The great thing about cooking up custom content is that when you get tired of your cramped office, you can always take your show on the road to your local coffee shop or library. Yet this tried-and-true blogging getaway tool backfired on me recently as I escaped to my neighborhood Starbucks. I’m not finicky and I can usually write in loud places with lots of distractions. Some of my best writing sessions went down at a noisy and dramatic all-night laundromat in East Los Angeles. Yet for some reason, this Starbucks on this day was blogging hell. Blasting reggae, an older gentlemen who appeared to be speaking into a megaphone to everyone who walked in the door and a never-ending series of annoying beeps coming from God knows where were just a few of the things standing in the way of my blogging excellence. So it made me wonder: Would a picture-perfect blogging environment be more conducive to creativity or am I doomed to distraction based on my own mental condition du jour?

In my years tinkering on a laptop, I’ve experienced both blogging extremes. I used to blog quietly in a cool, dark and totally silent corner of a library in Santa Monica. I found this serene little foxhole fostered productivity quite beautifully. Still, this perfect condition had a condition of its own. For this blogging-for-business wizard, my magic only happens if I’m prepared. I can be writing on a secluded island or in a bustling shopping mall and if I’m not ready, I can expect to produce nothing than perhaps a few witty Tweets about how screwed and uninspired I am. I need a game plan. If I’m just researching and flipping through the old Google Reader, that can happen anywhere but ideally should go down long before I sit down to write. Even just a few ideas scratched down on notebook paper can make the world of difference when it comes to easy and inspired blog writing.

My blogging paradise also needs to be disconnected from the Internet. Blasphemy, I know… but the temptation to fry my brain on Facebook or read celebrity gossip on RadarOnline is too high. So I find success happens when I create in Word or some other non-online program before I post on my blogging platform. Once I hopped off of social media and looked over my ideas for the week, that annoying Starbucks was just as good as my secret blogging hideout in Santa Monica. But that’s just me.

Readers, you tell us — what’s your idea of blogging nirvana? Do you need a special writing destination or can you make the magic happen anywhere? Spill your blogging secrets in the comments section below!

Yesterday we couldn’t help snickering just a little at the Mashable infographic entitled “Rise of the Mommy Blogger.” The title made it sound like some kind of bad ’50s horror movie — not to mention that the images of cartoon aprons and girly colors they used were beyond silly. But “mommy bloggers” themselves are nothing to laugh at. According to a new study from Scarborough Research, 3.9 million moms in the United States identify as bloggers. The average mommy blogger salary is a not-too-shabby $84,000 a year. Moms who read or contribute to blogs are also 52 percent more likely to have college degrees than moms who don’t. Clearly these are some smart cookies who have figured out how to making blogging a business — so we wondered if these savvy mamas could teach us a thing or two about blog marketing.

The biggest thing us blogging for business mere mortals can learn from mommy bloggers is this: When it comes to marketing, you gotta diversify. Look at the top 10 mommy bloggers. All of them, from “The Bloggess” to “Dooce,” market their blogs and themselves in a variety of ways. Mommy bloggers know you have to throw a lot of spaghetti to make something stick, so that’s why you’ll see these bloggers everywhere from Google+ to PBS. The aforementioned Bloggess is such a masterful Twitter marketing maven that her tweets are almost like their own creative entity. Bottom line: If you want folks to read your company’s blog, you, too, should adopt this kind of no-stone-unturned marketing.

Another thing we can learn from mommy bloggers is to use our own experiences. Readers flock to bloggers with real opinions and stories. Hallow advice with no soul won’t be read, won’t generate ad revenue and won’t bring people to your brand. Like we’ve said before, you don’t have to tell readers your whole life story. But injecting your blog with personality is vital in this day and age. Top 3 blogger Catherine Connors, who pens HerBadMother.com, is a master at giving readers an honest look at her life (and in the meantime, she’s built an online publishing empire).

Finally, mommy bloggers can teach us blog writing robots how to turn our blogs into products. The best mommy blogs on the Internet are able to transcend the mom with the pastel apron blogging about cookies on her pink laptop. Instead, these savvy writers are giving birth to creative properties that can move into magazines, books and other revenue. True, not all of us want to be the next blogging superstar; heck, most of us mainly just want our blogs to look great and help drive folks to our sites. But why not aim for blog excellence in the meantime?

Good blog creation can rope in a ton of readers and help establish a brand. Great blog creation can literally create a brand itself and put a whole new identity on the map. Think we’re exaggerating? Then please explain to us how a series of drawings posted on a blog wound up becoming the fashion world’s hottest new magazine.

