I get asked this question often: what makes a blog go from good to great?

What about great to addictive, as in, “I need a 12-step program to stop myself from hanging around this person’s blog 24-7?”

Well… it’s taken me a while to find the EXACT juicy blog that embodies this condition, but I think Elsa Panizzon of ElsaElsa.com fits the bill. A professional astrology blogger who’s been at it since 2000, Elsa has the blogger’s advantage of being:

- a gifted storyteller and conversationalist
- a confident and sometimes controversial figure
- able to hammer out endless streams of content
- highly organized in her approach to blogging and online business
- a long-time expert at what she does, which again, is astrology

That said, I’d like to welcome Elsa as this month’s Exemplary Blogger and ask her a few questions about what makes ElsaElsa.com such a raging success.

DINA: How long have you been blogging for, exactly? Is there a difference in the way you blogged as a newcomer to the internet, versus your blogging style today? What, if anything, changed and why?

ELSA: I was writing about astrology on a thread I started on business-themed message board near the end of 2000. The thread was more than 400 pages long and a crowd had gathered when I got a spam mail inviting me to start a blog. I fell for the thing hook, line and sinker and started my blog, VeryModern Astrology in April of 2001. I moved to ElsaElsa.com in 2005.

My writing has changed over the years and the mix of the content has morphed but the astrology theme has been a constant. In the early years I was focused on storytelling. I was writing about my life and the astrology was baked in since I am an astrologer and took up with the subject when I was 8 years old. The stories were interspersed astrology Q&A posts and other variety and after writing about 8000 posts and a 600 page book on that blog, I moved to ElsaElsa.com in an effort to become professional.

The new blog was focused on offering astrology-based advice. I had hoped to develop a column at the time and I kept that up for a couple years, 6 posts a week, supplementing with more storytelling which is my first love.

Currently, I’ve all but given up writing advice. I still write stories, though I keep them ultra short, I am sorry to say. I like my old style better and I think the reader does as well but no one pays for that kind of work and I’ve had to set it aside. Today I focus on making astrology accessible and useful to people using a variety of techniques.

One of the main draws of my blog it that it can’t be predicted. The innovating comes natural to me so I just keep it up.

DINA: If I were to Google any number of astrology questions or topics right now, your blog would pop up pretty high on the list. What’s your secret for accomplishing such a challenging feat?

ELSA: I don’t know. I have no technical skills at all. I think it may be that there is such a large body of work and it is all original. The new blog has about 7000 posts and I add to it daily.

DINA: How many months or years would you say it took for your blog to become wildly popular? What would you say contributed to this popularity?

ELSA: I had a solid audience when I started. There are a good number of people who have read everything I have ever wrote for going on 10 years now. I am talking roughly 15,000 posts so this was a head start for the new blog. Since then it has grown very slowly and growing faster now probably due the fact google favors it.

DINA: You never seem to run out of energy for blogging or things to say. Is this just “how you are,” do you draw inspiration from other sources, or what? What if a blogger needs a break… any words of advice, suggestions on where to find fresh content, etc.?

ELSA: Yeah, this is my personality. I could easily produce 10 posts a day and have 30 more in my head that I didn’t have time to get to. As for inspiration, it seems readily available. Matter of fact when I was young, I was a bartender. I worked day bar and the period after lunch and before happy hour was slow so I started doing “lectures” from 2-4 PM. I was 19 at the time, so I guess I am crazy but anyway I would have a crowd there and have someone give me a word… just one word and I would take off on it and talk for 2 hours.

I was funny back then so the place would fill up to watch me do this and I don’t recall ever stumbling. Really, I just have a lot to say and my biggest problem today is the PC movement. People have just become ridiculous with their sensitivities, making it very challenging for me to express myself without shocking and appalling them. I think they come to my blog to be shocked and appalled… but not too much!

I can deal with it but I miss the free-wheeling days and do hope my inner dog will have the opportunity to run free again some day.

