posted by W A Blog Tools on Nov 29

Have you tried to publish Website pages the ‘old way’? It involves your HTML publishing software, an image editing software and FTP (File Transfer Protocol) software - then you’ll begin the endless process of create, save, upload, view, tweak, save, upload, view - ad infinitum.

With blogging, you can focus more on getting your word to your target and less on the technical aspects of old-style Web publishing.

But some of the blogging software takes practice to get use to the capabilities.

A lot of blogging software is specifically designed to be simple to use, but even the least intimidating blogging program can feel very overwhelming to somebody who has not spent a lot of time learning the ins and outs of different kinds of software. Particularly for newer bloggers, learning how to use the interface of blogging software is the most difficult part of blogging. If you are somebody who feels comfortable expressing themselves in another medium, it may prove to be well worth your time and effort to learn blogging software, but that doesn’t mean that the task will be easy.

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Did you know? - Blogs Increase Your Website’s “Findability”

A website that is positioned well on Google, MSN and Yahoo is has the potential to be a significant money-maker. The continued explosive growth of the Web makes this one of the hottest topics in Internet Marketing - how to be found?

Blogs increase your Website’s findabiltiy. Blogs attract search engines and blog directories (through built-in notification features) and IF a blog is updated continually with new and fresh content, the blog and the sites that it links to will appear in search engine indexes more quickly than “traditional” Websites.

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The main thing that will help you find success as youlearn how to use a new kind of blogging software is totry and take things slowly. Many people get so excited about learning to blog that they try to rush into the thick of it and start exploring the most complicated features of a program right away. This can lead to getting confused and feeling frustrated, and all too many potential bloggers burn out during this stage of theprocess. If you take your time learning the basics ofyour blog software program before you move on tomore advanced techniques, you will be more likely to retain what you have learned, and to keep feeling positive about your ability to understand the world of blogging.

About the Author

Michael Saunders has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He edits a site on Blogging Strategies in Internet Marketing and maintains the Best Internet Marketing Strategies Site.

posted by W A Blog Tools on Nov 28

This two-part article analyzes the steps for planning and implementing a corporate blog. The first article on “Planning a Successful Business Blog” examines the key decisions on subject, mission, audience targeting, market survey, blogger selection, securing a corporate champion, and making the “go” decision. The second article on “Implementing a Successful Business Blog” dissects the steps of selecting development tools, working out a content plan for launch, making a debut, developing a style and personality, handling responses, monitoring consumer discussion on your subject, and enjoying the process. It’s a roadmap to success in corporate blogging.

Part 1 presented 8 Tips for “Planning a Successful Business Blog”.
In this section, we focus on implementing the corporate blog.

Tip #1: Select Tools / Location / Hosting Service
Most bloggers use online services to create and publish their blogs. All the services provide the necessary tools to easily create a blog, write regular postings to it, and make your blog postings available for viewing on the Web. The following are the most popular services. - Blogger (www.blogger.com) is Google’s free blogging service.
- LiveJournal (www.livejournal.com) from SixApart is a free blogging service, largely used for creating personal journals.
- Typepad (www.typepad.com), another weblogging service from Six Apart, is used by many business blogs.
- Movable Type (www.sixapart.com/moveabletype/) provides more advanced site design and development capabilities.
- WordPress (www.wordpress.org) is a personal publishing platform for bloggers who want more sophisticated features.

Instead of creating a blog within one of the free public services, many companies host employee business blogs on their web domain. Examples are:
- Sun Microsystems: blogs.sun.com
- General Motors: www.gmblogs.com
- Microsoft: www.microsoft.com/Communities/blogs/PortalHome.mspx

Home-grown blogs require substantial technical support from the company’s IT department.

Placement in search engines, links from other blogs and publicity are the key methods to generate visits to your blog.

Tip #2: Develop a Content Plan for Launch
Blogs gain audience, influence and trust over time. Postings during the first few months should stake out the territory. The first 15 to 25 blog posts over the initial two to four weeks are designed to establish a presence, define the “subject” or “space” for the blog, and establish the credibility of the blogger. Like football coaches who script certain plays to start the game, the new business blogger is best advised to script the initial 25 posts before publishing the first one. The initial posts also serve to develop a distinctive “voice” or style for the blog. Voice largely mirrors the real communications style of the blogger. Phony voices don’t last on the Web. At least a few of the initial posts will begin to establish the blogger’s positions on and attitudes toward corporate and industry issues. While both viewpoint and voice evolve over time, it’s important to flash them early.

