Blogging

Several weeks ago, I asked you a tough question: Are you in the top 10% of bloggers who can survive six months? However, one question I didn’t ask was whether you’re even going to make it through the three month milestone! Ba...
Several weeks ago, I asked you a tough question: Are you in the top 10% of bloggers who can survive six months? However, one question I didn’t ask was whether you’re even going to make it through the three month milestone! Based on what I’ve seen just from my blogging peers, the drop-off is huge. I’m guessing many bloggers chose to burnout completely. I’ve also had three emails from fellow bloggers this week who actually used the term burnout when describing their motivation levels. You are not alone We’ve all been there. Blogging is a lot of work for very little money in the beginning. Dave Doolin from Website-In-A-Weekend likes to use a hockey stick analogy. You’ll earn almost nothing early on and then something happens and *boom*, suddenly there’s a sharp increase to your earnings. Free Blog Help dot Com is just a tad over 90 days old. Like many of you, I’m a one-man show. I don’t have all the features I want nor do I have all the promotion I need. What I do have is enough fuel to keep going. What helps me that my success in previous blogs lets me know what to expect. It’s not uncommon to start your blog site with an energized burst. You may even get additional boosts after you’ve selected a theme or returned from a conference. But can you keep your spirits up on a day to day basis? Preventing burnout The term burnout comes from when something like a jet engine stops burning due to a lack of fuel. Here’s some advice for keeping fuel in your tank. Pace yourself Sure, being ambitious is a good thing but just make sure you don’t go overboard. Biting off more than you can chew is very common in the first few months. Remember that the road to blogging success is a marathon and sprinting early on will impede your progress later. Create a weekly schedule It’s so easy to create a schedule yet many bloggers don’t have one. Plan how many posts you’re making a week. Then figure out which days you’re working on research, promotion, and plugins/technical updates. When you’re bored with your routine, switch things up a bit. Take a break during the day Don’t sit at your machine and just blog all day. Find another project to work on, watch a movie, or play a game, then come back to your blog station. I usually take 30-40 minutes to watch a TV show I missed. I promise you’ll be more productive after you recharge. Find a blog buddy There are many bloggers in your niche with similar maturity. All you have to do is go to a top dog blog in your niche and look at comments posters. Just like an exercise partner, a blog buddy can motivate you on days when you’re not feeling as energetic. At the same time, the entire process can be a lot more fun when you’re partnering and learning alongside someone. Feeling burned out from time to time is perfectly normal. The proof is the number of “dead” blogs out there (it really is over 90%). The challenge is surviving and thriving while others fall to the wayside. I’m hoping that with these tips, you’re choice is to refuel.
about 2 hours ago
Next week (29th May) I’m running a special workshop at the Internet Conference on the Gold Coast here in Australia. The workshop is titled – How to Blog Like a Pro – and you’ll get 4 solid hours of teaching in it ...
