© Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman
Most of the "rules" about writing for ezines and newsletters apply to writing posts for your blog, but there are some important differences.
Keep these 10 tips in mind and you'll be publishing great blog content that attracts prospects and clients in your niche market.
1. Write with the reader in mind. Remember WIIFM? It's marketing jargon for What's In It For Me? That's what you should be keeping in mind. Your reader will read your post looking for what's in it for them.
2. Make it valuable and worthwhile. Don't waste people's time. If you don't have anything to say, no problem, plenty other people do. So share their articles, do an interview, review a book.
3. Proof-read for typos and glaring grammatical errors. You wouldn't go out of the house with dirty hair or missing a sock, so why would you publish spelling mistakes? Respect your readers by polishing up your stuff.
4. Keep it short and simple, sweetie (KISS). Most people are scanners. You may have a lot to say and think it interesting, and it may be. But people are reading online and out of time. Get to the point quickly. Publishing short posts more frequently is a better format than publishing lengthy articles every few weeks.
5. Keep it lively, make it snappy and snazzy. Even if you aren't a natural born writer, you can write for your blog. Just write like you're speaking to your friend.or to yourself! Remember though, get to the point quickly. Keep in mind the journalist's rule of 5 W's in the first paragraph: who, what, why, when and where.
6. Link often. This builds credibility and positions you as an expert in your field. People don't have time to know what others are doing, you should tell them. Linking to other blogs and websites also helps you build a network of associates who will in turn link to your blog.
7. Use keywords often. This will help you stay on purpose, and the search engines will love your blog. Your rankings will go up. This is one of the reasons we haveyou write out your purpose statements before beginning your blog. The clearer you are about your purpose, the more consistently you will deliver messages that are on target. And the more often your keywords show up, the better your search engine results.
8. Write clearly (short sentences, only one concept per sentence). No double speak or jargon; no more than one idea in one sentence- don't make your readers have to think about your meaning. Spoon feed them. Use commas and dashes liberally.
9. Write like you talk. It's okay to use common expressions from speech. Examples:Go figure.Don't even go there.Now, I ask you.Gotta love it.(And, remember the age group of your readers.)
10. Use a clear headline, and don't be afraid to make bold statements (but don't mislead people either). Make it snazzy and use key words. Example: Ex-Techno-Weenie Masters HTML Code
BONUS: After you write a post and BEFORE you hit the save button Use this checklist to ask yourself a few questions as you are reading through for typos and grammar:
Is the topic clear to someone who only reads the headline?
Does the lead paragraph tell who and what the story is about and why the reader should care about it?
Is the angle you've used likely to seem newsworthy?
Would someone who knows absolutely nothing about this topic understand this post?
Is the post free of jargon?
Is it written in journalistic style and does it make an effort to be objective?
Have you peppered the headline and the post with keywords and phrases that will be attractive to search engines?
Did you remember to ask your readers a question at the end, or something to stimulate readers to comment?
Did you remember to write with the reader in mind, always keeping in mind WIIFT? (What's in It for Them?)
Patsi Krakoff of Customized Newsletter Services, and Denise Wakeman of Next Level Partnership, have teamed up to create blogging classes and marketing services for independent professionals. You can read and subscribe to their blogs at http://www.coachezines.com, http://www.bizbooknuggets.com and http://www.biztipsblog.com
Monday, December 17, 2007
Blogging for Dollars
Blogging for dollars might sound like the latest game show or some new drinking game, but it's the latest craze to hit the Internet. Bloggers began blogging for a number of reasons, but as the blog movement has increased in popularity, they have found ways to monetize their blogs and are seeing their commitment pay off.
Whether a blogger's focus is to communicate with customers or just to have fun, they have begun looking at ways to earn revenue from their blogs. The most popular ways for bloggers to earn some added cash for their pet projects are:
1. ) Google Adsense in BlogsGoogle AdSense allows webmasters to dynamically serve content-relevant advertisements in blogs. If the visitor clicks one of the AdSense ads served to the blog, the website owner is credited for the referral. Webmasters need only to insert a Google-generated java script into the blog or blog template. Google's spider parses the AdServing blog and serves ads that relate to the blog's content. Google uses a combination of keyword matching and context analysis to determine what ads should be served.
2. ) Affiliate Programs (Product Endorsements)Affiliate Programs work when an affiliate web site receives income for generating sales, leads, or traffic to a merchant website. Generally, bloggers will mention or endorse specific products and if site visitors purchase the product, bloggers will receive a portion of the sale.
3. ) Product Promotion Businesses use blogs to detail how specific features or product add-ons can increase functionality and save time. Content-rich product promotion will help with search engine placement.
4.) Banner AdsWhile less popular than in the past, websites with high traffic levels can still earn decent revenue by selling banner space.
As the Internet evolves bloggers will continue to seek out ways to monetize their opinions and thoughts. Daily journals and online blogs have become more than just a communication means to many.
About the Author: Sharon Housley manages marketing for the NotePage http://www.notepage.net and FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com product lines. Other sites by Sharon can be found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com , and http://www.small-business-software.net
Whether a blogger's focus is to communicate with customers or just to have fun, they have begun looking at ways to earn revenue from their blogs. The most popular ways for bloggers to earn some added cash for their pet projects are:
1. ) Google Adsense in BlogsGoogle AdSense allows webmasters to dynamically serve content-relevant advertisements in blogs. If the visitor clicks one of the AdSense ads served to the blog, the website owner is credited for the referral. Webmasters need only to insert a Google-generated java script into the blog or blog template. Google's spider parses the AdServing blog and serves ads that relate to the blog's content. Google uses a combination of keyword matching and context analysis to determine what ads should be served.
2. ) Affiliate Programs (Product Endorsements)Affiliate Programs work when an affiliate web site receives income for generating sales, leads, or traffic to a merchant website. Generally, bloggers will mention or endorse specific products and if site visitors purchase the product, bloggers will receive a portion of the sale.
3. ) Product Promotion Businesses use blogs to detail how specific features or product add-ons can increase functionality and save time. Content-rich product promotion will help with search engine placement.
4.) Banner AdsWhile less popular than in the past, websites with high traffic levels can still earn decent revenue by selling banner space.
As the Internet evolves bloggers will continue to seek out ways to monetize their opinions and thoughts. Daily journals and online blogs have become more than just a communication means to many.
