Many freelance writers are beginning to find blogging is one of the newest caree opportunities available to them. Blogging is essentially a series of postings on a particular subject which are listed in reverse chronological order. These blogs may be about a variety of different subjects and may be personal, political, informative, humorous or any other category desired by the blogger. However, the key to a successful blog is a blog which pertains to a subject which appeals to a wide audience. Additionally the blog should be updated regularly and should provide useful content to the readers of the blog. This article will provide some information on finding career opportunities in blogging, will discuss the benefits of this type of career and will provide information on how writers can manage a blog successfully.
Finding Blogging Career Opportunities
Although blogging career opportunities are becoming increasingly popular, many writers are not aware of how to find these wonderful opportunities. These career opportunities may be offered as ghost writing positions or as positions offering a byline to the writer and finding these blogging opportunities is often very similar to finding any other career opportunities for writers. Companies seeking a blogger may post the job opening in the same manner in which they would post other openings with the company such as accounting positions or administrative positions. Therefore, writers interested in a position as a blogger should utilize the same job search websites they rely on to find other career opportunities.
Bloggers may also wish to visit career websites and message boards which focus exclusively on careers in blogging. The ProBlogger.net website is just one example of a website dedicated exclusively to putting bloggers in connection with those who are interested in hiring a writer for a particular blog. Interested bloggers should also consider joining message boards for those who blog for a living. This can be beneficial because here bloggers are likely to share information regarding the companies for which they work as well as any information they have about companies who are currently looking to hire bloggers.
The Benefits of a Career in Blogging
There are many benefits to pursuing a career in blogging. Perhaps one of the most alluring benefits to a career in blogging is the work can typically be done as a telecommute position. This is because as long as the blogger has access to the software necessary to write and upload a blog, there is no need for the blogger to perform the work from a specific location. This means the blogger can reside virtually anywhere in the world and can likely perform the necessary work from his own home. However, not all blogging positions are telecommute positions. Some companies may require bloggers to perform the work onsite as a matter of personal preference.
Another benefit to a career in blogging is the ability to accomplish work at a pace which his convenient to the blogger. The blogger may be required to upload a new post to the blog according to a regular schedule but the actually writing of the posts can be accomplished when it is convenient for the blogger. Many blogging software packages enable the blogger to set a specific time for a specific post to be uploaded. This allows the blogger to write several posts at a time and have them publish according to a pre-determined schedule.
Finding Time to Blog
One of the problems which many bloggers face is finding the time to blog. This is especially difficult if the blogger maintains several blogs or if the blogger maintains a current events blog in which posts must be timely in order to be relevant and of interest to the readers. Writing blog posts in batches and scheduling them to publish as needed is one way to deal with managing several blogs. However, writers of blogs related to current events must take special care to budget their time wisely to ensure they are publishing topical blog posts. One way this can be accomplished is by setting aside time daily to reading current events to derive inspiration and then scheduling time after that to write and publish the blog. For example a blogger with a current events blog might choose to review the previous day’s news the first thing in the morning to ensure they are reviewing all of the relevant news from the previous day before writing the blog post.
January 25th, 2008
Posted by
Coldie |
Blogging |
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Blogger is one of the many options available to bloggers who are looking for free blog software. This website located at the following web address: http://www.blogger.com offers registered users the opportunity to publish their own blog free of charge. The website also has templates the blogger can use to create his blog and even enables bloggers to easily place Google advertisements on their blog and coordinates an AdSense account for the users so they can potentially earn a profit from their blog. This article will discuss the history of Blogger as well as the terms of service.
The History of Blogger
Blogger began in 1999 with a small group of friends in the San Francisco area who ran a company called Pyra Labs. These friends did not set out to create a network of bloggers but nevertheless Blogger emerged from their efforts. The three friends who developed bloggers were programmers who toiled away for others in an effort to fund their own endeavors. As previously mentioned a blog network was not their original goal but the friends were intrigued by the idea as it emerged and found others were interested too as their concept quickly took off and new members were joining everyday. Like most Internet Entrepreneurs of this time period, they experienced setbacks but continued to persevere.
In 2002 Blogger was doing well but got an unexpected surprise when Google expressed interest in purchasing Pyra Labs. Google was interested in the upswing in the blogging community and the members of Pyra Lab sold their company enabling Google to take over the operation. Since taking over Google introduced the concept of AdSense advertising campaigns on blogs which has been generating profits for Google and bloggers alike. Blogger not only offers members templates to create a blog and voice their opinions on the Internet but also simplifies the process of placing AdSense advertisements on the blog.
Blogger Terms of Service
The Terms of Service of Blogger are susceptible to change but there are a few basic terms which users can expect to exist. The Terms of Service for Blogger provides explanations of items such as the services offered, description of proper use of the services, privacy policies, an explanation of intellectual property rights, cause for termination and information regarding the legal jurisdiction of the website. Members of Blogger are advised to carefully review these policies before becoming a member and to be sure they understand and agree to all of these terms. If the potential member is unsure about the meaning of one or more of the terms, he should contact Blogger to seek clarification on the Terms of Service.
