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How To Write The Perfect Blog Post

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Jim Braaten

Would you like more money in your pocket? Have you ever wondered how to command more respect in your communication activities? Heck, could you benefit by learning the secret to increased happiness and life fulfillment while blogging?

That’s right, a good blog post starts off strong and makes promises. It capture’s the reader’s attention by either solving a problem, entertaining or teaching them something they didn’t already know. It needs to suck the reader into heart of the blog post, but eventually it needs to deliver on content and quality.

But actually, a good blog post starts out long before the first sentence. It begins with a catchy title that sums up the entire blog post in 8 words or less. Yup, keep it short and use plenty of key words in the title driving search engines bat-crazy when they crawl or spider your site. That gets you more readers.

In fact, the title might be the most important part of your blog post. Some people scan many blogs and if the title doesn’t inspire…well, guess what? You blog doesn’t get read on that particular day.

But now that you’re in the heart of your writing keep sentences short. Keep ‘em conversational. And notice how most of my paragraphs don’t string lots of words together to make a big block of text. That’s a no-no in blog writing. Lots of words strung together in big paragraphs makes the post look cumbersome.

That said, it’s okay to have a one sentence paragraph while blogging.

Pictures work best if they grab the reader’s attention and say…what the heck? Yeah, this is a picture of my wife when she was 14 at a bubble blowing contest. By posting this I am likely in the proverbial “dog house.”

Now, on to pictures or graphics. EVERY BLOG POST DESERVES A PICTURE! Words are wonderful, but good pictures can tell stories even better. Plus, they add nice color to your blog which pleases everyone’s eye during the reading experience.

And by all means don’t forget to add plenty of links, when necessary. If you mention using The Associated Press Stylebook in your writing, give it some love by showing a link. Speaking of that resource, it should be on the desk of every blogger and used often to enhance one’s professionalism.

So, how often should you blog? Here there’s no right or wrong answer. Blog ONLY when you have something important to say. Don’t string a bunch of words together simply for the sake of making a blog post. People will see through that and likely won’t give a second look.

I consider two or three posts per week a good target goal. Yet, for some that same number of posts might occur each day. Still, other bloggers only do so occasionally making their frequency maybe once per month. The big thing is to stay consistent and regular as this is what builds readership.

Okay, so I’ve told you several rules to follow. This next one is perhaps most important. Keep your blog posts short and sweet. Learn to edit out what doesn’t need to be there. THIS boldfaced word happens to be my 500th word in this post which signals to me it’s time to wrap it up very soon.

Be sure to show good action pictures such as this one with my stepson taking a snowball directly in the face. Again, I’m likely in trouble with him for posting this picture.

As a general rule, I try to ideally keep my posts between 300–500 words. The absolute max is 700 words…and yes, it is on rare occasion I go over 700 words, but by keeping it short it shows respect for the reader and means you have to be disciplined.

Eventually every blog post needs to wrap it up. Find a way to reward the reader for sticking it out to the end. I like to somehow tie my endings in with my introductory paragraph. Doing that sort of reinforces to the reader the reason they got sucked in to your posting in the first place.

If you made promises…then deliver! If you were trying to entertain…end with a good joke or funny anecdote. The perfect blog post doesn’t occur by the blogger transcribing every word that comes to mind. There has to be some purposeful editing involved throughout the process.

Oh, and just so you know…I ended this blog post with my last word in this post at 700 words.

Blogger’s Note: Tonight I am teaching a class on the fundamentals of blogging for my local community education. The preceding blog post will be used as part of that class while at the same time hopefully benefiting the many others who will not be in attendance.

Filed under: Weblogs | Tagged: Blogging, outdoors blogging, writing | 1 Comment »

Embrace Bloggers and Social Media To Get Message Out

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Jim Braaten

I just have to laugh! Some notions take a long time to die. I could easily make this post my annual rant against the Minnesota DNR and their communication peeps who seemingly don’t have a 21st Century clue when it comes to communicating their message, but if I did the blog posting would largely look like it did last year. (SEE HERE)

So, I’ll spare you all those details once again. Point is I’ve been an outdoors writer here in Minnesota since 1987 and now because most of my communication efforts are online some entities, like the MN DNR, apparently fail to see the value.

