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What is Blogging
By Kara Kelso and Anita DeFrank
Blogs have been around
for many years but have recently become somewhat a new ‘craze’.
A Blog is short for Web Log is basically an online journal. They can
be set up at little to no cost at all, and can be used for a wide variety
of things. Some bloggers just blog for the fun of it, while others tend
to use their blogs for business reasons.
The following are
just a few ways blogs can be used:
1) Updates
Keep customers/clients up to date on changes to your website. Also
new product announcement and new related websites.
2) Reviews
You can give opinions, advice and personal recommendations on specific
products or services related to your field.
3) Personal and Business
uses
Blogs are a great way to keep track of your goals and plans just by
open writing.
4) Stress Reliever
Jot down your vents, gripes, thoughts. Some also find general writing
therapeutic.
5) Search Engine
Optimization
Search Engines love text and content. You can also include links to
your website which equal backward links which in turn equals high
ranking.
6) Money Makers
Yes, you can make money with your blog by providing readers with quality
copy writing and a few affiliate links.
So how is a blog
set up? There are several options you can choose from when starting
your own blog, and a few are:
1) Using a free service
such as Blogger.com.
2) Using Blogger.com
(or other free blog provider) with your own domain name that you can
purchase through places such as Mommy’s Helper Domain &
Hosting Services.
3) You can also choose
a paid services such as Blogit.com for as little as $5.95 a month.
So you have your
blog set up, but how do you get visitors to it and get them comming
back? Along with general advertising, here are a few more ideas:
1) Directories
There are many directories that you can submit your blog to such as
http://www.Wahm-Blog.comTo
find more simply do a search for blog directories.
2) Link Exchange
Place links on your website to your blog and visa versa.
3) Syndicate Your
Blog
For example you can now give your visitors the option of having your
blog headlines right on their MyYahoo! Page. (example - http://add.my.yahoo.com/rss?url=http%3A//www.2wahms.blogspot.com
) This makes it much simpler for your readers to quickly skim the
topic headlines and an added benefit to you the blogger to keep your
visitors up to date.
4) Blog Explosion
Traffic Exchange
BlogExplosion
is the internet's first blog exchange where thousands of bloggers
visit each other's blogs in order to receive tons of blog traffic.
You also have the
choice of letting your readers comments on your blog. Most services
have these features and can be a great tool to keep your blog interactive
between you and your readers.
With all the spam
filters and spam blockers available or sometimes even automatically
installed in email programs, it’s getting harder every day to
keep in constant contact with your visitors/customers and/or clients.
Blogs have shed some new light in this aspect giving you a better
way to communicate.
Most blog services
are very user friendly. If you can run simple programs such as MSWord
or Word Perfect then you have the knowledge to maintain your own blog.
There’s no need to even have html knowledge. In essence, anyone
can have his or her own blog.
Happy Blogging!
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About the Authors:
Kara Kelso and Anita DeFrank are the owners of Mommy's
Helper - Mom's Market Ezine, an ezine for work at home moms. You
can read their business blog at: A
Tale of 2 Wahms
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