Memphis is known as a city of musical invention, from the Delta blues of Muddy Waters and B.B. King to the country and rockabilly styles of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. Memphis’ Beale Street is recognized the world over as the birthplace of the blues.

Yet in this city that heralds this vast creative tradition, how come the comedic art of inspiring laughter seems to fall upon deaf ears time and time again over the past two decades? Sir Laughs A Lot. Comedy House Cafe. The Laugh Factory. Comedy Zone. The Loony Bin. Funny Bone. Comedy Tennessee. These are just seven of the full-time comedy clubs that were not able to last past the fifth year of operation before going out of business. But why is this the case?

From an outsider’s perspective, the city of Memphis just isn’t adept to supporting live stand-up comedy. But with a population of that size, it seems unfathomable that even just attracting a small percentage of local inhabitants can’t sustain a veritable monopoly.

Maybe though, it actually isn’t the city’s apparent cold shoulder that’s been the problem. Maybe it’s just the failure of the “cookie-cutter” comedy club business model combined with lack of solid local marketing initiatives.

While the franchise chains may persuade you otherwise, local brick & mortar businesses are highly affected by the specific proclivities of the surrounding community and customer base. What works in one town may not work in another. Sometimes the approach taken in order to gain success in a local area must be so drastically different, it can’t be copied by anyone, anywhere at all.

Understanding your unique marketplace, competitors, and potential customers are the keys to finding the best and most fruitful direction for your business. Applying a blueprint model without doing so will likely find you in a world of hurt.

Will Memphis finally learn from its past mistakes or is the next comedy club upstart doomed from the get-go?

In addition to his live performances, Andy currently co-hosts a comedy-talk podcast Mostly Comedy with fellow comic Katrina Murrell. For some good laughs, go ahead and follow him on Twitter or check out some of Andy’s video clips on YouTube.

In addition to giving the city of Memphis a huge “WTF?”, Andy and I have a blast discussing:

• Promoting local community events with only word of mouth and no standard advertising.
• The two fundamental problems local businesses have when it comes to top-of-mind marketing.
• Marketing a product with language that potential customers would understand.
• Selling the experience of a live event, not purely a description of what is to take place.
• How directly asking customers “why?” is the easiest way of finding out what works.

I’m sure you’ve guest posted on another blog before and I can guarantee the reason wasn’t because you wanted to share valuable information with a another blogger’s community. You just wanted to potentially interest some of their readers and hopefully, they will start becoming active readers of your blog.

There is a reason why we all put the by-line at the end of a guest post. We all want our links to be clicked! We don’t care about the post, all we want is to give you a reason to go to our site. It’s true. Admit it.

Jeez, we really are about self interest. We’re like kids whining in a candy store because Mom said she wasn’t buying anymore candy. If you think about it, our guest posts we write on other sites are the candy. We’re hoping Mom (the readers) will give in and buy more candy. In this case, clicking on our link.

If things don’t go our way, we look at our guest post as a failure just because we didn’t get an avalanche of traffic back to our blog. However, the post you did write received a lot of retweets and comments. What does that matter to you, right? The post wasn’t on your blog.

Can we say that guest posting is truly a genuine gesture?

I think we all know what it’s really about – helping to build credibility for you as a writer and what you do on your own blog. Come on, you didn’t actually think I asked Jordan if I could post on his blog because I wanted to connect with his readers, did you? I obviously want to try and get traffic to my site by use of my byline. (by the way, it’s at the bottom of this post. I made them bold and italicized so you won’t miss them. I was going to make them a 72 point font, but I thought that was pushing it.)

Although, since there are other readers on here who happen to find Jordan funny for some reason, I wanted to take my shot at writing a humorous blog post (which I’m probably failing miserably at by now) and connect with some of his readers. Anyway, I digress.

Guest blogging is really only successful when you write for people and have genuine conversations. Wishing for a pointless click back is not the way to go. Honestly, just because someone clicks the link back to your site, they may leave immediately after landing on your page. So let me clap my hands for you and that half a second that potential reader was on your blog.

I’ve always hear bloggers say, “write high quality content.” As true as this is, it won’t work if you’re writing like a robot. If you’re guest posting in an SEO zombie type manner, people will catch on to that quickly. You can be sure as shit they won’t want to click that link back to your blog.

