Three Useful Free Blogging Systems

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

The number of internet users is increasing everyday. This is because there are interesting and knowledgeable discoveries found online. What most people like on the internet is that they are able to send messages in an instant. In addition, they are getting more and more fascinated with other sites.Sometimes, people use the internet as their online diary or journal. Others would use it to promote a product. Either way, there is one site that is famous for these things, we call it as Blogging or the Internet Blogging. There are many website providers who are now offering free usage of blogging software packages because of the rapid increase of blogging users.Examples of the free blogging software are B2evolution, Nucleus and the WordPress. These programs have the same features. This is why most internet users ask which of the software is simple to use and would suit the needs of a specific website.However, the answer to which one is the simplest depends on the real purpose of the free blogging website. If your main objective is to share your point of view and opinions to the public, you can use different blogging software. However, if it is for promotional purposes, use software designed such purpose because a blog for promotion has completely different requirements.Below is the list of the free blogging software and their features:?WordPress Free Blogging SoftwareWordPress is usually used for personal blogging. It has an open source, modern personal publishing design which is focus on the appearance of the blog. By only using the WordPress, there is no need to gather or your journals and compile it as one. Just write your article. And choose which features you want and the blog will be published immediately to your site.This software is easy to customize and it offers different functionality. As you get used to it very well, you will learn to add fresh features which will make your site interesting and trendy.?B2evolution Free Blogging SoftwareLike the WordPress, this is also an advanced internet blogging software. This free blogging software has a skinning system which lets the users to make many blogs in separate groups with different look or appearance for every blog.B2evolution has the capability to change skin to make the blog get a new appearance. This software is good for promotional purposes. Therefore, you are planning to create and publish many different themes, B2evolution is the right software for you.?Nucleus Free Blogging SoftwareNucleus has dominant features which is applicable in promoting your blog. It is capable to optimize the URLs. This helps the user create a blog that is easy to use.One great feature of the Nucleus is that it is capable to present many blogs using a single page. The Nucleus also has a feature that is very good in promoting a particular site.These three blogging software provide the best feature that you need to create an effective and interesting blog. Remember they are all free, so there is no need to be hesitant in using them.However, you must choose the software that will be a great help to you in achieving your main objective in creating a blog. In this way, you are making sure that your blog is unique and it will satisfy you and your needs.

Article Source: articlecat

13 Steps to Successful Blogging

Friday, May 25, 2007

Blogs can be a very marketable and very profitable tool if used correctly. Profiting from blogs is just a matter of grabbing the attention of an audience and not doing any actual salesmen selling. In this article you will learn the 13 most essential steps to successful blogging.

1) Where to start?You should begin your blog with a free blog hosting service such as Journal Home. I don't say that because I'm the owner, but a free blog host is very rewarding for a new blog. Starting with a free blog hosting service allows you to begin blogging instantly without having any advance knowledge of scripts, hosting, or programming. It allows you to build an audience and buzz for your blog. It allows you to focus on your content and not the internal maintenance of the blog. The best benefit of starting with a free service, is in the case your blog doesn't become successful you do not lose any money or are you left holding the bill. The great thing about a blog is that they are organized in chronological order, your latest entry is displayed first. When your blog traffic grows greatly and you are ready to upgrade to your own domain then you can simply make your last blog entry the announcement of your "move". Simply add a last entry stating that your blog has "moved" and type the new blog URL address. Which directs visitors to your new blog site, keeping your following, without a major inconvenience to anyone. Upgrade as you need to...but only when you need to!

2) NicheA niche is a targeted product, service, or topic. You should first decide on a product, service, or topic which interest you. Choose an area which you can enthusiastically write about on a daily basis. You can use keyword research services like Google Zeitgeist or Yahoo! Buzz Index to find popular searched topics. It does NOT matter if your topic is popular as long as there is a audience for your topic and the topic is precisely focused then your blog should be successful. Anything can be considered a niche as long as it has a target audience no matter how large or how small the audience is. A blog about your cat can be a niche or a blog about the species of the cat family can be a larger niche market, if there are people who are interested in hearing about your cat or the species of the cat family, then you have a niche...you can even choose to build your audience for a market which an audience does not exist, but first you must build your blog.