Once again, the MN DNR is conducting their annual 2–day #RoundTable and I was not included. Last year I sent a note in advance to DNR Communication Director Chris Niskanen (@ChrisNiskanen1) asking to be included, but alas, the note was never received. Certainly after the blog post I wrote last year I figured I’d be on the radar for the 2013 #RoundTable session…but no such luck once again.

Here I am willing to invest my time and money to report happenings of my state’s fish and game department, but the take away is such information dissemination is not apparently that important. What a shame. Whether it is the MN DNR or even some manufacturer of a new outdoor product, you would think they would be doing their due diligence to include both bloggers and people from all other facets of social media.

Recently I attended a blogging conference and discovered how one of the most aggressive segments harnessing the power of blogging, Twitter and similar online communication tools targets the so-called “mommy blogger.” That’s right, companies who promote diapers, sell mac and cheese products, encourage the use of real butter for cooking, and so on are light years ahead of others when it comes to tapping into these emerging forms of new media.

Back at the farm, I cooked up some brats to serve my hungry hunters during the fall 2012 firearms deer season.

One particular company I’ve been impressed with on Twitter is Johnsonville (@JvilleGrilling) Not only do they tweet often and with content that adds value (not just self-promo), but they also do one of the best jobs of engaging their followers of any company I have seen. I posted a picture back during deer hunting season that they found of me grilling their brats…and days later they were using it, with my permission of course, all over their online marketing efforts.

I can relate many similar examples of how companies or groups are in-step with those of us who blog and tweet. I once ripped a company in these blog pages several years ago about their product in how it was poorly designed. They got upset with me and fired back…but in the end they changed their product design because they new I had some valid points that needed to be addressed.

I will be so bold as to predict that within five years most traditional forms of how people obtain their news will largely lose significance. I’m talking newspaper, magazines, and to some lesser extent even nightly TV news coverage. We are living in a transition period where people demand their news immediately, in a succinct fashion, and when it’s convenient for them to view it. Blogging, social media and videos on demand delivers the message.

Yes, indeed, I find it somewhat odd how a company peddling baby diapers is far better at engaging their audience through the blogger network than my state’s game and fish department continues to be. <Okay, this is where I would ordinarily insert a joke about shit, but I’ve chosen not to do that at this time. Ha!>

Filed under: Current Outdoor Issues, Department of Natural Resources, Fish/Wildlife Research and Management, General Outdoor Topics, Hunting, Outdoor Media (TV/Newspaper/Radio), Weblogs | 3 Comments »

Ahh…Yet Another Year Is About To End

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Jim Braaten

It’s become somewhat of a tradition in this blog to have a year end post where I reflect on where I’ve been, but more importantly, it’s a time when I make plans for where I am going. Let me just say this past year was a tough year in my personal life.

Dealing with a parent in the twilight of her life and finally laying her to rest toward the end of May tapped much of my energy. I guess it was one of those years that just overwhelmed me — both mentally and physically. That being said, I did NOT experience as much hunting and fishing as I had intended to do. Therefore, I will be the first to admit this blog suffered because of it.

But putting those challenges and struggles behind me, it is now time to look forward. I am excited for 2013! During the past 12 months I only averaged about one blog post per week. Worse than that…there were some months I barely scratched one post together for the entire month. That has to change…and it will as soon as the clock strikes midnight tonight.

I am starting the year with this as my new blog motto. I hope my loyal readers know that I just don’t put words on this blog for the sake of making a post. I can’t tell you how many blog posts I’ve written…and then carefully edited…only to eventually hit the delete function button. Why? It’s simple. This blog must do something for my readers. If it doesn’t educate, entertain or in some other way provide value to the reader…well, I just don’t want my name associated with it.

In about two weeks I, like many of my outdoor communicating comrades, will be heading off to Vegas to cover the 2013 SHOT Show. Man, I’ve lost track without checking back how many shows like this I’ve attended. It must be pushing about 25 of them. Each year I learn and see so much. This year, in fact, with the current events shaping our world it could be one of the most intense and exciting shows ever. More on that later.

I hope to take this SHOT Show intensity and run with it far into the new year. Already on the calendar I have a turkey hunt, a trout fishing trip, several lake fishing trip outings, to name but a few. Indeed, I am approaching this new year with much less burden on my shoulders and a renewed vigor I intend to harness and properly display on this blog.

