How can you develop a franchise worthy of the kind of memorability and staying power that James Bond has enjoyed for 46 years? Many of those stories have become classics and continue to generate interest and profits for the franchise. That’s because the series is anchored on some very strong characteristics that we all identify with.

The Bond movies contain all the elements of a good story: the good guy, the bad guys, protocol, honor, transgressions, the rescue(s), the romance(s). Yes, many possibilities, and all quite imaginative, some less credible than others, but certainly made believable for the purposes of our hero saving the day.

What draws us to 007 is the action, the fantasy and the sense of belief, all rolled into one long story parsed out in episodes that have kept us interested over time. A lot is going on behind the scenes to make it work. You can apply those principles to your blog, too.

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Always deliver on expectations. This means deliver on the greater story plot of your blog. If you positioned the blog as a resource for copywriters, each individual post will address a piece of that promise. Just like Bond always delivered to his audience, make sure that you can tie the frames in your story with a neat bow. For example series of posts can become a subplot in your overall treatment of the subject matter. If you announce it, follow through.

Be effective while you are efficient. Establish a set of goals to achieve and design a clear path or process to get there. Bond always accomplished his missions because he stayed focused on what he wants and sets out to do. And he does that in under two hours.

Mix it up, be resourceful. While you can achieve the best results by staying anchored to your topic, there are many variations on the core you can pursue. Bond always used a vehicle, a car, and it came with ever different features. In one of my recent posts I talked about using other tools like video and audio to present the information in different ways.

Be worldly. Where does the situation you are presenting fits in your readers’ context?It’s a good idea to research your topics so you can see who has written about them and support your statements with data and facts. Commander Bond excels in situational awareness, having knowledge of the context and what is at stake. He is often selected for his expertise.

Don’t forget to seduce. The overall impression of your blog is what keep readers coming back and wins you subscribers. Seduction is about giving something of value, and sometimes giving just enough to keep readers coming back for more. Bond has presence, wit, intelligence, and knows what he wants. He is extremely good at growing on you over time. You should, too.

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Yes, Bond gets a lot of help from Q, the nerdy scientist who provides him with highly souped up vehicles and high tech tools. We’d like to think that in the real world of competence-based competition, the true champion is Q. The tools still remain a behind the scenes support. What matters out in the social media world is still your brand, the effect it creates in people’s mind.

Remember, you want to make sure the effect is shaken, not stirred.

Content is the best part of blogging — good material provides a platform for action and even a few bonus insights to the reader. For the writer, the height comes from the pleasure of turning a great concept, composing a good sentence, sometimes earning something in addition to reputation. Trading hard earned knowledge to have it.

How do you face that empty screen, the blank digital canvas that stares back at you? Day in, day out looking to come up with post ideas. You power up the computer, open your program, look at the white space and what do you see? I would like to suggest that what you see is possibility. Make creativity a habit. Choreographer Twyla Tharp has made a career of it. You can, too.

Forget your “but’s”, “maybe’s”, and all the other defeatist thoughts — it doesn’t take extraordinary talent to be creative. It takes discipline. Set daily routines for yourself, and transform what you thought was just a stroke of genius, the spark of a rare moment into a habit — your creative habit.

It takes work, and it takes commitment. When you decide to blog for money it takes healthier doses of both — do a reality check with Darren Rowse and ProBlogger. The good news is that it is possible for you, too. If you are willing to loosen up a little.

To be creative, you need to know how to prepare to be creative. It’s about much more than quality of presentation, it’s about being able to bridge between what you see in your mind and what you present to the world — skill is how you build that bridge. And you build your skill with practice.

– Immerse yourself completely in what you are doing. No multitasking, no background music, no distractions from what is in your mind. All of those activities are mere crutches that delay your moment of truth — when you start typing and the words flow onto the page. Listen to what your mind is saying.

– Discover what is the one tool that feeds your creativity. Then find a way to make it portable. For a writer it may be a pen and a pad of paper to be able to jot notes. I type my posts, but I like to jot down notes anywhere I am to capture moments of inspiration.