Next week (29th May) I’m running a special workshop at the Internet Conference on the Gold Coast here in Australia. The workshop is titled – How to Blog Like a Pro – and you’ll get 4 solid hours of teaching in it – all delivered by me in a workshop limited to 40 people only. The workshop has only previously been available to those signing up to the full 3 day conferences as an add-on but there are a few tickets still available and so I asked the organisers if we could sell them as a stand-alone ticket (i.e. you don’t have to come to the full 3 day event). I’ll share how to get your discounted ticket ($75 off) below. The Training will Cover My goal with this day is to pack in as much information as possible – so come ready to learn! 1. My Story How I got started and what can be achieved with blogging 2. Introduction to Blogging for your Business Why starting a blog is good for your online business Recommended tools and platforms for blogging Setting goals for Your blogging Identifying Your Blog’s Reader – the cornerstone of great blogging 3. How to develop a content strategy for your blog How different types of content will help you achieve different goals The Power of adding a Personal Touch into your blogging The 3 ‘I’s’ of creating effective blog content 9 types of compelling blog content Developing an Editorial Calendar for Your Blog The power of storytelling and how to collect them 4. How to build a readership for your blog ‘Build it and They Will Come’ doesn’t work 9 Steps to finding readers for your blog How to create content that people will want to share for you How blogging fits into your overall social media strategy 20+ techniques for finding new readers for your blog 5. How to deepen reader engagement and build community on your blog Why building community around your blog will take it to the next level How to convert first time visitors into long term readers 19 strategies for building community on your blog How to deal with Trolls 6. Monetizing blogs An Introduction to 37 ways to monetize blogs. 7. Questions and Answers I’m happy to take any questions through the day and after the workshop – I’ll hang around for an hour after if there are any questions you don’t get the chance to ask during the actual workshop. Note: while #2 above is more focused on those who have an existing business that they want their blog to support – the rest of the workshop will be more general and relevant to all types of blogs. Also note – this workshop is focused upon teaching beginner to intermediate bloggers. We won’t have time to get too advanced but instead my goal is for you to come away from our time together with a good grounding in the key areas you need to go away and work on to build a successful blog. Other Details and How to Get Your Ticket Date of Workshop: Wednesday 29th May Time: 10am – 3pm (we’ll break for an hour for lunch) Lunch: is included in your ticket price Price: The full price of this ticket is $350 but for ProBlogger readers it is $75 off that price – so $275 AUD. To get your ticket simply head to this page, add your details, add ‘How to Blog Like a Pro’ to the Pre-Conference workshop field, choose the ‘Pre-Conference Workshop’ ticket option and enter the coupon code of ‘prop1375′. Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger How to Blog Like a Pro: Workshop on the Gold Coast Australia – Next Week
about 3 hours ago
Quality Blog Headers You may well remember the post I did awhile back called Make Money Online Selling Headers which was all about offering quality blog headers to those who require them? Some of you have been asking whether or not IR...
Quality Blog Headers You may well remember the post I did awhile back called Make Money Online Selling Headers which was all about offering quality blog headers to those who require them? Some of you have been asking whether or not I’m still going ahead with it and if so what’s taking me so long. The answer is of course yes! If I say I’m going to do something I do it! The reason it’s taking so long is twofold. The firs is I’m putting together a package of quality blog headers and you just can’t rush quality. The second is the size of the package. At the moment I’ve put together about 150 quality blog headers and I’m aiming for a total of 200 quality blog headers. I’m also planning to let others sell the headers as an affiliate using JVZoo as my affiliate base. At the moment I’m thinking of a 50% commission rate which I feel should encourage some to take it on. I’m also thinking of offering my list members a chance of purchasing it at 50% off. I’m not sure how to go about this. Any ideas anyone? Truth be told even though the bulk of these headers are perfect for blog headers as they don’t have any slogans on them they could also be used for websites. I’m open to suggestions for slogans for these headers if you’re at all interested in purchasing it, just leave a comment of what you require. To sweeten the deal I’m also including 200 banner size images of the headers. These would be great for sites like Cool Blog Links as well as other advertising potential. That’s not all. I’m also going to incude a set of unique call to action banners like the one below. or perhaps even; You can actually use that one to join my list so you can take advantage of purchasing the package at a discount.  Which brings to mind I should do one saying join my list. Again, if there is any call to action badges you want included just leave a comment. These will also come in two sizes. I’ve even used another program I own to make some really unique, artistic quality blog headers. For example, I can turn this header; into this quality blog header with an artistic Beson touch to it. So, as you see I have been busy. Once again, if you have any ideas or suggestions feel free to leave a comment. Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2013JVZoo Killer WordPress Plugins.IMSC PingFresh - Sean Donahoe's Inner Circle WP PayPerView WordPress Plugin WP PayPerView WordPress Plugin and BonusesPage Expiration Robot PRO Multi-Site [WSO] PER is the ultimate conversion tool. Expire posts or pages on a visitor-by-visitor basis after a specified amount of time with intelligent countdown timers. Then redirect them to any URL.OTO Covert Geo Targeter Pro The post Quality Blog Headers Update appeared first on WassupBlog.
about 3 hours ago
One of the common themes among the bloggers we interview in these series is that many of them use their blogs to share their online money making journey with their audience and document the process along the way. Not only is this benefic...
