Blogging
Blogging is a way to have your own little diary on the web, where you write about everything that happens around and within you. Your blog could be your own personal space or could even earn you money. Read on to know what blogging is all about and more...
Tips for Starting Your Own Travel Blog
Travel stories always make for very interesting reads. It's great to know what's happening elsewhere in the world. With these 12 awesome tips for starting your own travel blog, Buzzle brings to you some great advice on travel writing, the technical know-how behind blogging, and some great ways to publish your posts.
Travel stories always make for very interesting reads. It's great to know what's happening elsewhere in the world. With these 12 awesome tips for starting your own travel blog, Buzzle brings to you some great advice on travel writing, the technical know-how behind blogging, and some great ways to publish your posts.
A picture is worth a thousand words!
A travel blog without photos is not attractive. Each post needs to be accompanied with at least one spectacular photograph so that people have the visual reference corresponding with your textual description right there.
There are two things that you need to keep in mind before starting your travel blog. Firstly, start a travel blog only and only if you travel. Don't take information from the Internet and write articles based on that. Only travel blogs with firsthand information are trusted. See the place yourself and then write about it. It makes a huge difference. Secondly, you need to have some concrete experience in traveling to start a blog. You'll end up making too many mistakes otherwise. Having said that, we'll now start with 12 great tips for starting your own travel blog.
1. Write down your reasons for starting the blog.
Why is it that you want to start a travel blog? The reasons can be several. Maybe you want to keep your friends updated about your travels (in case you're traveling frequently), you want to help fellow travelers to travel smarter, or you want to jubilantly discuss the beauties of this world that you've had the opportunity to explore. Maybe you want to do all the above. Writing down the reasons will give you clarity of thought, a direction, and a purpose. This way you'll know what your aim is. You see, starting a blog is not a big deal. But maintaining it with regular post uploads can get a little tiresome after a point. The zest with which you start a blog begins to ebb and the enthusiasm dwindles. However, if you have clear reasons etched in your mind for starting the blog, this gradual creeping in of disinterest can be combated to a good extent. Having a direction always helps with the motivation factor.
2. Decide what you want to write and for whom.
Now that you know why you're starting the blog, make a list of things you want to cover in your writing. Every blog MUST have a focus. Do you want to give your readers stories? These would cover your experiences during your travels. Do you want to tell your readers about places? This would cover information about a specific place (what to do, eat, and expect) and will have less focus on personal experiences. This way you'll be telling your readers what to expect from your blog in the "About Me" section right at the start. If people are interested in knowing more about different places, and find you narrating more about your personal experiences in spite of having promised otherwise, they might feel cheated somehow. They should know what you are offering and then take a call on whether your blog can help their cause or not. Be very clear about what you want to concentrate on and pursue it with a great amount of attention to detail. Know which section of Internet readers you wish to convert into steady followers. Once you've decided on these two factors, tapping trends and optimally utilizing them to your benefit will become a cakewalk.
3. Name your blog intelligently.
Now that you have a clear picture about why and what you want to write, think of a name for your blog. The name has to stand out and also convey the objective or at least the very essence of your blog. It's very important for the reader to at least get a hint of what he can expect from your blog. The name should be conspicuous and catchy; it should be easy for people to remember. It should induce intrigue so that people are compelled to at least read a few lines, just to see what's it all about. A long, confusing name will not only be difficult to remember but also lead to you losing out on potential repeat visitors.
4. Talk to frequent travelers, visit other travel blogs, and understand the value of your work.
Before you start writing or implementing things on your blog, talk to travelers and see what they expect from travel blogs. This will give you a rough idea about general expectations. Simultaneously, check out other travel blogs. Make a list of things they do to engage their readers. Also make a list of interesting and intriguing elements on their blogs. Amidst all that is available on the net, try to visualize how your work will add value. How will you be different? It's very important to do something unique. If your blog is not unique and ends up being very similar to those already out there, it will be nearly impossible for you to make a mark. See, being inspired and incorporating an element in your blog will not be considered as a copy only when you add your personal interpretation of the element. That you have the power to analyze things in your own way is what people should be able to figure out from your blog.
5. Be sure of certain choices you make; they're long-term.
Some of the changes you make or some things that you implement on your blog are long-term. For example, the website that'll host your blog. Shifting websites later will not only add to your work, but also play a role in your rankings on search engines. Similarly, your logo, which will play a great role in establishing your identity, will also be long-term. The URL you choose for your blog will also last forever as this is what your readers are going to remember. Every element that you add to your blog, do it after a lot of thought. Don't do anything in a hurry, especially things that you aren't sure of.
6. Don't let the numbers get you down.
Initially, not many people will visit your blog. Maybe your friends, family, and a few colleagues. It will take sometime for search engines to crawl the content for your blog to show up on search engine results. This will take a while. In the meantime, do not let the number of visitors affect your efforts. You might feel a little depressed seeing shallow figures, but it is only your efforts that will pay off in the long run. Keep at it and stick to the plan you've designed for yourself. Slowly and steadily your readers will grow in number, stuff on your blog will be shared, and you will see an upward trend in popularity.
7. Don't let your posting frequency fluctuate; post consistently and regularly.
Your posts are your marketing tools. With every post that you publish, you give yourself another opportunity to market your blog. However, don't overdo it. Don't have 14 posts in a week. Your readers should get ample time to catch up on what you've written. They should not feel as though they've missed a lot and have to spend too much time in reading all the older posts. Post consistently; have 2 posts every week or even one will suffice. Always try to post on the same days in a week.
8. Develop an understanding of social media.
Social media is the best tool you can put to use if you want to reach out to people. Websites like Facebook and Twitter don't charge anything when you create a page with them. Of course, for further marketing and promotion, you're expected to pay some money. Hunt for such viable avenues and tap them. Before using them, understand how they work, list down how they can help you in the long run, make a plan of how you're going to use them, and only then create your social profiles on them. Just like your blog, your social profiles also need to be active and engaging. Go social yourself before using this medium for your blog. Try to add pictures and/or videos with every post that you write. These enhance the visual look of your blog and increase the probability of it being shared on social channels. Have social buttons which will enable your readers to share your content.
9. Don't just decide on a sum; calculate how much you are willing to spend.
Most of the time, we just calculate a basic figure we're going to spend on a project. As time passes, more expenses come up and sometimes very obvious ones that we tend to miss at first. Once you have written down all that you want for your blog, calculate how much they're going to cost you for a year. Have this capital ready before you start. This way, you can concentrate on your work without much disturbance and stress when it comes to the financials.
10. Spend a good amount of time finalizing the look of your blog.
Readers develop a visual memory with certain brands. The basic theme colors you use will help readers to associate them with your brand. The look of your blog will be remembered more than your writing more often than not. Apart from this, the width of your posts should be finalized keeping in mind the attention span of readers; extremely short posts are not taken seriously and long ones come across as chunky and boring. You have to get the look just right. Certain fonts play a major role in attention span retention. Blogging is not only about writing well and writing profusely, but also about visually engaging your readers. You could consider it to be textual dramatics, if you will. So, employ all the resources you can dig up in trying out as many permutations and combinations as you can think of before zeroing in on one that seems made for you. Also, read up on the concepts of blogging in order to build your own brand of writing. For instance, if certain posts need to be of a length that is slightly on the longer side, employ techniques like inserting colorful images between paragraphs in order to break the visual monotony of words. You can also use HTML to insert colorful boxes with interesting trivia in them after every second paragraph. Knowing these things can actually help you to develop a style of your own.
11. Develop your understanding of technical know-how.
Technical know-how of platforms you are using is of utmost importance. This will determine the ease with which you'll work and the number of mistakes you make once you have launched your blog. If you don't know certain elements, functions, or software, read about them. Experiment with them after you've done your study and get better at working with them. Do this before you start posting on your blog to lessen the number of catastrophes.
12. Do your homework about SEO and keywords.
The best way to initially get readers to your blog is through SEO (Search Engine Optimization), which basically deals with the use of keywords. It's a vast function and you need to start reading up on it immediately. The basic advice is to not use too many keywords, not use them unnaturally, and to not use them unethically. Spamming might even result in penalization of your blog. Read up as much as you can about SEO on websites, forums, and discussion panels.
These tips for starting your own travel blog will not only help you to work smarter, but also ensure that your readers get the very best from you. Travel writers have started surfacing in considerable numbers in the last decade. It is a good idea to start now and make a name for yourself and your blog. Best of luck.
A travel blog without photos is not attractive. Each post needs to be accompanied with at least one spectacular photograph so that people have the visual reference corresponding with your textual description right there.
There are two things that you need to keep in mind before starting your travel blog. Firstly, start a travel blog only and only if you travel. Don't take information from the Internet and write articles based on that. Only travel blogs with firsthand information are trusted. See the place yourself and then write about it. It makes a huge difference. Secondly, you need to have some concrete experience in traveling to start a blog. You'll end up making too many mistakes otherwise. Having said that, we'll now start with 12 great tips for starting your own travel blog.
1. Write down your reasons for starting the blog.
Why is it that you want to start a travel blog? The reasons can be several. Maybe you want to keep your friends updated about your travels (in case you're traveling frequently), you want to help fellow travelers to travel smarter, or you want to jubilantly discuss the beauties of this world that you've had the opportunity to explore. Maybe you want to do all the above. Writing down the reasons will give you clarity of thought, a direction, and a purpose. This way you'll know what your aim is. You see, starting a blog is not a big deal. But maintaining it with regular post uploads can get a little tiresome after a point. The zest with which you start a blog begins to ebb and the enthusiasm dwindles. However, if you have clear reasons etched in your mind for starting the blog, this gradual creeping in of disinterest can be combated to a good extent. Having a direction always helps with the motivation factor.
2. Decide what you want to write and for whom.
Now that you know why you're starting the blog, make a list of things you want to cover in your writing. Every blog MUST have a focus. Do you want to give your readers stories? These would cover your experiences during your travels. Do you want to tell your readers about places? This would cover information about a specific place (what to do, eat, and expect) and will have less focus on personal experiences. This way you'll be telling your readers what to expect from your blog in the "About Me" section right at the start. If people are interested in knowing more about different places, and find you narrating more about your personal experiences in spite of having promised otherwise, they might feel cheated somehow. They should know what you are offering and then take a call on whether your blog can help their cause or not. Be very clear about what you want to concentrate on and pursue it with a great amount of attention to detail. Know which section of Internet readers you wish to convert into steady followers. Once you've decided on these two factors, tapping trends and optimally utilizing them to your benefit will become a cakewalk.
3. Name your blog intelligently.
Now that you have a clear picture about why and what you want to write, think of a name for your blog. The name has to stand out and also convey the objective or at least the very essence of your blog. It's very important for the reader to at least get a hint of what he can expect from your blog. The name should be conspicuous and catchy; it should be easy for people to remember. It should induce intrigue so that people are compelled to at least read a few lines, just to see what's it all about. A long, confusing name will not only be difficult to remember but also lead to you losing out on potential repeat visitors.
4. Talk to frequent travelers, visit other travel blogs, and understand the value of your work.
Before you start writing or implementing things on your blog, talk to travelers and see what they expect from travel blogs. This will give you a rough idea about general expectations. Simultaneously, check out other travel blogs. Make a list of things they do to engage their readers. Also make a list of interesting and intriguing elements on their blogs. Amidst all that is available on the net, try to visualize how your work will add value. How will you be different? It's very important to do something unique. If your blog is not unique and ends up being very similar to those already out there, it will be nearly impossible for you to make a mark. See, being inspired and incorporating an element in your blog will not be considered as a copy only when you add your personal interpretation of the element. That you have the power to analyze things in your own way is what people should be able to figure out from your blog.
5. Be sure of certain choices you make; they're long-term.
Some of the changes you make or some things that you implement on your blog are long-term. For example, the website that'll host your blog. Shifting websites later will not only add to your work, but also play a role in your rankings on search engines. Similarly, your logo, which will play a great role in establishing your identity, will also be long-term. The URL you choose for your blog will also last forever as this is what your readers are going to remember. Every element that you add to your blog, do it after a lot of thought. Don't do anything in a hurry, especially things that you aren't sure of.
