blogging (60)
Your Business Matters-Malaika Paul
The Blogging Carnival for Nonviolence is in its fifth year. Go here to find out more and to learn how you can submit your blog post.
Go here to read blog posts from previous years.
Go here for information about the Week of Nonviolence 2017.
We look forward to hearing from you.
In order to empower our children, we first need to empower the parents.
This mother says that every stabbing death brings back the pain of her son's killing.
Click here for my blog on Why I Am Committed to Nonviolence.
Plus click here to add your blog to the Blogging Carnival for Nonviolence.
I wrote about Nonviolent Communication, NVC, in Success Strategies for Black People and in my new ebook, Affirmations for Parents.
Together, we can make a difference.
I thought I would get your attention!
Whether you love it or hate it, marketing and sales are critical to the life blood of any business. You can make it more fun, if you take the approach that you want to seriously flirt with a growing list of prospects.
Marketing attraction. It sounds like flirting doesn’t it? And in a way, that’s exactly right.
You do want to flirt with your prospects, to allow them to get to know, like, and trust you. Since it takes upwards of 7 touches to make a sale today, you need to attract them to your product, service, or program in many different ways.
One critical element you must have in your basket of attraction tools today is a fully developed web presence.
People are most likely to Google for you or your service or the benefit/solution they seek first. They are less likely to open the telephone book and flip through the yellow pages. The future of your marketing reach is the internet.
Even with the internet, you need an arsenal of marketing strategies to reach your prospects and attract them to your product and services. You can’t flirt with them, if they can’t find you.
Here are a few ideas which you can do quickly and on a budget. They are culled from the likes of Mitch Meyerson, Jay Conrad Levinson, Seth Godin, and Bea Fields.
On your website:
- Build a powerful direct response entity
- Make sure your headlines are engaging with a problem/solution approach
- Direct their eyes to the one thing you want them to do
On your email signature:
- Include your business contact information, of course
- Promote one thing – a new product, service, newsletter, auto-responder series, article, free conference call.
This is your best and first opportunity to ask everyone to engage with you and your company
Develop relationships for referral business – complementary services serving the same market niche and get listed on their websites
Include client testimonials – use them in all your printed and online collateral materials.
The hottest new thing is audio and video testimonials you put up on your site.
Use audio and video conferencing from your PC for sales, presentations, meetings. They work effectively for a prospects, clients and vendors. It’s no longer novel. It’s cost effective, timely, direct, and can be very interactive.
Write articles and press releases about everything you do and get them published in print but more importantly across the web.
Yes, all of these are ideas you can do yourself, burning the midnight oil.
But what’s even better, is that these tools and systems can be delegated and automated – one more way for you to generate more profit in less time.
We have NEW Autoresponder Courses in which you can use for your subscribers to show them how to use quick tips to help grow their business online.
Hello JMCC community,
Great day to you.
I am amazed sometimes how I can view the obvious and completely miss what is being shown.
I have been online for years and in the direct sales industry for decades. I know to succeed financially in this industry you must follow sales rules consistently!! No need to reinvent the wheel.
Just follow the instruction of those who have come before you, and have done extremely well in this industry.
Too many time I have tried to reinvent the wheel, because I felt I could achieve success by taking short cuts.
Like most successes achieved, their is process that must be followed to the letter, before you can even have a new approach to the process.
Blogging frequently ( daily actually) is one of the highly recommended ways to get viewers to your message. Ok, this is area I can improve in.
So I am going to blog more frequently and check my results
Ok, this blogging exercise will be interesting, for I will be following the instructions of another who has done exceptionally well in the direct sales industry.
Rickey Johnnson, is a member of Juniques MultiCultural Connections, a community is reaching the $11.8 Trillion Multi Cultural market, He is an active blogger on various socio/economic subjects. Read more of his writings at http://www.jusmcc.net
Too many businesses, online and offline, make this profit destroying mistake! http://www.juniques.ws/ar
Black Bloggers Connect is live blogging the season 3 taping of TV One's Verses & Flow sponsored by Lexus in Los Angeles, California. It's always fun to blog from the red carpet :)
View more of our fun here.
