tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47575260910759488492024-03-05T08:58:08.725-08:00Active Voice Fitness Writing & MarketingA blog about fitness writing, marketing and publicity from Amanda Vogel, owner of Active Voice Writing Service for fitness professionals (www.ActiveVoice.ca).Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-31194159083606849652013-02-15T11:17:00.001-08:002013-02-15T11:24:49.192-08:00The Fitness Blogging Fun Has Moved!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC0l1j_nUjGvTcFwx1DiZqMxjMm3QM7xQhASK569WofZhPBHOpIvWbI6rdiD6HU6W9C_J0JoMpLOesHkXhyphenhyphenS9TwzAdX0sgLRNdLaOVdfdnyTbEj3OO2AxavuHPgT5a_QuwwkhkxyWLN_S/s1600/Writing+on+Sofa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC0l1j_nUjGvTcFwx1DiZqMxjMm3QM7xQhASK569WofZhPBHOpIvWbI6rdiD6HU6W9C_J0JoMpLOesHkXhyphenhyphenS9TwzAdX0sgLRNdLaOVdfdnyTbEj3OO2AxavuHPgT5a_QuwwkhkxyWLN_S/s320/Writing+on+Sofa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Thanks for stopping by my blog about fitness writing and marketing.<br />
<br />
<b><u>I've moved all the blogging action to two new locations: </u></b><br />
<br />
1) You can check out more about fitness writing, marketing and social media at <b><a href="http://www.ActiveVoice.ca/blog">www.ActiveVoice.ca/blog</a>. </b><br />
<br />
2) And read my "test-drive" reviews of the latest health/fitness gadgets and gear at <b><a href="http://FitnessTestDrive.com./">http://FitnessTestDrive.com.</a></b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><b></b></span><br />
<br />
See you there!<br />
<br />
- Amanda Vogel<br />
<a href="http://www.ActiveVoice.ca/">www.ActiveVoice.ca</a>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-29392901018533764112011-03-09T12:05:00.000-08:002011-03-09T12:05:43.097-08:00What Has Your Blog Done for You Lately?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uufH_cafmAKdn4u3EuGMffsbEPD_L-eLALa9Kpu5hZzb4px_9hN3td_AFRbnzyqdlwKx02bBh02xAuknZtDH_UymMalRgTP_3Z8GzWAJauQmHfl_gtlj9GTPYD6WuVCr0fGzyVxwrXQI/s1600/blog-awards-badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uufH_cafmAKdn4u3EuGMffsbEPD_L-eLALa9Kpu5hZzb4px_9hN3td_AFRbnzyqdlwKx02bBh02xAuknZtDH_UymMalRgTP_3Z8GzWAJauQmHfl_gtlj9GTPYD6WuVCr0fGzyVxwrXQI/s1600/blog-awards-badge.jpg" /></a></div><br />
When it comes to writing magazine articles, I'm pretty motivated to get the job done - there are deadlines, editors' expectations, readers' expectations and, yes, a paycheck waiting in the wings. <br />
<br />
When it comes to <b>blogging</b>, however, motivation is sometimes harder to come by. There are no deadlines (unless self-imposed), no expectations from editors and no paycheck.<br />
<br />
But there are expectations from readers, and that's a huge incentive. When you receive comments, Facebook likes and interaction on a post you've written, doesn't it spur you on to blog more? And when you pick up a client or career opp from your blog, it's a nice confirmation that, hey, this blogging thing might be working out. <br />
<br />
Trouble is, it takes time to get on a roll. I've been posting to FitnessWriter.blogspot.com for years, but I've also launched a newer blog called <a href="http://fitnesstestdrive.com/" target="_blank">FitnessTestDrive.com</a>, where I try out and blog about fitness equipment, gear, DVDs and apps.<br />
<br />
<i>Fitness Test Drive</i> reminds me what it's like to be the new kid on the blogosphere block.<br />
<br />
It's tough out there, folks - you've got to build up a readership, outright ask people to tweet your post and push for comments. I get why blogging newbies lose motivation quickly, and I won't deny that my interest has waned on occasion, too.<br />
<br />
During one of those times, the strangest thing happened.<br />
<br />
One day, I pondered about how to boost my blogging motivation. The next day, I got news that <i>Fitness Test Drive</i> was a finalist in the <i>Best Health </i>Magazine Blog Awards. (<a href="http://www.besthealthmag.ca/special-features/bh-blog-award" target="_blank">Want to vote?</a> <i>Fitness Test Drive</i> is under the "Get Healthy" category.)<br />
<br />
Bam! I was back in the game. <br />
<br />
I realize that an award nomination is not the most typical way to muster motivation. But it does reinforce what I've always said about blogging: You've got to have a blog to benefit from it. And, most importantly, your readers will benefit from it.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Blogging <i>does</i> open the door to a myriad of opportunities and connections for you and your readers - do you agree? Has it happened to you?</span> <br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In closing....I'm not going to beg or anything, but would you please, please, please vote in the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Best Health</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> <a href="http://www.besthealthmag.ca/special-features/bh-blog-award" target="_blank">Blog Awards</a> (and preferably for my blog). You'll find my blog </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Fitness Test Drive </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">in the "Get Healthy" category on the voting page. </span>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-35743665668845897032011-01-17T16:13:00.000-08:002011-01-17T22:13:57.231-08:00Have You Ever Hesitated to "Like" on Facebook?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0zU00tKiQN-TLXFijXMrx0xd1Ql8-g5W4ke-kOLCSP5s7sIn0fkUA8f_1erLL_IQkR_VbZ1479vR5N8oil1PKvjjPQVLrgs83Rh1HubDwQhCteUqqv3FOKX-TioNA_vgjI1Heh8dlFBY/s1600/LIKEComputerKey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0zU00tKiQN-TLXFijXMrx0xd1Ql8-g5W4ke-kOLCSP5s7sIn0fkUA8f_1erLL_IQkR_VbZ1479vR5N8oil1PKvjjPQVLrgs83Rh1HubDwQhCteUqqv3FOKX-TioNA_vgjI1Heh8dlFBY/s320/LIKEComputerKey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I like that Facebook is all about "liking." </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And it's clearly on purpose that there's no "dislike" button, although sometimes I think a word other than "like" might be more appropriate. For example, someone posts bad news ("<i>Wow, my fave trainer just got fired for indecent exposure</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"), and others respond with a "like" when what they really mean is, "Hey, man, I feel your pain." </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I like "liking" because it's a mini show of support or a virtual smile/laugh. It's Facebook's version of two thumbs up. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But I always pause before tapping the "like" button - do you?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you've ever Facebook-liked, you know that it means an inevitable onslaught of off-the-cuff comments and inside jokes from friends of friends about whatever you've liked. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And I don't like it. I prefer to "like" and be done with it. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Then again... </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'll be the first to admit that I beam a little on the inside when I notice the "likes" and comments tallying up on a post I've dropped into Facebook. It's nice to be recognized, even if it's just a fleeting, virtual nod. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And that's what Facebook is <b>so</b> good at: Shamelessly exposing that we all like to be liked. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So when I'm at a party listening as non-Facebookers wave away the social network for being a waste of time, I nod with as much understanding as I can muster. <i>You know what, it's not for everyone... </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But I log onto Facebook as part of my job. It gives me instant access to a network where I can cheer on a colleague or friend, encourage professional recognition and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">motivate fitness participants to exercise - all with that ubiquitous</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> "like" link.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And if I can make someone feel appreciated with a little "like" here and there, my time has been well spent. (Even with the thread of Facebook messages that's sure to follow.) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>What's the motivating force behind why you "like" stuff on Facebook and around the web? Or do you dislike "liking"?</i></span>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-1760542551488131092010-11-24T22:35:00.000-08:002010-11-24T22:35:30.690-08:00Fitness Blogger Boot Camp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdhbJkTzBvoyUaxn43Zz0Lsq7wdgiz1mzoM1K5PvGbBue06Pugjs7AJQkaPWRg1CCfY0MC8SXGYrWZJ64I3KBDoGHfW2Nh6c_CgD0le6biM7ZNIzYHPnoNTtV0KvjiwYMqG3ZEE2H-xGU/s1600/Guy+Lying+on+Couch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdhbJkTzBvoyUaxn43Zz0Lsq7wdgiz1mzoM1K5PvGbBue06Pugjs7AJQkaPWRg1CCfY0MC8SXGYrWZJ64I3KBDoGHfW2Nh6c_CgD0le6biM7ZNIzYHPnoNTtV0KvjiwYMqG3ZEE2H-xGU/s320/Guy+Lying+on+Couch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Between baking sugar cookies for my kid's kindergarten class, slapping together tonight's dinner (tuna sandwiches) and finishing off a client's bio, I blog. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Honestly, right now I'd rather be flaked out on the couch like that guy in the photo above. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But I'm blogging because I said I would. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was one of the last things I talked about in my session on fitness blogging at the </span><a href="http://www.canfitpro.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Can-Fit-Pro</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> conference in Vancouver. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I said something like, hey, let's all sign up for a blog or post to our existing ones THIS WEEK! It'll help set the stage for a lifetime of happy, healthy fitness blogging.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So here I am. And, yes, this post does have a point. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My "let's all blog!" declaration reminded me how much it helps productivity to have someone relying on you for something specific. That's how I get my fitness articles written - I've got editors expecting them from me by a certain date. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If you're really stuck at the point of perpetually </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">intending</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> to blog without ever </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">doing</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> it, try this: Tell your most valued fitness clients that you're about to blog on X topic and you'd love their opinions on whatever you write about. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There. Now you have a <i>reason</i> to blog. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A deadline. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And a pre-established audience. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That should whip you into blogging shape. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Point made. Can I go lie around now? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>P.S. Kudos to </i><a href="http://miaknows.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><i>Mia Sutherland</i></a><i> and </i><a href="http://blog.stayfitanywhere.com/?p=1319" target="_blank"><i>Josh Neumann</i></a><i> (both in my Can-Fit-Pro fitness blogging session) for following through so fast on that "blog this week" pact. Inspiring! If you blogged in the past week, let me know with a comment here and I'll comment back on your blog.</i></span>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-92220874000435392142010-10-25T13:46:00.000-07:002010-10-31T08:19:38.529-07:00That's Not a Blog Post!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HRcYRTTVUbe7Pp6P7gFFp291_rCODk4wcq1yn9kXqQAmd-5cIklzwoSko2OrRCOIaUDW-QiL6xJByaR12fo9FChvjsnDQVk9hasekMZ4L3mUJQzei1W9_9qWKW0YR-hdB4HL2Tj4UEOm/s1600/Women+Exercise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HRcYRTTVUbe7Pp6P7gFFp291_rCODk4wcq1yn9kXqQAmd-5cIklzwoSko2OrRCOIaUDW-QiL6xJByaR12fo9FChvjsnDQVk9hasekMZ4L3mUJQzei1W9_9qWKW0YR-hdB4HL2Tj4UEOm/s320/Women+Exercise.