– Reveal yourself. In other words, learn to understand your patterns, sources of inspiration, what makes your writing work. The real secret of creativity is to go back and remember. Use your memories to rediscover new ways to talk about topics.

– Start a creative box with your notes, images, and all the sensory information you need to store your ideas for when you’re ready to retrieve them to tell a story. We tend to do that in rapid fire format, it doesn’t have to be that way. Sometimes a topic becomes much better with the passing of time. The box is your preparation.

– Improvise and see what happens. I wrote some of my best posts on the spur of the moment. Let your inhibitions go and just write. Want to know my secret? When I start feeling the tingling in my belly, the thought of being a little scared, I am certain I’m on to something. Trust your gut, it’s an excellent guide. If you never dare write it, you’ll never know.

– Build a bridge to the next day. Never completely finish everything you have on your plate. You may notice that your moment of peak energy is just after you have written a killer post. Start another one, begin outlining the idea before you leave it for the next day. You will be glad you did, as it will be provide a launching pad for generating more material when you start working the following day. it’s a jump start. I try to work at least two days ahead of myself so I have time to edit, tighten, research, insert that inspiring phrase.

– Find your very own validation squad. This is a group of people that does not have an agenda and you know will be candid with you. Seek their counsel, test drive ideas with them. Sometimes all we need is for our idea to be heard to tackle it.

Confidence is a trait that can be earned and needs to be refreshed constantly. Make blogging your creative habit and your will uncover limitless opportunities to generate content and have fun with it.

Let me come clean with you, I don’t do many of these things. I don’t do them at my blog, but I have executed multimedia marketing programs, and they work. They work because multimedia helps a site stand out and it helps the reader, your customer, have a more complete experience with your content.

Different people respond to and interact with different stimuli — that’s why it’s a good idea to consider having visuals, words, audio, and video interspersed. Given the lower cost of entry, and that the average person now has more computing power than they will probably be able to exploit fully, it has become easier to be a multimedia production studio in house, on your blog.

The five things you should do to keep pace in 2008 are:

Videoblog. With the advent of services like Seesmic, Hictu, Ustream and VlogCentral where you can upload straight from webcams — and virtually all new computers equipped with cameras and editing tools like iMovie and FinalCut Profor Macs and Movie Maker for Windows, v/blogging is finally ready for the masses. How will you execute — like Twitter, but with pictures? Or a more structured approach?

Moblog. Say what you will about iPhone: its competitors are clearly scrambling to catch up, particularly with iPhone’s web interface. We’re not just talking about producing mobile-friendly content (though there are some great plugins for this) — now you can actually blog on the go with Utterz. It’s very promising: cellphone as blogging platform. See Mashable’s review.

Start a group blog. No need to do new writing — there are a new generation of aggregating plugins for things like WordPress which can help you start your very own LifeRemix. Find like-minded bloggers and build a new theme site, automatically reposting from your home site. Develop your own targeted portal — see for example the one Steve Woodruff developed for a group of us at Pageflakes; Conversation Agent is under the social media tab. This is particularly useful to niche and influence bloggers.

Diversify. Start a newsletter, the audience is very different from those who come to blogs, and you can recycle your evergreen material. In September, Lorelle wrote a series of posts here on converting from newsletter to blog. You could do the reverse. Use an ethical rich email provider. Or start a “new” blog by adding a new content section in a sub-domain. Why not add a digital photography section, or something else related, but capable of standing on its own?

The jury is still out on Twitter. Perhaps it’s a great tool. Perhaps it’s a time vacuum, destroying the chance that comments could be made on your site. Instead, people who talk to you there, may never come back to comment on your blog. They are already with you in their minds. But if you’re not exploring it, you should do so, and vow to put the Twitter down and step away from it, just like you did with your CrackBerry, every so often.

Blogging is changing, and for the better. It is adapting to the types of personalities of many diverse people and cultures. Try these five things out, that’s the best way to see if they work for you and your style.

