Blogging Mix
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- 1000 Blog, Search Engine and RSS Directories – Free SubmissionHave you heard of these advertisements before? "Free submission of your Blog or Website to 1000 Blog Directories or 1000 Search Engine Directories or 1000 RSS Directories. " All you need to do is sign up by providing your name and email address. Others will even ask you your home address and will require a telephone number.
Because you are new to blogging, and that you have heard from other bloggers that you should submit your blog to different directories to improve your traffic, you applied for the free submission without giving a second thought. Worse, you gave your real name, your real address, email address and your mobile phone.
After you submitted your blog from a website that promises your blog to be included to 1000 Blog, Search Engine or RSS Directories, you've waited expecting that your blog's traffic will increase. After a week or so you've found out that your email has been receiving tons of spams and junk mails. From time to time, you've been receiving anonymous calls from companies promoting their products and services. And all of a sudden, your mailbox is full of letters much of which is advertisement. Did you ask for it? Sure you did but you weren't aware of it. In the end, your mails and incoming calls have increased but the traffic to your blog did not. Very sad, isn't it?
The best words to describe your situation... 'YOU HAVE BEEN SCAMMED! '.
Is it possible that these websites can submit my Blog to 1000 Directories?
SURE IT IS POSSIBLE… but they need to do it manually. However, with the thousands of requests they receive everyday, do you think they can do it? "But they said they have an effective software program that will submit my blog to 1000 Directories." Come on, no one will advertise a product saying that it will not work. Scammers are known to promise spectacular benefits but they never really exist.
Why is it impossible to submit your URL to 1000 Directories using a software program?
Let me answer this question by looking at the submission process itself. Firstly, the submission process to blog directories, RSS directories or search engine directories, varies from one to another. And with the large number of directories imagine how broad the variance is. With this alone, it would be impossible to create a program that allows you to submit a URL to all these directories given the variances in the submission process. Secondly, when you register to a certain directory, you are required to provide
1. Title for your Blog
2. Description for your Blog
3. Other directories might require you to provide Keywords or Keyphrases associated to your blog. (Software cannot do these.)
Lastly, most registrations to directories these days require you to verify your registration by entering a random variable to make sure that your registration is done by a human not a robot or software program. See? Even directories do not like automated registration. Certainly, all these reasons make it impossible for anyone to create a program that to accommodate such complex procedure.
Assuming without conceding that these programs work, it is not still advisable that you avail of it. Robots or software programs cannot think on their own so they cannot choose the best category for your blog, they cannot give a comprehensive description of your blog and lastly, these programs cannot help in the optimization of blog. It will infact do more harm to your blog than you think.
The Only Best Alternative
I'm sorry but the only best alternative is for you to register your blog manually. This means, you need to spend time to do it but only through this way will you be able to fully maximize the benefits of getting your blog registered to different directories. To make your registration process easier, here are the links to major directories. You just need to click on the link and register. Have fun.
Major Search Engine DirectoriesDMOZ
Google
Yahoo
AltaVista
AOL
Euroseek
Kanoodle
Teoma
LycosWhat-U-Seek
Moteurderecherche
Exactseek
Excite
Alexa
AllTheWeb
Inktomi
SearchIt
National Directory
Blog and RSS Directories
I hope this article made your registration easier. If you have other links you wish to suggest, please share it through the comments. Thank you very much.
Wed, 04 Jul 2007 08:28:00 +0000 - Use Social Networks to Drive Traffic to your Blog – Use FriendsterAll the tips and advices I provide on this blog are all tested and proven to work. It's not really a good practice to preach something you don't believe on or something you haven't tried yet. This answer goes out to those who have sent me emails asking whether I implement the tips and advices I give to my readers.
As a blogger, I love to experiment and I love to discover new things and ways that will spike my traffic and number of loyal readers. And every time I find something worth sharing, I make it a point to blog about it. So for today's post, I will be talking about the benefits of creating a Friendster account and how will you be able to drive traffic to your blog by using its features.
For the information of everyone, Friendster is a social network site where you can socialize to other people. I'm sure you already know the importance of social network in traffic building so I don't need to explain on that.
Features of Friendster you can use to drive traffic to your blog.
1. Find Old Friends and Meet New Friends.
Friendster gives you the opportunity to search for your friends who are already members of the Friendster community. Or you can invite friends through an easy email invitation procedure that Friendster will do for you. You can also meet new friends from almost any part of the world. You can have as many friends as you like and you can even create as much profiles as you wish.
THE BIG QUESTION: What's in it for me? Every friend you meet in Friendster is a prospect visitor or reader of your blog. You can avail of the messaging system at Friendster to inform your friends about your blog, advertise about your new post, request them to visit your blog or ask their opinions about your blog. When done properly, I guarantee you a spike on your traffic.
SUGGESTIONS: Make friends to the community as much as possible but choose those people who are most likely going to be interested on your blog. You can make your email public so that people can easily add you as a friend. Make sure to use a back up email to avoid spams flooding your email account. In my case, I have created a new email for the purpose of joining Friendster.
2. Create a Free Blog with Friendster.
Once you are a member of Friendster, you can create your own free blog and it's open to the public (i.e. anyone can read it.). Another good thing about Friendster blog aside from it's free is that you can use it to link to your original blog. It's another way of increasing your links.
Blogging with Friendster is very easy. You don't need to know HTML codes etc. to operate a fully functional blog. Plus, Friendster blog has an automatic free pinging service that you can use every time you have a new post.
You can use your Friendster blog to introduce topics you are blogging on your original blog and have it linked to it. Unlike Myspace, Friendster allows you to do that. After 24 hours, you can check your links through Technorati and you'll see that it has increased. You will also notice an increase in your authority once you've accumulated enough links.
SUGGESTIONS: When you create your blog with Friendster, make sure you update it from time to time. Inform all your friends about it. And if you have the luxury of time, you can submit your new blog to directories or search engines. Remember that improving your Friendster blog's page rank and visibility to the blogosphere will also improve the value of links it provides to your original blog.
3. Join Groups.
Friendster like Myspace has a lot of groups you can join. Nearly all topics you can think about have a specific group for it. Joining Groups will allow you access to their discussions and post bulletins for the members to read.
SUGGESTIONS: When you join groups, don't just join any group. Join the groups that you think are most likely going to be interested on your blog. Once you have joined a group, start posting bulletin to inform the group members about your blog. Do not post more than 3 bulletins or you will be considered a spam. No one reads spams so your effort will be useless. Also, start discussions in the Forums using the topics you are blogging about on your original blog. Remember to ask their opinions or request for their comments. You can ask them questions that will arouse their curiosity leading them to check your blog. Always provide a direct link to your blog for their convenience.
4. Participate in Discussions or Forums.
You can only have access to discussions or forums when you become an official member of a certain group. Discussions and forums are limited to the group members, thereby allowing you a more targeted audience. That is why it is imperative that you join groups that you think are going to be interested on topics that you blog about.
When you are in the forum or discussion, create a thread to introduce yourself and request them to add you in their friendlist. This is done easily by simply making the back up email you've created to be viewed by all the members. If you have a nice and friendly profile, you'll certainly get a lot of new friends. New friend means new prospect reader.