3) Update Daily (nothing less)This step is a must and not a suggestion. Updating your blog daily not only keeps your blog more interesting to readers, but it also gives your blog fresh content on a day to day making it more appealing to search engines. Not updating your blog on an occasional holiday or one day here and there is understandable to most, but missing days at a time or weeks is unacceptable and will most likely result in your blog being unsuccessful. To keep your blog traffic and retain your visitors interest it is a must to update your blog daily with multiple entries. Though, I am seeing a growing trend of successful blogs that are not being updated daily, but they are successful and have a stable audience who continue to visit their blog daily. Regardless, these blogs are still updated weekly with multiple entries. Until you have a steady audience you should try to update your blog everyday with at least 3 or more daily entries. The best way to accomplish this is to set aside 1-2 hours a day for tending to your blog and adding new entries. It may even be wise to schedule a set time which you dedicate to your blog each day. Give yourself work hours and treat your blog as a job, what happens if you don't come to work for days or weeks...you lose money or worse you get fired! Same applies here...if you don't update your blog for days or weeks you'll lose visitors.

4) TrafficIt's no secret. You must have traffic to profit from blogs. There are numerous ways to build traffic. Paid advertising, free advertising, viral marketing, search engine marketing, RSS/XML feeds, and word-of-mouth. You should always use your blog URL address in the signature of your email, forum discussions, message boards, or any other communication media. You should submit your blog URL address to search engines and blog directories. You should submit your RSS/XML URL feed to blog ping services like Technorati, Ping-O-Matic, and Blogdigger. You should confidently share your blog with family, friends, co-workers, associates, and business professionals when it relates. Many blogs can be considered as a collection of articles, for this purpose you should submit your blog entries (those that are valuable and lengthy articles) to content syndicators like GoArticles.com or ArticleCity.com. Once submitted your articles can be picked up and published by others. The trick is to make sure you include your Blog URL address in the "About the Author" passage. What this does is create link popularity and backlinks for your blog, when someone picks up your article from the syndication then publish the article on their website the "About the Author" passage is included with each publication and the link you included is followed, crawled, and indexed by search engines. Imagine if your article is popular enough or controversial enough to produce 10,000 publications across the web. The search engines is bound to find your blog in no time with that many publications and credit you a authority on the topic, in return increasing your rank on search engines. The small effort of writing a well written article is rewarding. You should try to write at least 1 full length article every week for syndication and submit your article to at least 10 article syndicators.

5) Track Your Blog How do you know if your blog has traffic? Just because no one is leaving comments doesn't mean your blog isn't growing. Many visitors do not leave comments but they are returning visitors. I know it sounds crazy but with blogs people are more interested in what "you" have to say! Many visitors do not comment their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd time. Some do not comment at all, but are active daily visitors. Tracking your blog does not have to be overly sophisticated usually a simple free page counter like StatCounter.com or Active Meter will do the trick. Install (copy/paste) the code into the html of your blog template and start tracking your visitors. Its better to use a service which gives you advanced traffic analysis, such as keyword tracking information, referral information, and search engine information. Visitors, returning visitors, and unique visitors should be standard for any page counter service you choose.

6) Listen to Your AudienceWhen using the proper page counter you should begin to see how others are finding your blog and if through search engines then which keywords are being used to find your blog. If constantly your blog is being found by 1 or more keywords then focus your blog around those keywords to make it even more powerful. When writing entry titles and entries use the keywords as often as possible while keeping the blog legible and interesting.

7) Multiple blogsUse multiple blogging accounts (free) to attract more people. This means you should have a blog with JournalHome.com and others. The more blog accounts the better (be sure to read and adhere to the Terms of Service for each site). You can copy/paste from 1 blog to all others. Having different blog accounts is like having a publication in different newspapers. This enables you to attract more visitors and this also increases the chance that 1 of your blogs will be in the search engine results for your focused keywords.

