Blogger Interviews

Interview with Skellie Wag

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Interview with Nathania Johnson

Nathania Johnson, a Senior Editor at Bold Interactive, an Online Custom Publishing and Conversation Marketing firm. Her major interests are in blogging, filmmaking, podcasting, photography, and screenwritting.

In the world of blogs, SEO and Internet Marketing, your name needs no introduction, but for the benefit of our readers who is Nathania Johnson?

Wow. I had no idea I was so popular. Well, my name is Nathania Johnson and I'm the Senior Editor at Bold Interactive, an online marketing agency based in Durham, NC.

How did you venture into the world of internet and web 2.0?

My dad introduced me to the internet when I was in high school. And I loved it. I was really shy back then, and the internet made it easier for me to meet people with similar interests. College killed themomentum for me a bit. But I started getting into the internet again in2005, when My Space was getting popular. I was doing Social Media Marketing before I knew what it was. It was natural for me. A year later, I started a job as an SEO copywriter and the rest is history. I just wish I knew in 2000 what I know now. That's when I graduated from college. My dad was trying to get me to launch some web sites. I had great ideas - one of which is making gobs of money right now(gifts.com). But I just didn't know enough.

You are a very prolific blogger, what blogs & sites do you author?

I blog at BoldInteractive.com, OriginalMeTees.com/blog, NathaniaJohnson.com, TheSchoolofJohnson.com (a blog about education for parents), and Politivity.com (a political blog).

With so many blogs, guest blogging and other venture to name of, Nathania Johnson must be a very busy woman! How do you manage?

Most blogs just don't the attention I would like to give them. I really have to examine my priorities on a regular basis. I'm constantly thinking of new ideas, but I don't have the time to sustain them. It'seasy for me to drop ideas to start new ones. So I've been learning toreally examine what I want to do and stick to that. I'm also learning to mix that in with having a family. The good thing is that I have skills that I'm able to teach my children. What they are learning and how theyare learning in school is hardly relevant to the real world ofinnovation and technology. So, I'm glad I can provide them a future no matter what happens with their schooling.

What is Bold Interactive and how did the idea germinate and what does it offer ?

Bold Interactive is the online marketing agency I work for. I didn't realize until just now that people might think it's "just" a blog. Adam Schultz started the company and I was his first hire last summer. The first day he told me to start blogging, it was like offering a kid a shopping spree in a candy store. I get ideas for posts pretty much everywhere. Client work, commercials, TV shows - anything is inspiration (and that's true for my other ventures as well). Adam gives me complete freedom and without that I doubt the blog would be as successful as itis. Incidentally, I find myself with less time for it as our company has grown. But I've also been realizing that most people are really too busy to give attention to 7-10 posts a week, so the reduction hasn't hurt us at all.

Would you please elaborate on conversation marketing and how a blogger looking for making money online can make use of it ?

Conversation marketing is when you participate in the discussions going on in your niche in a way that enhances your brand. Dell is currently doing this brilliantly. If you write about a Dell product, there's a good chance you'll hear from one of their digital media representatives.You can also follow some of their employees on Twitter. What happens is that people start to feel connected to a brand or ablog. And that builds loyalty which turns customers into brand evangelists. For bloggers, you want to build a base of people who feel connected to you. This requires vulnerability and even exposing your weaknesses. Let's face it. No one really likes being around a know-it-all. When you make people feel great about themselves, it's so rare - they will never forget you. You can foster that feeling by listening and properly responding. But really, all you have to do is just participatein the conversation. And remember, this is a patient marketing technique. In fact, I hate that the word "marketing" is attached to it, because I truly am interested in the people in my niches.

What according to you Social Media Optimization has its relevance in Web 2.0?

In my mind, social media and Web 2.0 are interchangeable. So, optimizing for social media is simply being relevant in today's technology, which is designed to support community. Some ways to optimize are creating groups on Facebook, developing an active Twitteraccount, and maximizing StumbleUpon. But I also recommend creating your own community, and there are a bunch of open source tools to support that.

What tools, software and gadgets do you use for your work ?