About the Author: Sharon Housley manages marketing for the NotePage http://www.notepage.net and FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com product lines. Other sites by Sharon can be found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com , and http://www.small-business-software.net
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Increase Your Blog Traffic by Article Marketing
Article Marketing is defined as that art of marketing by which we get a
lot of traffic due to submission of quality articles to article directories.
Each article contains a resource box. 3 urls are permitted in the
resource box. Here is a sample resource box which gets me traffic
Article by G Kumar, astrologer, writer and programmer of
http://www.articlewisdom.com/ He has 15 years research experience in
Stock Market Astrology and other in various other branches of
Astrology. Recentlyhe was awarded a Certificate by the Planetary
Gemologists Association as a Planetary Gem Advisor. To subscribe
to his Free ezine,the Z Files, click here
mailto:info@eastrovedica.com?subject=ZFiles . Free blogtipping at
Blog - http://blog2wisdom.blogspot.com/
First url is my main website url. Second one is the free subscription
to my Zine. And the third is the blog url.
This is the resource box used when I submitted an 'Blog Your Way to
the Bank' article to article directories.
Now the Zine publishers and website owners are looking for quality
articles. They can get these articles from the article directories. They
visit the article directories and download articles of their choice.
They publish these articles in their Zines/ Websites.
The readers read these articles and click on these hyperlinks. And
what do you get ? Traffic, which is Internet Gold !
Normally you can submit a 3 url resource box. Putting more than 3
urls in the Resource box is risky.
Here is a list of Article Directories. I used to submit articles to these
directories, which has given me good traffic.
http://www.indiaonline.in/articles/post-article.asp
http://www.articlenetworks.com/
http://www.article-content-king.com/
http://www.articles-submit.com/
http://www.newfreearticles.com/
http://www.articlenexus.com/
http://www.articlealley.com/
http://www.a1articles.com/
http://www.contentarticles.com/
http://www.kokkada.com/
http://www.article99.com/
http://www.articlefinders.com/
http://www.articledepot.co.uk/
http://www.articlesfactory.com/
http://www.article-spot.com/
http://www.articlesymposium.com/
http://www.articleteller.com/
http://www.articlewheel.com/
http://www.bigarticle.com/
http://www.christiannotepad.com/
http://www.dognewscenter.com/
http://www.easyarticles.com/
http://www.e-calc.net/
www.contenttycoon.com
http://www.articlewisdom.com/
http://www.articlecity.com/
www.articlehub.com
www.ezinearticles.com
www.articlestop.com
www.articledashboard.com
www.goarticles.com
www.articlewebdirectory.com
www.articlebiz.com
www.articlefever.com
www.contentfueled.com
http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com
www.articlesender.com
www.articlerich.com
www.articlesphere.com
www.articles-submit.com
www.articlemaniac.com
www.postarticles.com
www.upromote.com
http://www.freezine-articles.com/
http://freezinesite.com/
http://www.hotlib.com/articles/
http://www.ideamarketers.com/
http://www.internetarticledirectory.com/
http://www.klienwachter.com/adarticles/
http://www.mainstreetmom.com/
http://www.media13.com/
http://www.mydolittle.com/
http://www.myfamilyliving.com/
www.freearticles.com
www.articles.co.nz
www.articledatabase.com
www.article-warehouse.com
www.authorconnection.com
www.articleempire.com
www.articlecircuit.com
www.articlecrazy.com
www.writeyourarticles.com
www.articlemailbox.com
www.articlestack.com
www.articlestogo.com
www.articlebiz.com
www.articles_galore.com
www.add-articles.com
www.spiritualminds.com
http://hotlib.com/articles/submit.php
www.book-of-thoth.com
www.drualtys.com
www.bharatbhasha.com
If you want furthur the names of article directory sites, here is the link
http://www.eastrovedica.com/html/articlesubmissioncenters.htm
My main site, http://www.eastrovedica.com/ has got more than 384 K
hits and my main blog, recently started, http://zodiacastrology.blogspot.com/
has got more than 10 K hits, mainly due to Article Marketing !
All my 22 blogs have got good traffic. Also my five websites and I
attribute all this to Article Marketing. I blog regularly about the
subjects I love - cricket, marketing, blogging, philosophy, astrology,
gemology, numerology etc. Many come to my office to learn blogging.
I have also monetised by blogs and sites & am getting monthly checks
from Google & Adbrite, thanks to Article Marketing !
May you increase your blog traffic with Article Marketing
lot of traffic due to submission of quality articles to article directories.
Each article contains a resource box. 3 urls are permitted in the
resource box. Here is a sample resource box which gets me traffic
Article by G Kumar, astrologer, writer and programmer of
http://www.articlewisdom.com/ He has 15 years research experience in
Stock Market Astrology and other in various other branches of
Astrology. Recentlyhe was awarded a Certificate by the Planetary
Gemologists Association as a Planetary Gem Advisor. To subscribe
to his Free ezine,the Z Files, click here
mailto:info@eastrovedica.com?subject=ZFiles . Free blogtipping at
Blog - http://blog2wisdom.blogspot.com/
First url is my main website url. Second one is the free subscription
to my Zine. And the third is the blog url.
This is the resource box used when I submitted an 'Blog Your Way to
the Bank' article to article directories.
Now the Zine publishers and website owners are looking for quality
articles. They can get these articles from the article directories. They
visit the article directories and download articles of their choice.
They publish these articles in their Zines/ Websites.
The readers read these articles and click on these hyperlinks. And
what do you get ? Traffic, which is Internet Gold !
Normally you can submit a 3 url resource box. Putting more than 3
urls in the Resource box is risky.