Tip #3: Make Your Debut
First, establish a presence and build relationships by responding to posts in other blogs - and use those responses to start establishing your expert credentials, positioning and “voice” or personality. The early posts are the rehearsals for the debut. The debut (the use of an entertainment term is intentional) is a posting designed specifically to attract widespread attention and generate buzz. A debut post - or series of posts — can accomplish that in myriad ways including:
- important insight
- touching story
- humor
- far out position
- provocation/attack
- inside look
… and many more.

The key to a successful debut is to connect with the target audience and engage them. The quickest way to connect is to hit a hot button or to give a peek behind the corporate curtain.

Tip #4: Churn out that Content / Get a Rhythm
Worthwhile content - interesting ideas, insights, opinions, reports - is the heart of blogging. Ideally, you want to become a credible “go to” blog - a recognized authority for your subject area. Keeping blog content substantive and fresh is critical to attracting and holding readers. Post frequently and consistently. Daily or even more frequently is best. Weekly at least. Not all posts need to be deep - but all should be interesting to your audience. Short posts with musings can be very effective. Insights don’t have to be long - just worthwhile. After all, this is the web where readers are scanners and “short” is welcome and appreciated.

Tip #5: Follow the Blog Style / Use Links / Stay on Track
An informal, conversational style dominates blog writing. It’s what’s expected - and corporate blogs that conform are more likely to succeed. Short, snappy sentences are in; long-winded “corporatese” is out. Concise is expected. Most bloggers use bullet points liberally. The goal is to make reading quick and easy - enabling readers to scan content. And provide links to stories or ideas you reference. That’s the blog etiquette. Stay relevant. Keep on topic and on track. Straying from the selected subject inevitably causes followers to depart - and not return.

Tip #6: Be Better / Play Nice

Be better means:
- Have more interesting content than your competitors
- Be more responsive than your competitors. Even marginally better often makes a big business difference (ref: iPod).

Play nice means:
- Always be civil. Bloggers thrive on strongly expressed opinion, but are off put by personal attacks. The blogosphere slices up and disposes of mean or rude people quickly.
- Never tell a lie and never try to hide information. You’ll get caught, lose credibility and never get it back.
- Say nice things about competitors. It disarms them and gains you points with others.
- Don’t try to game the blogosphere. You’re likely to lose. What’s gaming? Creating a false personality for one.

These basic rules have made the prolific Robert Scoble of Microsoft one of technology’s most recognized and admired bloggers (http://scobleizer.wordpress.com).

Tip #7: Invite Response
Enabling the target audience to respond is a defining characteristic of blogs. The key: allow dissidents to participate but not dominate the discussion. In the give-n-take environment, bloggers need a thick skin and need to acknowledge mistakes - their own and their company’s. Think twice about erasing negative comments by others - and then think again. Openness is vital in successful blogging. Inviting response means giving up some control of the message. Owning the blog, however, assures you have the last word.

Tip #8: Monitor Consumer Discussion
Monitor regularly what the market is saying about your company, its products, people, competitors and industry issues. Monitor not only blogs, but also message boards, forums, and Usenet news groups. You can use one of the blog search engines such as Technorati (www.technorati), PubSub (www.pubsub.org), Google Blog Search (blogs.google.com), BlogPulse (www.blogpulse.com) and Feedster (www.feedster.com).

You can also use RSS tools such as Bloglines (www.bloglines.com) or NewsGator (www.newsgator.com). Monitor Usenet with Google Groups (groups.google.com). Monitor message boards with BoardReader (www.boardreader.com) Or, for fully-integrated media monitoring, you can subscribe to a service such as CyberAlert (www.cyberalert.com), Cymfony (www.cymfony.com), Carma (www.carmainternational.com) or KD Paine & Partners (www.kdpaine.com). The subscription media monitoring and measurement services provide more comprehensive and consistent coverage of consumer discussion than any single search engine and most enable you to automatically save the posts for media measurement and analysis.

Tip #9: Enjoy the Ride
For most bloggers, blogging is a joy. For some, it’s even a high. Companies are successfully deploying employee-written blogs to improve the corporate reputation and their connections to customers. Since many mainstream journalists monitor blogs, some companies have utilized their corporate blogs to get their message into the mainstream press. Bottom line: when approached correctly, business blogging does work!