Members of Blogger should also be aware that the Terms of Service may change and should review these terms periodically to ensure there have been no changes made which will adversely impact the member.
Members of Blogger should pay particular attention to the section of the Terms of Service which specify causes for termination of a member’s account. This information is important because it will help to prevent the member from inadvertently performing an action which may result in his account being terminated or suspended. Blogger is not required to inform the member of the infractions before suspending the account so a member will likely lose his account before he is even aware he has violated the Terms of Service agreement.
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December 29th, 2007
Posted by
Coldie |
Blogging |
no comments
Is your blog collecting dust and not getting enough traffic? It’s a common problem for bloggers. Their blogs are good, but no one is coming to visit. They want to know how to increase traffic. Increasing traffic is actually easier than it seems–provided you know how. In this newsletter, we will go over 7 specific methods of increasing traffic. These are guaranteed methods to draw more visitors to your blog.
Tip 1: Sign up for pinging services
It seems pretty obvious, but most bloggers, even those who are more experienced, don’t sign up for pinging services. If you’re new to blogging and don’t know what pinging means, pinging basically means that when your blog is updated, a “ping” is sent out by the service to let pinging sites know that your blog has been updated. People who are visiting sites with pinging services will then see your blog flash across the side of the screen as “newly updated”. Pinging services include Yahoo’s blo.gs, weblogs.com, Google Blog search, and ZingFast.
Tip 2: Sign up for Technorati
If you go to technorati.com, you’ll see an option on the left side of the screen to “Claim Your Blog”. Doing so allows you to get updated link counts, add your photo or branding to Technorati, and see your Technorati link. Having your blog claimed on Technorati helps to increase traffic because the millions of people who go to that site will have a chance to see your blog on there.
Tip 3: Sign up for FeedBurner, a RSS service
What FeedBurner basically does for your blog is it helps you to promote your blog’s content, build your audience and measure your audience. In other words, it helps you increase your blog’s traffic.
Tip 4: Bookmark your blogs at places like del.icio.us
You can set up an account and profile at del.icio.us. Then, using that, you can add links to your blog along with excerpts from your blog. Anytime someone visits your profile on del.icio.us, they will see a link to your blog and excerpts. There are other social bookmarking sites that you can use in much the same way. The bottom line is, using these social bookmarking sites can help you increase traffic.
Tip 5: Post comments at other blogs
No, this doesn’t mean you should go and spam other blogs with comments that are only there to promote a site. It means that you should visit similar blogs to your own, post legitimate comments and then sign your name(along with a link to your blog). This way, people know you aren’t there just to promote your site—you’re there to post a good piece of feedback and also say where you’re from.
Tip 6: Ask owners of other blogs to post a link to yours
Find other blogs that are similar to yours. If they seem to be decently popular (that is, they have a good amount of comments for each post), you can try to contact the owner of the blog to add a link to your blog if they have a links section. To make them really want to do this, you can offer to link back to their blog on your blog. People do this reciprocal blog linking all the time and it does help to increase traffic.
Tip 7: Use keywords in your blog
Like regular web pages, having a good keyword density on a blog is a terrific way of getting search engine spiders to notice your page. (FYI: Search engine spiders are programs from search engines that browse sites and report back their findings to the search engine database, which then lists that site. The more keywords on your site, the more likely it is for a search engine spider to pay a visit)
If your average blog posting is around 200 words, try to use 2-6 keywords per blog post. 2-6 keywords in a blog posting of 200 words is a keyword density of between 1 and 3 percent, a respectable number. Remember that you don’t want to use too many keywords, as that will make your blog look bad. Also be sure that the keywords used are relevant to your blog. Before even making a blog posting, decide what the post will be about and then select a keyword or two to use in your post. Then do it. It’s a surefire way of getting more traffic to your site!
Signing up with a service like Technorati is a quick, painless way of increasing traffic to your blog. So sign up today!
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December 22nd, 2007
Posted by
Coldie |
Blogging, Internet Business |
no comments
While many bloggers maintain a blog for personal or social reasons or to generate an income, there are other bloggers who utilize their blogs to promote a cause. These blogs may be aimed at targeting a specific political or social cause depending on the interests of the blogger as well as blogger’s opinion that the blog can produce the political or social changes they are seeking. Blogs which are committed to promoting a particular cause may face more adversity than blogs with a lighter theme but they can also be very effective. However, blog owners who opt to maintain this type of blog should be aware of the ramifications of this type of blog. For example blog owners may receive negative comments from readers of the blog who disagree with the cause. This article will offer a few tips for choosing a cause for a blog and for promoting the blog to interested visitors.
