moleskin

Forget the Gadgets, I’m Going Old School

By Mark Evans in Social Media 4 Comments Tags: , , ,

I like gadgets just as much as the next guy or girl. When the shopping brochures come through the mailbox, I’ll pore through the computer and electronics sections looking to add cool items to my wish-list.

But a strange thing has happened recently. Rather than embracing new gadgets, I’m going old school. A couple of weeks ago, I purchased a watch – something I haven’t worn in years, mostly because it is uncomfortable to wear a watch when typing.

Nevertheless, I wanted to watch because I got tired of having to pull out my iPhone when I wanted to know the time. It was particularly annoying while making presentations or during a meeting because it seems rude to glance at the iPhone to know the time. There may be something nostalgic about having a watch but they’re functional and, in some respects, makes me feel more like an adult as opposed to kid in an adult’s body if that makes any sense.

Another “old school” tool has been the use of large sheets of paper to get ideas for projects on to something tangible. There are lots of tools to do online mind-mapping (and I use mindmeister.com from time to time) but I find that writing things down on paper somehow makes it seem more real. When I can quickly see all of my thoughts and ideas in one fell swoop, it makes them easier to get a handle on.

Another benefit of old school mind-mapping is the fruits of your labour are physical and easily retrievable. I have a growing pile of work done for clients in my office that I can quickly review to make sure any elements of a project haven’t been overlooked.

Finally, I have gone back to using a Moleskin for to-do lists, daily calendar and ideas for blog posts. While I’m still using iCal and DayLite, I started to forget about phone calls and what needed to be done, mostly because my business is so busy, the small things can be overlooked. When I write things down in a notebook that I carry around with me, it’s a tangible reminder of what I need to do while running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

I’m not sure if these old-school tools are a trend, a nostalgic trip, or an indication that the new tools aren’t working well. I’m still keen about new and shiny things (e.g. an iPad) but I guess I’m looking for tools that will help me become more productive – even if they are old-school.

Anyone else using other old-school tools?

My Approach to Writing Multiple Blogs

By Mark Evans in Blogs 3 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

At WordCamp Toronto on Saturday, I did a presentation on how to effectively write multiple blogs. Given that I juggle five blogs these days, it seemed like a pretty obvious topic to talk about.

Whether you write one blog or five blogs, the most important consideration is being organized. It sounds like a straightforward concept but having a plan and then making it happen makes blogging a lot less stressful and a lot more fun than trying to do it on the fly.

There are a few organizational pillars that keep me on the straight and narrow:

1. Defining Priorities: When you’re writing multiple blogs, the reality is some need more attention than others. Blogs that are part of your job or a play a key role in your personal branding need constant nurturing, while blogs that are hobbies that can be written semi-regularly.

2. Creating an editorial calendar: Not that you have to be totally anal about when each blog needs a post but having a solid idea of an overall editorial calendar makes it easier to get organized and plan things in advance.

3. Capture ideas anywhere and everywhere: Clearly, one of the challenge in writing multiple blogs is coming up with enough material to support them editorially. This means that all those great and semi-great ideas that emerge need to be captured, otherwise they’ll disappear.

My idea tools include “new” ones such as Google Reader, Twitter, Packrati.us (a personal favorite that connects links within your tweets to your del.icio.us account), Evernote, Instapaper, Twitterfeed, Tweetbeep and Google Alerts, as well as “old” tools such as a Moleskin, newspaper clippings and a whiteboard.

4. Cross-pollinate: One way to get more people aware of your blog is simply promoting them in multiple places. People reading this blog, for example, might be interested in my Twitterrrati blog so I promote both of them on both blogs.

I’m also big on using desktop writing tools, although I do go back and forth between them and WordPress’ publishing tool, which still needs some improving. Some of the desktop tools that I’ve used include Ecto, Mac Journal and Blogo. It sounds heretical but I’d love to see a version of Microsoft Live Writer for Mac.

Another key part of my multi-blog approach is using a variety of blog posts based on the idea that variety is a good thing for me and my readers. Some blog posts are long thought pieces, some are quick four-paragraph rants, some are simply one or two sentences with a great photograph or graphic, while others are a Q&A.

Finally, I’m a big believer that ideas flourish when you’re out and about talking to other people about their ideas, interests, thoughts and business endeavors. As much as you can get many ideas from reading online, socializing is a great way stimulate the mind and idea generation.

Here’s my presentation via SlideShare:

How to Write a Bunch o' Blogs
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