I have one tool/gadget: My pink Dell Inspiron 1420. On it, I useFirefox, Thunderbird, and Microsoft Office. I use Wordpress for blogs,and we're launching a client site in Joomla (which I have yet to love). I use Paint.net and GIMP for graphics. I'll hopefully get Photoshop inthe near future, but I do love software that is open source.I use Twitter, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, and Facebook for social media and conversation marketing.

What interests and hobbies do you pursue, though I am sure it would be tough pursuing interests, with so much authoring to do ?

Improv and independent filmmaking are my primary hobbies. In January, Iwill graduate from the iO South training program in Raleigh and then I hope to join an improv team at one of the local improv theaters thisyear. In filmmaking I get to team up with my husband. We're hoping to start pre-production on our first feature film in 2008.

What are some of your favorite blogs,websites and books?

In blogs and websites, I love StuffonMyCat.com, IttyBittyKittyCommittee.blogspot.com, Techdirt.com, EMarketingPerformance.com, aimClearblog.com, MichaelTotten.com, Massa.Techndu.com, PatBDoyle.com and MatthewSherborne.com among many many others! In books, I love Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, Dearest Friend by Lynne Withey, A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby, The Cinderella Pact by Sarah Strohmeyer, and Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray. I'm currently reading The Myth of Laziness, The Story Factor by Annette Simmons and Doug Lipman - so far, they're both fantastic books.

What is next for Nathania Johnson?

I'm really excited about 2008. Bold Interactive is growing substantially by each month. I'm in the process of building up my Printfection store, OriginalMeTees.com and I'm going to launch a stock photo site.

Thanks a bunch Nathania for the interview, any advice for our readers who are looking for making money online ?

Understand funnel marketing and use it to your potential. Blogging freecontent and sticking AdSense on your website is an insanely difficult way to earn a full-time career. Explore premium content (I recommend TeachingSells.com as a model and training program). Also, be who youare. Don't try to be an A-lister. Don't try to be Shoemoney or Rand Fishkin. Be Ronald Fiddlesticks or whatever your name happens to be. That's who people will show up to your site to see. The minute you start trying to be something you aren't is the minute it stops being fun. And then no amount of money in the world will make you happy.

Thanks, Nathania for sharing your thoughts with me on blogging and making money online.

Asia'h Epperson will make it big in American Idol

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Interview with Lorelle VanFossen,Lorelle on WordPress

I’ve never been initiated into the world of Web 2.0 nor blogging. I was doing this long before these things were invented. Putting new jargon on them doesn’t make them new.

I started Taking Your Camera on the Road as one of the first sites on the web initially to help CompuServe test drive these new “homepage” things. As a professional nature and travel photographer and writer, and very involved with several forums on CompuServe as a speaker and participant, they knew of my computer expertise, so it was natural for me to test drive this new feature. As a technical writer, and computer specialist, they loved that I knew how to break things and then explain how I broke them, offering tips on how to make it better.

My first site began as a way of publishing technical articles and quickly grew into a method of staying in touch through the stories of our travels when we hit the road full-time in 1996. We sent out emails of our journal entries and when we could get to a “speedy” Internet connection, we posted them on our site. In 2003, I started the conversion of the static site to the dynamic PHP-powered WordPress.

What is Web 2.0 anyway? There is a lot of assumptions and conjecture, but no solid definitions that I’ve found. They say it’s the development of the social web, but I don’t see that yet. We’re still socializing like we always were, meeting through websites, journals (called blogs now), forums, newsgroups, chats, email - there is social peer pressure, the development of Digg and other social bookmarking and site submission services, but the social in the web which turns it into a community is still growing. I see exciting things happening on this path in the next three years. I really believe that the “social” in social networking will return back to the roots of what CompuServe’s Forums were, and what AOL failed to be, where like-minded individuals form collective groups for sharing and helping each other. WordPress.com has thoughts in this direction, but sites like Edublogs, the free blog service for educators, students, and teachers of English as a Second Language, will really lead the way as they start working together, connecting their blogs through forums and other inter-linking and interactive services.