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The photo above cracks me up. I imagine a bunch of people without a lot of exercise experience saying, <em>"Hey everyone, let's take some fun fitness-y shots now!"</em> And what we get are silly pink mini-weights (<a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/search/label/fitness%20photos"target="_blank">the kind known to set me off on a rant</a>), leg warmers (and are those wrist warmers?) and fake fitness poses that don't resemble actual exercises. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But whatever. At least they make fitness look oh-so-carefree.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The "fake fitness" photo reminds me of how fitness pros might view blogging at the onset. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">With the benefits and popularity of social media, a lot of marketing experts and fitness pros insist that <em>you've got to have a blog</em>. But that kind of advice tends to drive me crazy because the result is fitness pros--and, yes, major fitness companies--rattling around online with a blog that, frankly, doesn't feel or look very "blogg-y" at all. Its posts are as "fake" as the cheesy poses in that photo above.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Take the several fitness companies I can think of off the top of my head whose idea of a blog is to drop previously published articles into a post and call it blogging. (<em>"Hey everyone, we've got a blog up and running! That wasn't so hard.")</em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Is it so wrong of them? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Maybe not. But when the article is written in boring academic language and appears as one 1,500-word block of text, then, yeah, it's veering away from the essence of blogging.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I can't authoritatively say all that a blog <em>is</em>, but I know what it probably shouldn't be: impersonal, dry, a copy/paste job from another publication, longer than my Master's thesis...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">That's why when someone suggests that people who don't get around to blogging are just plain lazy (<a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2010/10/why-fitness-blogging-is-time-well-spent.html" target="_blank">as did a commenter in my previous post</a>), I get to thinking about blogging as </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">an exercise in being thoughtful and informed, not just prolific. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Without considering the craft involved, blogging becomes about as effective as flailing around a couple of one-pound hand-weights and calling it a workout. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Don't you think? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">FOR MORE ON FITNESS BLOGGING AND HOW TO DO IT: Come to my session, <a href="http://www.canfitpro.net/conferences/events/vancouver/sunday.html" target?_blank?=""><span style="color: #3d81ee;">Sunday, November 21, at canfitpro Vancouver, Session 3211 (10:30am-12:00pm), <em>Blog Your Way to Fitness Business Success</em>.</span> </a></span>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-63217077402457853562010-10-12T12:03:00.000-07:002010-10-31T08:18:37.763-07:00Fitness Blogging: Time Well Spent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvqiRMhc2f06E9l70q5Icw9MAzlxV71sCsR9jt35BVlw1s4o_Xv8HMwSHbR5eLILAi6QuCbTpYTz1ow9rdZLr7f32b7Q0gWDByqgjN3BN5SMZD-EuzTEDxE4-TaBitFE1Io41rIl4w8Ip/s320/Watch.jpg" width="320" /></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why You <em>Do</em> Have Time for a Fitness Blog</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When it comes to fitness blogging, I hear <strong>a lot of </strong><strong>excuses from fitness pros about why they don't do it.</strong> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The primary reason? </span><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"I'm too busy. I don't have time to blog."</span></em><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I heard it back in September at the <a href="http://www.bcrpa.bc.ca/fitness_program/events/fitness_conference/2010.htm" target="_blank">BCFIT '10 conference</a> in my session on fitness marketing with social media.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I'll probably hear it again in November, when I present on fitness blogging at <a href="http://www.canfitpro.net/conferences/events/vancouver/" target="_blank">canfitpro's Vancouver conference</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It's just an excuse, though, and here's how I know: <em>I have the same problem</em>. I don't blog every week (or even every month sometimes--oops). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And why not? Uh, I don't have time? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Meaning: When I'm not on deadline with <a href="http://fitnesstestdrive.com/about/amanda/" target="_blank">an article or writing/editing project</a>, I manage to find other things to do instead. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Like Facebooking. Or chatting with a colleague on the phone. Or catching a movie (last night it was Canada's own <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1555747/" target="_blank">FUBAR II</a></em>). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Isn't it the same excuse people use for not exercising? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">No time. Meaning: They don't feel like using the spare time they do have for working out. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">As for blogging, here's why it makes sense to at least set up a blog so it's there when you can get to it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Blogging and other online pursuits (Facebook!) are part of the <em>new </em>way to market fitness. The old way is setting up a brochure-style website then ignoring your online presence.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If you're a fitness pro, what do you tell clients about how to carve out time for exercise? Could any or all of those strategies work for your own blogging pursuits? Whether you blog or not, share your tips and ideas here! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to Facebook.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><a href="http://www.canfitpro.net/conferences/events/vancouver/sunday.html" target="_blank">For more on jump-starting your fitness blog, come see me on Sunday, November 21, at canfitpro Vancouver, Session 3211 (10:30am-12:00pm), <em>Blog Your Way to Fitness Business Success</em>.</a></span>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-73783841011102162712010-07-17T19:51:00.000-07:002010-07-17T19:51:56.065-07:00Writing Web Exclusive Articles for Popular Magazines (Part 3 of 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWELtvRc9W-UQ-SbqweeYEwPRyoc7izvWdssaKG1bZVE3FxwElFo5zdQfIQ5LwMLBsbcLcs5ZNhvlp5H12F0RdYJokgPmKvkCMR-CbKShnIG1ojXHlZ853NMLSSl0mhU-OJAcj03a4juTC/s1600/besthealth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWELtvRc9W-UQ-SbqweeYEwPRyoc7izvWdssaKG1bZVE3FxwElFo5zdQfIQ5LwMLBsbcLcs5ZNhvlp5H12F0RdYJokgPmKvkCMR-CbKShnIG1ojXHlZ853NMLSSl0mhU-OJAcj03a4juTC/s200/besthealth.jpg" width="154" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">At last! Here's the final post in a 3-part series on how setting your sights on a magazine's website instead of the magazine itself can help you succeed with writing articles - fitness-related or otherwise.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">To get answers about what <a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2010/06/part-1-of-3-writing-web-exclusive.html"target="_blank">web exclusives</a> mean to writers, I turned to in-the-know web editors from three major Canadian women's magazines: <em>Best Health, Chatelaine </em>and <em>Homemakers.</em> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">They weigh in on my third question below. Or, you can head on over to <a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2010/06/part-1-of-3-writing-web-exclusive.html" target="_blank">Part 1 of this series here</a>, and <a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2010/06/writing-web-exclusive-articles-for.html" target="_blank">Part 2 here</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><span style="font-size: large;">Is it easier or harder to break into writing web exclusive pieces for top women’s magazines? </span></em></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>KAT TANCOCK, senior web editor at <em>Reader's Digest</em>, former web editor at <a href="http://www.besthealthmag.com/" target="_blank"><em>Best Health</em> </a>and <em>Canadian Living</em> and blogger at Magazines Online.</strong> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
KT: Just like with print, web editors often already have a stable of writers that they are used to working with - and you need great ideas to break in. And web editors have a lot less editing and fact-checking resources and therefore are pickier about receiving publishing-ready copy. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
However, because the pay tends to be lower, web editors are often more likely to take risks with new writers. And remember, a lot of established print magazine writers have few to no web skills, so if you're a new writer that excels at web writing, that will give you a leg up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>VANESSA MILNE, editor of <a href="http://en.chatelaine.com/english/health/walks/" target="_blank">Chatelaine Walks</a> and former assistant editor at MochaSofa.</strong> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
VM: I believe it’s easier to break into writing for the web; the pay is worse (although, in my opinion, fair, since there’s often not a second draft, the stories are shorter, and the pieces aren’t fact-checked) and there’s less competition. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">That said, like print, most people have a roster of reliable writers they use. Good pitches are the key, I think – tailored pitches, to the magazine’s readership - as well as persistence in following them up. (Asking the editor which sections need articles never hurts, either.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
And good writers are hard to find: People who submit well-researched, clean copy that reflects the assignment letter, on time, and do second drafts and answer questions nicely and quickly, will inevitably be used again. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>JENNIFER MELO, web editor at <em><a href="http://www.homemakers.com/" target="_blank">Homemakers</a></em>.</strong> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">JM: It can be easier to break into web writing because it’s still a relatively new market — that means many established writers haven’t saturated the online writing market. They’ve built up their contacts in other traditional media and may tend to stick to the contacts they’ve made rather than querying new online publications.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">On the flipside, it can be difficult to break into web writing because the online market is still proving itself as revenue-generating medium — that means editorial budgets for web content can be tight and online editors have a limited number of assignments to go around. <br />
<br />
Futhermore, online editors aren’t typically working with a large team of staff and may be especially selective about assigning to writers who can be counted on to turn in publish-ready web content. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">......................<br />
