The Top 10 Tips To Setting Up A Successful Blog

If you're serious about setting up a successful, small business weblog or blog that augments and enhances your business or service, here are 10 sure-fire tips to help you do it successfully.

1. Get Your Own Domain Name

This is so important. Piggy-backing off of another url makes less of an impact than http://www.widgets.com. Having your own domain name separates you from the hobbyists and children blogging, and lets the world know, you are a serious blogger. It also allows you to change hosting companies, maximize the customization of your weblog and it's still there even if the company that built the software goes out of business. Even if you decide to use Blogger.com and in the future it shuts down, you still have your own web pages on your own domain. You can start building with all your data intact.

2. Learn your blogging software

You need to be able to customize your blog to reflect your business. Whatever software you settle on, whether you start with blogger.com and move on to Typepad or WordPress, you need to learn to work with and change the templates, add your blogroll, set-up what your advertising, change or add pictures and more. In order to make your blog unique and different, you'll need to have at least a minimum amount of knowledge of what you're working with.

3. Learn from those who've already gone before.

Read and study other blogs. Don't be afraid to contact and ask questions. When you want to learn to do something you need to study what is already successful. There are many ways to find blogs, but I've found that BlogExplosion is one of the easiest ways to get free traffic while surfing others blogs. Find out more about BlogExplosion by visiting my website.

4. Post to your blog on a consistent basis.

Updating once a month won't get you much readership. If you update your blog 3-5 times per week with interesting and informative articles and tips about your industry, people will look forward to what you've updated and return again and again.

5. Blogging is like networking and building a virtual family.

The readers don't care what you are selling until they know you care about them and what's going on in their world. Blogging sales messages is the quickest way to lose readership and destroy any relationships you might have. People go out on the Internet and into the blogosphere looking for information, help and fun topics of interest. If you provide information and benefits for them surfing to your blog on a consistent basis, they will return. If you come at them like a used car salesman, people will find other places to spend their time.

6. Allow comments and trackbacks.

Part of the magic of blogging is its interactivity with the virtual world through the comments people make to your blogging articles. Grow a thick skin, and put your opinion out there. Depending on what you're blogging about, comments can range from "Nice Post" to things very much less complimentary. In either case, it's a give and take, not a one-way news delivery or sales pitch.

7. Read other people's blogs

If you don't read and explore the world of blogging, leave or comment on other blogs or participate in the process, your success will be diminished. It's kind of like playing tennis blindfolded. You'll never have any idea of where the ball is, so how can you hit it? Part of joining the blogosphere is getting into the thick of things. That means living outside of your own blog.

8. Create a blogroll.

What's a Blogroll? It's a list of links to other people's blogs you like. Why would you want to create traffic to other people's blogs, you ask. It is important that you give in order to get. Reciprocal linking in the industry you're blogging about builds relationships and links back to your site. This, in turn, increases your search engine positioning. More people find you and your readership grows. It's a give and take. If you read a blog and like it, find the news relevant and want to add it to your website, comment with a trackback, add the blog to your blogroll or links section, and the other website will most like reciprocate. Blogging is more about building a community than cut and dry business. Think warm and fuzzy, because most bloggers, whoever they are, respond much better to honey than vinegar.

9. Ping the news aggregators. Tag your posts.

It's important to let people know when you update, and by pinging, you let the world know that something new has appeared on your blog. Learn about using tags on your posts so that when you update the news services will know how to classify your update. If it's about "blue widgets" and you tag it as such, people searching for information on that topic will find you. Technorati covers tagging in an easy-to-read format that anybody can grasp quickly.

You'll find information about using Technorati tags by dropping by my website.

Ping using Pingoat: What to do: Go to Pingoat and submit your blog, selecting as many appropriate news aggregates you like. Then bookmark the next page that shows your ping "results." Every time you post, visit this page and you will automatically ping the news aggregates.

or

Ping using Pingomatic: What to do: Go to Pingomatic Do the same as above.

