7 Ways to Get Your Blog Noticed

By Bob Sommers

When you start writing your first blog on a site like Blogger or any of the dozen other free blogging platforms available, your first thought will likely be, "How do I get people to notice my blog?" It is a perfectly good question and one that millions of bloggers ask themselves every day. After all, with more than 85 million active blogs online at any given time and more than 100,000 new blogs created every day, how do you stand out as worthy of attention.

There are a number of different ways you can make yourself stand out from the pack. Blogging is a unique form of expression because it allows every individual to approach it from their own angle. Combining quality writing with a handful of technical tasks that will increase your visibility, you can start reaching the millions of daily blog readers that are online every day.

Be Unique
Your angle will undoubtedly be different from almost everyone else's. Allow that unique perspective to bleed through your writing and your blog can be very successful. Even with half of the computer owning population reading blogs on a daily basis, there is only so much time to spend reading new blogs. For that reason alone, you need to stand out from the other writers in more than one way. If you write about Formula 1 racing and copy the topics from existing, larger blogs, why would anyone want to read your blog? Think of a new angle and draw in new readers with that perspective.

Consistency
You must write on a consistent basis to attract attention and keep it. It does you no good to attract a dozen new readers with one blog post and then leave them wondering where you went because you fail to write your next post for more than a week. Consistency helps in other ways as well. If you post new content on a daily basis, Google will index your site more often and you will appear higher in search rankings. Blogger lists recent posts in its own search listings which you will then appear at the top of more often. Write more often and you will be seen.

Controversial Content
This is a tricky topic, especially for some individuals. However, you can count on getting more readership and being noticed by more online outlets if you are controversial with what you have to say. This does not mean you should be rude or openly hostile. Speak your mind and say what you believe unapologetically but do not be a jerk.

Comment on Other Blogs
Everyone wants to receive comments on their posts. After you complete your first blog post, you will probably sit and stare at the comments section wondering where your first comment is; and when it arrives, you will no doubt visit the website of whoever leaves it. The same is true for your fellow bloggers. They are not your competition so much as your peers. If you read their work, they will read yours. And if they like your content, they will link to it and share it with their readers. It's an online domino effect, but you have to start the process.

Discuss Topics with Your Readers
Be engaged with your readers and you will keep them coming back for more. If a reader leaves a comment on your page, visit their blog, respond to their comment and try to think of a way to write about their site in one of your own posts. By integrating your readers into your posts, your blog becomes a collaborative effort rather than a singular endeavor. Your readers feel involved and other blog owners take notice.

Integrate New Ideas and Technologies
The more new ideas you can squeeze into your posts, the better. This means that when a new add-on or widget becomes available that suits your site, take advantage of it. Talk about new technologies, email other site owners, and use the new additions to the fullest. Blogger and most other services allow you to add on features to your blog quickly and easily. Use this feature and you will start to see increased interaction with your site by your visitors.

Take Advantage of Every Tool at Your Disposal
There are dozens of websites and directories online that list blogs like yours. These websites index topics, tags, and recent posts for searchers and visitors to sort through and can get you a fair share of high volume traffic if you use them properly. Ping your blog to the major blog directories such as Technorati and Pingoat. These services will list your blog in their directories, include your categories and tags for searching and when you sign up for an account, list your profile for readers to see. There are dozens of websites that offer these services.

To be noticed online, you need only expend the extra bit of effort necessary to gain the momentum needed for new readers and blog owner attention to shift to you. Use these methods and you can guarantee a flock of new readers coming your way.

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

Find dozens of sites that will promote your blog for free at TakeOnTheNet.com. Or get access to over 100 Google Blogger Videos produced by Bob Sommers and learn how to create and promote your own free blog. It's the quickest and easiest way to get a free website on the Internet

Google Adsense Tips and Tricks...

By Pat Watt

Every single website and its owner have the opportunity to make some great money by displaying Google Adsense ads on it. Although many webmasters are making a nice income with these ads, many aren't.

