Have you ever tried to do they search in google as taiwan blogs?
Try it.
You are likely to get this:
Now, without ANY personal offense (I am repeating -just for a help for all of us - Taiwan bloggers), I am going to list a rules, I think are important for any of Taiwan blog, and make a face-2-face comparison of 2 blogs written by Michael Turton and Blonde in Taiwan. The tips are NOT my personal brainstorm, it's from Seth Godin, who's fan I am, owning all the books in my bookshelf.
However, although we will use Seth's advices - I am going to make my own comments as well, since I have some experience in Landing Page Optimization, Pay Per Click marketing, and all what related to marketing in internet. I will allow myself that.
1. Be topical... write posts that need to be read right now.
For example In Monday March 02:
Michael entertains and educates us about The Lin Family Complex in Wufeng,
..while Blonde in Taiwan appears in your RSS reader with: TCP/IP unable to connect post
2. Learn enough to become the expert in your field.
We can call Turton as expert in what to see in Taiwan, from first look at the blog, as well as about political issues there.
Do we see a niche of expertise from first sight on Blonde in Taiwan blog.
I repeat - visitors make the decision stay or leave your webpage (according Marketing Sherpa), in first second! What do you offer them to see? Expertise or your new pink sweater photo?
3. Break News.
Look at the left side bar at Turton's blog:
the left side (which is again according the latest studies of google falls in so called red hot triangle, where people look first), is just white. Blank.
4. Be timeless... write posts that will be readable in a year.
Check Nr. 2 above about Lin Family Complex with pictures and TCP/IP troubles. By the way. How comes, that if TCP/IP settings does not allows to make a connection to internet, then blonde still makes a post?
5. Be among the first with a great blog on your topic, then encourage others to blog on the same topic.
Michael I, guess was one first, since I am reading him from a time, where he posted just pictures about Living in Taiwan on simple html page.
6. Share your expertise generously so people recognize it and depend on you.
All we are bloggers and we understand WHAT TIME and EFFORTS it takes to post such a posts with pictures and political commentaries we see on Michael's blog. How long does it takes to write about TCP/IP ?
7. Write short, pithy posts.
A-ha. Here is something what Turton is not doing. Well. Who said stars are perfect? :)
8. Encourage your readers to help you manipulate the technorati top blog list
Hey, both of them even have no technorati tags at all. I have...
9. Don't write about your cat, your boyfriend or your kids.
Pretty much of posts in Megan's blog is about "me, myself and my", while Michael writes for "us:.
10. Write long, definitive posts.
That's a stretch IMHO (Sorry Seth). Anyway, I have no comments on this. How long is long? Is the 5 minutes long time? Depends, which side of WC you are.
11. Be snarky. Write nearly libelous things about fellow bloggers, daring them to respond (with links back to you) on their blog.
Which is what I am doing right now. And then Michael is making daily links posts, like this one.
12. Be sycophantic. Share linklove and expect some back.
Michaels blog is so generous on links, that I have a feeling, that late at evening, he is lurking out of home, to hand out a A4 sheets in MRT stations with a popular taiwan bloggers URL's. So generous is Michael with links.
13. Include polls, meters and other eye candy.
Note, that each post, even political, Michael is decorating with photo. Specially, I had my heart touched with this post. Look at the choice of photo...
14. Tag your posts. Use del.ico.us.
I have :), but I think Michael and Megan will add this soon, after the suggestion. At least I hope.
15. Coin a term or two.
Here Megan is a leader by the way. I think, that Blonde in Taiwan, is perfect brand, and I like the banner in her blog.The only thing - text in white CAPS LOCK is not only hard to read, it's even little annyoing.
16. Do email interviews with the well-known.
Michael has interviews.
17. Answer your email.
Michael does. But I am sure, Megan also does, the only thing - where is the e-mail adress? I could not spot one. Megan: what if L'Oreal is considering put a 1000 USD per month banner on your blog, and they can not find how to reach you?
18. Use photos. Salacious ones are best.
It is hard to say that Michael is not using photos. But the post about tcp/ip problems in Megan's blog lack's one
19. Encourage your readers to digg your posts. (and to use furl and reddit). Do it with every post.
I do. They - don't. You must to.
