As you get increasingly involved in sites like Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus, it's important to monitor your emotions and not let them get out of hand. This is particularly important if you are using these platforms for marketing purposes. Of course this is easier said than done. After all, the whole reason you're using social media is to connect with others; to forge new online friendships with people who share your interests.


Be friendly but detached

But you really want to maintain a bit of detachment while doing this. If you don't, you could easily end up feeling hurt and upset. That's unpleasant in itself, but it could also result in you doing things that negatively impact your reputation.

And I'm not just talking about avoiding romantic infatuations, or stalker-like obsessions with celebrities you've been conversing with on Twitter -- needless to say such pitfalls are to be avoided like the plague! I mean that you should be careful of taking the actions of those with whom you've built a friendly rapport too personally.

For example, occasionally people you've been happily engaging with for a while end up unfollowing you. It can be quite a shock when you discover this. But rather than being angry with them -- or wondering what you yourself have done to deserve this -- you should take a step back and look at the big picture.

Be understanding

It may be that they don't even know they've done this -- particularly if they're very popular and active on the site. If you're following heaps of people you'll probably decide to do a follower "cull" from time to time. If you do, it's quite easy to simply not recall the interactions you've had with some of those you ultimately decide to unfollow.

Also, while executing such a cull, some users may well know who you are and still decide to call it a day. While they have appreciated their contact with you, they may have simply decided to drastically scale back to a small "A-list" of followers they rate above all others. In such a scenario they probably regret doing this but just decide to bite the bullet anyway. They can't send out apologies to everyone individually. That would take too much time.

Another thing that can be upsetting is when people who usually respond to your questions and comments stop doing so. Again, it's unlikely that this is due to them not valuing their connection with you. It's probably because they are just flat out.

I have several blogs running, along with Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for them all. I try to respond to, or at least acknowledge, all comments and questions that they attract. But there's only so much time in the day! And compared to many bloggers, I have small readerships. The big dogs must be responding to just a tiny fraction of interactions.

Just as you shouldn't be put out if you don't always get feedback, don't beat yourself up if you can't supply it when asked. You can only do so much, and most readers understand that -- or at least come to know it in time.

Don't feed the trolls

You might also attract one or more trolls. This is highly unusual in a niche like the one this blog's in. But in a more emotive field of interest such as politics, it happens a lot. Actually, in this genre it would be unusual if you didn't have a few trolls after a while.

Whatever happens, just don't let them get to you. The expression "don't feed the trolls" is well worth remembering. Your outrage is like oxygen to them. So the best policy is to not respond to them at all. But if you really have to, fire back defiantly and assertively, making sure to convey a position of emotional strength. If that's not enough to stop the harassment then block and report them.

Whatever you do, try not to respond with the same level of vile personal abuse that they hurl at you. You could end up regretting this -- and not just because they've brought you down to their level. If they're really vicious, and some are, they could report you for abusing them! Now that Twitter is trying to make itself a warmer, friendlier place this is definitely something to be mindful of.

If you want to succeed with your blog, posting regularly is crucial. Obviously, it helps if a lot of your posts are unique and contain good quality "evergreen" content. But after a while, it can be a real challenge to generate ideas for this type of post.

It's certainly much more difficult than writing, say, commentary on topical events. In that genre, you only have to read the news to get ideas. Sometimes you can turn this kind of content into more enduring stuff – perhaps by saying a specific news item illustrates a wider, recurring phenomenon. But it's usually the case that while you might be able to score a flood of traffic and some shares with a topical post, the effect is temporary.

Wisdom quotes can inspire you to write

So, it's definitely worthwhile to have many blog posts that will remain interesting to readers for a long while. When you are keen to create this kind of content, but the ideas aren't flowing, here's an approach that I've found helps a lot:

Find quotes by famous authors, philosophers, or leaders about the subject you want to blog about. You can include one or more of them in your post. And because they are so insightful and memorable, they will often provoke your own observations on the subject, which you can write down.