10. Download, use and master an RSS reader.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, this is the first place to start. FeedDemon is a popular aggregator that resembles Microsoft Outlook and delivers both podcasts and feeds from other blogs. You can also get feeds through My Yahoo or MSN Spaces. If you're only tracking a few feeds these are great. For a large number of feeds, you'll need something like FeedDemon. Find out more about FeedDemon by visiting my website.

There you have it. A quick and easy guide to setting up a successful blog. It will take you a bit of time, but it will be well worth it in the end with increased traffic, expert status in your industry and the ability to inform as well as interact with your readership.

For a listing of links to the various places mentioned in this article, simple visit my website and click on the Top 10 Blogging article listed. Happy Blogging!

Judith Allyson Brandy is a writer, breast cancer survivor and science fiction fan with a slightly skewed, amused perspective of the world.
Read some of her other articles at: http://www.writingbuzz.com

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What is a Blog? How Do You Get Into Blogging?

The blog was born in 1990 and today there is the option of letting your blog readers leave you comments and feedback about your posts. A post is your writing entry for the day. There is no limit to the amount of posts you do a day and blog owners who love to write can find themselves writing a few times a day. There is now the option of "following" a blog by subscribing to it and not missing out on anything. When the blog writer creates a new post, the follower is then notified of the new post.

Most blog entries usually consists of a catchy title and there is the headline, body, post date, author name and tags for the blog. The tags are used for search engine purposes. For example, if someone on Google may be searching for something that your blog pertains to, that blog may pop up.

What Type Of Blog Template Do You Need

Today, there are all sorts of new blog designs for blog owners to create a blog look they want. There are many options from business templates to something very casual. There are free blog templates that are provided with the blog hosts that people sign up for. If blog owners don't like the templates provided, they can do a search on Google and find what they are looking for. There are many free and some at a minimal price.

You Don't Need Any Technical Skills To Start A Blog

The blog world is growing with advanced techniques and is a great way to network and keep in touch with others. Even the non-experienced can set up a blog in just 5 minutes. Imagine a place where you are free to write about whatever you want. You are basically publishing your own words!

Where Can You Find The Tools To Start Blogging

There is a lot of information on blogging when you do a search but the most recommended site to create a blog is Blogger and WordPress. These are the most popular for bloggers and are both easy to navigate and use. Blogger is set up so you can easily customize your blog layout. The blog layout is the way it looks to your readers when they visit your blog. It's very easy to upload a post along with pictures on Blogger and some say it's a great place for beginners.

WordPress Has Become The Blog Platform Of Choice By Many Professionals

WordPress is the chosen blog format for many business professionals. Many use WordPress today to not only set up their own blog but also small shops. The blog world has certainly advanced and choose a blog site that you feel comfortable using. Some try to get set up at both, Blogger and WordPress to get a feel for it and determine which one they prefer.

Ron has been online for the last five years and has been using blogging as his preferred platform to market and promote his sites online. So What Exactly Is A Blog find out this and everything you need to know about blogging at Ron's Blog Affiliate X Files.

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Introduction to Blogs

If we think many years back about the internet then we see at that time internet is just bounded in web pages. As time passed, Picture, Sound, Animation makes this world interesting for people. Then, we saw the brilliant innovation of Search engine, which make the internet more near to the people, because, with help of search engine a person search for anything that he wants. Now, the revolution of internet is progressing well, and more features are adding to internet day by day. Then, we see Blogs and Blogging, which is also a new part of the internet world.

What is a Blog?

It is the place at which anyone can write about anything that he wants. Today blogs are the most popular creation of internet among the people. That's why the Blog is increasing rapidly. The big reason of the increase is that with the help of blogs anyone can write online and show it to the whole population of internet, But, if he goes to the right way So, his words will get the attraction of the internet world.