Honestly, we are living in some exciting times when it comes to the outdoors. Never has there been as much opportunity to explore diverse ways to be entertained in the outdoors pastime as there is today.

This blog has always been about my opinions and sharing my experiences in the outdoors. I make a pledge to you, my readers, to be far more engaging and communicative during 2013.

Here’s wishing all of my readers the best, the safest and the happiest of New Year’s to come!

Filed under: Outdoor Potpourri, Weblogs | Comments Off

Eight Years Ago This Very Day…

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Jim Braaten

I sat down at a long-since retired computer and began a journey. I didn’t know what I was doing. Heck, for that matter I still don’t know what I am doing. All I knew was I was having fun doing it.

That’s right. Today is an anniversary for my blog. Count them…Eight! Long! Years!

Oh, has my life changed and so has this blog. In the beginning I had no solidly established goals. Truth is, during those first years I’m not sure very many other eyes happened upon this writing other than my own. Blogging was in its infancy. It received little to no respect. Most people hardly understood what it was even about. For that matter, the majority of Internet browsers had no appreciation for reading the occasional ramblings of some writer transforming thoughts into computer pixels on a personal weblog.

This is how my web page looked back in 2004 when the journey began.

Let’s be honest, I started this blog writing for myself. Those first months I used it as an escape to detail the type of topics that were on my mind at the moment. Yes, it was a soapbox at times. I certainly shared my opinions…got stuff off my chest, so to speak. It was a way to release energy while at the same time attempting to share a love of the outdoors.

Folks have asked me what blogging was like when I started. Oh, there were several blogs of national prominence sometimes making waves for breaking news…but the landscape was much different in the outdoors world. Particularly with hunting and fishing bloggers. As my memory recalls, there were no more than perhaps a dozen of us bloggers actively promoting the outdoors lifestyle via this up-and-coming form of communication.

Indeed, some of my early compatriots in outdoors blogging were, as memory serves me:

Now, likely there were other prominent ones I have unintentionally missed, but these are some of the pioneers in outdoors blogging. I tip my hat to each of these guys as it appears they are all continuing to blog to this day, at least to some degree. (If I missed you and you were blogging back in 2004, leave a comment below and tell us)

Yeah, a lot has changed in eight years. Too much, in fact, to detail in this single blog post. But I am so proud of what blogging has become. It wasn’t long ago most of the professional writing associations were scoffing at bloggers–certainly not taking us serious as legitimate communicators. Fast forward to today, most of these same organizations AND the same people in charge have become enlightened to the potential of blogging. Now, these same professional organizations are looking for ways to embrace bloggers and bring them into their membership fold. And I might say it’s about damn time!

When people used to ask me what outdoor publications I wrote for I would list them off. They would subsequently nod their heads and say something like, “that’s cool.” But do you think they ever went back and dug through some back-issues to read something I wrote? Heck no! If I also told them I blog…they would respond with something like, “okay,” seemingly not very impressed.

Not so today. I no longer tell people that I once wrote for radio or provide a laundry list of what print publications I’ve been in. It just doesn’t matter to most folks these days. Instead, they want to know how they can read what you write from their computers, their portable tablets, heck…even their smart phones. WOW! Have things ever changed. If you told me back in 2004 that not only would I still be blogging eight years later, but that I would be doing it sometimes from my phone and my readers would also be reading it in a like manner…I would have said “NO WAY!”

But, here I am on my eighth anniversary of this blog doing some reflection and introspection. I’m excited! It’s hard to imagine where this is all going for the future. No longer do I write this blog merely for my own entertainment. Nope! Today, each post is constructed with an eye toward how can I teach or enlighten my readers with about 700 words or less. Sometimes I achieve that goal…and other times, well, you’ll have to keep reading to find out.

In closing, a final tip-of-the-hat to all my loyal readers who have stuck with me over the years. Here’s hoping we have several more good years to come. Thanks for reading SPORTSMAN’S BLOG!

Filed under: General Outdoor Topics, Weblogs | Tagged: fishing blogging, hunting blogging, outdoors blogging | 2 Comments »

Random Thoughts “Cooked Up” From Food Bloggers About Blogging

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Jim Braaten

I’m convinced if you want to learn more about yourself and what it is you do…sometimes you need to step back and look at things from a fresh new perspective. I’ve been fumbling around now with this blog for almost 8 years and the more I attempt to discover about the craft of blogging, the more I quickly realize how much I still have to learn.