Say you are writing about the need for forgiveness. There are many brilliant, famous quotes about this. Select one that really resonates with you, and tell the reader how you applied it (or wish you had!) in your own life.

I've long found that writing becomes easy when you're describing your own experiences. What citing one or more quotes does is give you a clear focus on what to write about. Not only do the words flow freely; structuring the post is less of a challenge as well.

Twitter is a good source

So, where do you find these famous quotes? Well, you can Google them, of course. But I think searching on Twitter is a better way to go.

That social network in particular is absolutely jam packed with accounts that tweet almost nothing but these nuggets of wisdom. And no wonder. They are very popular and often get retweeted.

They are also highly conducive to visual interpretation. You'll often see them attached to appealing images of sunsets, trees, eagles soaring and babies laughing, among other things.

As well as helping you generate ideas, using wisdom quotes is beneficial when it comes to promoting blogs on social media. Once you have written a post on, say, forgiveness that cites a famous quote about it, you can search Twitter for relevant tweets. There are sure to be many of them. You can reply to some of these including a link to your post on that exact subject.

Obviously you don't want to overdo this tactic. And you must tailor each reply to the original tweet. But as long as it's relevant and adds value somehow, it's not spam. I know from experience that tweeps respond positively, and they will often click on that link to see what you have to say on the subject.

When it comes to choosing a blogging platform, almost everyone says go for Wordpress. I understand why. It's very customizable, with many plug-ins among other things ... But you need to be a bit "geeky" to get the most out of it. And a custom design can be pricey. Getting reliable hosting for it is tricky too. That's more time taken to find it, along with the cost.

Weebly is so easy to use

According to my current situation and needs, Wordpress is too much hassle. That's why I like Weebly as a blogging platform. I have several blogs with it and I couldn't be happier.

Now you can use Weebly for free. But I would recommend getting the Pro option, which is only 50 bucks a year or thereabouts. There are many advantages from doing this including better customer service. I know from personal experience that they are definitely responsive and helpful.

You also have more template options. Of course you can get a custom design if you wish. But frankly I think the ones you already have access to look absolutely fine.

Weebly is a website builder and (very reliable) host all in one. The drag and drop interface is just so user-friendly. And the blogging tool is a seamless part of it. So, if you've set up your custom domain with them (a straightforward process) the blog comes off the main domain automatically, like with this site.

The dashboard is very easy to navigate and use. It's a doddle to add social media buttons, maps, slide shows, "read more" breaks, video, audio and other content.

Image library included

One feature that I particularly like is related to images. Of course you can upload these from your hard drive, but you can also search for, then publish them directly within the Weebly interface. They've set it up with access to a free and paid image library.

Now the pictures aren't all brilliant. And you often need to tweak your search terms to get something appropriate.

Still, you can usually find a picture to go with your post that complements it quite well. And you didn't have to fork out money and spend time looking through stock images on other sites.

This isn't a huge thing. But it certainly saves time and money.

Ecommerce options available

There are also ecommerce tools you can use within the platform itself. That's great if you want to offer products or services either through your blog or the other pages of a niche website.

I haven't yet utilized this option. But I may well do in future. The fact that it is already there in front of me and sure to be pretty straightforward is a real bonus.

So, Weebly definitely meets my blogging needs and will do for a while. If, like me, you love blogging but aren't into the more technical aspects of web design and building -- yet still want to promote and sell stuff then it's an excellent, reliable and affordable option.

Sure, it's not Wordpress. But there's still heaps you can do with it that's quick and easy. And this range of options will surely keep expanding over time.

As many people surely know already, it's easy to become hooked on using Pinterest. It really is a feast for the eyes. There are countless appealing images on there that you can pin to your own boards.

And it's not just the photographs ... One thing I really enjoy doing is browsing all the infographics related to blogging, social media and online marketing on there. Given how addictive the site is, it's not surprising that 80% of pins are actually repins.