Talk to people like they are people, not just someone living within the interwebs. I think many of us realize that too many bloggers are following a script when they write. It’s not genuine or real at all. There actually is, believe it or not, someone on the other side reading that post!

When it comes to guest posting, if you truly want to capture that readers attention, its going to take more than worrying about whether or not they click a stupid link to your blog. If that’s your only focus, you’re screwed.

For example, if you try to submit a guest post that’s garbage, its going to be rejected anyways. Go ahead and cry because the only person you’re hurting is yourself. The blogger you’re submitting to is going to check out your blog to get a better understanding of who you are, and if they reject your post because its crap, well guess what? You just hurt your own blog as well because you can be sure as shit you won’t be invited to guest post on that blog ever again.

Honestly, forget about the links and think more about the post and message you are trying to send. If people click that link back to your blog, you connected with them on some level. Once they have taken an interest in your writing, build upon that relationship. Most people tend to think after the one guest post, that’s it, you’re done. No, this is just the beginning. (I feel like I’m in a Lord of the Rings movie right now) Understand that you have the ring of power.

If you’re a poor writer, get better at it before you submit a guest post to a high profile blog. Please.

So, after reading all this bullshit and inspirational advice…

Do you believe that people are too obsessed with backlinks and residual traffic when it comes to guest posting?

Frank Angelone is a blogger going nowhere, but for some reason he still writes on SocialTechZone.com and offers the ability for his readers to subscribe, like a good blogger should. Not to mention, he wrote a blueprint on how to improve your computer performance that less than 50 people read. So, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to check it out, it’s free!

Something that you likely don’t really need, want or even care about. But I will still dress it up as if it’s the solution to all your problems.

Hopefully, this will hit some emotional nerve that will magically force you to make a rash decision you will later regret. But of course, you will keep that regret to yourself since it would expose you to the world as a total dumbass.

But you are. At least, that’s what I’m hoping for.

First I must mesmerize you with an eye catching headline.

One that addresses a key benefit of my product, yet greatly inflates the actual result you’ll achieve when applying it.

How about…

Explode your pathetic blog with a massive money shot of traffic splooge and make your reader’s balls fly off in an hysterical avalanche of gushing laugh juice!

Now that I have you hooked in, I have to find your pain point. Something you’ve been struggling with immensely that I can exploit for my own personal gain. Whether or not my product actually solves this problem is irrelevant.

I’m a marketer, not a miracle worker, right?

Have you ever woken up thinking that today will be the day you’ll finally end it all?
Are you tired of editing your suicide note with a new date, only to have to do it again the next day?
Do you know how to tie a noose like an expert but just don’t have a pipe high enough to hang yourself from?

Now that I’ve found the pain point of many of my readers (as you must be suicidal to come to my blog on a regular basis), I must now show why the remedy to all your failings as a human being is being kept from you. That I somehow have gained the super secret knowledge of the gods and will be revealing it to you against the better judgement of all of humanity.

Of course, you would think that I could profit more by keeping these secrets under lock and key using it only for my benefit. But my purpose is greater than that. In fact, I’m only sharing this mysticism because after releasing this product, I am retiring from the earth to the netherworld never to be seen again. That is, until version 2.0 comes out next year.

Yes, even though these are highly sensitive advanced secret techniques used by the gods, I must let you know that they’re as simple as shit. So simple, even your dumbass can do it.

In fact, it’s so easy that even the fake people in my testimonials could do it. C’mon, if fictional characters made up in my sadistic mind could accomplish these feats, it’ll be a piece of cake for you as a real person.

Learn the ancient art of writing funny gut-busting blog posts!
A foolproof system Greek philosophers have kept hidden on buried temple scrolls for 3000 years!
Translated for you in an simple 5-step blueprint even a comatose illiterate can understand and profit from!

Now that I’ve wet your appetite and given you a unnecessary sense of loss, it’s time to bombard you with social proof.

Somehow I have to show you the millions of people achieving unparalleled success with my super awesome blog post writing formula. This is supposed to make you feel more comfortable handing over your money, since if there are tons of other dumbasses who got duped, you won’t feel as bad when you see no results from this overpriced purchase.

