Keyboard Karma Blog ~ Helen Crozier

Julie/Julia Project: the art of simple blogging

 

Just returned from seeing the delightful Julie and Julia at the movies. I pounced on this book when it first emerged in 2005 when I wasn't even blogging myself. I loved it though - the story was very sweet and it had 'successful movie' written all over it!  In 2002 Julie Powell began her food blog. She was using such simple vanilla blog software with no social media widgits  - nothing really other than a calendar, a countdown box saying how many days she had to go to finish the project, how many recipes left to cook from Julia Childs' Mastering the Art of French Cooking, a comments area and that was that. Friends at Julie's birthday 'lobster' dinner come up with the idea of putting a paypal button on the blog for donations to fund the ingredients for future meals but that for some reason did not seem to eventuate.

Ahh technology was so different back then. The scene where Julie is having lunch with her girlfriends is a reminder of how far we've travelled. One of them is entering info or checking her diary on a Palm PDA (one of my favourite early tech tools). All the mobile phones are chunky flip numbers. The television in Julie's flat is exactly like the one in my son's room - a real 'box'....

Interestingly enough Julie Powell has kept her current blog almost as simple as the original. It's written on blogger and there are no widgets. It is the ultimate plain unadorned blog containing a profile, a few links and archives to previous posts. Nothing else!! I have to say I find it rather refreshing considering what blogging widgets and gizmos we have available today.

So... if you are inspired to write a blog - don't worry about all the decoration - truly it is more about the message rather than how it looks ... ok?

If your heart says you should be a blogger don't get bogged down in the technology - Julie didn't and still does not!

PS I thoroughly enjoyed the movie - two love stories, two dreams and lots of gorgeous scenes from Paris - what more could you want?

Network, Lunch & Learn with @valeriekhoo on 15 July 2009

I'm really looking forward to attending the next WNA (
Women's Network of Australia) lunch to hear Valerie Khoo speaking on 15th July. I know I will certainly learn a lot and would strongly encourage you to come along as well if you are interested in learning how to work on your onlilne presence. If you are looking to attend - please do let me know so we can say hello.

Valerie Khoo - Journalist, Author, Entrepreneur and Blogger

With people spending an increasing amount of time on the internet, it’s vital for your business to have a strong online presence. This goes way beyond having a website, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you really want to build your brand, you need an integrated online marketing strategy.

So what’s the best way to do this? How can you make the most of your online presence and let this work for you 24 hours a day? Where should you get published and, more importantly, what should you be writing/broadcasting about? This is your chance to get clients while you sleep. Valerie Khoo reveals the 'Top 7 Tips on How to Boost Your Business and Build Your Brand Online' and provides real life examples of winning online strategies.

Discover how you can do this with:

• Your blog - position yourself as an expert.

• Getting your articles published online.

• How to write effective newsletters that sell.

• Building an online audience who want to hear from you.

• Publishing on your social networks.

• The power of publishing podcasts and videopodcasts.

Valerie Khoo is a journalist, author, blogger and entrepreneur. She runs two successful businesses - the Sydney Writers' Centre and the Business and Careers Institute. Apart from her regular Enterprise column in smh.com.au and theage.com.au Valerie is also a podcaster and consultant to small businesses who want to leverage their online opportunities. Valerie's entrepreneurial activities have been recognised by multiple business awards. She is passionate about the concept that you can design your business to create the lifestyle you want - using smart systems and making the most of the internet.

At this lunch you’ll learn: 

• The one thing you MUST do to turn your website into a leads-capturing machine.

• How to position yourself as an expert in your target market.

• 5 golden rules for creating a successful e-newsletter that drives sales.

• Simple ways to create an effective podcast to reach your customers.

Tickets

Members $75.00 | Visitors $95.00 

[Book Tickets]

Blog vs Website

Back from a fun AAPO (Australasian Association of Professional Organisers) Chapter Meeting (thanks Susanne, Less Mess and Sarah, Heavenly Order). Great time to just chat about what's going on with us all and learn from eachother's experiences. I was chatting to a couple of the girls about their plans for web presence and they were thinking of putting a small site together. They asked me how I did my 'site' and I explained that it's just a Typepad blog ($89US/year) - very economical really. I pointed out all the obvious things about flexibility, google's love affair with blogs, etc. Yes a blog 'is a website' .... but with Typepad's (or Wordpress's) 'page feature' you really can make your own site without spending hours and hours learning Front Page or Dream Weaver.

Here's a thoughtful article on the issue.... Thanks Trish Jones!