Blogs can be defined as, A place at which anyone writing and publishing anything online, and these form a list of, weblinks. Blogs are also known as weblog. Who write blogs are blogger, anyone can be a blogger and write blogs with any aim?, People with any profession can be a blogger (News reporter, Columnist, Journalist, Online diaries, Celebrity).

A News website is a main example of the blog, which form like a blog. In the news site, we see every day changing news of the world and these are frequently updating and publishing. Nowadays, blogs are used for numerous purposes. But, it is not guaranteed that all blogs are using in a good way, a blog may be also using in a negative way, for example, weblog which is providing health information to the people, so, the blog is for a positive way. But, if a person hates some buddy mostly are celebrities, politicians, etc. then, he writes a blog against them. So, this blog is using in a negative way.

Now you're thinking that how blogs are different from websites. Basically there is no difference between blog and website. However, the method of work in blog is different from websites. In websites, if you want to write about something you first need to create an HTML page, then publish your work online. In blogs, if you want to write you don't need to create any HTML, but write just as you working in a word processor and when you complete your written works then you just need to press 'Publish' button and all your work will be online in seconds, and this way you save big time. The reason of this fast work is that blog is working under software, which is managing all the content that we write. It seems like a file box, in which whenever you write all your work placed in a correct place of the file box.

Now we discuss about the most popular blog service Blogger.com, in which you can create your own blog and publish your writing work by doing few simple steps. Now you've understood about blogs (Weblogs) and how they are different from websites. As we described above that blogs are working under the software. Today, many websites are using software where we see 'Powered by'. Softwares are helping website to work easy, fast and good management.

In blogs if you want to change the basic appearance and looks of the blog then you don't need to create any separate html for every single entry of content. However, you must need to choose a template of the blog. When you select it then all your content will appear in the design that you see in template of blog.

Some Important Blog Terms:

Entry: A piece of content in a blog is blog entry.

Post: sometimes blog entries are post when they published with Date & Time stamp (label).

Archive: All blog post/entries arranged in a month & year wise list. This list in a blog is archive of blog or blog archive.

All Information about blog learning is here http://makeblogperfect.blogspot.com

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Important Issues When Utilizing Web Blogs

The advent of technology brings too much things that human have never imagined. One of these is the internet. The internet brings things closer to humans and makes the world smaller and narrower. The internet paved the way to radical and far-reaching means of communication.

Through the internet, people communicate with no limitations. One way of communicating in the internet is through web blogs. A web blog or web log is a website that displays journals posted in chronological order by individuals or groups and usually has links to other web pages and to video, audio and other links.

There are different web blogs that focuses on a particular area interests. These include the arts, home, computers, recreation, science, sports, business, games, internet, reference, shopping, world, comics, health, news, world regions, society etc.

Blogs are far different from traditional sites and forums or newsgroups. Unlike traditional sites, blogs allow the easy creation of new pages for entering and submitting new data into a simple form. Automated templates take care of adding the article to the home page, creating the new full article page and adding the article to the appropriate date or category- base archive.

Blogs also allow easy filtering of content for various presentations and allows the administrator to invite and add other authors whose permissions and access are easily managed.

Bloggers do not manage the software. The software management is done by server- based systems. These systems allow travelers to blog from anywhere in the world with web interfaces. Those bloggers with common interests share blogrolls, list of links that create a context for a blog, and help each other increase their visibility on the internet.

Visitors can post comment to individual blog entries with the aid of feedback comment system. Those popular blogs have frequent comments, but many bloggers prefer to just pre- screen or block comments.

Users can maintain web- hosted blog even without the need to be online while composing or editing posted blogs through the use of tools. There is software available or programs enabling multiple blogs to be automatically notified where certain topical or other changes can be made to one blog.

Like the other innovations in the technology, blogs and blogging brings advantages and disadvantages. This is a fact that exists in every thing being introduced in the world.

With blogs, the citizens and costumers are potentially better informed. This is good for societies and economies for it makes people knowledgeable on the things that are happening in the world.

