Blog To Great

My Blog Guest, New Community to Find Guest Bloggers

Blog Tips - As we've mention, blogging communities and forums are plentiful, but as a great way to gain more blog traffic, you need to participate. Some are generic ones where people discuss all things blogging, while others are more focused and targeted such as, Blogher (which unites blogging women) and 20 something bloggers which pulls together bloggers between 20 and 30 years of age.

Blogger Ann Smarty recently created another community and it's specifically for folks looking for guest bloggers and / or guest blogging opportunities. She's named it My Blog Guest and if you're interested in guest blogging and plan to do it often, you should check it out.  Gest blogging is a good tool to help gain more traffic to your blog and to monetize a blog by gaining you more readers and establishing yourself as an expert in your blog niche.

Check it out and read more by Ann at her SEOsmarty.com blog.

Help Your Blog Gain More Traffic and New Readers

 Blog Tips- As blogging continues to remain popular, despite the growth of Twitter and Facebook, and new blogs are created by the thousands each day, you need to use all at your disposal to continue to reach new readers and gain more traffic. 

To help you,  here are 10 easy and quick tips to assist you in gaining more traffic for your blog-

Tip 1- Blog Comments :  You realize that your comments left at other blogs have the ability to generate targeted traffic to your blog and is an effective, legitmate linking plan.   Just locate find a blog that's related to your niche and leave worthy, positive comments. You should include a link back to your blog, so that readers who are interested can visit your blog to read more from you. Just don't spam other blogs.

Tip 2- Reciprocal Linking:  One of the most effective ways to gain appropriatem targeted traffic is by exchanging links with other bloggers or websites.  It doesn't take much effort, a simple email request for a link exchange, then follow up with the blog owner, and the results are worth it. Or, you can buy software and services tod the job, just do a search and you'll find sources.

Tip 3- Blog Directories:  Blog directories are like search engines but are viewed by readers searching for blogs.  Make sure you submit your blog to the major directories. There are also many blog services where you turn to to "ping" your blog. Pinging informs the service that you've updated your blog with new content. The service then publish your new posts and you'll get some traffic from readers interested in the topic and from search engines.

Tip 4- Writing Articles :  One of the best ways of gaining targeted, reliable and long-term traffic for blogs. When you write your own articles and placing them with article directories, you can gain a significant number of visitors at your blog. To get traffic, you have add your resource box at the end of each article you've written.  

Blogging Isn't All Good, Sometimes It Sucks

Blog Tips -  We've all read the numerous but great Top Ten lists with tips on how to blog better and most important, more profitably.  The lists keep coming and the top bloggers keep blogging and advising others.  Rarely do people address the other side of blogging - how boring, difficult and tiring it can be. In fact, blogging often sucks!

If you've been blogging long enough in order to earn some money from it, you've noticed that it can easily be a drain on your life.  But like any new business, long hours and little money are the best you can expect at the beginning of your venture.  As a good blogger you feel the pull of your blog and the need to consistantly post new content.  This is good for your blog and for your future as a pro blogger, but can negatively impact the other areas of your life (you still have a life, right?). 

You may also find your spending way too much time coming up with ways to promote your blog.  Great, get the word out and promote your blog but use your time wisely and target where you can have the most impact.

Keep your goal to have your blog stay natural.  By this I mean not to force your blog too hard.  Readers can tell thru your writing and blog design and friends will fall away from you if you're only "about the blog".  If you're not careful any success you gain won't be worth the price. 

Ben Barden' recently posted on the Top Ten Reasons why Blogging Sucks, check it out @ TopTenBlogTips.com.

Article Marketing Tips to Increase Your Blog's Traffic

BLOG TIPS - One very effective way to increase your blog's web traffic is through the use of article marketing.  Hundreds (maybe more) article database websites are available to you.  They're filled with articles on any topic that you can think of, so finding content approprite to your blog or website is easy, and conversely, you can place your article for distribution.  You should consider leveraging article marketing to help your blog or website build your web traffic and increase your status as an "authority" in your niche.