Note: This article may be republished in full with proper attribution including a link to CyberAlert.com

Articles on Business Blogs

The Bottom Line on Blogging
Companies find all that Web talk builds business — Kansas City Star, 3/14/2006

The Inside Story on Company Blogs
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2006/tc20060214_402499.htm

Attack of the Blogs
http://www.forbes.com/home/free_forbes/2005/1114/128.html

Why there’s no escaping the blog
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2005/01/10/8230982/index.htm

Do’s and don’ts of corporate blogging
http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/28/news/companies/pluggedin_fortune/index.htm

Business Blogs for Reference</SPAN>

Micro Persuasion by Steve Rubel
http://www.micropersuasion.com

Seth Godin’s Blog
http://sethgodin.typepad.com

Your Guide to Corporate Blogging (Sweden)
http://www.corporateblogging.info/

Jonathan Schwartz — Sun Microsystems
http://blogs.sun.com/jonathan

Debbie Weil — Consultant on Business Writing and Blogging
http://www.MonaLisaofBlogging.com

KDPaine’s Media Measurement Blog
http://kdpaine.blogs.com

Julie Woods — Cymfony Marketing Insight
http://www.cymfony.blogs.com/

Bob Lutz — GM Fastlane Blog
http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/

About the Author

Bill Comcowich is CEO of CyberAlert, Inc. (www.cyberalert.com), a media monitoring, press clipping, TV news monitoring, and blog monitoring service.

posted by W A Blog Tools on Nov 27

Money can now be made by sharing one?s opinion. Is this a joke? No it is for real. This is because blogs are one of the things people love to look at these days when surfing in the web.

It is not that hard to make a blog. A user can download a template and put the content there or make one up using wizard.

The trick to making money is being able to find a niche market. This means finding something relevant to talk about that people can relate to that can be done through research.

When the blog site is ready, it is time to do one pre-flight check to make sure all the systems are working. It is such a huge turnoff when it is not user friendly enough to the public.

The only way to get people to see the blog is to advertise. This means coming up with important keywords that someone will normally type so that the website will appear in a few seconds.

There are many search engines on the web. The person should not be afraid of paying a small amount to be able work with some of the best in the industry such as Yahoo, Google or MSN to get more traffic.

The best way to get more viewers is to narrow down the market. Some search engines have a target ad system so that those of the same interest will be informed about the person?s blog site.

Google?s version is called Adsense. The system uses a java script code. When it is ready, the person will have to endorse it to the search engine for inspection. If there are no problems, this will shortly be updated to the main server.

How does the person make money-using Adsense? When a site is made, Google will be the one posting ads in the site. Every time a customer buys something, the developer will get a commission from the transaction. So, more visitors turns into more revenue.

The best way for people to know that such a blog exists will be to tell friends and family members about it so the word will get around.

If the topic posted does not get that much attention, perhaps the issue is not that relevant anymore. Blogging is really trial and error so the person should again go back to the drawing board and come up with something better that the viewers would love to read and even tell others.

There are three requirements for anyone who wishes to use Adsense. The website developed by the person must have 10 to 15 pages of relevant information. The second is that this should be user-friendly. Lastly, it must not have too many ads around because this will just distract the visitor from exploring the site any further.

Studies show that the number of blogs are increasing daily. This will double or even triple as various sites are also giving members the opportunity to express opinion.

It is very rare that topic for the blog will be an overnight success. There are also other people who have said something about the topic and the person has to find a way to beat the competition.

The most important thing to do when it is up and running is to conduct maintenance checks and have updates regularly so that there is always something new to show to visitors.

About the Author:

Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on a great business opportunity and learn how to make money checkout his recommended websites.

posted by W A Blog Tools on Nov 26

One of the hardest, but most important, attraction tools to initiate and maintain after meeting a potential mate or sex partner is to pique her interest, arouse her passion, and raise her curiosity levels early on. You only get small amount of time before you’re making a touchdown in the friend zone on the team you don’t want to be playing on. Avoid this draft.

You want to get her thinking you are a smart, witty, sensual, and a potential dating material early on. Because women are always looking for the hidden meaning, or “what is he really saying,” and enjoy dissecting your words, you will have a great advantage over many other men if you can maintain an interesting and engaging blog and can get her to start reading soon after she meets you.

It’s like creating your own real-time, updatable, dating site profile that she comes back to again and again, feening and hungry for knowledge about you to sink her teeth into and wrap her overanalyzing brain around.

I won’t go into how to get a blog, there are tons of user-friendly platforms out there (Blogger, Livejournal, WordPress), and you can figure it out. After you get a blog, there are at least four strategies to help you get started building her info-obsession and I will lay them out for you, but first I want to give you a little background.