6. Don't let the numbers get you down.
Initially, not many people will visit your blog. Maybe your friends, family, and a few colleagues. It will take sometime for search engines to crawl the content for your blog to show up on search engine results. This will take a while. In the meantime, do not let the number of visitors affect your efforts. You might feel a little depressed seeing shallow figures, but it is only your efforts that will pay off in the long run. Keep at it and stick to the plan you've designed for yourself. Slowly and steadily your readers will grow in number, stuff on your blog will be shared, and you will see an upward trend in popularity.
7. Don't let your posting frequency fluctuate; post consistently and regularly.
Your posts are your marketing tools. With every post that you publish, you give yourself another opportunity to market your blog. However, don't overdo it. Don't have 14 posts in a week. Your readers should get ample time to catch up on what you've written. They should not feel as though they've missed a lot and have to spend too much time in reading all the older posts. Post consistently; have 2 posts every week or even one will suffice. Always try to post on the same days in a week.
8. Develop an understanding of social media.
Social media is the best tool you can put to use if you want to reach out to people. Websites like Facebook and Twitter don't charge anything when you create a page with them. Of course, for further marketing and promotion, you're expected to pay some money. Hunt for such viable avenues and tap them. Before using them, understand how they work, list down how they can help you in the long run, make a plan of how you're going to use them, and only then create your social profiles on them. Just like your blog, your social profiles also need to be active and engaging. Go social yourself before using this medium for your blog. Try to add pictures and/or videos with every post that you write. These enhance the visual look of your blog and increase the probability of it being shared on social channels. Have social buttons which will enable your readers to share your content.
9. Don't just decide on a sum; calculate how much you are willing to spend.
Most of the time, we just calculate a basic figure we're going to spend on a project. As time passes, more expenses come up and sometimes very obvious ones that we tend to miss at first. Once you have written down all that you want for your blog, calculate how much they're going to cost you for a year. Have this capital ready before you start. This way, you can concentrate on your work without much disturbance and stress when it comes to the financials.
10. Spend a good amount of time finalizing the look of your blog.
Readers develop a visual memory with certain brands. The basic theme colors you use will help readers to associate them with your brand. The look of your blog will be remembered more than your writing more often than not. Apart from this, the width of your posts should be finalized keeping in mind the attention span of readers; extremely short posts are not taken seriously and long ones come across as chunky and boring. You have to get the look just right. Certain fonts play a major role in attention span retention. Blogging is not only about writing well and writing profusely, but also about visually engaging your readers. You could consider it to be textual dramatics, if you will. So, employ all the resources you can dig up in trying out as many permutations and combinations as you can think of before zeroing in on one that seems made for you. Also, read up on the concepts of blogging in order to build your own brand of writing. For instance, if certain posts need to be of a length that is slightly on the longer side, employ techniques like inserting colorful images between paragraphs in order to break the visual monotony of words. You can also use HTML to insert colorful boxes with interesting trivia in them after every second paragraph. Knowing these things can actually help you to develop a style of your own.
11. Develop your understanding of technical know-how.
Technical know-how of platforms you are using is of utmost importance. This will determine the ease with which you'll work and the number of mistakes you make once you have launched your blog. If you don't know certain elements, functions, or software, read about them. Experiment with them after you've done your study and get better at working with them. Do this before you start posting on your blog to lessen the number of catastrophes.
12. Do your homework about SEO and keywords.
The best way to initially get readers to your blog is through SEO (Search Engine Optimization), which basically deals with the use of keywords. It's a vast function and you need to start reading up on it immediately. The basic advice is to not use too many keywords, not use them unnaturally, and to not use them unethically. Spamming might even result in penalization of your blog. Read up as much as you can about SEO on websites, forums, and discussion panels.
These tips for starting your own travel blog will not only help you to work smarter, but also ensure that your readers get the very best from you. Travel writers have started surfacing in considerable numbers in the last decade. It is a good idea to start now and make a name for yourself and your blog. Best of luck.
Most Common Mistakes New Bloggers Make
If you are considering starting a blog, or are you a newbie into the world of blogging, then read on. There are certain common mistakes that new bloggers make that can cost them dearly in the long run. In this Buzzle article, we let you know these mistakes, and how they can be avoided.
Did you know?
Justin Hall published the first blog ever in the year 1994. Since, then blogging has come a long way. Today, there are more than 31 million blogs in United States alone.
Blogging is a great way of reaching out to the world. There are a number of reasons why people blog. For some, blogging can just be a hobby, while for others it can be a way to increase awareness about their products and services, and earn money online. Whatever the reason is, the primary aim is to get readership for the blog.
Today, more and more people are taking up blogging for various reasons. As with any new venture, blogging too has a learning curve; you make mistakes and learn from them and move on. But some mistakes cost dearly and can even jeopardize the future of a blog.
In this Buzzle article, we have compiled some of the most common mistakes new bloggers make.
Poor, Shallow Content
Content is the king in the kingdom of blogs. It is very important that whatever you write and share on your blog is correct, informative, and of good quality. Readers on the Internet do not have time to read the mindless rant of a blogger. Only with good, unique, and interesting content will you be able to catch the attention of readers on the Internet, and turn them into your loyal followers. Poor and shallow content can kill your blog, so avoid it at all costs.
Copy-Pasting
Plagiarism is a crime, and if you indulge in the act of copying articles from other blogs and pasting them to your blog, you are going to be penalized heavily by search engines sooner or later. The importance of original and unique content cannot be emphasized enough. Copy-pasting from other blogs can also lead to a permanent deletion or ban on your blog. You will lose your credibility as a writer if readers find copied content on your blog.
Not Submitting Your Blog to Search Engines
You are writing great, unique, and original content, but your stats are not showing any signs of rise. What could be the reason? Well, most traffic to a blog comes from search engines, and for search engines to give you traffic you should let them know about your blog's existence. Search engines index content of sites to be able to show them on search results. So, it is very important to submit your blog to search engines. Failing to do so means you are missing out on a huge chunk of traffic.
Not Using Social Media
A great way of gaining traffic and increasing your readership is by using various social media platforms. It is great if you are writing good content, but you need to promote your wares if you want to reach out to a wider audience. Neglecting social media is a big no-no.
Not Learning SEO
Along with writing good quality content, it is very important that your blog is search engine friendly. That's where SEO comes into picture. If you want people to find your blog then the better you understand SEO, the better for your blog. Keep in mind that the field of SEO is constantly changing so, you should spend some time understanding the updated SEO best practices.
Not Choosing the Right Blogging Platform and Domain Name
It is very important to choose the right blogging platform. If you are blogging just as a hobby then perhaps free blogging sites are fine. But if you are aiming big, then you have to consider having a customized blog address and a dedicated web host. It will show that you are serious about blogging, and will help you get noticed by big brands wanting to sponsor some blogs in future.
No Attention to Formatting and Layout
It is very important to format your content to increase readability. Providing huge chunks of data without any formatting can put off readers, and they might turn to other sites. Using subtitles, bulleted points, and relevant images go a long way to hold the reader's attention.
Not Optimizing Your Blog's Permalinks
It might sound a bit technical, but it is absolutely important to optimize your blog's permalinks. Usually the permalinks are set as per the domain name, for example - www.nameofblog.com/?123. But, this is not very SEO friendly. It is important to set them to show the permalink as per the title of your page or post like www.nameofblog.com/pagename or www.nameofblog.com/posttitle.
Not Connecting With Your Readers and Fellow Bloggers
It is very important to connect with your readers via comments. If a reader has a query, be sure to answer it as soon as possible. It will increase the reader's trust and they will keep coming to your site. It is also important to connect with other fellow bloggers, leaving thought-provoking comments on the articles that interest you. You can also invite seasoned bloggers to guest post for you and vice versa. This will help your blog to gain exposure to a wider audience.
Mimicking Your Favorite Blog
Perhaps the biggest mistake a new blogger commits is to imitate his favorite blogger. But that doesn't work in the long run. One cannot be someone else. Everyone has a style of their own and should work towards finding their own style rather than mimicking others.
Giving Up Too Early
Quite often people are frustrated by the slow start of their blog and instead of trying harder, they give up. One should understand that readers will not start flocking to your blog in a day. It will take considerable time and effort to attract and retain readers. But when you start getting results, it is all worth it. If you enjoy blogging, stick to it.
Blogging can be a very enriching and rewarding experience. It can open a whole new world for you. If you take care not to commit these common mistakes, you can get a good start for your blog.
Justin Hall published the first blog ever in the year 1994. Since, then blogging has come a long way. Today, there are more than 31 million blogs in United States alone.
Blogging is a great way of reaching out to the world. There are a number of reasons why people blog. For some, blogging can just be a hobby, while for others it can be a way to increase awareness about their products and services, and earn money online. Whatever the reason is, the primary aim is to get readership for the blog.
Today, more and more people are taking up blogging for various reasons. As with any new venture, blogging too has a learning curve; you make mistakes and learn from them and move on. But some mistakes cost dearly and can even jeopardize the future of a blog.
In this Buzzle article, we have compiled some of the most common mistakes new bloggers make.
Poor, Shallow Content
Content is the king in the kingdom of blogs. It is very important that whatever you write and share on your blog is correct, informative, and of good quality. Readers on the Internet do not have time to read the mindless rant of a blogger. Only with good, unique, and interesting content will you be able to catch the attention of readers on the Internet, and turn them into your loyal followers. Poor and shallow content can kill your blog, so avoid it at all costs.
Copy-Pasting
Plagiarism is a crime, and if you indulge in the act of copying articles from other blogs and pasting them to your blog, you are going to be penalized heavily by search engines sooner or later. The importance of original and unique content cannot be emphasized enough. Copy-pasting from other blogs can also lead to a permanent deletion or ban on your blog. You will lose your credibility as a writer if readers find copied content on your blog.
Not Submitting Your Blog to Search Engines
You are writing great, unique, and original content, but your stats are not showing any signs of rise. What could be the reason? Well, most traffic to a blog comes from search engines, and for search engines to give you traffic you should let them know about your blog's existence. Search engines index content of sites to be able to show them on search results. So, it is very important to submit your blog to search engines. Failing to do so means you are missing out on a huge chunk of traffic.
Not Using Social Media
A great way of gaining traffic and increasing your readership is by using various social media platforms. It is great if you are writing good content, but you need to promote your wares if you want to reach out to a wider audience. Neglecting social media is a big no-no.
Not Learning SEO
Along with writing good quality content, it is very important that your blog is search engine friendly. That's where SEO comes into picture. If you want people to find your blog then the better you understand SEO, the better for your blog. Keep in mind that the field of SEO is constantly changing so, you should spend some time understanding the updated SEO best practices.
Not Choosing the Right Blogging Platform and Domain Name
It is very important to choose the right blogging platform. If you are blogging just as a hobby then perhaps free blogging sites are fine. But if you are aiming big, then you have to consider having a customized blog address and a dedicated web host. It will show that you are serious about blogging, and will help you get noticed by big brands wanting to sponsor some blogs in future.
No Attention to Formatting and Layout
It is very important to format your content to increase readability. Providing huge chunks of data without any formatting can put off readers, and they might turn to other sites. Using subtitles, bulleted points, and relevant images go a long way to hold the reader's attention.
Not Optimizing Your Blog's Permalinks
It might sound a bit technical, but it is absolutely important to optimize your blog's permalinks. Usually the permalinks are set as per the domain name, for example - www.nameofblog.com/?123. But, this is not very SEO friendly. It is important to set them to show the permalink as per the title of your page or post like www.nameofblog.com/pagename or www.nameofblog.com/posttitle.
Not Connecting With Your Readers and Fellow Bloggers
It is very important to connect with your readers via comments. If a reader has a query, be sure to answer it as soon as possible. It will increase the reader's trust and they will keep coming to your site. It is also important to connect with other fellow bloggers, leaving thought-provoking comments on the articles that interest you. You can also invite seasoned bloggers to guest post for you and vice versa. This will help your blog to gain exposure to a wider audience.
Mimicking Your Favorite Blog
Perhaps the biggest mistake a new blogger commits is to imitate his favorite blogger. But that doesn't work in the long run. One cannot be someone else. Everyone has a style of their own and should work towards finding their own style rather than mimicking others.
Giving Up Too Early
Quite often people are frustrated by the slow start of their blog and instead of trying harder, they give up. One should understand that readers will not start flocking to your blog in a day. It will take considerable time and effort to attract and retain readers. But when you start getting results, it is all worth it. If you enjoy blogging, stick to it.