Many people say that all you have to do is put up a website and you'll be making over $100 a day with Google Adsense. It does sound simple and it is, but you will need to optimize your site so that you do generate more and more clicks on the ads that are sitting on your site.

The first thing that you need to do is to place the Google Adsense ads in the right spot of the page. This will determine how much money you will make each day. It is very important that you place the ad at the top of the page (above the fold) on your website in order to get the most clicks. What this really means is that you will want to place the Adsense code that Google gives you high enough on the page so that your visitors do not have to scroll down to see the Google ads. If you choose to have the ads right at the top above everything else then do that. By placing the Google Adsense ads at the top of your website above the fold, there is a greater chance that people will click on the ad, which will help your site generate a higher click through rate, also known as CTR. The reason for this is because the majority of your visitors will not scroll down the page and look at it.

A lot of the time, people look over the top part of the page without worrying about scrolling down. The way you blend the ads with the rest of your page can determine if the ad is visually appealing or not. It is very crucial to make the Google Adsense ads look like your site and not another ad. You can do this by making the font and color of the ad's text similar to the rest of the page. I also recommend that you blend the background of the ad with the background of your page. It should basically have the same color.

Google gives you the option to go into your account and customize your ads in different fonts and colors. This will help you blend the ads to your site. Make sure that you don't use the banner ads on your site because this will decrease your click through rate. People who visit your website usually try to avoid any banner and picture ads that they see. If you want to increase your click through rate, you will want to add text ads. Google gives you that option so use it.

Here are some other small tips to increase your Adsense income:

1. Google has confirmed that using the 336x280 rectangle ad block size does have the highest click through rate. Using this ad size will increase your click through rate and the income that you generate.

2. Using a blue underline for the links can also improve your click through rate. This allows the ads to actually stand out and look clickable.

If you follow the advice given above, you can improve your CTR and make more money with Google Adsense.

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

Pat Watt is the owner of Workbizfromhom.com. Her website is geared for people who are interested in finding an online work at home opportunity or finding the perfect home based business.

10 Things You Can Do to Get People to Comment on Your Blog

By Bob Sommers

For the blogging community, a comment is a badge of sorts. Every comment you receive represents one person that, regardless of whether they agree with your ideas or not, read your post and felt strongly enough to respond to them. Comments can make even the most jaded of bloggers feel fuzzy inside. So, how does a new blogger start turning those dozens of posts into a field of comments and discussion? It can seem hard at first, but there are a few steps you can take right away that will increase your readers' willingness to speak up.

Invite Comments
For whatever reason, if you ask your readers to leave a comment on your post, they will be immediately more willing to do so. This is just a natural response that the human brain tends to have. People are often in a hurry, or have multiple things on their mind. They might fully enjoy your post, but as soon as they are done, click to something else. If you ask them to comment, it serves as a subtle reminder that they should join in the conversation.

Open Ended Posts
Even if you are an expert on a topic, don't try to share every possible detail in one post. Be as open ended as possible and leave a few points for your readers to share. This takes a little bit of the humility mentioned below. If you can keep from throwing every fact you've ever read about a specific topic into one post, your readers will not have to think about something to say in response.

Ask Lots of Questions
The obvious way to get responses is to ask a question. If you ask your readers what they think about a topic, or for specific people to give their opinion on a lifestyle, you will get more responses. For example, if your blog is about TV shows and you ask a question such as "What shows did you enjoy in the past that are similar to The Simpsons", you will get many more comments than if you said "I enjoy old shows like All in the Family, because it is like The Simpsons". Engage your readers by addressing them directly.

Respond to Existing Comments
If someone comments, respond to it. Even if the comment is short and not particularly deep, a quick response can show that you are always paying attention and willing to engage in conversation with your readers. That commenter is now much more likely to comment again.

Setting Rules
Most blogging platforms such as Blogger do not have a built in set of rules for comments. The comments section is left open by default and you can make changes to it if you desire. Try creating a commenting policy and posting it on your page somewhere. This may seem like it would lower comments, but by describing what is allowed, readers with potential comments they might not have been willing to share initially are more likely to comment.