8) Short & ConciseAside from the lengthy article a week for syndication and publication your blog entries should be short & concise (if you can help it). Sometimes there are exceptions to the rule and you have no choice but to blog lengthy entries, but try to avoid this as much as possible. You do not want your blog entries to become hours of reading. Visitors like to easily find information and skim through your entries. It is good to be detailed and provide useful information, but do not include useless information or run away sentences that veer away from your topic. Stay keyword-focused.

9) Digital ArtTry to include non-advertising graphics, pictures, photos, and art in your blog entries. Not too much. Once a week is fine. Graphics can sometimes bring your blog to life. Of course, the content of the blog is the most important aspect and you do not want to overshadow your content with graphics, but displaying graphics can add a bit of spice to the blog. Be choosy about your graphics and make sure they fit your entry topic. You should add content with the graphic, at least a caption. Original graphics, photos, pictures, and art is recommended.

10) Keep it PersonalA blog is most successful when it is kept personal. Try to include personal experiences which relates to the topic of your blog entry. Stay away from the business style of writing. Write with a more personal style and use first-person narratives. Do not write any of your entries as sales letters, instead share product reviews and personal endeavors.

11) Interact With Your VisitorsYou now have the traffic you deserve. You should begin interacting with your visitors. Create a regular theme such as: "Monday Money Tip" or "Picture of the Week" which entices your readers to look forward to each week. Give your readers advance notice about a product, service, or topic which you are going to review and then talk about later. If the President was scheduled to give a speech then in your blog you should state that you "will discuss the speech and give your opinion after the speech airs. Comments will be appreciated". Try your best to find exclusive information that not many have. Do not disclose any confidential or secret information which is deemed illegal or can potentially get you into trouble, but try to get the scoop before everyone else does. Such as: If your blog was about Paris Hilton (the socialite) and you had a blog entry about "Paris Hilton Getting Married" then it would be interesting to your readers if you had a actual picture of Paris Hilton engagement ring. Give your best effort to dig and search the internet for exclusive information and you will possibly come up with something useful. Your readers will appreciate this and they show their appreciation through word-of-mouth referrals. Imagine how many readers will tell their friends, family, and others about information they only can find at your blog.

12) Make MoneyOnce your blog has gained some real momentum and your blog traffic is increasing then it is time to start thinking about turning your traffic into profit. You should use contextual advertising, like Google Adsense or Chitika. Contextual advertising is usually text links which use the content of your blog to publish targeted ads on your blog. The payout is usually based on a pay-per-click model, meaning for ever click an ad receives you are paid a small percentage of the profits. In addition to contextual advertising it is good to also use graphical advertising such as: BlogAds.com, Amazon.com, MammaMedia, or General Sponsored Advertising.

13) You're a ProfessionalYou're a professional now! What are you still doing with that free blog hosting service? It is time to upgrade to a domain hosted solution. You need to get a web host and choose a domain name for your blog then check its availability. Select the blogging software you wish to use, such as: Squarespace.com, WordPress.org, MovableType.org, TypePad, etc. When you have your new blog domain setup and ready for traffic then it is time for you to announce your move on all your previous blog accounts. Your last entry to the blog should be a "move" announcement. The title should be "Moved" and the blog entry should state something like "I have a new home for my blog, please bookmark and follow the link: http://www.YourNewBlogDomainName.com". This way all returning visitors and new readers should not have any problem finding your new blog domain. Plus, search engines can easily index and crawl your new blog, since your old blog should already be popular with the search engines.

At the level of a professional blogger you may want to team up with 1 or more other bloggers. This will create a more interesting and more powerful blog. The old saying "two heads is better than one", more authors mean more advertising and exposure because each author will have a vested interest in the blog. The idea of a team blog is to make it profitable and rewarding for all authors, while continuing to target the blog topic and keeping the blog interesting for visitors.