As for blogging, while it started out with “personal” in front of it, it’s moved naturally into a business, a big business, and I see blogs having more and more influence over shopping, investments, socializing, expert-making, resumes, self-promotion, news, and decision - making.

What is so exciting about blogging is the inclusion of so many non-native English speakers and those who want to learn to write and communicate in a language that is not their own. I long for the development of instant translations built-into web browsers so we can finally break down the language barriers. That will be Web 3.0. When social really crosses borders and breaks down the walls.

How has blogging changed your life?

Changed my life? I’ve been doing this for 14 years, so I’m not sure which point in my life you think blogging may have changed it. When I started, it was about sharing knowledge and stories and keeping in touch with family and friends as we traveled. Instead of writing and mailing letters or newsletters, email and my site allowed me to talk to more than the recipient. I could share my traveling life with the world. And the world found me.

The online community I’d developed before hitting the road grew as others found my site and asked questions and offered places to stay if we came through their area. This led to meeting wonderful folks we would have never met, and gaining valuable insights and experiences we might have missed.

As the web grew, my expertise in web writing and design and development grew into a business. As one of the “oldest”, my services were much in demand. When I discovered WordPress in its early stages of development, I knew that there was something special here worth exploring and investing in. My determination to conform WordPress to my will led to volunteering and helping others learn how to twist and bend WordPress. And one thing led to another. I don’t think about blogging as changing my life as much as being part of the evolution of my life. One thing led to another, followed by another, and thus, the process flows and continues to flow. All those years of expertise and experience led to my first book and the ones I have coming out next year, and all along, I continue to present programs on travel, photography, writing, and blogging, along with the web as it is the roof under which those things now live today.

Do you think it is possible to make a living by blogging only?

It is possible to make a living doing anything today. Honestly. If you have enough passion for the subject, you can make a living plucking eye brows or digging ditches. I think that we should put more emphasis early on into working on our passions instead of just finding a job and meeting the unrealistic expectations of others.

Yes, it is possible to make a living from blogging, but you have to be more specific. Blogging alone without ads won’t make money unless the purpose of the blogging is to support your reputation as an expert - a paid expert. That makes you money and blogging supports it. Blogging with ads only might help, and some claim they can live on it, but it takes a lot of work and expertise to make your content bring in the audience consistently so the ads will then generate enough income.

Blogging makes money when it supports other indirect sources of income. Most successful bloggers make money from sources away from their blogs, enhanced by their blogs but not directly from their blogs. My money is made on consultancy, books, speaking gigs, teaching, writing, and as an adviser. Most of my blogs do not have ads as the ads do not bring in enough money to make my readers suffer their inclusion. I really believe that unless the ads are promoting you and your work, or businesses VERY directly connected with your blog’s content, and they look good, which few do, then ads are distracting and taking energy and business away from your blog. I’m in the minority with that thinking, but I believe that more and more people are catching on.

How did you get the idea of Weekly Challenge and the Weekly Digest?

The Blog Challenge was developed about two years ago as a way to help bloggers help themselves. I didn’t want a contest or any of the fuss associated with giving awards or anything like that. What I wanted to do was help bloggers learn better by action rather than lecture.

The Weekly Digest was started in response to many telling me at conferences and workshops that they couldn’t keep up with everything I was doing. I realized that I wasn’t keeping up either, so this became a way of helping myself keep track of what I was doing, publishing, and going, and benefited many of my reader’s similar desires. Putting it together was a bit more complex than I thought at first, but slowly I learned how to make the process more efficient.

I don’t recommend every blogger create weekly challenges or competitions, or even a weekly digest. It means committing to your blog at least once a week, which keeps you on track and forces you to show up. Still, it’s an obligation. Obligations begin to be work and can often interfere with the “freedom” many like with blogging. I like doing them, but only after I do them. Weekly summaries or digests are good if the blogger publishes a lot and publishes a lot off their blog. I think that a monthly or even annual summary is good enough for most bloggers.

What is the benefit of being a part of a blog community or network?

I’m very honored to be a part of a couple of blog communities and networks, including WordPress.com and Edublogs.org, where I’m working more behind the scene than in front. When I switched to CompuServe in the early 1990s, I loved the forums. Like attracted like. I was very involved with the photography, RV, and travel forums, popping in and out of a few others when the mood struck.