Blogs are a positive way of collecting feedback and criticism. It keeps people on point. Through blogs, people can offer commentary; react to certain pieces and many others.

Through blogs, an organization or the society can develop stronger relationships and make loyalty with the people. Blogs let people interact at face value of an organization.

Despite the pros it brings, blogs also have some cons as well. One is that, in blogs, most people are unable to write down their ideas in a clear and convincing way. Since writing is one of the most difficult and time consuming tasks for a human being to undertake and many blogs are not updated, so it damages the reputation of an organization or society rather than enhancing it.

Since everything can be posted in blogs, it can make many organizations look like they are disorganized with multiple tones and opinions. Contrary to what some might think, the average person prefers that the organization or society is at least somewhat purposeful and rational.

Web blogs are really an innovation of technology users cannot ignore because it brings many things to the public. The benefits blogging offers should also be used properly for the good of all concerned and not for worse.

Carmelo Mastroeli is the proud owner of wealthconcepts.blogspot.com which provides valuable information for internet marketing and the latest reviews on the web.

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A Beginner's Portrait Into the World of Blogging

Unless you are one of those people who tend to stick their heads in the sand, ostrich-wise, there are not many computer savvy people who don't know what a blog is. However, for the ostriches amongst you, a blog is an online journal where any person online, if they choose to, can write about their experiences, concerns, opinions and ideas and then post this personal record online where all the world can read it. Nowadays there are innumerable blogging sites, specific websites designated to publishing personal blogs and nothing else.

All Blogs are Different

Blogging has come a long way since it was first introduced. There are many blogging websites which have the facilities to include your audio or video files with your blogs. As you read through lots of different blogging sites you will notice one thing that all blogs have in common: that is, they are all different! They each follow different text layouts, a range of styles and a choice of formats, as well as using a diversity of settings.

You are the Author

When you write a blog for publication the final choice as to how it looks after publication is up to the writer - i.e. the blogger: in other words, YOU! So, when you write your blog, include pictures, hyperlinks, unbroken texts, audio, video - whatever you want to include to personalize those thoughts and opinions you are intent on putting into online print. You may prefer to record your thoughts and ideas as words rather than writing it down and then add this audio recording to your blog. This kind of blog is called audio blogging.

The Shape of your Blog

Templates designed to be used for blogging are essentially very simple and you can add new pages without having to perform mental calisthenics! Each template has been designed to fulfill specific settings so that it is extremely easy for bloggers to get on with blogging which is what they are interested in and forget about the complicated bits. Almost all blog template designs have fixed spaces for you to slot into place your title. There is then space left for you to insert your actual blog.

Incorporated into this part of the page is a place for backtracks which enables other websites to link back to the blog you are writing. Each blog you write acquires its own URL once it has been written and published. This is referred to as a permanent link. Finally, at the end of your blog the template allows for comments, offering readers a means to post any comments they might have back to you so you can take on board what your readers might be saying about the subject you have written about, or even how they feel about you - the writer of this particular blog.

A Choice of Templates

Of course, to blog you do not actually need to use a pre-defined template but, if you are new to the world of blogging, then you will certainly find there are certain advantages to choosing an appropriate template design. Nowadays, all the blogging websites - and there are many of them - offer the prospective blogger a wide range and diversity of template designs; one for every situation, in fact.

How to Get Published

Getting published is as easy as falling off a log - no matter how much of a novice you are to the blogging fraternity. Simply 'Google' blogging websites and then take your pick as to which ones to join. Your first step really is in choosing which websites you wish to deign with your web presence. Immediately your membership has been approved - a mere formality - you will be a fully accepted member of that particular blogging community.

This enables you to peruse through the blogs supplied by fellow members of this community, incorporate those blogs into yours through embedded linking as well as being able to offer your own comments, opinions and criticisms to any blog you have read within the community you are now a member of. Furthermore, you have full and equal rights within this community to write your own blog and have it published.