SUGGESTION: As you interact with the group's discussion or forum, always be friendly to others. I have tried joining forums where I've given negative comments but it didn't work. You'll only create a notorious reputation. If you really can't help to give negative comments, try to use euphemistic words. Using euphemism is not lying but it's a way to lessen the impact to the one whom you're giving the negative comments to. Now remember to visit the forum once in a while to respond to comments on your thread or to participate on others.
5. Comment on Other Member's Profile.
I just learned about this two days ago that you could add comments to all your friends in your Friendster account using HTML code. This means you can use this opportunity to link to your blog or website. You can create a graphic design or plain text that links to your blog and use it as a comment. This will be an additional promotion of your blog plus you can get extra traffic from people who click on it.
SUGGESTIONS: When you make a comment make sure it should say something about the person whom you're giving your comments to. A comment that has nothing to say about the person you are giving the comment to is in high risks of being disapproved. The same concept applies when you are using photos to comment.
When using photos or graphics as your comment, try to make it as eye catching as possible. Try to find color combinations that will make your photo comment noticeable to anyone who visits the page. I suggest that you use a combination of graphics and words to make it more enticing to be clicked. Finally, when you make comments to your friends' profiles, prioritize those who have a lot of friends or those who are more popular or those who frequently update their profiles.
Here are other social networks you can try joining.
Myspace.com
Hi5.com
Tagged.com
Drawbacks of joining social networks
Joining social networks require a lot of time. In order to fully benefit from these networks, you need to open it once in awhile and update it. As you do this, you might compromise your time to create quality content for your blog, which in turn will lead to its low performance. Joining social networks like Friendster is one way to promote your blog but you shouldn't fall victim of funneling all your time just to do this. You need to manage your time strategically. You should have a scheme of work when promoting your blog. This will be discussed in full details in the succeeding post. That's all for today.
Now it's time to hear from you. What do you think of this article? Do you have anything to add or rebut? You can do that through the comments. Thank you for your time.RELATED POSTS All About Friendster by Wikipedia
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Wed, 04 Jul 2007 04:26:00 +0000 - 7 Blogging Mistakes that Bloggers do When Building LinksAlmost all bloggers will agree that 'Links' are very important for a blog to be ranked high on Google's search result. The more links you have the better your page rank is. As a result, a lot of bloggers end up doing all possible ways and means to get links from ANY blog even if the blog they're getting links from are not directly related to theirs.
Here are some of the common practices that bloggers employ to be able to create a link to their blogs.
1. Comment on blog posts of other blogs.
2. Exchange links to other blogs.
3. Submit Blog to Directories
4. Submit Articles to Article Directories
5. And the list goes on and on…
I will not deny the importance or the value of links for every blog's performance in the search engines' ranking. The value of links however diminishes once it is not properly optimized. Moreover, the trend nowadays is no longer about the quantity of links but the quality of links that are directed to your website or blog.
In today's article I will be blogging about the 7 Blogging Mistakes that Bloggers do When Building Links for their blog. I will explain each mistake and briefly point out what should be done to fully benefit from these links. Be reminded that the links mentioned in this article are external links (i.e. links to your blog from other blogs or websites). Internal link is another topic that will be discussed in details in the coming posts.
7 Bloging Mistakes that Bloggers do When Creating Links
# 1 Blogging Mistake: Bloggers leave comments to any blog or website where they have the opportunity to do so.
I'm sure that most of us, bloggers, have done this already. For instance, my blog is all about blogging, bloggers and blogs but you can find some of my comments on blogs that are not in any way related to blogging, bloggers or blogs. I even left several comments to an Asian dating blog thinking that this will boost my performance in the search engine rankings only to my disappointment.
The fact is, in today's search engine optimization it is not enough to have a lot of links but to have quality links to your blog. Let me explain quality links through an example. Assuming that I have posted a comment at Problogger.net, a blog that also talks about blogging, blogs and bloggers. On the other hand, I posted a comment at xxx, a dating site that blogs about dating, relationship and sex. Which link do you think is more valuable? I hope you've answered Problogger.net. When you post a comment on a blog, for the purpose of generating links to your blog, make sure that the blog you comment on is related to yours. Although commenting on other's blog is good for social networking (i.e. inviting them to view your blog, hence increasing your traffic).
Now you may ask why? Every time that search engines crawl a website they look for keywords and keyphrases. More importantly, they compare the contents of blog or website where the link originated and the content of the blog or website where link is directed. Search engines give higher value to links between blogs or websites with similar or related contents than links between blogs or websites that are not related at all.
# 2 Blogging Mistake: Bloggers exchange links to other bloggers to increase the number of links to their blog.
Before I explain # 2 Blog Mistake, allow me to define the terms 'One-way Link' and 'Reciprocal Link'. One-way link is a link from a blog to another in which case, the one being linked to does not link back. On the other hand, a reciprocal link is an exchange of links between two blogs or websites. (i.e. link to me and I'll link to yours)
Are both links the same in value to the search engines? Which link do you think is much more valuable to search engines? Apparently, one-way link is more valuable to search engines. You might have encountered websites or blogs that offer a three-way link. What does three-way link means? Three-way link is a form of reciprocal link but the benefits are the same as the one-way link. Allow me to use an example to illustrate a three-way link. Assuming that blogger-A has two blogs and would want a three way link to blogger-B. To do so, blogger-A will use his 'first' blog to link to blogger-B. On the other hand, blogger-B will link to the 'second' blog of blogger-A. Why do you think they are doing this? It is because one-way link is better than a reciprocal link. Therefore, if you are interested for better links, go for a one-way link or avail of a three-way link if possible.
In case you are offered a three-way link, make sure that the page where you will be given a link has a good page rank. Otherwise the link provided to you will be less of value to the search engines.
# 3 Blogging Mistake: Bloggers use words such as 'click here', 'view my blog', 'link to this link' or 'here' as an anchor text to their blogs.
Another common mistake that bloggers do when they create a link to their website is to use words that are not descriptive of the content of the page they are linking to. In order to maximize your search engine's potential, use words that describe the page where the link will be directed. (e.g. Check our what blogging mix is all about.)
Search engines are in constant search for keywords and keyphrases and with the use of descriptive anchor text (using keywords and keyphrases) you will be able to improve the value of your link.
# 4 Blogging Mistake: Bloggers submit articles that are totally different from the content of their blogs to article directories. They link to their blog from these articles.
Submitting articles to article directories like articlecity or articlebase is another sure hit in search engine optimization especially when you submit your article to directories with good page ranking.
The content of the article you are submitting to directories should be related to the content of your blog or website. I have seen several bloggers who submit very well written articles to article directories but the article they've submitted does not have any relation to their blog or website's content. When search engines crawl the website where the article was published and follow the links to your blog, they will search for keywords and keyphrases but because you submitted an article of different content, search engine crawlers will find nothing.
# 5 Blogging Mistake: Bloggers submit their blogs to inappropriate category in directories.
In my previous post, I have written about submitting to the Open Directory Project and one of the points I have emphasized is the need to submit your blog or website to the appropriate category. The failure to do so might lead to the disapproval of your submission for inclusion to the ODP or to the less optimization of your blog. Search engines who use the information provided by the Open Directory Project will not be able to include your blog or website to the appropriate search categories. The same happens when you submit your blog to the wrong category to other web directories and blog directories.
