Choosing The Right Blogging Platform For Your Needs

Choosing which blogging platform to use is one of the most important decisions that you can make as a blogger. The right platform can make blogging a breeze, and the wrong platform can make blogging a chore.

Because the program that you use to blog with is such a powerful part of your blogging experience, it is well worth putting in the time to find a platform that provides your ideal balance between a user-friendly interface and a flexible framework that allows you to make your blog look and feel unique.

Finding the rightplatform isn't always easy, but with a little bit of contemplation and a little bit of research, you will be on your way to finding the perfect blogging platform.

Deciding what your priorities are in terms of ease of use versus customization.

Most highly customizable blogging platforms, like moveable type, are a bit more difficult to use than very automated platforms like wordpress. If you are new to blogs and to internet technology, you might want to sacrifice the ability to create a custom background design or to integrate a unique font into your template in order to find a program that will be easy for you to use.

On the other hand, if you are a veteran web designer with knowledge of html or javascript, you will probably find the limtations of a user-friendly platform to be frustrating.

There is no such thing as a blogging platform that is objectively the best platform, because every blogger has
unique needs. The blogging movement is very much about individuality, so it makes plenty of sense that there would be many different platforms available that are designed to meet the needs of different kinds of individuals undertaking different kinds of projects. This diversity is a good thing, because it means that you will
almost certainly be able to find a program that suits your level of technical aptitude.

However, the fact that no two bloggers need the same thing from a blogging platform can make your search
for the right platform a bit tricky. When you are reading reviews of different platforms, try to keep your
priorities in mind and do your best to take into account the position that the reviewer is coming from.

For example, a negative review written by an accomplished software designer who complains that a popular
platform is too limited may tell you that the platform in question is ideal for a beginning blogger.

There is no such thing as the perfect platform for everybody, so instead of looking for the "best" platform, look for the best platform for your specific criteria.

Facebook: The Missing Manual

Facebook's popularity is skyrocketing, drawing more than 400 million people to this combination online village green, personal website creator, and souped-up address book. But one thing you won't get when signing up is a printed manual. Enter Facebook: The Missing Manual, Second Edition -- the witty, authoritative guide you need, now revised and updated to include all of Facebook's latest features.
Coverage includes:

• Getting started, getting connected. Signing up is easy, but the real payoff comes when you tap into networks of coworkers, classmates, and friends. This book explains it all-including how to pick and choose who gets to see what, and how to steer clear of people you want to avoid.
• Adding applications. Ranging from silly (fortune cookies and video games) to serious (goal tracking), thousands of mini-programs can transform your Facebook account into an addictive, one-stop resource. Learn how to find and install your favorites.
• Facebook for grownups and businesspeople. Facebook isn't just for Junior anymore. Thousands of companies and business professionals use the site for everything from project collaboration and advertising to filling (and finding) jobs. This book is written for adults of all ages.
• Protecting your privacy. Creeps are everywhere online, but on Facebook you can feel especially exposed with so much personal info on display. This book offers an easy-to-follow, multi-pronged approach to staying safe.

How-to Create a Facebook Event
By E. A. Vander Veer

Whether you want to host a product launch party, start a study group at the local coffee shop, or have a community meeting, it’s easy to set up your own events on Facebook. Here’s what you do:

1. On your Home page, click the Events link.
Note: If an event is closely tied to a Facebook Group you created or that you’ve been made administrator of—you want to set up a monthly face-to-face meeting of yourbook club, for example—you’ll want to head to your Group’s profile page, click Create Group Event, and then follow steps 3–8 below. Doing so tells Facebook that your Group is hosting the event and lets you invite all the Group’s members in one fell swoop by turning on the checkbox next to “Invite Members of the host group [your Group’s name]” that appears on the “Step 3: Invite Friends” tab (see step 8).
2. On the Events page that appears, click the “Create an Event” button.
3.On the “Step 1: Create Event” page, fill out as many of the fields as possible. You have to fill out some fields—like the event’s name—but you should fill in as many of the other fields as you can. Doing so makes events easier for people to find, because they can search on every word you add. It also encourages people to RSVP, since the more people know about an event (and the better you make it sound), the more likely they are to attend. Make sure you pick an event name you like, because after you create your event, you can’t change what it’s called. (You can, however, delete the event and create a new one with a different name.)
4. Decide how open you want your event to be. Facebook assumes you want to plan an open event that everyone on the site can view and attend, and that all attendees can contribute to by uploading photos, videos, links, and Wall posts. If that’s fine with you--for example, if your event is one that’s open to the public and is listed in the local newspapers, or is an attend-in-spirit-only kind of event--you don’t have to do a thing. Otherwise, you need to click the Privacy drop-down list and choose either Closed or Secret. For most face-to-face events, you’ll want to choose Closed so you don’t get a bunch of riffraff showing up. If you have a very specific, finite guest list and the event is private (such as a business meeting or intimate birthday gathering), choose Secret; that way, you can invite just the folks on your list and not have to worry about strangers requesting invitations.
5. Click the Create Event button. Facebook posts a bare-bones version of your event on the site that people can find in searches (unless you made the event secret).
6. On the “Step 2: Add Details” page that appears, browse for the image file you want to appear on your event listing, and then click Upload Picture. Technically, this step is optional, but an appropriate and clever photo, drawing, or logo will make your event’s listing a lot more appealing.
7. Add as much additional info as you want, tweak a few settings, and then click the “Save and Continue” button. You don’t have to go hog wild, but adding a description and choosing an event type goes a long way toward helping folks find your event.
8. Invite some guests. Facebook lists your friends and Friend Lists on the “Step 3: Invite Friends” page that appears, so all you need to do is choose who you want to invite and then click Send Invitations.
Note: Facebook events are supposed to be for your friends (or for the members of Groups you’re in charge of). So you can’t invite Facebook members to events unless they’re your friends—but you can invite pals who aren’t yet Facebook members. To do so, on the “Step 3: Invite Friends” page, head to the “Invite People via Email” field and type in email addresses separated by commas, and then click Send Invitations.
You can change your event after you create it. First, display the event’s profile (on your Home page, click the Events link and then, when the list of your events appears, click the name of the event you want to change). Then, on the right side of the event’s profile page, click one of the options, such as “Edit Event”, “Invite People to Come”, or “Cancel This Event”.
Price: $19.99

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The Controversy Around Corporate Blogging

Corporate blogging is a relatively new idea, and the jury is still out on whether it will succeed. This controversial marketing tool may be the beginning of a new kind of advertising strategy, or it may fizzle out in a matter of months.

Many companies are looking for ways to capitalize on the blogging trend, and many of these corporations have determined that a great way to ride the blogging wave is to keep a blog on their corporate website. These blogs are often created to appeal to the demographic that the company needs to court, and the content may have quite a lot to do with the activities of the corporation, or it may have very little to do with the company itself.

Often, a corporate blog will focus on the kinds of content likely to attract the desired surfers, even if that content is not related to the product or service that the company provides.


Some bloggers feel that corporate blogging is a kind of validation for the blogging movement, and shows that
this exciting new medium has really infiltrated the mainstream. Other bloggers consider the kind of viral
marketing that corporate blogs practice to be unethical or distasteful. In any case, watching the evolution of
corporate blogs and whether they survive and proliferate or fail and disappear promises to provide some interesting insight into today's consumers.

Successful Direct Marketing Methods

Direct marketing has grown beyond its roots in traditional mail order to embrace a host of new technologies, customer relationship-building techniques, and performance measures. Today, businesses and nonprofits of all kinds use direct marketing, which now garners 25% of the U.S. marketer's budget, surpassing newspapers and broadcast TV.
Hailed as the bible of direct marketing for over 30 years, Successful Direct Marketing Methods has been completely updated and expanded with all the latest tools and techniques needed for success in today's digital, multi-channel marketplace. Written by world-renowned direct marketing experts Bob Stone and Ron Jacobs, the Eighth Edition of Successful Direct Marketing Methods contains major revisions to chapters on the creative process, fully covering the development of direct mail advertising, catalogs, and print advertising. The Eighth Edition also explores such new topics as:

• The expanding objectives of direct marketing in the digital age
  
• Techniques for optimizing customer acquisition, up-selling and cross-selling, reducing defections, extending loyalty, and improving retention
  
• CRM applications, data mining, call center, campaign management, and sales force automation
  
• Customer experience management--connecting customers and brands at every touch point
  
• Brand building with direct marketing tools and techniques
  
• The growth of direct marketing in Europe, Asia, and Latin America
  
• Methods of international marketing--both direct and telemarketing

Successful Direct Marketing Methods offers professionals a comprehensive roadmap for direct marketing success across today's multiple marketing channels.
Price: $59.95
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ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income

A complete how-to from two of the world’s top bloggers

Thousands of aspiring bloggers launch new blogs every day, hoping to boost their income. Without solid advice from experts, most will fail. This bestselling guide, now fully revised with new and updated tips and tricks from two of the world’s most successful bloggers, provides the step-by-step information bloggers need to turn their hobby into an income source or a fulltime career.