Show Some Humility
Don't try to know everything all the time. Be humble and show that you are aware of your own shortcomings, failings and holes in your knowledge. Don't be self-defacing, but be willing to say "I don't really know much about this, but I had a thought". The best part about blogging is that it gives readers and writers a chance to interact on an equal, real time level. If visitors want to read the opinions of those who feel they are always right, they could buy a book or pick up a newspaper.

Controversy
It's a gamble, and you can go too far, but if you want to breed new comments on your page quickly, pick a controversial topic and make a statement. This does mean you need to become political or religious. You could simply say that you disliked a popular movie. Anytime a blogger disagrees with popular opinion, comments skyrocket. Just be prepared to stand up for your opinion and to do it gracefully.

Graciousness, Admit When You Are Wrong
If you make a mistake and someone writes a comment pointing out that mistake, try to accept their comment and admit your mistake. It is very easy to become defensive and angry on the Internet where you have no personal contact with your readers. However, by showing that you graciously accept someone else's comments and opinions, you show humility and increase the likeliness of return visitors and readers.

Don't Make it Hard to Comment
Blogger has an option that allows you to require a login for the posting of comments. This is too much work. If you require a login, many people will decide against commenting altogether, especially if they need to sign up for a new account to do so. Instead of requiring login information, you can set your comments for approval before they post. This allows you to sort out comments and delete spam if necessary.

Make It Worth Their While
If you offer a reward for a good comment, you not only encourage repeat comments, you encourage better comments. Mark especially good comments with a comment of your own, or reference them in a new post. This draws attention to your readers and shows you are reading what they say.

If you want to grow your readership and comments section, the best thing you can do is to be involved and pay attention to what your readers have to say. Do these things and you will start to see your comment spaces fill up in no time.

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

Learn to blog with Google Blogger Tutorials. Over 100 videos available on the Internet to show you how to create and promote your blog. Add audio, video, slide shows, text, photos, credit cards and more. Best blog training on the planet.

The Difference Between Diaries, Journals & Blogs

By Javier Colayco

The words diary, journal and blog are terms often used interchangeably to mean the same thing. Most people associate a diary with a special book that is closed with a padlock to keep your thoughts and feelings private. Journals are recorded entries that are often not as private, although you may choose to keep it so. A blog is often used to publicly share your thoughts on specific topics. Blogs have become so popular that even companies are using them to update people on changes in their industry or in their company. However, each is different and unique in its own right and they can be put to different uses. You may even choose to use one, two or all three.

A diary is often the most personal of the three. They are often arranged by date and have space for you to write what has happened over the course of the day. Many diarists often think of their diaries as a special friend that they can confide to. For example, Anne Frank named her diary "Kitty." She begins her entries with "Dear Kitty" so it as though she is writing to a dear friend that she can tell all of her secrets to. The naming of a diary has a unique psychological effect as it gives the writer a feeling of someone listening to his or her inner secrets and feelings.

The word diary itself is for the Latin word diarium or "daily allowance." A diary tends to be more focused on daily thoughts and events, while a journal can be written sporadically. The "page a day" diary is popular amongst young girls and are often given as gifts. However, the diary goes back hundreds of years and one of the first most popular diaries belonged to Samuel Pepys. Pepys is known for making the diary more personal, while it had been more of a business notation in the past. Several books have been published from diaries as well. It is these diaries that have given us great insight and knowledge into history from all parts of the world.

A journal is a diary in a sense. It can be used to document life events like a diary, but it is not necessarily a daily activity. There are also several different types of journals that a person may keep. There are travel journals to document your various travels across your state, country or the world. There are workout journals that help to keep track of the type of workout you do and make comments on it.

Journals have also become popular in schools. Teachers often give students a writing prompt to get them started in their journal writing. Each week the students may write from the prompt and then share the journal with their teacher. These are excellent because they get children to think creatively and to learn to put their thoughts and feelings down on paper. This is an important step in teaching children to express themselves and communicate effectively through the written word.