<b>What's your take? Do you write web exclusives, or want to give it a shot? What do you see as the pros and cons of this new avenue for magazine writing? </b></span></span>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-2576424671003287062010-06-15T14:17:00.000-07:002010-06-15T14:17:06.807-07:00Writing Web Exclusive Articles for Popular Magazines (Part 2 of 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKQXuFdzoozI55By2bevwoDeWSNJW7s30Sg3tEt0VtlCEwTwoQ9KMHU8j6ZqBkMqCpRJZ66itO8H-cWtX2-l91XrXRitLUy3KefOw-pfcoXYvagLS_-iCEj9_5U8rSl3oY1sXrgnLRK8I/s1600/Trainer+on+Laptop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKQXuFdzoozI55By2bevwoDeWSNJW7s30Sg3tEt0VtlCEwTwoQ9KMHU8j6ZqBkMqCpRJZ66itO8H-cWtX2-l91XrXRitLUy3KefOw-pfcoXYvagLS_-iCEj9_5U8rSl3oY1sXrgnLRK8I/s320/Trainer+on+Laptop.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Looking for a new way to make money and get your name out there as a writer? Try web exclusives: short (400- to 800-word) articles that only appear on a magazine's website, not in the print version of the magazine. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Recently, three web editors from major Canadian women's magazines shared their advice on breaking into and writing web exclusives. The editors: </span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">KAT TANCOCK, senior web editor at <em><a href="http://www.readersdigest.ca/" target="_blank">Reader's Digest</a></em>, former web editor at <em><a href="http://www.besthealthmag.ca/" target="_blank">Best Health</a></em> and <em>Canadian Living</em> and blogger at <a href="http://magazinesonline.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Magazines Online</a>. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">VANESSA MILNE, editor of <a href="http://en.chatelaine.com/english/health/walks/" target="_blank">Chatelaine Walks</a> and former assistant editor at MochaSofa. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">JENNIFER MELO, web editor at<em><a href="http://www.homemakers.com/" target="_blank"> Homemakers</a></em>. </span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Here's Part 2 of my interview with the above </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">editors. Missed Part 1? <a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2010/06/part-1-of-3-writing-web-exclusive.html" target="_blank">Go here</a>.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>What are your tips for writing web-friendly articles for women’s magazines (i.e., what format works best, SEO considerations, web-friendly packaging, etc.)?</em></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>TANCOCK:</strong> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1. Stay on track. Don't meander off the point of your article.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2. Be literal. The web isn't the place for overly creative headlines.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">3. Visualize your piece on-screen. Will it be easy to read?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">4. If you know SEO, include it in your pitches and point out your keywording to your editor. (If you don't know it, consider picking it up.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">5. Suggest related links from the site you're writing for. (This will impress your editor.)</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
6. Stay within word count. If you write 1000 words instead of 600, your editor will just have to cut - or they'll turn your article into two.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
7. Include links for interview sources (i.e., if you interviewed a dietitian, give your editor a url for their site if they have one).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">8. Use (clear and understandable) subheds and don't be afraid of bullet points and numbered lists. Titles that start with numerals are immensely clickable.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
9. Spell-check and proofread your work. Few web teams have copy-editors and it will just annoy your editor to have to fix obvious mistakes, like sloppy cut-and-paste jobs. (Although this is true for all writing.)</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<strong>MILNE:</strong> Online, people read differently, scanning for relevant information rather than reading stories start to finish. It’s important to have clear subheads or steps to every story – and nothing too punny or vague - so readers can find the paragraph or point that interests them quickly. That also helps with SEO, as does writing very straightforward headlines that clearly state the point of the article (that also helps when the reader does a search, and a list of headlines show up.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Linking to other articles in your own site (we often do it with <em>Chatelaine</em> recipes in health) is also helpful. I think the most important thing is the same as writing or pitching the magazine, though – to have a good sense of the readership of the magazine, what those readers would be interested in, and where the story would fit. (I get a lot of story pitches that just aren’t <em>Chatelaine</em>, for example, about exotic travel, etc.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>MELO:</strong> Keep your lead short and engaging and make sure the purpose of your story is clear early on in the piece. Your body copy should be solutions-oriented and conversational (helpful and friendly). Hyperlink to strong sources of additional information and ensure appropriate keywords are used throughout to help readers find your story via search engines. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Favour clear, simple words the average reader would type into a search engine rather than ambiguous words you think are clever. Write “3 best ab exercises” rather than “Ab fabulous.” Reasoning: A reader who is looking for ab exercises probably wouldn’t type “ab fabulous” into a search engine. Writing “ab exercises” helps readers to find your content but it also helps your writing to remain more conversational </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">and appealing to the most expansive readership.</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"><em>Stay tuned for Part 3.</em></span>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-84544894347683212442010-06-02T13:03:00.000-07:002010-06-09T12:27:33.497-07:00Writing Web Exclusive Articles for Popular Magazines (Part 1 of 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgil46wX0cNVvBBSWvj3KdIUf986p_zPmTsPE_RBAeSiWSYPXU4EAzWeeBJm4JYeaQl5VYh8MjtkuUmFNnsv0zk8NYsqL9G1wAxaliH5htxzYxStMTN_WFI13FnWdLK41uXpyy8YTzTYpid/s1600/HTTP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgil46wX0cNVvBBSWvj3KdIUf986p_zPmTsPE_RBAeSiWSYPXU4EAzWeeBJm4JYeaQl5VYh8MjtkuUmFNnsv0zk8NYsqL9G1wAxaliH5htxzYxStMTN_WFI13FnWdLK41uXpyy8YTzTYpid/s320/HTTP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Web Exclusives: A New Gig for Freelance Magazine Writers</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">With the web being where people go first for information--and talk in the magazine industry about how it will survive in the coming years--the opportunity for freelance magazine writing has expanded to include web-only articles. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Magazines used to throw whatever content was in print onto their corresponding website (offering writers a small or no fee for additional online rights). They still do that, but now there's more opportunity online. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Web editors are also hiring freelancers to hammer out web exclusives--short, SEO-minded articles that only appear online, not in print. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I've been writing a lot of them. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The upside? They're quick to write, and getting these assignments can be less "fuss" than the usual process for receiving print assignments. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The downside? The pay--the per-article rate for web exclusives is less than what you get for print (but going back to the upside I mentioned, the pay can work out to be a decent enough hourly rate). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I caught up with three web editors at major women's and lifestyle magazines in Canada who generously agreed to share the scoop on writing web exclusives:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">KAT TANCOCK, senior web editor at <em><a href="http://www.readersdigest.ca/" target="_blank">Reader's Digest</a></em>, former web editor at <em><a href="http://www.besthealthmag.ca/" target="_blank">Best Health</a></em> and <em>Canadian Living</em> and blogger at <a href="http://magazinesonline.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Magazines Online</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">VANESSA MILNE, editor of <em><a href="http://en.chatelaine.com/english/health/walks/" target="_blank">Chatelaine Walks</a></em> and former assistant editor at MochaSofa.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">JENNIFER MELO, web editor at <em><a href="http://www.homemakers.com/" target="_blank">Homemakers</a></em>. </span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In this <strong>three-part series</strong>, I'll post each editor's response to three important questions about web exclusive content on magazine websites and how it can help you succeed at freelance writing. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's Part 1.</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>How is web exclusive content generally different from content that appears in the print magazine first?</em></span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>TANCOCK:</strong> Readers online are generally looking for quick fixes and easy solutions, rather than a "good read." Therefore web content needs to be a lot more to the point. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Also, most people find reading on-screen more tiring than reading on paper, so web content needs to be oriented toward that experience: this is why bullet points, shorter paragraphs, frequent subheds and selective bolding within paragraphs is often used. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Finally, the web is, well, a web: articles don't appear in isolation. It's important to make use of the web by cross-linking, both within the site and to other sources. For instance, in a nutrition article that discusses sweet potatoes, we would add a link to some sweet potato recipes; or, in an article on the importance of strength training, we would cross-link to some arm exercises.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>MILNE:</strong> In my experience, web-exclusive content is shorter and snappier: under 500 words, often lighter in tone (quizzes, lists, how-tos or recipes), and, above all else, something that you might Google. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The subjects are also different. At <em>Chatelaine</em>, much of our online content is health and recipes, and there’s less style, etc. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Oddly, online is often written in a more “evergreen” style, since it’s not often dated and normally stays in the archives. In terms of art and display, there are far more stock photos online than there are in the magazine, and the display tends to be more straightforward. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>MELO:</strong> Web exclusive content needs to be more concise and more easily scanned than magazine content. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Subheads, bulleted lists and bolded words for emphasis work best for easy scanning for the web reader. Be clear, concise and compelling. Always serve the reader first.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Up next:</em> Stay tuned for Part 2, where I'll post our editors' responses to my next question: "What are your tips for writing web-friendly articles for magazines (i.e., what format works best, SEO considerations, web-friendly packaging, etc.)?"</span>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-65500039260975782002010-04-29T11:26:00.000-07:002010-04-29T11:33:00.975-07:00Learn to Blog: Three Books Show You How (Part 3 of 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=www.activevoic-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=047174719X&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.asja.org/">American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA)</a> asked me to review a handful of books on blogging. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Here's review number three (<a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2010/03/learn-to-blog-three-books-show-you-how.html">review one</a>: <em>Problogger</em>; <a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2010/04/learn-to-blog-three-books-show-you-how.html">review two</a>: <em>The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging</em>).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>Naked Conversations: How Blogs Are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers</em>. By Robert Scoble and Shel Israel, John Wiley & Sons, 2006, 251 pages, $24.95.</strong> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If your corporate clients are having trouble seeing the value of hiring you as a blog writer or consultant, consider citing one or more of the case studies in this book. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Naked Conversations</em> is all about convincing businesspeople why they should blog. The authors (Scoble runs the enormously popular <a href="http://scobleizer.com/">Scobleizer.com</a>) use real-life examples to illustrate the business-related benefits of good blogging and the perils of bad blogging. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">While some case studies went into more detail than I needed (Microsoft: I’m glad blogging helped you elevate your public image), I particularly liked the chapter on why blogs go wrong. For example, inauthentic blogs cause companies to quickly lose credibility among customers online. I’m glad I missed the McDonald’s Lincoln Fry blog, which the company quickly canned after members of the blogosphere labeled the blog about a French fry resembling president Lincoln as incredibly lame. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This book reminds readers that blogging is two-sided communication, where businesses engage and respond to customers compared to the traditional marketing model of talking at people. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Use the lessons in <em>Naked Conversations</em> to both build your own blog community and help your corporate clients create a more meaningful and powerful connection with their customers. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2010/03/learn-to-blog-three-books-show-you-how.html">Also reviewed: <em>Problogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income</em></a> (I hear they just came out with an updated edition.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1282850861">Also reviewed: </a><em><a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2010/04/learn-to-blog-three-books-show-you-how.html">The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging</a>.</em></span>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-11851171410646640112010-04-08T10:11:00.000-07:002010-04-08T10:42:34.387-07:00Learn to Blog: Three Books Show You How (Part 2 of 3)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYrAitZD8e1vM9Nu0d81jr_QjWY2IOWOrLWSNQnNoh_fbmDmTZ110nA_oRcgjj-N4kAMO6mbMP_qoloRxPDmHlL_2rVPH97Z5d2LpzEm6A5HVaYhmTo8Lqcai8qmlGDNI3Kp9ul-P4EYE/s1600/Huffington+Post+Guide.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457822583836237778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 280px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYrAitZD8e1vM9Nu0d81jr_QjWY2IOWOrLWSNQnNoh_fbmDmTZ110nA_oRcgjj-N4kAMO6mbMP_qoloRxPDmHlL_2rVPH97Z5d2LpzEm6A5HVaYhmTo8Lqcai8qmlGDNI3Kp9ul-P4EYE/s320/Huffington+Post+Guide.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhJOtUr_WHKFdDAJ6X9qdIW1_DLIpsLGYxkAo5vSrQNB813UBb4fZdGqPGCIUFZLJyGzxgM3ZkAkIJlSltYhj6uY2jhCLttewTog16WXVm7PRIuQjnUoS5aVijB5tISPNjBCACzTtL81T/s1600/Huffington+Post+Guide.JPG"></a> <div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2010/03/learn-to-blog-three-books-show-you-how.html" target="_blank">My previous post explains why </a>I recently reviewed three books on blogging for the <a href="http://www.asja.org/" target="_blank">American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA)</a>. Here's book review number two.</span><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong></strong></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Huffington-Post-Complete-Guide-Blogging/dp/1439105006" target="_blank">The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging</a></em>. By the Editors of The Huffington Post, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2008, 230 pages, $15.00.</strong><br /><br />Sure, this book offers helpful hints on what to blog about and a Glossary of Blogging Terms (troll: “a disruptive commenter bent on making trouble on a site”), but it stands out as the most entertaining of the three books I reviewed, partly because it contains actual blog posts--political rants, funny observations--from the famed <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/" target="_blank">HuffPost</a>. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The book also points to multiple examples of how blogging has advantages over mainstream media because of its immediacy (instant publishing), shared community, personal nature and platform for covering or uncovering stories that mainstream media ignores or, even better, doesn’t know about.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">While this book offers basic advice for launching a blog, there’s not much detail on the nitty-gritty technical side of actually getting started and running a blog. Instead, pick up this title for an enlightening, entertaining and inspiring look at how the blogosphere is reshaping the media, and why you should start or keep blogging.</span> </div><br /><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Also reviewed: <a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2010/03/learn-to-blog-three-books-show-you-how.html" target="_blank">Problogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income</a>.</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em></div><br /><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Up next: Naked Conversations: How Blogs Are Changing The Way Businesses Talk with Customers. </span></em></div></div></div>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-80909498818291875902010-03-23T07:52:00.000-07:002010-03-23T10:16:35.410-07:00Learn to Blog: Three Books Show You How (Part 1 of 3)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzH3oMtN8lpGqPsWsRfoWvu0Ah1Z_L64CHnXJSciOMMkD3ieL6Q6hQQyIhryLv7m3k7kGb-9PjD9gcwNK0XRHPpQZkXQ-pfogwDqtoBz7L6Z6eXgPCokHGNZ2lOaQpOCy15Zfd0gjgh5t/s1600-h/problogger.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451865597197505442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzH3oMtN8lpGqPsWsRfoWvu0Ah1Z_L64CHnXJSciOMMkD3ieL6Q6hQQyIhryLv7m3k7kGb-9PjD9gcwNK0XRHPpQZkXQ-pfogwDqtoBz7L6Z6eXgPCokHGNZ2lOaQpOCy15Zfd0gjgh5t/s320/problogger.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Blogging is becoming increasingly important—and profitable--on the internet landscape, where anyone can publish anything, anytime. <a href="http://mashable.com/2009/12/17/blog-to-book/" target="_blank">Successful bloggers even get book deals! </a></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If you want to be part of the blogging revolution, get on board with these three hallmarks of successful blogging: Learn to write well (and regularly), hook readers and shape a story (or post).<br /><br />In addition to the Fitness Writer blog you're reading, I also blog at <em><a href="http://fitnesstestdrive.com/" target="_blank">Fitness Test Drive</a></em>. And I'm now steering my freelancing services toward blogging on magazine websites and helping corporate clients thrive in the increasingly competitive blogosphere.<br /></span><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">To that end, I agreed to review three books on blogging for the <a href="http://www.asja.org/" target="_blank">American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA)</a>, of which I'm a member. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The three blogging books I reviewed dole out much of the same advice:</span></div><ul><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">blog often,</span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">make it about the conversation, </span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">build your posts around authenticity, and </span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">encourage and respond to commenters. </span></li></ul><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">However, each title tackles blogging from a different angle. Here's my take on <em><a href="http://probloggerbook.com/" target="_blank">Problogger</a>,</em> with two more reviews to come.<br /><br /><em><a href="http://probloggerbook.com/" target="_blank"><strong>ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to A Six-Figure Income</strong></a></em><strong>. By Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett, John Wiley and Sons, 2008, 220 pages, $24.99.<br /></strong><br /><em>Problogger</em> is a useful resource for blogging newbies who want to learn the nuts and bolts of getting started. For example, the authors cover which blogging software to choose (they favor self-hosted Wordpress, no big surprise), how to write effective blog titles and how to measure--and boost--a blog’s success. This book even includes html code for customizing a blog template.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">What about the promise of a six-figure income? Realistically, I’m not sure how many “secrets” in this book would lead to a six-figure revenue stream for most bloggers. But the book covers how to monetize your blog through direct and indirect means, such as selling advertising space and freelance blogging.<br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Plus, if you’re serious about making money, you can join a blogging network or sell your blog (I had no idea you could “flip” blogs like people “flip” houses!).<br /></span><em><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://probloggerbook.com/" target="_blank">Problogger</a> </em>is the kind of resource you want on your desk as you muddle through setting up a blog for the first time or stare at your computer screen wondering what to blog about (reading the section on 20 types of blog posts can help).</span></p><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Up next: My reviews of <em>The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging</em> and <em>Naked Conversations: How Blogs Are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers</em>.</span> </span></div>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-64827953891644243122010-02-23T14:39:00.000-08:002010-02-24T11:54:33.856-08:00Fitness Marketing: A Lesson in Originality from the Vancouver Olympics...eh<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7twJb1ZIpo7JGSA5Lroky_i4ZKuJ8_zmxgRfmr_I893nSaV_S9d15dtVCHjFAvob1wFerKQTNkuWyVktjXsW-L2U1gl_d4JZt7gcs9N87AAqALFQ40gaCSm45pHTNWIEMjrIK4H0Bs3Ab/s1600-h/CanadaSnow.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441572566642088114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7twJb1ZIpo7JGSA5Lroky_i4ZKuJ8_zmxgRfmr_I893nSaV_S9d15dtVCHjFAvob1wFerKQTNkuWyVktjXsW-L2U1gl_d4JZt7gcs9N87AAqALFQ40gaCSm45pHTNWIEMjrIK4H0Bs3Ab/s320/CanadaSnow.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">With the 2010 Olympics in full swing, there's a party happening here in Vancouver. </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The downtown streets are packed, and it looks as if every second person is wearing one of those <a href="http://blog.flare.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/W_Full-Zip-Hoodie-82843400-OLYM8s5.jpg" target="_blank">CANADA hoodies</a> from <em>The Bay</em>. If not the hoodie, then the <a href="http://store.hbc.com/scarves/torchbearer-adults-red-mittens/prodRTUAF915.html" target="_blank">oh-so-cute maple-leaf mittens</a>.</span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />In addition to Olympics fashion, we Canadians celebrate every medal with extreme excitement and even surprise. That's because it's not a national given that we kick butt and dazzle the world like some other countries do (hi, America!).</span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><br /><strong><em>That's What I'm Talkin' Aboot</em></strong><br />It's interesting to see your country and city through the eyes of those who are watching the Olympics on TV from afar.