In spring of 2010, a little BlogSpot blog entitled Lula: The Subject I Know Best debuted with little initial fanfare. The blog had a mysterious mix of fashion photos and some incredible illustrations by the Lula, the faceless blogger behind the operation. Within a year, the blog was the talk of the fashion industry. The site was now almost entirely made up of Lula’s drawings and she developed an enthusiastic fan base. In fall 2011, Lula’s artistic blog empire was taken to whole new heights when she released Herself. With no models, no celebrity interviews and no highly-paid photographers, Herself made headlines and sold out at newsstands. The secret? It is the world’s first entirely illustrated fashion magazine. In an interview with the Daily Beast, Lulu said, “It’s about creating a point of view of fashion that celebrates the beauty and the excitement of it. We don’t need to choose wearable pieces, and we don’t need to celebrate the commercial value. We have the luxury of celebrating the creativity of fashion.”

Released on April 2nd, the second issued of Herself has gathered a firestorm of publicity for its creative fashion layout featuring drawings of famous actresses and the characters they’ve played — Kristen Stewart and Snow White, Madonna and Eva Peron and Meryl Streep and Margaret Thatcher — all “shot” wearing the latest couture and with one another. The issue is already tough to get your hands on and readers are clamoring for the next edition.

Herself is the kind of blog-branding success story we love simply because it capitalizes on being different by mixing old with new media, art with commerce and innovation with plucky spirit. The media picked up and ran with this story for that very reason. So let Herself be the battle cry of inspiration that helps our blogging for business become a truly memorable work of art.

Content marketing gurus and SEO mavens alike were in a tizzy earlier this week as Google rolled out its Penguin update. Penguin, like Panda, is an algorithm update aimed at catching webspam. Sometimes these updates, which Google routinely does, do really have an impact on online marketers outside the SEO world. But Penguin is unique. Being smaller than Panda, its focus is more direct and strict. And if blogging for business or article marketing is your thing, you could get bounced by Penguin and not even know it. Luckily, there are ways for your blog to play nicely with Penguin and they come straight from Google’s mouth.

Google’s top 8 things to avoid via WebProNews on Penguin are:

1. Avoid hidden text or hidden links.
2. Don’t use cloaking or sneaky redirects.
3. Don’t send automated queries to Google.
4. Don’t load pages with irrelevant keywords.
5. Don’t create multiple pages, subdomains or domains with substantially duplicate content.
6. Don’t create pages with malicious behavior, such as phishing or installing viruses, trojans or other badware.
7. Avoid “doorway” pages created just for search engines or other “cookie cutter” approaches such as affiliate programs with little or no original content.
8. If your site participates in an affiliate program, make sure that your site adds value. Provide unique and relevant content that gives users a reason to visit your site first.

These are all great tips — especially the keyword stuffing — Penguin or no Penguin. We’ve seen clients eager to jam as many keywords into a blog or article as possible and it never seemed like a good idea. Now we know it isn’t. Things like sneaky redirects, hidden links and multiple pages of duplicate content have always been looked down on by Google and now Penguin is better way combat it. In short, Google is getting smarter all the time and updates like Penguin are on a mission to take out bad, spammy content.

The good news is that these updates actually help those of us who create original, non-shady content. By playing along with Penguin, instead of against it, your content can now be found faster and read by more people!

Is your blog writing just too darn genius? Do you have way too many readers? Are you constantly applauded for your amazing blog marketing and want it to stop? If you answered ‘yes’ to one or more of these, then make sure you implement these sure-to-fail blogging techniques as soon as possible! (Everybody else, feel free to use this list as a “How not to blog” reminder:)

1.) Write Flat, Boring Headlines: If you’re looking to repel readers in record time, make sure you put no thought into your headlines. This way, you’re sure to come up with stale wording that won’t inspire folks to come back. Otherwise, you may fall into the trap of writing snappy headlines, which is an easy way to rope in new audiences. And be careful, because the Internet is filled with articles on just how to do just that.

2.) Over-promote Your Blog: Here’s one we’ve seen a lot lately… Some bloggers go bananas on the promotion and cover every corner of the Internet and any social media platform that will stand still with “Read my blog!!” desperation pleas. If you’re trying to get your hit count down, too much online marketing is a great way to turn readers off. You know you can’t afford to relax and count on readers to reject you, especially with all that great content and your solid (but not hyperactive) blog marketing plan. A simple blog and then tweet combo is the devil in these situations.

3.) Don’t Try Anything New: Haven’t had any luck growing your blog using your old methods? That’s great… By all means, don’t change a thing. But supposing you get to a place where you want to grow your audience, why not try something new that you’ve always wanted to try? Think your blog would be a hit on Google+? Want to dip your toes into the guest-blogging waters? Ready to pepper your blog with amazing interviews? Now is the time! Fresh content needs fresh ideas so mix it up — but only if you want people to read what you’ve written. Think about it.