A blog is another form of diary or journal, but it is one that is digital and on the Internet. These are often referred to as online diaries / journals or personal blogs. They may document your day-to-day experiences or even social commentary. Many people use personal blogs as a way to keep in touch with friends and family, as well as to share with them their thoughts and feelings on certain subjects. You may choose to keep your blog personal or to share it with the world. By sharing it with the public, you can open the blog up to personal comments from those who view and read the blog. This is unique to the blog and many personal opinions are common throughout the world of blogging, some are kind and others may be quite blunt.

One of the first online diaries or blogs was Claudio Pinhaneza's "Open Diary." This was the first web site that was published in a diary format on a web page. This site was published in 1996 by the MIT Media Lab. Since, there were several different online diaries that popped up and now the web is full of them. There have also been several websites open up since then to allow people to have their own online journals and diaries. They are especially popular with teenagers and college students.

The blog has also changed the world in terms of marketing. In 2006, Entrepreneur magazine listed it as one of the top marketing tools of the year that can get your website noticed. Website promotion is a common hurdle in marketing an online business and because blogs are easy to set-up and use, they have become a popular way of sharing information and news with the online community.

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

Javier Colayco is the founder of InboxJournal.com, a journaling site for keeping a private or public diary. Users can post entries directly in daily journal reminders, set reminders according to their schedule or post directly through the site.

10 Steps To Gigantic Blog Traffic

By Jeff Newman

Do you need more traffic to your blog? This article will give you practical steps that you can take today in order to increase your blog's readership.

1. Post quality, original content to your blog.

Creating original well-researched content will set your blog apart from the pack. If people look at your blog and see poor quality content, they will leave your blog and probably never come back. People are drawn to great content and unique personalities. They like blogs that are written conversationally. Write like you are writing to a friend you really want to help. Include personal life stories and testimonies. This will help people feel connected to you and add uniqueness to your blog.

2. Help your readers solve their problems.

Many people come to the Internet to solve their problems. If you answer their questions with simple step by step instructions, they will appreciate your help and re-visit your site for more useful information in the future. You can also use this strategy to promote affiliate programs. Show them how they can use the particular service or product that you are promoting with simple steps and solve their problems.

3. Write for your visitors and not for the search engines.

When people write just for the search engines they tend to include search terms that don't flow with the stream of thought of the post. If what you write doesn't make sense to your visitors they will leave. You still want to optimize your posts for the search engines, just don't overdo it.

4. Post regularly and on a schedule.

This will cause the search engine spiders to visit your site regularly. It will also cause your readers to visit you regularly, because they know that at certain times they will be able to get fresh content from your blog. They will come to depend on it. It might be a good idea to include your posting schedule on your blog. People like consistency. If you have long lapses in posting, this will cause people to stop visiting your site. You want people to know that they can count on you for high quality, fresh, original content.

5. Write for a niche within a niche.

For example, Internet marketing is the main niche and ezine creation is the niche within a niche. People are looking for high quality content on a certain niche. If you can provide great information about a niche, your visitors will know where to come for the next great post. Give your readers a great reason to come back.

6. Optimize your blog for the search engines.

Make sure your blog posts are search engine friendly. Configure your blog to display the title of the post in the URL. You can do this in the control panel of your blog software. Another strategy is to put your main keyword in the domain name of your site. It is also a good idea to put your keywords and keyword phrases into the titles of your posts. Do keyword research before each post, so you know what are good terms to include in your post title. Then, take the time to write incredible posts. This will cause other blogs and websites to link to your blog. When you get links from related sites to your blog, your blog post will receive priority in the search engines and cause your post to appear at the top of the search engine listings.

7. Re-write your posts and submit them to article directories.

Use your posts to write articles that are 300 - 1000 words long and submit these to the top article directories on the Internet. Each article contains an author box. In the author box you will be able to promote your blog. Make sure to include a link back to your website. You can also use article submission services to blast out your articles to tons of publishers that will reprint your articles. Once again it is important that you write high quality articles or they won't take the time to publish them. There are a variety of companies that will do this. Take the time to research and find out which ones will best meet your needs. You could also contact websites that are within your niche and ask them if they would like fresh content for their sites in exchange for a link back to yours. If the article is well-written and useful then they will probably say yes. You could also write exclusive articles for these sites in exchange for a link back to your site.