One of the common themes among the bloggers we interview in these series is that many of them use their blogs to share their online money making journey with their audience and document the process along the way. Not only is this beneficial to the blogger, but also to their audience as many of you are also looking for the same type of success. In today’s interview we have KJ Rocker who has a blog with the same make money online and document along the way concept. Be sure to read through all his answers as it’s been quite the journey for KJ and his blog. 1.) Please tell us about yourself and how you got into blogging? My name is KJ, and I am 23 years old. I am an internet entrepreneur. I first started my online career as a Freelancer in January 2010, before that I was working as an call center agent and had really tough times, which lead me to look on the internet for alternate income sources. As I was already familiar with website development and design, I started freelancing on freelancer.com. I can still remember I spent countless sleepless nights bidding on projects, as I invested the money I had in my pocket into buying internet connection etc. So it was a do or die situation for me. Thankfully I did it! Anyway, Later on, a client introduced me to affiliate marketing and I started making good money with it. I loved what I did so I wanted to share my experiences with other people so I joined a few well known forums in order to do so, how ever I kind of felt that without having your own blog or your own site you can`t always share your opinion openly. For example, I posted about an affiliate who was spamming and I personally received their spam mails on a well known forum, In return I got a warning from a moderator of the forum and that was the time when I really thought about starting my own blog.  And thus in October of 2011 I launched kjrocker.com. 2.) What is the focus of your blog and why did you choose that niche? My main focus is Affiliate marketing and to be honest, that`s where my passion is. I love what I do and I love telling others what I do. 3.) How are you currently monetizing your blog traffic? To be honest when I started my blog my aim was only to share my experiences and my ideas I never had any intention to monetize my blog, or in simple words I was n`t blogging for money. However, later on as it started getting famous and people started liking that`s when affiliate marketer inside me suggested me to monetize my blog. Now I monetize my blog by Paid ads, and by promoting products and services which are related to my niche for example courses , competitive analysis services etc. However, I only promote genuine and useful products, it is not about the money, it is about quality and my passion. 4.) What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started blogging? Building relations with other bloggers is very important and I wish I knew it when I was starting out. Your relationship with other bloggers is what helps you most in order to gain more traffic and more exposure, I was always a kind of shy person and was very hesitant to contact other bloggers, thinking they are too big, whereas I am just starting out. So that fear of being just a newbie in blogging kept me away from increasing my reader base. But to be honest there is nothing different and super bloggers are also humans and most of them are really nice people, so I wish I knew that at start. 5.) What are three blogs that you visit almost daily? zacjohnson.com, dukeo.com, shoemoney.com , copyblogger.com 6.) Can you give us three recommended tools/services that you use with your blogging? First of all I would recommend all bloggers to have yoast SEO Plugin this plugin  is really amazing. After that I would suggest bloggers to use Content Delivery Network, as it makes your site load faster and increases your site performance. Adding to this, seomoz in order to track your all SEO performance. 7.) What advice would you have for someo
about 9 hours ago
Are you thinking of switching your blog from Tumblr to Wordpress? Here's a simple step-by-step guide on moving from Tumblr to WordPress. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Are you thinking of switching your blog from Tumblr to Wordpress? Here's a simple step-by-step guide on moving from Tumblr to WordPress. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
about 10 hours ago
The iPhone has come a long way from being just an innovative invention to a device that is widely used in daily activities today. It has ruled the mobile world for some time now and has only the android family competing against it.As one...