Alright, well SOME Dos and Don'ts for blogging. Of course there are A LOT of things you should and shouldn't do when it comes to blogging. At this point you should already have an idea of what you are going to blog about. I am going to point out a few of the important Dos and Don’ts. Let's start with the DON'Ts.
DON'T...
Spend ALL day online. First your eyes will start to hurt and then you will start to experience horrible headaches. LOL! This is what happens when you sit in front of a computer screen all day. Searching, writing, reading, watching. At some point during the day, you have to give it a rest. The great thing about the Internet is that what you are looking for will always be there. Go back to it later. If it is taking you more than an hour to write a blog posting (unless in depth research is involved), you need to change the subject.
Plagiarize. Duh. Just like in school, you cannot do this. You would be breaking the law if you did. AND for the record, there is a difference between copy writing and plagiarizing (you can research those). You can always get ideas from other bloggers, but never ever copy anything from their posts WITHOUT recognizing them.
Waste time in forums and communities. You are going to hear a lot of people suggest you do this. But my suggestion is to find 3 to 4 forums or small social networks you like. Share the same postings from your blog with these select forums, on a regular basis. You may not be recognized at first, but eventually they will notice you.
Spam. Not only is this annoying but it’s bad “etiquette”, if you will, for bloggers. One example of spamming is coldly commenting in a forum or on another bloggers site and including your website information:
Cool.
Imabloggertoo.com
NOT cool. Another form of spamming is sending your blogs to people that didn't ask to read them. Post them on your blog, forums and communities. If people are interested in reading them they will find you.
Post every day. Not only does that put a lot of pressure on you, but people don’t have time to read your posts daily. Think of all of the online publications, newsletters and bloggers you are subscribed to. If they send you information everyday, do you actually read it? The truth is, NO. So don’t put your readers through that. Give them something to look forward to every week. Now on to the DOs!
DO...
Get advise from an experienced blogger. If there are certain blogs you have found that you really like, take it upon yourself to email the blogger and see if they would mentor you. Find a good business coach that may be able to help you focus in on what your goals are.
Ask for feedback. NOT from people in the forums you choose, but from your family and friends. They are our toughest critics. So, if they have suggestions or opinions about your blog posting, take it in stride. Don't take EVERYTHING to heart and change everything they think you should, but you should definitely take their suggestions into consideration.
Be patient. I say this all the time: Just because you create a blog or website and throw it out on the WORLD WIDE WEB (notice the word, WORLD), doesn't mean people are going to flock to it. It will take a little time to build popularity but it is definitely possible. You just have to be patient and keep posting and keep directing people to your site.
Write UNIQUE and CREATIVE content. Even if you know what you are going to write about, you need to make sure it is DIFFERENT from everyone else's. Also, you do not have to write about the SAME subject in every posting if you do not want. Make it interesting for your readers so they will keep coming back for more.
Get paid for blogging. Well yeah! What other reason would you be blogging for? There are several ways you can get paid to blog. One way, is to get advertisers on your site, that will take some time to happen, but it is definitely possible. Another way to get paid for blogging is to find a blogging platform that will pay you to actually blog and show others how to do the same. I use a great system that does just that. You can sign in and find out more here => BeFamousOnline2
Blogging does not have to be difficult or tedious. It can actually be fun to share with others your life, opinion or information that could help them. You just need to keep in mind some DOs and DON'Ts so you can be a SUCCESSFUL blogger.
Tamara Garrison-Thomas
Alright. Maybe you're not famous yet. But if you are striving to be, these tips may help you move toward your goal.
Blogging Tip #1: Choose the best time to blog- As I have stated before, it is not necessary to blog everyday. As you may overwhelm your readers (unless you are a gossip blog). However you should come up with a day or two throughout the week that works best for you. Make sure you post EVERY week on those days, so your readers know when to expect something from you.
Blogging Tip #2: Work with someone who knows what they are doing- Just like famous people have managers and agents, you need a coach to help you build your blog, business, or brand the way you envision it. They may be able to expand your vision and take you to another level. Of course managers, agents and coaches do not always come for free, but there are affordable ones. You need to get out there, find someone you like, and see if they would like to coach you.
