Box Scores: July 27-Aug 2 – “Blogging Mojo, Killing Creatives and Big Spenders”

For you consistent readers, we’ve got good news. It’s Monday, and Box Scores are here and on-time, ready for your reading enjoyment. For you first-time visitors, we’ve also got some good news for you. Box Scores are here and ready for your reading enjoyment (sorry…we just think it’s good news for everyone involved). So, first time readers and repeat offenders, get in for some highlights from the blogosphere last week (and don’t be afraid to let us know what you think when you’re done reading).

First up, we’ll kick things off with a post from Copyblogger…

-“73 Ways to Become a Better Writer”

This is simply a great post from Copyblogger by Mary Jaksch that is as direct as its title implies. Mary lists 73 ways to become a better writer, and whether you’re a full-fledged blogger, simply a Twitter/Facebook user, or a non-blogging and non-Twittering non-writer, they’re all worth learning from. Even non-writers could afford to become better writers, and Mary tells you how. The key? Practice. As she puts it, “The good news is that writing makes you a better writer. Just like practicing the piano makes you a better pianist, or riding a trail bike makes you a better biker.” Great advice (and well-worth the read).

-“Nine Must-Haves for the Social Media Newsroom of My Dreams”

Not to share this post from Shannon Paul would be nothing short of a complete mistake. Shannon lists some great thoughts/insights as to how you can make the lives of reporters/bloggers/whoever easier by souping up your social media newsroom. Even just taking a few of these and making them happen is worth the effort, so read up and see how you can use the nine must-haves for the social media newsroom of Shannon’s (and many other people’s) dreams…

-“How truly serious are you about being social?”

A short and sweet post from Beth Harte that simply asks what you would do for your clients if the social media tools like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn were to suddenly disappear tomorrow. Would you change your current online strategy? Abandon it entirely? Re-craft it with a totally different focus? Once you’ve answered the question in your own head, share your thoughts on Shannon’s blog (or right here in the comments section below).

-“Being Nice Will Kill Young Creatives”

It will. If you don’t understand how that’s possible, watch the video from the post and you’ll see what we mean. While I (Mike) wrote a post based off of this one last week, the above-mentioned post from Adgabber is absolutely worth watching/reading to see how being too nice harms not only yourself and your company, but also harms the young creatives who need genuine criticism in order to improve. Otherwise…they’re just drowning in your (over)positivity.

-“Groupon – Clever Collective Buying Site”

Not a whole lot to say about this Chris Brogan post other than the fact that, if you’re hoping to share/spread information, there’s nothing like making people share it/spread it in order to get what they want. Want the deal? Make sure everybody else wants it too. Seems like a logical way to build some buzz and push people to your site. Chris even defines the logic of the concept’s ROI , so it makes the traditional marketing folks happier too – “In the screen grab I took, the deal is for people to attend a spa, and 25 people had to buy at the offered rate of $65 USD. 67 people (at the time of this writing) took the deal, which, if you think about it means that the spa books over $4300 in business for this one promotion. Not bad, eh?” Not bad at all, Chris. Not bad at all.

-“How to Find Your Blogging Mojo – Experiment with Different Voices and Styles of Writing”

This post from Darren Rowse is another “become a better writer” post (which makes two of those for this week’s Box Scores). Darren’s insight is a great perspective for those folks that just want to connect with readers and know that those readers enjoy reading what you (the writer) are writing. As Darren puts it, “Some bloggers just seem to be able to write in a way that connects. They go beyond technically writing well to a style that just works.” If you’re able to do that, you’ll certainly get a few readers coming back for more. And that works out well for everyone.

-“Big Spenders Get the Most Buzz”

The title sums it up pretty nicely, but this AdAge post looks at some of the bigger brands in this country and how they’ve fared when spending more money (even if the economy is a little down right now). Based on the title, the results aren’t shocking, but it’s worth a read if you’re considering whether or not spending money is the right thing for your company. We’re not saying whether it is or isn’t (because it certainly depends on you or your company on an individual basis), but we encourage you to read the post and let us know your thoughts on the matter.

And so, another week of Box Scores comes to a close. While it’s a shame we have to end them so soon, we’ll have more content for you as the week goes on and you can rest assured knowing that we’ll be back with more Box Scores next Monday. For now, enjoy this week’s bunch and tell us what you thought (good choices, missed opportunities, or other constructive criticism) by leaving a comment below, dropping us a line on Facebook at Facebook.com/deepbench, OR by tweeting us on Twitter at @deepbench.

Photo by uteart.