• Earning a solid income from blogging is possible, but tricky; this book details proven techniques and gives aspiring bloggers the tools to succeed
  
• Even novices will learn to choose a blog topic, analyze the market, set up a blog, promote it, and earn revenue
  
• Offers solid, step-by-step instruction on how bloggers make money, why niches matter, how to use essential blogging tools and take advantage of social media and content aggregators, what a successful blog post should include, how to optimize advertising, and much more

Written by two fulltime professional bloggers, the updated edition of ProBlogger tells you exactly how to launch and maintain a blog that makes money.

Price: $24.99

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WordPress Training Video - Tutorial CD (PC or Mac)

Number of Videos: 112
Duration: 5 Hours

Expert trainer Neil Oliver takes you through one of the powerfull blogging programs available today, Wordpress. Wordpress can appear to be complex for first time users. Neil takes you through Wordpress one step at a time, from the basics of setting up your Wordpress blog, through complex topics such as installing and using widgets and plug-ins. Included in this tutorial is coverage of some of the most popular plug-ins, as well as a full chapter on the award winning, theme generating software, Artisteer. This guide is essential to anyone who wants to run their own website or blog using Wordpress.

Price:

Click here to buy from Amazon

7 Tips For Successful Blogging

So, you have a blog!

Do you have traffic?

Do you know how to build traffic to your weblog?

There are seven proven methods for building readership of your blog. They start with defining the purpose, or life, of your blog. Then, after you have a blog worth promoting, driving traffic is crucial to your ongoing success at blogging.

Here are seven tips to help you build and hold an audience for your blog:

Tip #1: Provide quality content.

On the Internet, whether you are talking about websites or blogs, a lot of space is given to content. Everyone directs you to provide quality content. But, what is quality content? The quality of your blog's content is directly related to how well you have defined your ideal audience.

A successful blog is written with a distinct audience in mind. In this way, you can provide content that is unique to your audience's issues, needs, or desires. If you create content they like and wish to return to read, you have quality content.

The second issue is to stay true to your audience and tone of your blog. If people are reading your blog, it's because they like your topic and tone. Try not to stray from your typical topics and style too much. This will give your readers a reason to link back to your blog on an ongoing basis, as will posting on a regular basis.

Tip #2: Blog regularly

If you don't update your blog often enough, blog readers will move on to other blogs. There are too many blogs out there competing for attention. Blog readers will go where they can get enough of what they want.

Successful blogging takes a commitment of your time. When you begin blogging and wish to capture an audience, you should be prepared to blog every day. In this way, you can develop an audience who counts on you to help them begin or end their day.

This means you should also try to post at the same time each day. Your readers will get accustomed to your schedule and check your blog at the appropriate time. The time of day is not as crucial as the consistency in your posting.

Since you now have quality content and a regular posting schedule, it's time to drive traffic to your blog. Your readers will do a lot to promote your blog just by telling their friends. Don't count on this alone! You need to do some additional work.

When you post, make sure you set your blog to "ping" blog tracking sites every time you add a new post. Think of this as a means to get their attention. The ping says "Hey, we just added a new post". An alternative to automatically pinging from your blog is to use pingomatic.com. This is a one-stop place to automatically ping everyone you should notify of your new post and only takes a couple of minutes to accomplish.

Tip #3: Mention your blog wherever you can

Mention your blog's address in your email signature line, in forums where you post, on your business cards, on address labels and in conversations with anyone you meet. Use a tag line under your blog address to further entice them to visit. Mine reads:

Michele Schermerhorn

http://www.imarketblog.com

A sassy little marketing blog

Beyond just mentioning your blog in writing and conversation, you must actively participate in the blogging community too.
Tip #4: Participate in the blogosphere

Get involved in other people's blogs. Visit blogs that interest you and are in line with the general topic of your blog. Then, leave thoughtful comments. Almost every comment option on someone else's blog will allow you to post your blog URL and your email address. Help other bloggers out with traffic and they will help you.

If a blogger really likes your site, they will add you to their blogroll. A blogroll is generally found on every blog which understands linking to the rest of the blogosphere helps drive traffic. A blogroll is a listing of other blogs. Think of it as a "recommended reading list". Don't be stingy with your blog roll either. Add those blogs that you read and enjoy to your blogroll too.

Tip #5: Think keywords when you post

Think about keywords with your use of titles, links and blog posts. Search engines, like Google and Yahoo, like keywords. The more targeted your keywords, the better the chances of your blog appearing in search results. Search results can drive that extra traffic you want.