As the year draws to a close, it is good to take stock of how far you’ve come with your blog. We all like to think about improvements to implement in the New Year. Rather than offering a list of to dos, I prefer to consider ways to be a marketer that highlight your accomplishments all year around. With that in mind, people notice you when you:

1. Write something fresh, unique, and useful in a human voice — this is as true of your business web site as it is of your blog. You ask time and attention of your readers and visitors, make sure they are both well spent on learning about topics and opinions they cannot find anywhere else. As more companies and businesses start considering blogs as tools to begin online conversations, it is important to remember that along with information that readers find valuable, voice plays a large role in stickiness. Make it personal and human — it is on both counts.

2. Become a trusted source of news and informed opinions — there has been a lot of discussion around the definition and meaning of expert. Personally, I prefer to become a trusted advisor, and so should you. The Internet is a great place to find information on every conceivable thing. You can run searches on virtually any topic and find dozens and dozens of entries. This is good, yet it can also overwhelm. When you act as an informed and reliable source, your experience and expertise also come through.

3. Are a good member of the community — highlight the great content that other people create, become active on other blogs and sites with comments, guest posts, interviews and volunteering advice off line. Blogging can be a solitary activity, especially when you aim to create original content. Get out there and help others and you will find more inspiration to bring what you know to the surface.

4. Show that you can be trusted and that you care — every contract that lasts is based upon trust and care. All it needs is a hand shake and a nod. If you think back at the people you most admire and respect, they are probably the ones you never doubted for a moment. Not everything is up for grabs, relationships are complex. Some things are not blog material, don’t think they should be just because you are there when they happen. Ask permission first, and provide a sanctuary where a face to face encounter is off limits. We are human after all, not everything is and should be for public consumption.

5. Put the work in — the best way to succeed is to be in it for the long term. Why would you expect time and attention from others if you haven’t put them in yourself? People often ask me how I landed a guest blogger gig at FastCompany.com, for example. I started developing off line conversations with the magazine readers seven years ago and offered free monthly events with thought leaders, CEOs and prominent businesses to a group that has grown to include more than 500 members.

6. Get the word out — this may seem a bit simplistic, yet I am surprised at how many people overlook the step. Register your blog or site URL with the search engines. Google, Yahoo, and DMOZ.org. Use a description that captures your niche market and topic — the more specific, the better in helping you stand out. If you are judicious and have asked permission first, it is good to spread the news to friends and colleagues. Remember that while it may be promotion that gets the word out, it is solid and useful content that keeps people coming back for more.

7. Listen to your customers — yes, you may think about them as readers, yet the people who happen upon your site are customers. Learn from them by engaging in the conversation when they comment. A good way to do this is user surveys. Cheap, too. Those are perfect opportunities to listen and adapt to your customers needs and wants. Granted, they visit because you already provide what is appealing and interesting to them. Yet the best way to develop relationships is to listen to what others draw from your content.

8. Think creatively — while it’s good to be a reliable and steady source of a consistent type of content, every so often it’s also great to shake things up a little. Using a different perspective, inviting a guest blogger, or recalibrating your brand (and focus) are all signs that you are putting the effort and care in what you offer.

9. Project the right image — make sure your layout, sidebars and links are all aligned with the purpose and meaning you are trying to convey with your content. Design means business, not only colors, lines and photographs. Choose the appropriate illustrations and shots, those that complement and complete your message.

10. Remain grateful and thankful for the connections you make — each comment, each email and message is a gift, take them as such. Never, ever take your customers for granted. Take the time to acknowledge people and find new ways to be of service to them.

Too often, we look to the latest social media tool or viral marketing technique to grow our blogs. In the end, however, nothing matters unless you are hitting the basics. Blogging still comes down to authenticity, consistency, and interaction with your readers. If you are looking to expand your reach in 2008, this should be your first New Year’s resolution.