Blogging Tip #3: Posting pictures on your blog- One suggestion is to either Google "public domain pictures of ______" and insert whatever you are looking for in the blank. Another suggestion is if you find a picture on another site, make sure you reference the site and author in your blog and you should be covered. You can also become a member of picture sites like publicdomainpictures.net and dreamstime.com. These sites offer public domain pictures in any category you can think of. Some pictures need to be paid for but dreamstime.com offers a lot of free pictures.
Blogging Tip #4: Which blogging platform would you get the most visibility with? Visibility meaning...FAMOUS! Which platform will get you noticed on a Google search, etc? There are several options for you to create a free blog, but I know of an option that might as well be free, that offers visibility and puts you on track to become famous online! You can find out more information here => BeFamousOnline2.info. OR you can join me here (for close to free) and start working with me here => BeFamousOnline2.biz on your journey to Be Famous Online Too!
These tips are just a FEW of what you should know about blogging. There is so much information. What other questions do you have about blogging?
Tamara Garrison-Thomas
According to Forbes.com, "The face of fame is changing". You no longer have to necessarily be a singer, rapper, actor, entertainer or even politician to be famous. As I'm sure you have seen, you can now be famous from as much as a silly video on YouTube to starting a really great charitable cause.
One of the most popular, easiest ways to become famous online is to blog! Believe it or not, there are a few people who have become famous from blogging. And as a "potential blogger" or "rockstar blogger in the making", it is important to know a few of these famous bloggers. Why? Because as the famous saying goes, "don't reinvent the wheel". No reason to think TOO outside of the box when it comes to blogging as a lot of it has been done already. And if these people can do it, believe me, so can you. Here are few famous bloggers online you may not be familiar with...continue reading
Tamara
WOW! You have to see this. It's an experiment this guy Brett Cohen did essentially showing, if you believe it...you can achieve it!
He gets some people to be his bodyguards, paparazzi, puts on some nice clothes and sunglasses, and walks the streets of New York. Immediately people begin to flock to him, thinking he is someone famous! His video team even interviews people and asks them if they know him and "fans" are talking about how much they love his work! It's amazing what people will believe!
This brings me to my point. Why not become famous yourself?? EXCEPT instead of experimenting, actually get paid what the famous folks do. If you know you are special and have something valuable, why not share it with the world? One of the best ways to accomplish this is to BLOG! Believe it or not, blogging is a great way to get exposure, share what you have to offer and to build a fan base! Blogging can be used for a range of things from sharing your personal story to sharing how your business can help someone. I offer the perfect blogging platform and system that will help you Be Famous Online TooAND get paid PLUS build a solid fan base! This system is great for supplementing and advertising your current business or may be a good start for someone interested in making a business income from home. Did I say it was BLOGGING?
SO, if this guy can put on some sunglasses, walk the streets of New York and become famous, it should be NO PROBLEM for you to click on this link ==> BeFamousOnline2.info, watch the information and begin your journey to fame as a blogger! EXCEPT you would get paid for it :)
Tamara Garrison-Thomas
BeFamousOnline2.com
GarrisonProsperitySolutions.com
Website positioning gains an enormous advantage once the correct way to gain targeted visitors to your website is learned. Learn more... http://wattspublishinggroup.com/have-a-business-have-a-website-but-how-do-i-get-traffic/
If you are looking to expand your brand online with a blog, a website, or both, WordPress is the platform you want to know more about. Learn more... http://websites24seven.com/why-use-a-wordpress-site-for-your-business/
Last week I published a blog post, Blogging Tips: How to Blog Your Way to Writing a Book. I wrote about the process that I used to write the content of my upcoming book from a series of blog posts. I received a comment from a reader named, Tamara who said,
“Congrats on finishing your manuscript! I love the concept of blogging your way to publishing a book. I am a dessert blogger, so my question is do you think this can work for me too? I already have a few concepts in mind for cookbooks, but I think recipe development is key for me as opposed to writing lengthy blog posts. What are your thoughts?”
Tamara also left a similar comment on my Facebook business page, so I answered it there. As I was thinking of a response I got the idea for a blog post because there may be others of you out there who are thinking about using your blog to help you come up with the content for a book.
Here is our exchange on Facebook:
Now here are five practical tips for blogging your way to writing a book:
1. Announce your intention to write a book on your blog
Announcing your intention of writing a book publicly on your blog serves several purposes at once. It creates a sense of accountability. Now that you’ve announced it publicly, you better believe that your readers are going to ask you about how it’s going, and it makes the project more real to you and that might motivate you to stick with it until it is finished.