One of the most important lessons I learned the first week on the RV Forum was to weight down the end of a recreational vehicle (camper, trailer, or motor home) sewer hose where it goes down into the sewer drain. There’s something about the force of releasing 40 or more gallons of sewage and liquids at once that can make that sewer hose act like a fire hose. I told my husband that learning that tip was worth a year’s subscription fee. There are just some things you don’t want to experience first hand!

That was the magic of the social networking of the CompuServe Forums. I could ask questions I thought were idiotic and get civil and necessary answers to my ignorance as we prepared to take our life on the road full time. As a long time photographer, selling my first image when I was 15, I could return the favor by answering the questions of new photographers learning about how the process worked. The giving and sharing was precious, and contagious, and the friends I made were amazing. That’s what people are finding as they begin to explore Facebook, community blogs, and social networking. It’s about meeting and helping each other, sharing ourselves and our lessons along the way. It’s about connecting across bridges, divides that once kept us apart. I now have friends in New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, Philippines, Switzerland, Sweden, Holland, Russia, and everywhere. Places I’ve never been! I’m learning to see the world through their eyes, not just through mine.

A blog is a community. Over time, you develop regular readers and commenters, people who spend time with you and your words and share their thoughts and sometimes their lives with you. More and more bloggers are leaving the SEO/Google Game behind and learning that good blogging comes with nurturing, with fellowship, with the relationships formed.

I’m looking forward to two things in the next five years within the blogging industry. First, I’m ready for instant translation built-into web browsers. This has to happen and it can’t happen soon enough for me. Yes, there are problems with it, but as our computers become faster and more powerful, the problems will begin to melt away. I want to read what Boris is doing in St. Petersburg, Russia, with his car that breaks down more than runs. I want to know what Yun Kim is thinking about her life in Korea. I need to read what Yakov thinks about the upcoming political elections in the United States, but he blogs in Hebrew. As for what is going on in Russia, cutting off political ties with the West, I want to know what Isah in Egypt thinks about how this will impact his world. I even want to know about how Sacristina is doing with her mother’s cancer in Mexico. There is a whole world of stories and thoughts that I want to read about, but the language barrier is a wall that still blocks us from really creating a global village.

The second thing that must happen is the development of a truly networked community. Blogs will be the basis, and forums will create group communities, and whoever can hit upon the right combination to link all these together into a true social network - they will be the next Bill Gates and Matt Mullenweg. We have to build upon the communities created with blogs. I’m eager to see what the really creative folks whose voices and ideas we haven’t seen yet, will be coming up with in the future.

You have also written a book, Blogging Tips: What bloggers won’t tell you about blogging,tell me something more about it and why this title. Most of the bloggers usually tell about blogging on their blogs to attract readership?

Yes, most bloggers tell you about blogging, and many use it to attract readership, which is dumb. If you are looking for information on restoring an old car, and you arrive on a blog with only one article that mentions automobile restoration, aren’t you pissed? Aren’t you frustrated? Bloggers who leave their blog purpose and subject matter, what they want to be known for, by blogging about subjects they aren’t interested in only to get links, are tiresome. I think bloggers are getting that point, which is one of the things that bloggers don’t tell you about blogging. If you’ve ever gotten a comment that says, “I came here looking for X and can’t find it” then you know what I’m talking about.

We decided upon the title in a round about way. The original was “What Bloggers Need to Know About Blogging”. I joked with my agent that one of my most popular posts started out with a similar style title, and how at last minute I changed it to include a NOT, even though the article was a how-to, and that generated a lot more interest and attention. “Then why not make this a NOT?” So we did.