Of course, I can’t use actual testimonials. There are none. The only e-mails I’ve received are from those who bought my products previously who have cursed the living shit out of me for producing such garbage. So I’ll just do a little creative editing to highlight the key parts of their correspondence that make my product seem awesome enough to cure cancer.

“I’ve made myself clear more than three times that I want my money back. Thanks for nothing, asshole. I can imagine you don’t give two shits, but by simply ignoring me, I’ll just continue following your scammy ass wherever you go so I can stick this blueprint up your fucking ass.”

Ok, now that you’ve seen a quote from one of my happy customers, it’s time to vomit out exactly what it is you’re going to waste your money on. This will always be displayed inside of what’s known as a “Johnson box”.

Why is it called this, you might ask? Well, it’s because it’s the point of the page where while you’re reading it, I’m sitting at home waving my big ass Johnson at you. All while laughing maniacally at how easily you can be persuaded to take an action simply by placing text inside of a square of dotted lines.

But wait, there’s more! This is supposed to be where I show you 742 other valueless things you get included with this already worthless product. But I won’t bog you down with even more material you’ll fail to actually utilize since this was purely an impulse buy on your part from the get-go. I’ll do even better though. I’m going to double your order!

That’s right, folks. You will get two copies of this purely digital product. Yes, I know you can easily duplicate an mp4 file to your hearts content on your computer – but isn’t it always true that the copy never really lives up to the quality of the original? Now you can have one for your house… and one for your car!

Now that I’m coming to the end of my sales pitch, there’s only one way to wrap it all up. A big fat “add to cart” button.

Never mind the fact that I don’t sell any other products. Never mind the fact that there’s no other option to add any further things to your order. It may just be that my product is filled with just so much damn awesomeness that it’s the only item that can fit into your imaginary pointless virtual shopping cart.

Actually, it’s because if I ask you to “buy now”, then you might actually come to your senses that you don’t need this fucking thing at all. I want to make it as painless as possible for you to open up your wallet without you having to take real accountability for your actions.

Adding something to a cart sounds much friendly in nature as if you’re perusing the produce section at the supermarket. Little do you know how similar it is indeed, since you’re essentially paying for a lemon of a product.

P.S. - I didn’t forget the P.S. section of my sales pitch.

P.P.S. - This is where I remind you again of all the enormous non-value you’re going to get from my product.

P.P.P.S - This is where I make one last ditch attempt at convincing you not to click away.

P.P.P.P.S - At this point, you’ve clicked off this page so it doesn’t matter what I write here anyways.

P.P.P.P.P.S - Seriously, though. This is a real product. That part isn’t a joke. So please buy my shit!

Typically used in the context of dating, it’s been seen countless times with women being drawn more towards the stereotypical “bad boy” while giving a perfectly polite, respectful & unselfish man the cold shoulder. The phrase has almost become a cult-like anthem of sensitive types to wallow in their own self-pity.

These lost souls go out on date after date and find themselves in the same position over and over again.

They bring flowers. They hold the door open. They choose a great restaurant and foot the bill. They even might have awesome conversation while walking down the boardwalk on a spectacular night.

After all of this, the women gives him a small peck on the cheek, a promise for a second date… and the next day fucks the guy with the biggest dick.

How many times have you heard women bemoan the fact there are no “nice guys” anymore, yet still get into relationships time and time again with complete assholes? Why? Even she doesn’t know. Maybe it’s what she thinks she wants, when all she might really truly want is a guy with a huge cock. It’s a means to an end. That’s it.

And so has this been the case for many bloggers.

You write blog posts every day. You engage with your audience. You elicit comments and respond promptly with appreciation. You network with others, support people and share the limelight without question. You put everyone else’s needs over your own on a regular basis.

Yet you’ve gotten absolutely nowhere. No money. No traffic. No success.

Although in contrast, you see countless others who don’t engage much, don’t respond to comments, don’t share many links and don’t seem to show any public appreciation whatsoever to their audience – and they have traffic numbers off the roof making 6 figures with their online business.

So you think to yourself “what the fuck is going on here?” You make a vow to combat this by out-caring everyone in your niche. You write even more blog posts. You start giving away even more content. You start webcasts, podcasts, live streams, Twitter chats, retweet clubs, guest posts, blog networks, link shares, contests, gift giveaways and everything you can possibly do outside of painting people’s houses.