2. Blog about the theme of your book
If you are working with a publisher, then you’ve already done the work of creating a book proposal for your project. Now you will tailor your blog posts to fit in with the outline of the book. You will not be writing the entire book—word for word—on your blog. You will still have additional sections to write outside of the blog, but if you are having trouble finding time to fit writing a book into your crazy schedule, Read More. . .
Truths about Blog Marketing Online That you should know
Do you struggle with marketing your blog online? Many struggle with marketing their blog, website, products etc. online and are frustrated with all of the information out there. As a result of this you may come close to giving up.
If you’re new to blogging this can get complicated. Marketing of any sort takes dedication, hard work and consistency. If you’re just starting out it may look like a lot of work and it may appear not to have much reward. Always remember that it is a process that takes building. You will have to be persistent and consistent.
So how do you get your blog out there? Take time to visit other blogs. Not just any blog, visit those that are relevant to yours and leave value added comments. . When you do this it will allow you to get your blog out to those who would be interested in your topic. Some will actually post the title of your last blog post.
Be consistent with posting on your blog. You may gain visitors, however, they won’t return if it seems that you use the “hit and miss” schedule.
How often should you post? You can post daily, weekly or biweekly but you want to be consistent. Now if you want to accelerate your results post at least two times per week minimum but be consistent so your readers can expect to return at a particular time and be rewarded with updated content.
Know where your traffic is coming from. Know which search engines are directing people to your blog and which are not. Find out what keywords are bringing people to your blog as well. If you know all of this all ready, use it to your advantage. Write more content on the keywords that are working for you and monitor where you fall on the search engine pages that are sending visitors.
What do you do when you get comments on your blog? Smile and say how nice or do you respond to the comment? If someone leaves a comment on your blog, be sure to acknowledge it. No one wants to have a conversation with themselves, and it will only take a brief moment to reply and let them know you appreciate them. Otherwise if you have a section full of comments and you have not replied, chances are that you will not be getting many more. The readers may even drop you off of their list of blogs to visit frequently as well. Using your head and treating others, as you would want to be treated is a big part of marketing.
If you happen to be quoting an article from another source or blog, always be sure to provide a link back to the original. Other wise this is known as plagiarism and something that is looked down on in the world of marketing. Stealing someone else’s content is not a good idea and not something that you will get away with. You will get caught if you try to say someone else’s work is your own of it is not. This is not a good way to start off in the blog marketing world as well.
As you can see there are many truths you should be aware of when considering marketing your blog. You can get your blog out there, known and monetize your efforts. Use these techniques above to get your blog more traffic and readers and you will eventually reap the rewards.
Want to learn more about blogging, Social Media and Online Marketing?
I invite you to join me for my “Jump Start Your Social Media and Online Marketing Success” Teleseries. Click here to request your FREE ticket to this Power-packed Social Media and Online Marketing Training!
Read additional Empowering Blog posts
7 Tips to Power up Your Blogging Endeavors
Whether you want to share about your favorite interests, ministry, business etc. Blogging is a great tool to use.
Blogging has come to be considered a highly effective marketing tool. You can easily create awareness of your product and get clients and customers to interact with each other. And not only customers, also those who are relatively new to your product get a platform to ask questions and clear their air about your product.
Moreover, it also increases your website rankings can increase because the blog is constantly being updates, commented on, and discussions are always going on. Because of its sheer activity, the rankings improve, creating more awareness of the product.
The following are tips you can follow to power up your blogging endeavors
• Never make the blog post too long uselessly. It must be well written. Long posts tend to get dreary and they are not ‘catchy’ enough for people to sit and go through them.
• Update regularly. Since you don’t need to write long posts that are not much effort. Ideally, blog 3-4 times a week.
• Be entertaining where required, everyone can do with some light hearted humor, without being derogatory.
• You need not stick only to text. Video and photo blogging are fastly catching on and are interesting ways to share your thoughts, and make your videos and photographs well known.
• Be yourself. Do not try to imitate or copy someone else’s content.
• Update frequently otherwise visitors may stop coming to your blog. It will also give you more confidence to churn out more well worded posts in the future.