8. Post on forums within your niche.

Do a search for "forums" + "your niche keyword" in order to find forums that relate to your niche. Take the time to review the forum rules and get to know the main contributors to the forum. Remember, a forum is a community of people and you are going to engage in this community. Get to know who is who. A lot of forums allow you to have a signature line attached to each post that you make. In the signature you will be able to put a link to your blog. You also might want to include a link to your RSS feed. Sign up for an account and start posting. Make sure that each post is informative and contributes to the forum. People will pick up on this right away. They will know that you are an authentic contributor. Just posting your ads to forums will tarnish your reputation, unless the forum allows it. When someone reads your post and clicks on your link, you will get traffic to your blog.

9. Design a useable, eye appealing blog.

It is a worthwhile investment to host your own blog rather than using free blog hosting. It would also be a good investment to take the time to create a visually appealing blog. There are many designers who can design a custom blog for you. You also want to make sure that it is easy to navigate your blog. Don't over clutter your blog with widgets and advertising. Do some research on blog usability and apply what you are learning to your blog. The time and money that you invest in a useable and eye appealing blog will result in traffic.

10. Get one way links to your site.

Submit your blog to all the blog and RSS directories. If you don't have time to submit to all these sites, there are services you can pay to submit your site. You can also get one way links by doing a search for "Add link" "(your target market key word)" and submitting your link to those directories. One of the best ways to get one way links is to write amazing content. This will cause other blogs and websites to link to your blog. High quality posts are known as "link bait." Once you create a great post be sure and social bookmark it to all the main directories. It takes a lot of time to write quality content, but a good "link bait" piece can cause your traffic to explode.

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

Join Jeff Newman's Ezine and receive "Create A Website Traffic Explosion in 10 Days" and a collection of other special reports, by sending an email to mailto:ib411@aweber.com. Visit http://www.internetbusiness411.com For a membership to all of Jeff's content.

Do You Know What Corporate Blogging Is?

By Jo Han Mok

Ever wondered what blogs are all about?

Blogs are publications in the internet about the blog creator's (blogger) interest, thoughts, and opinions. Some people use blogs like a personal diary that describes their everyday lives.

A corporate blog is a type of blog that is published with the support of an organization to reach their goals, such as marketing and selling their products and services.

Businesses create a blog to strengthen relationships with important target groups and the positioning of the publishing organization as industry experts. This means that an organization creates blogs to show their knowledge about the industry they're in.

In a business perspective, corporate blogs is used as advertising, much like TV ads, print ads, audio ads, and so on. There are other reasons why corporate blogs are used; the main reason is to create stronger relations with target groups.

Reasons for corporate blogging

Place your company as the leader of the industry your company is in. Be knowledgeable about the topic.

Your forum, where your main objective is not to sell, should focus on a more personal relationship with your customers. Create a forum specially made for customer relations between your company and your customers. This is great for customers to interact with each other and you can also receive reliable feedbacks for your product.

Blogs is a great way for employees or project members to keep in touch with each other and discuss on making the project or product better. It will be like meetings, only they do it through blogs.

Remember that you should keep blogs easy to read and avoid technical terms about the topic.

Another great thing about a blog is that it is informal. People can converse just like friends and can place their opinions about the topic and express their ideas to make it better.

If you do it right, many businesses like yours will link their website to yours. They will regard you as an expert on the industry.

There are six different types of corporate blogs. Each has its characteristics and different styles.

Sales Blog

Sales blog purpose is to advertise or sell products or services. The organization itself will be writing the blog.

The target group of this type of blog is potential clients or customers and people that are directly involved with the publishing organization.

Relationship Blogs

The purpose of this blog is to create and strengthen relationship with target organizations. The target group of this blog is smaller than that of the sales blog.

Branding Blogs

The purpose of this blog is to strengthen the brand or profile of the publishing organization or the people in it. The blogger is usually the individuals in the organization and are supported by the organization. The target groups in this blog are the same as those of the relationship and sales blog.

