Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hi everyone,

Some background before my request.
I was born in Brazil and moved to the US in 2001. That`s it! Short and sweet.

Anyway, I started a blog called .com.br (www.dotcomdotbr.com) which I am trying to focus on writing about anything Brazilian. The public I am trying to reach is English-speakers who would like to know more about Brazil or who is planning a trip, for instance.

Considering my mother language is not English, you will probably find my texts not very enticing...please tell me if this is the case.

I also would like to know what your suggestions would be for me to increase traffic and to try to generate some money from the site.

I am open to any other suggestions you guys may have.

Thanks,

Andre Costa


-------------------------

Andre Costa DaCosta Chocolates, LLC www.DaCostaChocolates.com

Hi Andy,

Generally speaking I don`t read blogs but from what I saw it looks pretty good. Yeah there are some issues with your use of English but since you make it known that English is not your first language (mother tongue is a direct translation from Portuguese, when translating you must also interpret otherwise you run into issues. For instance if you say 1 billion in English [where we use the Imperial system] it means one thousand millions, however if you say 1 billion anywhere else in the world [where they use the metric system] it means one million millions. Big difference, make sure you interpret) it is OK. I would suggest you put on the top of your Blog "Everything Brazilian, by a Brazilian" that would take care of any small issues of the sort (for most).

If you want to capitalize on your Blog you should use an affiliate program, you may start by looking into linkshare.

Good luck,

You could just have someone edit for you. You can obviously `translate` yourself. So someone else can just fix up the words a bit.

I think you should hook up with some travel agencies and package deal people for some advertising on there.

The site isn`t very visually exciting, but it works.

I think you should also decide whether or not you want to report the "happy side of Brazil" or the other side. Someone looking for travel information doesn`t want to know the "Ugly News".

Hi Andre ;-)
I took a look at the blog, although like Eli, I rarely read blogs. One thing I noticed was the large text area at the top---the link--took enough extra time to load that it was distracting. I wonder if you have that as a background image? Seems it could be done more efficiently. But...that`s not really important.

Your post got me thinking, "Why would I want to read ANY blog?"

Frankly, I don`t read much online stuff at all. I prefer a book, where I can lay back on the couch, munch on junk food, and turn pages. Online books or content just have too much "stuff." They`re visually overwhelming to me.

A paper book or magazine limits the apparent amount of text to the size of the page. As such, the blogs that appear visually pleasant (to me) are those that limit the amount of scrolling and have a substantial amount of white space and borders.

Another thought has to do with interest levels. Let`s just assume that on the Web, across the entire planet, SOME number of people will be interested in just about anything. Your topic is likely more interesting, as people know of Brazil, and might wonder what goes on in the country. Fine. So they find your site, somehow.

What headlines are you using to QUICKLY move the first-time visitor`s attention through the blog? I didn`t see any. Your tagline is great. I got it, right away, and said..."Ah Hah! Now I`m gonna read about Brazil...!"

But that was it. "In the news today." "Another beautiful place." "Videos and something about a drink." So?

I looked over at the archives and index. Some carnival has started. So? The index gave me areas I might want to see. So I clicked the top: "Cuisine."

It was the same as the first page. So?

:-) My point is, with all the "So?" that your site doesn`t make me care. It`s just not interesting on its own!

I believe the problem here has to do with a deeper concept. People believe that by simply existing and becoming visible to other people with some vague or passing interest, that`s all anyone needs to accomplish. But let`s take, for example, a Michael Crighton or Nora Roberts novel. (It doesn`t matter, for the purpose of the discussion, if you`re familiar with them.)

You go into a bookstore. One way or another, you pick up one of these novels. Maybe you already know you like Michael Crighton. Or maybe you know you like "books about medical and science stuff." Or maybe you know you like "stories about disasters." It doesn`t matter....you pick up the book.

Marketing has caused you to now stop, pick up the "thing," and engage your curiosity. From that point forward, unless the "thing" HOLDS your interest, you just move on to the next thing.

Headlines that really capture the basic essence of each topic would help. How to write those, I don`t know. That`s something I`m currently exploring. (I may put up a post...come to think of it.) But as it stands, your headlines are boring, so I really didn`t feel like reading all those other words to figure out if I`d be interested after even MORE effort. See?