Here is a list of Article Directories. I used to submit articles to these
directories, which has given me good traffic.
http://www.indiaonline.in/articles/post-article.asp
http://www.articlenetworks.com/
http://www.article-content-king.com/
http://www.articles-submit.com/
http://www.newfreearticles.com/
http://www.articlenexus.com/
http://www.articlealley.com/
http://www.a1articles.com/
http://www.contentarticles.com/
http://www.kokkada.com/
http://www.article99.com/
http://www.articlefinders.com/
http://www.articledepot.co.uk/
http://www.articlesfactory.com/
http://www.article-spot.com/
http://www.articlesymposium.com/
http://www.articleteller.com/
http://www.articlewheel.com/
http://www.bigarticle.com/
http://www.christiannotepad.com/
http://www.dognewscenter.com/
http://www.easyarticles.com/
http://www.e-calc.net/
www.contenttycoon.com
http://www.articlewisdom.com/
http://www.articlecity.com/
www.articlehub.com
www.ezinearticles.com
www.articlestop.com
www.articledashboard.com
www.goarticles.com
www.articlewebdirectory.com
www.articlebiz.com
www.articlefever.com
www.contentfueled.com
http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com
www.articlesender.com
www.articlerich.com
www.articlesphere.com
www.articles-submit.com
www.articlemaniac.com
www.postarticles.com
www.upromote.com
http://www.freezine-articles.com/
http://freezinesite.com/
http://www.hotlib.com/articles/
http://www.ideamarketers.com/
http://www.internetarticledirectory.com/
http://www.klienwachter.com/adarticles/
http://www.mainstreetmom.com/
http://www.media13.com/
http://www.mydolittle.com/
http://www.myfamilyliving.com/
www.freearticles.com
www.articles.co.nz
www.articledatabase.com
www.article-warehouse.com
www.authorconnection.com
www.articleempire.com
www.articlecircuit.com
www.articlecrazy.com
www.writeyourarticles.com
www.articlemailbox.com
www.articlestack.com
www.articlestogo.com
www.articlebiz.com
www.articles_galore.com
www.add-articles.com
www.spiritualminds.com
http://hotlib.com/articles/submit.php
www.book-of-thoth.com
www.drualtys.com
www.bharatbhasha.com
If you want furthur the names of article directory sites, here is the link
http://www.eastrovedica.com/html/articlesubmissioncenters.htm
My main site, http://www.eastrovedica.com/ has got more than 384 K
hits and my main blog, recently started, http://zodiacastrology.blogspot.com/
has got more than 10 K hits, mainly due to Article Marketing !
All my 22 blogs have got good traffic. Also my five websites and I
attribute all this to Article Marketing. I blog regularly about the
subjects I love - cricket, marketing, blogging, philosophy, astrology,
gemology, numerology etc. Many come to my office to learn blogging.
I have also monetised by blogs and sites & am getting monthly checks
from Google & Adbrite, thanks to Article Marketing !
May you increase your blog traffic with Article Marketing
55 Essential Articles Every Serious Blogger Should Read
June 4th, 2007 by Matt Huggins
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
After blogging for some time now, I’ve encountered countless articles that have truly helped to refine many aspects of my blog. This includes the visual structure, layout and types of advertising and affiliate programs utilized, plug-ins implemented for ease of use, search engine optimization and overall productivity, and much more.
Many of these articles would have been helpful before starting my own blog, but I also doubt that I would have been successful in putting most of these tips to use right away. Like me, I’m sure many of you are always looking for ways to improve your blogs. And since blogs are constantly growing and changing, it’s always a good time to do whatever you can to make your blog the very best.
With that said, here are 55 essential articles I’ve come across that have positively influenced my blog decision-making and will undoubtedly help you too. I’ve also included a select few of my own past articles that are of relevance in order to “pay it forward.”
Blogging Basics: Getting Started
Can You Make a Living Blogging? (Graywolf SEO)
Five Beginner’s Blogging Tips (John Chow)
The First 7 Days of Blogging (Pronet Advertising)
Put on Your Game Face (Pronet Advertising)
How to “Announce” a Blog (Blog Traffic School)
Building Meaningful Content
How to Use Social News Aggregators as a Source for Content Ideas (Dosh Dosh)
5 Ways to Building a Better Blog (Pronet Advertising)
Bring Your A-game to Write for Blogs (Freelance Switch)
What Are You Learning from Leading Edge SEO Bloggers? (Graywolf SEO)
How Great Headlines Score Traffic (Copyblogger)
10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas that Work (Copyblogger)
Declaring War on Blogger Apathy (ProBlogger)
Increasing Traffic & Retaining Readers
How to Market Your Blog in 2007 (ProBlogger)
21 Tactics to Increase Blog Traffic (SEOmoz)
Five Steps to a Truly Unique Blog That Attracts Readers and Revenue (Copyblogger)
10 Simple Ways to Retain Blog Readership (Matt Huggins)
How to Get Traffic for Your Blog (Seth Godin)
10 Effective Ways to Get More Blog Subscribers (Copyblogger)
How to Develop “Stickyness” to Your Blog (Blogging Tips)
A Very Simple Way to Increase Your RSS Subscribers & MyBlogLog Community Members (Dosh Dosh)
Linkbaiting, SEO, & Social Networks
12 Different Types of Links and How to Get Them (Stuntdubl)
101 Ways to Build Links in 2006 (SEOBook)
66 Ways to Build Links in 2007 (Brandon Hopkins)
Getting Noticed by A-list Bloggers vs. Getting on Digg Front Pages (Digital Inspiration)
Do You Digg This Headline? (Copyblogger)
Why Too Many Little Icons Can Easily Distract Your Visitors (Pronet Advertising)
How to Generate Targeted Site Traffic Without Search Engines (Scoreboard Media Group)
Linkbait, Reports of My Death Are Greatly Exagerated (Graywolf SEO)
SEP Advice: Linkbait and Linkbaiting (Matt Cutts)
Blogging SEO Basics (Matt Huggins)
Search Engine Optimization for Blogs (ProBlogger)
8 Simple SEO Tips for Blogs (JohnTP)
How to Enhance Your Blog’s SEO and Attract Relevant Traffic in One Easy Step (Technosailor)
Is it OK to Write for Digg? (Copyblogger)
Get Your Blog Out of the Google Supplemental Index (Not So Boring Life)
Building a Community
5 Simple Ways to Encourage Blog Participation (Matt Huggins)
10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog (ProBlogger)
10 Quick Methods to Increase Blog Comments (Legal Andrew)
Top 5 WordPress Plugins That Help Increase Comments (JohnTP)
Blog Monetization
8 Tips to Optimize AdSense Units (Daily Blog Tips)
Google AdSense Tips, Tricks, and Secrets (Graywolf SEO)
Why AdSense is Not Suitable for All Blog Topics (ProBlogger)
Make Money from Your Blog (Matt Huggins)
Six Powerful Blog Strategies that will Rapidly Increase Your Affiliate Referrals (Dosh Dosh)
10 Tips for Using Affiliate Programs on Your Blog (ProBlogger)
10 Ways to Make Your Blog More Attractive to Advertisers (ProBlogger)
Miscellaneous Blogging Advice
27 Lessons Learned on the Way to 3000 Visits a Day and 2200 RSS Subscribers (Pick the Brain)
10 Ways to Become a Better Blogger (TechRepublic)
101 Steps to Becoming a Better Blogger (LifeHack.org)
The 5 Deadly Sins of Blogging (Pronet Advertising)
10 Blogging Mistakes to Avoid (John Chow)
10 Reasons Why Blogging is Like Dating (Romance Tracker)
6 Lessons Britney Spears Can Teach You About Blogging (Kumiko’s Cash Quest)
Why Everything You Think You Know About Blog Architecture is Wrong (Pearsonified)
Help! I’m Addicted to Checking My Blog’s Stats! (ProBlogger)
Article Source : http://www.matthuggins.com/55-essential-articles-every-serious-blogger-should-read/
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
After blogging for some time now, I’ve encountered countless articles that have truly helped to refine many aspects of my blog. This includes the visual structure, layout and types of advertising and affiliate programs utilized, plug-ins implemented for ease of use, search engine optimization and overall productivity, and much more.