While there's no harm in repinning stuff it's a good idea to put as much completely new content on there as well. That means that you'll stand out ... But then if that's all you do, it's going to take a lot longer to build up your boards …

Repin a lot to build momentum

So the strategy I would suggest for new Pinterest users is this: Repinning like crazy to get some momentum up with your boards. And as you do this, go for the popular stuff that is getting repinned a lot anyway.

Commenting on popular pins helps a little, much like blog commenting does. As you would do on blog posts, only do it if you feel a sincere need to, and your contribution adds value somehow.

But the main thing is to build up some boards with lots of good and relevant pins on them.

This gives you a clear sense of achievement and direction apart from anything else. And with so much on there, your boards will be more attractive to other Pinterest users.

Pin entirely new images to stand out

Once you've got some nice big ones happening, I would focus almost entirely on putting new stuff on there.

Some of these pins are going to go gangbusters, and you'll reap the benefits because you were the first to put it on there.

This is another reason why all your blog posts should contain at least one image. If it's completely original, even better.

Relevance is key

Of course the most beautiful photos go best on Pinterest. But they don't have to be masterpieces. I've got some locally oriented boards that include photos I took from around Sydney and Perth. They've been repinned, and brought traffic to those posts consistently over along period of time.

Again, it's all about relevance. Combine a decent new photo or image with a good description and put it on a board that's got a very clear focus, with heaps of good content already and you'll lift the odds of it being seen and therefore repinned substantially.

Again, as with so many things. It's all about being persistent and strategic.

As I've mentioned before I've been using social media to promote affiliate products for a while now. Of course you can do this in pretty much any niche. But for me at least the best products to promote seem to be books.

Interestingly, they seem to be a bit easier to sell than ebooks. Clearly, people are still very fond of sitting down with a good old fashioned tome and flicking through the pages.


Book Depository

But traditional books can be expensive. Which is why online booksellers that offer them cheap, with preferably free shipping, are the most popular. Book Depository is one of these. It has a huge range of books with free shipping worldwide and a good affiliate program. Have been paid so I can vouch for it.

Blogs are ideal for book promotion

Blogs are a great way to promote books. Probably the most effective method is to write reviews of them and include your affiliate link in the post. Needless to say you should disclose the nature of it, and that if people buy it you'll receive a commission. And while it's best to review books you do generally enjoy, make the reviews balanced. Blog readers will appreciate a thorough, fair review that includes a bit of criticism. Such appraisals won't reduce the odds of them buying the books subsequently. Might even increase them, actually.

While reviews are great, they're not crucial. You can just link to specific books in blog posts. As long as they're relevant to the content and good quality, people will click on those links from time to time. And some will end up buying.

Social media is a good fit too

Social media is also a good place to promote specific books. But you should do this sparingly, and only after you've built up a substantial, engaged following.

Twitter is ideal for this. Book titles tend to fit snugly into the 140 character limit. They also often have a lot of good keywords that you can turn into hashtags to make them more findable. And as long as you're not constantly posting them your followers will appreciate being pointed towards informative, relevant, interesting reads.

If you make a habit of engaging with your followers, then they're more likely to click on those links, too. That's because they trust your opinion. So, respect that trust, and only promote books that you have read or are pretty confident are good qaulity. If you just link to junk they'll stop clicking after a while. Some may even end up unfollowing you.

Authors love Twitter

You should also engage with the authors themselves. Again, Twitter is a great place for this. Most of them are on the site anyway, and many are influencers with huge followings. So, they'd be worth following, retweeting and mentioning in any case.

And if you do promote their books they'll be much more likely to notice you and follow back. They'll also retweet your links to their books from time to time. (This has happened to me a few time now.) Obviously they're motivated to do this for financial reasons. But it also reflects well on them. Your unprompted promotion of their work is social proof of their excellence in their fields, after all.