This past Saturday I spent the entire day with a bunch of hard-core food bloggers from the Minneapolis/St. Paul surrounding area. In total, there must have been 70+ attendees specializing in everything from cookies, cupcakes and desserts to artisan breads of all types. As one can imagine, when it comes to food a person can specialize in a multitude of different areas.

So, what was a blogger who mostly writes about hunting and fishing doing by infiltrating this quadrant of the blogosphere? Learning, observing, discovering, and well, of course, finding many good eats to pass the day.

But seriously, each time I hang with bloggers outside the realm of hunting, fishing and the outdoors I find it completely fascinating to compare how I do things with their challenges and opportunities. What I learned may surprise you. In fact, you may want to argue this point with me…but in many ways the food bloggers (at least those observed locally) are light years ahead of some of us in the outdoors industry.

Consider these thoughts:

Food bloggers have better developed their “voice” than most bloggers in the outdoors/shooting community. What do I mean by “voice?” I’m talking about the ability to stand up and be heard as a group by channeling expertise. As blogging evolves it’s simply not enough to be a solitary entity spewing forth a few hundred words from a basement computer on a daily basis. Nope, bloggers of all genres need to develop local communities where they gather often and understand they are not in competition with one another…instead, they have the unique opportunity to build an alliance where combined learning and readership has power. Only then will marketers and public relations people begin to take bloggers more serious.

Food bloggers also tend to give readers better value for the time spent on a blog. Honestly, I know I’m stepping on toes here, but it behooves all of us outdoors bloggers to take a moment for some introspection. Do you ever ask yourself…”what will a reader learn from my blog post?” We should. Is the blog being written because we just have something important to say…or do we construct each post with the intention of rewarding the reader with some morsel for the time they spent reading? Consider this, in almost ever food blog the blogger either reviews a restaurant (sharing advice on yea or nay to visit) OR the blogger provides a tested recipe with a potential mouth-watering payoff to the reader. What do we give our readers as a “take away” for their time?

Food bloggers have amazing pictures that help sell their content. Don’t get me wrong, a food blogger showing a picture of a sizzling burger on the grill layered in cheese and bacon has a distinct advantage here. But let’s face it…the outdoors has tremendous opportunity for captivating pictures, too. I think we can all do a better job of whetting the reader’s appetite for the outdoors by including more creative visuals. It certainly is one of my goals for this blog.

And finally…Food bloggers do an exceptional job interacting with their readers…both on and off the blog. If an outdoors blogger can garner a handful of comments after a post…that is typical. But check out a popular food blog and you will often see posts turn into virtual discussions. Readers suggesting variations in a recipe, pointing out links for additional information not shared…just a whole host of positive interaction. Furthermore, it appears to me that many of the food bloggers make it a point to spend time on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. because they know how to go where both their potential and active readers are hanging out.

Look, I’m not suggesting that outdoors bloggers are doing it all wrong. Instead, I think it’s time for the outdoors blogging community to step up to the plate (pardon the food blogger pun) and realize we might have to adjust the way we are doing things if we want to keep step with other bloggers and the success they are achieving.

Hanging with a bunch of food bloggers for a day was definitely a fun experience I will not soon forget. But above all, the experience taught me if outdoors bloggers want to be respected and appreciated for our efforts…we still have a ways to go.

Case in point, I recently tried to unsubscribe to a GunsAmerica newsletter that I did not subscribe to in the first place. Customer service wanted to know why upon making my request…so I explained I did not like how one of their employees bad mouthed bloggers at the last SHOT Show. In return, I received a terse e-mail calling me a “bumblehead” which they later unsuccessfully attempted to remove from ever being sent to my mail system.

Here you have food bloggers and the food industry trying to positively align themselves with one another as they are forward thinking and can visualize where this is all going. Then we have our industry and the prevalent short-sightedness that lingers because those of us who are bloggers need to do a better job of reclaiming who we are and enlightening the world as to where we plan to take things. Other bloggers are already achieving these successes. Those of us in the outdoors/shooting blog community need to better change our focus to attain similar results. Indeed, a lot can be learned from our food blogger comrades.