Blogging can be a very enriching and rewarding experience. It can open a whole new world for you. If you take care not to commit these common mistakes, you can get a good start for your blog.
How Greed Nearly Caused the Downfall of Blogging
Thinking of starting a blog? What took you so long? Just kidding, but really think about your motivation and skills before committing to something so big and potentially time-consuming.
Thinking of starting a blog? What took you so long? Just kidding, but really think about your motivation and skills before committing to something so big and potentially time-consuming.
Blogs, blogs, blogs. Everyone has a blog. But why? Is everyone a
terrific writer (no), a deep thinker (no), a fount of new ideas? No. So
just what, then, motivates people to devote a sometimes substantial
portion of their lives to a blog? Should you have one too? It’s an
interesting question.
Motivation
Bloggers’ motivations are vast and varied, and the majority opinion has changed as the internet evolved. In the beginning, people blogged because it was new, and it felt like being sorta famous. There weren't many blogs around yet, so anyone with something to say could find an audience larger than their previous audience of mother and cat.
Then, blogging platforms improved and became more accessible. With drag-and-drop site design, shared hosting and pre-made templates, creating a blog was an hour-long affair rather than a weeks-long html nightmare. And so, the rush began.
The Rush
Suddenly, everyone was reading blogs, and soon after that, everyone had a blog. What started as an online diary of sorts became a platform for whatever, and everyone was just yammering away at each other. Some blogs got to be so popular that companies wanted to advertise with them - and that was the beginning of the end.
Once people discovered that you could make money with a blog, interest skyrocketed. Those (mostly pointless) blogs that wallpapered the internet were soon littered with pop-ups, flashing, singing, dancing ads on every square inch of real estate that wasn't covered with words.
Cheating
This capitalism-meets-internet approach led people to do what they do, and find ways to game the system and increase ad revenue - thus began the rise of Black Hat SEO. Shady individuals began making dozens of blogs with identical content, just to increase ad space and increase the likelihood of traffic. Meta tags were flooded with top search terms whether they related to the site or not. Keyword stuffing made content unreadable, and the quest for more and more content for less and less money led to pages and pages of writing with little actual information, inaccurate information, and inaccurately-translated English (which can actually be pretty funny).
Then came the content mills, paying "writers" at rates considered slave wages by the writing industry, just to churn out more and more content to place them at the top of the search results, so they could get more and more page views and more and more ad revenue. But there’s one thing they didn't count on - Google.
Eviction
As the number one search engine, Google is basically the landlord of the internet. If your landlord doesn't like your business, he may not be able to just kick you out - but he certainly can triple the rent when your lease comes up for renewal. It’s not that Google had anything against the people behind these ad-riddled messes, they were only looking out for their own product.
You see, all this jockeying for high-ranking search results made Google almost impossible to use if you were looking for good information. The first few pages (or the first few dozen, depending upon the search term) were nothing but crap sites just trolling for clicks without offering anything useful - which undermined the usefulness of Google’s product, so they went on the warpath.
A number of algorithm tweaks later, and a Google search will once again lead you to information you can use in most cases. The blogs and other websites that junked up the internet are gone for the most part, because they were no longer profitable.
The Sun Always Rises
The good blogs, the ones actually worth reading, are still around - because they provided value to the reader, Google’s changes affected them positively instead of negatively. They’re rising to the top of search results like cream, just waiting for your eyes - but regardless of whether you become a regular reader or not, they’ll keep doing what they’re doing.
The point is that money should not be your sole reason for starting a blog. Use it as a sounding board, a portfolio, a way to get writing experience, or even just a way to get your name out there. But don’t expect to make a decent living off of it. Running a good blog is a time-sucking endeavor, and the money you make from it will probably not match what you could make at most jobs. Very, very few people subsist solely upon blog money.
In fact, it was the get-rich-quick mentality that caused the downfall of the blog in the first place. Don’t be that person. Don’t break the internet.
Motivation
Bloggers’ motivations are vast and varied, and the majority opinion has changed as the internet evolved. In the beginning, people blogged because it was new, and it felt like being sorta famous. There weren't many blogs around yet, so anyone with something to say could find an audience larger than their previous audience of mother and cat.
Then, blogging platforms improved and became more accessible. With drag-and-drop site design, shared hosting and pre-made templates, creating a blog was an hour-long affair rather than a weeks-long html nightmare. And so, the rush began.
The Rush
Suddenly, everyone was reading blogs, and soon after that, everyone had a blog. What started as an online diary of sorts became a platform for whatever, and everyone was just yammering away at each other. Some blogs got to be so popular that companies wanted to advertise with them - and that was the beginning of the end.
Once people discovered that you could make money with a blog, interest skyrocketed. Those (mostly pointless) blogs that wallpapered the internet were soon littered with pop-ups, flashing, singing, dancing ads on every square inch of real estate that wasn't covered with words.
Cheating
This capitalism-meets-internet approach led people to do what they do, and find ways to game the system and increase ad revenue - thus began the rise of Black Hat SEO. Shady individuals began making dozens of blogs with identical content, just to increase ad space and increase the likelihood of traffic. Meta tags were flooded with top search terms whether they related to the site or not. Keyword stuffing made content unreadable, and the quest for more and more content for less and less money led to pages and pages of writing with little actual information, inaccurate information, and inaccurately-translated English (which can actually be pretty funny).
Then came the content mills, paying "writers" at rates considered slave wages by the writing industry, just to churn out more and more content to place them at the top of the search results, so they could get more and more page views and more and more ad revenue. But there’s one thing they didn't count on - Google.
Eviction
As the number one search engine, Google is basically the landlord of the internet. If your landlord doesn't like your business, he may not be able to just kick you out - but he certainly can triple the rent when your lease comes up for renewal. It’s not that Google had anything against the people behind these ad-riddled messes, they were only looking out for their own product.
You see, all this jockeying for high-ranking search results made Google almost impossible to use if you were looking for good information. The first few pages (or the first few dozen, depending upon the search term) were nothing but crap sites just trolling for clicks without offering anything useful - which undermined the usefulness of Google’s product, so they went on the warpath.
A number of algorithm tweaks later, and a Google search will once again lead you to information you can use in most cases. The blogs and other websites that junked up the internet are gone for the most part, because they were no longer profitable.
The Sun Always Rises
The good blogs, the ones actually worth reading, are still around - because they provided value to the reader, Google’s changes affected them positively instead of negatively. They’re rising to the top of search results like cream, just waiting for your eyes - but regardless of whether you become a regular reader or not, they’ll keep doing what they’re doing.
The point is that money should not be your sole reason for starting a blog. Use it as a sounding board, a portfolio, a way to get writing experience, or even just a way to get your name out there. But don’t expect to make a decent living off of it. Running a good blog is a time-sucking endeavor, and the money you make from it will probably not match what you could make at most jobs. Very, very few people subsist solely upon blog money.
In fact, it was the get-rich-quick mentality that caused the downfall of the blog in the first place. Don’t be that person. Don’t break the internet.
How Greed Nearly Caused the Downfall of Blogging
Thinking of starting a blog? What took you so long? Just kidding, but really think about your motivation and skills before committing to something so big and potentially time-consuming.
Blogs, blogs, blogs. Everyone has a blog. But why? Is everyone a
terrific writer (no), a deep thinker (no), a fount of new ideas? No. So
just what, then, motivates people to devote a sometimes substantial
portion of their lives to a blog? Should you have one too? It’s an
interesting question.
Motivation
Bloggers’ motivations are vast and varied, and the majority opinion has changed as the internet evolved. In the beginning, people blogged because it was new, and it felt like being sorta famous. There weren't many blogs around yet, so anyone with something to say could find an audience larger than their previous audience of mother and cat.
Then, blogging platforms improved and became more accessible. With drag-and-drop site design, shared hosting and pre-made templates, creating a blog was an hour-long affair rather than a weeks-long html nightmare. And so, the rush began.
The Rush
Suddenly, everyone was reading blogs, and soon after that, everyone had a blog. What started as an online diary of sorts became a platform for whatever, and everyone was just yammering away at each other. Some blogs got to be so popular that companies wanted to advertise with them - and that was the beginning of the end.
Once people discovered that you could make money with a blog, interest skyrocketed. Those (mostly pointless) blogs that wallpapered the internet were soon littered with pop-ups, flashing, singing, dancing ads on every square inch of real estate that wasn't covered with words.
Cheating
This capitalism-meets-internet approach led people to do what they do, and find ways to game the system and increase ad revenue - thus began the rise of Black Hat SEO. Shady individuals began making dozens of blogs with identical content, just to increase ad space and increase the likelihood of traffic. Meta tags were flooded with top search terms whether they related to the site or not. Keyword stuffing made content unreadable, and the quest for more and more content for less and less money led to pages and pages of writing with little actual information, inaccurate information, and inaccurately-translated English (which can actually be pretty funny).
Then came the content mills, paying "writers" at rates considered slave wages by the writing industry, just to churn out more and more content to place them at the top of the search results, so they could get more and more page views and more and more ad revenue. But there’s one thing they didn't count on - Google.
Eviction
As the number one search engine, Google is basically the landlord of the internet. If your landlord doesn't like your business, he may not be able to just kick you out - but he certainly can triple the rent when your lease comes up for renewal. It’s not that Google had anything against the people behind these ad-riddled messes, they were only looking out for their own product.
You see, all this jockeying for high-ranking search results made Google almost impossible to use if you were looking for good information. The first few pages (or the first few dozen, depending upon the search term) were nothing but crap sites just trolling for clicks without offering anything useful - which undermined the usefulness of Google’s product, so they went on the warpath.
A number of algorithm tweaks later, and a Google search will once again lead you to information you can use in most cases. The blogs and other websites that junked up the internet are gone for the most part, because they were no longer profitable.
The Sun Always Rises
The good blogs, the ones actually worth reading, are still around - because they provided value to the reader, Google’s changes affected them positively instead of negatively. They’re rising to the top of search results like cream, just waiting for your eyes - but regardless of whether you become a regular reader or not, they’ll keep doing what they’re doing.
The point is that money should not be your sole reason for starting a blog. Use it as a sounding board, a portfolio, a way to get writing experience, or even just a way to get your name out there. But don’t expect to make a decent living off of it. Running a good blog is a time-sucking endeavor, and the money you make from it will probably not match what you could make at most jobs. Very, very few people subsist solely upon blog money.
In fact, it was the get-rich-quick mentality that caused the downfall of the blog in the first place. Don’t be that person. Don’t break the internet.
Motivation
Bloggers’ motivations are vast and varied, and the majority opinion has changed as the internet evolved. In the beginning, people blogged because it was new, and it felt like being sorta famous. There weren't many blogs around yet, so anyone with something to say could find an audience larger than their previous audience of mother and cat.
Then, blogging platforms improved and became more accessible. With drag-and-drop site design, shared hosting and pre-made templates, creating a blog was an hour-long affair rather than a weeks-long html nightmare. And so, the rush began.
The Rush
Suddenly, everyone was reading blogs, and soon after that, everyone had a blog. What started as an online diary of sorts became a platform for whatever, and everyone was just yammering away at each other. Some blogs got to be so popular that companies wanted to advertise with them - and that was the beginning of the end.
Once people discovered that you could make money with a blog, interest skyrocketed. Those (mostly pointless) blogs that wallpapered the internet were soon littered with pop-ups, flashing, singing, dancing ads on every square inch of real estate that wasn't covered with words.
Cheating
This capitalism-meets-internet approach led people to do what they do, and find ways to game the system and increase ad revenue - thus began the rise of Black Hat SEO. Shady individuals began making dozens of blogs with identical content, just to increase ad space and increase the likelihood of traffic. Meta tags were flooded with top search terms whether they related to the site or not. Keyword stuffing made content unreadable, and the quest for more and more content for less and less money led to pages and pages of writing with little actual information, inaccurate information, and inaccurately-translated English (which can actually be pretty funny).
Then came the content mills, paying "writers" at rates considered slave wages by the writing industry, just to churn out more and more content to place them at the top of the search results, so they could get more and more page views and more and more ad revenue. But there’s one thing they didn't count on - Google.
Eviction
As the number one search engine, Google is basically the landlord of the internet. If your landlord doesn't like your business, he may not be able to just kick you out - but he certainly can triple the rent when your lease comes up for renewal. It’s not that Google had anything against the people behind these ad-riddled messes, they were only looking out for their own product.
