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8 Tips for Effective Social Blogging

Position yourself as an expert.

When people are looking for a product or service, oftentimes they will first look for information about the subject on the Internet. In general, blogging is about having conversations in a public space that position you as a subject matter expert. "The type of discussions you ideally should have ought to be answering questions that people out there on the Internet are searching for," says Adria Richards , Organic Technology Consultant and blogger. "For me, social blogging is a way to have conversations with potential customers and to draw traffic to your site." For instance, you can answer questions from consumers via Twitter, which is a popular thing to do.

Share experiences and information.

Social blogging is often used to share experiences in addition to business ideas and concepts. Always seek unique opportunities to share your ideas and offerings with not only your readers, but their associates as well, which will eventually bring in more prospects. Announce upcoming events, awards, and other news. But do it in a conversational tone. Hopefully, your target audience will retweet or share your story. Don't overlook Tunmblr, which is popular in the microblogging realm. Users can post text, photos, quotes, links, dialogues, audio, video, slideshows and "Tumble" other posts. Tumblr provides the option of custom domains. You can auto-syndicate to Facebook and Twitter. Users can track stats with Google Analytics.

Keep it fresh and mix it up.

Frequent one note updates can be a major turn off for say Facebook fans, while Twitter followers are more accustomed to frequent posts. Try to mix it up. Spark up conversation with the help of images and videos. Marketing experts suggest businesses update their audiences on a regular basis but only if there's something new, informative and interesting to say. Even if you need to repeat an update to promote a current offer or a call to action for a project, put a new twist on it each time.

Encourage interaction and feedback.

Your company can benefit from valuable feedback through comments and suggestions. Do a call for action in your posts. You can also gain insight about your audience using Q&A, bookmarking icons, link builder, wordtracker, Google Adwords and so on. Make it easy for your readers to share posts. Encourage them to share tips and personal experiences with using your products or services. Just make sure you are on hand to respond to any comments, says Richards. Failing to do this is a sign that you don't respect or care about your audience.

Use schedulers and update apps.

Seesmic is an app that supports Facebook, Twitter and even Yammer, which is a private messaging version of Twitter. Seesmic lets you update and view content from different social networks. You can follow trends, update statuses or write messages. Also, take advantage of status update schedulers for Facebook, Twitter, LikedIn, and other sites. Hootsuite is one favorite. It's free and it's capable of delivering updates to various social networking sites. Cotweet is another.
"It's been proven that there are certain times when people are reading blog posts and checking social media," says Richards. The most popular times to post or make an announcement are 9 am, 12 pm, 3 pm, and 6 pm throughout the business day. "The best days are the middle of the week, because on Mondays people are trying to get into the swing of things and on Fridays people are thinking about the upcoming weekend."

Make your blog the central hub.

Have your blog serve as the central location for where you make announcements, suggests Richards. "It should be the final resting place and then everything should branch out from there. Why? Because you are in control and at the end of the day when you look at Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn at any time they can change their policy and restrict how people access your data." You can create information on your blog and then promote it using other social network tools, adds Richards.

Link back to your website.

Make sure everything you do is somehow tied back in to your company website. Use RSS feeds so your main site always has fresh content, which improves search engine rankings, says Martin. Use your Twitter account to build links to your blog. Use tags and keywords that make your posts more searchable. Google Keyword Tools is a great device, adds Martin.

Use a personal touch.

Having your employees or even the president post updates can help revolutionize how your business communicates with your customers and associates. Take Bill Marriott, chairman and CEO of Marriott International, he is one of the most famous corporate bloggers worldwide. His "Marriott On The Move" interactive weekly posts has won the site loyal fans. You can follow his updates on Twitter @Billmarriott. Marriott's personal involvement has had a far-reaching impact within the company. Since first launching their CEO's blog, the company has continued to grow in the social media sphere by adding more blogs, several different Twitter feeds and even its own online community for Marriott Rewards members.