Many of these articles would have been helpful before starting my own blog, but I also doubt that I would have been successful in putting most of these tips to use right away. Like me, I’m sure many of you are always looking for ways to improve your blogs. And since blogs are constantly growing and changing, it’s always a good time to do whatever you can to make your blog the very best.
With that said, here are 55 essential articles I’ve come across that have positively influenced my blog decision-making and will undoubtedly help you too. I’ve also included a select few of my own past articles that are of relevance in order to “pay it forward.”
Blogging Basics: Getting Started
Can You Make a Living Blogging? (Graywolf SEO)
Five Beginner’s Blogging Tips (John Chow)
The First 7 Days of Blogging (Pronet Advertising)
Put on Your Game Face (Pronet Advertising)
How to “Announce” a Blog (Blog Traffic School)
Building Meaningful Content
How to Use Social News Aggregators as a Source for Content Ideas (Dosh Dosh)
5 Ways to Building a Better Blog (Pronet Advertising)
Bring Your A-game to Write for Blogs (Freelance Switch)
What Are You Learning from Leading Edge SEO Bloggers? (Graywolf SEO)
How Great Headlines Score Traffic (Copyblogger)
10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas that Work (Copyblogger)
Declaring War on Blogger Apathy (ProBlogger)
Increasing Traffic & Retaining Readers
How to Market Your Blog in 2007 (ProBlogger)
21 Tactics to Increase Blog Traffic (SEOmoz)
Five Steps to a Truly Unique Blog That Attracts Readers and Revenue (Copyblogger)
10 Simple Ways to Retain Blog Readership (Matt Huggins)
How to Get Traffic for Your Blog (Seth Godin)
10 Effective Ways to Get More Blog Subscribers (Copyblogger)
How to Develop “Stickyness” to Your Blog (Blogging Tips)
A Very Simple Way to Increase Your RSS Subscribers & MyBlogLog Community Members (Dosh Dosh)
Linkbaiting, SEO, & Social Networks
12 Different Types of Links and How to Get Them (Stuntdubl)
101 Ways to Build Links in 2006 (SEOBook)
66 Ways to Build Links in 2007 (Brandon Hopkins)
Getting Noticed by A-list Bloggers vs. Getting on Digg Front Pages (Digital Inspiration)
Do You Digg This Headline? (Copyblogger)
Why Too Many Little Icons Can Easily Distract Your Visitors (Pronet Advertising)
How to Generate Targeted Site Traffic Without Search Engines (Scoreboard Media Group)
Linkbait, Reports of My Death Are Greatly Exagerated (Graywolf SEO)
SEP Advice: Linkbait and Linkbaiting (Matt Cutts)
Blogging SEO Basics (Matt Huggins)
Search Engine Optimization for Blogs (ProBlogger)
8 Simple SEO Tips for Blogs (JohnTP)
How to Enhance Your Blog’s SEO and Attract Relevant Traffic in One Easy Step (Technosailor)
Is it OK to Write for Digg? (Copyblogger)
Get Your Blog Out of the Google Supplemental Index (Not So Boring Life)
Building a Community
5 Simple Ways to Encourage Blog Participation (Matt Huggins)
10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog (ProBlogger)
10 Quick Methods to Increase Blog Comments (Legal Andrew)
Top 5 WordPress Plugins That Help Increase Comments (JohnTP)
Blog Monetization
8 Tips to Optimize AdSense Units (Daily Blog Tips)
Google AdSense Tips, Tricks, and Secrets (Graywolf SEO)
Why AdSense is Not Suitable for All Blog Topics (ProBlogger)
Make Money from Your Blog (Matt Huggins)
Six Powerful Blog Strategies that will Rapidly Increase Your Affiliate Referrals (Dosh Dosh)
10 Tips for Using Affiliate Programs on Your Blog (ProBlogger)
10 Ways to Make Your Blog More Attractive to Advertisers (ProBlogger)
Miscellaneous Blogging Advice
27 Lessons Learned on the Way to 3000 Visits a Day and 2200 RSS Subscribers (Pick the Brain)
10 Ways to Become a Better Blogger (TechRepublic)
101 Steps to Becoming a Better Blogger (LifeHack.org)
The 5 Deadly Sins of Blogging (Pronet Advertising)
10 Blogging Mistakes to Avoid (John Chow)
10 Reasons Why Blogging is Like Dating (Romance Tracker)
6 Lessons Britney Spears Can Teach You About Blogging (Kumiko’s Cash Quest)
Why Everything You Think You Know About Blog Architecture is Wrong (Pearsonified)
Help! I’m Addicted to Checking My Blog’s Stats! (ProBlogger)
Article Source : http://www.matthuggins.com/55-essential-articles-every-serious-blogger-should-read/
How to Write a Better Weblog
by Dennis A. Mahoney
Published in: Community, Writing
There’s been a recent retread of the weblogging phenomenon following a few articles at PC Mag, Time, and The Morning News. After posting my own short list of things that ought to be banned from weblogs, I realized that a list of things to be encouraged would be more useful. Some people are new to weblogging. Others want to raise the bar. In the end, everybody wants better sites, and some of these suggestions might help.
The bulk of this advice focuses on writing, which is generally at the heart of weblogs. All of them are obvious yet often ignored, to the detriment of both the readers and the writers. They’re aimed at people trying to improve the general appeal of their weblogs, but folks writing privately for friends and family might also find them useful. We’ll begin with an example.