You see, all this jockeying for high-ranking search results made Google almost impossible to use if you were looking for good information. The first few pages (or the first few dozen, depending upon the search term) were nothing but crap sites just trolling for clicks without offering anything useful - which undermined the usefulness of Google’s product, so they went on the warpath.
A number of algorithm tweaks later, and a Google search will once again lead you to information you can use in most cases. The blogs and other websites that junked up the internet are gone for the most part, because they were no longer profitable.
The Sun Always Rises
The good blogs, the ones actually worth reading, are still around - because they provided value to the reader, Google’s changes affected them positively instead of negatively. They’re rising to the top of search results like cream, just waiting for your eyes - but regardless of whether you become a regular reader or not, they’ll keep doing what they’re doing.
The point is that money should not be your sole reason for starting a blog. Use it as a sounding board, a portfolio, a way to get writing experience, or even just a way to get your name out there. But don’t expect to make a decent living off of it. Running a good blog is a time-sucking endeavor, and the money you make from it will probably not match what you could make at most jobs. Very, very few people subsist solely upon blog money.
In fact, it was the get-rich-quick mentality that caused the downfall of the blog in the first place. Don’t be that person. Don’t break the internet.
Website Vs. Blog - What to Choose?
Both are essentially websites. Both can help you earn money. Both can be used as personal diaries for the world to read. So what's the big difference between a website and a blog? All we know right now is that everybody's using it. Find out what sets them apart.
Both are essentially websites. Both can help you earn money. Both can be used as personal diaries for the world to read. So what's the big difference between a website and a blog? All we know right now is that everybody's using it. Find out what sets them apart.
If it's a quick answer that you're looking for, then a blog is
actually a non-static (dynamic) website that you can use without much or
even any knowledge of programming, making it easy to use and regularly
update. A blog concentrates on ease for the blog-maker, and the ability
for viewers to comment, making a blog more interactive. Everything is
done online and you don't need to start up a server or even hire a
server farm to keep your blog running. It's free and without obligation.
A website is a static port where users come primarily to browse
information. The interaction done on it is mostly for commercial or
business purposes, like buying an album or auctioning off a second-hand
bike. A blog tends to organize content according to date, placing the
latest entry on the top, while a website allows you to organize your
content however you want.
Website or Blog: Making the Right Choice
The complications in understanding manifest when you see websites that include forums and blogs that look so much like websites. The thing is, both are still pages on the Internet, used for a multitude of purposes, but mostly for earning money and trading. Follow the table given to learn more on the differences that, no matter how minor, eventually will affect your decision in the long run.
Websites Vs. Blogs
Pro-Blog
Setting up a blog is way faster and easier. You potentially start earning the moment you get done with the start up process, with good content comes good income. Websites take a longer time to get started, mostly because of the page building process. They also require money to start up and to maintain, while blogs remain free to a certain extent. If you are serious about blogging as a source of income, you need to put some money into it too.
A blog is a basic Content Management System (CMS), rather your Content Management. You can go and update your blog anytime you want to, no hassles with any technician anywhere. You only need knowledge of operating WordPress, which, by my belief, is doable by anyone's standards. A website does basically belong to you, but there can be problems whenever you want to update it. If you have a contract with a server farm, you will have to follow their guidelines.
Blogs dominate Google searches because they are rich in content, which is what Google loves. So blogs are always on page 1, the rest everywhere else. Not true. This is a myth that may feel true to you only because there have been a lot of blogs popping up from all around the globe, much faster than a website can. But that doesn't mean websites are weak. It is a common misconception to say that since Google likes to chew on rich words, they place blogs above websites. Well, content is the creation of the maker, not the site or blog. Try some test searches for random stuff and you'll see that blogs aren't popular everywhere.
Blogs get tons of functional themes that you can change anytime you want. Blogs also get all the plugins in the world at the click of the mouse. A website may be placed on someone else's server, but it's yours to create and change. It's all in the coding, and if you're good at it, you can make your site shine without any prescribed themes. The only place websites are weaker is large-scale content modification. You pretty much have to strip down the site and build it up again if you need to make some major makeover.
Pro-Website
If you need to put up content that isn't words as much as its pictures, software and forums, websites win. They are much more flexible to accommodate the above three aspects and ones similar to them. Blogs don't have so much flexibility on that part. If you need intensive design ideas to be put up, with long and complicated descriptions of them in pop-up panels or something like that, blogs pretty much fail. Blogs are, however, much more adept at content modification than websites.
Websites are much more stable than blogs. Content that's created on the website, stays there and keeps generating steady income for any trade or web traffic that comes your way. In fact, a website starts to get more hits if it stands up for some years, eventually starting to climb the Google search ladder. There can be seen many websites that have started out in 2002 and 2003 that are still on page 1, whereas blogs have only been in the business since around 2005 and 2006. Blogs do need content to run on. If you stop supplying content to it, your income pretty much stops. If you supply crappy content to your site just to keep it going, you'll get lower hits and consequently, lower income. It's hard for something like this to compete with websites that have solid content and that dominate search results.
Websites are better for all marketing purposes. Product display, manufacturing process, price tags and discounts, distributor details are some of the things that are easier shown on a website than a blog. Yes, it is hard to do something like this on blogs, where you need a constant source of information to keep updating.
This should help you decide what you want now. In my opinion, stick to blogs if your content is personal or social. Use a website for all business purposes and also if you want the page to last in the long run.
Website or Blog: Making the Right Choice
The complications in understanding manifest when you see websites that include forums and blogs that look so much like websites. The thing is, both are still pages on the Internet, used for a multitude of purposes, but mostly for earning money and trading. Follow the table given to learn more on the differences that, no matter how minor, eventually will affect your decision in the long run.
Websites Vs. Blogs
Pro-Blog
Setting up a blog is way faster and easier. You potentially start earning the moment you get done with the start up process, with good content comes good income. Websites take a longer time to get started, mostly because of the page building process. They also require money to start up and to maintain, while blogs remain free to a certain extent. If you are serious about blogging as a source of income, you need to put some money into it too.
A blog is a basic Content Management System (CMS), rather your Content Management. You can go and update your blog anytime you want to, no hassles with any technician anywhere. You only need knowledge of operating WordPress, which, by my belief, is doable by anyone's standards. A website does basically belong to you, but there can be problems whenever you want to update it. If you have a contract with a server farm, you will have to follow their guidelines.
Blogs dominate Google searches because they are rich in content, which is what Google loves. So blogs are always on page 1, the rest everywhere else. Not true. This is a myth that may feel true to you only because there have been a lot of blogs popping up from all around the globe, much faster than a website can. But that doesn't mean websites are weak. It is a common misconception to say that since Google likes to chew on rich words, they place blogs above websites. Well, content is the creation of the maker, not the site or blog. Try some test searches for random stuff and you'll see that blogs aren't popular everywhere.
Blogs get tons of functional themes that you can change anytime you want. Blogs also get all the plugins in the world at the click of the mouse. A website may be placed on someone else's server, but it's yours to create and change. It's all in the coding, and if you're good at it, you can make your site shine without any prescribed themes. The only place websites are weaker is large-scale content modification. You pretty much have to strip down the site and build it up again if you need to make some major makeover.
Pro-Website
If you need to put up content that isn't words as much as its pictures, software and forums, websites win. They are much more flexible to accommodate the above three aspects and ones similar to them. Blogs don't have so much flexibility on that part. If you need intensive design ideas to be put up, with long and complicated descriptions of them in pop-up panels or something like that, blogs pretty much fail. Blogs are, however, much more adept at content modification than websites.
Websites are much more stable than blogs. Content that's created on the website, stays there and keeps generating steady income for any trade or web traffic that comes your way. In fact, a website starts to get more hits if it stands up for some years, eventually starting to climb the Google search ladder. There can be seen many websites that have started out in 2002 and 2003 that are still on page 1, whereas blogs have only been in the business since around 2005 and 2006. Blogs do need content to run on. If you stop supplying content to it, your income pretty much stops. If you supply crappy content to your site just to keep it going, you'll get lower hits and consequently, lower income. It's hard for something like this to compete with websites that have solid content and that dominate search results.
Websites are better for all marketing purposes. Product display, manufacturing process, price tags and discounts, distributor details are some of the things that are easier shown on a website than a blog. Yes, it is hard to do something like this on blogs, where you need a constant source of information to keep updating.
This should help you decide what you want now. In my opinion, stick to blogs if your content is personal or social. Use a website for all business purposes and also if you want the page to last in the long run.
How to Start a Blog and Make Money
Want to know how to make money through a blog? Look no further! This article is precisely about that!
Want to know how to make money through a blog? Look no further! This article is precisely about that!
If you are not doing on the Internet what the whole world is doing,
then you face the fear of being socially ridiculed in the cyber world.
Guess what I am talking about? Yes, creating a blog of your own first
and then using it to earn a few good bucks! I mean come on, at least 8
out of 10 people you meet will have blogs! They are a great way to earn
money, directly as well as indirectly.
Starting a Blog for Money
A couple of registrations, some settings and you are almost done, to begin with blogging. Of course not to forget the blog posts! What you need to do is given in the following steps.
#1
All you need to do is to log on the blogging platforms and register yourself there. You will get all the necessary instructions. What you can also do is create a blog on your website using a top-level domain name. This is particularly advised if you plan to transform it into an Internet business totally.
#2
Once you have set up the blog, this is where the real work starts. Now here, you have to put your best foot forward. Have posts which will make it distinct and easily identifiable. If you want to promote your business, add relevant and interesting posts. They should be catchy and the lay out has to be really good. For that, the basic look of your blog has to be impressive. The themes, layouts, and templates in your blog platform will be helpful towards that objective.
#3
Another very crucial factor is to have pay per click advertising and Google AdSense working on your blog. PPC and Google AdSense will get the cash flowing in for you right from the word go. To induce an increase in traffic and more clicks, this is a must.
#4
Always remember to market your blog well, if you want it to be popular amongst the netizens. This way you will attract more visitors. Blog rolling, article marketing, and adding some credible links connected to your articles will always help you in making money.
#5
Sell your cyberspace to others like you, perhaps who are looking to expand and reach out to optimum number of people. A button like "Place Your Link Here for...", will surely get you some easy money. This will be a good option to make some money.
Well, this was the primary outline of how you can make money with a blog. However, we are still not over with it! Here are a few quick tips to let your blog earn the maximum for you!
Tips for Starting a Blog
A few things which you need to remember are still left when you are talking about starting your own blog. These are minor things if you look at them casually. However, in context of starting a blog to make money, they are crucial.
RSS feed is a must.
If your blog is not business oriented, but it has articles and you are banking on that to get you some money, some search engine optimization and zeroing on your niche is important.
Consider registering your new blog with the top website and blog directories.
Promote and market it in all the possible ways - the best and easiest way is through social networking websites.
Try doing these things while starting a blog and hopefully the money will start flowing in!
Starting a Blog for Money
A couple of registrations, some settings and you are almost done, to begin with blogging. Of course not to forget the blog posts! What you need to do is given in the following steps.
#1
All you need to do is to log on the blogging platforms and register yourself there. You will get all the necessary instructions. What you can also do is create a blog on your website using a top-level domain name. This is particularly advised if you plan to transform it into an Internet business totally.
#2
Once you have set up the blog, this is where the real work starts. Now here, you have to put your best foot forward. Have posts which will make it distinct and easily identifiable. If you want to promote your business, add relevant and interesting posts. They should be catchy and the lay out has to be really good. For that, the basic look of your blog has to be impressive. The themes, layouts, and templates in your blog platform will be helpful towards that objective.
#3
Another very crucial factor is to have pay per click advertising and Google AdSense working on your blog. PPC and Google AdSense will get the cash flowing in for you right from the word go. To induce an increase in traffic and more clicks, this is a must.
#4
Always remember to market your blog well, if you want it to be popular amongst the netizens. This way you will attract more visitors. Blog rolling, article marketing, and adding some credible links connected to your articles will always help you in making money.
#5
Sell your cyberspace to others like you, perhaps who are looking to expand and reach out to optimum number of people. A button like "Place Your Link Here for...", will surely get you some easy money. This will be a good option to make some money.