# 6 Blogging Mistake: Bloggers request links from a blog with so many links.
A link to your blog provided by a website with several links to other blogs has a lesser impact and value than a link provided by a blog with fewer links. There is actually an equation that search engine optimizers use to calculate the boost in page ranks from the links provided by other websites but it is beyond the scope of this article. I will have to discuss that issue in another post. The bottom line is simple, the value of link provided by a blog or website diminishes as the number of link it provides to other blogs or websites increases.
# 7 Blogging Mistake: Bloggers request links from less popular websites or blogs.
As I've said earlier in this article, it is not about the quantity of links but the quality of links to your blog matters. It's therefore better to have one link to your blog from a website or blog that has a page rank of 9 than having 10 links to your blog from blogs or websites with 0 page ranks. Search engines give higher premium to those blogs with higher Page Ranks. You should therefore work hard to get links from websites or weblogs that have higher PR.
Moreover, search engines crawl websites that are more popular because they are frequently updated. Try to experiment and see for yourself. Create a link to your website by participating in the discussions at Blogcatalog.com then leave a comment to a less popular website. 24 hours later, check your links using Google. Simply go to Google and type your URL then hit enter, you will see that the link to your blog you have created at Blogcatalog.com will appear in the search result while the link you have created to the less popular blogs will only appear after a few more days.
Conclusion
Links are no doubt valuable in search engine optimization but link in itself should be optimized in order to maximize benefits derived from it. Through this article, we have learned that you should invest building links to your blog from blogs or websites with the following characteristics:
1. Good Page Rank
2. Few external links
3. Has the same or related content with your blog or website
When linking to these blogs or websites, you should also bear in mind of the following:
1. Use descriptive anchor text.
2. Submit articles with contents related to your blog.
3. Submit your links to the proper category.
Did you find this article useful? Do you have another idea that you wish to add to this article? I'm sure it'll be a great help to other readers. Share it through the comments.
Addendum
Daniel is right. Links posted at Blogcatalog.com is a no-follow link. Meaning, search engines will now follow the links to your website or blog. As a result, you are not able to optimize your link. The concept however in # 7 Blogging Mistake stands only that when you build links to your blog from other websites, make sure that these sites follow links.RELATED POSTS Bloggers, Don't Give Up Blogging! by Rocky John Tayaban
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Mon, 02 Jul 2007 07:24:00 +0000 - Bloggers, Don't Give Up Blogging!Every blogger once in a while feels unmotivated to continue blogging. This can be due to several reasons, and the most common reason is the failure to generate expected traffic. If you're an ambitious blogger like me, probably, you've set a blog objective of generating more than 10,000 visits to your blog for your first month. However, after your first month of blogging, you've only managed to generate 10% of your goal. Obviously, this is depressing and it could be a sufficient reason for bloggers to stop blogging. But before you raise the white flag, take your time to read this article. It might help.
So, you're depressed and unmotivated now? That's NORMAL! Right now, you are not the only blogger who feels depressed and unmotivated. Even successful bloggers like Darren Rowse and Brian Clark have experienced what you're going through right this moment. They too have their own share of unmet expectations or objectives in blogging. They too felt unmotivated and depressed in several occasions in their blogging career. But what make them different from you? THEY DID NOT GIVE UP!!!
What you need to know about blogging.
FACT: Bloggers rarely become successful overnight. Although there are some bloggers who managed to be an overnight celebrity, their fame doesn't last long. It normally vanishes in as short as a week.
What does this fact has to tell you? It clearly tells you that successful blogging takes time. Sometimes it takes more than a year or more to establish regular readers, authority etc. Therefore, if you want to be a successful blogger, you need more than ambition and objective. You need PATIENCE, perseverance and a clear objective.
I was able to find some really good articles about keeping yourself motivated to blog. I hope you will take the time to go over these blogs. I've read them myself and I'm confident to refer it to you.
Keeping Yourself Motivated to Blog By: Darren of Blog Republic
Success in Life - 3 Keys to Keeping Yourself Motivated By: Jason Osborn
As soon as you are able to read the above article, I hope that you are able to get back on your feet and start blogging. Just don't forget to update me of the developments. I'm looking forward to your response.
If you have any additional readings you want to suggest, feel free to add it through your comments. Thank you.RELATED POSTS Strategic Blogging - Set Your Blog Objectives by Rocky John Tayaban
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Sun, 01 Jul 2007 07:05:00 +0000 - Strategic Blogging - Set Your Blog ObjectivesDo you set objectives for your Blog? Do you have the right objectives? How do you formulate them? Are you working hard to realize them?
In our study of the Blogging Mix, we came across the term 'Continuity' that is one of the major elements to a successful blogging. Continuity is about constant progress and development. It's also about consistency in posting both in the frequency of posts and the nature of your topic. How do you make your post consistent is one of the blogging problems that can be resolved through the setting of 'Objectives'.
For today's post, I have decided to blog about 'Blog Objective', which I found useful and important to all bloggers. The reality is that most bloggers do not have a clear Blog Objective and their failure to have one constitutes to a less effective and less optimized blog.
Essentially, what is a 'Blog Objective'?
Blog Objectives are the anticipated end result of programs of activity, and therefore have a central role in strategy formulation. The word 'Blog Aims' is also sometimes used, although this tends to apply to vague statements of intent, which cannot be defined. Another word with similar meaning to objectives is 'Blog Goals'.
Blog Objectives should always be stated as precise as possible, so that we can measure whether objectives have been achieved. Your Blog Objectives are also the specific outcomes that you wish to achieve by carrying out its activities.
A useful way to think of the criteria when setting blog objectives is through the use of the mnemonic SMART. Your Blog Objective should always be:
Specific: with regards to what is intended.
Measurable: based upon performance criteria that can be used to judge whether the objective are being achieved according to plan.
Agreed: with the people responsible for achievement.
Realistic: relevant to the needs of the blog and the people involved, and capable of being achieved within the time and resources available.
Timetabled: set to a timetable that will give signposts for fulfillment and a final date for completion.
What are the functions of a 'Blog Objective'?
1. Blog Objectives provide clear statements of what action needs to be taken by a blogger. If you are able to create a blog objective that has all the SMART qualities, then you are moving to the right direction. The benefit of having a blog objective is that you know what needs to be done, what's next and what's next after.
2. Blog Objectives provide a focus for all activity. Without a clear objective sometimes bloggers tend to deviate from the very purpose why they blog, what is their blog all about, who are they blogging for etc. Having a blog objective is like having a constant reminder of what you ought to do.
3. Blog Objectives facilitate the control of actual performance. You can use the blog objectives that you have formulated as your standard and guidelines to keep your blogging on track. Through your blog objective, you will be able to know when you are over doing or under doing it.
4. Blog Objectives provide a basis for evaluating how successful the plans are being implemented. You can also use your blog objectives as a yardstick to check how far have you been progressing. If you set a goal for example to increase traffic by 200% before for the next month and you failed to achieve it, you can go back to your blog objective and assess where you went wrong.