 

BLOGGING SECRETS 

How to Get More Traffic to Your Blog

Have you started a blog recently? Or have you been blogging for a while, but want to get more readers and traffic to your blog? Blogging should be fun. You can even earn some money, but there are a few essential things you should know to increase traffic to your blog. Are you ready for your "fifteen minutes of fame" in the great blogosphere? That's why I created this page--to provide some of the secrets to great blogging and getting more readers. Why put so much effort into your blog, and then be content with just a few readers, when you could enjoy greater popularity by learning some important secrets to blogging success?! And how about making a few bucks--or even eking out a modest income? It all depends on getting more TRAFFIC to your blog.

Photo: Daily Traffic by Burning Image

TRAFFIC. You hate it as a driver, but you love it as a blogger. Do you know how many readers you have or how much traffic your blog is getting on any given day? Don't judge by the number of comments you receive, because most people do not leave comments on blogs. I've read that less than 10% of readers leave comments. (Keep in mind that some of your favorite posts may never get a single comment.) If you don't have a statcounter for your blog, go to StatCounter.com and get a FREE one for your blog. This incredible tool not only will help you track the traffic to your blog and your progress, but gives you all kinds of valuable information about your traffic, such as the actual key words which brought others to your blog. Information from StatCounter.com can help you craft your blog. It can also give you a boost. When I check my blog stats, my favorite thing is to view the world map and see which foreign countries have been visiting my blog (of course, I appreciate my readers from the United States, too). The fact that my blog's international is still quite a thrill to me.

Don't be discouraged if traffic to your blog hasn't been terrific. Before I "spill" some secrets, think for a moment about how you can get more readers. Stymied? Here's a quick suggestion to boost traffic. Provide a list that's related to your topic which would be useful to others. For example, on my blog about books, Suko's Notebook, I provide some lists of books by authors and include publication dates. This is helpful to people looking up this information on the computer. I'll mention lists again in a moment. And it took ages before my second blog,La Vache Intéressante, got any traffic at all.

9 Simple Blogging Secrets

TYPICALLY, when you first start a blog, family and friends are excited for you, and leave encouraging comments. Then suddenly, all too quickly, the honeymoon ends, and they stop reading your blog. You may feel dismayed, ready to hide your head in the sand. Don't take it personally, though, because your friends and family thought they were doing enough by checking out your blog once or twice initially. Truth be told, you are really blogging for new friends and readers who are truly interested in your topic, although some old friends or family members might continue to read your blog occasionally. But be honest--is your readership pitiful? Are your stats so low that you feel like the least popular kid at school? My own stats were nothing to brag about until I learned a few basic things about blogging. So don't be depressed, get motivated! It's not that your blog stinks, it's that you need to know a few of the secrets to successful blogging. Don't give up, just keep on reading!

1) First and foremost, BELIEVE in yourself! If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will. This may sound like a simple cliché, but it's true. Step one is to have confidence in your self and your words. You should feel like an authority on whatever you're blogging about. If you're unsure, your words will reflect that. You don't have to be pompous or arrogant, just confident. Do the research you may need to do to be accurate and authoritative. Furthermore, your blog should be about what really interests you, and is worth the extra effort you put into it. Be ORIGINAL, be YOU, and be inspirational to others. This will make you a success!

2) PUBLISH as frequently as possible. Every day is ideal, but challenging for those with busy schedules. I try to post every few days, or at least once a week. Commit to frequently publishing original content that's well-written and heartfelt. Here's your chance to tell your stories--make them interesting! Edit as much as you need to, even after you've published if necessary. Quality and uniqueness are really important. My favorite blogs are one-of-a-kind and keep me coming back for more. You want people to look forward to reading your posts, not consider it a boring chore. Encourage comments, too, which make people feel more involved with your blog.

3) LINK to other blogs and websites. Eventually others will link to your blog. Include a blog roll on your blog featuring related blogs. For more information about this, go to Writing Space. Encourage people to read your blog by commenting intelligently and courteously on other blogs. That's the quickest way for others to find you. They may become interested in you, because you showed interest in them. All they need to do is click on your name and they'll arrive at your blog. It's the start of many reciprocal relationships between bloggers.