That still gets you absolutely nowhere. No money. No traffic. No success.

Although in contrast, you see another blogger who doesn’t seem to do much offer a single free eBook and it ends up crashing his/her server, generating 500 retweets and 10,000 opt-ins. Everyone is talking about it. Everyone is applauding it.

And you’re still thinking to yourself “what the fuck is going on here?” How could it be that a nice guy like yourself gets kicked to the curb? How could it be that these apparent assholes have no problem attracting people and cashing in on it?

Because they’ve got a bigger dick. They have the goods. You don’t. You’ve got a pencil dick.

They don’t need to be sincere, cordial or even friendly because they have exactly what people really want. A product of value. The knowledge & comfort that it will hit the g-spot each and every time. That’s it.

Sure, many would prefer to deal with “nice guys”, but without having the huge cock in your pants to back up your exterior, it doesn’t matter. They’re going to fuck someone else. No matter how much they claim otherwise, it’s a means to an end.

So what can you do to enlarge your blogging penis?

Build something of real value. Vastly improve what you’re currently producing. Create something that’s so good, people will consume it regardless of how much you engage, solicit, comment, reply, share, promote or appreciate your audience.

Stroke it already and stop spending all your time playing with your balls.

Nice guys finish last. Those who can satisfy their readers’ true desires finish first. It’s possible to be both.

Time spent listening to the radio is now at a 12-year low, and rock music is among the formats suffering the most.

Is it because there is so much competition in the marketplace now for listeners? Or is it because any time you turn on your local station, it seems as if you’re hearing the same 6 songs over and over again in an infinite loop ad nauseum?

Chris Anderson, famously penning the term ‘The Long Tail’, surmises that when distribution channels become plentiful and the cost of production reaches virtually nil, this opens up the door for niche offerings as a whole to overtake the upper echelon of the market. If the past decade’s worth of radio numbers is any indicator, this seems to be the main culprit of the demise of this medium. But does the radio industry even realize that this is the case?

More and more are radio stations cutting back on local and niche programming and preferring to embark in seemingly risk-averse strategies to cut costs and maintain the ad department’s status quo. Through one-size-fits-all voice tracking and the reliance on small music rotations (that only have tracks that score high in generalized focus groups), are radio execs actually compounding their problems by completely ignoring the Long Tail phenomenon & trying to make the “fat head” fit into their business model at all costs?

Joining me on this podcast episode for some wiseass banter is stand-up comedian Spanky Brown. A 12 year veteran of the comedy stage, Spanky can be seen regularly on B.E.T’s Comic View, Comedy Central, is a contributing writer for the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Show and is heard often as a guest on the Bob & Tom radio show. For some good laughs, go ahead and follow him on Twitter or check out some of Spanky’s video clips on YouTube.

In addition to giving the radio industry a kick in the ass, Spanky and I have a blast discussing:

• How marketing your ‘personal brand’ is an ever-changing variable depending on your demographics.
• The fallacy of executives making journalists into entertainment or comedic figures on the air.
• Why broadcasting talent should bypass the middlemen and go directly to the fans.
• Lebron James and the proliferation of social media & journalistic absurdity in sports marketing.
• The power of the celebrity driven model in marketing products and how the general public are sheep.

It’s time to crack open the piggy bank where you stored the $18 earned off your last eBook launch. Go ahead and pawn off your free Facebook ad coupons on eBay for $5 a piece. Start pushing your blog’s Adsense blocks to the max just to reach Google’s $100 payment threshold.

This is definitely not a conference to miss!

Besides coming to listen to your favorite bloggers drone on about how great they are while you take notes on things you’ve already known and failed to actually do yourself…

Here are ten more good reasons you need to be in Las Vegas for BlogWorld Expo:

10. The bright lights of the city. After you sit in on a day full of panel sessions about how people are totally and utterly oblivious to banner ads… flock with 500 other bloggers to the Carrot Top show only because of the 70 foot neon signs seen from a mile away.

9. Geo-location networking gone mad. Of course, you stupidly ask the cab driver how you can check-in to his taxi on Foursquare. Tip him only a buck just so he goes home thinking the “mayor” is a cheap ass.