My Own Obsession Seeding Blog Experience- I started blogging my junior year in college around late 2001, way before blogging was even cool. I soon found out the unspoken rules, drama, as well as accidentally discovered some unique advantages and relationship-jump starter benefits I would have never had imagined possible by putting a few paragraphs online.

I have to admit, I probably scored at least three long-term girlfriends, 20 acquaintances/friends, and a dozen dates over a four year period purely from bloggin’ it up. I kept them reading months, even years, after the relationship was over. I know for a fact these girls would continue to read my blog if I updated often enough. I am sure they eventually trailed off after not updating for months. My words echoed in their skulls and yours can too with the proper training and advice.

First, you must understand I never did anything to blatantly get a reaction (ok maybe a couple of times). That is the beauty of it: A blog is supposed to be your true feelings, thoughts, and stories. Similar to a newspaper, if it’s put in print (even digital print), it must be true and a woman can not argue with that logic when it comes to feelings because it is there own. Feelings should be trusted as truth indicators for which you can not be blamed. Now, the Four Strategies:

1. The Unveiling - Keep it Subtle After you’ve gone on one date, regardless of where you met her, mention that you have a blog that you keep up with that your friends read. She’ll think it is nice that you considered her a friend, then send her the address. Now that you have baited your hook, take the next step, but do this oh so carefully. She she is mildly interested, she will then use the blog to gain a “deeper insight” to who you are the days following the date.

2. Me, Me, Meeeeee — Mention Her Once & She will be Hooked People can not resist seeing their own name in print, as well as reading your thoughts and opinions about them. Casually mention her name in a post without any strong feelings toward or against her for the most effect. Psychological experiments prove variable interval reinforcement schedules (Google it) are the strongest for predicting consistent behavior.

She’ll come back over and over, wondering when is the next time you will write about her and possibly expose how you really feel.

3. Post about Past Dates & Dating Other Women This may seem counter-intuitive, but it sucks her in like a line of coke does to Courtney Love. This works especially well, if they are dates from the past, but if you are seeing other people simultaneously talk about those dates too. Once she has been hooked by you mentioning her name, she is sure to think you may have talked about other dates with other women in past posts as she is clicking “previous” until her pointer finger is sore. It helps even more if you post the girls’ pictures in the entry.

Dummy Disclaimer Only post the girl’s picture when each relationship has actually ended, or it might freak the subject of the post out slightly. Always take a picture down, if any past dating partners request. End Disclaimer

Past dates will mostly likely never ask because, even if you do post it too early, the immediate EX won’t want to admit she is still reading your blog.

If you don’t have a lot of dates to write about, write about how some girl flirted with you or how you had a great time with your friends. If you can’t be seen as a mysterious writer guy that is highly sought after, you can at least be considered a fun guy that people like and has a life of his own without her. This is highly attractive as well. That is a subject for another dating tip article.

4. Go Deep, but Not too Deep It is good to be thought-provoking and philosophical in your entries sometimes, but don’t overdo it. This should be obvious, but don’t whine, give self-pity, or share your deep-seeded childhood feelings and stories about how your uncle touched you. This isn’t therapy, it’s entertainment for yourself, others and to help you get that next date. Good luck!

About the Author

Neil Lemons represents Hot Bar Buddy, a Dallas-based wingwoman & female promotional models agency. He writes a weekly Dallas dating advice article on his site http://www.hotbarbuddy.com/.

posted by W A Blog Tools on Nov 25

One easy way to start profiting online is through the use of free blogs like blogger.com

It’s a technique I use everyday and I suggest you try it out if you’ve never made money online. Even if you make money online already, it won’t be a bad idea to add another income stream to your current portfolio.

Follow the steps below and you’ll be earning money within 72 hours. Although what you’ll be earning immediately might not be much, but it will put you in a good stead to achieving greater things online.

Step 1: Think of a topic know.

I don’t know what your intersts are. Maybe basketball, cooking or what have you. Think about what you’re passionate about that you can talk and talk about without getting bored.

Step 2: Get a blog.

As soon as you finish reading this article, go to blogger.com and sign up for a free blog as start post a welcome message right away.

Wait for a couple of hours and put up another post. You don’t have to be an expert writer. Just write like you’re talking to a friend.

Step 3: Sign up for google adsense.

This is the fastest way to monetize your blog. There obviously more ways to profit from your blog but adsense is no doubt the fastest way. Remember we have a 72 hour deadline.

Google will reply you within 48 hours and you’ll be provided with ads to display in HTML code. Stream the ads right away.

Step 4: Tell your friends.

