Blogging, online marketing, and social networking consulting for FREE.
Got ideas? Or would you like to “drop some knowledge?”
I’m passionate about blogging, communication, and the democratization of media. In an effort to Pay it Forward, I’m offering my blog, social networking, and social media consulting services free of charge for the week of November 4th through November 17th, 2007 on a first come first serve basis.
Would you like to know…
• why blogs are helpful in telling your story?
• how to set up a blog?
• how blogs can help you connect with your audience?
• the advantages and disadvantages of blogging?
• which blogging platform is best for you?
• what rss is?
• how to maximize your blogs chances in search engines?
• how to take advantage of blogs or social networking?
• how to use the web to express yourself or your skills to the world?
While this is primarily aimed at small businesses, non-profit organizations, and artists, opening it up to anyone and everyone. So if you sell social justice or sell real estate or just want to show folks your photography, I’m glad to help. All I ask in return is respect, friendliness, and a review or referal.
What to do now?
Getting a blog set up is quick, easy, and fun. For more information, please contact me via email at compassioninpolitics[at]gmail.com or for a quicker response contact me on facebook by clicking here . Or if you prefer you can ask questions in the comments section of this post and I will reply to your inquiry. As a bonus, if you are located in Nashville, Brentwood, or Franklin, TN communities, I would be glad to offer face to face help, as well, at a local coffee shop or eatery with free wifi.
Who is this Nathan guy?
Nathan Ketsdever is a new media communications maven and consultant. Among other things, he is lover of music and movies, a book and food critic, tech geek, and educator. He has been in the social networking space for 2 years and has been blogging in various capacities for over a half of a year. In a former life, Nathan did online marketing, blogging, and social networking for a international arts non-profit in Washington DC. He has taught computers and technology professionally for over 15 years, as well as a very fulfilling two year stint as a college communications instructor.
Nathan holds an MA in Communications. His current blog Compassion in Politics has nearly 200,000 hits and a high Technorati ranking. Nathan’s normal rate for blog consulting is $35 to 50 per hour, depending on what social media services you need.
thanks to designer Jesse Thomas for photo
Compassion in Politics: Christian Social Entrepreneurship, Education Innovation, & Base of the Pyramid/BOP Solutions 
Thanks for your kind offer of assistance. I have a new novel due to be made available @ online bookstores ( Amazon – Book-a-Million, Barnes and Noble, DreamWalker, etc.) for purchase or as an e-book within the next week – titled ‘Returning to Rockwell.’ Subtitled, ‘Tis always the Season for Miracles.
Any help you might offer would be greatly appreciated. It’s not exactly a Christmas story, but pretty darn near.
I consider myself a Christian Lesbian, Romance/Adventure writer. (Fiction)
Thanks ever so much for your generousity.
Peace and Light,
Taylor
Awesome! Sounds like you have some exciting days coming up.
My first level of encouragement would be the suggestion to join a couple online blogging communities. The 9 Rules Network, Blog Catalog, and My Blog Log are all great communities to discover other blogs in your field as well as to create online relationships.
a)http://www.blogcatalog.com/directory/personal/gay_and_lesbian
b) http://www.blogcatalog.com/search/christian%20left
c) http://www.mybloglog.com/buzz/search/?t=lesbian
d) http://www.mybloglog.com/buzz/tags/christian/
Then join the communities for blogs that interest you. It takes about 5-7 minutes to register for each. It helps if you have a picture or icon for your avatar. (that just a picture that goes with your name).
Joining these communities will help you with the search engines when you create new posts. Also, when you visit someone’s site . Also, I know my blog log gives you the opportunity to tag your blog with key words, which is one of the key means for folks on MyBlogLog to find you. Note: you can join 15 communities per day.
Notice, you will probably get 2-7 emails from each site per week. (you may want to create a separate folder in your inbox)
A good example of the MyBlogLog widget is on Chris Brogan’s site on the lefthand side @ http://www.chrisbrogan.com (although I’m don’t know how to make the widget show that many people)
You will only get out of these blog communities as much as you put into them. So as an act of kindness, when folks visit my site, I visit their’s as well. (FYI: it took me about 3-4 minutes to figure out the features and navigation for each of these communities, but after that initial hurdle, it should be rather easy)
I suggest visiting the communities you join and leaving a comment on one of the blog posts.
(sorry one of the links above is dead)
My second suggestion is to offer review copies of your book for folks that are willing to blog about it. (I suggest doing this on a) your blog b) on a lesbian google group (probably a lesbian reader or writer group) http://www.google.com/Top/Society/Gay,_Lesbian,_and_Bisexual/ c) in one or more lesbian forums http://www.editred.com/Genres/Gay_lesbian
http://www.writing.com/page/writers_forum/writers_forum.html ) I’m currently reviewing a book that made this offer. Realize that it may be a couple of weeks before your readers get around to writing their posts. (and request they post reviews to Amazon and other book review sites like Bookthing)
In fact, I would make an a different open post that asks readers what they thought.
Third I would make a squidoo page about lesbian issues and a squidoo page about lesbian mystery or other issues you are passionate about. (of course including links to your page as well as relevant content) It takes about 25-45 min to make a Squidoo lense. Unfortunately, squidoos are a little messy (ie with advertisements) So check them out before you create a lense. In fact squidoo now has “the best,” so you can make “The Best Lesbian Literature” “The Best Lesbian Mysteries” and “the best lesbian blogs” Of course you want to be honest that one of the links you have provided is your blog…but its a great way for self-promotion.
If Squidoo is not your speed you can make a wikipedia (or wiki page) that did the same thing.
Both of these has lots of google juice (which means they have the chance to show up near the top of the rankings) I don’t know what rules wikipedia has with respect to linking to your own content.
More info tomorrow…
Social networking like Facebook offers another outlet for not only learning about other lesbian writers but spreading the word about your own efforts. Just search for “Lesbian Writers” and you should get 3 groups that should fit your needs. In fact, one thats specific to Lesbian Spritual Writers. And one of the ongoing discussions in their forums is about the best blogs in that genre.
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=3421085513&topic=2880
(note you have to register to be able to use this link)
Update: this blog has over 40,000 hits in . It has had a Technorati ranking of over 100 and has been featured on a host of influential blogs.