Following these blogging techniques should make your blogging experience much more rewarding. There is no guarantee that your blog will become popular or a household name, but the effort should at least put you one step closer. Making money online is not an overnight experience like many may think, but making money online is definitely a foreseeable possibility.
As well, growing popularity on the web is not an overnight experience, but through time, dedication, and persistence you will be rewarded with all the royalties of blogging.To learn more about successful blogging subscribe to the Journal Home Newsletter
Article Source: ArticleGeek

Why Every One Should Have a Blog?

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Blogging is not a passing fad... it's another channel for you to use as a marketing tool and a creative outlet to get more mileage out of your voice over business!Learn more about the benefits of blogging and how you can get started to make your mark in the blogosphere. There's no better time to get typing. Blogging as a voice actor should certainly be on your To-do List. There's a very small learning curve and often the software is free to use.What are some of the benefits to you as a blogger writing a blog?- A greater web presence- More relevancy- A global means to communicate to customers and peers directly- Higher search engine rankings- Ability to receive positive feedback and constructive criticismThose are some technical benefits of blogging, however, there are many other benefits that will broaden your horizons and network of acquaintances, colleagues, and friends.Blogging also connects you with- Your community- New customers- Fellow bloggers- Organizations- FriendsDozens of voice talents and voice actors already have blogs that they use to promote their services, demos and use as tools to converse with other people about the voice industry.A while ago, we published a blog post that recognized some voice talent bloggers. Since that post, there have been many other voice talents who have joined the blogosphere and added their voice (both figuratively and literally) to the happenings of our industry and beyond.To set the record straight, every level of the industry should be blogging. Right now, the vast majority are voice talents blogging.I foresee that coaches will be blogging, providing some value upfront via the blog about voice overs, vocal health, and present opportunities that lead to more students signing up for their classes. It would be interesting to see casting directors and agents blogging as well.Trust me, you don't have to look far to see that there are hundreds of questions out there about agents, how to get one, who should I go with, and the list goes on. If every agency had a rep blogging about what they look for in their agency, if they have openings for particular voice types, and so on, those lines of communication would do the industry good, giving a positive first impression to potential clients while establishing their platform as a voice talent agency.Another aspect of the industry that is regrettably nowhere to be seen are the unions, perhaps the element of the industry that would benefit most from having a blog to educate members and potential members of their organizations.Wouldn't it be great if someone from AFTRA, SAG, ACTRA, Equity, or any other union was blogging in effort to dispel myths and answer frequently asked questions about their union via a blog? People would be more informed and would likely join such unions more decidedly if more information was presented before having to make a commitment.If everyone in this industry was blogging, or at least representatives for every aspect of the industry, there would be less confusion, more lines of open communication, and further development and unification of the voice industry as a whole. If the entire industry was blogging, it would be seen as an industry, not as a fragmented piece of the larger entertainment fold. Technology has done much to improve the business of voice overs over the years and blogging is another way for us to use technology to our advantage.Now, for some objection handling:If I blog and give away my knowledge, what's to stop others from passing it off as their own?Stop right there! Sharing your knowledge is not giving others carte blanche to plagiarize your work. Etiquette in blogging is pretty strict. People who reference a work or source will note it in their post with a text link back to where they found the information.If I give away too much information, people will never buy my product or service.The opposite is true. By presenting useful information to your audience, you build trust and authority. Smart consumers know who the real deal is, so if you're providing quality content and ideas, they'll be coming to you to get the job done.Only writers and journalists are allowed to publish material.Have you ever heard of citizen reporters and citizen journalism? Every day, regular people take the time to report on what they see. Citizen reporters and bloggers were instrumental in getting the word out in times of natural disaster (re: Hurricane Katrina or Tsunamis) and give a voice to stories that often are not picked up by larger media bodies.More and more, traditional journalists, writers, newscasters and even courts of law are relying on content created by educated people or and those with exclusive information that was not covered by local news.I hope I've given you some inspiration and motivation to start blogging!