The iPhone has come a long way from being just an innovative invention to a device that is widely used in daily activities today. It has ruled the mobile world for some time now and has only the android family competing against it.As one would imagine, what in the world can a modern smartphone not accomplish for its master? And to add to the wonder, here is yet another task the iPhone apps can accomplish for you. It can translate languages for you when you are on your trip to different parts of the world.Here is a list of the top language translating iPhone apps.1# Google TranslateThe app assists you in translating different languages and can give voice translations for 24 languages and text translations for 63 languages. For those who have used the online Google Translation version, you must have a fair idea of how it translates complex sentences. Otherwise for simple sentences the tool is just perfect. The app also allows you to save translations offline and what is even better is the fact that it comes free of cost.2# Word LensQuestVisual’s Word Lens is such a spectacular app that even its launch video has gone viral on Youtube. Though some critics called it a fake app, the reality turned out to be the other way round. However, this app has its own drawbacks. It is effective when it comes to simple translations like small sentences, words and phrases. The biggest drawback however has been its pricing. The application charges $10 for one language and to add to that misery, it works in a single direction. For example, translating from English to Spanish costs you $10, but you will have to spend $20 for translating the other way round (Spanish to English).3# VocreThe functioning of this app is truly innovative. It works like a trick. Speak into your phone in the input language and turn it to its axis, the app will translate in your desired output language. Again, the pricing factor is its drawback. You will have to pay for every translation though they can be purchased in bulk for the future. Ofcourse, there is a free trial translation time but critics have claimed that the 20 free trial translations are quickly used up for testing alone.4# Lonely PlanetThis is an app that is designed with the voice quality in mind rather than variety. The app contains about 600 phrases in 31 languages and converts them accurately. On choosing the required word or phrase from the menu, the app will give you the translated phonetic, text, sound clip or pronunciation. The app can be considered more as an educational source rather than just an ordinary translator. Though the application is not extremely cheap, it is worth its $5.99 pricing.5# myLanguageThis app is an old product that has been in existence for years now. The latest version is a polished product with many added features. You can choose between dialects within the offered 59 languages. Phrases available here are approved by users through a system of star rating. The highlight of this product is its voice quality. Users can test the free versions and the pro version is very affordable too at just $5.99.6# PlangoThough this app is considered to be free, you might have to pay for the content through its multimedia learning platform. The app contains 39 interactive texts that sells for around $7 for each and can educate spoken and written comprehension in a multimedia magazine format. This is truly useful and can be a source of innovative learning.7# Dog TranslatorIn relation to its name, the app claims that it can convert any bark into English. Surely, this is a fun statement. What it means is that it can even detect average English and translate them back to other languages. If this app lives up to what it claims, then it could be one of the best for people with soar or gruff voices.These applications may not look awesome when you sit at home and study them. Only a person that loses his way in a foreign country and among people who speak foreign languages, would have realized how usef
about 12 hours ago
By now you’ve heard it time and time again, but it bears repeating—there’s no substitute for writing killer content. It’s not just writing about interesting topics and writing well anymore either: in today’s marke...
By now you’ve heard it time and time again, but it bears repeating—there’s no substitute for writing killer content. It’s not just writing about interesting topics and writing well anymore either: in today’s market you need to know how to adjust your efforts and combine them with solid white hat SEO techniques. Content Is King First off, you need to make a decision about the length of the piece that you’re writing well before you start to make any decisions about where to place keywords and links. The conventional wisdom for blogs is the pieces should be anywhere from 200 words to 1000 words depending on the subject matter, but there are no hard and fast rules. Just remember that most people reading your blog online will be scanning and not looking to read the piece in its entirety in one sitting. That means shorter paragraphs are better than longer ones and bullet points and subheaders neatly categorize the work so readers can get to where they need to be quickly. Be Clear and Concise It’s also important that you learn to be clear and concise when you’re writing. Getting straight to the point is one of the quickest ways to hold your readership’s attention. Meandering all over and getting off point will have people clicking away from you and on to competitors’ websites. Learning a few rules of self-editing can be invaluable as this technique will help you cut down on the words that are unnecessary in a sentence or even a paragraph. Adding those keywords All the while you should be aware that keywords need to be placed in the right locations. Usually, one keyword per every hundred words of text is a good marker to go by, but that hint only provides part of the picture. Finding the right keywords is a process in itself that involves research and deciding on which target market is in your best interest. After you’ve gone through that process, it’s best to blend the keywords into the text as much as possible so they don’t stand out. Remember that writing killer content involves a few different variables so that in the end you have a complete package that scores with the search engines and your target market at the same time. Copyright © 2013 Blogging Tips. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact us so we can take legal action immediately. The post Some great tips for writing killer content appeared first on Blogging Tips.
about 13 hours ago
Steps on how to create your own World of Warcraft server so you have no lag and no hassles.Author informationRaymond StapletonI have worked in and around many different types of computers. In the Navy, I used a magtape drive computer tha...