Specific Themes

For those of you who follow a specific sport or who is an ardent supporter of a particular actor's career; maybe you are a Royalist and enjoy following the antics and nefarious activities of some of the more infamous members of the royal families around the world; or, perhaps you are of a more serious and academic style and have an inherent desire to read about all things medical: whatever your chosen interest, there is a blogging community specifically for you.

Once you have found that relevant community and become a member, you can read other blogs and write about your own interests within that specific theme to your heart's content. All blogs appertaining to that subject and topic matter will be accepted for publication. In fact, blogging has become an entrepreneur's paradise and an ideal way to market their goods and make money.

From Advertising to Education: blogging makes it happen!

You may have just had your very first novel printed - but, since your income from this novel is directly dependent on the number of books you sell, how do you get the word out? The answer is through blogging. Are you involved in direct marketing informational products online? Again, blogging is the answer to get the word out and about. In fact, there are few places where blogging fails to play its part.

Even in the world of higher education there are going to be students who, for one reason or another have missed a vital class. How do they catch up on the work they have missed? You've guessed it - following each class the lecturer arranges for their teaching blog to be updated, with a piece of the lecture presented in blog form for the benefit of missing students.

A Vital Means of Expression

Clearly the blogging phenomena has caught the imagination of everybody from politicians to policemen with just about every other person and his dog writing about their everyday lives and the antics of that said dog, along with blogs now heralded as an opportunity for revealing personal expression as well as keeping the art of writing alive and well. The majority of people treat their individual blogs as a personal rant and cant against the stress their daily lives generate, an opportunity to criticize the government and its policies and generally let off much-needed steam.

This vital means of expression creates a community of like-minded people who can all interact amongst the other people belonging to each blogging community, generating an online community that has replaced many of the social communities displaced by modern city regeneration and the mobile job market fracturing traditional societies as nets are cast far and wide in an ever-widening search for scarce and scant job opportunities.

Where Weblog Rules, there are no Rules

What started out as an online journal known as a weblog soon became abbreviated to blog as its popularity increased all over the world. Blogging communities became the normal way of addressing people's need to interact with others sharing a similar mind-set and similar opinions. Blogs became the 21st century's answer to man's need, as a social animal, to intermingle and exchange ideas with others. One of the benefits of blogging is the fact that there are no rules to inhibit either reader or writer of blogs.

The majority of blogging websites are free to use and, for the members of each blogging site, the word 'free' extends to the manner in which blogs are written. In other words, no format is considered wrong and, similarly no style or manner of writing is considered better or worse than any other. The true essence of a blog is to get the idea over to the reader; information the blog writer wants to impart is presented from the blog writer's heart: that is all that is important for the dedicated blogger.

Benefits of Blogging

The true benefits of blogging is that there are many of them and they are usually free to use. You can consult a blogging directory if you are concerned with finding specific themes. Themes will be organized and collated according to subject and theme, in much the same way that a business telephone directory is organized. Blogging is now such a widespread and popular activity that it is simple to get started and quite easy to find a suitable blogging community to belong to. In fact, you can join as many blogging communities as you want to, each with a different theme - or simply blog on a daily basis using a generic blogging site and the most basic template design. The fact of the matter is that blogging is intended to be straightforward and simple to get involved with and, overall, amongst the blogging communities, there are no rules to adhere to: happy blogging!

Peter Fitzgerald has been involved in online, affiliate and internet marketing for over seven years with various projects. He freely admits that he was knocking his head against the wall for the first three years. Success came to him some five years ago after taking a six month break in order to study the subject of online marketing with some of the leading authorities on the subject. Peter says: "Investing in my self to improve my worth to others is the most profitable thing I ever did." Peter now spends his time writing successful blogs and fully understands the meaning of blogging. He also enjoys article marketing, finds both activities compliment each other.

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