DINA: Hugely popular blogs are often the target of trolls, hackers and people with nothing better to do than ruin other people’s good time. How do you combat the effects of such characters?

ELSA: I nuke them without hesitation. I absolutely obliterate them and do it publicly if necessary.

Again, I grew up a bartender. I started tending bar when I was 15 years old and I was taught by a pro that you have got to toss the troublemakers or they will ruin your bar. They will literally put you out of business.

It takes a lot of work (and talent) to build a community in a bar or on a blog and there is no way I am going to let someone come in and terrorize the place. It is the bartender’s job to maintain the space and serve the customers so when someone comes in to start trouble, I react quickly.

DINA: Your blog is more than just a blog, really. There’s a discussion forum linked in there (brilliantly) which makes for a vibrant, thriving community. Sometimes it can get hairy trying to manage so many different personalities and perspectives. What do you do if one member crosses a line? Have you ever had to break up a fight?

ELSA: I have broken up a few fights but usually it’s not necessary. It works just like the bar.

I see the fight, I see other people in the bar taking care of the problem. They don’t want their bar messed up anymore than I do so some member of the community usually steps up to intervene while I hold back with my hand the phone or my gun or whatever I think I might need.

90% of the the time it is a matter of someone had too much to drink and they’re back the next day with their manners restored. In the other cases, just like the bar, a small percentage make an exit speech vowing to never return to the establishment again. For an even smaller percentage, I’ve got to call the cops. If I have to call the cops, that’s it, that’s final, you’re toast.

DINA: Controversial topics often draw controversial responses. And as bloggers go, you’re someone who isn’t afraid to be bold, champion the less popular opinion, or tell the truth even if it hurts. I say that this is exactly why your blog gets so much traffic and participation. But others might disagree, go with the more PC approach. What is your advice to these people?

ELSA: I don’t have advice for them. They bore me. I think they are common and my fascination is with the anomaly so I am repelled.

DINA: People who visit my site want to know how to get clients via blogging. I see that you offer several paid options for people interested in astrology, including private readings, phone consults, and group astrology classes. Do you have any tips to offer other people who might want to do the same in their area of expertise?

ELSA: It is very hard to monetize a blog but I think it getting easier this bad economy. I know that is counter-intuitive but as people get harder edged and have less time to waste, if you provide something they know is valuable they will pay to save time trying to find the free replacement, not to mention the free replacements are drying faster than we can spin.

DINA: What’s your favorite part of being an authority on the web and why?

ELSA: People think I am lying but I really don’t much like it. I’d rather be standing in a bar telling stories with the lid off but I suppose I am grown up now?

I don’t like the authority but I do like the consulting. It is a job from God. It is always interesting, always a challenge, I am constantly stimulated, what more could I want?

DINA: Has anything extraordinary happened as a result of your being “out there” and blogging for the entire world? What occurred and who did it make a difference for?

ELSA: I would say that millions of things have happened due my blogging. I have changed many people’s lives, the lives of their children, their grandchildren and then some. Let’s just say I can die at anytime and be very comfortable with it. I have produced my legacy.

DINA: Recently you hosted a great private class on Astrology in Love and Relationships. Will there be more any upcoming events or classes like this happening?

ELSA: Yes, most definitely. I have a private message board, dubbed the Colosseum where I host discussion groups and teach classes. Typically the classes are focused on overcoming impediments to forming happy relationships since this is an area of interest and expertise.

The classes are challenging and meaty rather than fluffy and worthless. I run sort of a Boot Camp of love using the astrology chart to both reveal and resolve problems that plague people and prevent them from relating to the other in a way that satisfies. I like this kind of work and will definitely continue to hold workshops.

DINA: Thanks, Elsa, for taking the time to talk with the readers of Wordfeeder Copywriting and Marketing!

ELSA: Thank you, Dina.