Anyway, I started a blog called .com.br (www.dotcomdotbr.com) which I am trying to focus on writing about anything Brazilian. The public I am trying to reach is English-speakers who would like to know more about Brazil or who is planning a trip, for instance.

Andrew- fortunately for you, I do read blogs (I have about 50 blogs on my feed) and design and consult on blogs for a living :)

I only have one question for you; How serious of a money making venture do you want this to be? Answer that question and I know where to point you in the right direction.

If this is just a hobby, you won`t make any money from your blog. Blogging is time consuming and to make money, you need to pour alot of time into devising a strategy. The entire "If I blog and they will come" mentality is quite pervasive with most newbie bloggers. The lack of a marketing strategy shows because there isn`t focused content, optimized site architecture, customized design and more to your blog.

Your idea can work but it will take time and money to make it a more viable business. Thus, the question becomes, "How much time and how much money do I want to put into this?"

Dean

HDean makes a good point about strategy and focus.

I don`t read blogs, but I hear many references to them, and run across links to certain articles as I read other things. Reading HDean`s post, I was "suddenly" struck by how every blog I hear about also has a summary associated.

So one blog might be "ABC Benders," a political blog with a right-leaning bias. Another might be "DEF Handlers," a blog about technological developments.

Your (Andre) blog would be "a travel blog about Brazil." Right?

This blog entry by the Copyblogger blog is a perfect example of what I mean by having a strategy.

By the way, I think in your particular instance, you should think more bilaterally whereby you should look for ways to have the blog play a secondary role to the overall online marketing strategy as opposed to being the primary role.

Cool link, HDean...! I like the point about communicating the value.

It`s funny, but so many people get caught up in the How and What of their business, they simply forget to examine the Why. And that "why" should apply both to the person making the business, and to the people buying the product.

Another point in the link is directly related to this topic. It`s about how it`s almost a prerequisite that whatever is in the blog should be outside the comfort zone. It *should* be controversial, innovative, unusual, and strike an emotional chord.

I remember watching a Law & Order episode, where I was getting more and more upset. I wanted to just turn of the show, call it "stupid," and walk away. Then I remembered a famous anecdote about Frank Zappa.

Zappa had just started his first record label, and heard about this new band, Alice Cooper. He went to see the band, and they did the bit with the dead chicken. The audience hated it, and left. Zappa signed Alice Cooper immediately.

His explanation, later, was that "any band that can empty a 10,000-seat stadium in 15 minutes Definitely has Something!"

I re-examined what it was that was pushing me to turn off the TV show, and saw some truly superb writing and acting. I`d become so emotionally involved in the storyline, I totally "forgot" that it`s a story! It isn`t real!

That`s what good writing is about---the capability of reaching out to the reader and drawing them in. A blog, being written, must also do what any good writing accomplished.

Hi ElidS,

Thank you for your suggestions. I actually added the "by a Brazilian" to my tagline, as I believe it adds to the whole idea of the blog!

I will look into LinkShare.

Have a nice week,

Andre
.com.br


-------------------------

Andre Costa DaCosta Chocolates, LLC www.DaCostaChocolates.com

Hello there nhgnikole,

Again, thanks for your comments and suggestions.
For a foreigner I believe my English is pretty good, but I will never write as someone who was born here. So I believe I must to accept the fact and try to write better, but I do not want to resource to someone else`s editing my text. I look at it as a way to exercise my writing skills.

I love the idea of contacting travel agencies for ad placements. I will add that to my to-do list.

I am still trying to learn how to create my own layout for WordPress. In any case, I am not a designer, so I don`t believe I can come up with something more interesting than the templates they offer. If the site ever generates some income, then I may hire someone to revamp it. Should be money well spent.

Now, the idea of the blog is not to be a travel site, but a site about Brazil as a whole. I will naturally write about destinations in Brazil, but I also want to alert people for what they will find once they get there. Again, the blog is not a travel blog where I want to paint a pretty picture of the country.

Again, thanks for all the time you all spent checking the blog. I really appreciate it.

Andre
.com.br


-------------------------

Andre Costa DaCosta Chocolates, LLC www.DaCostaChocolates.com