Network Search Helps Readers Find Your Blog

Lijit is something we discovered at Blog World Expo in Las Vegas. First, I "lost everything" in a pitiful but friendly game of poker with the b5media people

The b5media people recommended that I not play poker in any of the casinos. Ever. (I didn’t.)

Then, they indirectly recommended that I explore Lijit. It’s the network search tool that they are already using for their b5media blogs. Visit Phil Gerbyshak’s b5media blog Slacker Manager , and you’ll see the Lijit search just under the fold on the right. (Hi Phil!)

So, I tromped over to the Lijit people. They were so gracious, I couldn’t believe it. Just because I liked them, I gave the widget a try. Why not?

Well, I have had it for a month now, and it’s pretty awesome. There are lots of bells and whistles, but their big service comes down to this-we can all search each other’s blogs from our own blogs.

Think about that for a minute.

No, forget that. Stop thinking and just go do it. Visit GoodWordEditing.com and run a search on the word “retreat.” You can see that we have the Lijit search just to the right here, but I need you to stay on this page and keep reading after you play around with the search.

By exploring the Lijit Picks and the Network search, you’ll organically find your way to these other network blogs and network writing projects…

• http://freedominthedance.blogspot.com/2008/05/retreat-retreat-retreat.html
• http://spaghettipie.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/retreat/
• http://middlezonemusings.com/the-power-of-retreat/
• http://www.reallivepreacher.com/node/211
• http://seedlingsinstone.blogspot.com/2008/08/arrested.html
• http://successcreeations.com/value-in-getting-away/435/
• http://www.goodwordediting.com/retreat-get-a-handle-on-gods-design/418/

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And the search is customizable. You’ll get more network results at GoodWordEditing.com, than you will on some blogs. That’s because in addition to providing search results from my blog, I’ve told Lijit to search my network of social media contacts through the services like del.icio.us, linkedin, disqus, flickr, and youtube. And that includes a whole lot you YOU GUYS. If that makes no sense or seems too complicated for you, don’t worry about it.
*** Resuming Content for Nongeeks ***

The point is, we’re already all connected just a little bit because of the social media work that Chris, Gordon, L.L., Sam Van Eman, and others are already doing.

But now we have the opportunity to connect even more closely . And that’s what this network is about, right?

Real connections. Real conversations. Real encouragement.

Real community. Shared values.

So, if you’re interested in installing Lijit, leave a comment here or email Marcus at marcus@highcallingblogs.com . I’ve been working with the Lijit staff for a month now, and they are going to help us load as many people as possible into the network search.

Remember, once you install Lijit, any search on any blog in our network can return results from YOUR BLOG. And vice versa. b5media is already using this–and they are pretty much the most successful blog network in the world. You’ll be able to search the entire network without ever leaving your own URL!

If you don’t trust me, look into Lijit yourself.

Then leave a comment here or email me to let me know you’re interested.

The Art of Editing Feeds

One of our primary goals here at HighCallingBlogs.com has always been to help Christians blog well . In some ways, we’re not even all that concerned about what you say. We certainly don’t presume to have a strangle hold on Christian orthodoxy or anything.

We just want to give you the tools to interact in this world fluently.

That’s one of the reasons we sponsor GodblogCon and attend Blog World Expo .  We’re also members of the International Blogging and New Media Association that sponsors Blogworld. You might consider joining if you’re serious about blogging. It’s not expensive. But if you’re unsure, just read their blog regularly and see if you find it valuable.

Recently, I posted on an article on their blog called "The Art of Editing Feeds ." It’s about some ways Christianity Today is using RSS to keep its readers informed. Take a look–and give my article a thumbs up if you like it!

(I know, I know. I’m shameless.)

Are You Ready for Life Streaming?

In our GodblogCon.com conversation with Andrew Jones (Tall Skinny Kiwi) last week, we talked about life streaming.

That got me thinking during my web 2.0 time today. First, I logged into Facebook to think about that as a location where someone might start life streaming.

Facebook Has Applications to Bring Your Feeds into One Place

Certainly, Facebook’s applications allow other activities to be distributed to your friends. For instance, I link my Twitter updates to my Facebook status with the Facebook Twitter application. And I’ve used a variety of applications to share my blog feed through facebook. After experimenting with several things like Facebook’s Mirror Blog, I finally settled on Facebook’s friendfeed application.

Which requires a friendfeed account, of course.

When Life Streaming Gets Redundant

Still with me? Here’s where things start to get weird. friendfeed aggregates feeds similar to Facebook. I can bring my blog, my flickr, my Twitter, even my NetFlix queue, all into friendfeed. Then shoot it back out in one RSS “life stream” to Facebook and similar services.

Forget the anonymous second and third life stuff of the late 1990s. Life streaming is online transparency that helps us hold each other accountable.

But the technology is still clunky. For instance, Facebook Twitter and friendfeed don’t play well together. Twitter shoots directly to my Facebook status. Then, friendfeed routes the same Twitter post to my Facebook stream. So my friends were getting double notifications.