4.) Stop Being Passionate: Try write about things you don’t love and just watch the readers drop like flies. Seriously, the No. 1 blogging-for-business killer has got to be a lack of passion. Readers can sniff out a bored blogger from a mile away. The thing is if you are unhappy and hate what you’re writing, chances are your readers will too! Don’t be afraid to try this one if you’re hoping to send your readership figures into single digits.

Now go out there and “meh” everybody to death!

Blog writing can translate to big bucks in the fashion and beauty industry. Over the years, we’ve seen the front rows of fashion shows infiltrated with bloggers — most of whom don’t work for big time fashion magazines. Fashion magazines, for their part, embraced the changing tides and were amongst the first of traditional publications to embrace bloggers. This week two powerhouses, Allure and Lucky, have announced two splashy blogger-themed events specially designed for beauty and fashion blog creation mavens.

Call it an inevitability or a sign of the times, but Allure’s Beauty Blogger Awards are a stroke of marketing genius. Not only does the competition call on Allure’s readers to choose the best beauty blogger but the contest relies on the nominated bloggers to help drum up interest in the showdown. And all of it is being co-sponsored by cosmetics company Revlon, of course. The pool of bloggers was narrowed down to 15 which Allure says includes “an astrophysics student, a medical student and a former Wall Street executive who left big business to blog.” Over the next five weeks, the bloggers will be asked to blog on specific topics and, one by one, readers will decide who stays in the competition. The winning blogger gets a VIP package to New York Fashion Week and the opportunity to be published in Allure.

Shopping bible Lucky magazine is taking a different approach to wooing bloggers. FABB, the Fashion and Beauty Blog conference, is a West Coast blogging conference with serious star power. Sponsored by P&G Beauty and Grooming, the conference features speakers like designer Zac Posen, actress Jessica Alba, Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant and Hunger Games star Elizabeth Banks. Lucky clearly cooked up this Los Angeles function to give bloggers something to blog about. The one-day event is chock full of speakers, events and giveaways sure to inspire a blogging frenzy.

Obviously, the fashion industry knows that happy bloggers means more coverage. But it goes deeper than that. Companies of all sizes would be wise not only to work diligently on their own blogs but to embrace other blogs that can help promote their industry. Bloggers love having the exclusive on something and small businesses love getting press coverage. It’s a win-win that never goes out of style.

Twitter and your blog should go together like peanut butter and jelly. Like macaroni and cheese. Like Ben and Jerry. Like… well, you get the drift. Twitter marketing and blogging for business are such a natural fit that there are literally hundreds of tools to help the pair get along even better. Here are four of our favorites:

1.) Twitter Chats: Everybody has been chatting about Twitter chats lately — and for good reason. Twitter chats are the super easy way to get your following interacting with one another (and your brand) by using a simple hashtag. All you have to do is set a time, pick a hashtag for the chat and alert your following. Twitter chats are fun, simple to set up and, best of all, free! Check this Mashable piece for great examples of Twitter chats.

2.) Twit This: Yeah there are dozens of ways to shrink URL links and tweet them with ease. But Twit This is certainly one of the easiest. And the coolest part of the tool is that it has a plugin especially made for blogs where your readers can tweet your brilliant posts with just one click.

3.) Visibli: Are you a link sharing machine? If so, Visibli is definitely for you. Visibli is an “engagement bar” that allows you to share links with your followers but keeps your brand’s name on the top of the page (and, hence, at the forefront of your followers’ minds). Totally personalized, the bar lets you send links like a madman while your followers never forget from whence they came.

4.) Dlvr.It: Bloggers are often perplexed about how they can synch up their RSS feeds with Twitter. Thankfully, Dlvr.it makes it a lot easier by automatically taking your blog posts from your RSS feed and tweeting them without your ever having to lift a finger. It’s like a cyber paper boy for your blog and you don’t have to worry about tipping him!

Okay, lovely readers, it’s your turn. What are some of your favorite Twitter tools to help promote your blog? Enlighten us in the comments section below!

As specialists in blog content management, we’re always thrilled when a high-profile exec praises the benefits of blogging for business. So when Ashkan Karbasfrooshan, the founder and CEO of WatchMojo, took to the pages of TechCrunch to sing the praises of CEO bloggers over the weekend, we couldn’t have been more thrilled. Karbasfrooshan brilliantly breaks down the reasons why executives should start blogging. Everything from the comical (it’ll get you out of your employees’ hair, he says) to the practical are covered here — yet it was his emphasis on storytelling that really got us excited.