Steps on how to create your own World of Warcraft server so you have no lag and no hassles.Author informationRaymond StapletonI have worked in and around many different types of computers. In the Navy, I used a magtape drive computer that was a step down from pen and paper. I later worked for a big computer company and after tat, taught computer class’s nation wide. I had the privilege of teaching 14,000 students in a 2 years period of time. Afterwards, I owned a small computer training and repair shop for a few years. I have owned C-64’s, Pc’s of various types, Amiga’s, and even Mac’s. I now have included the android to my collection. At any time, I have close to 15-20 computers or combinations of computers and game systems in the house. I look forward to more.The post Create Your on World of Warcraft Server appeared first on Dragon Blogger. Be the first to comment... Related Posts:World of Warcraft – 3 Tips For Serious PlayersStar Wars: The Old Republic More than World of Warcraft in SpacePanasonic DY-PS10 Pocket Server Streams Music, Videos & Images on your Mobile devicesWowza – Media Streaming Service for Any ScreenHosting Your Own Minecraft Server on Servercraft RSS Feed Powered by MaxBlogPress Bring My Blog Visitors Back
about 16 hours ago
Budweiser, known as the king of beers, has always had a very strong Marketing background and has thrived since 1876. They have been a success in almost every marketing strategy out there and continue to come out with new and innovative w...
Budweiser, known as the king of beers, has always had a very strong Marketing background and has thrived since 1876. They have been a success in almost every marketing strategy out there and continue to come out with new and innovative ways to grab new buyers and keep them drinking their beer. While the majority of us don’t have the financial means to market anywhere near as big as Budweiser does, there are lots of different things we can all take away from looking at how they advertise and connect with their customers. Let’s start by having you watch the commercial they had playing at the Superbowl where almost everyone in America was watching. So, it might just be me, but that commercial brings tears to my eyes, and although not everyone might get emotional about it as I did, most consumers can personally connect with the commercial. If you scroll down, you will see the comments from thousands of people expressing their love for this commercial, and this particular video only has a little over 2.6 million hits. Now imagine everyone in America seeing this, Budweiser is loved. 1. Connect with your Consumers on a Personal Level Every industry is going to have multiple companies that offer similar services, so why would everyone stay with just one company? Budweiser has shown us time and time again, that not only do they promote their beer, but they also try to connect with people and personally keep them attached to their company. While there are so many different ways to do this, each target demographic will prove to have their difficulties. Budweiser has so many campaigns that each target different demographics, and while you will most likely not have the means to do this, you can check and see what they do for your specific target. 2. Branding is Key It is quite obvious that the Clydesdale commercial you previously watched didn’t have anything to do with beer, but grabbed the attention and love from the people who watched it. Although most people know that Budweiser offers beer, let’s just try and imagine someone who has never heard of Budweiser before and what they thought after that commercial. The title is called brotherhood, which just gives the general impression of love, care, and experiences between the trainer and the horse, then a Budweiser truck comes and picks the horse up, then three years later, the trainer and the horse are reunited, giving the commercial a highly emotional moment. So when the random person who’s never heard of Budweiser magically sees their beer for the first time, they will more than likely pick it over the other available options just because their thought of Budweiser is a good one. This same principal can be used for almost any business. If you decide to promote your company instead of just the actual products or services you provide, people will be able to get a better first impression and are more likely to buy once they run into whatever it is you are providing. There are many ways to increase your companies brand without spending much money. With all of the social networking sites, video sharing sites, and other highly used websites, you can set up a campaign that will have people interested and buying your services in no time. 3. Target Specific Audiences within your Target Demographic Although you might be targeting a specific gender, age group, or ethnic group, you can’t assume that they are all the same and will all enjoy the same content. Budweiser throws a massive amount of different content at different audiences because they know each audience will react differently. Use this same principal by trying to engage consumers about their own interests. While it might seem easier to throw just one video on YouTube and hope that everyone likes it, it is much more logical to make different content for different types of people within your target demographic. 4. Packaging Design Should be Well Thought Out The way your potential customers see your prod
about 21 hours ago
One of my favorite movies of all time features a trampoline, a creepy antique carnival soothsayer and one of the most romantic songs ever recorded. The movie’s protagonist, Josh Baskin, trapped within his pre-pubescent prison, year...