Knowledge Blogs

The purpose of this blog is to give employees information relating to their work and also about the organizations news, business intelligence and also about the ongoing projects. The blogger is usually the organization itself or someone within the organization assigned to do the task. The target groups for this blog are all employees with a specific interest.

Collaboration Blogs

This blog is used to provide a working team with a tool for research, collaboration and discussion about ongoing projects and ideas. The blogger and target group for this blog is the team itself.

Culture Blogs

Culture blogs is used to strengthen organizational culture. Often, the content of this blog concerns social or non-work related character. This type of blog creates personal relationships between the employees no matter what their positions in the organization are.

Corporate blogging is mainly used to strengthen the relationship between customers and employees of an organization. Blogs create a sense of personal view of the products and can freely express their opinions about the product or services. It is also a great way to get employees to work more efficiently by sharing their ideas and opinions about an ongoing project.

Starting a corporate blog is fairly easy. You don't need to know about coding or buy anything, like softwares and programs. There are many free blog publishing in the internet, where you can use its services easily and free of charge. Some blog publishing websites even has blogging wizards, which will help you on a step-by-step basis when creating a blog.

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

Jo Han Mok is the author of the #1 international business bestseller, The E-Code. He shares his amazing blueprint for creating million dollar internet businesses at: http://www.internetmillionaireblueprints.com/

Google Blogger Addons To Take Your Blog From Fit To Fab

By Bob Sommers

Blogger is a fantastic stand-alone blogging platform. But when you consider the more than 20,000 addons available from Google, it becomes outstanding.

Google and other service providers offer some of the most useful and interesting add-ons you can imagine. And the vast majority are free and simple to use. Let's take a look at how you can use them to enhance the value of your blog.

Where to find Google Blogger Addons?
The mother lode of Blogger Addons can be found on the Google Gadgets website. To find this site, go to Google and search for 'Google Gadgets For Your Webpage.' You do not want to go to 'Google Desktop Gadgets,' because you won't be able to use those gadgets on your blog. As of today, there are 22,119 gadgets available with more being added every day. Here are some of my favorites:

Fun & Games
Games and humor are two of the top reasons that visitors come back to the same blog and you can add tons of both with Google Gadgets.

Games include PacMan, Bowling, Tetris, Checkers, Hangman and virtually every other game you remember playing at the arcade. With respect to humor, you can add cartoons like Garfield, 9 to 5, SpongeBob, Bloom County and the Cartoon of the Day. Google offers dozens of gadgets to add lighthearted and comical information to your blog. Some of my favorites are Funny Cat Photos, the Bart Simpson Phrase of the Day (what does that tell you about your author?), Horoscopes and This Day In History. Your biggest problem will not be finding engaging gadgets for your blog, but knowing when to stop adding them.

News
On a more serious note, you can find gadgets that have to do with the news. These are some of the more common gadgets on both websites and blogs.

When people come to your Blogger blog they can see a gadgets that shows the local weather, breaking news, tropical storm warnings and even traffic reports in major cities. These are great gadgets to add if your blog is targeted to a local audience.

Tools
If you want to offer your visitors useful tools, you won't be disappointed with Google Gadgets. Many of my blogs are populated with these gadgets and I find myself going to them regularly.

This is a great place to find calendars, world clocks, dictionaries, driving directions and maps. You can create and add a video message to your blog with one gadget in as little as a minute. The list of useful tools you can add to your Blogger blog is amazing.

Communication and Technology
For those of you who enjoy the more technical side of the Internet, these gadgets are for you. Add a gadget that gives instant access to Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, AIM Messenger, Hotmail and your Gmail account on your blog. You can add a Desktop Chat gadget and communicate with readers while they're visiting your blog. I've seen this tool used on some of the better customer service sites and it's great.

If you're interested in space, Google has a gadget that shows images from the Hubble telescope, NOAA satellite images, current moon phases and daily astronomy pictures. These gadgets are quickly becoming as limitless as the universe.