Well, this was the primary outline of how you can make money with a blog. However, we are still not over with it! Here are a few quick tips to let your blog earn the maximum for you!
Tips for Starting a Blog
A few things which you need to remember are still left when you are talking about starting your own blog. These are minor things if you look at them casually. However, in context of starting a blog to make money, they are crucial.
RSS feed is a must.
If your blog is not business oriented, but it has articles and you are banking on that to get you some money, some search engine optimization and zeroing on your niche is important.
Consider registering your new blog with the top website and blog directories.
Promote and market it in all the possible ways - the best and easiest way is through social networking websites.
Try doing these things while starting a blog and hopefully the money will start flowing in!
Good Blogs Always Begin as a Labor of Love
When launching a blog, it's important to realize the tremendous amount of time and effort required to make it a successful venture.
Blogs are created for a number of reasons. Some people simply want
to have their voices heard and their thoughts shared with the public.
Others are trying to sell something or promote business products and
services. Still others want to build a community around their blog,
presumably profiting from advertising revenue when the blog's audience
reaches an appropriate critical mass. Every one of these reasons is
legitimate and there are blogs that have succeeded following each path.
But for every blog that succeeded, there are many thousands that have
failed. The common ingredient among all successful blogs is the
tremendous amount of effort and time devoted to building it.
Without going into a detailed examination of the various types of blogging platforms out there, it's sufficient to note that a solid platform is almost always a pre-requisite for good blog performance. But again, it's not anywhere close to as important as the quality and volume of the content on the blog. As you might imagine, content quality is the first priority, followed closely by content volume and then post frequency. The struggle for many bloggers doesn't come initially. Most blogs start with a burst of energy and a clear idea of what the blogger wants to say.
Quickly, however, things can get difficult. After a few weeks of blogging happily, a first-time blogger is likely to look up and notice that absolutely no one is paying attention to their blog. They've gotten no comments, Google Analytics shows that they've had very few visitors and no relevant visitors. They re-read what they've written and, even if it looks good, it probably doesn't look quite as good as they thought it did. And this is usually the time when blogs begin to die―sometime around the end of the first month of existence.
This is also the same time period when successful bloggers begin to understand just how much work blogging can be―and they decide that they want to do it. Thus begins the long, slow process of building the blog after the first month. After the first month of content has been posted, it usually becomes a little more difficult to find topics that are engaging and to continue to write about them in a way that is likely to interest would-be visitors.
Eventually, if your blog content is of a high quality and you have spent time visiting other blogs that are relevant to your own, someone will stop by and post some comments on the posts in your blog. That's always a welcome surprise. Then, if you're lucky, another blogger will link to your blog from theirs or from a separate website. Now you're getting somewhere. Eventually, a trickle of comments and incoming links will grow to a slow stream of them. In order to maintain interest in your blog, it's always important to return the favor by frequenting other blogs and contributing to conversations happening away from your own blog.
By building credibility on other people's blogs and relevant websites, bloggers can bring instant credibility to their own blog. It's usually poor form to invite others back to your blog in the comments you post elsewhere, but as you become an active member of an online community of bloggers, you'll find that you can do many things that would have been impossible or highly ill-advised in the early days of your blog.
The process to build a successful blog is usually a long and slow one. But the momentum gained can usually be sustained by continuing to post quality content and by remaining active in relevant blogging circles. In the world of blogging, a year is an eternity. If you are able to build your blog consistently over the course of a single year, you will probably find yourself with one of the more respected blogs in your niche. From that point forward, it is still a labor of love, but it will probably come with some of the rewards that you may have envisioned when you launched the blog in the first place.
Without going into a detailed examination of the various types of blogging platforms out there, it's sufficient to note that a solid platform is almost always a pre-requisite for good blog performance. But again, it's not anywhere close to as important as the quality and volume of the content on the blog. As you might imagine, content quality is the first priority, followed closely by content volume and then post frequency. The struggle for many bloggers doesn't come initially. Most blogs start with a burst of energy and a clear idea of what the blogger wants to say.
Quickly, however, things can get difficult. After a few weeks of blogging happily, a first-time blogger is likely to look up and notice that absolutely no one is paying attention to their blog. They've gotten no comments, Google Analytics shows that they've had very few visitors and no relevant visitors. They re-read what they've written and, even if it looks good, it probably doesn't look quite as good as they thought it did. And this is usually the time when blogs begin to die―sometime around the end of the first month of existence.
This is also the same time period when successful bloggers begin to understand just how much work blogging can be―and they decide that they want to do it. Thus begins the long, slow process of building the blog after the first month. After the first month of content has been posted, it usually becomes a little more difficult to find topics that are engaging and to continue to write about them in a way that is likely to interest would-be visitors.
Eventually, if your blog content is of a high quality and you have spent time visiting other blogs that are relevant to your own, someone will stop by and post some comments on the posts in your blog. That's always a welcome surprise. Then, if you're lucky, another blogger will link to your blog from theirs or from a separate website. Now you're getting somewhere. Eventually, a trickle of comments and incoming links will grow to a slow stream of them. In order to maintain interest in your blog, it's always important to return the favor by frequenting other blogs and contributing to conversations happening away from your own blog.
By building credibility on other people's blogs and relevant websites, bloggers can bring instant credibility to their own blog. It's usually poor form to invite others back to your blog in the comments you post elsewhere, but as you become an active member of an online community of bloggers, you'll find that you can do many things that would have been impossible or highly ill-advised in the early days of your blog.
The process to build a successful blog is usually a long and slow one. But the momentum gained can usually be sustained by continuing to post quality content and by remaining active in relevant blogging circles. In the world of blogging, a year is an eternity. If you are able to build your blog consistently over the course of a single year, you will probably find yourself with one of the more respected blogs in your niche. From that point forward, it is still a labor of love, but it will probably come with some of the rewards that you may have envisioned when you launched the blog in the first place.
Creating a Blog for Your Business
Creating a blog for your business is an excellent way of establishing yourself in the smallest possible time span. Read on to know what are the benefits of making a blog for your business idea.
With a whole world hanging out in the virtual space, it's time
businesses also get there, to make most of the Internet wave. Creating a
blog is an excellent way of taking your business venture in the virtual
reality. A blog gives you a dedicated cyber space, to give out
information about your products or services to millions of people at one
time. If you do not want to spend on a huge amount on print
advertisement, outdoor advertisement or audio-visual advertisement, then
blogging is the safest bet for you. With attractive blog templates,
designing an eye-catching blog is easy.
How to Create a Blog
A blog is a short form for a web blog. Creating one for yourself is an extremely easy process, and a free one too! To begin with, find a blog service provider that you think is easy to use. Blogger, WordPress, LiveJournal and Xanga, are some of the popular ones. Open these sites and register yourself as you would for a mail account. Punch in the required information, give it a name, register a user name, add an image, and the blog will be ready. To make it more attractive you can get yourself themes or templates, just as you do for your phone. This accentuates the aesthetics of the blog and makes it worth clicking on. To make it more interesting, you can add applications to it, such as guest maps, guest books, and comment boxes for the readers' inputs. Making a blog is similar to making an email id. Just log on to the site and the rest will follow easily.
What Can a Blog Do for Your Business
Giving Out Information
The first and foremost use of a blog is for giving out information. Creating a blog for your business is the ideal way of giving out information about your services or products. If you do not have a large amount of money to spend on advertisements, start your own blog or host a blog to get the much-needed publicity for your venture. A blog acts just like a website. It becomes the authentic source of credible information and a silent spokesperson of your company.
Carving a Niche
The world of blogging is very opinionated one. Most bloggers are people with specific ideas, which are promoted with zest and zeal. Thus, targeting a niche crowd is very easy in the blogging world. Finding a specific market for your product is relatively easy here, as compared to other forms of advertising. For instance, if you are into designing clothes, then getting hold of fashion conscious people in the blogging world is only a search away!
Cost-Effective
As mentioned earlier, signing up as a blogger doesn't cost a thing. It is free and available to each and every person who desires to use it. No matter what your reasons are for using a blog, using it is totally free. However, if you decide to host a blog which is having a domain name like a website, you might have to pay a little. The rates for hosting are anywhere between $9 - $15 per month, which again is cheaper than any other kind of mass communication. Hosting a blog will make your business look more authentic and real. After all, it wouldn't be such a big deal if starting a blog to make money takes a little spending too.
One on One
The next big advantage of having a blog for your business is that it allows you to connect with your customers on a one-to-one basis. As more and more visitors come to your blog, they not only get direct information, but also can get immediate responses to their queries. A feedback box on every blog makes helping the customer much easier. This increases customer satisfaction and retains their loyalty. Thus, for a long term aspect, a blog is way more beneficial over other mediums of advertisements.
Social Networking
Networking is an important part of running a successful business. A strong network of potential customers, competitors and critics, all found on a common platform. Thus, it provides excellent exposure, which can help you run your business differently to compete better.
Many believe that blogs have degenerated over a period of time and due to its excessive usage. If that's the case, then now is the time to step in and make a mark for yourself. After all you can be a big fish in a small pond, so why not make the most of it? If the situation is contrary to this, then again, why not take a plunge and get the maximum out of it? Creating a blog is the easiest way of establishing your business in this fast changing world of cut throat competition.
How to Create a Blog
A blog is a short form for a web blog. Creating one for yourself is an extremely easy process, and a free one too! To begin with, find a blog service provider that you think is easy to use. Blogger, WordPress, LiveJournal and Xanga, are some of the popular ones. Open these sites and register yourself as you would for a mail account. Punch in the required information, give it a name, register a user name, add an image, and the blog will be ready. To make it more attractive you can get yourself themes or templates, just as you do for your phone. This accentuates the aesthetics of the blog and makes it worth clicking on. To make it more interesting, you can add applications to it, such as guest maps, guest books, and comment boxes for the readers' inputs. Making a blog is similar to making an email id. Just log on to the site and the rest will follow easily.
What Can a Blog Do for Your Business
Giving Out Information
The first and foremost use of a blog is for giving out information. Creating a blog for your business is the ideal way of giving out information about your services or products. If you do not have a large amount of money to spend on advertisements, start your own blog or host a blog to get the much-needed publicity for your venture. A blog acts just like a website. It becomes the authentic source of credible information and a silent spokesperson of your company.
Carving a Niche
The world of blogging is very opinionated one. Most bloggers are people with specific ideas, which are promoted with zest and zeal. Thus, targeting a niche crowd is very easy in the blogging world. Finding a specific market for your product is relatively easy here, as compared to other forms of advertising. For instance, if you are into designing clothes, then getting hold of fashion conscious people in the blogging world is only a search away!
Cost-Effective
As mentioned earlier, signing up as a blogger doesn't cost a thing. It is free and available to each and every person who desires to use it. No matter what your reasons are for using a blog, using it is totally free. However, if you decide to host a blog which is having a domain name like a website, you might have to pay a little. The rates for hosting are anywhere between $9 - $15 per month, which again is cheaper than any other kind of mass communication. Hosting a blog will make your business look more authentic and real. After all, it wouldn't be such a big deal if starting a blog to make money takes a little spending too.
One on One
The next big advantage of having a blog for your business is that it allows you to connect with your customers on a one-to-one basis. As more and more visitors come to your blog, they not only get direct information, but also can get immediate responses to their queries. A feedback box on every blog makes helping the customer much easier. This increases customer satisfaction and retains their loyalty. Thus, for a long term aspect, a blog is way more beneficial over other mediums of advertisements.
Social Networking
Networking is an important part of running a successful business. A strong network of potential customers, competitors and critics, all found on a common platform. Thus, it provides excellent exposure, which can help you run your business differently to compete better.
Many believe that blogs have degenerated over a period of time and due to its excessive usage. If that's the case, then now is the time to step in and make a mark for yourself. After all you can be a big fish in a small pond, so why not make the most of it? If the situation is contrary to this, then again, why not take a plunge and get the maximum out of it? Creating a blog is the easiest way of establishing your business in this fast changing world of cut throat competition.
How to Import Your Blog into Facebook
Facebook provides a new platform for bloggers to share and popularize their blog posts. In this article, you will find clear guidelines explaining the import your blog into Facebook to get more readers for your posts.
Facebook provides a new platform for bloggers to share and popularize their blog posts. In this article, you will find clear guidelines explaining the import your blog into Facebook to get more readers for your posts.