</span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Amid the international party here, it's more ridiculous than ever when people drudge out the same old <a href="http://www.salon.com/life/winter_olympics_2010/index.html?story=/mwt/feature/2010/02/23/olympic_ice_dancing_final" target="_blank">tired Canada jokes</a>. <em>It sounds funny when we say "about."</em> (What aboot it?) <em>Canadians are polite with good manners.</em> (No shit.) <em>We've got Canadian bacon.</em> (Yawn. How <em>is</em> Canadian bacon different from regular bacon anyway?)</span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />What does this post have to do with my blog's theme of fitness writing, marketing and publicity?</span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><br />Well, I'd like to make one mild-mannered suggestion: Be careful not to fall back on lame cliches with your marketing and publicity endeavours.<br /><br /><em>Ensure that whatever idea or concept you're promoting to others--whether it's in a brochure or a publicity pitch--is as fresh for them as it is for you. Otherwise, your efforts come across as uninspired as a Canadian-bacon joke.</em><br /><br />And if you really want to poke fun at Canadians, razz us about our national adoration for <a href="http://www.timhortons.com/" target="_blank">Tim Hortons</a> coffee. Or how curling works.<br /></div></span>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-61169280695341138422010-02-05T10:04:00.001-08:002010-02-05T11:33:54.216-08:00Is Your Blog Really Promoting Your Fitness Business?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLF8ccpFMHeN3RDWBFBlClpRCyQdQ5IS-8f5N5Wm66z33smOkw4NIYejQZrhZn9SQayaKcAYdocPYLMLohy3bLxeA9q9YH0-iMxKwqAIkbBH1H-LUSYgrt4VcKC8ybYyEZ4sChgrxqn29/s1600-h/FitnessTestDrive.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434822194026951474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLF8ccpFMHeN3RDWBFBlClpRCyQdQ5IS-8f5N5Wm66z33smOkw4NIYejQZrhZn9SQayaKcAYdocPYLMLohy3bLxeA9q9YH0-iMxKwqAIkbBH1H-LUSYgrt4VcKC8ybYyEZ4sChgrxqn29/s320/FitnessTestDrive.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I just launched a new blog over at <a href="http://fitnesstestdrive.com/" target="_blank"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">FitnessTestDrive</span>.com </a>(my first self-hosted <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Wordpress</span> blog!), where I review assorted fitness products, such as books, DVDs, clothes, gadgets and gym equipment. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I thought I had my goals for setting up the blog all sorted out until I got an email that stopped me in my tracks. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Just after I'd written the <a href="http://fitnesstestdrive.com/about" target="_blank">About</a> page for <em>Fitness Test Drive</em>, a blog post landed in my inbox from <a href="http://copyblogger.com/" target="_blank"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Copyblogger</span></a>. It made me kick myself for <em>overlooking such an important and obvious element on my blog</em>. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><a href="http://www.copyblogger.com/blogging-for-business/#more-6691" target="_blank">I forgot that I had a business first and a blog second</a>. Oh yeah ...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I'd been focusing pretty heavily on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">blog's</span> design (the green header looks good, eh?) and what kind of writing style to use. Along the way, though, I'd forgotten to reinforce what I wanted this blogging endeavor to ultimately <em>accomplish</em>. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><em>Fitness Test Drive</em> is meant to share vital information--in a lighthearted tone--about the scores of fitness products on the market. It's there to help fitness consumers and fitness pros cut through the hype and quickly size up what's new. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">From a purely business perspective, however, one of the driving goals of <em><a href="http://fitnesstestdrive.com/" target="_blank">Fitness Test Drive</a></em> is to build on my platform as a fitness authority and writer. Why? To generate more interest in what I offer as part of my "real" job: magazine writing, book authoring, consulting, ghost writing/blogging, fitness presenting and instructing.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">After reading the advice in "<a href="http://www.copyblogger.com/blogging-for-business/#more-6691" target="_blank">Could Your Blog Be Ruining Your Business</a>?" by James <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Chartrand</span>, I quickly logged back into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Wordpress</span> and sprinkled in a few "nudges" toward hiring me, as the author suggests. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">What about your blog? Is it clear to readers what products and services you're in business to sell? What techniques do you use to communicate that information to readers? </span><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">If you're ready to get a blog online (or you have one but you're not sure how to make the most of it), <a href="mailto:info@activevoice.ca">send me an email</a>. I offer consulting services for new fitness <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">bloggers</span> and ghost writing services for reluctant <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">bloggers</span>.</span></em>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-57889082952324159412010-01-15T10:03:00.000-08:002010-01-15T13:40:02.439-08:00My Life As a Ghost (Writer)<span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cORNMQzbCc5xIvVEBIF3PN7Q11R63JQcg2A0oF_y8C1IBry6jR29lLAUKKNlmvMHqcQARfPVJwlFaUgudN99btEf2o-mF8s5GDS-ewmnG1qZexfXMePSQ87mVyLEE7qQ1igkGmn9T9I-/s1600-h/TransformativeYogaCover.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427028931875430754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 256px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cORNMQzbCc5xIvVEBIF3PN7Q11R63JQcg2A0oF_y8C1IBry6jR29lLAUKKNlmvMHqcQARfPVJwlFaUgudN99btEf2o-mF8s5GDS-ewmnG1qZexfXMePSQ87mVyLEE7qQ1igkGmn9T9I-/s320/TransformativeYogaCover.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">My name is Amanda Vogel, and I'm a ghost writer.<br /><br />Ghost writers are called ghost writers because everyone is supposed to pretend the person (often a celebrity) with his or her name on the cover actually wrote the book. The real author is invisible.<br /><br />Psst, see that book pictured above, <em><a href="http://tinyurl.com/yc58zph" target="_blank">Transformative Yoga</a></em>? I wrote it.<br /><br />My friend <a href="http://www.wadeimremorissette.com/" target="_blank">Wade Morissette</a> is cool and laid-back, so he lets me tell people I wrote his book for him. He instructed me on what to put in each chapter, and I made it sound all pretty. Add his sister Alanis's foreward to the mix, and you've got a rockin' little yoga book!<br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>"What's In It For Me"?</em></span></strong> </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">My friends and family don't fully understand why I'd write a whole book just so someone else can get the credit for it. Well, I didn't do it for <i>free</i>! </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But apart from that, it's fun--and, I think, necessary--for self-employed people in particular to test out new career opportunities. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It keeps things fresh, fun and moving forward. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">For example, being Wade's ghostwriter means I've asserted myself as a member of his entourage to all book-related gigs.<br /><br />There's the time I tagged along to <a href="http://www.raincoast.com/" target="_blank">Raincoast Books</a>, <em>Transformative Yoga</em>'s Canadian distributor, where one of my fave authors David Sedaris also happened to be that morning (a surprise to me). I met Sedaris and scored a signed copy of his new book <em>When You Are Engulfed in Flames.</em> Sweet!<br /><br />This week, I invited myself to the set of <a href="http://start.shaw.ca/Start/enCA/Local+Content/British+Columbia/Vancouver/stv_ur_home.htm" target="_blank">Shaw TV's <em>Urban Rush</em></a>, where Wade sailed beautifully through his guest appearance on the show and I got tips for how to advise fitness pros on TV-related publicity (a future blog post).</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Back in the green room at <em>Urban Rush</em>, I helped myself to an unreasonable number (for a fitness instructor) of butter-based pastries and reflected on what I'd learned from my ghost writing experience. Maybe these thoughts apply to your career, as well.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Expect the Unexpected</span></em></strong> </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Every new career move has the potential to lead to other perks and opportunities you might not have predicted but fully enjoy. It's good to avoid always expecting the same outcomes at work.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:130%;"><strong><em>Enjoyment Is In the Experience</em></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I enjoy making money and getting recognition. I really do. However, the very best career opportunities are made of more than that, yes? They're fun. They're unique. They're exciting. They're an <em>experience</em>, not just a job.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:130%;"><strong><em>Your Success Lies with Others</em></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">The measure of your success isn't solely about what you do for yourself. It's how you help others to be successful alongside you. Fitness pros who assist clients with becoming fitter and healthier experience this kind of success every day. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">As for <em><a href="http://tinyurl.com/yc58zph" target="_blank">Transformative Yoga</a>,</em> Wade has a cool book, and I've got a new job skill and a signed Sedaris book. Everyone's happy. Are you? </span><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">What has helped you be successful in your own career? </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></p></span><br /><i><i></i></i>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-10257189427347839472009-12-09T12:07:00.000-08:002010-03-23T10:22:19.354-07:00How the Web Helps You Break into Fitness Writing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh012s2oZ1JbLNX5Rljf07or7-o0W07elnwiQcvvzFWFyCZ0tzZRIVkrZ2Aq8YbH03SizTT2A1RL57qIxlMdgJ3Ew1LImqqFyw5M92yIZ0J9M3W2-XQgHWqdCZUg8ORCWeHpQSbVuxU2zcf/s1600-h/Writing+on+Sofa.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413336374705713346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh012s2oZ1JbLNX5Rljf07or7-o0W07elnwiQcvvzFWFyCZ0tzZRIVkrZ2Aq8YbH03SizTT2A1RL57qIxlMdgJ3Ew1LImqqFyw5M92yIZ0J9M3W2-XQgHWqdCZUg8ORCWeHpQSbVuxU2zcf/s320/Writing+on+Sofa.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://blog.flare.com/lisatant/lisa-tant-on-getting-your-name-in-print/comment-page-1/#comment-491" target="_blank">Editor Lisa Tant's blog post over at <em>Flare</em> magazine</a> got me thinking about when I was first trying to break into writing health and fitness articles for pay.<br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />It seems easier these days to connect with editors (and hopefully charm them with your brilliant ideas and pithy writing). </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Plus, with today's web tools, you can put your writing in front of an audience any time you want to--no need to wait for an article assignment.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Here are three ways to use web technology for breaking into writing fitness articles that pay.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Blogs.</span></em> Way back when--like, you know, 5 or 10 years ago--if you wanted to prove to an editor you could write, you had to first somehow get published in the print media. Then you'd photocopy your prized article and snail mail it around.