The holiday season is upon us and parties abound. Whether the event is a small gathering or a large affair, people are in the mood to chat, see and be seen and generally predisposed to being marketed to. When done with a soft touch, marketing at a party is the best kind of soft sell.

You probably heard about or participated in a Tupperware party in your neighborhood at some point — this is the quintessential American compliance setting, according to psychologist Robert Cialdini in his popular book “The Psychology of Influence”. The dynamics of a Tupperware party in fact make use of many methods of influence. Let’s take a look:

– Reciprocity — the event’s kick off includes many games at which participants win small prizes. If you don’t win a prize, you get to pick from a grab bag. Transfer this to marketing your blog and you have the idea of giving before the buying begins. There are many ways to give value up front in form of eBooks, papers, tips, links and resources that your readers will find useful.

– Commitment — each participant is invited to share about uses and benefits of the Tupperware he already owns. Inserting smart inquiries in your well crafted posts allows your readers to describe how helpful your material has been to them so that others can see it. These are what marketers call testimonials. You’ve seen them probably as quotes extolling the virtues of a product or service complete with name, title and company of the satisfied customer.

– Social proof — once the buying begins, each purchase goes to reinforce the act of buying for others. We like to have what people similar to us have; it must be good if others are buying. The hardest action is always the first one, the one that kicks off things — think about auctions too. Once someone indicates they like something, others come forward. It’s the same for a shop, a restaurant or a cafe’ — you like to see people in there having a good time. Number of commenters and number of readers make a positive impression and provide social proof for your blog.

Yet by far the most powerful dynamic you can tap into is the liking rule. In Tupperware parties you have a person who acts as the demonstrator. As entertaining and persuasive as that person is, the actual selling is done by the host — she is your neighbor, someone you know and like. The arrangement has her get a cut of the evening’s sales — and everyone knows that.

It works even when customers are totally aware of the pressure they are subjected to because of the liking and friendship. These numbers date back to the early nineties, but you may be astounded to learn that these parties generated sales in excess of $2.5 million per day at that time.

What are the factors that cause a person to like another person? How can you put the liking rule to work for you?

Attractiveness — this of course applies to people. In blogging it applies to layout and design. Social scientists call it the “halo effect”. A halo effect occurs when one positive characteristic of a person dominates the way that person is viewed by others. A professionally looking design and layout can introduce an overall positive impression of the site. According to research, visitors will automatically assign favorable traits like intelligence, honesty, and kindness to attractive individuals. to be sure, we make those judgments without being aware that we do.

Similarity — we like people who are similar to us. Whether we talk about opinions, personality traits, background, or life-style. You may have noticed it at parties, groups of similarly thinking individuals hang together. They do so also online. One of the groups with the highest level of affinity I have seen so far is bloggers who write about social media. It may be because the topic attracts gregarious people or perhaps it is the nature of the subject that makes people that way. Marketers are also quite expansive with each other.

Compliments — do I need to say more? Have you said “I like you” to anyone lately? it really works because we are suckers for flattery. Well, it needs to sound genuine, but in general we want to believe praise and like those who provide it.

Contact and cooperation — we are more favorable towards the things we have contact with. One of the reasons why making comments on other blogs and interacting with people on Twitter, for example, works is because we become accustomed to seeing their avatar and reading their style and they ours. As for cooperation, think about guest posts, agreeing to moderate someone’s discussion or publicizing their work.

Conditioning and association — being connected and associated with good news or good things influences how people feel about you. Spending time with the right group of writers and thinkers will elevate your skills and influence your decisions and learning positively. Think also about a popular topic. If you can time it right, you may be quite opportunistic and ride the wave with the movers and shakers of the blogosphere by writing about it and publicizing it in the appropriate venues. You will then be seen as associating your smarts with theirs.

One word of caution, do not exploit these techniques. They need to be tempered by authenticity and candor or else they will stop working and turn on you, just like a medicine taken one time too many. The best way to influence others is to maintain a gentle hold on the influence you exercise on yourself.