Professional vs. Amateur
The professional writer writes:
New York is magnificent in spring.
The amateur writer writes:
I know this is a cliché nowadays, especially after 9/11, but I live in New York, which is much cleaner and safer now because of Giuliani, who really ought to be president after handling the crisis so well, and I know I’ve had some issues in the past with the mayor’s handling of the NYPD in regard to African Americans and his war against art involving sacred religious icons and feces (hello!? freedom of expression!?), but when all is said and done, New York, as maybe the best example of the ‘melting pot’ etc. etc., is a great city, especially when it starts getting warmer and people go outside more, like around March or April.
The amateur reads the professional and cannot bear the understatement. The professional reads the amateur, gives up after the word “nowadays,” and decides that he/she has been video–gamed to idiocy; the amateurs are hopeless; this new wave will be the last.
Not true. Amateurs are writing as they’ve always written. Self-consciousness, self-doubt, awkwardness, and overcompensation are perennial hallmarks of the beginning writer. The reason today’s amateurs seem more profoundly un–profound could be a simple matter of exposure.
There used to be impenetrable gatekeepers. Now, CNN roundtables, documentaries, independent films, MTV, and the web—which has no gatekeepers in most countries—are broadcasting every poorly crafted phrase and half–cooked idea imaginable. Patience, readers. All is not lost.
Great writing can’t be taught, but atrocious writing is entirely preventable.
The Rules
There are, in fact, rules—even online. Rules are not restrictions. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, rhythm, focus, syntax, and structure aren’t especially romantic terms, until you get to know them. Writers want to make sense. They want to move the reader. It ain’t never gonna happen if you got busted paragraphs, mistaken punctuation and, bad rhythm, not to mention kreative spelling: see? Clarity is key. Learn the rules. Break ’em later.
The best rules can’t be stated, but you can learn them by reading excellent writing. Develop an ear. If you know what works, you’ll start to emulate it. Conversely, it’s good to study truly horrendous language, stuff that makes you embarrassed for those responsible. You’ll find yourself mortally afraid of—and automatically avoiding—the same mistakes in your own writing. Hemingway said, “The most essential gift for a good writer is a built–in shock–proof shit-detector.” (They’re cheap if you haven’t already got one.) This is especially important for web writers, most of whom are publishing without the benefit of editors.
Declarative sentences are good. Web readers demand pith.
Bold statements are dangerous, but they won’t kill you. Timidity will—or at least your traffic. Everyone has a hazy opinion or two. The writer’s goal is clarity. Vague feelings or ideas don’t have to be vaguely written. Imagine two sites with similar descriptions of an indescribable sensation. Which would you remember:
A: “Her physical affections made his world feel somehow different and indescribably alive.”
B: “She kissed him with her tongue until the leaves on the trees, the soles of his shoes, and even his thoughts, felt like happy tongues.”
First–person point of view is not the only point of view. I should be necessary, or else avoided. This is not to condemn first person, but to suggest that it needn’t be the default choice. If first-person perfectly suits your subject matter, use it. But maybe second– or third–person is more effective. Consider your options.
The advice “write only what you know” increases the likelihood that you will know the same things forever.
Offer Something New
And are you attempting to produce quality material, or just killing time? If you’re killing time, O.K., but don’t be startled when your audience is small and no one links to you. Instead of publishing disconnected diversions (by the way, look at this, check it out, here you go, really cool), connect the dots or offer a full opinion.
Better yet, take The Nick Hornby Challenge. In High Fidelity, the narrator is described as a professional critic. He’s good at it. Music criticism is what he does. Then he starts an independent label and produces a record made by a couple of talented, shoplifting skate punks in order to, as his girlfriend says, “put something new into the world.”
The web is a tremendous hodgepodge of media. There are sites about books, sites about music, and sites about sites. Plenty of weblogs center on consuming and critiquing other people’s work, and all this recycling and redistribution has its place—a very important place that we’ll make note of later on. But why not make something new? Instead of linking to a few articles every day, write one. Instead of showcasing and discussing the latest designs, design something. You’ve got this absolutely batty opportunity of instant global publishing. Publish! The world is your oyster!
Amuse Your Readers
If you want to share an anecdote or story from your life, pretend the readers weren’t there. Because they weren’t. “You had to be there” never makes a joke funny.
Readers crave your anecdotes and stories. They really do. So give ‘em the whole megillah. Instead of, “The party was a riot!” or “I’m depressed today,” carefully explain why. Elaborate. Parties and depression are perfectly good writing subjects. The Great Gatsby, for instance, has plenty of both.
Anything makes a good subject, as long as you take your time and crystallize the details, tying them together and actually telling a story, rather than offering a simple list of facts. Do readers really want to know how miserable you are? Yes. But they’re going to want details, the precise odor of your room, why you haven’t showered in a week, or how exactly somebody broke your heart. One–liners won’t suffice.
At the same time, you don’t want to over–explain yourself. Understatement can be thunderous, or humorous, or heartbreaking. Or all three.
Have a sense of humor. Everything is funny. Being gay is funny. Being straight is funny. Being American is funny. It’s OK to laugh at things. Making light of serious situations or emotions doesn’t have to be disrespectful or hurtful. And just because something is funny doesn’t mean it has to be light. Example: “When the kidnapper called the blind woman, he told her that she’d never see her son again.” Some of the best humor is heavy.
Being a writer is funny. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Have a thick skin. If your site gets singled out for attack by some malicious web devil, relax. You’ve gone public and you have to expect both rational and irrational criticism. Listen, people rag on Shakespeare all the time. If you’re a genuine talent, there’ll be plenty of people complimenting your efforts. If someone has a bona fide gripe with something you’ve produced, pay attention—it’s worth considering. If someone has a petty gripe or simply gets nasty, let it go. Get back to producing your site. If novelists spent their time responding to negative reviews, we’d be fresh out of novels.
Beyond Wired
One popular complaint about weblogs is that they all link to the same sites, over and over and over. Sometimes that’s true and sometimes it isn’t. But if you do find yourself linking to a Wired article that’s already been noted on ten other sites, you might consider finding something else.
Sharing great discoveries is largely why weblogging got so hot and sultry in the first place. Big, heavily funded sites weren’t acknowledging the grace notes and hidden talents of the web, so it was up to webloggers. For some webloggers, it still is. Wired doesn’t need your help as much as undiscovered sites, which may be offering equally good (or better) material.