8. Joint venture opportunities. Finally, you’re able to collaborate face-to-face with people about “awesome” projects and then totally forget who they are by the following week! Oh, and by the end of the conference, Chris Garrett has brokered enough JV deals that he owns 3 casinos and 14 strip joints.

7. Living it up in the lavish mega-hotels. In sweet internet marketing irony, noticing how the “make money online” bloggers all take penthouse rooms at the Luxor so they’re still on top of one huge pyramid.

6. Buzzwords, buzzwords and more buzzwords. Attend Scott Stratten’s exclusive interview session with legendary Las Vegas acts as he preaches for them to “stop performing, start engaging!” Siegfried & Roy mention how they tried that seven years ago and we all know how that turned out.

5. Picking up hot blogger chicks. Never mind the fact that you’re an awkward introvert and your best attempt at a pick up line is “Girl, I know your fingers must be tired, ’cause you’ve been commenting on my posts all day.”

4. The convention exhibition hall. Walk up and down the aisles and watch two-bit salesmen peddle you wares. Get a hands-on demonstration of a new website that let’s you share content across 45 different platforms. Get another demo of a new Wordpress plugin that let’s you share content across 74 different social networks. Get yet another pitch of a pre-release beta Android app that let’s you share content across 168 different sites… from your phone! Then tell all your friends about them everywhere on Ping.fm.

3. Rabid social media groupies. Have fun watching them run down the Las Vegas strip asking bystanders if they know where Chris Brogan is hanging out. Then laugh hysterically when these tourists (and 99% of the population) respond back with the honest retort of “who the fuck is Chris Brogan?”

2. The gambling, of course! Pull up a seat at the blackjack table next to Darren Rowse and watch him conduct important “research” on the new edition of his 31DBBB eBook: 31 Drinks To Become Broke Betting.

1. Me. I’ll be at BlogWorld Expo in Las Vegas from October 14-16 speaking on the unsanctioned milk crate panel in the Mandalay Bay lobby. (that is, until security kicks us out) My talk is about how anyone can speak at conferences even if no one gives a flying fuck about you whatsoever. Consider it a free bonus included in the cost of your conference ticket!

Or don’t. It doesn’t matter. I’m just going to see Carrot Top.

So, in the search for income, now many are are producing their own products or pitching their “consulting” services. I put that word in quotes for a reason. Why?

Because I have no fucking clue why I’d want to hire 95% of these people for any reason whatsoever.

And it’s their own damn fault.

It’s not that they’re offering something totally outside of my needs like fish tank setups or nude cow milking.

It’s that they haven’t given me a single solitary reason whatsoever why they’re good at it – other than their word, it seems.

To me (and to most) there’s a very big difference between merely saying what you can do and actually doing it.

Show. Me. Something. Anything. Please. For Fuck Sakes.

You can get as many Twitter followers as you want. You can get as many blog readers & list subscribers as you want.
You can get as many people to RT & share your posts as you want.You can get as many “testimonials” as you want.
(notice how I put that word in quotes as well because many are unreliable blather)

But if you can’t show me an example, or two, or three of the exact service you’re pitching to me right now, you know, solid and tangible references to the work you’ve actually done in this field – then I will assume you’re completely full of shit.

Because you probably are.

How do I choose a logo designer? I look at their client’s logos.
How do I choose a house painter? I look at the houses they’ve done.
How do I choose someone for nude cow milking? I look at the teats.

Social media has been an extraordinary tool to connect customers to businesses and showcase the great, high-quality people offering their talents to the public. But it has also become a virus by clouding the goals of those entering this 21st century space with their own business endeavors in any niche.

Sure, word-of-mouth is the most powerful marketing tool… but back in the day, it was difficult to fake this in any effective way. Yet with these new technologies & connectivity, it’s becoming easier and easier to artificially produce buzz about your product or services. And I’m not talking about automation, fake accounts or spam.

Where your success depends much on being “talked about”, your popularity will serve up the perception to many that you do indeed know what you’re talking about – even if it’s just having real human interactions online and sharing links up the wazoo. Does this mean you’re qualified, though?

Maybe you are. Maybe you aren’t. Yet the unwitting majority might not be able to see the difference through all the smoke.