The top article websites have solid pageranks,  so if your article is written properly it can get a good listing and distribution.  This way, it will get a higher listing in search engine results because of the site's rank.  But if your keyword or niche is too competitive or if many high ranking blogs are out there, and you won't likely rank high enough, so using article websites can help you get an improved listing in search engine results.

10 Great Tips for Marketing to Women on Facebook

Blog Tips - With over 56M women using Facebook in the USA, and growing, bloggers and marketers must pay attention to and use of Facebook effectively to get proper traction and to be noticed by this audience.  But, if you're new and women aren't already aware of you and your blog/brand, simply being on Facebook doesn't accomplish much. 

And even though Facebook has done a wonderful job of helping you through their Pages product, it doesn't run itself and guarantee increased awareness for you. To help you in this effort, Brette Barow (President and Founder of Girls Guide to) has created a list of the 10 tips for marketing to women on Facebook.

See her full post, here

New Life For Your Blog From Old Posts !

BLOG TIPS - As your blog ages and you add more & more qualtiy posts / content you might find yourself losing track of past posts and the trail your blog has left behind .  Check our your Blog Archive, not just to remember the work you've done, but for opportunities to update past posts (with new posts) or to create new ideas.  Use you past posts for new content to continue to inject life in your blog.

I recently visited a blog that I came accross thru a Google search.  It turned out to be an old post from 2008.  As I read it I wasn't very impressed and could tell the info was dated, but I stayed on the blog and when I clicked to read more current posts on the topic, the difference was quite shocking. The newer posts looked considerably more professional,  contained better and current info and you tell that the blogger / writer had grown, yet she hadn't gone to the additional effort to update the blog's archive.  I wondered why, since there was a good chance that after reading the old post I might have just clicked off the blog thinking it was of low value, and not known of the improvements.

Here are a few tips and ideas to help you update your archive-

Adding Photos to Your Blog Posts

Blog Tips-  You've written another great blog post in your blog's niche.  What can you do now to make the post more interesting and better for SEO purposes?  Why not add a photo, artwork or video to the post?  Using other media in your post will not only improve your the blog's presentation, it helps keep the reader interested and can help you get more traffic.

In addtion to using your own photos (always have your camera handy), one of the best places to get some image help is Google.  Enter your keyword, and click search image. Go to the site pointed by google, right click, and save as...  Make sure to name the image with something appropriate to your blog and blog's keywords. You can name it with Music_news.jpg or Blog_tips.jpg for example.  Don't save as Photo1.jpg and similar generic names.  But before actually using the image and posting on your blog, check with the source site to make sure the photo is not copyrighted, and if it is, obtain permission before you use it, and give credit to the photographer and/or artist.

Naming the photo with a keyword is important in order to make it  SEO friendly.  When others search for images, an appropriate name will make it more likely that they will find yours image and visit you post / blog.  It's a great way to get additional visibility to your blog.

Here’s a simple guideline to add an image to your post:

1. Use jpg, png or gif format.
2. Don’t use too many images in one post. One or two images will suffice
3. Don’t use images that are too large. 400 pixels wide is big enough

And, make sure you've created a special folder for BLOG IMAGES to easily find them later for possible re-use.

It's so easy, but not used by many blogs.

Do You Write Good or GREAT Blog Posts ?

       BLOG TIPS- How to write a good vs a great blog post is one of the primary issues in blogging.  In order to rise above the average blog posts that are out there, I've learned that you need to determine what you want to say before you even start the post.  If you don't have a guide, a roadmap before you begin there's a good chance your post (and your blog) will wander aimlessly and your readers will quickly lose interest. Once you’ve decide on the post topic, set your goal. Will your post inform your readers, make them think, ask a question or start a debate?  In this way, you're able to stay on target during the post and reach your goal.

Truly great posts are clear in their topic and goal.  Good posts only accomplish one of the tasks, but not both.  So know what you what to say before you say it!

When, and only when, you’ve decided on the topic and the goal, you can start writing. Don’t be overly concerned about sentence structure, grammar, etc just now; put all of your coherent thoughts down-  you'll edit and fine tune later.