Just send out an email to your friends telling them about your blog. It will be better if you’ve got friends who are interested in the topic being discussed on your blog.

Encourage them to recommend it to their other friends. Do this aggressively for 24 hours and watch the reactions.

People will come to your website and click on your adsense and you’ll be making some bucks online within hours. Don’t tell them to click on the ads because it’s violates google’s terms and conditions which will get you banned for life.

Give it a shot and you’ll be smiling soon.

Cheers,

Akin Alabi http://www.AverageJoeAffiliate.com

posted by W A Blog Tools on Nov 24

It has been duly noted that so often human behavior on Internet Forums and Blogs gets out of control with name calling and such. Generally this happens when one participant goes out of their way to offend another and then the disrespected party gets their feathers ruffled and begins to seek revenge. Egos ensue and the battle begins, often it goes on and on. If you are caught embattled in a Blog Controversy, whether you started it or inadvertently found yourself a victim there is a solution. It is possible to Right the Wrongs of verbal or rather electronic attack of words. You can Turn the Tables on Blog Tyranny if you choose too and it maybe much simpler than you think. There are several ways to turn the tables and diffuse an argument on a Blog or Internet Forum. The easiest thing is to observe a few rules such as;

1.) Be nice and follow the ?golden rule? of do onto others as you would have done onto you.

2.) Be positive and compliment the other party when they make a decent point.

3.) Agree to disagree, but admit you enjoy the debate and value the other parties and participants.

4.) Leave your ego at home, no need to plaster this all over the net.

If the situation still gets out of hand and you are following such basic rules of common courtesy and Blog or Internet Forum etiquette then consider an apology if you had made a mistake or compliment the other on their strength of character to continue the debate with such fervor and tenacity.

It really is possible to communicate using Blogs and Forums and gain insight, knowledge and perhaps even make friends. I certainly hope that this article will help propel thought in your online endeavors and allow you to have a more enjoyable experience on the Internet in 2007.

posted by W A Blog Tools on Nov 23

When people first learn that blogs can be used to benefit their business, they usually consider it as some form of advertising. But while blogs are commonly used to help promote business, there are other ways in which they can benefit businesses as well. The following is a comprehensive list of ways in which a blog can benefit your business.

Way a Blog Can Benefit Your Business #1: Advertising

Businesses often hire freelance writers to maintain a blog for them. The blog serves as a way of advertising over the Internet by discussing the company and the services that it offers. It’s actually easier to get a blog added to the major search engines than it is to add a Web Site. Most companies are beginning to realize this and put just as much emphasis on their blog as they do on their Web Site.

Way a Blog Can Benefit Your Business #2: Customer Feedback

Your business’ blog should provide an opportunity for customers to respond and leave feedback. A good company should take the feedback of their customers to heart when making business decisions. Remember, it is customers that keep you in business, so don’t take what they have to say lightly.

Way a Blog Can Benefit Your Business #3: Employee Feedback

There is a small portion of businesses still operating in America who genuinely care about their employees. So much so that they are beginning to provide in-house blogs in which employees can anonymously air their frustrations and dislikes with policies. Skilled employees with extensive experience are very valuable in the work world, and some companies are taking measures to avoid turnovers by taking note of their employees’ frustrations and trying to rectify problems.

Way a Blog Can Benefit Your Business #4: Build Employee Morale

Aside from providing blogs as a forum for employees to share their grievances, some companies also utilize blogs to help promote employee morale. This is done by posting topics and stories that pertain to the accomplishments of employees. It recognizes their hard work and lets them know that they are appreciated; a feature that is absent in most companies today.

Way a Blog Can Benefit Your Business #5: Make More Money

Small businesses can benefit from blogs by placing ads for their Internet site within them to get customers to visit, and perhaps make a purchase. Businesses can also team up with affiliate programs to make a little extra money which can maybe be used for holiday bonuses for the employees. Just because you have a main focus in your business, does not mean you can’t have a few side projects that make you money also.

When developing a blog for your business, remember that professionalism is important. The way your blog is conducted reflects upon your company, so make sure the blog content is well written and free of grammatical errors. Unlike most blogs, yours represents your business, so let yours stand out by being professional and different from the other standard blogs flooding the Internet.

About the Author

Codrut Turcanu is a full-time Top Marketer from Romania. Sign-Up for his 6-part FREE eCourse (A $29.95 VALUE) and discover “How To Make Real Money With Blogs” http://www.HowToMakeMoneyViaBlogs.com

posted by W A Blog Tools on Nov 22

Most people don?t understand what the term ?blog? means, much less any of the many other terms that are used when discussing the subject of blogging. To help clear up any confusion and misunderstanding, the following list of blog terms was compiled.