Filed under: Web/Tech, Weblogs | 1 Comment »

Stepping Outside The Box

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Jim Braaten

Don’t get me wrong…I’m not bored with outdoors blogging, but every now and then a person must change things up just to make life more interesting. Indeed, it is just too damn easy to fall into the same old rut and continue to do things the same way over and over again.

Consider it sort of like throwing a burger on the grill. Do you always season it with just salt and pepper…or occasionally do you get a bit “wild” and try something new like Cajun seasoning just to spice things up a bit? I’m guessing it depends a lot on your personality.

You see, I come from a conservative Norwegian upbringing which often relates to doing things the same old familiar way each time you do something. If it works and tastes good, well, then for heaven’s sakes why would you risk doing something different and adventurous? That said, it goes against my very nature to make radical changes and to step outside the proverbial box in the way I do things.

Expect to see more pictures like this one on the blog as I turn into a “foodie.” Just kidding!!

That all changes beginning tomorrow morning. Yup, I will be attending a blogger conference in Minneapolis that has very little to do with shotgun shells, fishing tackle, or for that matter anything outdoorsy in a recreational sense. I will be attending my first ever food blogger conference called TECHmunch (facebook.com/techmunch).

So, how does a hunting and fishing blogger fit in at at a conference with a bunch of knife wielding, whisk swirling foodies? I have absolutely no idea…but it should be fun to give it a try.

Actually, I’ve come to learn that it really doesn’t matter what the blog topic is about…bloggers of all genres have many of the same challenges and opportunities when it comes to their craft. In fact, the unique manner in which some of these food bloggers meet those challenges I’m guessing will serve as an inspiration for how you might see me doing things here in this blog during the coming months.

Here’s the deal…as many of my long-time blog readers probably know, I have not been the most active blogging over the past year as I have been dealing with the time consuming end-of-life process of my mother. Last week was her funeral and it sort of closed a chapter in my life with a new one about to open.

Each of us has the power to choose how the book of our life is written. Obviously, the last chapter in my life was difficult and filled with sadness. Well, guess what…the next chapter is going to be vastly different because that is how I choose to have it written. No more excuses!

Beginning tomorrow I will be doing some fun things that break me out of the rut I’ve been in. Yes, I will be having fun at a food blogging conference and I plan to report about it right here. Oh, and by the way…maybe this is a great time to introduce another blogging venture I have started. As I have since 2004, you can read about my outdoor exploits right here in this blog…but I would like to introduce you to my other NEW blog: www.BaconWrappedBlog.com

This new blog promises to be a fun way for me to share some of my foodie experiences…mostly as produced on the BBQ grill or the smoker. I urge you to check it out as I get this new blog up and running.

In the meantime, thanks for putting up with me as I have been in this rut. It’s time to move on…and I truly believe I have some exciting things planned for the months and years to come. I hope you’ll continue to be along for the journey.

Filed under: Web/Tech, Weblogs | 3 Comments »

Minnesota DNR Shuns My Media Access Request

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Jim Braaten

Blog readers please excuse this brief rant. What it comes down to is my state’s DNR that holds an annual meeting to discuss fishing and hunting resources/management matters. Hundreds of the state’s most influential policymakers are INVITED to attend this 2-day conference to discuss concerns, management principles and essentially every aspect of the future of what us sportsmen enjoy in this state.

Several months back I mailed a handwritten note to the Minnesota DNR’s Chris Niskanen, Communications Director, Office of Communication and Outreach requesting to be included in these annual roundtable meetings. I shared with him my credentials along with my interest in reporting on the event through social media (Twitter, Facebook and blogging).

Well, you probably guessed it…Niskanen took NO ACTION on my request. Today, in fact, kicks off Day 2 of the event and once again a meeting which should be reported on by any means possible given the importance, was apparently only limited to selected “stakeholders” and traditional media outlets by invitation.

I guess what disappoints me the most is making an official request to a top official in the Office of Communication and Outreach and subsequently receiving NO COMMUNICATION in return. Perhaps they had some concerns such as space limitations, etc. which prevented the DNR extending me an invite…but to receive no response whatsoever is just plain rude, not to mention unprofessional.

