Blogging Tips for Newbies

If you are new to blogging, there are a few strategies that you can use to make your blog the best it can be. With so many free online blogging services available these days, it seems like anyone can do it.

What makes the difference is how well you make your blog stand out in a crowd and get more traffic.

Begin by choosing a blog topic that you are knowledgeable and passionate about.

This makes adding content to your blog much easier. Getting more traffic and more links requires fresh, regular content, and adding content that’s easy for you to come up with makes the whole blogging process much less overwhelming.

If you have a fantastic idea for a blog topic that will require you to do a bit more research and leg work, then it might be best to get started on a more familiar topic.

Register a domain name.

It makes your blog look more reputable and more professional. This process is simple, and doesn’t cost a lot of money, and it makes a difference. It’s easier to get advertisers when your domain name stands out and is catchy!

Use free templates to get your blog site going.

WordPress is one popular platform for blogging that offers a wide variety of free templates; choose the layout and style that suits you best. The administrative dashboard is simple to use and you’ll be a pro in no time at all.

Pay attention to your readers.

If people leave comments on your site, address them personally. Having a blog site is the perfect opportunity to connect with your target audience. Let your readers create lively conversations amongst themselves, you will reap tons of information and probably some new ideas that you hadn’t previously thought of.

If someone leaves a TrackBack on your blog site, check out their site, too. You can create large blogging networks of like-minded folks this way. Exchange posts, content, links, ideas, whatever you can.

Please proofread your content.

If you aren’t good at proofreading and editing, then, by all means, find someone that is. Use the automatic software included with your word processing program or WordPress platforms. It’s irritating to read posts that are full of misspellings and grammatical errors. These mistakes make you look unprofessional.

Keep up on your blogging.

Make sure you continue to add fresh content, if not every day then several days a week. You don’t have to write super long posts, you can link to someone else’s post, jot down a few thoughts, or write an entire article.

Just remember that the fresh content keeps the search engines noticing your blog and it’s important to keep adding material. Don’t add just any old spammy stuff, though, make it relevant and interesting to your visitors.

Quality counts!

These are just a few simple tips to help you get started with your blog. As you get rolling along, you will have questions and also come up with your own great blogging ideas.

The Evolution of Blogging: A Timeline

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Suddenly, or maybe it is just how it seems, blogs are literally everywhere. With well over 100 million blogs on the Internet, how did this happen?

You can’t get on the Internet without bumping into a blog site. Though it appears that it happened virtually overnight, blogs have been around and gaining in popularity for a little over 10 years now.

What began as a way for people to jot personal thoughts and ideas and keep each other connected has become an online way of life for just about anyone doing anything on the Internet these days.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Listservs were used as a way to keep groups of people connected to the same information. Online journals then evolved in the late 90s, allowing people to share their ideas, thoughts, travel diaries, family newsletters, or just about anything you could imagine.

This type of website allowed people to connect easily, and without having to learn extensive computer programming skills.

Originally called “weblogs” but quickly shortened to “blogs,” these simple sites became incredibly popular.

The introduction of RSS feeds (Really Simple Syndication) in 1999 meant that people could subscribe to blog posts, getting up-to-the-minute information delivered right to their desktop.

Big names began emerging in the blogging world, with some blog sites receiving record numbers of hits.

2002 saw the introduction of Technorati, the first blog search engine. Technorati finally made it possible for people to track blog topics and conversations across multiple blogs.

Recent reports indicate that Technorati has more than 112 million blogs indexed in their search engines alone. Estimates suggest that over 12 million Americans are currently publishing their own blogs.

The beauty of blogging is that there is always something new to see, and blog visitors will keep returning to interesting blogs just to see what’s happening, whether it’s informative, thought-provoking, funny, or even just plain silly.

During the past 10 years, blogging has evolved and become an incredibly powerful social, business, personal, and political strategy. Bloggers are responsible for spreading news, trends, political views, and social commentary.

Online business owners use blogs to connect with other people in their niche, interact and communicate effectively with customers and target audiences, promote their websites and products, and spread awareness globally about their business.

Blog publishing tools are now readily available to convert voice mails to blog posts, make posts from your mobile phone, insert streaming video for podcasting, or easily add plug-ins, pictures, widgets, links, ads, or literally anything to your blog site.

What began as a way to keep small groups of people “in the loop” has evolved into a media network of global proportions that is only gaining momentum.

What will 2009 hold for the blogging revolution? What will the next evolution of blogging be? You can definitely expect more blogging tools, more blogging strategies, and more applications for blogging in general.

Blogging is only getting bigger, better, and more powerful every day! The technology is ever-expanding, offering more flexibility and more ways for bloggers to get out there on the web and get noticed.

Introducing The Directory Network Association

Probably you have heard about our DNA network by now since we have been promoting this very unique opportunity to our community for about a week.

If you haven't for some reason, please head over to the following page and scroll past the list of domains to find out what the talk of the town is. All I can say that this opportunity is HOT!

Check it out now:

http://www.dnamembers.com/sales.php

We sold (so far) 85 domains in our new Directory Network Association (DNA).

The directory has a TON of really great cities left. So for the majority we didn't sell, we are inviting you to check it out.

This directory network is something far bigger than internet marketing and is putting us out there on the web, along with our domain owners around the globe, in a very very big way.

The feedback about this entire idea has been phenomenal!

To see all the details and get the flavor of the two webinars we did that created this whole frenzy, go to http://www.DNAmembers.com and scroll past the list of cities.