20. Post your photos on flickr.
Michael uses flickr. I don't, Megan also no. Again who is the TOP 1 blogger in Taiwan? Not me.
21. Encourage your readers to subscribe by RSS.
Again - both of them does not, I do. It's easy to put a button Subscribe, then why not?
22. Start at the beginning and take your readers through a months-long education.
By the way, reading about TCP/IP problems finally does not taught us how to solve one. So, what was the reason of use ink and paper for this post?
23. Include comments so your blog becomes a virtual water cooler that feeds itself.
Well, Michael's blog is watercooler for a topic's Ma said this, and Chen said that, and the like. But, Michael has a traffic, while you may think anything about Chen or Ma, and what they do. You know what???? TCP/IP post have 0 comments, oh!
24. Assume that every day is the beginning, because you always have new readers.
I assume that we all assume this.
25. Highlight your best posts on your Squidoo lens.
Do you? I will take a look. I suggest you also.
26. Point to useful but little-known resources.
Michael sometimes is pointing to such jew-droppingly rare resources in internet, that I hard can get my jaw back. Check this post.
27. Write about stuff that appeals to the majority of current blog readers--like gadgets and web 2.0.
Not sure. Does Ipod appeals to you? To me not. Anyway, Seth is expert, not me.
28. Have relevant ads that are even better than your content.
Michael has ads. And as a Landing Page Optimization expert, I know how to increase click through rate. And I can also help you. For beer.
29. Don't include comments, people will cross post their responses.
Huh? Then how to comment last Chen Shuibin hit about Ma as a gay? Put a picture? (cease your imagination now, be good please, this is good blog after all).
30. Write about Google.
In our case it will be about google in Taiwan. Instead of "I know what you did last summer", please make a post "I know what you did in google yesterday".
31. Run no ads.
Megan run's no ads. Michael does. Well, for me it seems as strech again. Ads annoy people. But again, do you know how to run ads and STILL DOES NOT ANNOY your existing loyal reader?
Just use Chitika ads, instead of proud google ones. The pure beaty of those are that they are seen ONLY to those users who land to your page from search engines, and are very targeted. So Chitika is showing the ad NOT by the content, as google does, but according the search term, what the user searched. So, it's extremely targeted, and people says are more profitable as google adsense. And people who directly come to your blog are not seeing it and are not angry.
If you are interested, check it here.
32. So, I will strech it as - run no google ads, run Chitika ads, to not annoy your reader.
33. Keep tweaking your template to make it include every conceivable bell or whistle.
... and then make the content lost in it? I disagree. you can agree if you want. Megan have no bells and whistles, and I like it. Michael is tooooo link generous, but still no bells and whistles like "Zwinky - dress me type" cartoons are there. Who want's to try dress up Zwinky cartoon with Michael face after all?
34. Write about blogging.
That's white I do now.
35. Digest the good ideas of other people, all day, every day.
That's what I did with Seth's Godin ideas now.
36. Invent a whole new kind of art or interaction.
By the way - there is nothing bad to post about TCP/IP issues. But for that Twitter is made, and Twitter is all bout that. If you want and feel a need to write what you eat today in dinner - Twitter is perfect.
37. Post on weekdays, because there are more readers.
Tip. I use typepad, there I can set up exact time, when posts will appear, so I can make 5 posts in advance, and schedule their appearance. Most of bloggers in Taiwan use features poor blogger.com, as I saw.
38. Write about a never-ending parade of different topics so you don't bore your readers.
Here maybe idea about TCP/IP issues fits in nicely. But, if you want really good example, here is how Michael uses presentation zen style skills to fresh up his content.
39. Post on weekends, because there are fewer new posts.
Seth forgot what he wrote in above Nr.37 I suppose.I also sometimes forget the reason why I ordered Tzo Tofu.
40. Don't interrupt your writing with a lot of links.
Yes, I know I do that with inlink ads. But I am experimenting with them, and you will be first who will know the results, if you will follow my blog in future. Michael and Megan are pure toddlers in their innocent nature of non abusing us with little freaky inline green links. I am. So, you can blame me now, I accept all what you blame me, like an emo.