It does tell you a lot about what bloggers won’t tell you about blogging. It’s hard work. Your eyes squint at the keyboard. You risk carpal tunnel. Your back hurts. Your butt hurts. You can develop hemorrhoids from sitting too long. It’s hard to guess what the masses want and get it right every time. It’s hard tracking down new things to write about. You will burn out. You will get sick of this. You will get blog blank or bloggers’ block, unable to write anything that makes any sense. You will have to learn many things, like HTML, CSS, PageRank, and Web Standards, things you don’t want to learn. After you’ve started building an audience and traffic, comments aren’t as much fun. Your email inbox starts filling with questions and invitations to link and link exchanges as well as Q&A. You have to learn to say no. You find yourself reading blogs and answering comments and marking comment spam more than writing content. You find blog administration takes more of your time than the joy of writing.

Blogging is very hard work. These articles aren’t written in 10 seconds with a quick click of the Publish button. They have to be stuffed with links. Researched, Verified, Checked, Edited, Rechecked, Proofed. Then released and babysit as the comments come in. The book is designed like a check list. There are check boxes next to every major and minor tip in the book. You read through and check off what you’ve done to improve your blog as you go through it. I cover all aspects of blogging from design, structure, content development, commenting, copyright, bloggers’ rights, legal policies, categories, Google’s PageRank, and more. All the basics you need to know to get started, or to renergize your existing blog when it needs that kick in the butt.

The book, “Blogging Tips: What Bloggers Won’t Tell You About Blogging“, is selling well. I had great fun when a sponsor agreed to give everyone attending the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers Conference (SOBCon) in Chicago and the WordCamp 2007 in San Francisco a free book. I’m working on finding more sponsors for the different events I’ll be speaking at next year to do the same. I love giving the gift of blogging, and what better way than to give it with my book.

Most of your work rather all of your work has been on Wordpress. Can you compare and advice about Blogger vs. Wordpress?

The “majority” of my work to date has been with static or Javascript sites, which then turned into using WordPress and learning PHP and WordPress-specific code. I cannot give any advice comparing Blogger to WordPress based upon experience, but that won’t stop me from making a few observations.

I HATE commenting on a Blogger/Blogspot blog. The ease of entering the comment in on the same page as the post and the rest of the comments in WordPress is such a breath of fresh air after visiting and trying to work with the frustrating comment interface and procedure of a Blogger/Blogspot blog. It’s also hard to compare Blogger to WordPress. Blogger is similar to WordPress.com, Edublogs, and similar a WordPressMU driven blog services. Google hosts the blogs and controls what the user can do. The full version of WordPress is self-hosted, and the possibilities are endless on what you can do - as well what you can break.

WordPress.com is unique in that it is the state-of-the-art testing ground for the full version of WordPress and WordPressMU. If WordPress developers want to test WordPress before it’s released, they have 2 million beta testers ready to go. Therefore, there is little customization and few features to choose from, though the number is growing slowly. In order to control WordPress and its users to maintain the site for testing new versions of WordPress, security issues are critical, as are controlling what users can do that might break the program for everyone, not just themselves. Blogger doesn’t have those kinds of guidelines. They do allow customization of the design and code. That’s nice, but I can spot a Blogger blog immediately, can’t you? Even with all that flexibility, they all have a similar look and style, and the comments are the first clue.:D

Which is better? It depends upon your needs. Live Journal was enough for many bloggers. Facebook appears to be enough for others. Some need to control every millimeter of their blog. Some want some control but not all, and are willing to pay others to control what they don’t want to manage. Others just want to blog and aren’t worried about what they are working on. Both Blogger, TypePad, Movable Type, and WordPress-based blogs are now very search engine friendly and include pings and feeds automatically, so you choose the one you like best and one that works for you. More importantly, you choose the one that your friends use. Which could be saying something about who you hang out with.

What do you think have been your success factors?

Success? People keeping labeling me a successful blogger. I’m still waiting for the definition of what makes a successful blogger a success.

Honestly, I do what I do. I concentrate on the content. I explore my niche and serve up what I think interests my readers and keeps them coming back for more. I live my passion every day and find joy in waking up and working all day doing something I love. That’s my definition of success. What other people think and label me isn’t important. Sounds arrogant, but me being happy with my life takes precedence over what other people think.

Do you read a lot, Blogs and/or books? Which are your favorites?