Here's something new too:

When we started talking to you about the Directory Network Association and the list of cities we had available for the network, we quickly realized some folks would want to get into the network with their own domains.

The reasons for this could be that your city wasn't on our list or that you wanted to work with a city you are familiar with that, again, we didn't have in inventory.

The application to join DNA with your own domain is up and located at:

http://dnammembers.com/app.html

Please read the page carefully as we do have a couple rules for joining the network with your own domain.

Chief among them is that your domain doesn't compete with any of the cities in our network and that your domain starts with "directoryof."

So, to everyone who has been registering directoryof domains for this part of the program, you can now head over to:

http://dnammembers.com/app.html

What is WordPress?

WordPress is currently the largest self-hosted blogging tool on the Internet. WordPress is an Open Source project, which means that there are hundreds of people that are working on it, forever developing it and improving it. Best of all, it is free for you to download and use.

The WordPress publishing system is based on PHP and MySQL programming, and its completely customizable platform is practically the backbone of the Web 2.0 movement.

WordPress is basically a revision of the old b2/cafelog platform, with improvements such as customization of the templates, link management, plug-ins, widgets, TrackBack and PingBack features, tags, and categories, to name a few.

Extremely rapid growth means that WordPress has been reviewed and revised multiple times, with regular publication of new versions and updates to keep it fresh and current as a state-of-the-art publishing tool.

As a blogging tool, WordPress has everything to offer that any blogger could possibly need. It’s simple to get going, you can just begin by downloading the software script for WordPress, then browse through the hundreds of template choices to find the perfect one for you to use for your blog site.

There are specially designed templates with pet themes, music themes, business, art, you name it, it’s there.

To use WordPress effectively, you will need very little computer programming skill or prowess. The administrative dashboard is incredibly user friendly, meaning you can get your ideas from your head to the Internet in record time.

There is a slight difference between wordpress.org and wordpress.com, with the latter being a service that gets you started instantly, yet the first offers a bit more flexibility for those people searching for extra options and customizability.

The WordPress blog platform is the ultimate in flexibility, allowing you to create anything from the most simple static page, to a hip blog, to an informative webzine page with all of the tools you need built right in.

WordPress offers any web lover the cutting edge technology and limitless flexibility for every type of site imaginable.

Key features of WordPress include compliance with every browser, instant updates of your pages with no reloading necessary, multiple page management system, links, and themes. Add in any number of interesting and functional plug-ins, to make your site do everything you need it to. Make posts private or public, and choose to have password access if you need it.

Users can browse freely, or you can develop a registration system to keep track. Any visitor can easily leave comments, allowing you to interact easily with your visitors and establish that “human” relationship that every blogger is looking for.

Once you begin using WordPress, you’ll quickly see how it has become the largest and most popular blog platform available today.

You will be publishing your blog nearly instantly, and be able to manage it with enough skill to look like a pro in no time flat. Your site will look great, function well, and be easy for you and your visitors to figure out.

Madison Who’s Who – Be a Part of Something Big

It’s entry into a world of the business elite, an exclusive ‘members-only’ club if you will.

This is Madison Who’s Who – a website that will increase your exposure by plugging you into a comprehensive network of business leaders and professionals.

Playing off the old adage, “It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.” Madison Who’s Who provides a forum for executives and professionals to introduce themselves, trade industry secrets, and even build business partnerships.

The website’s primary component is its exhaustive, yet user-friendly electronic registry of business professionals from virtually every industry and specialty.

Other services and perks it provides:

• Bulletin board, including job listings and networking opportunities
• Commemorative wall plaque and Certificate of Recognition
• Leather bound registry
• Corporate membership logo
• Business news updates
• Topical blog updates, including up-to-date information about the site’s network of business professionals.

Madison Who’s Who is not open to everyone. In fact, membership doesn’t come easy. All candidates, both domestic and foreign, must endure a nomination and an evaluation process. That is not to say you must rely on a colleague to nominate you.

Anyone can nominate themselves by simply submitting a resume. However, the true test is passing the rigorous evaluation process—and not everyone makes the cut.

Once you’re in, members are invited to complete a bio that’ll include a picture, professional information, education, and a little summary about yourself. Samples of these bios are conveniently available for non-membership viewing.

It is suggested that members include as much information about themselves as they can. This will give other people a better sense of who you are and what you do.

“Featured Members,” “VIP Members,” and “Members of the Year,” are great registries that are open to both members and non-members. A quick glance at these elite lists gives any curious onlooker that itch to join and be a part of something big.

Just take a look at who’s a part of this league of extraordinary professionals:

• Alexa Abowitz, an attorney at Cetrulo & Capone LLP, who’s favorite publication is The Chronicle of Higher Education.

• Benjamin Salvaty, a partner at Hill, Farrer, & Burrill in Los Angeles, California.

• Prof. Luis Samayoa, an assistant professor of clinical pathology at the University of Kentucky.

• Lili-Charlotte Sarnoff, an international sculptor.

• Dr. Robert Acker, a microbiologist from Indiana.

• Eddie Aguinaldo, the president of Dynamic Interiors, Inc.

• Dr. Omer B. Abdelbasit, a doctor specializing in neo-natal healthcare at Security Forces Hospital in Africa.

• Liliana Abud, a television writer in Mexico.

The networking possibilities are endless with a Madison Who’s Who membership.

Sign on – get nominated- and start building exciting relationships with exceptional business leaders from around the world.

Don’t be left out.