The impact that Facebook has over the world today, can be gauged by
the fact that President Obama himself chose to visit the social
networking site's headquarters recently. With more than 500 million
regular users and counting, Facebook is one of the biggest platforms to
share your views with a worldwide audience. What better way to promote
your personal blog, than sharing its posts on Facebook. That way, all of
your friends can read your latest blog posts, as and when they are
published.
Two of the most powerful features of the Facebook website are the 'Share' button and the 'Like' button. Whatever you share, appears directly in the recent news feed of all your friends. Instantly your thoughts, links, videos or any kind of shared content can reach hundreds of people. When any one of them 'Likes' what you've shared, the post further appears in the news feed of his or her connected friends.
Thus the 'Like' button triggers an avalanche effect which multiplies the number of people who see and may read your post. That's why, importing your blog into Facebook makes abundant sense and you should know how it's done. Once you have imported the blog, you don't need to individually share every post. The posts that you publish thereafter will automatically appear on Facebook as you publish them. In the following lines, I will guide you through the procedure of importing your blog posts to Facebook automatically.
How to Import your Blog Entries into Facebook?
The facility to import blogs into Facebook and automatically share posts has been made available through an application called 'Notes'. In case you haven't used it already, it's an exclusive Facebook application that lets you share your thoughts and publish them in a plain note form. It's a great application to share insights, thoughts and excerpts from texts which you like. This Note application has a built in function to share your blog post by importing them via an RSS feed link. Here's how to go about it.
Type 'Notes' in the search box provided at the top of your Facebook home page. Go to the Notes application. On the left hand side, you will see a link called 'Edit Settings'. Click on it and a new page will open with a box where you must enter the RSS feed link of your blog. Once you have copy-pasted that RSS link from your blog homepage, hit the 'Import Blog' button and your job is done. The RSS feed will automatically provide the link of any new posts you publish on your blog, which will then be visible on Facebook news feed as entries in the 'Notes' application. Your previous posts will also be made visible as notes.
If you still have any doubts regarding import of your blog into Facebook, refer to the help section of the social networking site, which has a detailed FAQ section regarding the same, that should take care of any doubts you might have. As mentioned before, it's essential that you enter the RSS link of your blog in the Notes application settings to have your posts shared on Facebook. It saves you the hassle of having to post every one of your post links whenever you have blogged. The integration of blogs into Facebook and linking of Twitter account with the Facebook can make your life simpler. Connect your blog with Facebook and watch the number of your blog followers soaring.
Two of the most powerful features of the Facebook website are the 'Share' button and the 'Like' button. Whatever you share, appears directly in the recent news feed of all your friends. Instantly your thoughts, links, videos or any kind of shared content can reach hundreds of people. When any one of them 'Likes' what you've shared, the post further appears in the news feed of his or her connected friends.
Thus the 'Like' button triggers an avalanche effect which multiplies the number of people who see and may read your post. That's why, importing your blog into Facebook makes abundant sense and you should know how it's done. Once you have imported the blog, you don't need to individually share every post. The posts that you publish thereafter will automatically appear on Facebook as you publish them. In the following lines, I will guide you through the procedure of importing your blog posts to Facebook automatically.
How to Import your Blog Entries into Facebook?
The facility to import blogs into Facebook and automatically share posts has been made available through an application called 'Notes'. In case you haven't used it already, it's an exclusive Facebook application that lets you share your thoughts and publish them in a plain note form. It's a great application to share insights, thoughts and excerpts from texts which you like. This Note application has a built in function to share your blog post by importing them via an RSS feed link. Here's how to go about it.
Type 'Notes' in the search box provided at the top of your Facebook home page. Go to the Notes application. On the left hand side, you will see a link called 'Edit Settings'. Click on it and a new page will open with a box where you must enter the RSS feed link of your blog. Once you have copy-pasted that RSS link from your blog homepage, hit the 'Import Blog' button and your job is done. The RSS feed will automatically provide the link of any new posts you publish on your blog, which will then be visible on Facebook news feed as entries in the 'Notes' application. Your previous posts will also be made visible as notes.
If you still have any doubts regarding import of your blog into Facebook, refer to the help section of the social networking site, which has a detailed FAQ section regarding the same, that should take care of any doubts you might have. As mentioned before, it's essential that you enter the RSS link of your blog in the Notes application settings to have your posts shared on Facebook. It saves you the hassle of having to post every one of your post links whenever you have blogged. The integration of blogs into Facebook and linking of Twitter account with the Facebook can make your life simpler. Connect your blog with Facebook and watch the number of your blog followers soaring.
Wordpress Vs. Blogger
When one wants to start blogging, there are two popular platforms―Wordpress and Blogger. In this article, we take a look at the features and differences between these two, and which you should choose if you are new to blogging.
When one wants to start blogging, there are two popular platforms―Wordpress and Blogger. In this article, we take a look at the features and differences between these two, and which you should choose if you are new to blogging.
Wordpress Vs. Blogger
When one wants to start blogging, there are two popular platforms―Wordpress and Blogger. In this article, we take a look at the features and differences between these two, and which you should choose if you are new to blogging.
When one wants to start blogging, there are two popular platforms―Wordpress and Blogger. In this article, we take a look at the features and differences between these two, and which you should choose if you are new to blogging.
A great number of people have taken to blogging in a big way these
days. Each one of them has a different reason to start off with a blog.
For some it can have to do with marketing of products, or for other
professional reasons. For others it can be about sharing their ideas and
views. Whatever the reason, when one decides to create a blog, the most
confusing thing that they have to face, is the platform to blog.
Wordpress and Blogger are two popular platforms that provide a host of
features to people who want to start a blog. But which of these two is
better? Let's take a look.
Wordpress Versus Blogger
Though we keep mentioning Wordpress and Blogger, there are other options available as well, but these are the largest blogging platforms on the Internet today. People may not necessarily own a blog, but they have certainly heard about these two sites, hence, by using these hosting sites, one can draw traffic to the blogs. Here's a comparison between these two giants in the field of blogging.
Starting off a Blog
When you are a newbie to the blogging world and are starting a blog, you will be able to set up your blog and account on Blogger very easily. You may not take more than 15 to 20 minutes to set up the blog, and you will be able to start posting posts immediately. In case you would like to make your blog look different, then you can use numerous templates which are available for free.
On the other hand, starting off with Wordpress can cause a headache if you are an absolute newbie and do not know what are you doing. The problem increases manifold if you are going to make a hosting site.
Customization and Usage
If you are looking forward to having categories to your blog and want to make it look like a magazine, then you will be disappointed with blogger, as it cannot be done. However, it is not the same with Wordpress. You can add categories to your blog and you will also be able to display each of the category differently on the main page itself. As a matter of fact, with the right plug-ins you will also be able to make a magazine-like portal with your blog.
With Blogger you can add different tools to increase interaction on your site. There are also pretty themes and nifty little tools, which you can add to the core template. With Wordpress, you can also get themes, additional plug-ins, and advanced tools, which will help you to extend your blog way beyond a blogging platform. It can be looked upon as a user-friendly Content Management System (CMS) as well.
Publishing
Most people who have used Blogger have had some experience publishing posts, more so if you are revamping the entire blog. For these criteria, Wordpress wins hands down, as publishing is much easier with Wordpress. But you may not opine the same if you have different features up there on your blog.
Copyright Issue
This another important point in the debate. With Wordpress, you are the owner of your domain name, as well as the content of the blog. You have the liberty of blogging on topics closer to your heart, as well as everything under the sky. But do not forget the database is owned by Wordpress itself. On the other hand, you may not be able to exercise the same liberty with Blogger. Neither are you the owner of your content nor your domain name. The owners of Blogger are the owners of the content and they also have the liberty to shut down your blog without any warning.
Traffic and Search Engine Optimization
As far as traffic and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is concerned, there is no difference between the two. Traffic certainly depends on the content on the blog. There is a false propaganda being made about favoritism towards blogger, which is entirely wrong. The difference can be made about the number of sites, you can ping from Blogger and Wordpress. There is a limitation to the number of sites you can ping from Blogger, whereas there is no such restriction on Wordpress.
Where Would You Make More Money
If you want to start your own blog, a commercial blog to be more precise, then it makes more sense to start off with Blogger. This can be attributed to the fact that the money-making aspect and Blogger are both owned by the same company. If you start a blog with Wordpress, it can be a little tricky and you will have to know how to promote your blog.
From the general discussion above, it can indeed be very tricky to decide which of the two is better. It will also depend on the kind of blog you are going to start. You may want to have a look at different blogs on both Wordpress and Blogger and then make the decision for yourself. From our side, we have a simple tip―if you are looking at a commercial blog, then opt for Blogger, else go for Wordpress.
Wordpress Versus Blogger
Though we keep mentioning Wordpress and Blogger, there are other options available as well, but these are the largest blogging platforms on the Internet today. People may not necessarily own a blog, but they have certainly heard about these two sites, hence, by using these hosting sites, one can draw traffic to the blogs. Here's a comparison between these two giants in the field of blogging.
Starting off a Blog
When you are a newbie to the blogging world and are starting a blog, you will be able to set up your blog and account on Blogger very easily. You may not take more than 15 to 20 minutes to set up the blog, and you will be able to start posting posts immediately. In case you would like to make your blog look different, then you can use numerous templates which are available for free.
On the other hand, starting off with Wordpress can cause a headache if you are an absolute newbie and do not know what are you doing. The problem increases manifold if you are going to make a hosting site.
Customization and Usage
If you are looking forward to having categories to your blog and want to make it look like a magazine, then you will be disappointed with blogger, as it cannot be done. However, it is not the same with Wordpress. You can add categories to your blog and you will also be able to display each of the category differently on the main page itself. As a matter of fact, with the right plug-ins you will also be able to make a magazine-like portal with your blog.
With Blogger you can add different tools to increase interaction on your site. There are also pretty themes and nifty little tools, which you can add to the core template. With Wordpress, you can also get themes, additional plug-ins, and advanced tools, which will help you to extend your blog way beyond a blogging platform. It can be looked upon as a user-friendly Content Management System (CMS) as well.
Publishing
Most people who have used Blogger have had some experience publishing posts, more so if you are revamping the entire blog. For these criteria, Wordpress wins hands down, as publishing is much easier with Wordpress. But you may not opine the same if you have different features up there on your blog.
Copyright Issue
This another important point in the debate. With Wordpress, you are the owner of your domain name, as well as the content of the blog. You have the liberty of blogging on topics closer to your heart, as well as everything under the sky. But do not forget the database is owned by Wordpress itself. On the other hand, you may not be able to exercise the same liberty with Blogger. Neither are you the owner of your content nor your domain name. The owners of Blogger are the owners of the content and they also have the liberty to shut down your blog without any warning.
Traffic and Search Engine Optimization
As far as traffic and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is concerned, there is no difference between the two. Traffic certainly depends on the content on the blog. There is a false propaganda being made about favoritism towards blogger, which is entirely wrong. The difference can be made about the number of sites, you can ping from Blogger and Wordpress. There is a limitation to the number of sites you can ping from Blogger, whereas there is no such restriction on Wordpress.
Where Would You Make More Money
If you want to start your own blog, a commercial blog to be more precise, then it makes more sense to start off with Blogger. This can be attributed to the fact that the money-making aspect and Blogger are both owned by the same company. If you start a blog with Wordpress, it can be a little tricky and you will have to know how to promote your blog.
From the general discussion above, it can indeed be very tricky to decide which of the two is better. It will also depend on the kind of blog you are going to start. You may want to have a look at different blogs on both Wordpress and Blogger and then make the decision for yourself. From our side, we have a simple tip―if you are looking at a commercial blog, then opt for Blogger, else go for Wordpress.
What Does Blog Stand For
Blogging was a rage some time ago. It is still practiced but on a lower scale as compared to past. Earlier it was called Web log, then it was called We blog and now it's simply called blog.
Blogging was a rage some time ago. It is still practiced but on a lower scale as compared to past. Earlier it was called Web log, then it was called We blog and now it's simply called blog.
Every person who uses the Internet knows what a blog is, but have
you ever wondered what exactly does the word 'blog' stand for? There
have been various full forms which have been suggested for it, but the
original one is said to be 'Web Log'. This term was coined in the year
1997 by John Barger.
