, or too blah. Additionally, a keyword-rich, focused title will help with search optimization.

How do you keep blog posts focused and help your readers quickly get to your most valuable content? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.

img src: flickr (garryknight)

This post originally appeared in a slightly different form at the Creative Concepts Blog, where I’m a regular contributor on social media topics.

As I’ve been slowly transitioning this site and my business from Stephanie Schwab Consulting to Crackerjack Marketing, I’ve been thinking about all of the content I’ve created over the past 15 months. Though this blog is young by my blogging standards (I started my personal blog in 2005), it’s already got a number of “classic” posts which attract fresh traffic every single day. My friend Jason Falls did an analysis of his blog (to which I’m a contributor) earlier this week, and he also found that some of his older posts on key topics consistently generate the most traffic.

So how to optimize all of that valuable, though older content? I recently read a great post from Pat Flynn titled, “10 Ways to Bring New Life to Old Blog Posts.” In it he outlined a number of really smart ideas on how to keep useful content front-and-center and generate traffic and engagement from it. A few of his ideas include:

Link To Older Posts That Are Relevant to What You’re Writing Now

This seems so natural. If you’re using a newer version of WordPress, it’s also really easy. When you insert a link, WordPress asks you if you want to link to an older post. You can even search to find one right there in the linkbuilding window. Go on, try it out – and do more of this in your upcoming posts.

Do a Followup Post to an Older One

Duh. I’ve got to do this. According to Jason, my post on Five Social Media Trends for 2011 is the #2 post of all time on the Social Media Explorer blog. So why haven’t I updated it mid-year? What a no-brainer. I’ve got to get working on that, even if it’s nearly September.

An Oldies But Goodies Roundup Post

Another great idea. In my case, I’ve written a lot on both this blog and on Social Media Explorer about blogger outreach and brands working with bloggers. I’m going to write a post bringing all of that content together here.

Utilize a Good Archive Page

I seriously need help here. So when I redesign this site (coming Fall 2011!) I’ll make sure a simple, easy-to-use archive page is part of the build.

Syndicate Your Older Content on Social Media

This is interesting. I tried this for a while and had great results. I was using the WordPress Tweet Old Posts plugin, and excluded all of my old content that was tied to a specific event or timeframe, leaving only “evergreen” content in the Old Posts queue. But I started to get outrageously snarky, even slightly menacing, anonymous comments on blog posts that I tweeted out that way (as well as a few ugly Twitter remarks) from some unfortunate person who has nothing better to do than complain about good content in someone’s Twitter stream. Rather than waste energy taking down the comments (or responding to them, as I tried to do at first), I just deactivated the Old Posts plugin. But you know what? My content is too valuable for that. I’m going back to Tweet Old Posts because I love getting “attagirl” comments on old posts too, because it makes me happy when people find my content useful. So there, commenter. Go back under your anonymous rock.

So there you have it. My plan for increasing the usage of the content I’ve already created – because if I’m going to write for three blogs, I should get the most out of all of that effort.

Are you using Pat’s principles and making the most out of your old content? I’d love to hear what resonated with you.

img src: flickr (10ch)

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This post originally appeared in a slightly different form at the Creative Concepts Blog, where I’m a regular contributor on social media topics.

I recently returned from the BlogHer Conference in San Diego, the largest gathering of women in blogging – at 3,200+ strong, we’re quite the amazing group. With BlogHer, Evo Conference and Mom 2.0 Summit all happening within 1-2 months of each other, I’ve been relying on a bunch of new (and older) tools and platforms to maximize my conference-going and networking. Some of these tools may be new to you, too so I’m happy to share them with you.

HootSuite: This is my go-to app for managing my own Twitter and Facebook presences, as well as those of my clients. The HootSuite iPhone and Android apps and website allow for easy creation of a new stream that searches for the hashtag of the event you’re at – so you can quickly scan to see what everyone else is doing and saying.  I also use HootSuite to livetweet events, with the event hashtag, of course.

Foursquare: Not everyone wants to broadcast their location, but for those of you that do, Foursquare makes conferences a lot of fun, particularly for a conference like SxSW with multiple events happening at once. Seeing where your colleagues and friends check in can help you make a snap decision on where to go next. I also use Foursquare as a simple way to catalog my travels – where I ate, what hotel I stayed at, etc.

Hashable: Available as an iPhone app (or use on the web), this site allows two people to make quick connections via Twitter, which are then augmented with your contact info online.  At the recent Mom 2.0 Summit, a friend of mine made two important connections for me within the space of 30 minutes, both using Hashable.  I love this for its speed (no long-winded intro emails necessary) and ease-of-use via the iPhone app (though the website is just as user-friendly).

QR Codes: This is a bit on the heavy geek-tech side, but it’s a cool icebreaker. Use the ZXing Project QR Code Generator to create a 2-D barcode with your contact information in it.  Then store that barcode as a photo in your smartphone. If you meet people who carry a smartphone, suggest that they snap your QR Code (from the photo) using a QR code reader (I recommend the i-nigma Reader) to quickly upload your contact info to their phone. You can also print the QR Code on a business card (mine has one) but that takes more advance planning!

Group Texting: If you’re traveling as a pack, or want to make plans with people as you go, try out one of the up-and-coming group text services. These apps and services allow one-to-many texting, saving you lots of phone calls and making quicker connections than email. And, at a conference with bad mobile web reception (who hasn’t been in those black-hole ballrooms?), texts will usually get through.

Once you’ve got all your social media tools in place, think about the physical tools you use, too.  Take a Sharpie pen so you can write notes on any business card, even a glossy one – those notes may be really helpful to you when you’re struggling to remember who’s who.

Here’s my special trick for keeping business cards together – thanks to the crafty and smart Tauni Everett for this idea: a binder ring (with holepunch) for all the cards from a single conference. These can sit on my desk together for easy flipping and referencing.

Whatever you do, remember that networking is all in the follow-up – so whether you use Twitter, Facebook or good old-fashioned email, don’t forget to follow-up with your new contacts as soon as possible after the event.

Are you in riding the conference carousel? How have you used (or do you plan to use) social media to help keep it all together? Please let us know in the comments!