• Make sure you proof read your posts. Spelling and grammatical errors can be a major put-off for many readers.
How will you use this content? What one action will you take to Power up your Blogging endeavors? Want to learn more on this subject?
I invite you to join me for a power-packed Training call that is part of my Social Media and Online Marketing Teleseries “Blogging made simple” along with a Social Media Q & A and Laser Coaching.
Click here to request your FRE.E ticket to “Jump Start Your Social Media and Online Marketing Success” Teleseries
There’s very limited phone lines.
Talk soon!
I had to forward an email I just got from
David Sharpe. I was a little taken back
when I started reading, but I think you'll
see why I passed it along to you.
Just FYI.
It is a little graphic.....
-------Fwd Email-------
Most folks would never tell you about the
skeletons in their closet in fear that you
might judge them.
Well here's my truth.....
For 10 years of my life I struggled with
addiction and alcoholism.
I lived mostly on the streets and in abandoned
cars and houses.
I had a daughter at the age of 16 and was
separated from her when she was 5.
I felt empty inside and never thought I
would get to experience life the way
'normal' people do.
I was a victim of my own thinking and
bad decision making.
And, I....
...on more than one occasion, almost lost my
life by way of being in the wrong place at the
wrong time.
However, in February of 2008 I reached a
bottom I had never experienced before.
I was empty on the outside.....
.....and empty on the inside.
I took a risk, and crawled my way into a room
where I knew a man and asked him to help me
save my life.
And he did.
After massive personal transformation, 4 years
passed and a little blood, sweat and tears......
......I've managed to stay completely clean and
sober and turn my life around full circle.
I've fought to get my family back, including
the most important person in my world.....
....my eleven year old daughter.
I'm actually about to run out the door and have
a 'dedicated daddy night' with her and grab some
pizza :)
I found love.....
....and plan to spend the rest of my life with
Erin, my girlfriend, who has also helped me
save my life.
Not to mention when I first started this whole
online marketing thing just over 2 years ago......
......I didn't even own a computer.
Today it's not like that though.
Not only do I know what it's like to have a
defining moment in my personal life - I know
what it's like to have a defining moment in my
business, too.
I've since gone on to become one of the most
sought out trainers, coaches and marketers in
the online marketing industry, and built teams
in the thousands and produced results on a
massive scale.
I invite you 'behind the walls' of my life because
I want to share my personal experience with you
in hopes that you realize......
....whatever 'monkeys' are on your back.
...whatever struggles you're trying to overcome.
...and no matter how much you think there's no
hope left.
I'm here to tell you that there is.
If a 28 yr old homeless addict, who society
wrote off as an outcast and lifetime loser
can break the mold and seize the moment....
So can you.
And not only do I want to help you create a
permanent change in your personal life...
I want to help you create a permanent change
in your business, too.
But you have to do what I did and take action.
I crawled my way into a room where I knew
a man and asked him to help me save my life.
And he did.
Now it's your turn.
In the last 2 weeks, we've seen the people
inside Empower Network display greatness.
They've done things that will be talked about
for YEARS to come.
And already, thousands of people have made
money.
And it's been deposited directly into their bank
account.
Because we want you to be in control of
your life ...and your money.
You work for it.
You get it.
You do what you want with it.
And don't settle for less.
Our income report is tremendous, and we're
proud to show it off to whoever wants to see it.
Because we're making a difference.
One person at a time.
One family at a time.
One business at a time.
So......
If you haven't had your first 100% commission
directly deposited into your bank account yet,
you deserve to feel that feeling.
We've already paid out $773,024.20 .....
....and we just hit our 6,000 member today.
550 people are joining everyday.
Do you think there's a reason for that?
And all that in just 16 days.
We've got a couple of people who have made
more than $30,000.00
Several that have made more than $20,000.00
And lot's that have made more than $10,000.00
Best of all....
We've got tons more who have made a few
thousand, or even their very first sale online.
Sometimes I sit back and think about what
would have happened if I never took a risk
to ask someone to help me save my life.
Where would I be?
What would I be doing?
Who would I be with?
If I didn't decide.
Every breakthrough starts with one thing.
The first step.
Take it, now.
You will never get this moment back.
It's your turn.
Decide.