Successful Weblogging
Producing a successful weblog, however you define that, is tough. Instead of money, fame, and Jacuzzis full of sexy nude readers, you’ll probably feel like you’re shouting in outer space. And you probably will be. In 1994, you could hook a thousand readers if you wrote about the mold underneath your refrigerator. Now, you’re lucky to get a hundred regulars, even if your work is excellent.
No matter what your audience size, you ought to write as if your readership consisted of paid subscribers whose subscriptions were perpetually about to expire. There’s no need to pander. Compel them to re–subscribe.
As the beginning of this article noted, a big audience isn’t everybody’s goal, and most of these suggestions are intended for people working to expand their readership. As for actually achieving that expansion, it’s back to the hard sell.
The days when simply having a website equated to visibility are over. The average person doesn’t even know to look for weblogs. When someone does, there’s an array of choices so endless that finding your site will largely be a stroke of luck.
Links and word of mouth can go a long way, but don’t expect a big following right off the bat. You might never get a following. More than ever, you’d better be doing this to satisfy yourself, because it could be your only reward. But if your goal is to satisfy readers, satisfying yourself is a good start.
Learn More
Related Topics: Community, Writing
About the Author
Dennis A. Mahoney writes daily at 0(zero)format.
Article Source : http://www.alistapart.com/articles/writebetter/
Published in: Community, Writing
There’s been a recent retread of the weblogging phenomenon following a few articles at PC Mag, Time, and The Morning News. After posting my own short list of things that ought to be banned from weblogs, I realized that a list of things to be encouraged would be more useful. Some people are new to weblogging. Others want to raise the bar. In the end, everybody wants better sites, and some of these suggestions might help.
The bulk of this advice focuses on writing, which is generally at the heart of weblogs. All of them are obvious yet often ignored, to the detriment of both the readers and the writers. They’re aimed at people trying to improve the general appeal of their weblogs, but folks writing privately for friends and family might also find them useful. We’ll begin with an example.
Professional vs. Amateur
The professional writer writes:
New York is magnificent in spring.
The amateur writer writes:
I know this is a cliché nowadays, especially after 9/11, but I live in New York, which is much cleaner and safer now because of Giuliani, who really ought to be president after handling the crisis so well, and I know I’ve had some issues in the past with the mayor’s handling of the NYPD in regard to African Americans and his war against art involving sacred religious icons and feces (hello!? freedom of expression!?), but when all is said and done, New York, as maybe the best example of the ‘melting pot’ etc. etc., is a great city, especially when it starts getting warmer and people go outside more, like around March or April.
The amateur reads the professional and cannot bear the understatement. The professional reads the amateur, gives up after the word “nowadays,” and decides that he/she has been video–gamed to idiocy; the amateurs are hopeless; this new wave will be the last.
Not true. Amateurs are writing as they’ve always written. Self-consciousness, self-doubt, awkwardness, and overcompensation are perennial hallmarks of the beginning writer. The reason today’s amateurs seem more profoundly un–profound could be a simple matter of exposure.
There used to be impenetrable gatekeepers. Now, CNN roundtables, documentaries, independent films, MTV, and the web—which has no gatekeepers in most countries—are broadcasting every poorly crafted phrase and half–cooked idea imaginable. Patience, readers. All is not lost.
Great writing can’t be taught, but atrocious writing is entirely preventable.
The Rules
There are, in fact, rules—even online. Rules are not restrictions. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, rhythm, focus, syntax, and structure aren’t especially romantic terms, until you get to know them. Writers want to make sense. They want to move the reader. It ain’t never gonna happen if you got busted paragraphs, mistaken punctuation and, bad rhythm, not to mention kreative spelling: see? Clarity is key. Learn the rules. Break ’em later.
The best rules can’t be stated, but you can learn them by reading excellent writing. Develop an ear. If you know what works, you’ll start to emulate it. Conversely, it’s good to study truly horrendous language, stuff that makes you embarrassed for those responsible. You’ll find yourself mortally afraid of—and automatically avoiding—the same mistakes in your own writing. Hemingway said, “The most essential gift for a good writer is a built–in shock–proof shit-detector.” (They’re cheap if you haven’t already got one.) This is especially important for web writers, most of whom are publishing without the benefit of editors.
Declarative sentences are good. Web readers demand pith.
Bold statements are dangerous, but they won’t kill you. Timidity will—or at least your traffic. Everyone has a hazy opinion or two. The writer’s goal is clarity. Vague feelings or ideas don’t have to be vaguely written. Imagine two sites with similar descriptions of an indescribable sensation. Which would you remember:
A: “Her physical affections made his world feel somehow different and indescribably alive.”
B: “She kissed him with her tongue until the leaves on the trees, the soles of his shoes, and even his thoughts, felt like happy tongues.”
First–person point of view is not the only point of view. I should be necessary, or else avoided. This is not to condemn first person, but to suggest that it needn’t be the default choice. If first-person perfectly suits your subject matter, use it. But maybe second– or third–person is more effective. Consider your options.
The advice “write only what you know” increases the likelihood that you will know the same things forever.
Offer Something New
And are you attempting to produce quality material, or just killing time? If you’re killing time, O.K., but don’t be startled when your audience is small and no one links to you. Instead of publishing disconnected diversions (by the way, look at this, check it out, here you go, really cool), connect the dots or offer a full opinion.
Better yet, take The Nick Hornby Challenge. In High Fidelity, the narrator is described as a professional critic. He’s good at it. Music criticism is what he does. Then he starts an independent label and produces a record made by a couple of talented, shoplifting skate punks in order to, as his girlfriend says, “put something new into the world.”
The web is a tremendous hodgepodge of media. There are sites about books, sites about music, and sites about sites. Plenty of weblogs center on consuming and critiquing other people’s work, and all this recycling and redistribution has its place—a very important place that we’ll make note of later on. But why not make something new? Instead of linking to a few articles every day, write one. Instead of showcasing and discussing the latest designs, design something. You’ve got this absolutely batty opportunity of instant global publishing. Publish! The world is your oyster!
Amuse Your Readers
If you want to share an anecdote or story from your life, pretend the readers weren’t there. Because they weren’t. “You had to be there” never makes a joke funny.