A read a lot. A lot of books. Fiction and non-fiction. I love science fiction and adore good satire. When they are combined, such as by Terry Practchett, I’m in heaven. I love Isaac Asimov, Kim Stanley Robinson, Orson Scott Card , and my favorite is Alan Dean Foster. I also read a lot of blogs. However, asking me my favorites means I have to choose. And choosing for a blogger who blogs about blogging can create some political nightmares. While I’m a fan of many bloggers, I’m instantly a fan of bloggers who post fantastic blog posts. Those who love the act of writing and express themselves with style and grace. They don’t have to blog about subjects I blog about, or even things I’m interested in. If it is well written and passionate, I love it. I’m always on the lookout for those who blog their passion. I believe that the best bloggers are the best read folks. People who read everything and anything, especially those who read a diverse collection of writers and subjects. They bring to their blogs what they learn and experience from their reading life, and open up their minds in the process.

Recently, I wrote Blog Writing: Are You Writing With Grit? for the Blog Herald. I talk about a beach carved from small bits of sand that swirled around inside tight crevices, slowly etching out a circle as the waves flowed in and out of the crevice over time. Good writing and well-formed thoughts do the same thing in our heads. The words find a little crevice, and with time, we swirl our thoughts around the words, and holes form in our heads. There are now new ideas, new perspectives on the issues before you - all because these little words opened up new pathways and made room in your head for new thoughts. Finding those writers, on blogs or in books, magazines, or newspapers, is magic.

What gadgets do you use for your blogging work?

Gadgets? I don’t use gadgets on anything I do. I have two tools I use to blog. My work is totally dependent upon the power and flexibility of Firefox, the best web browser around. When writing a long series for the Blog Herald called Web Browser Guide for Bloggers, I tried a variety of web browsers which reinforced my adoration for Firefox. I think we don’t think much about how the browser is so critical to our work as bloggers. Without it, you would have trouble viewing the web let alone blogging. It’s important to learn how your browser works, as it is a powerful tool in your blogging arsenal tool box. I use a text editor, NoteTab, to organize my “things to write about” and work on my articles. From there, they go straight into WordPress. It’s a simple but effective process and it travels very well so I can work on writing blog posts whether I’m online or off. I don’t use anything else. Was there something specific you had in mind?

Remember, I’ve been doing this a long time. I’m old school. I don’t even check my blog stats unless I have to, as they don’t matter to me. What more do I need than a virtual pen and paper?

We are seeing a trend that people now post their earnings online. Do you subscribe to that?

If you want to make your blog about making money on the web, then it’s logical to publish the facts behind your claim. If you don’t, don’t. It’s information your readers don’t care about. It’s mildly interesting, but none of their business and not related to what keeps them coming back for more. Also, I don’t see it as a trend. I see it as a brag. As a marketing ploy.

What they don’t tell you is that the majority of blog income is not generated directly via the blogs. It comes from indirect income, like speaking, teaching, books, products, services, and consulting.

What is your word of advice to the bloggers who are just starting?

Blog your passion. Learn to write in your language, not necessarily English.

What is next for Lorelle?

Next? I just keep doing what I’m doing. People seem to like it and I’m still enjoying it.

I have many conferences schedule or in the works for next year, so I will be popping up hopefully in a locale near you. If you want me closer, let me know. I’m very excited about WordPress 2.4 and the promised new interface, which will hopefully improve the back end of WordPress. Regional and International WordCamp conferences are popping up everywhere. It was so much fun to be a part of the one in San Francisco, and a great joy to be a part of the first WordCamp Israel. I love being surrounded by WordPress fans and learning from them.

I have two big article series I am working on, though I’m still considering which blog to present them on. One is on the art of personal blogging, since that is my roots and I’ve learned a lot along the way over more than a decade of storytelling online. The other is on blog writing, which is something we need to learn and study more. Writing on a blog is different from writing in other genres. It’s still a developing art form, so I’m eager to share tips and techniques on the subject. It’s also a great opportunity for me to read more blogs, seeking out the best blog writers.

I have several new books I’m working on, on the topic of blogging and other interests, for next year. So it will be a busy one.

Thanks Lorelle for taking time out for the interview and sharing your experiences and thoughts with me.

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