Having a Blog Objective allows us, bloggers, to be more efficient when we blog. It gives us direction, purpose and goal. After you are able to formulate your Blog's Objective, the next step is to formulate effective strategies to achieve them. Formulation of an effective startegy will be discussed in full in the succeeding post.
Do you have something to add with what's been written? Do you agree or disagree to this post? It's a good thing you can express your opinion through the comments. I'd be glad to hear your comments. Thank you for your time!RELATED POSTS Improve Your Search Engine Ranking - Submit to ODP by Rocky John Tayaban
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Sat, 30 Jun 2007 05:35:00 +0000 - Improve your blog's search Engine Ranking - Submit to the Open Directory Project
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Open Directory Project (ODP), formally known as NewHoo is the most important directory where every webmasters or bloggers should register their websites or blogs. You can find ODP's website at http://www.dmoz.org/. WAIT!!! Before you click on the link to the Open Directory Project, take time to read this article to learn more about the benefits and tips of registering.
Registering with ODP will bring a huge impact in your blog or website so take this time to register them now if you still haven't done it. Registering your website or blog with the Open Directory Project is FREE and guaranteed to improve your blog or website's performance!
This article will briefly discuss the benefits when you register to the Open Directory Project (ODP) and will provide you tips and guidelines on what you should and should not do when you register.
Why Should you Register? The Benefits
1. Improve your site's visibility to searches done on search engines.
Open Directory Project supplies directory data to search engines like Google, AOL search, Lycos, Hotbot, MSN, Netscape among others. This means that a listing in the Open Directory Project will enable your site to show up for searches done on any search engines or websites that use the Open Directory Projects data.
2. Better site ranking in Google's search list.
What Google does to determine ranks of websites and blogs in their search engine results of a particular keyword or keyphrase is to combine the information in its own Google Directory and the information from the Open Directory Project. Hence, once your blog or website has been registered to the Open Directory Project, Google's view of how important your blog or website is boosted. This will enable your blog or website to have higher chances to appear on their search list for the keywords and keyphrases you have chosen to use on your blog or website.
3. Higher chances of getting listed to other directories when you submit your website or blog.
Inclusion in the ODP is a manifestation that your blog or website has passed the strict standards and rigid screening of the Open Directory Project. It means to say that your blog or website is fully functional, useful and unique. As a result, whenever you submit your blog or website to other directories, you will have a higher chance of getting approved. Another benefit when your registration to the Open Directory Project is approved is your automatic inclusion to some directories that use ODP's data.
Considering the benefits you can get from registering to the Open Directory Project, by now, you must be eager to submit your blog or website for inclusion. Firstly, you need to know that real people check, verify and visit your blog or website before they get approved for inclusion to the ODP, therefore, your blog or website should be in good condition.
Do not submit your blog or website if:
1. It is unfinished.
Make sure that your site is fully functional or has been completed before you submit it for inclusion. Your blog or website is not going to be approved if it has a fancy under-construction graphics with smiling builders waving their hammers back and forth.
2. It has broken links.
Editors who approve your website for inclusion to the Open Directory Project will visit your site and navigate through your pages. If your blog or website is full of broken links, how could they navigate it? Make sure that all your links are properly working. More importantly, when you link to other blogs or websites, you should make sure that these blogs or websites are not illegal or underground type of sites.
3. It is an illegal or underground type of site.
Obviously, your blog or website will not be included to the Open Directory Project when it is involved in illegal activities. Blogs or websites that violates copyright laws or offers product and services that are illegal will definitely be denied from getting listed.
4. It has few content.
Before you submit your blog or website to the Open Directory Project make sure that it has rich and good content. If your blog or website has more advertisements than content, it would most likely be disapproved from being included in the ODP. Before you submit your blog to the ODP, I advice you to have at least 15 good posts or entries.
5. It is a mirror site.
There is no need to submit a blog or a website that is exactly the same in content and layout as the other blogs or websites. You will just waste your time because you will definitely get disapproved.
6. It downloads forever.
If your blog or website takes forever to download, it will most likely be ignored by ODP editors and will not be approved. Take note that these editors have a lot of blogs or websites to check and review and they will not spend their time to wait for your blog or website to download.
Final Reminders Before you Submit
1. Submit your blog or website to the proper category.
The Open Directory Project has 16 main categories and subcategories under it. However, in the Open Directory Project only 15 categories are visible because the 16th category contains adult material so it's concealed to avoid minors from accessing it. Each of these categories and subcategories normally have different responsible editors. If you submit your blog or website to the wrong category, your blog or website will most likely not get listed. Because these editors do not have the benefit of time, they will not submit your blog or websites to the proper category where you should have submitted your site. It is therefore your responsibility to submit your blog or website to the proper category to avoid being ignored or denied.
2. Make sure you have submitted the right URL.
Although it's a rare case that webmasters submit wrong URL of their blogs or websites, I think this is still a good reminder to everyone who wishes to get their blog or website listed to the ODP. In most cases, wrong URL is due to wrong spelling and wrong format. (e.g. insted of http:// some write hppt:// or insted of http://www.mydomain.com some write http://www.mydomian.com) Slight mistake with your URL makes a big difference. If you send ODP editors to the wrong URL, you are simply registering a different website or blog denying your own from getting listed. So before you click the submit button, make sure that you are submitting the correct URL that will direct ODP editors to your blog or website.
3. Title and Description of your blog or website.
When you submit a blog or website to the Open Directory Project for inclusion, you will be asked to write 1. Title of your blog or website and 2. Description of your blog or website. While this seems easy, other webmasters do not do it properly which makes their submission futile. Why? Because the information they've entered was not designed to optimize their ranking. This happens when wrong title or wrong description is entered. If your title and description are not properly complementing each other or when your both are not related or descriptive of the contents you have in your blog or website, your submission will not have a good impact to your search engine ranking.
Your 'TITLE' is suppose to identify your site and not describe it. Blogging Mix is what I've chosen as my title because it's the best words to identify my blog with besides the fact that its my domain name. You can use 1 - 5 words for your title and no more than 20 characters.
On the other hand, your 'DESCRIPTION' should describe your blog or website. It should be informative, objective and concise. Your description should clearly give an idea of what your readers should expect to see when they open or visit your blog or website. You should use 25 - 30 words for your description.
Congratulation! You have been patient enough to equip yourself with the proper information you need to get yourself listed to the Open Directory Project. You're on your own now. Go ahead and register your blog or website and get the benefits of being listed. If you think you have not met the basic requirements I have itemized above, try doing something about it before you register.
If you have any question about this article, I would love to hear from you. If you have further suggestion that you wish to contribute to the list, please share it through the comments so that we can learn from each other. Thank you for reading and Kudos to your blogging!
Finally, after submission, you need to check from time to time if your blog or website has already been added. Some ODP editors will inform you once you've been approved or denied through the emails you've provided during your application but due to their hectic schedule, others might not be able to inform you about the progress of your application.RELATED POSTS Blogger: Blogger's Choice for Blogging by Gaetane Ross
Blogging Mix: Content, Connection and Continuity by Rocky John Tayaban
Choosing a Domain Name by Dynamoo.com
Blog, Blogging and Bloggers? by Rocky John Tayaban
Blogger. Know Your Readers --- 10 Traits by Liz Strauss
How to Create a Blog that Stands Out? by MindTools.com
Construct your Own Cost Free Blog with Blogger by Rocky John Tayaban
Cost Free Blogging Services by Rocky John Tayaban
Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:12:00 +0000 - Compiled Blogging Tip of the Day - BloggingMix.comI have decided to compile all the blogging tips of the day on this post. If you want to contribute or share unique blogging tips to other bloggers, please send me message through my E-mail or you can just leave it as a comment to this post. Thank you very much!