41. Dress your blog (fonts and design) as well as you would dress yourself for a meeting with a stranger.
Michael does not wears a suit in his blog picture. What a shame! Megan even does not faces us! Me also! Shame, shame, shame on Taiwan bloggers!
42. Edit yourself. Ruthlessly.
Where is my edit button? I found just copy and then paste. Anyway, I think tis is suggestion worth to see. All blogs what have mis..mis...mis.. spell...ings... are ann... an...ann oying, yes?
43. Don't promote yourself and your business or your books or your projects at the expense of the reader's attention.
So, I will not put any of my 23 books, and you also don't. Instead I will put amazon banners with others books ;). Michael and Megan does not obey this rule. However, Blonde in Taiwan is a good book title by the way - imagine it in Hong Kong book store - I would definelty notice.
44. Be patient.
And do not expect be in Position Nr. 1 before Michael in google tomorrow. It is ok for next monday, right?
45. Give credit to those that inspired, it makes your writing more useful.
I gave credit to TCP/IP post in Megan's blog. It inspired me for this post. No really.
46. Ping technorati. Or have someone smarter than me tell you how to do it automatically.
Or ping TCP/IP settings your default gateway all the time, using command promt at windows, so you do not have to make posts like Megan did at March 02.
47. Write about only one thing, in ever-deepening detail, so you become definitive.
.. and finally earn a saint status. Do you want to be a blogging angel?
Seriosly - all Michael posts are so detailed, that I have no questions to ask.
48. Write in English.
My blog by the way is in engrish. Do not make my mistake. Megan's and Michael ones are OK.
49.Better, write in Chinese.
ok?
50. Write about obscure stuff that appeals to an obsessed minority.
Like TCP/IP settings. I know a small communities who are obssesed to know who and where are not able to configure one.
51. Don't be boring.
And this is why I am trying to joke here. However, how to include jokes in posts about KMT or DPP? I do not know.
52. Write stuff that people want to read and share.
.. which is the reason I hope you will share this post.
Why don't you learn to write in English before picking on someone else's blogs at random? I can barely read half your sentences. You have no business offering advice to anyone when your own site is a collection of illegible, incomprehensible diarrhea. Have fun "share my passion to this island," jackass.
Posted by: PG | March 06, 2009 at 12:57 PM
Here, I have some rules too.
1. If you can't write in English, don't.
2. Mind your own business. It's lame enough that you googled "Taiwan" and "blog", but to judge someone who's talking about her experiences in a foreign country to friends and loved ones, about a once in a lifetime experience that most people in the states will never experience, is just plain ridiculous.
Get a life man.
Posted by: Get A. Life | March 06, 2009 at 01:55 PM
Wow! You should consider a position in politics because you seem to have mastered the art of misinformation and manipulation. Journalism wouldn't be good as you forgot to investigate your resource. Blonde in Taiwan gives exactly the information those of us living on the other side of the world are looking for. Her writing is original and informative and entertaining. Your blog is veiled plagiarism and your writing is blatant condescension. Good luck with that.
Posted by: The other mother who loves Blonde in Taiwan | March 07, 2009 at 12:10 AM
I agree with poster "PG". I found your writing droll and boring. You also sound pompus. Blonde in Taiwan's writing is charming and engaging. I think you also might also be one of those people with eyebrow dandruff. But I can't be sure.
Posted by: Elsa | March 07, 2009 at 01:00 AM
I couldn't even make it through your entire blog post because it's just so ridiculous. Really? You're going to compare a random, FYI blog update to a serious post? I, for one, am an avid reader of Blonde in Taiwan and appreciate the blog just the way it is. Back off, bozo.
Posted by: Becca | March 08, 2009 at 12:55 AM
What's with the overkill on the 'TCP/IP settings'? You mentioned it in almost every (attempted) 'point' made. It resulted in your 'blog' being 98% redundant.
Perhaps I shall create my own 'how NOT to sound like an idiot when criticizing someone's else's blog while my own writing lacks skill and content'. You've inspired me, No, really.
Not everyone who blogs does so with the intention of becoming some self-appointed, self-promoting and pompous 'King of Blogs'. Blogging is for those who want to share their experiences, convey their travels to friends and family as well as providing potentially helpful information for people considering a visit to the same location. Megan's blog gives people insight on the day-to-day happenings in the life of an English teacher living abroad. Many have benefitted from things she has posted.