About Elsa:

Elsa Panizzon is a consulting astrologer and owner of ElsaElsa.com, the first astrology blog on the internet. She lives in Colorado with her husband and her son and plans to run her mouth until she dies.

Popularity: 61% [?]

David Bohl of SlowDownFast.com has done something cool with his blog. He took the “25 Things About Me” meme from Facebook and turned it into a blog post, then invited people to participate by adding their “25 things” to the comments section.

I posted to his blog, but I thought I would also publish here and invite you to do the same:

25 Things About Dina at Wordfeeder.com:

1. I went nameless for a little longer than most babies. At the hospital, they tagged me “Baby Giolitto” until my parents were flipping through a magazine, saw an article on Dina Merrill, and decided that was going to be my name. Not the Merrill, just the Dina.

2. I love what I do - write advertising copy, web content and marketing materials. I’ve known that I wanted to be in advertising since age 9 when I used to edit Hammecher-Schlemmer catalogs “for fun.” My copywriting website is at http://wordfeeder.com in case you wanted to know.

3. I’m a late bloomer. I was always smaller and looked younger than everyone else. I didn’t get my first kiss until I was seventeen!

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Popularity: 47% [?]

• Are you lost about what you want to do in your career?
• Are there so many career ideas in your head that you can’t choose just one?
• Do you feel stuck where you are?
• Would you like to have a career you’re passionate about?

Then sign up today for Hallie Crawford’s brand new group coaching program! It’s called “Identify Your Ideal Career Path,” and it covers the exact same 5 step program that Hallie uses with her individual clients — at a fraction of the cost!

In this group you will:

1. Uncover your values and priorities
2. Define what would be most fulfilling for you in a career
3. Explore the 6 things you need to consider in your search for your ideal career path
4. Learn how to combine these and put them into action
5. Discover how to overcome the obstacles that hold you back from defining your ideal career
6. Create and implement a transition plan to land your ideal job

The benefits of group coaching? You save money! Plus you’ll receive support and feedback from 3 different sources — your coach, other class members, and your group buddy. We’ll all be there to help you through your transition.

And the best part? You get all this for only $150/month for 6 months — less than half of our individual coaching rate!

Go here to read more and sign up for the complimentary introductory call on January 22nd. The coaching program begins on February 5th and is over the phone so you can participate from absolutely anywhere.

Popularity: 35% [?]

DINA: Welcome to the first ever “interview with an entrepreneur…” from Entrepreneur’s Breakfast and Wordfeeder Copywriting.

This month we’re hearing from Michael Adams of Eddie’s Energy Bars in scenic Richmond, Vermont. Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to be with us today, Michael!

MICHAEL: Thanks for having me as your guest!

DINA: Okay, let’s begin. You run a successful business, and yet you’re in college. How do you manage to pull this off?

MICHAEL: This even baffles me sometimes! The secret is that my workload is somewhat reversed when I am at school. I (almost) always put school ahead of my company, so I get all of my reading done before I work on the website or call potential retailers. I also have wonderful parents who are my head bakers and distributors. They produce and distribute the energy bars while I am at school. Having that taken care of is great, and I can tend to administrative duties (making all of the business decisions) when I have time.

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Popularity: 61% [?]

Recently, Heidi Richards, founder of WE Magazine for Women, listed this blog in her “101 Women Bloggers to Watch” roundup!

THANK YOU, Heidi, for including Entrepreneur’s Breakfast. It’s an honor and a pleasure to be associated with such an enterprising woman as yourself, as well as mentioned in the same breath as this group of empowered and dynamic professional women.

WE Magazine is a veritable smorgasbord of must-have tips, tricks and tools to help the modern woman make informed decisions in both her personal and professional life. Women who read WE are bosses, business owners, mothers, lovers, sisters, daughters, friends. They’re coaches, crafters, consultants, artists, athletes, health enthusiasts, hobbyists, and technology gurus.

Most of all, women who read and contribute to WE Magazine have a passion for living and for making a difference in the world!