After you expressed your thoughts, and made your point clearly, go back and clean up the post; edit your post and make sure your writing is clear and conversational.  Remove the typos, grammatical errors, repetitive statements, etc.   Quality is important in blog writing, even more important than quantity.  Remember, just because you've writing alot doesn't make it a good post!  Does it express your thought, cover the topic well and reach the goal?

Then, when you're done -- go back and re-read the post from start to finish and verify that it reads how you intended it to. If you need to step away for a few hours or a day, go ahead.  When you're sure you've been clear and concise, you can post it.  How the readers react will let you know if you did a good job, so make sure to ask for comments !!!

SEO Won't Work By Itself, Some Tips to Help

     BLOG TIPS - In the quest for increased blog readership, you'll likely use SEO techniques at some point in your blog career, either on your own or by hiring someone.  Fine, but without great blog content SEO will not help your efforts.  Most SEO techniques will get your blog additional clicks, but what happens when the reader arrives at your blog but they are disappointed by the content.  You could actually do more damage with SEO, by attracking readers that may leave negative comments or tells others they didn't like your work!

Instead, remember the basic rules of blogging in order that your SEO efforts truly enhanced your blog and you get the results you desire.  Some tips-

Effective Blog Post TITLES - You're writing for real people, make sure your titles peak the readers interest and make them WANT to read on.  Also keep in mind the keywords that folks may use to find the content you're writing about

Post NEW & INTERESTING Content- Seems obvious, huh.  Post what others will want to link to and talk about. If all you do is repeat the same topics/issues covered by other blogs, people will notice and not regard you very highly.  Post content that's new and unique with your own style.    If your blog covers news, make sure you've added your own "spin" to make it personal (see next tip) and interesting.

Add a Personal Angle - Most readers like to know who the author is.  Add personal stories, anecdotes from your own past.  The core information in a post can be the same, but it's much more interesting to the reader if the author has added some "heart" to the story.  What's your feeling on the topic?  Why do you feel that way?

Again, human beings read our blogs, so personal stories hit home with readers and enable them to relate to you, and the post.  Plus, they're more likely to return to your blog as you develope a relationship with the reader.

Engage the Reader - Ask for their response, reaction, reply, comments.  They'll have one, but you need to let them know you're interested in what they feel....

So, let me know what you think...  and offer your advice.  Please comment below.

"Re-Program" Your Blog For More Readers

BLOG TIPS-  Read thru this, we'll discuss how it relates to blogs, blogging and marketing later..

HOW SMART IS YOUR RIGHT FOOT?
 
You have to try this, it takes 2 seconds.   It's from an orthopedic surgeon.   This will boggle your mind and will keep you trying over and over again to see if you can outsmart your foot, but, you can't.  It's programmed in your brain.
Without anyone watching you, and while sitting at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.

Now, while doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction.

I told you so, amazing, huh !!!  And there's nothing you can do about it! 

-----  

Amazing how your body and mind is programmed to perform in a certain way.  But is your blog?  For those that have blogged for some time, and in the blogosphere that could be six months, step back and review your blogand your blogging habits.  You might find that you've programmed your blog into one that may surprise you, but it doesn't have to be that way. Is the blog you have now the one you started out to have.  You may be pleased with what you have, but if not, you can always change & improve your blog.  Often thru only minor tweaks.  

Well, one important reason may be it's stuck in a rut and your readers have grown tired  !  You've inadvertently programmed and engineered your blog for so long that you're not keeping it new and fresh.  Some simple ideas on how to "re-program" your blog-

*  Keep up with news and trends in your niche and expand on them for your readers. 

*  Renew relationships with bloggers in your niche.  Jumpstart the category !

*  Change your layout, design.  Especially your ads, no one likes a stale look.

*  Invite New guest bloggers to add a different prospective.

*  Start a readers column, get them to participate thru Q&A's, guest authoring, etc

But do it, and do it now.  What else works for you?  Share below in our comment section, thanks !