Today people are completely familiar with this term and what it represents. It is an online journal of sorts that has given millions of people around the globe an opportunity to explore their creative abilities. People love making journals and memoirs about their lives, travels, aspirations, or simply about their thoughts. Becoming a writer meant that you needed an exemplary command over words and the language, and the ability to sweep people off their feet with your lengthy narrations of purple prose. But high speed Internet has changed everything. 'Shorter, smaller and faster' emerged as the new mantra, and blogging took the world by storm. It paved the way for individuals of moderate literary talents to get their work published and viewed by millions around the world, and gave them a platform for 'creative expression'.
History of Blog
When the Internet first began functioning, starting a new webpage was a tedious process and it took plenty of time. As time went by, this process got easier and shorter, and pretty soon it was just a matter of a click. In 1999, Peter Merholz, broke down the term web log into 'we blog'. This soon became the rage and the term began to be used more as a verb. To blog now came to mean to create or edit your web log. The use of this term was so widespread and common, that by 2003 the Oxford English Dictionary had to include it in its list. Pyra Labs created a software known as Blogger, which was subsequently acquired by Google, and this interface made it possible for everyone with Internet access to create their own blog.
The Meaning of Blog
For people who are new to the world of the Internet, the term holds a lot of mystery and fascination. Though originally the word was coined to imply 'Web Log', over the years there are many more acronyms that the term has been associated with. Here are a few more acronyms that it stands for.
Better Listings on Google
Big Load of Gossip
Boring Lump of Garbage
Boring Lessons on Galaxy
Biological Links on the Globe
Going through these supposed acronyms, one can see that the term blog is not something that is related to literature. Of course, there are few individuals who make use of this platform for good purpose, but all in all, this platform has disturbed the equilibrium of genuine content. There are no regulations regarding the material that can be published, and as a result you will come across a lot of incoherent and inconsequential gibberish. People will argue that this gives the world a stage to express themselves, but some people say as to what use is it to them to read about what a teenage girl in Tokyo ate for breakfast, and how her mood is? They consider it all as 'chatter' (useless noise), which the Internet is guilty of inventing.
Today people are completely familiar with this term and what it represents. It is an online journal of sorts that has given millions of people around the globe an opportunity to explore their creative abilities. People love making journals and memoirs about their lives, travels, aspirations, or simply about their thoughts. Becoming a writer meant that you needed an exemplary command over words and the language, and the ability to sweep people off their feet with your lengthy narrations of purple prose. But high speed Internet has changed everything. 'Shorter, smaller and faster' emerged as the new mantra, and blogging took the world by storm. It paved the way for individuals of moderate literary talents to get their work published and viewed by millions around the world, and gave them a platform for 'creative expression'.
History of Blog
When the Internet first began functioning, starting a new webpage was a tedious process and it took plenty of time. As time went by, this process got easier and shorter, and pretty soon it was just a matter of a click. In 1999, Peter Merholz, broke down the term web log into 'we blog'. This soon became the rage and the term began to be used more as a verb. To blog now came to mean to create or edit your web log. The use of this term was so widespread and common, that by 2003 the Oxford English Dictionary had to include it in its list. Pyra Labs created a software known as Blogger, which was subsequently acquired by Google, and this interface made it possible for everyone with Internet access to create their own blog.
The Meaning of Blog
For people who are new to the world of the Internet, the term holds a lot of mystery and fascination. Though originally the word was coined to imply 'Web Log', over the years there are many more acronyms that the term has been associated with. Here are a few more acronyms that it stands for.
Better Listings on Google
Big Load of Gossip
Boring Lump of Garbage
Boring Lessons on Galaxy
Biological Links on the Globe
Going through these supposed acronyms, one can see that the term blog is not something that is related to literature. Of course, there are few individuals who make use of this platform for good purpose, but all in all, this platform has disturbed the equilibrium of genuine content. There are no regulations regarding the material that can be published, and as a result you will come across a lot of incoherent and inconsequential gibberish. People will argue that this gives the world a stage to express themselves, but some people say as to what use is it to them to read about what a teenage girl in Tokyo ate for breakfast, and how her mood is? They consider it all as 'chatter' (useless noise), which the Internet is guilty of inventing.
How to Promote Your Blog
One writes blogs to be read and express what is on one's mind. However, unless you promote it, you are not going to get a lot of readers. Here are some tips on how to go about it.
One writes blogs to be read and express what is on one's mind. However, unless you promote it, you are not going to get a lot of readers. Here are some tips on how to go about it.
A blog is an outgrowth of the power of expression and reach, that
Internet technology offers individual users. People have a right of
expression and opinion, and they can exercise their right in the truest
sense, through a blog. Having been a blogger myself, in the past, I know
how disappointing it can be when you write a great post and there are
hardly any people to read or comment.
Blogging Strategy
Blogs provide an insight into the lives of so many people. The blogosphere is a great community of people who love to share their experiences and understanding. To become a part of it and promote your blog, you need to learn to share useful information, while appreciating good content through commenting. Even brickbats are welcome, as for every writer and blogger to get better, encouragement and criticism from his readers is necessary.
The Internet is an organically-growing network and to gain a wider audience for your blog, you need to understand how information reaches its users. There are two ways in which information spreads on the Internet. One is through links on web pages and the other is through search engines and news feeds. So, to promote your blog, you need to have a clear-cut strategy planned out, about the kind of content you are going to generate, your target audience, and how you are going to make search engines, forums, and other sites take notice of your web presence.
There are many technical ways of increasing the probability of people taking notice of your site and they do work, but ultimately, what is going to make them come back again is focused, clear, and thought-provoking content. Keep in mind that unless there is quality content, presented smartly, all the promotion techniques are useless. They are things that work, only after you have generated interesting content regularly. So, blog daily and blog useful information that people need.
Promotion Tips
To understand how to gain more readers, study the ways in which icons of the blogosphere do it. Once upon a time, they were lonely writers who wanted to be heard, like you, before they got international acclaim. Learn what it takes, to convert your blog into a mouthpiece. Study the techniques that they employed and the quality of content, as well as its presentation. That will give you a lot of hints.
Here are some ways in which you can promote your blog for free. With online-advertising facilities like Google Adsense, you can earn while you blog too. Whatever be your intention, be it monetization or freedom of expression, the blog promotion techniques that I share here will certainly help in bringing more visitors. These are standard techniques, using which, one can spread the word and links, leading to your blog pages.
Social Networking and Online Forums
Social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are places where people create communities and effectively share and broadcast information. Posting links to your blog articles of relevance on communities who have people interested in the topic, will bring in readers. If you have a tech blog, then online forums on various websites are a great conduit for promotion. Post information on these forums and request them to visit your page for more.
RSS Feed
Submit your blog to RSS feeds, which are an online stream of updates about fresh information generated on the Internet. In case, you are not self-hosting, your host will have its own RSS feed, which can be useful. In case you are self-hosting, there are a lot of online RSS sites that collect and share links. Use them to your advantage. Another 'on page' tool, which you can use is a facility which enables instant sharing of the blog on networking sites, by bookmarking them. You can also enable the facility of mailing your article on the page itself. Get social plug-ins for Twitter and Facebook, installed on every page.
Connect and Comment
One simple way to be accepted in the blogging community and be read, is to read and comment on other people's blogs. Share links to blogs that you personally find interesting, who will return the favor.
It will take months of consistent, fresh, and focused content creation, along with efforts to promote it, to get the first trickle of visitors regularly following you. Ultimately, what will make them stay is quality content.
Blogging Strategy
Blogs provide an insight into the lives of so many people. The blogosphere is a great community of people who love to share their experiences and understanding. To become a part of it and promote your blog, you need to learn to share useful information, while appreciating good content through commenting. Even brickbats are welcome, as for every writer and blogger to get better, encouragement and criticism from his readers is necessary.
The Internet is an organically-growing network and to gain a wider audience for your blog, you need to understand how information reaches its users. There are two ways in which information spreads on the Internet. One is through links on web pages and the other is through search engines and news feeds. So, to promote your blog, you need to have a clear-cut strategy planned out, about the kind of content you are going to generate, your target audience, and how you are going to make search engines, forums, and other sites take notice of your web presence.
There are many technical ways of increasing the probability of people taking notice of your site and they do work, but ultimately, what is going to make them come back again is focused, clear, and thought-provoking content. Keep in mind that unless there is quality content, presented smartly, all the promotion techniques are useless. They are things that work, only after you have generated interesting content regularly. So, blog daily and blog useful information that people need.
Promotion Tips
To understand how to gain more readers, study the ways in which icons of the blogosphere do it. Once upon a time, they were lonely writers who wanted to be heard, like you, before they got international acclaim. Learn what it takes, to convert your blog into a mouthpiece. Study the techniques that they employed and the quality of content, as well as its presentation. That will give you a lot of hints.
Here are some ways in which you can promote your blog for free. With online-advertising facilities like Google Adsense, you can earn while you blog too. Whatever be your intention, be it monetization or freedom of expression, the blog promotion techniques that I share here will certainly help in bringing more visitors. These are standard techniques, using which, one can spread the word and links, leading to your blog pages.
Social Networking and Online Forums
Social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are places where people create communities and effectively share and broadcast information. Posting links to your blog articles of relevance on communities who have people interested in the topic, will bring in readers. If you have a tech blog, then online forums on various websites are a great conduit for promotion. Post information on these forums and request them to visit your page for more.
RSS Feed
Submit your blog to RSS feeds, which are an online stream of updates about fresh information generated on the Internet. In case, you are not self-hosting, your host will have its own RSS feed, which can be useful. In case you are self-hosting, there are a lot of online RSS sites that collect and share links. Use them to your advantage. Another 'on page' tool, which you can use is a facility which enables instant sharing of the blog on networking sites, by bookmarking them. You can also enable the facility of mailing your article on the page itself. Get social plug-ins for Twitter and Facebook, installed on every page.
Connect and Comment
One simple way to be accepted in the blogging community and be read, is to read and comment on other people's blogs. Share links to blogs that you personally find interesting, who will return the favor.
It will take months of consistent, fresh, and focused content creation, along with efforts to promote it, to get the first trickle of visitors regularly following you. Ultimately, what will make them stay is quality content.
Blogging Tips for Beginners
Though blogging has become the 'in thing' in recent times, there are many people who still consider it to be a difficult task. If you happen to be a beginner in this field, here are some tips that will make you understand this interesting process in detail.
Some years ago, when blogging had started gaining popularity, I was
one of the many people who decided to try my hand at it. Though I
posted a few articles and poems, I soon lost interest in it. One of the
reasons for this was that no one actually visited my blog. The frequency
of my own visits turned from everyday to once in a week, gradually
leading to none, so much so that I even forgot my user name and
password. After some time, I again tried to start my blog but never
actually succeeded in it.
Later, I realized that the reason for these failed endeavors in starting a blog and attracting readership was my ignorance about the important things that are needed to make a blog successful. Hence, this is an attempt to help people who are new to the world of blogging, to understand its purpose and the important things that have to be done to achieve what they want.
What is Blogging?
A blog is a personalized space on the Internet, created by an individual for his own personal or professional needs and is read by other people. Many people start their blog to express their personal thoughts, views, opinions, etc. about different matters by publishing poems, stories, articles, etc. Though blogs were introduced with this purpose, soon they were used for business purposes too. Nowadays, people have even started blogging for money-making purposes.
Valuable Tips for Beginners
Have a Purpose: Most people fail to create a successful blog, because they do not have a definite goal to start one. Hence, once you have decided to start a blog, first sit down and decide why you want to start it. The reason can be just to share some ideas and thoughts, to promote your business, sell certain products, etc. Whatever the reason is, once you have decided the purpose, decide on what you want to gain or where you want to see your blog after a few months, a year or so. This is crucial, because your next steps will depend on the planning you have done during this stage.
Target Your Audience: The purpose of your blog will decide the type of audience that you are targeting. For instance, if you are setting a blog on dating, your target audience will include teenagers, as well as adults. This will also influence the type of design you choose for your blog. If the topic of your blog is about dating and relationships, the design can be something colorful and lively. On the other hand, if your blog is for business purposes, it should have a professional look.
Have Consistency: Though it is good to try new and innovative things in your blog, do not do something that totally changes its image. For instance, if your blog is about traveling, it is most likely that your readers will be those who love traveling. However, if you suddenly use it for promoting some kind of a product, it may cause confusion among your readers. Therefore, try your best to maintain the consistency of your blog.