Of course, not everything out there on the internet can be loved/appreciated by everyone. Different people like different things. What I DO know is that while I appreciate Megan's blog, you've reminded me why some people SHOULDN'T blog.
Posted by: Tigerfly04 | March 08, 2009 at 11:34 AM
Elsa, you had me at eyebrow dandruff! lol.
Rolands it's not cool to rehash someone else's blog tips in order to nitpick and rubbish someone's perfectly enjoyable blog. BlondeinTaiwan is not trying to be "NO.1" or anything other than a personal journal for friends, family and people who share her interests. And she is just as successful in doing that as MT is in writing his Taiwan politics blog.
Posted by: John Naruwan | March 13, 2009 at 10:47 PM
Hey, I found your post really informative. I don't know what's with all the trolling, and I suspect some of them are from the same person.
To the others who are bashing--while I agree that BlondeinTaiwan may not be trying to be No. 1, being No. 1 is some measure of your contribution of information to others, even if it isn't a perfect measure. And I would also consider that he is being provocative on purpose as well.
I'm a native English speaker AND a native Chinese speaker, but my Chinese actually isn't that good, and I know how it is to speak another language well enough to get your point across, but not sound like you are from a certain background. If you other commenters are in Taiwan and speak some Mandarin or Taiwanese, I wonder how you would feel if someone just told you to shut up unless you spoke like you grew up here.
Look forward to seeing more posts on Taiwan and the Internet.
Posted by: Passingby | June 20, 2009 at 10:04 PM
Turton an expert? Self-proclaimed, maybe. And it's very evident he's in love with himself. His knowledge of Taiwanese culture and language runs superficial and shallow. Just look at the comments some have posted in Chinese. Political knowledge-- yes. But nothing that can't be gleaned from following other news postings and collecting them all together.
And lay off the girl you're slamming here!
Posted by: Mike | July 23, 2009 at 08:49 PM
Mike, thanks for the comment. Michael Turton wrote about Taiwan even before his blogging carrier started. Years ago, when I just started to plan to move to Taiwan, the most useful information found on web about daily life, habits and culture in Taiwan was on his that time very easy and html coded website. Now it has own domain: http://www.michaelturton.com/
I got much information that time from his page, and I am getting much information from his blog now - yes, indeed he becomes more and more positioned to blog about politics, and yes, sometimes I also feel that repackaging of news are not always necessary, but Michael feels that he must post at least 1 blogpost a day - almost impossible to keep unique content if you put such strains on you. He became exhausted just because of this some time ago, and took a pause on it. What I want to say - expert s a very broad meaning - and all of experts are self proclaimed in some way - otherwise, who will know that you have particular knowledge on particular subject, and you think that it can be useful for others? Michael does, and people DO consider him as an expert, because they are sending him a questions about anything they can imagine - related to Taiwan. I know that because on http://www.michaelturton.com/ there is some funny examples of such questions posted. Do you think people would spend a time on his website and moreover - take a time to write question, if he would not be considered as an "expert" - again - it's really a broad meaning of this word.
Finally - who is an expert then in your opinion? I am asking seriously (no any sarcasm) - I will add his/her blog in reader immediately - i am on my lifelong study road about Taiwan, and all opinions for me are invaluable. Peace!
Posted by: Author | July 23, 2009 at 11:41 PM
You're right, many experts are self proclaimed in some way. As for a definition, I'd say that any foreigner who has lived in Taiwan for a period of time can qualify as a limited "expert" to the community back home and recently-arrived expat community here. I don't read Taiwan blogs often, but I'm sure many foreigners have unique insights to share... but of course none can compare to those who actually are Taiwanese/Chinese and fluent with the language and culture.
Posted by: Mike | July 24, 2009 at 12:44 PM
Those Notes are of a great help. They saved a great deal of my time. Thanks a lot.
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I'm agreed with your point, but you have to reconigze that the work made by both, are the best, of course the winner is the winner, but in this case is so hard to choose a true winner, Google can say something, but the only and true that take the choice, is you.
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