To increase the value of the key words in your content, make certain keywords are part of the hot link in your posts. Don't use "click here" as the hot link. You will be wasting valuable real estate in your post. Instead use the relevant keywords for the hot link, like "a great marketing idea. This gives the keywords added emphasis with the search engines.

One last thought on keywords for driving traffic; if you want a real leg up in the traffic game, in your linking code add rel="tag". This helps Technorati, a major blog resource, index your blog for their directory. But don't stop there! It's time to submit your blog to blog directories.

Tip #6: Submit your blog to blog directories

In addition to submitting your blog to the major search engines, make certain you submit the blog to exclusively blog directories like blogwise, blogcatalog, or bloghub. Many people find blogs through these online directories.

When you do submit your blog to these directories, remember to add a description that will entice your targeted audience to check your blog out. For instance, when I post my blog in blog directories, under description I put "General musings, rants, advice and strategies from a battle-worn veteran of the Marketing Wars, online and off". Your description should help the potential reader understand your blogging topic and the flavor of how you write.

In addition to submitting your blog to blog directories, join a few of the free or inexpensive traffic exchange sites like blogexplosion or blogclicker.

Tip #7: Use free and inexpensive blog traffic exchange communities

There are many sites which can be termed "traffic exchange" sites for the blogging community. It won't cost you anything to sign up. At the very least, join blogexplosion, blogclicker, and blogazoo. Once you sign up, you have two options to help drive traffic to your blog. Use both of them!

The first method is to earn credits (guaranteed visitors to your site) by using the "surf member sites" function. As you surf through those sites, you will be earning credits (visitors to your blog). When you find an interesting post, leave a comment as discussed above. When you find a blogger you like, add them to your blogroll and let them know you did.

The second method to drive traffic is to purchase credits. The cost is very cheap for the traffic you will drive to your blog. The more traffic to your blog, the more customers you'll have. The more happy customers you have, the more they will tell others. The more they tell others, the more customers you get. Don't you love this dance!

In summary, blogging may not be for everyone. However, it can be a great method for bringing your unique perspective to the Internet. You will surely find others who think the same way you do. Some bloggers will entertain you, some will inform you, and some will drive you to tear your hair out. Decide what type of blogger you want to be and be the best you can. See you in the blogosphere!

Michele Schermerhorn calls herself a ?Corporate Freedom Fighter? dedicated to freeing cubicle prisoners to experience their own successful online business. She has over 30 years experience in the business world and over 12 years running her own successful online businesses. She is President of Online Business Institute Inc. (http://www.obinstitute.com), authors a sassy marketing blog (http://www.imarketblog.com), and regularly conducts free online seminars. Online Business Institute Inc. exists to ?Create Successful Online Business Owners One Person At A Time?.

How to Create a Blog in 10 Easy Steps

 

How to set up your first blog

Step 1: Choose Your Passion

What does passion have to do with it? I just want to make money!

Well making money might be a good reason for starting a blog and money CAN be made, but in the end creating and maintaining a blog that is going to last is more about your passion or your driving force. Ask yourself this question:

Step 2: Write Down Your Goals

Most likely if you write down your goals those goals will happen. This is because making yourself actually think about what you want to accomplish is half of the battle already won. "Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail." ~ English Proverb What do you want to accomplish? How are you going to deliver your message? When you are finished, what is it going to look like?

Step 3: Visit Some Other Blogs

Do some research and check out what other people are doing with their blogs. Learn what blogging is in general. Don't just search for blogs in your niche, but also in general. There is alot to be learned from others that have already put up there own blogs. Posts some comments so that you can start to get a feel of what the whole blogging process is. While you are researching be sure to bookmark those blogs that you have visited and write down interesting ideas that pop into your head. You might not remember where you have been only a day or two earlier.

Step 4: Choose a Blogging Software

There a bunch of options when looking for your blogging software. I would start by doing a search on Google for Blogging Software. Don't be intimidated by the 62,000,000 + results returned back to you. :)

For the scope of the article, I am going to talk about WordPress (WordPress.com). I chose WordPress for my blog not only because it is the most popular, but also because it is backed by a huge community, has some really useful plugins, gives you loads of control and is easy to use. You can either signup for at WordPress or find your own hosting provider to host the blog for you. If you are new to blogging then signing-up at WordPress might be your best bet. There are many of bulit-in extras like stats that track your visitors that are beneficial. Best of all it is FREE!