Readers crave your anecdotes and stories. They really do. So give ‘em the whole megillah. Instead of, “The party was a riot!” or “I’m depressed today,” carefully explain why. Elaborate. Parties and depression are perfectly good writing subjects. The Great Gatsby, for instance, has plenty of both.
Anything makes a good subject, as long as you take your time and crystallize the details, tying them together and actually telling a story, rather than offering a simple list of facts. Do readers really want to know how miserable you are? Yes. But they’re going to want details, the precise odor of your room, why you haven’t showered in a week, or how exactly somebody broke your heart. One–liners won’t suffice.
At the same time, you don’t want to over–explain yourself. Understatement can be thunderous, or humorous, or heartbreaking. Or all three.
Have a sense of humor. Everything is funny. Being gay is funny. Being straight is funny. Being American is funny. It’s OK to laugh at things. Making light of serious situations or emotions doesn’t have to be disrespectful or hurtful. And just because something is funny doesn’t mean it has to be light. Example: “When the kidnapper called the blind woman, he told her that she’d never see her son again.” Some of the best humor is heavy.
Being a writer is funny. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Have a thick skin. If your site gets singled out for attack by some malicious web devil, relax. You’ve gone public and you have to expect both rational and irrational criticism. Listen, people rag on Shakespeare all the time. If you’re a genuine talent, there’ll be plenty of people complimenting your efforts. If someone has a bona fide gripe with something you’ve produced, pay attention—it’s worth considering. If someone has a petty gripe or simply gets nasty, let it go. Get back to producing your site. If novelists spent their time responding to negative reviews, we’d be fresh out of novels.
Beyond Wired
One popular complaint about weblogs is that they all link to the same sites, over and over and over. Sometimes that’s true and sometimes it isn’t. But if you do find yourself linking to a Wired article that’s already been noted on ten other sites, you might consider finding something else.
Sharing great discoveries is largely why weblogging got so hot and sultry in the first place. Big, heavily funded sites weren’t acknowledging the grace notes and hidden talents of the web, so it was up to webloggers. For some webloggers, it still is. Wired doesn’t need your help as much as undiscovered sites, which may be offering equally good (or better) material.
Successful Weblogging
Producing a successful weblog, however you define that, is tough. Instead of money, fame, and Jacuzzis full of sexy nude readers, you’ll probably feel like you’re shouting in outer space. And you probably will be. In 1994, you could hook a thousand readers if you wrote about the mold underneath your refrigerator. Now, you’re lucky to get a hundred regulars, even if your work is excellent.
No matter what your audience size, you ought to write as if your readership consisted of paid subscribers whose subscriptions were perpetually about to expire. There’s no need to pander. Compel them to re–subscribe.
As the beginning of this article noted, a big audience isn’t everybody’s goal, and most of these suggestions are intended for people working to expand their readership. As for actually achieving that expansion, it’s back to the hard sell.
The days when simply having a website equated to visibility are over. The average person doesn’t even know to look for weblogs. When someone does, there’s an array of choices so endless that finding your site will largely be a stroke of luck.
Links and word of mouth can go a long way, but don’t expect a big following right off the bat. You might never get a following. More than ever, you’d better be doing this to satisfy yourself, because it could be your only reward. But if your goal is to satisfy readers, satisfying yourself is a good start.
Learn More
Related Topics: Community, Writing
About the Author
Dennis A. Mahoney writes daily at 0(zero)format.
Article Source : http://www.alistapart.com/articles/writebetter/
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Using RSS to Make Money Online
By Giles Blackwell
E-mail:g.blackwell@dsl.pipex.com
Most of you have seen those little buttons on websites labeled RSS or XML. If you are wondering what they are, RSS means Really Simple Syndication. Really simple because when you subscribe to a site that has this feature, you keep up-to-date with new information without having to check the site every day. This is really good news because you can use it to get newsfeeds from major news networks, news on new movies, even your favorite musician's tour dates or CD releases.
This new twist to the Internet is very valuable to you as a Internet marketer too. Imagine replacing email marketing with RSS marketing. People actually subscribe meaning they want your information updates, similar to opt-in newsletters. With newsletters you have to write them and your site content. With RSS, when you update your content, all subscribers are notified by their newsreaders.
Newsreaders are special software that read RSS feeds. To get started, download a free RSS reader.
If you use a Windows PC, go to http://www.rssreader.com
For Mac users, see http://ranchero.com/netnewswire
Once you are set up, here's all you or your customers have to do...
Right-click (control-click for Mac users) on any RSS button on a site, blog or news source that interests you. Select Copy Shortcut ("Copy Link to Clipboard" for Mac, "Copy Link Location" for Firefox browsers), and paste that URL into your RSS Reader. And that is it, you are subscribed. Once you get started, your favorite parts of the Web come to you. No need to go out and check for updates all the time. If you do not want to download software, subscribe to your favorite feeds through My Yahoo or My MSN.
So how does any of this make you money?
More traffic means more money. By placing RSS on your website or your blog, anyone can subscribe automatically and know when a new product or service is available. This new breed of Internet shopper is not to be ignored. To take advantage of the traffic you have to make your RSS feed available to website visitors and submit your feed information to RSS, blog and XML type directories.
Here's how you get RSS for your site!
Go to http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss for the best source of RSS and Blog information. There are several file types for RSS and here you learn which is best and why. The easiest and fastest way to learn more about this technology and see it in use is to go to http://rss.sitesell.com where you find all you need to know about RSS, including solid marketing ideas.
There is no need to become a techie, no need to know all the ins and outs of RSS and XML. There is huge need for you to know enough about this newest technology to use it. Once you do, it comes easy to see how you make money online with RSS. In the same way newsletters and opt-in email are used for successful marketing, RSS is much easier, faster, and a much less intrusive way to communicate with potential or existing clients and customers.
It's very critical to provide exactly what people want to make money online. How can there be a better way to do that than to allow people to subscribe to their wants and wishes? Start using RSS and XML technologies to make money online now before it too becomes the jungle email marketing is. To add fuel to your marketing fire, use optimized content for frequent updates to your blogs and web pages and deliver it with RSS.
To fing the best home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home visit: www.Home-Earning.com To fing the best home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home visit: www.Home-Earning.com
Article Source : http://www.articlebar.com/Article/1290.html
E-mail:g.blackwell@dsl.pipex.com
Most of you have seen those little buttons on websites labeled RSS or XML. If you are wondering what they are, RSS means Really Simple Syndication. Really simple because when you subscribe to a site that has this feature, you keep up-to-date with new information without having to check the site every day. This is really good news because you can use it to get newsfeeds from major news networks, news on new movies, even your favorite musician's tour dates or CD releases.