Article Source: http://www.allwebcontent.com/articles

A Guide to Blogging for Newbies

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Blogging has become more than just a trend. It has become a norm to online aficionados. If you're a true-blue frequenter of the Internet, you might as well maintain a blog. What does a blog accomplish you might ask? It's either for self-expression, reaching readers that share the same interest or promoting your business. Take your pick!

What if you have never gone to the realms of blogging before? Don't fret. Here are some blogging tips tailored to walk through noobs:

1. Choose a Blogging Software.

Newbies will be better off with free blog platforms in the meantime. Wordpress, Livejournal and Blogger are some of these free blogging software. Just fill in the blanks during the registration of your blog.

2. Choose a Catchy URL for your Blog.

What will you be blogging about? Will you be talking about basketball oftentimes? Will you talk about your job as a sales clerk? Is it about your dog? A short and easy to remember blog URL such as www.shootinghoops.(freebloggingsoftwaredomainname).com that can identify whatever it is you will be blogging about is a good URL candidate.

3. Post away.

Starting with an introduction of your blog is the best way to do it. Maybe a short biography or whatever it is you do or what you will blog about should prep up your readers on what to expect from your blog. Write post titles that either summarize your blog post or entries or will intrigue readers the most. Write short paragraphs if you are quite mindful in keeping your readers interested as too long-winding paragraphs usually turn off online readers.

Also, observing some blogging ethics such always giving credit to your sources if you will be quoting some other bloggers' work. Using proper link titles or anchor links is also another ethical blogging practice.

If you'd like to introduce your readers to your work more often, then post more frequently.

4. Respond to comments.

The feature that differentiates blogs from websites, aside from the reverse chronological order of posts, is the comment section. This is usually at the end of each post, wherein the author allows readers to react on his every post. Responding to comments is one way to optimize a blog since the more comments a blog receives, the more updated it gets.

As you advance as a blogger, you might want to get your blog hosted and get your own domain name. This will help you establish better yourself as a blogger in whatever field you choose to blog about.

Article Source: http://www.articles411.com


The above article was written by Sarah Miller on behalf of www.babygiftstation.com, a Baby Keepsakes & New Baby Gift Baskets online store specializing in Baby Einstein Gift Baskets, Organic Baby Toys and other baby gifts and couture.

Why Are Blogs So Important?

Tuesday, May 1, 2007


If you use the internet regularly, you surely have seen an increase in internet journals known as blogs (web logs) over the last few years. Currently, there are millions of blogs on the Internet. There are many reasons for this and we can expect this trend to continue. The popularity of blogs is continuing to grow.
According to recent statistics from the blog-tracking site Technorati, the blogosphere has doubled every six months for the last three years. That's 175,000 new blogs per day worldwide. Technorati added its fifty millionth blog on July 31, 2006.Making personal homepages was the trend of the past. Today, we are seeing more people make their own personal blogs. Some blogs are personal diaries of sorts which record a person’s thoughts, activities and reactions and they can be made for any reason. Some make them to be a new form of a family news letter. And some make them to promote their personal hobbies.Another popular use of blogs is to build on-line communities of people with similar interests. These can be like a fan site for sports teams, or for celebrities or even for politics. During the 2004 Presidential Campaign in the U.S., Gov. Howard Dean was the first presidential candidate to use blogs to promote their campaign.One of the most popular kinds of blogs are blogs that are used as a news source. Many believe that this is a factor in the decline of the popularity of newspapers. The major news agencies have noticed this and all have news blogs of their own.One of the fastest growing uses in blogs is by webmasters adding content to their sites. Blogs provide quality search engine optimization (SEO) power by their very design. The power of the blog lies in keyword rich content and in imbedded links. It is also a great way for visitors of a site to communicate and leave feedback with the publishers of the website. Webmasters also can use blogs to test ideas or try and get feedback about new products from the sites visitors.One thing seems to be for sure. Blogs are here and if you are not reading them or publishing one, you are soon going to be in the minority of people who use the internet.
Article Source: http://www.articles411.com

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