</span> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Now </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">blogs let you create your own publishing platform and, if you go about it the right way, an audience of interactive readers. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Of course, blogging isn't a direct money-maker for most people. But if your posts are decent, they make good writing samples that could lead to paid assignments in magazines, on websites, on other blogs and even--and here's where you've got to be a real superstar--a book deal. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Plus editors have blogs too! You can and should read editors' blogs and comment on posts--it helps build a friendly rapport and keeps you in the loop about what's on their minds, which could help you write more targeted <a href="http://www.activevoice.ca/store_querywork.shtml" target="_blank">queries</a>. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Web Exclusives.</span></em> Magazines used to simply throw whatever articles were in the print magazine onto their website. Now a lot of big-name magazines are developing web-exclusive content--articles you can only find online, not in the magazine.<br /><br />Sometimes you can sell an article to a magazine's website even when you're not having any luck with the print mag. (Did I mention I recently got <a href="http://www.more.ca/body-and-mind/fitness/get-fit-before-the-holidays-hit/a/28114" target="_blank">my first assignment at <em>More.ca</em></a>?) </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The downside for writers is that web-based articles generally pay less than what you can nab for a print article. BUT ... a lot of editors offer this silver lining: The editing process is less "picky" with web exclusives. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">For one thing, there are no revisions as far as I can tell, so the per-hour rate is pretty decent. </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Count me in for more web exclusives!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Twitter.</span></em> I love that I get a glimpse into the personal and professional lives of editors through their Twitter updates. I love that I can find out what stories a magazine is working on from an editor's tweet looking for sources. I love that I can @mention or direct message (DM) editors, engaging in a funny discussion or sending a friendly hello. And I love that editors respond on Twitter!<br /><br />Have any of the above tactics worked to help you network with editors and/or score writing assignments? Write a comment to share your experience. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2009/12/how-web-helps-you-break-into-fitness.html"target="_blank">Permalink</a> to this post.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJSIwFemdfPIhsBAdzJEU3rBY_rfKbrSp0gcanqnQrl3RIQgcxsu-bLvYFZdFGIhun6euvGC8XtzgLqZop0Js03zkAnsTY6tSJORHb-r8x4vGUxpK-77hVldPzLHu-aGiLTM3phGKLHMD/s1600-h/Winning+Queries+09.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413343238961209218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 116px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 163px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJSIwFemdfPIhsBAdzJEU3rBY_rfKbrSp0gcanqnQrl3RIQgcxsu-bLvYFZdFGIhun6euvGC8XtzgLqZop0Js03zkAnsTY6tSJORHb-r8x4vGUxpK-77hVldPzLHu-aGiLTM3phGKLHMD/s200/Winning+Queries+09.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">For more info about breaking into writing for magazines and websites, check out </span><a href="http://www.activevoice.ca/store_querywork.shtml" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>How to Write Winning Queries</em>:<em> Get your articles published for profit and promotion as a health/fitness writer and expert.</em></span></a> </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-7692992123126117572009-09-24T12:35:00.001-07:002009-09-25T11:10:30.554-07:00IDEA Writer Weighs in on The Biggest Loser Discussion<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge24K9CBoahC5QxFb2bhpSmLOq6HusprmRw49M8kXZIsJBiDrp6BR7tzQULG3Hezw2_xkPulLjRmIiNT8THujtH4ODyqZNXNJbeUxzkdi0CAg7n79dvUw6q5tFPF2TEZShDHMgNIZTsgbm/s1600-h/biggest_loser_ft.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge24K9CBoahC5QxFb2bhpSmLOq6HusprmRw49M8kXZIsJBiDrp6BR7tzQULG3Hezw2_xkPulLjRmIiNT8THujtH4ODyqZNXNJbeUxzkdi0CAg7n79dvUw6q5tFPF2TEZShDHMgNIZTsgbm/s320/biggest_loser_ft.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385143190153273842" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Behind "the Making of" <em>The Biggest Loser</em> IDEA article</span><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/weighing-in-on-the-biggest-loser" target="_blank">article</a> I wrote for <em>IDEA Fitness Journal </em>on <em>The Biggest Loser</em> is getting attention. A number of media outlets have picked up the topic (they're going with variations of the headline <a href="http://health.usnews.com/blogs/on-fitness/2009/09/17/why-fitness-pros-criticize-the-biggest-loser.html" target="_blank">"why fitness pros criticize <em>The Biggest Loser</em>"</a>).<br /><br />Last time I checked, <a href="http://www.thatsfit.com/2009/09/23/biggest-loser-the-criticism-continues/" target="_blank">AOL Health had 202 comments </a>to a post about the IDEA piece.<br /><br />I suppose it's time for me to weigh in on my own article.<br /><br />I won't rehash what's already out there. Instead, consider this <strong>a behind-the-scenes look at <em><a href="http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/weighing-in-on-the-biggest-loser"target="_blank">The Biggest Loser</em> IDEA article</a>.</strong><br /><br />Here are six observations I made before, during and after writing about why some fitness experts question what they see on NBC's <em>The Biggest Loser</em>.<br /><br /><strong>OBSERVATION 1.</strong> There's a wee disconnect between the fitness industry and the general public about what endorses a fitness expert to be a fitness expert.<br /><br />Is it a high profile? Products that sell well? Current certifications? How much a trainer cares about clients? How a trainer acts with clients? Opinions vary, and what counts for one person might not hold weight for another.<br /><br /><strong>OBSERVATION 2.</strong> A lot of Biggest Loser fans defend the show on blogs by saying the industry sources quoted in my article are overlooking one important point: <em>The Biggest Loser </em>is television, not real life. Duh! I think we're all clear on that, thanks. <br /><br />It's television that has a very real impact on the perceptions, practices and expectations of SOME viewers. And those viewers might come to our gyms, fitness classes, boot camps and training sessions. <br /><br />If it's true that people are <em>inspired</em> by a television program, why can't they also be <em>influenced</em> by what they see on that TV show? <br /><br /><strong>OBSERVATION 3.</strong> This is just a hunch: <em>The Biggest Loser</em> isn't used to press that isn't bend-over-backward full of praise. This might be why some fans of the show don't understand it when fitness pros get all worked up over details like industry certifications and trainer conduct. <br /><br /><strong>OBSERVATION 4.</strong> It seems like some fitness pros who've formed a negative opinion about <em>The Biggest Loser</em> refuse to see anything remotely good about the show. Come on, just try.<br /><br /><strong>OBSERVATION 5. </strong>Parts of the fitness industry have stuff to work on, too, and this has nothing to do with <em>The Biggest Loser</em> or its trainers. I mean, when you make false promises over and over, it draws considerable attention to whatever you're trying to skirt around. (See: sidebar, page 35.)<br /><br /><strong>OBSERVATION 6.</strong> Hats off to <em>The Biggest Loser</em> folks who spoke to me for the story. We're talking about a blockbuster show from a major television network, and here I am a reporter (in Canada, no less!) from a membership-only fitness trade magazine. (Of course IDEA is an important, respected association, but it's not <em>Entertainment Tonight</em>.)<br /><br />When I wanted to know why the trainers yell so much, Bob Harper called and gave me an answer!<br /><br />I told executive producer Mark Koops how some fitness pros accuse <em>The Biggest Loser</em> of being "an embarrassment to the fitness industry"; some say it's "dangerous." That's harsh criticism! Yet, Koops spoke respectfully and candidly as he defended the show.<br /><br /><em>The Biggest Loser </em>folks could have easily brushed me off! Actually, one of them sort of did, but thankfully, everyone else chose to engage in the conversation.<br /><br /><strong>What About a Second Chance?</strong><br /><br />In case it wasn't clear in the last section of my <a href="http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/weighing-in-on-the-biggest-loser" target="_blank">IDEA article</a>, I think <em>The Biggest Loser </em>could learn from the fitness industry in terms of how it depicts exercise and trainer conduct.<br /><br />Likewise, the fitness industry as a whole could learn from <em>The Biggest Loser</em> in terms of how the show inspires people to get moving. <br /><br />What do you think? Do any of my observations stand out?<br /><br /><a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2009/09/idea-writer-weighs-in-on-biggest-loser.html"target="_blank">Permalink</a> to this post.Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-55003399983846048262009-09-11T12:08:00.000-07:002009-11-05T09:12:04.017-08:00Fitness Photos, You Let Me Down (One Woman's Blog Rant)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgd_1K_E-bbMed6yRDGib-zWrJW6rhLi6aaaQq21ApY7kJ_PkzqPb4tvn6tDqH7oetxS82b6chyphenhyphenbOPvWDqW26B4LPBxyT3uDAgKmp0KeV9ov33lWH-7J2mRNPtC6IqWip7S98wgs1A-Y0q/s1600-h/Stupid+Fitness+Photo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400667459359987522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgd_1K_E-bbMed6yRDGib-zWrJW6rhLi6aaaQq21ApY7kJ_PkzqPb4tvn6tDqH7oetxS82b6chyphenhyphenbOPvWDqW26B4LPBxyT3uDAgKmp0KeV9ov33lWH-7J2mRNPtC6IqWip7S98wgs1A-Y0q/s320/Stupid+Fitness+Photo.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSsvvMBRGJ7J6W391P061LK-yyUf-KiW-1seH3ybq8jZp_qMM0vQwG2cLxncBWjotUKDH-YHZiODncJ0HYrwSG1PGHj60gwQwVYF-oLcDbvy6vCtppQUzhs7LYSq__8427qxihxDxRku6/s1600-h/Woman+w+DumbbellXSmall.jpg"></a><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I've been a fitness pro for 16 years, and I'm done with teaching <em>just </em>regular group exercise classes for <em>just </em>the regular group exercise wage (read: too low).<br /><br />Personal trainers are out there with group training and boot camps and enjoying a higher profit margin. Now I'm doing the same, but with group exercise.<br /><br />So as I market two new revenue-generating fitness events this Fall - one's a 6-week circuit interval program for gym members, and the other's a step/strength </span><a href="http://amandavogelpresents.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">workshop for fitness instructors</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> - I'm thinking about that old cliché, "A picture is worth a thousand words."<br /><br />I'm a writer, so you know I love words, but I also recognize the value of using carefully selected, targeted images in fitness blog posts and fitness marketing material.<br /><br />To that end, I logged onto </span><a href="http://www.istockphoto.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">iStockphoto.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> to download a couple of fitness shots.<br /><br />It's at times like these that I'm glad I have a fitness blog so I can rant about this irksome fact: A lot of fitness images of women are so ... hard to love.<br /><br />I want a photo that pushes emotional buttons but looks cool to fitness folks and doesn't disappoint those of us who are way beyond stereotypical, outdated advertising images.<br /><br />Dear iStockphoto, here's what I <em>don't</em> want (and what, unfortunately, you've got a lot of): </span><br /></p><ul><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Scrawny women who appear to have never exercised, gazing either seductively or passively at a couple of hand-weights that they clearly have no intention of ever lifting.</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Modern, fit-looking women waving around pink, Barbie-sized dumbbells.