To read the complete cast of amazing woman bloggers on Heidi’s Hot List, click here.

Popularity: 80% [?]

by David B. Bohl

When we are young, we are invincible. There is nothing we cannot accomplish - no mountain too high to climb, no weight too heavy to bear. We believe we can do anything. If you do not believe it, go right now and try to give your teenager some words of wisdom and you will see exactly what I mean.

So when do we lose our invincibility? What happens to us over time that causes us to put limits on what we believe is possible? Most likely, someone along the way told us we were not good enough for them - that we did not have the skills, the brains, or the looks they wanted. We learned to judge ourselves, and came up wanting.

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Popularity: 52% [?]

Since we’re all about breakfast over here at EntrepreneursBreakfast.com, I thought I’d let you know about one entrepreneur who’s serving up something tasty for business owners.

Leesa Barnes the Podcasting Diva is hosting a Podcasting for Breakfast Seminar at a city near you. The event includes:

- 2 hours of live instruction on how to make money using a podcast
- Leesa’s self-authored Podcasting for Profit Book and handouts
- A savory continental breakfast
- And much more!

Fresh, hot and tasty… that’s how we like our marketing at Wordfeeder.com and that’s what Leesa Barnes is dishing up at a major city near you.

To find out more about Podcasting for Breakfast with Leesa Barnes, go here.

Leesa is someone who I have known in an “around the internet business scene” kind of way for several years now, so it’s cool to watch her taking her gig on the road. She has no idea I wrote this and I am not an affiliate of her program and have no intention of becoming one.

(Lately I’m getting this oogy feeling about affiliate programs - as though being involved with one implies that you’re just in it for the money and not because you believe the product can deliver real value.)

I know Leesa and I believe she’s doing a bangup job teaching the internet world about podcasting. You have my word on her worth - no affiliate fees attached.

- Dina at Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing

Popularity: 38% [?]

If you own your own business, then you know the value in receiving written testimonials from genuinely satisfied customers. Likewise, you may want to express your appreciation to someone who’s made a difference in your life by providing a great product or service.

The good news is, you don’t need to have been blessed with the gift for perfect prose to create a testimonial for someone. But you may want to kee your digital camera handy!

Yes… a picture is worth a thousand words. Think of how much cooler you can help to make someone else’s website, simply by snapping a photo of yourself enjoying using the product, with simple thank-you note attached.

Here is a testimonial that was sent in by “Rascal” to Nikki’s Barkery at http://nikkisniknaks.com - where you’ll find homemade, all-natural doggy treats available by mail order.

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Popularity: 41% [?]

I thought I would share a job resource that was a great source of revenue for me when I was doing offsite freelancing five years ago.

(I no longer travel to clients - Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing operates as a strictly telecommuting freelance enterprise).

When I left my corporate job in 2003, I got my advertising portfolio together and headed to The Creative Group in the hopes that they might help me break into pharmaceutical advertising. The Creative Group is a job placement firm (a subsidiary of Robert Half International) specializing in freelance creative positions such as copywriting, web and graphic design, and proofreading.

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Popularity: 21% [?]

Facebook, Ryze, LinkedIn, Myspace… what’s the point?

Can social networking REALLY work to get you clients? Or is this just a way for wily webmasters to bring hits and attention to THEIR websites, so they can pull in more ad and membership revenues?

Last week, a fairly new copywriting client asked me the above question. Then he said to me, “I emailed you to work on my project because I remembered you from Ryze.”

I was active on Ryze… oh, three years ago? And yet this person remembered me after three years, sought me out, and here we are doing a website project together.

This is not the first time I’ve gained a new client due to having “put in my time” on the social networks.

In my humble opinion and experience, I would say that the more of a standout social networking experience you create, and the more you put into making your profiles professional… the more thought you give to creating posts that add value and meaning to others’ professional lives… the more you’ll get out of social networking.

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Popularity: 66% [?]