Mark Goodyear tweets via Twitter and Facebook. Followed by identical Mark Goodyear tweets via Twitter and friendfeed and Facebook. Just look:

I still have the problem with redundant blog postings on Facebook.

And now I’ve got the problem of redundant social book circle sites. Oh, the woes of web 2.0. Do I stick with Shelfari? Do I switch to Goodreads (which has the PERFECT name)? Or Library Thing?

After the conversation with GodblogCon speaker Wade Tonkin, I’m also curious about experimenting with one of these as if I’m an affiliate marketer.

Who knows. Who knows. Is anyone else trying this kind of stuff?

Before you answer that, here’s a cool widget from Goodreads:

Two Men Fighting with a Knife by John Poch

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Not many poets these days are committed to forms like John Poch. He’s the editor of 32 Poems Magazine and a professor of poetry at Texas Tech. And he understands sonnets. This collection of sonnets, sestinas, and other forms often has a wonderful southwestern flavor. Poch isn’t limited to that, though. His sonnet crown written in thanks to a neurosurgeon, for instance, transcends any brand of American regionalism in a way that is joyful, playful, and spiritual.

View all my reviews.

Join Our Facebook Network

One of the things we do here is experiment with social media. It’s fun. So earlier today I got a Facebook notification from Drew McLellan about a new application called Blog Network.

Hmm. Sounds right up our alley.

If you’re on Facebook, help us out by clicking over, joining our blog, confirming me as the author, and rating our new site. (It’s okay to be honest. Desired in fact. Also, Gordon Atkinson and Chris Cree are authors too, but this application only let me list myself as the author.)

Write Good Titles and People Will Read Your Post

Marcus here with another good blogging tip. The interesting thing about HighCallingBlogs.com and other feed aggregation networks is the importance of good titles. In fact, I first became a follower of Brian Clarke at Copyblogger.com when he posted his series How to Write Magnetic Headlines years ago. (Judging from my post title today, maybe I could use a refresher course.)

From Brian, I learned that good titles tell people what to expect from the post. They are headlines, really. They give us a reason to read.

Or if we’re scanning a list of RSS feeds, they give us a reason to click over to your blog. For example, from the HighCallingBlogs.com feed reader today, I was really interested in these posts:

• Why I Became a Vegetarian
• Jesus for President
• Tomato Theology revisited
• Safety Dance (because I LOVED that song in the 80s)
• How Not to Do Youth Ministry

See what I mean? Those are just interesting. I want to know what they are about. Now, I may not stick around. I may get lost in the first paragraph. Or the first sentence. Or I may leave before readign because I can’t stand the site design.

But if the title is lame, 9 times out of 10, I never click over at all.

So you owe it to yourself to go read Brian’s series on Magnetic Headlines. It’s still good. It’s still smart. And it’s worth reading again and again.

Comments Don’t Matter? Think Again.

Marcus here. If you don’t know Problogger, you should. It’s true that he’s more into the business side of blogging. That just means sometimes he gets pretty technical about the direct marketing, money making side of social media. It can be a little overwhelming.

From time to time, we’ll be referring to content on his site and a few others to help you blog better. For example, we think you should watch “How Leaving Comments On Blogs Drives Traffic to Yours.” Don’t worry about the bits you don’t understand when you watch this video. And don’t worry about installing CrazyEgg (though I did to run a test on where people click at GoodWordEditing.com while I’m on vacation).

Right. So that is your hint to go over to GoodWordEditing.com and click somewhere. Be part of the experiment. You know you want to.

I would be ashamed of self-promotion like that, but really, I have no shame. Besides. How can we help you learn to do this stuff, unless we know how to do this stuff too?

So watch the video. Learn about what makes a good comment. Then go and do likewise throughout the network! Gordon, Chris, and I will do our best to be right alongside you. At least, I’ll be there when I get back from my family roadtrip.

Remember, we’ve got a lot of blogs here–over 150 now! And we need everyone to serve each other with encouraging comments and trackback links!

Here’s that video:

Keep Up With High Calling Bloggers in your email!

Marcus here. I hope everyone got the newsletter yesterday and read it. We track stats, so make us look good by opening those emails and clicking through. It’s an easy way to show you love us. : )

In that newsletter (read it again here ), Chris Cree explains how to follow other high calling bloggers in your email.

1. You can subscribe to the posts we feature at HighCallingBlogs.com via email or via RSS .
2. Or you subscribe to the daily digest of all posts in the network via email or via RSS .

That second one sounds a little overwhelming, but it’s not bad as long as you give yourself permission to take it easy. Here’s what the daily digest looks like in my Outlook email.

So I just scroll down and pick a few things that interest me. Like Marina Berryman’s trip to Romania (with pictures!) and Thomas’ incredible post on Art in the Liturgy over at Everyday Liturgy and Heather Goodman’s fun thoughts on the Theology of Wall-E .

What’s not to love?