</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Women exercising with cringe-inducing form (note: lunges don't involve hyperextending the spine so the ribcage juts as far forward as possible).</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">People lifting weights wearing socks, no shoes.</span><br /></li></ul><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Did I miss anything?<br /><br />Sure I rant, but I still heartily recommend </span><a href="http://www.istockphoto.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">iStockphoto.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">.<br /><br />One of iStockphoto's newsletters includes free downloads, which is how I get a lot of the images I use on this blog - at no cost. (They're not usually fitness photos, but with creativity, you can still make them work for a fitness blog.)<br /><br />Other places to get free photos:</span><br /></p><ul><li><a href="http://www.morguefile.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Morguefile.com</span></a></li><br /><li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Flickr.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> (check the Creative Commons section) </span><br /></li></ul><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Anyone else have tips about where to get budget-friendly images for a fitness blog and fitness marketing?<br /></span></p></div>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-53145639532850095762009-08-31T12:11:00.000-07:002010-03-23T10:23:41.696-07:00Blogging is Like Exercise. How Often Do You Do It?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYha73GU5DCO8QLbO-6f3jkmtRXsWrBr6GmHm0COkE9VmvZjhNsnt-Vhu96RiiRrLPCZ4BXtVib5fVmPGxmezsEzwfXvjdX9jeng3RGsK00zrodJ5ixCG4UlZFadlm7sO0AYIwnQ0z3ZF/s1600-h/Laptop+and+Dumbbells.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376223160902994626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYha73GU5DCO8QLbO-6f3jkmtRXsWrBr6GmHm0COkE9VmvZjhNsnt-Vhu96RiiRrLPCZ4BXtVib5fVmPGxmezsEzwfXvjdX9jeng3RGsK00zrodJ5ixCG4UlZFadlm7sO0AYIwnQ0z3ZF/s320/Laptop+and+Dumbbells.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I just got a delivery of two books about blogging for a roundup review I'm writing for the <a href="http://www.asja.org/" target="_blank">American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). </a>(<a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2010/03/learn-to-blog-three-books-show-you-how.html"target="_blank">I'll post the review here, too</a>.)<br /><br />I love blogging, but maybe I don't do it as often as I should. Actually, I'm not convinced that I <em>should </em>be blogging to some set schedule. When I write blog posts on assignment for other people or magazines, I meet my deadlines of course.<br /><br />But for <em>my</em> blog? I post when it makes sense.<br /><br />How often you blog probably depends on who you are and why you blog. If you even do it at all ...<br /><br />As a <a href="http://www.activevoice.ca/" target="_blank">fitness writer</a> and <a href="http://amandavogelpresents.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">presenter</a>, I encourage fitness pros to use social media like blogging for marketing purposes.<br /><br />"Just do it!" I say. "Start a blog!" People get overwhelmed though.<br /><br />OK, then think of it as being a bit like exercise. (If you're a fitness pro and you're like me, you probably really enjoy relating most things back to exercise.)<br /><br />You wouldn't tell a fitness client to exercise ONLY if he or she could <em>absolutely, positively</em> do it the recommended 4-5 times a week, would you? Isn't 2-3 times a week better than just not working out, ever?<br /><br />So that's what I think when I start getting down on myself for not logging onto Blogger more often. I might only blog once a month sometimes. But it still beats not even bothering to have a blog at all.<br /><br />What do you think? Is blogging like exercise in that you should just do it when you can, or should you commit to doing it at set times even if you don't feel like it?Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-18188038916373811082009-07-28T08:57:00.000-07:002009-07-28T11:13:47.838-07:00Why Some People Get Publicity and Some Don't<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5Py-eK8Hr8s6bhBjg7YqsLs-XvndOBzGXt28ofe0S6iHNifFIIoiQsV_D7_7JbGoatcoyM_l-S2z7VF9R7n3N6EG7ZNb5ysU4k35B-U27ukSyZw76EbxtQSZ0Y7t0Fa3HgReUwBrbaZ6/s1600-h/Post+It+xs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 243px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5Py-eK8Hr8s6bhBjg7YqsLs-XvndOBzGXt28ofe0S6iHNifFIIoiQsV_D7_7JbGoatcoyM_l-S2z7VF9R7n3N6EG7ZNb5ysU4k35B-U27ukSyZw76EbxtQSZ0Y7t0Fa3HgReUwBrbaZ6/s320/Post+It+xs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363559843853825266" /></a><br />If you're looking to get publicity for yourself and your fitness business, it's a smart move to sign up for the <a href="http://www.helpareporter.com"target="_blank">free HARO newsletter</a>. <br /><br />I've <a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2009/05/more-direction-for-using-twitter-and.html"target="_blank">recommended HARO before</a>, but I haven't gone into too much detail about what HARO might be like from a journalist's perspective. <br /><br />Getting the inside scoop on what happens when a journalist puts the call out for sources can help you understand how and when to respond to HARO requests so you experience more success and make the best use of your time.<br /><br />Not too long ago, I used HARO to search for sources for an article about fitness business names and logos. About three hours after the newsletter went out, I'd already received more than 30 responses. And I know journalists who get way more than that. <br /><br />Using HARO can get overwhelming for journalists--fast--so make your email as focused as possible. No digressions, no super-inflated bios and, please, no attachments/links to articles you've already written on the same topic! <br /><br />Here are a few no-brainer reasons why I immediately hit the delete key on some HARO hopefuls: <br /><br /><strong>From the sidelines. </strong> A surprising number of people began their response by saying: "Someone forwarded this to me..." <br /><br />Here's what that lame opener says to me: 1) the person is a bit clueless as to what's going on, and/or 2) the person isn't serious enough about getting publicity to actually sign up for the HARO newsletter. <br /><br />I'd rather quote HARO subscribers (or those with publicists who subscribe). <br /><br />It's OK to respond to a HARO query that someone forwarded to you. But why tell the journalist? Keep it to yourself--it'll make you look more professional. <br /><br /><strong>Too many links. </strong>Tell me in your email what I asked for and why you're the best person to be a source for the specific piece. <br /><br />After that, I might want to see a bio, portfolio, YouTube videos and relevant accomplishments, but I don't want you to send me on a wild goose chase across the web. Keep links to a minimum. <br /><br /><strong>The why'd-you-bother-responding response. </strong>Don't overwhelm me with too much info, but don't underwhelm me either. I got a few of these: "My company does business logos. I can help. Call me." <br /><br />Delete. <br /><br /><strong>Missed the boat.</strong> If you've been out of town or just got busy and missed the deadline for responding to a HARO query, let it go. <br /><br />Don't email after the fact, saying, "I was on vacation, but for future reference here's a bunch of neat stuff about me." <br /><br />I won't remember any of it.<br /><br />So who got the gig? A couple of people with solid credentials who gave me specific info about themselves (related to the article topic). They also showed passion for the subject, including a thought or two that made it easy for me to imagine quoting them. <br /><br />Honestly, I got about half a dozen or more great emails from thoughtful, qualified professionals. <br /><br />Unfortunately, I just couldn't choose everyone. <br /><br />If you've been responding to HARO queries and you're doing everything right, don't get discouraged. <br /><br />When you don't hear from a journalist after responding to a HARO query, it doesn't necessarily mean you're on the wrong track. It just might mean there are plenty of other contenders on the right track alongside you. <br /><br />So do your best to make an outstanding impression. And keep trying--persistence pays off when you know what you're doing.Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-62737837071252430042009-07-13T14:34:00.000-07:002009-07-13T14:47:30.606-07:00Fitness Press Release<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRCuKYlqlBGO8HuBQw9oMpt1GCINNkO-nv8qxJAoTAPYNEQZdzZOgr7m1fKXid8l77KvtJ-xLAX-ertgaAhxtYJK8B8VaK1JKd9BxxPsEiVG0E7YqPMYl2UceklxEx4fXJQWgO9o1JVZM/s1600-h/Laptop+Writer+Guy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358063011416339170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRCuKYlqlBGO8HuBQw9oMpt1GCINNkO-nv8qxJAoTAPYNEQZdzZOgr7m1fKXid8l77KvtJ-xLAX-ertgaAhxtYJK8B8VaK1JKd9BxxPsEiVG0E7YqPMYl2UceklxEx4fXJQWgO9o1JVZM/s320/Laptop+Writer+Guy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Take the Lead With Your Next Press Release</span><br /><br />As a fitness writer, I receive a lot of story pitches from personal trainers and fitness organizations. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Recently, a press release came across my desk promoting a new product based on a popular fitness format. After struggling through the first paragraph, I stopped reading.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />It was too boring and confusing. I suspected most journalists wouldn’t bother to read past that first muddled paragraph either.<br /><br />The first paragraph of a press release - sometimes called the lead - holds a lot of weight. Its crucial job is to hook readers and relay important information while promising something interesting in the paragraphs to come.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Getting the lead right - whether it’s for a press release, a blog post or an article – takes savvy.<br /><br />For example, if the topic you are touting is already well-known, piggyback on this success, but find a new angle. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If you write a press release about a topic that’s already been covered in the media many times, you might think this proves the worthiness of your own press release. But editors or television producers in search of new stories might not see it that way. Instead, they might see your press release as rehashing the “same old stuff” and delete it or toss it in the recycling bin.<br /><br />Keep this in mind if you’re writing a press release about staying fit this summer. Begin with something interesting and fresh. For example, introduce a new spin on an old idea. “Get in Shape for Summer" has been done many times and it’s pretty generic. It’s not particularly compelling either – any journalist can think of that idea on their own. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">You need a better hook. For example, "Shape Up to Prevent Summertime Hiking Injuries" or “Remake Your Shape: 7 Summer-Fit Moves You Can Do Anywhere.” Both examples present some type of focused hook. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Bottom line: Increase your success by putting a new and specific spin on a familiar topic.<br /></div></span><br /><div><a id="data:post.url" onmouseover="'return" onclick="return addthis_sendto()" onmouseout="addthis_close()" name="data:post.title"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" /></a><br /><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js?pub=xa-4a4a3e7f1dd33f4b" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-53338093454509271652009-06-22T11:24:00.000-07:002009-06-30T09:37:51.357-07:00The Comma: Truly Exciting Stuff<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BhHjIH9N18Xw9spf8ATDCLFlybmBfn0-oRW_We1KPFL-Qr5Je3wbn3m79QMk6KmHiDr35uBOJ3pV4TEhciCj_SxnnKAA3FeKKg4hBGdBXiaT0YXLoAWiXyI-lWVxVi3gLLG1NHGeN7li/s1600-h/Winning-Laptop.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350225976438246818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BhHjIH9N18Xw9spf8ATDCLFlybmBfn0-oRW_We1KPFL-Qr5Je3wbn3m79QMk6KmHiDr35uBOJ3pV4TEhciCj_SxnnKAA3FeKKg4hBGdBXiaT0YXLoAWiXyI-lWVxVi3gLLG1NHGeN7li/s320/Winning-Laptop.