What is the reason you have begun blogging? For me it is to make a little money showing people what I know about making a little money on a website or blog. It’s purpose is to do that in a way that is hopefully entertaining and useful to my visitors. This is stated pretty clearly in my Blog’s Mission Statement.
There are three things that happen when you know your blog’s purpose:
- You don’t go off on tangents about places you want to see before you die as often as you do when you know what you should be writing about.
- You’ll attract the visitors who want to read what you’re writing, instead of distract them from the real message.
- You’ll be able to set up the right kind of advertising that will fit your blog like a glove, and therefore make you money.
That’s three pretty good reasons to know the purpose of your blog. Write it out and stick to it!
Blogging Tips: Submit Your Blog to the Open Directory Project
Date: Monday July 14, 2008Posted in: Blogging Tips
This is one of the main search engine type directories that your blog will really benefit from if included. It takes some time, as all adds are done by hand(human hand that is). It is also very selective, so be sure your blog has been up and running and is up to par about being a resources on your chosen topic.
You’ll need to dig down the topic lists and submit from your category page. Bookmark that page so that you can check back. Take a look at your competition and fellow webmasters/bloggers in your field while your there.
Find more information about being added here: http://www.dmoz.org/add.html
A side note: Google likes links in this directory, it has been my experience that a link here helps with page rank.
When you are running a blog, 50% of the time you will be writing it and promoting it. The other 50% of the time you will be learning more about it. The learning curve to becoming a successful blogger is not exactly steep, anyone with a passionate interest in a topic and a command of the English language is capable. But it is perpetual.
That seems to be one indication of a successful blogger. They like to learn and then pass it on. Not only do they like to learn about their blog’s topic, they like to learn how to make their blog better. So if you want to be a successful blogger, keep learning how to make your blog better! Pretty simple, huh?
Some blog posts I found around that I learn a bit from today.
Share your learning ideas and advice in the comments section.
Illustrating, not just decorating, a blog post, helps get your message across. But sometimes it is really hard to find a free photo and taking them really isn’t something you want to deal with should the owner see it on your blog… it’s a small blog-o-sphere. Here are a couple of places I like to use:
FreeFoto: Very simple, great rules for bloggers: “ANYONE, by which we mean commercial and non-commercial alike, can use FreeFoto.com images in an online setting, providing they provide attribution to the image and a link back to FreeFoto.com (either the image or the main site). This license allows blogs, social networking sites and use in emails, just to name a few, providing they provide the required attribution, this includes sites that pay people to write, carry advertising or are selling and promoting products. The only requirement the attribution and link back.”
Stock.XCHNG - Seek out pictures here with some caution. I have found some great ones only to find that the owner doesn’t allow commercial blogs. You need to check the rules on each picture - do so before you get your heart set on one. And if you do get your heart set on one that has restrictions, you can email with the owner and ask for permission. Usually, they give it… sometimes not.
Writing on a blog is almost like writing in a journal. Almost because you don’t want to share your inter-most secrets, but you do want to be personable. People like learning from someone they know. They can trust information given to them when they have invested the time to get to know you through your blog.
The catch, for the beginning blogger is that you have to have something on the blog that shows who you are. Two examples of doing this on this blog is my Yak Yak Yak category and my About page. One is pretty static, About page, explaining my professional background. The other, Yak Yak Yak category, is ongoing and will allow my visitors to get to know me, my hopes and dreams.
How do you show the real you on your blog? Share with us in the comments area.
Where on the Internet do you spend your time? Do you belong to forums or own any websites? Do you write for other sites and/or blogs? If so, go there now and link in your new blog. Add a link in your forum signatures, add a link at the end of relevant articles you have written, link in anywhere you can. The more links you have pointing to your blog, the better chance you have at getting a higher Page Rank in Google, besides more visitors.
A word to the wise: don’t spam. If you have articles on a service where they do not allow you to link in blogs, don’t. Link in where you can and look for the next opportunity to do so.
Everytime you blog, get your blog pinged by all of the major reader and feeder services. I use PingMyBlog to do it. Takes a little time and doesn’t always ping everyone everytime… but it works. Services stop by to check out this blog soon after I send out the pings.
Blogging Tip #2: Building Your Blog Community by Getting Your Visitors to Come Back
Date: Friday June 6, 2008Posted in: Blogging Tips
This is easier said then done, but well worth the effort. Much of the online community tend to visit a place once or twice and then it’s onward to the next place. In order to keep a few, you need to follow your mission statement and offer your visitors what they want. You also need to give them a way back. Notice the new Bookmark Us! link in the header and the Site Feed link.
Why a Bookmark Us! script? Isn’t that old school?
Might be old school, with all of this blog-o-sphere rss running around, but it still works and it works really well with those that don’t like feeds and just want to come back to your blog and read everyday. So find a script to use here.
Now I will admit that I first heard about about ‘asking for a bookmark’ in a chat given by Eric Ward from one of the top search engine sites, I think became Search Engine Watch, back in 1997. Eric now has his own site. Eric said that sometimes all you have to do for a bookmark or a link is ask. I’ve found that to be true to this day.
What do you think? What gets you to bookmark a site or subscribe to the feed? Let us know in the comments area.
Blogging Tip #1: Your Blogging Goal, Make a Blog Mission Statement
Date: Thursday June 5, 2008Posted in: Blogging Tips
Of course your goal is to make money with your blog, but in order to do that, you need to define the overall goal of your blog. You will start to do this when you realize that your need to commit to your visitors first. Giving them the information they need that you have to do what they want to do. Giving them that information in a way that they can read it and use it, without so much intrusion from advertising – which is your livelihood – that they are unable to use what you are giving to them freely.
Make no mistake about it! Whatever you have decided to blog about needs to contain as much useful information as a book in a book store. And when you’ve accomplished that, you’ll need to work on the next edition. Content is king. A blog about your daily life is not going to net you too much because it isn’t useful information to the average visitor. Your mom will love it though…
Here is my mission statement, put a link to yours in the comments area!
My mission with the HowMomMakesMoneyOnline.com blog is to gain wealth by giving my visitors useful information on how to make money online. I will strive to blog every weekday. My blog posts will be honest observations, facts, resources and experiences in my journey to make this blog profitable.
…and there you have it!