Answer relevant questions at Yahoo! Answers using posts from your blog. And don't forget to include a link to your post. [June 27, 2007]
Get your Blog or Website listed to the Open Directory Project. It's very useful and it's FREE! [June 28, 2007]
Be the first one to comment on Brian Clark's or Darren Rowse's posts. [June 29, 2007]
Bookmark your own posts at digg, reddit and delicious. [June 30, 2007]
Join Social Networks like Friendster.com and Myspace.com. [July 2, 2007]
Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:12:00 +0000 - How to Create a Blog that Stands Out? 8 Effective Blogging Tips for Bloggers
The once huge number of netizens is continuously reduced as the number of bloggers to share them increases everyday. And if you're one of those serious bloggers who wants to succeed in blogging, you will work hard to stand out in an overcrowded room. As more and more bloggers start to blog about the same topic, the need to be distinct and unique becomes a key element for bloggers to succeed.
In today's post, I will be writing about 8 Effective Blogging Tips on How to Create a Blog that Stands Out.
The first thing your blog should have is an eye-catching layout. You need to get your reader's attention as soon as they get into your blog. Secondly, you need to have something in your blog that will make your bloggers stay and navigate through your pages. Lastly, you should instill in them the need to keep coming back to your blog for more updates. Listed below are the things you should do to make your blog stands out.
1. Make your blog's layout and design distinct and unique.
People, especially the ones who browse the Internet are particularly interested in things that are different, new or unique. If they happen to stumble upon a blog that lacks appeal or fails to grab their attention and interest, they will surely leave as soon as they've seen the website.
Blogger.com offers free but limited number of template designs for a huge community of bloggers making layouts and designs of blogs almost identical. This will create an atmosphere of boredom to those who read blogs. In order to solve this problem, bloggers are advised to customize their blogs by changing the color, background, text style, logo etc. You can check out my previous article about free resources for bloggers to get a different template design you can implement on your blog. Once your blog has a unique design and layout it will be easier to create a brand and image for it. Branding is another important issue in blogging, which I will be dealing with extensively through the succeeding posts.
2. Use graphic designs or multi-media on your blog.
To catch the attention of your readers, you should strategically use pictures or multi-media on your blog. Take note that I emphasized on strategic use. The tendency with some bloggers is to post a lot of pictures on their blog, which makes downloading slower. Should this happen, your visitors might not have enough patience to wait for your blog to finish downloading.
Use pictures and videos only when it is necessary and when it's useful. Normally, bloggers use pictures and videos to emphasize their messages to their readers. And it has been proven that pictures and videos improve the appeal of your blog to visitors.
3. Be the first to write about controversial issues.
Another way to gain attention and stand out from the crowd is to be the first to report or write about current or controversial issues. As soon as you're done writing you should let others know it. I am the first one to write about the Blogging Mix on my blog, a concept that was born from the idea of Marketing Mix. After writing about Blogging Mix I submitted it to a number of article directories.
4. Write with Bold Content.
Write about why China's Great Firewall is justified, or why Darren Rowse's Problogger sometimes doesn't make sense. These are some bold topics you can write about but you need to make sure you've got something to say. A lot of bloggers were able to gain attention after they were able to successfully provoke an A-list blogger to respond to their entries against them. This strategy however does not work all the time, especially if you are not able to support a daring idea or claim or accusation.
5. Challenge Authorities or Established Bloggers.
Everyone loves Brian Clark for his very helpful blog but if you can find something worth disagreeing about his blog, write about it then let him know, as long as you can defend your standpoint very well. Don't challenge what established bloggers say on their blogs not until you have a sound reason to do so. If you challenge someone's content and you don't have what it takes to prove you're right, you will just end up losing face and credibility.
I remember one of my friends during my undergrad. He is a non-conformist. He gets a lot of attention from people who hear about his radical ideas but most of them appreciated him for he is able to defend his beliefs very well.
6. Write articles in series.
Most bloggers, if you have noticed write articles in a series. This is an effective strategy when you write a good article because your readers will be waiting for the next post. They will then subscribe to your rss or they will come back to your site for updates. Just remember to intensify suspense as you go on with the next post. If you are writing about Increasing organic traffic to your blog, and you come up with your suggestions, place the most important suggestions at the last post of your series.
7. Offer something useful, fun and different for your blog readers.
Aside from the articles that you write on your blog for your readers, you should also offer newsletters or ezines. You may also offer free software and video clips. Other bloggers organize contests and seminars. These activities will earn your blog recognition but it will demand a lot of your resources.
8. Get a domain name for your blog.
One simple way to get noticed is to have your own domain name. If you are using a subdomain from Blogger or Wordpress it will be very difficult for you to create image or brand for your blog. When using a subdomain, you are promoting your subdomain provider and your subdomain and in most cases your subdomain provider gets more of the credit and recognition.
Your domain name should be related to the nature of your blog. BloggingMix.com for example is all about blogs and blogging. When I have included blogging in my domain name, it makes it easier for my readers to remember it. Choosing a domain name is as important as choosing a name to be given to a person. So think carefuly of the best domain name for your blog before you purchase one from godaddy.com.
There you have it. After doing these 8 blogging tips, I'm sure that your blog will stand out from the rest. Enjoy blogging and Kudos to your blog!
Do you have any other suggestion on what bloggers can do to make their blogs stand out? I hope you'll take the time to share it through the comments. Here are a few more suggested readings you might be interested at.RELATED POSTS Blogger: Blogger's Choice for Blogging by Gaetane Ross
Blogging Mix: Content, Connection and Continuity by Rocky John Tayaban
Choosing a Domain Name by Dynamoo.com
Blog, Blogging and Bloggers? by Rocky John Tayaban
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Writing Skills by MindTools.com
Construct your Own Cost Free Blog with Blogger by Rocky John Tayaban
Cost Free Blogging Services by Rocky John Tayaban
Thu, 28 Jun 2007 07:43:00 +0000 - Blogging Mix - Article DirectoryHere's the list of my articles. You can click on the title to read the the whole article. The blog articles are arranged in chronological order with the latest on top and the oldest at the bottom.
- Bloggers, Don't Give Up Blogging!
- Strategic Blogging - Set Your Blog Objectives
- Improve Your Blog's Search Engine Ranking - Submit to the ODP
- Compiled Blogging Tips of the Day - Blogging Mix
- How to Create a Blog that Stands Out?
- Blogging Tips When Writing Content for your Blog Readers
- How to Add the Most Popular Social Bookmarks in your Blog?
- How to Remove Blogger NAVBAR in your Blog?
- Cost Free for 3 Column Templates for New Blogger, Get Them Now!