This is as good as it gets.
We just want to know if you're ready to join us.
If so, we'll be waiting on the other side.
Watch This:
http://empowernetwork.com/almostasecret.php?id=sheilacaldwell
And Then Join Us Here:
http://empowernetwork.com/join.php?id=sheilacaldwell
To Your Success!
Sheila Caldwell
The Empower Network has the internet on fire! People are talking about it left and right. If you’re on Facebook, you’ve seen the ads 3 and 4 at a time. Everywhere you turn, someone is asking about Empower Network. If you’re new to the internet, you’re probably wondering what the Empower Network is all about. You’re also wondering if it’s for you.
The short answer is yes. I’ll explain why.
Internet marketing is HUGE right now. Everybody that is alive is setting up their own blog. There are approximately 17 million blogs, and that number is growing. People are using the internet to brand themselves and their businesses, and to earn affiliate income too. With so many blogs and websites out there, how is the newbie marketer going to be able to survive?
That’s where the Empower Network comes in!
Let’s pretend for a second that the Empower Network did not exist. Heck it’s only been around a second. Anyway, let’s say it didn’t exist. To market on the internet, you would need: a domain, hosting, a blog, a designer if you can’t build the blog yourself, a lead capture page, a sales funnel, and an autoresponder. Along with the autoresponder, you need an autoresponder series to market to your list as it develops. Each of these has a cost – both in time AND money.
With Empower Network, you get all of that in fell swoop to the tune of $25 per month. The autoresponder alone would cost you $20 per month. For $25 per month, you will get a blog already set up. This isn’t just any blog. It is highly optimized, fully functional blog! The ‘secret’ to this blog is that the Empower Network provides a higher page rank, which allows your posts to get ranked higher and faster on search engines, such as Google. With an ordinary personal blog, you start out with a page rank of Zero – meaning the search engines don’t even know you’re alive.
One of the main problems internet marketers face is lack of marketing knowledge. As a new marketer, you need to learn how to market! The Empower Network offers you Fast Start Training by video. There is little left to chance, so that you learn how to market. The videos tell you EXACTLY what to do! The Empower Network has weekly conference calls designed to train you as a marketer… from the BEST internet marketer in the world!
As a new marketer, you are almost guaranteed to not make any money your first few months. While there are a few superstars out there, odds are you won’t be one of them. By using the Empower Network to get started, you have a smaller investment with a greater return. You earn 100% affiliate commission for every person you refer who signs up with the Empower Network. Did I mention you get that commission immediately? With every other company, you have to wait days and weeks to get paid! Not with Empower Network! Can you imagine the feeling of getting paid NOW?!
Are you ready to hit the ground running on the internet? Join me today in the Empower Network...
Watch This:
http://empowernetwork.com/almostasecret.php?id=ecoley
And Then Join Us Here:
To Your Unstoppable Success
Marty & LaKeisha Hankins
Internet Marketers
www.LaKeishaHankinsOnline.info
Are you considering starting a blog? Do you already have one?
Blogging is a wonderful way to connect to potential clients and customers and share your expertise.
If you would like to test the waters with blogging, starting a free blog on Blogger.com is a good idea. You can get a quick and easy feel of what it is like to be a blogger with investing little no money.
Here are are few tips to get the most out of your free blog on Blogger and create a memorable experience for your visitors:
1. Buy a domain from Godaddy.com and point it to your free blog.
Having a personalized domain that includes a keyword helps your blog standout from the other free blogs and it helps add to your credibility. Sometimes visitors to your free blog might not take your advice seriously, even if it is good advice. So having a domain can help build confidence with your visitors.
2. Jazz up your site with a customized banner.
If you really want to convert your blog's visitors to loyal followers, it is very important to create a memorable impression. Part of creating a long lasting impression is making sure that your blog's design is professional and unique. An inexpensive way to make your blog standout on Blogger is to add a professionally designed banner to your header. The banner is one of the very first things people see when they visit and it helps increase their chances of remaining on your site if it is one that is uniquely and professionally designed.
Need help finding a banner for your blog? Check out these low-cost, professionally designed banners.
3. Share your expertise in a fun and creative way.
The absolute most important thing about a blog is the content. Share helpful information that answers your visitors' questions. If you are comfortable doing so, share personal anecdotes. Include pictures and if possible videos to help capture the attention of visual learners.