Step 5: Buy a Domain Name

Buying a domain from a domain registry such as GoDaddy will make your blog appear more professional. Choose a domain name that not only fits your blog's purpose but also has keywords in it. For instance, if your blog is about gardening, then choose a domain such as "MyGardeningBlog.com" or "My-Gardening-Blog.com". The .com, .net, .org, etc extension is not important although .com extensions are generally recognized as the default.

Step 6: Customize Your Blog

Customizing your blog is very easy with WordPress. If you choose to host your blog with WordPress then you can choose from dozens of pre-installed templates. You can also Search Google for additional templates that are either FREE or low cost for around $45 a template. If you find a template that is not provided by the hosted service then you can simply upload the new template to your account. The control panel that comes with the hosted service is very easy to use.

If you are daring enough to modify the template by hand you can do so. WordPress is built in a web site scripting language called PHP. If you are not familiar with PHP then this route is not for you. You can, however, find additional resources online either at the WordPress website or by doing a Google search.

Step 7: Install Helpful Plugins

WordPress is easily expandable by the use of "Plugins". Plugins are little pieces of software that are created by a 3rd-Party developer that accomplish simple tasks such as helping you manage your Google AdSense (Google.com/AdSense) ads or backing up your WordPress installation. There are many plugins to choose from and you can search for them at WordPress.org.

Step 8: Write Your "About" Page

When you are ready, you can describe the blog and its purpose in an "About" page. Be as descriptive as you can about the target audience and what you will be providing in the blog.

Step 9: Start Posting to Your Blog

This is actually the hardest part. If you have done your homework on what your passion was and you did some research, then you most likely did some blog posts in your head. Don't sweat coming up with great and astounding ideas or intricate essays. Remember the KISS method and Keep It Simple Stupid! (OK I had to break this rule for this article but you know what I mean...)

You have to remember who your audience is in general. Most people read blogs rather than other forms of information because they are short and to-the-point snippets of information that can be easily digested. I think this is just normal human behavior in a conventional society. There is far too much information on the internet and too little time to try to consume it all. Blogs satisfy our normal curiosity like small little squares of chocolate would satisfy our sweet-tooth.

Step 10: Marketing (and maybe Monetizing) Your Blog

Since you have been blogging your little heart away, wouldn't it be nice if people actually read it? Here are a few ways, among many, to go about marketing your blog.

Google Website Submittal (http://www.google.com/addurl)- This allows you to easily add your new blog (or website) to Google. I also suggest you submit to Yahoo and AltaVista and any other search engine or directory you can find.

Google AdSense and AdWords - AdWords allows you to advertise on Google and AdSense allows you display ads on your blog that match your content. If any visitors to your blog click on the advertisements you get paid for it. What a concept!! Be sure to check the other suggested affiliates and ad networks under the "Money Makers" section of this blog.

Google Sitemap - This is a FREE plugin for WordPress that you can install that will create a Google Sitemap of your blog that can be used to allow your blog to be better indexed by Google.

FeedBurner - Another plugin and service that is FREE that allows you to do some really neat things with your blog's feed. The feed of your blog is what allows someone to subscribe to your blog. It is a file that contains all of your posts in a specific file format called RSS that an "aggregator" (or "feed reader") such as Google Reader can read and keep track of. You would want to use an aggregator because it keeps track of the different blog feeds that you have subscribed to and allows you to read those blog feeds all in one place. Although you do not need FeedBurner to allow your blog to be subscribed to, it has some really great features that you need to check out.

Comments - Visit alot of blogs and subscribe to them. Try to be the first to leave a comment with a link back to your blog. Forums - Forums are the same way. Just be careful that you are truly leaving a comment about the thread and not just trying to advertise your blog. Signatures - When you leave a comment or send an email make sure you use a signature that has your blog address.

Write Articles - Turn you blog posts into an expanded article that you can put on a tutorial or eZine (Electronic or Online Magazine) website such as EzineArticles.com. Make sure to add a link back to your blog.

Word of Mouth - Don't forget to tell the people you know about your new blog and keep them updated on what is going on. Ask them to become subscribers to your blog.

Social Networks - If you have an account with a social networking website such as LinkedIn, FaceBook or Twitter you can setup your account to subscribe to your blog automatically.

I hope you have enjoyed this introduction into the world of blogging and I hope that you find your passion. Please be sure to comment on this blog post and leave me some feedback. Also be sure to ask me any questions that you might have. I will be glad to help you in any way that I can.

"We don't just create websites. We build businesses!" ~ Jason Cochran, WebFusion5 (http://www.webfusion5.com)