Before I go on with my list, I just wanted to say that I’m not a hairstylist. I’m just a customer who’s exceptionally anal about my hair. Actually, not even hair – it’s just my bangs.

If you’re a budding hairstylist or even a veteran and that paragraph just deterred you from reading on, I can guarantee you will never become a great hair stylist.

#1 Because great hairstylists listen.

Hairstyling is an art, and I understand that you view people’s hair as your canvas – but the reality is that the only canvas you have free reign over is a mannequin’s wig. Real people have their own vision of how they want their hair to look. Your job is to recommend what looks fit or don’t them based on face shape, hair textures etc. Please understand that the customer has every right to reject your ideals. Obnoxiously imposing your style will never get customers to come back.

#2 Because great hairstylists understand the concept of “shape”

I’m not sure if this is just a very sad epidemic with Singapore’s hairstylists or something mediocre hairstylists just can’t quite grasp. But if I show you a picture, it is very likely I want the, for a lack of a better word, “shape” of the hair.

This is where every mediocre stylist seem to fail miserably. I’m not sure what you’re taught in school, but it’s all about the shape. If you can’t create it, tell me. I am willing to pay more to get someone who can.

Shape – done well.

#3 Because great hairstylists do not have to use excessive hair products or devices.

Shape should not completely hinge upon things like wax, tongs, treatment and whatever else. Those are things meant to enhance shape, not create it. Shape should be created by your scissor skills. Don’t have it? Learn.

My new ‘do is just beyond pathetic. It now looks like I can’t get a decent haircut in this country for under $70 and a waiting list – of which I didn’t have time to wait, since I was in dire need of a trim. I’d do anything to go back to Toronto and have my trusted Korean Ahjumma from Kyoung Hee Hair Salon cut my hair again.

So now I’ll be off to the drugstore to find me a decent pair of scissors to cut my own bangs. It’s been a while since I had to bust out my moves. Tsk tsk.

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Front of the Nanyate?! business card

Back of the Nanyate?! business card

Why would bloggers need business cards?!

For me, I attend quite a few local social media events not only as a corporate representative, but also as a blogger. However, handing out my corporate card instantly brands me as a corporate representative. So people find it difficult to reconcile between Ivy the blogger and Ivy the corporate communications executive from that telco with the iPhone. And of course, it doesn’t help that my blog’s name is unpronounciable to most. (It’s NAAN-YAH-TAY, people.) So a blogger card is exactly what I need to let people know that I too am a blogger.

As for you? I suggest you read Claudia’s entry on why bloggers should have name cards, ’cause I can’t top that entry.

Get your own Nanyate?! business card!

For those of you who live in Singapore, you can get one at the next social media event or we could just meet up for coffee. For those of you who live in the rest of the world, just e-mail me your mailing address!

Dear Readers, do you think bloggers need business cards? Do you think you need business cards? Why or why not?

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I’ve been seeing an increase in blogs on hiatus, and as a result, a decrease in the amount of quality visitors lately. In an effort to expand my blog circle, I gave blog networking a try. So, I thought I’d write a review for a few of the blogging networks I belong to, as well as some important tips to ensure blog networking success.

Entrecard vs. MyBlogLog vs. Blog Catalog

Entrecard is great for increasing hits, but not so great for increasing comments and blog buddies because of its inherent design. Entrecard users are supposed to ‘drop’ their card (their blog’s ad) on another Entrecard user’s blog. After it’s dropped, the owner of the blog will view card on their dashboard, and reciprocate, if they are interested. Dropping cards, among various other ways, will allow the user to gain Entrecard credits, to be used as currency to buy ads on other blogs. The more the user actively participates in Entrecard, the more expensive the ad space on his blog is, the more he will gain from ads. As such, not many will bother to comment. This also means that there are many low-quality blogs, who are out there just to generate hits for the sake of PayPerPost and other paid blogging programs. The search for high-quality blogs is a very arduous process. But if all you want is to increase hits, this may be one of the most efficient networks out there.

Honestly, I haven’t spent much time on MyBlogLog, mainly because I’m not a fan of its interface. However, I found it very useful for tracking visitors. I’ve been able to put names and faces on who visits my blog without looking through IP addresses on my hit counters. I’ve also been able to do the same to MyBlogLog friends, and have been able to find some real offline friends and their blogs in the process. I feel like a CIA agent when I’m on MyBlogLog. LOL! But then again, of course, the reverse also holds true. That means others are able to track my web surfing habits if they look around MyBlogLog.

Of all three, BlogCatalog is the best at doing what it’s supposed to i.e. network bloggers. I have met many of my subscribers and blog buddies from Blog Catalog. And I can vouch for the number of great blogs on the network. It’s one of the best places to check out blogs from every niche and meet people from every creed. And it is all thanks to the infrastructure of the network. On BlogCatalog, each blog page has a rating, a rank, a review section and a ‘Similar Blogs’ section. The owners’ page allows for a short biography, a ‘Shout’ section meant to be something like a Facebook Wall, amongst other network-friendly sections. There is also a discussion board and a groups section for users to hang out and mutually profit from. There’s no point system or crappy interface to misguide you. So, people who sincerely and actively participate earn their share of blog buddies and subscribers. The more you participate, the more often you blog, the higher-quality your blog is, the more your blog rank increases. Blog rank starts with 0 (worst) to 100 (best). FYI, Nanyate?! ranks a whopping 75.7! So, low-quality and spammers get weeded out in the process, and have their blogs stuffed right to the back of the directory.

The Key to Blog Networking Success

Whether you’d like to increase visits, comments or blog buddies, there is a recipe for being successful – and a very simple one at that. All you need is active participation. Search the directory. Seek out new blogs that you are genuinely interested in. Comment on them. Leave a shout. Add them as a friend. Subscribe to their entries. And I will guarantee an increase in your comments, visitors, rank and blog buddies. By becoming a member and simply listing your site, you gain absolutely nothing. Okay, maybe just a few visits.

The amount of effort you put in is directly proportional to your returns. Case in point: of all three networks, I spend the most time at BlogCatalog. That resulted in around 10 blog buddies, a handful subscribers and many links exchanged. I’ve also managed to expand my readership far beyond personal bloggers. MyBlogLog is where I spend the least amount of time at, I’ve only managed to find one long lost friend. As for Entrecard, I’m still quite new at it. So, there aren’t any notable returns as of yet.

What do you think of blog networking? Have you tried it? If so, what networks do you belong to? Which ones do you like best?

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