The Best of Copyblogger 2009

You didn’t think we’d close out the year without a “Best of 2009” post, did you? Well, you’re not getting off that easy.

Here’s the best Copyblogger content of the year, based on your enthusiasm via comments, links, retweets, and gratuitous offerings of produce-based holiday desserts. We thank you all for your continued support (but we trashed the fruitcake, sorry).

Let’s get started.

• The First Rule of Copyblogger – It’s a wonderful thing to wake up one morning, check the blog, and see that your Senior Editor has made a Fight Club reference that also establishes the underlying theme of the entire publication. Her name is Sonia Simone, her name is Sonia Simone . . . .
• The Winnie the Pooh Guide to Blogging – Adding to a Copyblogger portfolio that includes drag queens, cross-dressing and what women really want, James Chartrand kicked off the year with blogging lessons from everyone’s favorite Pooh bear. And you were shocked that he is really a she? Really?
• 5 Steps to Going Viral on Twitter – Want traffic from Twitter? Read this post. Want the most possible traffic from Twitter? Post about Twitter.
• How Twitter Makes You A Better Writer – In the most counterintuitive post of the year, Jennifer Blanchard makes the case that being confined to 140 characters improves your writing skills. Coming in 2010 – How Beer Makes You a Better Driver.
• The Art of Writing Great Twitter Headlines – Twitter reinforces the single most important component to attracting online attention — the headline. Well, that and fake celebrity deaths. Better to stick with the headline skills.
• 10 Secrets to More Magnetic Copy – First-time guest writer Jason Cohen knocks it out of the park with these quick and witty copy tips. He also forces us to retire magnetism metaphors indefinitely.
• How to Turn Affiliate Marketing Disclosure Into a Selling Point – Everyone seemed surprised that the FTC said compensation disclosure laws apply to bloggers and social media just like other forms of media. I could say I told you so back in 2006, but I won’t. Even though I did. Not that I’d mention that.
• The Eminem Guide to Becoming a Writing and Marketing Machine – All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating, but you could do worse. Sean Platt lays down what Marshall Mathers III can teach you about taking your online game to the next level (without getting picketed).
• The 7 Harsh Realities of Social Media Marketing – Did you notice all the “make money quick and easy with social media” hucksters that slithered out from under a rock (and then disappeared just as quickly) in 2009? This one’s for those guys, and anyone who considered following their lame advice.
• How to Write With a Knife – Check out this post if you want to improve one of the most important aspects of any type of writing — tight editing. Or if you want to see a cool picture of a blonde with a samurai sword. Whichever.
• Since When Are Blogs Not Social Media? – Social networking went mainstream in 2009, prompting some who hopped on board in late 2008 to say they were giving up social media for blogging. What?
• Blogging is Dead (Again) – The “blogging is dead” meme comes up at least once a year, but I only feel the need to respond every other year. I feel the same way about voice mail.
• The 7 Deadly Sins of Blogging – Sonia reveals the seven sins that will cause you to fail online faster than hiring Robert Scoble.
• Is Commenting on Blogs a Smart Traffic Strategy? – This was a rant in disguise after I’d had enough watching the less-than-smart strategies of some bloggers who left comments. Ironically, the post got 270 comments (and counting), but lame comments on Copyblogger subsequently decreased by 270% (or something).
• Why You’re Too Qualified and Respectful to Produce Great Content – This post is an absolute must read for everyone, unless of course you already know you should write assertively, or if you’re busy doing something else, or just don’t feel like it. Maybe later.
• Seven Bad Writing Habits You Learned in School – Sonia and I would have liked to qualify this post a bit, but I’d like to see you try that with Jon Morrow when he’s got a head of steam. So, a few English teachers got a bit upset, but we placated them with bouquets of gerunds.
• Why Content is No Longer King (And Who’s Taking His Place) – The content marketing revolution demonstrates that mere content is no longer king, and this post tells you who’s taking over. No, it’s not Elvis, nor is it a prime minister appointed by the Queen as Lord of Parliament and majority leader of the House of Commons.
• The #1 Conversion Killer in Your Copy (And How to Beat It) – What do trolls, sea monkeys, shady carnival barkers and chronic halitosis have to do with online conversion? And what was Tiger Woods thinking? (Tiger’s not in the post, I just really want to know).
• 9 Proven Headline Formulas That Sell Like Crazy – Dean Rieck resurrects an old Copyblogger standard with these insanely effective headline templates. But please go sell crazy someplace else . . . we’re all stocked up here.
• Why You Can’t Make Money Blogging – Poor Fake Steve Jobs discovers he’s better suited for day jobs. Read this post to learn why “I want to make money on the Internet” is not a business model.
• Is Your Tribe Holding You Down? – The post that defined the Third Tribe was inspired by a challenging email from Seth Godin and our refusal to switch to decaf. What does it all mean? You’ll see in early 2010.
• On Dying, Mothers, and Fighting for Your Ideas – No joke here, simply the post of the year. Thanks Jon, for sharing with and inspiring us all.

There you have it . . . the best of Copyblogger for 2009. Can we top it in 2010?

We’ll try pretty hard. Hope you’re along for the ride.

Happy New Year!

About the Author: Brian Clark is founder of Copyblogger and CEO of Copyblogger Media. Get more from Brian on Twitter.