4) GOT ADS? In a flash, you can put related ads on your site from Adsense or other advertisers if you want to earn some money from your blog. Personally, I like AdSense, which gives you ads related to content and a great deal of control. In fact, you can choose the size, amount, and the placement of your ads, and many other aspects are customizable. Go to AdSense to find out more and sign up.

5) LISTS are a wonderful addition to your blog. Blog expert Chris Brogan says it's best to have a list which contains an odd number of items. For some reason, this seems to draw the most readers. In keeping with this, I'll attempt to have this list contain an odd number of items, although I may add to it when I get more good secrets from readers, so it could have an even number of items temporarily. Be sure to check back for future additions to this list.

6) More advice: STOP COMPLAINING. Don't make your blog a site for complaining about your world. You don't need to sugar-coat everything, but on the other hand, who wants to hear about all the tedious personal problems of others? I don't! Do you? People want to be entertained, inspired, intrigued--not feel like the local complaint department--so air your grievances elsewhere. Help others to get motivated in some way--don't be a downer!

7) HIT THE BOOKS. There are many terrific books about blogging, packed with useful tips and techniques for building a successful blog which gets lots of traffic. I couldn't resist ordering a copy of The IT Girl's Guide to Blogging with Moxie for myself. I still need to learn more about blogging!

8)JasonE recommends that if you're interested in making money through blogging you should read Darren Rowse's blog at problogger.net. I get updates of this blog and do find it helpful.

9) Snozzle says, "Don't give up". I couldn't agree more. You need a substantial body of work in order to get traffic. The more you have in the search engine, the better (as long as quality counts, too). Persistence really does pay off where blogging is concerned. (Also see "BE A PLUGGER" below.)

AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

EVERYTHING YOU NEED can be found online, including any books or software you may choose to order. But there's also a wealth of information to be found online for FREE. Check out some articles by Squidoo's founder Seth Godin for terrific blogging tips and advice. In brief, he says your blog should be unique, useful, and updated (u,u,u). In other words, give people a reason to read your blog. I always keep this in mind when I'm writing a post.

BE A PLUGGER

DON"T GIVE UP, unless you're really unhappy with the entire blog experience (which does have it's ups and downs). Keep things in perspective and realize that even when you don't meet your readership goals, there's always tomorrow to do just that. Stay motivated and continue blogging. Many "gung-ho" bloggers quit after only three months or so, which isn't usually sufficient time to gain many loyal readers. You must build your blog and readership, post by post. Be patient--Rome wasn't built in a day--and stay focused on making your blog worth visiting. At the very least, you will be recording some portion of your history and improving your writing and presentation skills.

THINK CREATIVELY

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, think of your blog as a way to flex your creative muscle. It really does take a good measure of creativity and original thinking to come up with interesting posts on a regular basis. Is your writing interesting and up to par? Do you need to proofread more closely? It's worth the extra few minutes to read your posts out loud to make sure that they flow well and are understandable.

Keep yourself inspired by reading other blogs (but not copying them) and by participating in the activities you most enjoy. Then you' ll have something (positive) to post about!

 

Top 10 Tips for Beginner Bloggers

The Tips You Need to Successfully Start a Blog

Starting a blog can seem overwhelming, but in truth, it's one of the simplest ways to join the online community. Follow these tips to ensure your blog is positioned for success.

1. Define Your Goals

Before you start a new blog, it's essential that you define your goals for it. Your blog has a greater chance of success if you know from the beginning what you hope to accomplish with it. Are you trying to establish yourself as an expert in your field? Are you trying to promote your business? Are you simply blogging for fun and to share your ideas and opinions? Your short and long term goals for your blog are dependent on the reason why you're starting your blog. Think ahead to what you'd like to gain from your blog in six months, one year and three years. Then design, write and market your blog to meet those goals.

