Posts based on the Number + Adjective + Contents headline formula are probably the most popular form of web content we’ve ever seen. For every one person who loathes them there are one-hundred people who are enchanted by them. For reasons that others have previously explored, this kind of content pushes all the right psychological buttons. […]
Category Archives: Writing
37 Viral Post Ideas You Can Use Today 103
Viral articles are word of mouth worthy, and will grow your site more so than any other kind of content. Previously, I examined six strategies you can use when you want to create content with a decent chance of going viral. In this post, I want to focus on 37 concrete ideas for viral posts that should […]
How to Get 1050 Subscribers in 3 Months 151
By beginning this post with the above figure, I don’t do so to boast. I know there are thousands of blogs that have received more subscribers than this — and in less time. I highlight this figure (1,050 subscribers in 3 months) to show that you don’t need to have big money, the perfect niche or […]
Crafting Your Content 66
In the month or so since I started writing on this topic I must have seen upwards of fifty articles on how to achieve social media success. A number of elaborate strategies have been devised across the blogosphere: the inexplicable magnetism of list posts, the fine art of constructing Diggbait, and so on. I’ve yet […]
Creating Signature Content 28
I have dim memories of the time I spent creating my signature, and looking back on it, I didn’t give the task the attention it deserved. Now the signature I’m stuck with is somewhat jagged and messy, and I’d go back and change it if I could. Despite its short-comings, it does get one thing […]
Are Subscribers Over Rated 225
Subscribers are widely regarded as the most valuable indicators of a blog or website’s success. When it comes to selling a blog, some pundits have valued 1 subscriber at around $35. That’s incredible. Whether they’re truly worth that much is a mystery, but it holds true that most of us look to our subscriber count […]
The Best of Skelliewag in 2007 202
A lot of new readers have joined the Skelliewag community in the last few months. I thought the general trend of ‘Best of 2007′ lists would be a nice way to remind both recent and long-time readers of this year’s highlights. Unfortunately, this list can’t be a true ‘Best of 2007′ round-up because Skelliewag is only five months old […]
25 Headline Formulas That Have Plagued and Blessed Web 2.0 143
Headlines can make or break a story. With thousands of different articles vying for our attention, web users can afford to be picky. In an ideal world we’d give articles a fighting chance to prove their worth, but in truth, unless we have pre-existing faith in the author, we often make the decision to read […]
How to Run a Profitable Freelance Business Through Your Blog 1068
’m extremely excited to finally be able to share with you my first book, The Blog Business Funnel. Written and refined over 6 months (since June 2009), it’s an outpouring of knowledge on everything I know and have learned about how to run a thriving freelance business supported only by your blog. In July 2008 I was studying […]
Why You Should Start a Swipe File Today 137
Yesterday’s list of 70 sources of inspiration was mainly composed of examples. In this post, I want to explain why the ability to learn from others is essential to your development as a blogger or webmaster. Here, I’ll outline the process for creating and using something I strongly believe every web publisher should maintain: a swipe file […]