On top of that, Niskanen came to the Minnesota DNR by leaving his outdoors writer job at the St. Paul Pioneer Press newspaper. During his tenure at the newspaper he even wrote occasional blog postings so you would think he would have some greater appreciation of the efforts I have been doing with this blog for nearly 8 years running.

What I have been talking about here details my frustrations with the Minnesota DNR. Yet, I suspect even in this quickly-evolving world where media is changing almost daily…there remains many in government—no matter what state—that just don’t get it. It’s not just happening in Minnesota, I’m sure.

And the problem is you can tell these DNR folks what they need to be doing and my experience has shown it usually falls on deaf ears. What a shame! For example, since 2010 I’ve been pushing for the state’s hunting and fishing regulations to be available in a smartphone friendly version…but again, you guessed it. They seem set in their ways to embrace the old and not to make changes that seem sensible on all levels.

In closing, I’m going to say this. I was willing to give up my time and make the effort necessary to learn more about my states’s DNR so I can better understand, for my communication endeavors, the dynamics of why they make the decisions they do. More importantly, I wanted to share with my network of social media readers all the important news that should be streaming from the 2012 Minnesota DNR Roundtable meetings.

Instead, I’m sitting home here on my birthday planning out how I will spend a much different day. And that’s okay…because my main goal of this posting is to expose just how out-of-touch the Minnesota DNR remains with those of us attempting to drive the social media communication effort.

Filed under: Department of Natural Resources, Outdoor Media (TV/Newspaper/Radio), Weblogs | 3 Comments »

The New Year Means Time To Hit The “Reset” Button

Posted on January 1, 2012 by Jim Braaten

This year there will be no long list of resolutions being made for 2012. Oh, I do have one resolution I’m making that should be pretty easy to keep. I intend to take more pictures and to share those with everyone important to my life. After all, we live in a world so visually oriented and never has it been easier to take pictures. Heck, most of us have a camera everywhere we walk these days with our phones.

One of the first big tests for me will be in about two weeks at the upcoming SHOT Show. This year one of my goals is to take LOTS of pictures. Ironically, I’ve attended SHOT for over 20 years and I have a very small library of show photos. Not really sure why that has happened, but it just seems to be the case. This year…many more pictures will be taken. I promise.

But I plan to do much more during 2012 than take additional pictures. This year, however, I’ve chosen not to call my plans resolutions. Oh, in the past I have made plenty of New Year’s resolutions here in this blog. Some have panned out, others…well, let’s just say that realistically they probably did not stand a chance.

So, for that reason this year I plan to just hit the “reset” button on my life. Honestly, I know what I should be doing and it’s so easy to get side-tracked or “off-track,” so to speak. Life gets busy…unforeseen circumstances always get thrown at a person…good intentions are much easier to make than carry through on.

That’s why I like this time of the year. It sort of gives a person a chance for a new starting point. In fact, I’ve previously written about what January (or at least the root word) really means in Roman Mythology. Sure, it’s a good time to look back at your life…but this year I would rather look forward and focus on that.

To all my blog readers, I sincerely hope you’re able to do whatever is necessary to make 2012 the best year ever. If you’ve lost some of the deep emotion you once had for sitting in a frigid duck blind or getting up early to head out to the turkey woods…here’s hoping you, too, can hit the “reset” button and regain some of that lost passion for time spent outdoors.

The older I get the more I realize just how precious our time spent on this earth truly is. That’s why it’s important to make a commitment to yourself not to squander any opportunity to spend times outdoors with family and friends. Let’s all do whatever is necessary to use the outdoors to enhance our lives in many different ways during 2012. Then, let’s make another pact…how ‘bout we meet back here next year about this time just to see how things are going.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!

Filed under: Outdoor Potpourri, Weblogs | 1 Comment »

My Little Hiatus Is Coming To An End Soon…I Promise!

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Jim Braaten

Hey just a quick post to let you know I haven’t forgotten about blogging…well, at least not completely.

Each year about this time I feel it necessary to explain my little hiatus from the outdoors communication world. You see, for 21 years now I have operated this calendar production business that tends to get rather busy after Labor Day. Indeed, the closer it gets to the end of the year the more time I end up dedicating to my primary source of income. No matter how much I want to think about hunting, trapping and writing about such endeavors…let’s just say I end up, instead, feeding the monster I’ve built as a self-employed businessman.