2. Know Your Audience

Your blog's design and content should reflect the expectations of your audience. For example, if your intended audience is teenagers, the design and content would be quite different than a blog targeted to corporate professionals. Your audience will have inherent expectations for your blog. Don't confuse them but rather meet and exceed those expectations to gain reader loyalty.

3. Be Consistent

Your blog is a brand. Just like popular brands such as Coke or Nike, your blog represents a specific message and image to your audience, which is your brand. Your blog's design and content should consistently communicate your blog's overall brand image and message. Being consistent allows you to meet your audience's expectations and create a secure place for them to visit again and again. That consistency will be rewarded with reader loyalty.

4. Be Persistent

A busy blog is a useful blog. Blogs that are not updated frequently are perceived by their audiences as static web pages. The usefulness of blogs comes from their timeliness. While it's important not to publish meaningless posts else you may bore your audience, it's essential that you update your blog frequently. The best way to keep readers coming back is to always have something new (and meaningful) for them to see.

5. Be Inviting

One of the most unique aspects of blogging is its social impact. Therefore, it's essential that your blog welcomes readers and invites them to join a two-way conversation. Ask your readers to leave comments by posing questions than respond to comments from your readers. Doing so will show your readers that you value them, and it will keep the conversation going. Continue the conversation by leaving comments on other blogs inviting new readers to visit your blog for more lively discussions. Your blog's success is partially dependent on your readers' loyalties to it. Make sure they understand how much you appreciate them by involving them and recognizing them through meaningful two-way conversation.

6. Be Visible

Much of your blog's success relies on your efforts outside your blog. Those efforts include finding like-minded bloggers and commenting on their blogs, participating in social bookmarking through sites such as Digg and StumbleUpon, and joining social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Blogging is not a demonstration of, "if you build it, they will come." Instead, developing a successful blog requires hard work by creating compelling content on your blog as well as working outside of your blog to promote it and develop a community around it.

7. Take Risks

Beginner bloggers are often afraid of the new blogging tools and features available to them. Don't be afraid to take risks and try new things on your blog. From adding a new plug-in to holding your first blog contest, it's important that you keep your blog fresh by implementing changes that will enhance your blog. Alternatively, don't fall prey to every new bell and whistle that becomes available for your blog. Instead, review each potential enhancement in terms of how it will help you reach your goals for your blog and how your audience will respond to it.

8. Ask for Help

Even the most experienced bloggers understand the blogosphere is an ever-changing place and no one knows everything there is to know about blogging. Most importantly, bloggers are part of a close-knit community, and the majority of bloggers understand that everyone is a beginner at some point. In fact, bloggers are some of the most approachable and helpful people you can find. Don't be afraid to reach out to fellow bloggers for help. Remember, the success of the blogosphere relies on networking, and most bloggers are always willing to expand their networks regardless of whether you're a beginner blogger or seasoned pro.

9. Keep Learning

It seems like everyday there are new tools available to bloggers. The Internet changes quickly, and the blogosphere is not an exception to that rule. As you develop your blog, take the time to research new tools and features, and keep an eye on the latest news from the blogosphere. You never know when a new tool will roll out that can make your life easier or enhance your readers' experiences on your blog.

10. Be Yourself

Remember, your blog is an extension of you and your brand, and your loyal readers will keep coming back to hear what you have to say. Inject your personality into your blog and adapt a consistent tone for your posts. Determine whether your blog and brand will be more effective with a corporate tone, a youthful tone or a snarky tone. Then stay consistent with that tone in all your blog communications. People don't read blogs simply to get the news. They could read a newspaper for news reports. Instead, people read blogs to get bloggers' opinions on the news, the world, life and more. Don't blog like a reporter. Blog like you're having a conversation with each of your readers. Blog from your heart.

How to Make Money Using Blogger.com

Blogger.com provides free blog-building software and free hosting to anyone who wants to create a blog. There are many professional bloggers who find ways to monetize their blogs by turning them into businesses. You can make money off of your blog in virtually unlimited ways -- it's just a matter of finding the right idea and executing it. However, several proven methods already exist, so try them out first.