So make it clear. Stop talking about what you could do for others… and do it for others!

Stop trying to convince everyone that you can milk a cow bare-ass in under 12 seconds… and bottle a few gallons.

Does the inherent nature of what makes social media tick blind many of us into spending way too much energy developing social proof without doing anything to produce actual proof?

The social media industry watched in awe as Old Spice launched one of the most innovative brand campaigns seen this year in digital marketing. It seemed like such a simple concept – ask a question on Twitter and then a sexy, half-naked black man will answer them on YouTube.

With the amount of inherent noise in social media nowadays, what in the world made it such the viral sensation as it proved to be?

The power of organic improvisation. As opposed to a pre-planned quirky “viral video”, the core content in and of itself isn’t the driving force that engrosses and captivates the audience. It’s the sheer fact that each piece of content is being produced “off the cuff” very quickly and custom-tailored based on the changing input of the environment… and the audience knows this clearly.

It’s the same reason why you might laugh at a quick one-line comeback from a buddy, yet sit stone-faced watching a professionally crafted & written comedy sketch on Saturday Night Live. It’s a matter of expectations – and it raises the standards dramatically on the element of surprise required to elicit a chuckle out of a viewing bystander.

Old Spice’s campaign wasn’t hilarious. But it was funny enough compared to what the public expected out of the brand. Do you think just anyone could generate that much buzz answering questions naked on YouTube?

Joining me on this podcast episode for some wiseass banter is stand-up comedian Andy Pitz. Based out of New York City, Andy has been performing for nearly 20 years headlining comedy clubs across the country and has made appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman, the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and CBS’ Star Search. For some good laughs, go ahead and follow him on Twitter or check out some of Andy’s video clips on YouTube.

In addition to poking fun at Old Spice’s recent campaign, Andy and I have a blast discussing:

• Why personalizing a product increases a customer’s emotional attachment to it and the brand.
• The stupidity of businesses putting up Facebook/Twitter signage while supplying no call to action.
• Purposefully avoiding buying a product because of it’s marketing tactics or TV and radio advertisements.
• Putting the blame on marketers for trying to capture the lowest common denominator.
• How come the biggest and most expensive things people can buy are rarely ever advertised at all?

Maybe a comic will come out with 10 solid polished minutes of laughs after a year of hard work testing it on stage. (writers like Louis C.K. who can churn out a full hour in this time frame are the very rare exceptions)

When you see an unknown, but professional comedian at a local comedy club, you’re likely getting the “best of” medley of his entire career. Unless you happen to have stumbled upon clips on the internet or have seen him before, you don’t really know when that hilarious joke you just laughed at was written, do you?

It could have been something he jotted down on a cocktail napkin just the night before. It could have been something honed, tested and perfected almost 15 years ago. As an audience member, there’s really no way of knowing for sure.

But does it even matter?

‘New’ and ‘latest’ are always relative terms.

As a comedian, why on earth would I ever choose not to do my very best on stage? Imagine if I walked in front of the microphone and told people “this is just the latest 45 minutes of material I’ve written, let’s see how it turns out!” Do you think that would play over very well? Of course it wouldn’t. The audience doesn’t care when I wrote my material. As long as it’s relevant and new to them, that’s all that’s required.

Yes, getting rid of that bit about the Monica Lewinsky scandal would likely be prudent.
Yes, retiring that two-minute chunk about the “Where’s the beef?” commercial is more than a good idea.
But, leading your comedy set with a general ‘driving in traffic’ joke – why not, even if you wrote it 12 years ago?

Are we structuring our blogs to showcase the ‘latest’ and not the ‘greatest’?

Back in the day, when blogs were primarily used for personal online journaling, I can understand why they would be organized in a chronological fashion. The purpose was indeed to chronicle someone’s life, so without a time-based linear structure, it wouldn’t make much logical sense to readers. That type of endeavor was essentially a single person writing a “story” and blog posts were like new chapters of their life’s “book”.

But how many bloggers out there are using their platform like the good ol’ days? At least from the thousands of blogs I subscribe to or read every day, this number is very small. Most of them are writing and producing pillar resources as content marketing for a business. So why are they still stuck in the antiquated model of displaying posts from newest to oldest?