If after a few months, you find yourself in a writing rut, invite a few guest bloggers to post. Guest bloggers are always nice treat for your readers and it is a nice way for you to take a day or two off from blogging.
4. Have fun! Blogging should be an enjoyable experience.
It is a great way to give back to the community and help others. So don't get bogged down, if you are not getting tons of traffic in the first 6 months or even the first year. It takes time to build up traffic. The most successful bloggers will tell you that it took them at least a year before their blog became successful.
WHAT IS IT TO PING A WEBSITE
by Rickey Johnson
ASA Instructor ( http://www.asanetwork.biz)
First an explanation ( now this is the simple version)
Ping is technical term used to describe how computer "speak" to each other.
To determine if a website is working (connected). A person "pings" that web address and translate the data received back to establish if a website is connecting.
OK enough techie talk.
WHY PING
I read this explanation for pinging on a blog ( interesting huh?)
The first question should be, WHY to ping a website?
Well, pinging is a way for search engines to update themselves quickly when you change your website content.
You want to ping a website after any big changes so that you can get that information to the search engines ASAP.
The quicker you ping, the quicker you get higher search engine slots and such.
Bloggers especially, should take heed, as they update frequently.
OK, now I will add my two cents ( and you might get change back)
People are using every "tool" they can to get people to pay attention to their information.
Blogging, ( writing an article in putting that information in a blog. LIKE RIGHT NOW) is one way to get people attention.
Yes, you are a BLOGGER, as soon as you write an article, and post it to your group site or blog site)
Congratulations!!!
But, how do you get the blog websites to pay attention to your blog?
You got it PING!!!
Inexpensive, ( how about free?!) and requires no technical knowledge
ASA recommends, the ping service, ping.fm, as part of ASA member's promotion strategy. This service has been used by many and you know what websites you are "contacting"
There are other ping service available.
Some service do not show what site you are updating with your PING. You have to check for yourself. Most service will show which sites they are sending the ping to.
Check for yourself, which one(s), you think are more effective or even useful at all!! Remember PINGING is just a tool.
Like any tool, it must be used correctly.
When post a article to your blog page ( you automatically are creating a blog page url ( web address) when you post). you should go ahead and use your ping service.
You are "telling" the search engines, " Hey over here!! I just added some fantastic information to my blog page and I want the world to know it!!".
OR
You can wait until a search engine search happens and finds your update.
Notice , this article ( BLOG) can be located at
this address
http://asaonline.spruz.com/blog.htm?a=&nid=BE79CE7C-17EA-43BE-B7A2-D60291CA2B7C
Now, that is a long address ( most ping services will shorten that address when you submit).
Now, if I want someone to read this blog, I can send that address to them manually (email) or post to other blog sites, or social groups ( suggest you use a link shortening service should you do that), or a ping service, and PING it!!!
I can do all of the above or none.
Again, you must determine what works best for you!
The great news is you have ASA members and membership benefits that can help you in your education and research.
Pretty cool, huh?
Ok, may this information been of benefit to you and business growthPeople often say “Pictures are worth a thousand words!”. I say, “Pictures on your website or blog are worth a few seconds”. If you include at least one illustrative picture on each page of your website or blog posts, you will help grab your visitors’ attention and keep them engaged on your site longer.
Now let me back up! Using professional images that are clear and not distorted will help keep your readers engaged! One of the worst things you can do to hurt the credibility of your website or blog is to display images that are distorted and/or have improper resolution. Doing so shows a lack of professionalism and your visitors will not take you or your website/blog seriously.
If you are using photos or images that you have taken yourself, make sure they are NOT blurry, distorted and/or are too dark or light. Make sure your images have a resolution of at least 72 to 92 dpi.
Where to find professional images for your website/blog
My favorite site to use is Fotolia.com. Fotolia.com has lots of fabulous pictures and they start from $1.25. As a matter of fact, I purchased the picture accompanying this post from there and added an overlay to it using my photo editor.
Find Professional Images For Your Blog That Only Cost $1.25, Click Here!!
Regardless of whether you buy your pictures or use your own, just make sure to use ones that will help portray a professional web image and add credibility to your site.
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