• Well-written, Melanie, in your frank, direct style. It has to be told and it’s so true. The thought that automatically pops up in my mind when I see these headlines is, “Well, if it’s dead, give it a rest! Let it be; it may not be dead for everyone!” It really is tiring and after being online for seven years, I see the trend continuing. One can only assume they have a measure of success because they keep doing it. Thank you for being your authentic self.

    • What a treat to see you here, Yvonne! Thanks for joining the conversation. 🙂

      Love this: “If it’s dead, give it a rest!” LOL! (And let it rest in peace.) But people don’t let it rest and I believe you’ve explained why — because they have “a measure of success” with these [questionable] death claims. That fact is both disconcerting and disgusting.

      I hope life is treating you like a princess! xoxo

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  • Nailed it again, Melanie. I get sooooo tired of the obituaries as well. My mantra has always been – there is nor right or wrong, just different. I’ll admit there’s times I wish email would die when my inbox groans under the weight of all those dead newsletters. 😉

    • ” … the weight of all those dead newsletters.” LOL!! Love it! Don’t EVER lose that marvelous sense of humor, Cathy. 😉

      I agree with you on the “different” thing. What works for me may not work for others and that’s okay. We’re fortunate to have varied marketing methods to choose from.

      Thanks for swinging by! xoxo

      P.S. Cathy, do you subscribe to Pamela Wilson’s “Weekend Digest” or Tea Silvestre Godfrey’s “Newsy Letter”? They’re my two favorite newsletters.

  • Another home run for Melanie… I get so sick of hearing that the thing I am trying my hardest to accomplish doing properly at the moment is now useless. And suicidal blog, hilarious, you must have been to mine lately…buahahaa

    • You have a blog, Tammie?! You’ve been holding out on me, girlfriend. I didn’t know you were blogging! Post the link here or shoot me a PM and lay the URL on me. Would love to visit you in the blogosphere. 🙂

      Seems there’s a general consensus of disdain for the online marketing “death claims”. My advice is to take all of that useless crap and flush it!

      • https://trampleedesigns.blogspot.com Kind of a blog and kind of a place for me to promote artists and put out what I learn along my way. Oh and gripe about bad fashion choices…

        • Tammie, I can’t imagine you “griping” about anything. ::tongue in cheek:: LOL

          Thanks for sharing the link to your kind of, sort of, thingy that might resemble a blog. 😉

          • One of my goals for this coming year is to get it more structured and get onto a schedule with it. I have been horribly slack where that is concerned. I am working on printing out some planner sheets now and getting organized. I am planning to go into 2016 with a plan in place. For the house and for the business. That way I quite getting the whole “but you don’t work” look, like I have nothing but time on my hands to do what everyone else needs. They just aren’t quite used to this whole things yet and I would hate to have to yell at people to get them used to it. I hope to move it all over to my domain in January, it is there, just not ready yet. Can you say procrastination? It has been there for 3 years and not been ready yet. I want it to be perfect. I have to get over that. I have some big things coming up and if I don’t have this end of it organized, I won’t be able to handle it all. So, this stuff has to be ready.

            • Quick questions. Listened to a webinar recently, I know… I know.. I keep waiting on that one that is gonna tell me something instead of try and sell me something.. The guys over at Learn To Blog said something interesting. That you should figure out which you are.. 1) The expert, the one doing all the telling 2) The host, the one who brings on the experts or 3) The promoter) the one who shares talent. In a nutshell. I don’t think those were the words they used for the last two. but you get the just of it. What do you think of that? Do you think you have to clearly define which you are? I love to share the work of amazing talent that I find, but, I also love to share great resources or things I find along the way that really helps me grow. Plus, I love to gab on when I see that 5000th woman with a horrible bra on and wonder “Why are the women in the world still not listening to Oprah?” Simple math, heavy boobs = gravity + disgust / good bra = no back pain and no laughing from me…

              • I have a super big newsflash for you, Tammie! You can choose to be one, two, or all three. Imagine that. 😉

                Interviewing or featuring fellow artisans and colleagues on your blog is a wonderful idea. Showcasing your expertise and your unique personality is also great. YOU own your blog, you manage it, and you get to produce any kind of content you want. Don’t stress out for one second or give a second thought to what the guys over at Learn to Blog were teaching. To me, they’re training sounds a little “canned”, “boxed”, and way too restrictive. None of us fit into any particular pigeon hole or cubbyhole. Hey, we’re creatives!

                The bottom line on blogging …

                Have fun! Share whatever you want on your blog — your talents, the talents of others, resources, fun stories, frustrations, pet peeves, inspiration, motivation, Etsy marketing tips, giveaways, contests, your latest and greatest creations … the sky’s the limit. Just work to make sure everything you post has a “goal” in mind, a business-related goal. Tie everything into something that will support your efforts to grow your business and grow your readership and grow your bottom line.

                [end of sermon]

            • Planning with a plan in place is a good plan. 😉

              “Procrastination” and “perfection” are sisters. I’d say cousins but they’re a lot more closely related than that! I know. I wrote the book. LOL

              Can’t wait to see what the New Year holds for you, Tammie! xoxo

  • So true, Melanie.

    I don’t like the hypey way people feel the need to refer to death and destruction. I might be too sensitive, but can we stop using expressions like “xyz is dead”, “killer headlines”, and “fatal mistakes”?

    PS thank you for the link love 🙂

    • Henneke, you are, undeniably, a kindred spirit and you’re most welcome for the link love. I LOVE everything you produce and all your snazzy illustrations. 🙂

      I’m with you 100% on the ‘dead’, ‘killer’, ‘fatal’ expressions. Isn’t this world filled with enough gloom and doom?! I’m sensitive in nature, too, and I’d much prefer a bigger slant toward positive prose.

      Many thanks for stopping by! xoxo

  • I remember when Joel Comm said he was quitting social media, and then at the end of a very long post, he essentially said, “Maybe I won’t quit, but it’s tempting.” Or something to that effect, I read it and lost interest in both the topic and whatever the resulting outcome would be (by all means, he’s still on social, so clearly that worked…)

    I find these types of posts nothin but vacuous linkbait BS, and usually that’s exactly what they are. If you really think something is “dead”, just stop using it and move on to the next piece of excitement you want to use (at least, until that also dies….)

    Meh.

    • Joel’s approach may have worked, Danny, but it leaves me with an icky feeling. I call that strategy the “back door approach”. Frankly, I prefer people knock on my front door. I’ll greet them there with open arms and a smile on my face. You’re right about the “link bait”. Denise mentioned that, too. I don’t have any respect for bloggers who ‘bait’ readers. I’M NOT A FISH! 😉

      Always wonderful to see you here.

  • Link bait. That is all.

    • Truer than true, Denise! BINGO. You nailed it and summed it up, succinctly and eloquently. 🙂

      • And thank you for the link luv! Didn’t catch it right away.

        • You are more than welcome, Denise. YOU will forever be my blogging hero (and maybe even my Blab-ing hero! Haven’t given it a go yet.) 😉

  • Hell yes.

    I always roll my eyes whenever I see one of these “endtimes” nonsense posts. Someone couldn’t get something to work or they have a “gotcha” at the end where only THEIR method will net you the right combination of ingredients to see success.

    Nicely done on calling it out.

    • Yeah, Nick, lots and lots of “eye-rolling”, for sure. The “gotcha” part is where my blood starts to boil. Plus this kind of content is getting really old — really fast. I’m sick of it, you’re sick of it, and let’s hope the rest of the world wakes up and smells the coffee.

      Thanks for visiting, for your unending support, and the exemplary marketing you provide your clients. 🙂