- Construct Your Own Cost Free Blog with Blogger
- The Blogging Mix: Key Elements to a Successful Blog. (Content, Connection and Continuity)
- Blog, Blogging and Blogger
- Blogger: Blogger's Choice for Blogging
- Cost Free Blogging Services
Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:32:00 +0000 - Blogging Tips When Writing Content for your Blog ReadersThe common mistake that bloggers do is to go straight to writing after they're done constructing their blogs. This is definitely no problem is you have a clear idea of what you're suppose to write, who are you writing for and how you should write it. Writing content for your blog plays a crucial role to your blog's success and therefore, it requires skills and knowledge to do it.
Today's article focuses on writing good content for your blog readers and in order to do so we have to deal with these three questions:
1. Who are you writing for?
2. What are you suppose to write?
3. How should you write it?
Millions of people surf the Internet everyday to look for some specific information. The information ranges from anarchism to zionism, the latest to the oldest, or from 0 to infinity. Given this case, bloggers have so much to blog about. Unfortunately, not every topic can be possibly covered by a single or a few bloggers. Even wikipedia does not have all the information in its database. Moreover, thousands of blogs or weblogs and websites are created everyday making the competition fiercer. What can we infer from these data? Simple. We need a strategic approach in blogging to secure our blog's survivability and success.
Who are you writing for? Blog Readers
Yes, I know that you are blogging for your blog readers but do you know who are your blog readers?
If you are blogging for everyone who visits the Internet then you lack strategic approach in blogging. If however, you have a specific target reader, then you'll probably be successful.
Because we cannot cater to every netizen, the need to segment them arises. I call it Concentrated Blogging. Concentrated Blogging is the process of segmenting or subdividing blog readers to identify a specific segment or subdivision where you can leverage your blog. Concentrated Blogging allows bloggers to focus writing to a specific group of people. Catering to a specific group of people provides the benefit of being able to understand them better, know what they need, what they want etc.
Let's take the case of bloggingmix.com. For my blog, I have decided to write about blogging for bloggers. But bloggers can still be further subdivided into beginners, intermediate, and experts. I've finally decided to write for beginners and intermediate bloggers because I believe I know them better. I have been in the stage of starting my own blog and developing it so I know the needs and wants of beginners and intermediate bloggers.
What are you suppose to write? Quality Information for Blog Readers
What do you think will happen to bloggingmix.com if I start to write about my favorite color or when I blog about my friend's friend's dog? I'm sure, by the time I know it, my blog readers found a better blog that will provide them information about blogging. This is where the idea of continuity (consistency), one of the 3Cs of blogging, comes in. Details about continuity will be discussed thoroughly in the succeeding articles.
People go on-line to search the Internet for Quality Information, information that they need, relevant and useful to them. If you don't have it, expect that there will be few people who will be visiting your blog. Or you might not have any visitors at all. So what are you suppose to write? The answer is obvious. You should write about something that your readers need and want. It should not be a bunch of useless article but rather informative, relevant and useful to them. Try to do this in your blog and see how amazing quality information can do to it.
I have to say however that writing about your personal experiences, or personal stuffs about yourself is not wrong. This is of course assuming that your target readers are limited to your family, relatives and friends. Otherwise, you need to be very controversial or popular for people to be curious and become interested of your life.
How should you write your blog entries? Consider the Nature of your Blog Readers
If you are blogging for Investors then it's perfectly fine to use terms such as Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Discounted Cash Flow etc. But if your blog is dedicated to the average Joe, there's simply no need of using panoplies of multi-syllabic words and quintessential examples if you can decipher the intricacies of your thoughts into fundamental ideas that everybody can comprehend. In short, your objective as a blogger is to send the message across to your target blog readers. Failure to do so, is failed blogging.
There are several ways that bloggers write. Darren Rowse of Problogger.com writes short articles while Steve Pavlina of StevePavlina.com writes elaborate and long articles. Both of them are successful bloggers but their ways of blogging are different. What does this have to tell you about how to write blog posts? Simple. Writing for your blog should not necessarily be elaborate or short… the bottom line is Quality Information. My advice is write freely and objectively. If your topic calls for an elaborate writing, then elaborate is should be but if you don't need too much words to make yourself clear and send your message across, then say it briefly.
In my succeeding articles, I will be writing about how to write search-engine-friendly blog posts. Your primary priority is to blog for your readers and second on the lists are search engines. I'm sure that you are aware that search engines (e.g. Google, MSN, Allthewebs, Lycos etc.) are great sources of traffic for your blog, hence, you should write your blog entries in such a way that it pleases these search engines. Watch out how in the coming posts.
If you have found this article useful, I hope you take the time to share it with others by Digging it, or bookmarking it. I will also appreciate if you take the time to leave your comments or tell us what you think about this article.RELATED POSTS Blogger: Blogger's Choice for Blogging by Gaetane Ross
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Tue, 26 Jun 2007 10:56:00 +0000 - How to Add the Most Popular Social Bookmarks in your Blog?Social bookmarking is one of the most popular trends in blogging nowadays. The benefits that bloggers derive from these social bookmarks made it necessary for every blogger to include at least the most popular social bookmarks in their blogs.
I'm sure you've read it somewhere else that in blogging, you should make all possible ways to make your readers connect easily to your content. There's no better way of doing it than to make it convenient for them.
Readers or visitors of your blog can influence your traffic. For instance, if someone finds your article really useful and take his/her time to Digg it, it will be a free promotion for your blog. The problem is if you do not have a link to popular social bookmarks. Your readers or visitors might not be patient enough to Digg it or include it to their favorates in del.icio.us. Therefore, it is advisable that you place a link to popular social bookmarks in your blog. Because of these reasons, I have placed links to popular social bookmarks at the bottom of each of my blog posts.
How to Add Popular Social Bookmarks to your Blogger account?
1. Open your Blogger account.
2. Go to 'LAYOUT'.
3. Inside Template, click Edit HTML.
4. Tick the Expand widget box by simply clicking on it. (You can find it at the upper right corner of your HTML.)
5. Press Ctrl+F
6. A small window will appear where you will have to copy and paste this code <*div class='post-footer'> NOTE: Please remove the asterisk (*) in the code before you copy and paste it.
7. Click enter. The code will be highlighted in your HTML.
8. Finally, DOWNLOAD THIS CODE and use it to replace the highlighted code in your HTML.
To implement the changes, click save.
IMPORTANT REMINDER!!! Always save a back-up copy of your original template before you change any part of your HTML. If you have encountered any difficulty in adding this code to your blog, please drop me a message through the comment. I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Enjoy!RELATED POSTS How to Remove Blogger NAVBAR in your Blog? by Rocky John Tayaban
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Mon, 25 Jun 2007 06:36:00 +0000 - How to Remove Blogger NAVBAR in your Blog?My blog is hosted by Blogger.com and it's basically maintained and operated in the same manner as the other Blogger accounts. The only difference is that I am using my own domain name.
And yes, if you have noticed, I don't have a Blogger NAVBAR (Navigation Bar) in my home page. Navbars are usually common to users of Blogger. You can find it on top of every Blog that is hosted by Blogger. If you still don't know what I'm talking about here's a picture of the Navbar.
What's a NAVBAR and How does it work?