Lifestyle
This is big. These gadgets are the equivalent of People Magazine. This is a great place to find the top five movies at the box office, Jon Stewart's quote of the day (always funny), music, bible verses, National Geographic photos and even live TV.

Sports
I'm a sports fan. I especially enjoy baseball and NCAA football. Thank goodness there are gadgets to keep me posted on the sports world. You can add gadgets to your Blogger blog that will show the BCS standings, live sports scores, body building tips, boxing schedules and what your resting heart rate should be. There is even a gadget for you to keep track of your workout routine, assuming you have a workout routine and aren't just an armchair quarterback like me.

As you can see there are more Google Blogger addons than you can imagine and they're remarkably easy to place on your blog. Just select the gadget you want to use, copy the code generated by the gadget and add it to your Blogger blog under the HTML tab. If you would rather add the gadget to your sidebar, you can do that too and it will show up on every page of your blog. You're going to love Google Gadgets and so will your readers.

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

Learn more about Google Blogger Addons at Takeonthenet.com and how to add them to your Blogger blog. You can also participate in a lively discussion and learn how to blog with author, Bob Sommers at the TakeOnTheNet Blogger Forum

Create Better Blogging By Defining Your Niche

By Gregg Hall

Some bloggers will post topics that vary greatly. Other bloggers feel most comfortable when they are posting on a specific topic. The question has always been: which way is best? Studies show that defining your niche creates better blogging. So, using this discovery, it is assumed that it is best to choose one route to take, and stick with it. This can mean that you choose one broad topic and use it to create your entire blog topic list. You will likely get repeated visitors if you are posting on the same subject matter in any case. If you are still not sold however, check out these other explanations for why defining your niche can lead to more successful blogging.

Knowing the Topic

While it can be boring to post on the same topic each day, there is one thing to be said about it. You will certainly know your topic. The more you post on a topic, the more thinking and research you have to do on the topic. When you devote a lot of time to one topic, you will become more and more familiar with it. Therefore, by sticking to one topic, instead of being a "jack of all trades" writer, you will most likely become an "expert" writer on your topic. Knowing a topic well will eventually make the writing process a lot easier. When you know a lot of information on a topic, blog posts will come easy to you. You will soon get to the point where you don't have to research any longer and can simply use what you know to write. All writers will tell you that at that point it will take much less time to do your work.

Variations of Your Idea

Although you will be writing on one specific topic idea, you will be creating variations of your idea for your posts. For instance, when your niche is weddings, you can create a post on wedding gowns on one day and a post on wedding bouquets on the next day. The list of wedding topics could go on and on for months or years. There is so many variations you can think of that you can stay within your niche without changing topics altogether. This will allow each blog topic to be fresh and new each day. Brides, grooms, gowns, honeymoon site, all can be part of your blog. Even, how to choose your bridal rings will make interesting blogging. You can visit the various corners of your topic and still stick with your niche.

Creating Specific Posts

When you do go within your niche to create posts, you will be able to write specific posts that will attract a more targeted reader group. This will be great if you are relying on search engines to point people to your site. When you have specific posts that will bring in readers that are looking for topics like yours, your blog will be a success. You can bet that these readers will likely keep coming back to your blog in order to read other posts, which will be great for you as a blogger. If you are planning to ad advertising to your site, having a specific niche will help bring in more money since the ads placed on your site, will also be specific to your blogs. Choose your keywords carefully and add specific words to your blog. This will generate more traffic and can encourage more clicks on the ads placed on your site. With a program such as Google's Adsense, you can earn money with each click.

So, as you can see, defining your niche is something that you should strongly consider as a blogger. When you jump from topic to topic in your blog, you can confuse readers and never have the opportunity to establish a steady reader group that can sustain your blog. When you do have a niche that you are knowledgeable in, you will see that readers will value your information and opinion and your blog will be a hit! Go ahead and think about a topic that interests you the most. Think about different variations that you can use for more specific topic posts and try them out. You will quickly see that trying this approach can work wonderfully.