One of my favorite movies of all time features a trampoline, a creepy antique carnival soothsayer and one of the most romantic songs ever recorded. The movie’s protagonist, Josh Baskin, trapped within his pre-pubescent prison, yearns to be Big. Isn’t that a common yearning for us all when we launch our businesses and organizations? Don’t we all wish that we had unlimited budgets, plush offices in some groovy building and an ability to dominate the market? If only we didn’t have to decide whether to pay ourselves a salary or stock up on paper clips. If only we could order a whole quarter’s worth of toner instead of extricating the cartridge from the copier and banging it upside the machine, trying to coax one last ream from it before it expires completely? Firmly within the throes of Grass Is Greener Syndrome, we wistfully long for the day when we can escape necessity-led scrimping and daily MacGyvering. Of course, if we spend too much time envying and projecting the assumed Wonderfulness of Being Big, we’re in danger of not appreciating the Power of Being Puny. Agility Fewer layers of bureaucracy Faster iterations Greater sense of immediacy and feedback from those we serve Flexing and developing skills we never knew we had The rush of success The thrill of creating something from scratch I really love movies, and so I’ll cite a couple of other epic examples of Nimble versus Behemoth (or David versus Goliath, depending on your point of reference). The first has to do with an X-Wing, a plucky fighter pilot with some serious Force Mojo and a big honkin’ moon-sized space station of destruction. Or the Battle of Helms Deep, when the whole she-bang falls because of a grate, an over confident king and a well-placed mutant Orc bearing explosives. Using a business example, according to Saul Kaplan, author and Chief Catalyst at the Business Innovation Factory, Blockbuster got “Netflixed“ by a small start up that saw a niche that wasn’t being filled and built something from nothing to topple a giant in the market place. Time and again, the power of being small lies with being strategic, focused and responsive in a way a lumbering giant of an organization cannot. It’s true that you can’t turn the Queen Mary around on a dime (that is one big ship!). Same with organizations. There are certainly benefits to being Big, don’t get me wrong. However, remember that great oaks don’t arrive on this planet 35 feet tall and in full leaf. They grow from acorns. Embrace the power of being small even as you aspire to becoming big. Nurture where you are Grow your network of “roots” Stay flexible Reach for the sky How about you? What are your biggest (no pun intended) challenges of being a smaller business? How do you overcome them? What successes can you share with us? __________________________________ Molly Cantrell-Kraig is a woman with drive. Possessing an innate sense of purpose and a pragmatic, solution-based approach to empowering people, she fused these two traits in order to establish Women With Drive Foundation. Based upon its founder’s personal history, Women With Drive Foundation is a means through which Cantrell-Kraig may effect change on both a micro and macro level. By providing women with something as essential as personal transportation in order to transition them from poverty to prosperity, she, through Women With Drive Foundation, seeks to empower women to help them help themselves. Through this action, the individual applicant benefits, as does society as a whole. Follow Molly on twitter as @mckra1g or @WWDr1ve (Women With Drive Foundation). Related Posts:How to tell if you are livingWhat drives you to act?Why I love fearHow does your money speak for you?What I learned from Walter Payton
about 22 hours ago