The Blogger Navbar appears by default at the top of every Blogger-powered blog. Navbar features include:
1. [B]: takes you back to www.blogger.com.
Search Blog: searches the blog you're viewing. Results will appear directly on the page.
2. Flag Blog: lets you mark the current blog as objectionable.
NextBlog: takes you to a random, recently-updated Blogger blog.
3. [email address]: If you are logged in to your account, you'll see your own address here. Other viewers will see their own email addresses, or none at all if they aren't logged in.
4. Dashboard: If you are logged in, you'll have a link to your own dashboard.
5. Sign In/Out: This displays the appropriate option, depending on whether you're logged in or not.
The Navbar appears on all freely-hosted Blogspot blogs, but can be disabled for users publishing via FTP. It is available in several colors, and is configured in the Template tab in Blogger's interface. If you are using a classic template, you'll see a menu from which you can select a color. For blogs using Layouts, just click the "edit" link on the Navbar page element.
How do you remove NAVBAR without going through the hassle of publishing your blog via FTP?
Open your blogger account. Once you are in your dashboard go to your 'LAYOUT', then click 'EDIT HTML'. Once you're in your HTML press ctrl+F. A small window will appear. Copy and past this code body { to the new window. Click enter. Inside your HTML, the code you've entered will be hightlighted. Copy and paste this code
#navbar-iframe { height: 0px; visibility: they hidden; display: none; }
just before it. [ body { ].
Your HTML should look like this.value="normal normal 210% Verdana, Arial, Sans-serif;">
*/
#navbar-iframe { height: 0px; visibility: they hidden; display: none; }
body {
background: $bgColor
Disadvantages of Removing NAVBAR
Basically, if you remove your NAVBAR, you will have to log-in to your Blogger account every time you wish to post or edit it. While if you have a NAVBAR, you can open your blog and use the NAVBAR to log-in. All the other features of NAVBAR as mentioned earlier cannot be availed of when you decide to remove it.
On the other hand, when you don't have a Navbar, your blog will look more professional and you will be able to maximize space.
Fact or Fiction
"Google / Blogger will penalize me when I remove my NAVBAR."
This is obviously not true. Otherwise, I should have not done it to my blog. I have removed my NAVBAR in my other blog and there were no negative effects on it. On the contrary, my blog's layout was much better now and my readers and traffic both increased.
If encountered some problems removing your NAVBAR, please feel free to drop me a message through the comment portion of this post. I'll try my best to get back to you as soon as possible.RELATED POSTS Cost Free 3 Column Templates for New Blogger by Rocky John Tayaban
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Mon, 25 Jun 2007 01:13:00 +0000 - Cost Free 3 Column Templates for New Blogger, Get Them Now!
Most bloggers, especially the new ones to blogging spend a considerable amount of their time to get the design they want for their blog. As a blogger, I personally believe that everyone who starts blogging should first finish the layout of his or her blog before starting to post. Although a blog's layout is not necessarily going to please the search engines, you need to consider the impression you get from your visitors. Not all your readers are content driven; some would not even spend a minute to a blog that lacks design. It is therefore imperative that you choose a blog template that will satisfy your requirements and at the same time give a wonderful impression to your visitors. To do this, you should have a clear picture of how your blog should look like. In my case, I browsed other weblogs to check their layout before I finally came up with my own design in mind.
If you have noticed, when you tried exploring Blogger particularly the template section, all the templates are two columns; one for the main body and another for the side bar. The good news is you can download cost free 3 column templates that you can implement on your blog. Plus you can get it for free.
To help you find cost free 3 column templates that you can implement to your blog, I've done a research and came up with these fabulous websites. So here are my top 3 choices starting with blogcrowds.com.
1. blogcrowds.com
Blogcrowds.com is one of my personal favorite sources of blog templates, blog tools and blog resources. The best part of it is that their resources are 100% cost free. All you need to do is register (for free), join their forum and participate by posting at least three entries on it. You need to post 3 to gain access to their free templates. That's not something hard to do in exchange for free and nice templates. Besides, posting to their forum is a great way to promote your blog, link to your blog, seek advice from expert, make friends to other bloggers, introduce yourself and do a lot more.
Once you're done with 3 posts to the blogcrowd forum, you can automatically gain access to the cost free 3 column templates that I am talking about. To use the templates, simply copy all of the code and paste it to your blog's template. Remember to always save a back up copy of your original template before implementing any changes. Here's a direct link to blogcrowds' blog templates. Scroll down to see the templates when you get to the page.
Before you copy and paste the template codes in your blog, take some time to go over all the cost free blog templates. Inside blogcrowds, you will find links to Blogger, GeckoandFly, and Style Archive. You may want to check all of them before you choose the template to implement.
2. GeckoandFly.com
Although some of the templates provided by GeckoandFly can be found at blogcrowds, their homepage contains more cost free Blogger templates that you can implement. And the process of obtaining the templates is easy. You just have to download the template, save it and upload it to your Blogger account. Don't be overwhelmed though with the number of free templates. You should browse all of the templates to select your best choice before you implement it to your blog. I'm telling you this because when I was new to blogging I was constantly changing my blog template every time I find a better one. And the time I've spent doing this could have been used to create some content for my blog.
3. Psyc.horm.org
The templates offered by Blogcrowds and GeckoandFly cannot be fully customized according to your preferences not unless you have some knowledge of HTML. PsycHo created a program that allows every blogger to design a blog template that is customized according to their tastes. The process of doing it is easy but you need to spend some time in designing your template. PsycHo even lets you save your work and retrieves it when you come back to the site.
I'm sure that with the three links I have provided you above, you'll find one that will satisfy your template requirements. Here are other links to websites that offer free templates.
Carlgalloway.com
TheStyleContest.com
TemplatePanic.com
If by any chance you didn't find any blog template that satisfies your need from any of the links above, you have two options. 1. Learn how to construct your own template and 2. Hire some experts to do it for you.RELATED POSTS Construct your Own Cost Free Blog with Blogger by Rocky John Tayaban
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Sun, 24 Jun 2007 03:49:00 +0000 - Construct your Own Cost Free Blog with BloggerSo, how do you construct your blog with Blogger? That's as simple as three steps and you've got your blog. Take time to read the whole of this article to get more details.
Blogger is only one of the many free services that Google offers. And in order to maximize the benefits of the other services, I highly encourage you to open an account with Gmail. By having a Gmail account, you can easily access Blogger, Google Analytics, Google Tools for Webmasters, Google Adsense, Google Mail and many more. Although you can always use your non-Google email to create an account with Blogger, I hope you take time to think about the convenience of having one email and one password for all the free Google services. So why not do the same thing I've done. It saved me a lot of time and creating an email with Gmail will take you about 2 minutes.
As I was going over YouTube, I found a video clip that contains information about setting up an account with Blogger. I thought it would be easier for you to just watch the video clip and learn from it. You can click on the play button and continue reading while waiting for the video to upload. It will normally take 1 – 5 minutes to upload depending on your Internet connection.
After you've watched the clip, try to open a new window for Blogger.com, that way, you can always get back to the video clip and watch it again in case you've missed something.
Once you've created your blog, you will be prompted to post your first entry but skip that part and get to fix your blog's layout first. You can do this through the dashboard. Your dashboard will be the first page you will see every time you open your blogger account. This will serve as your control panel. You can use it to post, edit, and design your blog.