Maybe your 73rd post is the best sample of your writing. Maybe your 114th post is a great lead generation tool. Maybe that five-part series you did last year is a better resource that many paid products available on the market right now?

Yet barely anyone is looking at them.

They’re buried in your archives collecting dust. No matter how many times you interlink posts, display a “popular” post widget, create a showcase page and so forth, the most visible work on your blog will always be whatever the “latest” thing you’ve put there. It’s your own damn fault, though. You’re still stuck in the mindset that a “blog” somehow has been divinely ordained to be displayed in chronological order. Why is this so?

Wouldn’t you want your first impression to be the best you can possibly make it?

Tell me this right now: If you had the choice of what post you’d like them to read first – is it currently the first thing someone sees when hitting your root index page? Probably not, right? Then change that.

I’m not only as good as my last blog post and neither are you. Everything I produce on my blog adds to an overall body of work. Some posts are good. Some not so much. Some are downright amazing. Although I will be judged by all of my creation, I choose to lead with my brilliance, not with my filler.

Your blog isn’t just a series of 800 word writings in a hodgepodge order. But that’s what it looks like now.

Nor is a comedian’s act just a series of 30 second jokes told in order by date. But that’s what your blog is now.

What are you doing to change this perception? How are you giving your best work the spotlight it deserves?

I’ll give it a shot.

I have recently watched Star Wars again (the old episodes of course) and they have blown me away, once again. It’s such a rich and exciting universe, and there’s soo much to learn from it.

One character class shines out, and it’s my favorite one:

The Jedi, the galaxy’s ultimate spiritual warrior.

But what makes them so cool? Boy, I could give you a gazillion reasons, but I’ll start with a few: They speak with a low voice, ooze with ultra-confidence and can manipulate the world simply with their mind power. ’nuff said.

And while you don’t have to have superhuman powers to make an impact in the blogosphere (although it would help), all you need is the attitude of a Jedi to blog like one. Listen to Yoda’s tips on becoming a kick-ass blogger that’s one with the force. I know you want them.

On the moment concentrate you must

It’s tempting to do a trillion things at once, but you know it’s not useful. Jedi’s don’t multitask, and neither should you. Whatever you do online, do it step by step. Be fully present when you approach your next task, and make it as epic as possible. When you write a blog post, really just write it. Don’t watch TV (except Star Wars!) and don’t tweet. The force runs only strong in the moment. And the next. And the next.

Sharpen your skills, you must, every day

Do you think Luke Skywalker kicked Vader’s ass by playing Wii all day? Of course not. He was honing his Jedi skills every single day on a smelly swamp planet. I bet you have it better in your cushy home, so don’t complain. Train every single day. Write every single day. Network every single day. Keep and gain momentum, and flow with the force. You don’t have to do much every day, but you have to do it every day.

Abide by your codex, you must

A Jedi has true confidence because he knows exactly what he’s all about. He’s got a codex he strictly follows, and he will never – never – break it, not even in the face of death. Most people are like leaves in the wind, floating here and there. A Jedi’s core is like a rock in the water, everything around him is in turmoil, only he remains still.

What a great way to live life, especially a digital one. When you blog, use your true voice, and express exactly what you think. It’s tempting to wash down your style, but you shouldn’t. Leave that to the gazillion other bloggers out there. Make it a daily choice to speak up. You will lose some (fake) followers, but you will attract the right ones.

Afraid of the future, you are? Trust in the force, you must

A Jedi can’t see the end of his destiny, he can only trust in the force. A Jedi doesn’t worry about tomorrow, who knows what will happen? He’s busy making an impact today. Shouldn’t that be true for a blogger as well?

Your traffic goes up, or it goes down. You got a lot of comments yesterday, and nobody bothers leaving one today. You had 4 Twitter followers last week, you last have of them today. It doesn’t matter – you are just doing your thing. Concentrating on the moment, improving every step, trusting in the flow of things.

Take care of today and tomorrow will take care of itself. Embrace the force with arms wide open, and make every new blogging day your best one ever. You are here for a reason, and while you never will be able to throw stuff with your mind, you can still make a ruckus in the digital universe.

How about now?

Mars Dorian is a digital entrepreneur who wants to change the online world through personal branding and creative marketing. Join him on Twitter and grab his feed.