Choosing a Cause for a Blog
Choosing a cause for a blog can vary in difficulty from extremely easy to incredibly difficult. The difficulty in making this decision will depend largely on the personal beliefs of the blog owner. A blog owner who is already committed to a particular cause will likely find this decision to be rather simple while blog owners who either have no strong social or political convictions or who have a wide variety of causes they wish to promote can find making this decision to be rather difficult. There are, however, a few factors the blog owner should carefully consider before selecting a cause to promote in a blog.
First and foremost a blog owner should select an issue for which they are either already quite knowledgeable or for which they are willing to do a great deal of research. This is important because the blog owner should post blog entries on a regular basis. These blog entries should be accurate and informative to the reader. Therefore, the blog owner should be well versed in the subject matter or at least interested in learning more about the subject matter.
Blog owners should also carefully consider the potential for influencing blog visitors regarding the topic of the blog. Although it will not be possible to convince all visitors to the blog to believe in the cause promoted by the blog, the blog owner should select a subject with which he is confident visitors to the blog will be influenced to agree with the viewpoints he presents in the blog.
Promoting the Blog to Interested Visitors
Once a blog owner decides on a subject for the blog, it is time to figure out how to promote the blog to the target audience. This can be accomplished in a number of different ways. For the sake of brevity, this article will discuss promoting a blog through search engine optimization and promoting a blog through participation in relevant forums.
Search engine optimization is a very effective way for promoting a blog. This practice involves making efforts to increase the search engine rankings to ensure interested Internet users are directed to the blog. This can be done in a number of different ways including careful use of appropriate keywords, appropriate use of tags such as title tags and image tags and generating back links to the blog. All of these efforts can help to improve search engine rankings which should also improve blog traffic.
Blog owners can also promote their blog by participating in relevant forums and message boards. The blog owner may simply participate in these forums and offer relevant input while including a link to the blog in his signature. Other forum users are likely to click on the link if the blog owner is well respected within the forum. The blog owner may even be able to incorporate a link to his blog in the message body of forum posts if it appropriate and acceptable according toe the message board guidelines.
December 15th, 2007
Posted by
Coldie |
Articles, Blogging, Forums |
no comments
With blogging becoming increasingly popular, there is also an increasing need for software to simplify the process of blogging. However, there are many different software packages available which can make selecting a package seem overwhelming. Selecting a software package does not have to be difficult though. Bloggers can find websites which provide comparison charts for different software packages to simply the decision making process. These charts can save the blogger a great deal of time and effort because they compile a wealth of information into one convenient location. The blogger may still need some additional information before using these comparison charts to make a decision. The article will provide insight into some of this additional information which may be useful such as how to understand the comparison charts, methods for comparing the software packages and tips on selecting a blogging software package.
Blogging Software Criteria
Those interested in starting or maintaining a blog should fully understand the blogging software criteria before attempting to compare software packages. Some of the criteria it is important to understand include the minimum server requirements, data storage and the post editor. Understanding these criteria is critical to the process of comparing and selecting blogging software packages.
The minimum server requirements refers to the minimum requirements for the server on which the software is to be installed. In most cases the power and speed of the server is not relevant but instead it depends on the power and speed of the software necessary for the proper operation of the blog software. There may be additional costs associated with this software as well as additional license requirements.
Data storage is also an important part of evaluating blogging software packages. This may include options such as a flat file, a data file or a database. A flat file refers to storage options in which the full page is pulled each time the blog is requested by a browser. A data file refers to situations in which the data for the blog is inserted into a template when the blog is requested by a browser. A database refers to storage options in which the necessary information is pulled from a flat file and inserted into a template when the blog is requested by a browser.
The post editor is another criterion a blogger may want to investigate carefully before selecting blogging software. The post editor refers to the type of editor which will be used to fill in the posts listed on the blog. These data entry methods may include options such as HTML or JAVA.
Comparing Blogging Software Packages
Bloggers who are seeking a blogging software package should carefully compare the different software packages available. This is important because obviously some software packages are superior to others. It is also important because some software packages may be better suited for the needs of a particular blog than other packages. When comparing blogging software packages it is important for the blogger to first carefully consider the needs of the blog. This is important because it will help the blogger to realize which criterion is most relevant to his particular blog.
Selecting Blogging Software Packages
After carefully evaluating blogging software packages, it is time for the blogger to make a decision and select one of the available packages. Ideally the blogger will have already compared important data such as storage space, server requirements and post editors. However, the blogger must also consider other factors such as cost and versatility. Many blogging software packages are available free of charge while there are some which are available for purchase. The blogger will have to decide whether or not it is worthwhile to purchase a software package or whether free software packages will meet his blogging needs.
After considering software criteria and cost, the blogger should consider viewing sample blogs created using a particular software package. This is a good idea because these samples can provide a good indication of the capabilities of the software. This is because in general the higher the quality of the samples, the greater the capabilities of the software.
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December 8th, 2007
Posted by
Coldie |
Blogging |
no comments