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

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida. See more articles on blogging and internet marketing at http://www.theinternetmarketingsecrets.com

7 Ways You Can Profit From Your Blog

By Bob Sommers

A blog is an incredible tool, the kind that only the second generation of Internet technology can offer. Since the technology arrived in the early 2000s that allowed blogging to become a household activity, the opportunities offered by the medium have only continued to expand.

One of the most incredible and underused opportunities present in blogging is the ability to make a profit. Of the 85 million blogs currently in circulation, only a small handful earn money for the author, yet the opportunities are everywhere to do so. After all, with millions of readers across the globe, a new businesses need only take a few simple steps to tap a potential gold mine.

Sell Advertising
When Google purchased Blogger a few years ago, the opportunities immediately made available to millions of existing and potential Blogger users multiplied tenfold. Using Google AdSense, users can quickly and easily integrate advertising into their blogs. These pay per click ads operate the same as they do on any other major website or search engine. Google targets the ads to match the content of your blog, so if you decide to devote your blog to short articles about cycling opportunities in the North Carolina area, AdSense will display ads related to cycling and North Carolina.

When a visitor reads your blog, they will see these ads alongside your article. If they choose to click on an ad, you receive a percentage of the money that Google makes from that click. The actual amount varies significantly, but if you can create a large enough reader base, you can earn hundreds of dollars each month from your advertising efforts alone.

Sell Products
What better way to make a little extra money than by selling someone else's products and earning a commission. Nearly every business on the Internet has an affiliate program of some sort. Amazon for example has an Associates program. Bloggers can sign up for Amazon's associate program and then create specialized links and images to place on their blogs. These links feature products from Amazon and when a visitor to your blog clicks on the link, you receive a commission for any sales made to that visitor within 24 hours, even items other than the one featured on your blog. If you write about film, books, electronics or any other products, sign up for an affiliate program and try to sell those products through your blog.

Donations
Bloggers with devoted readership are Internet celebrities. If you create a substantial niche for yourself and a devoted legion of fans, your blogging may begin to earn the financial accolades of those fans. While it is not a good idea to demand money in return for your daily writing, you can place a small "Donation" box somewhere on your blog. Think of it this way, if someone on the street corner plays a beautiful song on their guitar, passers by will donate spare change to their endeavor. If you can wow your readers, why not make it possible for them to do the same for you?

Sell Services
The Internet is not all products and advertising (as much as it may seem to be the case). A blog is a great opportunity to write about and promote services you may provide both online and offline. Say for example you work for a copywriting company. Your blogging is a great showcase of those talents. Even if you do not work as a writer, you can write about what you do offer, whether it is a motorcycle parts company or a floral arrangement business.

Grow an Existing Busines
For many businesses, blogging has become the next frontier of advertising and interaction with potential customers. A blog allows a business to appear both genial and spontaneous while offering an array of new information for potential customers. Whether you own a small business or work for a large one, blogging can be a great way to connect with existing and future customers alike.

Paid Blogging
Recently, there has been a growth in the industry of paid blogging. Companies such as Pay Per Post or Blogitive hire on bloggers with existing blogs and pay them a set fee for writing about a company, service, or keyword on their blog. You can sign up for a paid blogging job with your free Blogger account and make money with no investment. The general minimum for paid blog posts is $5. However, if you can raise your Page Rank by growing your search rankings and being linked to by other bloggers, you can receive as much as $100 for a paid blog post.

Merchandising
Why not make a little money with your natural creative talents? Bloggers have turned to companies like Cafe Press in recent years to create t-shirts, mugs, and bumper stickers that allow blog readers to show off the name and image of their favorite blog. When you build your loyally devoted fan base, selling a few items with your blog's name on them can be a fun way to make a little money on the side.

There are seemingly limitless opportunities for bloggers who have the inventiveness and entrepreneurial spirit necessary to take advantage of them. The best part is that in less than 15 minutes you can sign up for Blogger, create your first posts and start making money from advertising or affiliate programs.

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

Learn how to blog for money. Join Bob Sommers and his community of professional bloggers and discover how to convert your hobby into a business. Get all of your burning blogging questions answered in the blogger support, blogger help forum.