This new twist to the Internet is very valuable to you as a Internet marketer too. Imagine replacing email marketing with RSS marketing. People actually subscribe meaning they want your information updates, similar to opt-in newsletters. With newsletters you have to write them and your site content. With RSS, when you update your content, all subscribers are notified by their newsreaders.
Newsreaders are special software that read RSS feeds. To get started, download a free RSS reader.
If you use a Windows PC, go to http://www.rssreader.com
For Mac users, see http://ranchero.com/netnewswire
Once you are set up, here's all you or your customers have to do...
Right-click (control-click for Mac users) on any RSS button on a site, blog or news source that interests you. Select Copy Shortcut ("Copy Link to Clipboard" for Mac, "Copy Link Location" for Firefox browsers), and paste that URL into your RSS Reader. And that is it, you are subscribed. Once you get started, your favorite parts of the Web come to you. No need to go out and check for updates all the time. If you do not want to download software, subscribe to your favorite feeds through My Yahoo or My MSN.
So how does any of this make you money?
More traffic means more money. By placing RSS on your website or your blog, anyone can subscribe automatically and know when a new product or service is available. This new breed of Internet shopper is not to be ignored. To take advantage of the traffic you have to make your RSS feed available to website visitors and submit your feed information to RSS, blog and XML type directories.
Here's how you get RSS for your site!
Go to http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss for the best source of RSS and Blog information. There are several file types for RSS and here you learn which is best and why. The easiest and fastest way to learn more about this technology and see it in use is to go to http://rss.sitesell.com where you find all you need to know about RSS, including solid marketing ideas.
There is no need to become a techie, no need to know all the ins and outs of RSS and XML. There is huge need for you to know enough about this newest technology to use it. Once you do, it comes easy to see how you make money online with RSS. In the same way newsletters and opt-in email are used for successful marketing, RSS is much easier, faster, and a much less intrusive way to communicate with potential or existing clients and customers.
It's very critical to provide exactly what people want to make money online. How can there be a better way to do that than to allow people to subscribe to their wants and wishes? Start using RSS and XML technologies to make money online now before it too becomes the jungle email marketing is. To add fuel to your marketing fire, use optimized content for frequent updates to your blogs and web pages and deliver it with RSS.
To fing the best home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home visit: www.Home-Earning.com To fing the best home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home visit: www.Home-Earning.com
Article Source : http://www.articlebar.com/Article/1290.html
5 Ways to Make Your Blog a Failure
By Rob Wood On January 23, 2006
Article by Rob Wood
E-mail:info@jamdo.com
There are many things that a blogger should do when they start a new blog, but there are also a few things that will almost ensure failure. Here is a brief list of a few things that will almost ensure that your blog never gets off the ground.
Don’t post regularly – this is a great one if you want your new readers to never return to the site and to make sure that the search engines take their time indexing you. Posting once a week or less ensures that your readers rarely find anything new on your site and makes them go to others sites to find what they are looking for.
Post About Anything You Feel Like – People will read sites because they are interested in a niche. There are not many people who can draw and keep and audience by writing about their private musing on life. Sites that stick to a tightly defined niche or category will usually outperform sites that have more general themes.
Don’t Post on Related Blogs – If you avoid commenting constructively on similar blogs to your own then you abandon one of the best ways to draw traffic that is already interested in your topic. By creating a sense of community with bloggers in a similar niche you are helping grow that niche together – there are very few niches that aren’t big enough for more than one blog.
Steal Content – So it’s difficult to always come up with your own stuff for your new blog – yup, that’s just part of blogging. But taking other’s content from their blogs (even ones with creative commons licenses) will get you a very bad name in your niche very quickly. You need to come up with your own stuff. Sure, you can quote other blogs, but make sure you add your own value to the story.
Don’t Worry About Search Engine Optimization – Sure some people were lucky enough to draw massive amounts of traffic from search engines without ever having heard of Search Engine Optimization, but they are a minority. You need to know at least the basics, which means putting keywords in your titles, in your first sentence, bolded, italicized and then throughout your stories. Lots of incoming links don’t hurt either. Do all of this and you will start to get traffic from the search engines.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are many things you can do to damage the chances of success for your blog. But these are some of the main ones that you need to avoid. For more tips on blogs don’t forget to check out http://jamdo.com
Article Source : http://www.articlebar.com/Article/1134.html
Article by Rob Wood
E-mail:info@jamdo.com
There are many things that a blogger should do when they start a new blog, but there are also a few things that will almost ensure failure. Here is a brief list of a few things that will almost ensure that your blog never gets off the ground.
Don’t post regularly – this is a great one if you want your new readers to never return to the site and to make sure that the search engines take their time indexing you. Posting once a week or less ensures that your readers rarely find anything new on your site and makes them go to others sites to find what they are looking for.
Post About Anything You Feel Like – People will read sites because they are interested in a niche. There are not many people who can draw and keep and audience by writing about their private musing on life. Sites that stick to a tightly defined niche or category will usually outperform sites that have more general themes.
Don’t Post on Related Blogs – If you avoid commenting constructively on similar blogs to your own then you abandon one of the best ways to draw traffic that is already interested in your topic. By creating a sense of community with bloggers in a similar niche you are helping grow that niche together – there are very few niches that aren’t big enough for more than one blog.
Steal Content – So it’s difficult to always come up with your own stuff for your new blog – yup, that’s just part of blogging. But taking other’s content from their blogs (even ones with creative commons licenses) will get you a very bad name in your niche very quickly. You need to come up with your own stuff. Sure, you can quote other blogs, but make sure you add your own value to the story.
Don’t Worry About Search Engine Optimization – Sure some people were lucky enough to draw massive amounts of traffic from search engines without ever having heard of Search Engine Optimization, but they are a minority. You need to know at least the basics, which means putting keywords in your titles, in your first sentence, bolded, italicized and then throughout your stories. Lots of incoming links don’t hurt either. Do all of this and you will start to get traffic from the search engines.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are many things you can do to damage the chances of success for your blog. But these are some of the main ones that you need to avoid. For more tips on blogs don’t forget to check out http://jamdo.com
Article Source : http://www.articlebar.com/Article/1134.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)