Instructions:

1.  Sign up with a Google AdSense account. AdSense works by analyzing the text you have on your page, then displaying text ads that may be relevant to your content. When a visitor clicks on one of these links, AdSense pays you a small amount. You need a high-traffic blog in order to make money with AdSense, because each click isn't worth much on an individual basis -- you need a lot of clicks.

2. Provide a service through your blog. For instance, you might blog about business advice while also offering a consulting service. Attract people to your blog, get them interested, then sell them whatever service you're offering. The service can be anything from consulting to writing to graphic design.

3. Join an affiliate marketing program, such as Amazon.com. This requires that you set up a link to a particular product on your page. Every time someone clicks on your link and purchases a product, you get a cut of the proceeds. The percentage of the cut varies depending on the deal you've set up with the product's owner.

4. Create a tip jar for donations, such as the "Buy Me a Coffee" one that Chris Garrett used for ChrisG.com. Tip jars work best when you give the reader a reason to donate -- such as to buy you a coffee, or help fund a trip to help people overseas -- and when you have a large readership. Expect only a small percentage of people to donate.

5. Sell branded products from your blog. For instance, if you have a blog dedicated to the pictures you've taken of animals in Africa, you can sell prints of the photos you put up, or use a website like CafePress.com to put these images on T-shirts or mugs, then sell these products.

6. Write and sell an ebook through your blog. Generally, this would be an ebook about something related to your blog, providing a more in-depth look at some of the topics you've covered in your posts.

Tips & Warnings

• The more traffic your blog gets, the more successful you'll be.

 

Everyone seems to be hopping on the professional blogging bandwagon these days. And why not? Blogs are hot right now, and blogging about a topic you're passionate about is a lot of fun.

But how much money can you really make blogging?

There are a couple of different approaches to professional blogging. The first is to write a blog for a blog network or other company -- basically a freelance writing gig. The second is to run your own blog and monetize it with advertising and affiliate programs.

Jennifer Chait at Network Blogging Tips offers some rare insight into the first model, with a look at typical blog wages, in which she exposes eight actual deals that either she or other bloggers have accepted recently. The deals range from $7-$12 a post or $120 a month at the low end to over $1,000 a month on the high end.

For independent bloggers, Problogger Darren Rowse provides a closer look at how much money a blog can earn. He shows examples ranging from about $135 a month to over $3,000 a month, and takes a look at seven factors that contribute to a blog's earnings.

The real question is... is it worth it?

Well, it depends... not only on how much traffic you can generate, ad rates and affiliate click-throughs, but on one thing especially: how efficient can you be at it?

If you can crank out two posts a day in an hour or two, then $1,000 a month is moderately good money (about $30-$35 an hour). If it takes you an hour a day to do one post on the lower end of the pay range, it's more like $5 an hour! And the reality is that the vast majority of "professional" bloggers are at the low end of the spectrum.

So why do so many people still do it if the pay is so bad for most people?
There are a few possible reasons:

1. Some people just don't make good business decisions. They want to make money online, and they unrealistically think that they're going to grow into the next Boing Boing or TechCrunch.
2. Others are simply passionate about their topic, and they blog because they love it. The money is icing on the cake. Just think about how many blogs there are that don't make any money at all. If you can get paid to do something you would do anyway, why not?
3. They're using it to establish themselves as an expert in their field to support their primary business. It's even better than free marketing -- it's marketing you get paid to do! Neat trick.

So before you start a blog with the intention of making money, or accept a freelance blogging gig, do your homework. Take a good hard look at the time commitment and a realistic look at the expected financial returns. Don't just get sucked in because it sounds cool. Does it stand on its own as a good business decision? If not, do the personal satisfaction or marketing benefits to your primary business make it worthwhile?

If you answer those questions before you start, you greatly improve your odds that it will meet your expectations and be something that you'll stick with and not get burned out.