In your dashboard, you can find links to Post, Setting and Layout. These three links will enable you to manipulate or edit your blog. I first advice you to visit your setting and customize it according to your preference. Don't worry about committing mistakes, just try to explore and familiarize yourself with what Blogger has to offer. In case you have encountered some problems; there is always Blogger Help ready to assist. Moreover, Google was kind enough to assign experts to answer Blogger related problems that are not covered by Blogger Help. I'm pretty sure however that Blogger Help will have all the information you need in case you stumble upon some technical problems. If you are through fixing your setting, you can go to your layout and choose the design you want for your blog. With layout, you can choose your preferred template, color combination etc. Go ahead and explore, familiarize and learn what you can do with your layout. Another word of advice, to make your editing easier, you can open a new window so that you can easily check the effects of the changes you have done to your blog.
Finally, if you are satisfied with your blog's setting and layout… then it's about time you start posting your thoughts. Now remember to place something in your blog for your friends or visitors to see and read. Never leave your blog without any content. Content, which is one of the three components of the Blogging Mix will be further discussed in the coming posts.
Well, I'm not going to spoon feed you with all you need to know about Blogger. You just have to discover it yourself. In my own experience, I had fun discovering and learning about Blogger so I won’t deprive you of the same opportunity. Just remember that blogging is fun and you should enjoy doing it. If you don't find joy in it, then you'd better find another avenue to spend your time.RELATED POSTS Cost Free Blogging Services by Rocky John Tayaban
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Sun, 24 Jun 2007 03:05:00 +0000 - The Blogging Mix: Key Elements to a Successful Blog! (Content, Connection and Continuity)
Everyone who starts blogging would like to become successful. Success can be achieved and interpreted in different ways. Most bloggers are inclined to measure success by the number of traffic or visits generated by their blogs while some bloggers claim themselves successful when they effectively monetize their blogs. However you define and measure success in Blogging, Blogging Mix will be a useful concept for bloggers who aspire to become successful.
Today's article will focus on defining and explaining the Blogging Mix and its components. It will also give you a brief overview of the necessary elements that every blogger needs in order to become successful in blogging.
In marketing, we have what we call as the marketing mix. Otherwise known as the 4Ps and 7Ps for goods and services respectively. These Ps (product, price, promotion, place, physical evidence, process and people) are key elements that determine the success of a marketing campaign, program or project.
Blogging has its own mix of elements that I wish to refer to as the Blogging Mix. Blogging Mix is made up of 3Cs, namely; Content, Connection and Continuity. These three elements are vital for the success of every blogger. Just like the marketing mix, the proper management of the Blogging Mix will lead bloggers to a successful blogging experience.
Blogging Mix or the 3Cs
Blogging Mix embodies all that a blogger should have or should accomplish to become successful in blogging. Content, Connection and Continuity are all that is needed for bloggers to achieve their goals and objectives. Let's tackle the Blogging Mix one by one starting first with content.
Content
Content refers to the value of posts or entries that a blogger publish on his or her blog. It also refers to the topic, layout, theme, genre, tone, use of keywords, HTML and the format of the blog. In short, 'content is a blog's internal environment'. Take note that in content, bloggers are primarily if not solely responsible for its outcome.
Perhaps you have heard from other bloggers that content is king, king for the reason that according to them it's the most important aspect of a blog. The idea of giving content the utmost importance is something I beg to disagree with. I have noticed some blogs with great contents but do not receive the attention and appreciation they deserve. I believe that a blog is supported by three elements (content, connection and continuity) in order to be successful. These three elements share the same and equal importance and value. They work like a tripod and the absence of one element makes blogging a failure.
Here are a few questions that can be used to gauge the effectiveness of a blog's content.
1. Is your blog's topic timely, relevant, informative or entertaining?
2. Are the posts on your blog presented well for convenient reading? Are your posts free from errors? Are you using your keywords in your posts?
3. Is your blog optimised for search engines? Is it search engine friendly? Are you using tags?
4. Do you spend time to conduct research before writing your entries? Do you take time to understand what your readers need and want?
Any question with a NO answer needs your attention. Take note that these are basic things in blogging. Articles discussing the more technical issues of content will be posted here very soon.
Connection
Connection is another important element in the Blogging Mix. Connection refers to the inbound or incoming (link to your web page from another site) and outbound or outgoing links to your blog. It also pertains to a blogger's network of friends, readers, admirers, competitors and community. Connection should also be understood as the ways bloggers interact with their networks. And lastly, connection refers to the techniques and strategies that bloggers employ to publicize or promote their blogs. In simple words, 'connection is the external environment of a blog'. While bloggers have more responsibilities to their blog's content, connection largely depends to the blog's external environment (i.e. readers, admirers, competitors etc.).
A lot of blog experts assert how links, both inward and outward, are essential in determining a blog's search engine ranking or a blog's visibility in the blogosphere. Link alone however cannot stand on its own. As I've said earlier, bloggers need connections to supplement content and continuity to support both. In a series of posts I will soon publish, I will be writing a more detailed article about connection so keep on visiting BloggingMix.com for updates.
To assess your blog's Connection, here are a few more questions to guide you.
1. Do you receive positive and negative comments or feedbacks about your posts on your blog? Do you respond to these comments?
2. Do you have an RSS? Do people subscribe to your feeds?
3. Have you signed up in Technorati, Mybloglog, Blogcatalog or Squidoo?
4. Have you been commenting on other blogger's blog? Have you been joining forums lately?
5. Is your blog registered to major search engines? Blog directories? RSS directories?
Continuity
Continuity may sound easy or simple but it actually shares the same level of devotion and hard work that content and connection require. Continuity refers to the continuous development or improvement of a blog's content and connection. It also refers to the consistent and continuous updating or posting fresh articles on your blog. Most successful bloggers of today are those people who remained consistent in updating their blogs. Through continuous blogging, a blogger will be able to gain a wide number of readers and will receive more referrals from search engines and other websites and weblogs.
You should however understand that continuity is not merely about continuous blogging or posting new entries or articles on your blog. More importantly, continuity is all about development and progress. It's about taking the next step one after another. If you take time to read older blog posts of successful bloggers, you'll find out that their current posts are a lot better compared to their older entries. This is what exactly continuity is all about.
In recognition of the significance of continuity in successful blogging, I will be devoting a series of posts to tackle the issues surrounding continuity and its impact to successful blogging in this blog very soon.
Conclusion
To be a successful blogger your blog needs more than just content, connection and continuity. You should have the proper combination of the Blogging Mix or the 3Cs depending on the nature of your blog. The proper combination of the Blogging Mix is another article that will be covered in the succeeding posts.
Do you agree with this article? Do you think I'm missing another "C" in the Blogging Mix that should be included? Whatever you have in mind, please share it so we can learn from each other. You can always post your opinions and ideas in the comment section. Thanks.
Meanwhile, as you wait for a more detailed updates on each component of the Blogging Mix, you may want to check these related posts about content, connection and continuity.RELATED POSTS Is Content King? by David J. Skyrme
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Sat, 23 Jun 2007 08:35:00 +0000