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>You know, I really like punctuation. One of my favorite books is<em> Eats, Shoots & Leaves</em> by Lynne Truss. It's all about commas and exclamation points and apostrophes - and, yes, I read it for business and pleasure.<br /><br />If you have an affinity for punctuation like I do, I highly recommend <em>Eats, Shoots & Leaves.</em> And if you can't quite see why any of the following examples are horrifying to someone like me, resolve to do better by checking out the punctuation game I link to below.<br /></div><br /><div>Have you ever written something like this?</div><div></div><ul><li>Buy all three fitness DVD<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">'s</span> and receive a set of dumbbell's for free.<br /></li><li>This workout is known for its' fat burning drills.</li><br /><li>Our hard-core training sessions, and fun boot camps are sure-to-please!!! </li></ul><p>Pretty bad.<em> I just want to fix those examples above so bad (or is it badly?).</em> </p><p>Hey, check out the COMMA I.Q. game. Who says you can't have fun with commas? (I got one of the 10 questions wrong. Guess which one.) </p><p><a href="http://www.savethecomma.com/game/">http://www.savethecomma.com/game/</a><br /></p><br /><!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --><br /><div><a expr:name='data:post.title' expr:id='data:post.url' onmouseover='return addthis_open(this, "", this.id, this.name);' onmouseout='addthis_close()' onclick='return addthis_sendto()'><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js?pub=xa-4a4a3e7f1dd33f4b"></script></div><br /><!-- AddThis Button END -->Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-66215990370302747582009-05-04T10:29:00.000-07:002009-07-28T10:46:23.045-07:00More Direction for Using Twitter and HARO<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinejH-2C267uRYodFGDgt8tnuSv3YsVZi1YFjdUhGtKMyeAs18tmwc7aWrOrBhwAS6tt900h-G2HTaRy7XIvr19zV1OVLBmPDlVrvPMKRt3Hh8hEVcdeqvPhbaKidRL9M-yFgiSxJaCIdm/s1600-h/CompassXSmall.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332026455133896706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinejH-2C267uRYodFGDgt8tnuSv3YsVZi1YFjdUhGtKMyeAs18tmwc7aWrOrBhwAS6tt900h-G2HTaRy7XIvr19zV1OVLBmPDlVrvPMKRt3Hh8hEVcdeqvPhbaKidRL9M-yFgiSxJaCIdm/s320/CompassXSmall.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_GrX7UFf3MwEo2_tsq499WVlAHT-Uw50_f78_c7AiKtwP-TIufk_m_hLmW0bJw0PU_5s7OulLHdv18-vsWv2o52KBAAEkdGirRR0IAK0ebSQfcdo8Bdd_j8T5yrDwPNDEX87f5FzHzHC/s1600-h/CompassXSmall.jpg"></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I recently recommended <a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2009/01/facebook-twitter-and-publicity-for-you.html" target="_blank">joining Twitter and HARO </a>to boost your fitness marketing opportunities. If you've already done that, or you're still figuring out how to make sense of it all, here's a little more guidance.<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Tip 1:</strong> Please, please, please add a picture and thoughtful bio to your Twitter profile - it'll help you gain followers. Include a bit of professional info in your bio, but also a thing or two on a more personal level.</span></div><div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Even a well-thought-out series of words that describe you can be effective. Here's how I wrote my Twitter bio: </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/amandavogel" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/amandavogel">www.twitter.com/amandavogel</span></a></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Tip 2:</strong> If you haven't already, check out these two posts on this blog</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">:<br /></div></span><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">1) <a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2009/01/follow-fail-top-10-reasons-i-will-not.html" target="_blank">The Top 10 Reasons I Will Not Follow You on Twitter </a>(it's by another writer and links to Mashable.com), and<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">2) <a href="http://fitnesswriter.blogspot.com/2008/12/using-twitter-for-marketing-publicity.html" target="_blank">Using Twitter for Marketing & Publicity</a> (it's a video from Hubspot.com that you can watch right from my blog).<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Tip 3:</strong> Try out a site or two that will help you manage Twitter and finetune your networking potential there.</span></div><br /><div><a href="http://activevoice.cmail1.com/t/y/l/dkjlty/eddtllu/h" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Tweetlater.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> lets you set up keyword alerts so you know when people are tweeting (chattering on Twitter) about you and/or stuff that matters to you (hint: it's a good way to choose pertinent people to follow).<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Also, have a look at </span><a href="http://activevoice.cmail1.com/t/y/l/dkjlty/eddtllu/k" taregt="_blank"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Tweetgrid.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> to get a real-time overview of who's talking about subjects of interest to you.<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">For example, type "fitness" into a search bar and see what pops up. You can also make your searches more specific, such as who's talking about fitness where you live.<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Tip 4: If you subscribed to the HARO e-newsletter (HARO stands for Help a Reporter Out) as way to score publicity, but you're unsure about how to respond to journalists, read </span><a href="http://www.millerlittlejohnmedia.com/2009/02/10/how-to-respond-to-haro-queries/" target="_blank">this article</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> by a writer from Mopwater PR.<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Still in doubt? Ask me for more tips by posting a comment here or posting to the discussion board on the </span><a href="http://activevoice.cmail1.com/t/y/l/dkjlty/eddtllu/o" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Active Voice Facebook Group</span></a>.</div></div><br /><br /><!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --><br /><div><a expr:name='data:post.title' expr:id='data:post.url' onmouseover='return addthis_open(this, "", this.id, this.name);' onmouseout='addthis_close()' onclick='return addthis_sendto()'><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js?pub=xa-4a4a3e7f1dd33f4b"></script></div><br /><!-- AddThis Button END -->Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-64108593297474122772009-03-18T10:18:00.001-07:002009-03-19T09:53:17.748-07:00How to Find Ideas for Blogging, Writing Articles and Publicity<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi243Xu4mYxH0A2phSIPaoeLY-TWoLI2FVM_6Y-TvD7ApZBYnR38YUxTx23crTEewMze5WQoPp0pLCBnid-FXe3P_6JIPGeUoAJVtD6tf1ynfmvfoXfMF3M5YQig5UQ9ZLKWs5Ewjt1rOGl/s1600-h/Guy+on+Treadmill.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi243Xu4mYxH0A2phSIPaoeLY-TWoLI2FVM_6Y-TvD7ApZBYnR38YUxTx23crTEewMze5WQoPp0pLCBnid-FXe3P_6JIPGeUoAJVtD6tf1ynfmvfoXfMF3M5YQig5UQ9ZLKWs5Ewjt1rOGl/s320/Guy+on+Treadmill.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314587475363113586" /></a><br />Looking for something to blog about, write an article about, or use as a hook to get publicity in your local newspaper? <br /><br />Cite this new study that suggests walking roughly 100 steps a minute - or pretty much to the beat of the Bee Gees song <em>Stayin' Alive</em> - keeps you moving at a moderate-intensity pace. <br /><br />Apart from being an excellent news hook (I've already hammered out several <a href="http://www.activevoice.ca/store_querywork.shtml">queries</a> that make use of the study), these findings are a simple way to demonstrate to your clients what moderate-intensity exercise <em>feels</em> like. <br /><br />In fact, after strutting around my living room to <em>Stayin' Alive</em>, I bet a lot of fitness clients would be encouraged to know they can hoof it a lot faster than the song's beat! Move over, John Travolta. <br /><br />Here's an audio summary of the study with lead researcher Simon J. Marshall, Ph.D. of San Diego State University. (Audio courtesy of medpagetoday.com.)<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.medpagetoday.com/medpage_audio_player.cfm?tbid=13294&rURL=" width="320" height="347" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" id="mptplayer"></iframe><script> window.onload = function () { var q = (document.URL); document.getElementById("mptplayer").src += q; } </script><br /><br />Source: Marshall SJ, et al "Translating physical activity recommendations into a pedometer-based step goal: 3000 steps in 30 minutes" <a href="http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600644/description#description">Am J Prev Med</a> 2009.Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757526091075948849.post-87971638362333223332009-02-02T12:38:00.001-08:002009-02-20T10:48:28.039-08:00Sell More Fitness Articles/Get More Publicity<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXTBLg8H_Y8oCr8E0TgPVYM0TtWtS4mifd66_k0SIuCxEOiu0sD_S_-MknQABvSLNtGlNSX5zBiHCLoO9dc1PRnJDsvq_IwY0HowkkqXfjapaNzuh83GPcrkFYDA9-n5WqGHyWTRHbO1J/s1600-h/Lightbulb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298303158837112498" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 238px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXTBLg8H_Y8oCr8E0TgPVYM0TtWtS4mifd66_k0SIuCxEOiu0sD_S_-MknQABvSLNtGlNSX5zBiHCLoO9dc1PRnJDsvq_IwY0HowkkqXfjapaNzuh83GPcrkFYDA9-n5WqGHyWTRHbO1J/s320/Lightbulb.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>Simple Ideas for Building on the Media Promotion You're Already Getting</em></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Suggest Another Story:</span> When a journalist interviews you for a story, you have his or her full attention. Take advantage of this golden opportunity to receive more media exposure.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">After you’ve addressed all the journalist’s questions, pitch an idea for another article that you could contribute to as an expert source. This works whether you’re doing a phone or email interview. Just be sure to make your pitch short and to the point.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Sell Your Articles More Than Once:</span> Make your health and fitness articles work for you many times over. Sell them as reprints for extra revenue (often with a time investment of 10 minutes or less).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Use your previously published articles as lead-generating content for your client newsletters or website. Tweak the wording for new audiences. For example, an article on the benefits of boot camps can be easily adjusted for a skiing magazine, running magazine, parenting magazine, business magazine and more.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Keep the Love Alive:</span> Stay in touch with the media people who contact you. This sounds so simple, but the vast majority of fitness pros don’t do it. The hardest part of scoring the kind of media exposure that brings you the recognition and credibility you want is breaking in.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This applies to both writing articles and getting publicity. Once you’ve made contact with members of the media, you’re on the “inside,” so to speak. This is your chance to turn one valuable media hit into ongoing exposure and marketing power for your fitness business.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I’m <em>not </em>suggesting that you add journalists to your newsletter list without their permission (this is a good way to get your email blocked from reaching them). I’m talking about pitching ideas, sending informative press releases, occasionally asking if they need help with a story, and so on.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><a href="http://www.activevoice.ca/store_30ways.shtml"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">More simple ways to recycle your media promotion</span></em></a>.</span>Amanda Vogelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14183824337443331641noreply@blogger.com0