If you get a moment, check out my website where all the action seems to take place this time of the year in my life. It’s called CalendarsNow.com.

I’m taking some time out to post a quick message to let you know there is light at the end of the tunnel for me and my plan is to be back blogging on a much more regular basis very soon. Usually by mid-December things slow down enough for me that I can start focusing again on blogging matters.

My Plans?

This year I plan to have a series of blogs focusing on different aspects of the upcoming SHOT Show. It’s a special time of the year and in a matter of weeks—6 1/2 to be exact—this unbelievable spectacle kicks off once again in Vegas.

I also have a special announcement I plan to make sometime in early January. It involves an special honor being created to showcase some deserving soul…but more to come on this little tease early in 2012.

I also have several blog posts that have been brewing in my mind that will surely raise the hackles of some folks as it pertains to various sporting organizations. Let’s just say it’s time we quit feeding the monster and we all do some serious introspection as to where we put our hard earned charitable dollars.

Indeed, as you can see just because I haven’t been blogging actively or consistently doesn’t mean the mind has been idle. In fact, I sometimes think it’s wise for most writers to step back from what they do day in and day out to reevaluate their overall mission.

Here’s hoping everyone has been having a happy and successful fall hunting season. Expect to see more blog postings happening again soon!

Filed under: Weblogs | 2 Comments »

What I Learned From A Bunch Of Mommy Bloggers

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Jim Braaten

Okay, so it wasn’t just a bunch of mommy bloggers per se, but yesterday I attended the 2nd Annual Minnesota Blogger Conference and it was quite enlightening. It was an eclectic group with a wide variety of blogging genres–marketers, food bloggers, lifestyle bloggers, yes…mommy bloggers, to name but a few. Even though I was likely the only hunting and fishing blogger in attendance…I feel I gained some valuable insight into blogging by hanging with this interesting group of bloggers for a few hours.

Here’s some miscellaneous take home information I gained from attendance:

Out of more than 200+ conference attendees…when asked for a showing of hands only about 6 people stated they were NOT on Twitter. Bottom line is if you have a blog most bloggers understand the important connection of promoting that blog via social media(Twitter, Facebook, etc).

Important to leave thoughtful comments on other blogs…in time your blog’s readership potential will explode.

To dominate, your blog needs to stand out–for something specific. What does a blogger expect to get out of the effort? Simply having no blog plan in and of itself is a sure plan to fail.

When a blogger is at a loss for blog post subject matter, one of the best places to turn for inspiration is to look on forums to see what questions people are routinely asking. Then use your blog post to answer the question. Great way to overcome writer’s block.

Bloggers must have a disclosure policy for their blogs. Because more and more marketers are recognizing just what an effective marketing tool connecting with bloggers can be, to maintain integrity with the readership a blogger must disclose how they handle links, accept free products/services, etc. Click HERE for my new disclosure policy. When a situation arises when I have a specific connection with a marketer and I make some kind of endorsement contained within the blog, there will be a proximal disclosure contained within that specific blog post.

Bloggers need to recognize that compensation in exchange for an endorsement can come in many different forms besides money or free products/services. For instance, an action resulting in more blog readers could be construed as value being received by the blogger. All relationships are best to be disclosed with the reader upfront.

Another striking fact about the blogging conference was the gender breakdown. I heard many folks comment how the female to male ratio was about 10:1. Is it possible that across the blogging disciplines there is this much disproportion between the sexes? Interesting to consider.

Even though most of us blog about uniquely different topics, it was interesting to see how we all face quite similar challenges. Whether the aspect might be deciding which platform to use, how to best use SEO, increase readership, improve our writing style, or to prevent violating laws or FTC guidelines…much of it is the same. In fact, I will go so far as to say blogging is 90% communication technique…and perhaps only 10% is specific topic-oriented.

I’ll end this by saying the one comment overheard that made me thankful I am a hunting and fishing blogger and not some other type of blogger was this. Apparently one of the bloggers in attendance described a situation where a company sent her panties to do a product review. She went on to say she ripped the product in her blog because her boyfriend stated they looked like “granny panties.” Yeah, it was at that moment I counted my blessings for what I do on this blog.

Filed under: Web/Tech, Weblogs | Tagged: blog | 6 Comments »

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