Being able to tell your brand’s story effectively and entertainingly is one of the most powerful benefits of company blogging. Instead of having to guess who you are and what your company stands for, readers/consumers can figure you out in a few blog posts.

“The best cooks never stop cooking even when they open their restaurant,” Karbasfrooshan says. “Musicians are always jamming no matter what. Similarly, a storyteller doesn’t put the pen down because he’s in pursuit of profit, too. He finds a way to marry the two. If you enjoy writing and happen to be the CEO, then it’s a marriage made in heaven if you can balance your duties.”

The balance in question can be tricky, but with great planning like we talked about last week and maybe a helping hand, it’s certainly attainable. There, of course, is the fine line between telling your brand’s story and your own story. Unless your business is you, big parts of your personal story should stay out of the mix. Peppering your blog with real life tales from the office is one thing — but bludgeoning people over the head with your personal memoir is another.

“Sure, it’s nice to build your personal brand, but the focus ought to be on the company — 100 percent of the time,” Karbasfrooshan writes.

Regardless of what any slick SEO snake-oil salesman might tell you, no one can tell your brand’s tale better than you. You live your company’s story every day and you know what your followers want to hear. Being your brand’s voice through blogging is a creative and empowering position that lets you decide how your company’s story is told.

When hopping into the wonderful world of blog creation and blog marketing, the first thing you have to figure out is where you’re going to put that amazing company blog. Blogging platform options are vast and varied, but not all of them are fantastic. So what’s it gonna be: Typepad? Blogger? Tumblr? WordPress?

According to a new study, you might want to go with that last choice. Pingdom, a website monitoring firm, is reporting that 49 percent of the Top 100 blogs in Technorati’s index are powered by WordPress.

Still, what’s in a platform? For as much as bloggers complain about WordPress and its glitches, there’s no other platform even comes close to its popularity. Pingdom finds that 40 percent of the WordPress blogs are self-hosted (like this here blog) while 9 percent are WordPress hosted. That’s quite a jump considering 32 percent of the 100 were WordPress powered back in 2009. In a distant second place at 14 percent are custom blogs, one-offs created by bloggers and not powered by a platform. TypePad at 8 percent and then MoveableType at 7 percent, respectively, round out the order. Although Blogger is incredibly popular with budding blog creators, when it comes to the Top 100, only 2 percent use the platform. The trendy Tumblr faired far worse, scoring less than 1 percent.

So what makes WordPress so great, anyway? Well, personally, you can’t beat the ease and compatibility of the format. Non-techie types never have to worry about WordPress not doing what it always does and that can’t always be said about custom platforms. Yet others could argue against WordPress’s clunky functions and stubborn dashboards. The main thing with a blogging platform is how it works for you. If TypePad makes your life easier, then by all means that should be your platform. If you have success on Blogger, go that direction. Because what this study really shows is that top 100 blog can come from all kinds of places.

Brilliant blog creation day after day ain’t a walk in the park. Dynamic content that excites your readers about your brand takes time, effort and help. This blogging workload can really wear a persona out and make the task of carrying on seem nearly impossible. But don’t worry: We’ve come up with a few helpful blogging tips to lighten your load, give you more time and make blogging fun again.

Plan Ahead: Sunday is a great day to sit with a cup of coffee and make a list of what to tackle for the week ahead. So why not map out your blogs for the week at the same time? Coming up with a solid list of blog topics for the week makes sitting down and writing feel less daunting. Sure, you might not stick to your list absolutely, but at least you’ll have an idea where you want to go over the course of the week. Plus, planning your blog topics ahead of time will give you more time to do other things on your “to do list.”

Narrow Your Focus: Does your blog cover all kinds of stuff related to your industry several times a week, leaving your readers overwhelmed and you exhausted? Maybe it’s time to scale back. Check your data and see which blogs consistently garner the most readers and cut out the ones that barely get looked out. This way your blog is talking about things readers are interested in and you can take a breather. Besides, there’s no need to cover everything on your blog. You might as well only talk about the things you and your readers love.

Get a Little Help: There’s no rule whatsoever that says just because it’s your company’s blog that you have to write every single one of them. Why not get guest bloggers, fellow employees or even talented ghostbloggers (ahem, like ourselves) to carry some of the blogging burden? Other voices can also freshen up your blog’s conversation with new perspectives and opinions.

At the end of the day, happy bloggers and writers make for happy reading. Folks who chain themselves to the keyboard and never enjoy their lives don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of entertaining or informing blog readers. Make blogging easier and more fun for you, and your readers will have more fun too.