Update Regularly: If you want your readers to visit your blog regularly and gain popularity, one of the very important things is to update your blog regularly. Publish new articles and write ups after every few days to keep your readers interested and informed. However, publishing meaningless posts, just for the sake of it, should be avoided, because this may take the readers away from your blog. It is important to write about things that you know about and avoid publishing articles, just because it is something that is being written about.
Attract Audience: One way to attract readers to your blog is to encourage them to leave comments detailing what they feel about your blog or about your article. You can also ask them to post questions, give their opinions, etc. on what you have written. This not only leads to two-way interaction between you and the reader, but also makes them realize that you really appreciate their participation. This is extremely crucial for you to gain a loyal readership.
Market your Blog: Just creating a blog, designing it well and publishing quality articles on it will not attract readers. You have to take some efforts to actually market your blog for people to visit it. You can do this through social networking sites, like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. Another way of doing this is by commenting on other like-minded bloggers' articles and linking your blog to it, if you have to say something similar.
Blog Monetization
People who want to earn money by blogging have several options to choose from. If you have your own business, you can write about your products and create facilities for people to buy them online. Another idea is to select a subject that you like to write about. There are several companies who pay people to write about their products in their blog. For instance, if you are hired by a jewelry brand, you will have to write about the kind of jewelry they make and also publish reviews about them. One more way of making money through blogging is by posting ads on your blog.
Avoid sharing any personal information on the blog, like your birth date, phone number, email address, provocative pictures, etc., as this can lead to several problems. Your blog is a reflection of your personality and hence rather than doing what is popular, publish things that you believe in. I give you my best wishes for your journey into the exciting world of blogging.
Later, I realized that the reason for these failed endeavors in starting a blog and attracting readership was my ignorance about the important things that are needed to make a blog successful. Hence, this is an attempt to help people who are new to the world of blogging, to understand its purpose and the important things that have to be done to achieve what they want.
What is Blogging?
A blog is a personalized space on the Internet, created by an individual for his own personal or professional needs and is read by other people. Many people start their blog to express their personal thoughts, views, opinions, etc. about different matters by publishing poems, stories, articles, etc. Though blogs were introduced with this purpose, soon they were used for business purposes too. Nowadays, people have even started blogging for money-making purposes.
Valuable Tips for Beginners
Have a Purpose: Most people fail to create a successful blog, because they do not have a definite goal to start one. Hence, once you have decided to start a blog, first sit down and decide why you want to start it. The reason can be just to share some ideas and thoughts, to promote your business, sell certain products, etc. Whatever the reason is, once you have decided the purpose, decide on what you want to gain or where you want to see your blog after a few months, a year or so. This is crucial, because your next steps will depend on the planning you have done during this stage.
Target Your Audience: The purpose of your blog will decide the type of audience that you are targeting. For instance, if you are setting a blog on dating, your target audience will include teenagers, as well as adults. This will also influence the type of design you choose for your blog. If the topic of your blog is about dating and relationships, the design can be something colorful and lively. On the other hand, if your blog is for business purposes, it should have a professional look.
Have Consistency: Though it is good to try new and innovative things in your blog, do not do something that totally changes its image. For instance, if your blog is about traveling, it is most likely that your readers will be those who love traveling. However, if you suddenly use it for promoting some kind of a product, it may cause confusion among your readers. Therefore, try your best to maintain the consistency of your blog.
Update Regularly: If you want your readers to visit your blog regularly and gain popularity, one of the very important things is to update your blog regularly. Publish new articles and write ups after every few days to keep your readers interested and informed. However, publishing meaningless posts, just for the sake of it, should be avoided, because this may take the readers away from your blog. It is important to write about things that you know about and avoid publishing articles, just because it is something that is being written about.
Attract Audience: One way to attract readers to your blog is to encourage them to leave comments detailing what they feel about your blog or about your article. You can also ask them to post questions, give their opinions, etc. on what you have written. This not only leads to two-way interaction between you and the reader, but also makes them realize that you really appreciate their participation. This is extremely crucial for you to gain a loyal readership.
Market your Blog: Just creating a blog, designing it well and publishing quality articles on it will not attract readers. You have to take some efforts to actually market your blog for people to visit it. You can do this through social networking sites, like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. Another way of doing this is by commenting on other like-minded bloggers' articles and linking your blog to it, if you have to say something similar.
Blog Monetization
People who want to earn money by blogging have several options to choose from. If you have your own business, you can write about your products and create facilities for people to buy them online. Another idea is to select a subject that you like to write about. There are several companies who pay people to write about their products in their blog. For instance, if you are hired by a jewelry brand, you will have to write about the kind of jewelry they make and also publish reviews about them. One more way of making money through blogging is by posting ads on your blog.
Avoid sharing any personal information on the blog, like your birth date, phone number, email address, provocative pictures, etc., as this can lead to several problems. Your blog is a reflection of your personality and hence rather than doing what is popular, publish things that you believe in. I give you my best wishes for your journey into the exciting world of blogging.
Blogging Tips for Beginners
Though blogging has become the 'in thing' in recent times, there are many people who still consider it to be a difficult task. If you happen to be a beginner in this field, here are some tips that will make you understand this interesting process in detail.
Though blogging has become the 'in thing' in recent times, there are many people who still consider it to be a difficult task. If you happen to be a beginner in this field, here are some tips that will make you understand this interesting process in detail.
Some years ago, when blogging had started gaining popularity, I was
one of the many people who decided to try my hand at it. Though I
posted a few articles and poems, I soon lost interest in it. One of the
reasons for this was that no one actually visited my blog. The frequency
of my own visits turned from everyday to once in a week, gradually
leading to none, so much so that I even forgot my user name and
password. After some time, I again tried to start my blog but never
actually succeeded in it.
Later, I realized that the reason for these failed endeavors in starting a blog and attracting readership was my ignorance about the important things that are needed to make a blog successful. Hence, this is an attempt to help people who are new to the world of blogging, to understand its purpose and the important things that have to be done to achieve what they want.
What is Blogging?
A blog is a personalized space on the Internet, created by an individual for his own personal or professional needs and is read by other people. Many people start their blog to express their personal thoughts, views, opinions, etc. about different matters by publishing poems, stories, articles, etc. Though blogs were introduced with this purpose, soon they were used for business purposes too. Nowadays, people have even started blogging for money-making purposes.
Valuable Tips for Beginners
Have a Purpose: Most people fail to create a successful blog, because they do not have a definite goal to start one. Hence, once you have decided to start a blog, first sit down and decide why you want to start it. The reason can be just to share some ideas and thoughts, to promote your business, sell certain products, etc. Whatever the reason is, once you have decided the purpose, decide on what you want to gain or where you want to see your blog after a few months, a year or so. This is crucial, because your next steps will depend on the planning you have done during this stage.
Target Your Audience: The purpose of your blog will decide the type of audience that you are targeting. For instance, if you are setting a blog on dating, your target audience will include teenagers, as well as adults. This will also influence the type of design you choose for your blog. If the topic of your blog is about dating and relationships, the design can be something colorful and lively. On the other hand, if your blog is for business purposes, it should have a professional look.
Have Consistency: Though it is good to try new and innovative things in your blog, do not do something that totally changes its image. For instance, if your blog is about traveling, it is most likely that your readers will be those who love traveling. However, if you suddenly use it for promoting some kind of a product, it may cause confusion among your readers. Therefore, try your best to maintain the consistency of your blog.
Update Regularly: If you want your readers to visit your blog regularly and gain popularity, one of the very important things is to update your blog regularly. Publish new articles and write ups after every few days to keep your readers interested and informed. However, publishing meaningless posts, just for the sake of it, should be avoided, because this may take the readers away from your blog. It is important to write about things that you know about and avoid publishing articles, just because it is something that is being written about.
Attract Audience: One way to attract readers to your blog is to encourage them to leave comments detailing what they feel about your blog or about your article. You can also ask them to post questions, give their opinions, etc. on what you have written. This not only leads to two-way interaction between you and the reader, but also makes them realize that you really appreciate their participation. This is extremely crucial for you to gain a loyal readership.
Market your Blog: Just creating a blog, designing it well and publishing quality articles on it will not attract readers. You have to take some efforts to actually market your blog for people to visit it. You can do this through social networking sites, like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. Another way of doing this is by commenting on other like-minded bloggers' articles and linking your blog to it, if you have to say something similar.
Blog Monetization
People who want to earn money by blogging have several options to choose from. If you have your own business, you can write about your products and create facilities for people to buy them online. Another idea is to select a subject that you like to write about. There are several companies who pay people to write about their products in their blog. For instance, if you are hired by a jewelry brand, you will have to write about the kind of jewelry they make and also publish reviews about them. One more way of making money through blogging is by posting ads on your blog.
Avoid sharing any personal information on the blog, like your birth date, phone number, email address, provocative pictures, etc., as this can lead to several problems. Your blog is a reflection of your personality and hence rather than doing what is popular, publish things that you believe in. I give you my best wishes for your journey into the exciting world of blogging.
Later, I realized that the reason for these failed endeavors in starting a blog and attracting readership was my ignorance about the important things that are needed to make a blog successful. Hence, this is an attempt to help people who are new to the world of blogging, to understand its purpose and the important things that have to be done to achieve what they want.
What is Blogging?
A blog is a personalized space on the Internet, created by an individual for his own personal or professional needs and is read by other people. Many people start their blog to express their personal thoughts, views, opinions, etc. about different matters by publishing poems, stories, articles, etc. Though blogs were introduced with this purpose, soon they were used for business purposes too. Nowadays, people have even started blogging for money-making purposes.
Valuable Tips for Beginners
Have a Purpose: Most people fail to create a successful blog, because they do not have a definite goal to start one. Hence, once you have decided to start a blog, first sit down and decide why you want to start it. The reason can be just to share some ideas and thoughts, to promote your business, sell certain products, etc. Whatever the reason is, once you have decided the purpose, decide on what you want to gain or where you want to see your blog after a few months, a year or so. This is crucial, because your next steps will depend on the planning you have done during this stage.
Target Your Audience: The purpose of your blog will decide the type of audience that you are targeting. For instance, if you are setting a blog on dating, your target audience will include teenagers, as well as adults. This will also influence the type of design you choose for your blog. If the topic of your blog is about dating and relationships, the design can be something colorful and lively. On the other hand, if your blog is for business purposes, it should have a professional look.
Have Consistency: Though it is good to try new and innovative things in your blog, do not do something that totally changes its image. For instance, if your blog is about traveling, it is most likely that your readers will be those who love traveling. However, if you suddenly use it for promoting some kind of a product, it may cause confusion among your readers. Therefore, try your best to maintain the consistency of your blog.
Update Regularly: If you want your readers to visit your blog regularly and gain popularity, one of the very important things is to update your blog regularly. Publish new articles and write ups after every few days to keep your readers interested and informed. However, publishing meaningless posts, just for the sake of it, should be avoided, because this may take the readers away from your blog. It is important to write about things that you know about and avoid publishing articles, just because it is something that is being written about.
Attract Audience: One way to attract readers to your blog is to encourage them to leave comments detailing what they feel about your blog or about your article. You can also ask them to post questions, give their opinions, etc. on what you have written. This not only leads to two-way interaction between you and the reader, but also makes them realize that you really appreciate their participation. This is extremely crucial for you to gain a loyal readership.
Market your Blog: Just creating a blog, designing it well and publishing quality articles on it will not attract readers. You have to take some efforts to actually market your blog for people to visit it. You can do this through social networking sites, like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. Another way of doing this is by commenting on other like-minded bloggers' articles and linking your blog to it, if you have to say something similar.
Blog Monetization
People who want to earn money by blogging have several options to choose from. If you have your own business, you can write about your products and create facilities for people to buy them online. Another idea is to select a subject that you like to write about. There are several companies who pay people to write about their products in their blog. For instance, if you are hired by a jewelry brand, you will have to write about the kind of jewelry they make and also publish reviews about them. One more way of making money through blogging is by posting ads on your blog.
Avoid sharing any personal information on the blog, like your birth date, phone number, email address, provocative pictures, etc., as this can lead to several problems. Your blog is a reflection of your personality and hence rather than doing what is popular, publish things that you believe in. I give you my best wishes for your journey into the exciting world of blogging.
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