Blog Term #1: Blog

Most people don?t understand what a blog is, which is why it is at the top of the list. The term ?blog? is short for web log. Blogs are essentially online journals kept by individuals; though not in the traditional since, where they divulge their innermost thoughts and secrets. Blogs are used as a place for people to discuss their interests and offer advice to others who read them.

Some people have even become skilled enough at blogging to make money doing it for a living.

Blog Term #2: Pinging

Pinging is a useful tool used by bloggers to get their blog noticed. There are hundreds of websites available that provide this service free. What pinging does is it notifies the many popular search engines that there has been an update to your blog. This helps move your blog up the ranks of popularity so that it has a better chance of getting noticed.

Blog Term #3: Linking

Most popular blogs provide links within their content that allow people to be redirected to other websites in order find more information on a topic, or as a means of referencing the topic to make sure that the blog is accurate. All too often many blogs are purposely filled with false information. However, linking helps legitimate bloggers separate themselves from the fakes.

Blog Term #4: Posts

This term refers to the addition of a new entry to your blog. Each time you update your blog, this is called a post.

Blog Term #5: Template

All new blogs are issued with a standard writing template. Don?t think that your topics and writing alone will be enough to generate readership. You?ll also want to edit your template so that it stands apart from those of everyone else. A blog must be just as aesthetically pleasing as it is informative.

Blog Term #6: Blog host

In order to get a blog you need to sign up with a blog host. Such websites include Blogger dot com, or if you have a My Space account, you may have realized that you have a blog space there. Whatever the case, remember that there are many blog hosts who offer the service free, so don?t waste your money with one who requires a fee.

Blog Term #7: Blog directories

These are massive online databases that catalogue the millions of different blogs in cyberspace. When you start your own blog you will also be added.

Blog Term #8: Niche

You?ve probably heard people mention the need for your blog to have a niche. A niche refers to the purpose of your blog. Does your blog discuss politics, pop culture, or music? Each one of those is a niche.

Blog Term #9: RSS feed

This is a piece of code you can include with your blog which allows people to subscribe to it. This takes the hassle out of your readership having to visit your blog to see if it is updated by automatically informing them every time it is.

Blog Term #10: Trackback links

This is a tool that notifies another bloggers anytime you reference their blog. It also includes a link to your blog from theirs. This is a great way to expand your notoriety, as well as build some connections with other bloggers.

As you continue to learn about blogging, these ten terms will make the process easier. Any time you come across a blogging term you?re unfamiliar with make sure and research it before making any decisions. For now though, the terms above will be enough to help you get started blogging on your own.

posted by W A Blog Tools on Nov 21

Many involved in the real estate industry have discovered that their field is a fertile blogging topic, full of human drama, interesting debates, and even its share of funny stories. For a good laugh, and valuable insight into regional housing markets, try reading any number of blogs on overpriced homes. If you’d rather learn about amenities and culture in your favorite big city from a real estate perspective, look to various magazine-style blogs covering the nerve centers of the nation. Real Estate seems to hold interest from any angle, probably because it represents the biggest investment most people make. Many real estate blogs quickly become covered with advertisements from companies looking for exposure.

If you’re thinking of joining the real estate bloggosphere, readers are definitely waiting. But to attract a dedicated audience, back links, and valuable comments on your posts, there are a number of useful blog strategies you can employ.

As shown in the popularity of humor and magazine-style blogs, it’s important to write with an audience in mind. People want blogs to be entertaining as well as informative, and knowing your audience allows you to achieve both. For example, are you writing for the general public, or just downtown condo buyers? If you’re not sure who might read your blog, try making a list of writing topics, and see if any themes develop. Also consider where you’ll be getting most of your information. If your primary source is CNN, you’ll likely have different audience than if you’re reading Alternet.

Unsurprisingly, Realtors are often the biggest readers of real estate blogs. Targeting them can be a challenge since it involves more specialized knowledge, but it’s worth it. If you can appeal specifically to Realtors, you’ll generate a lot of traffic and potential revenue.

To write compelling content, you’ll also need to adopt a distinct voice, or style. This doesn’t have to involve months of soul searching, since everybody naturally writes differently - it’s just a matter of working up to a conversational tone. And as any good conversationalist knows, it never hurts to give someone your full attention - don’t be shy to address the reader directly once in a while.

Good writing and entertaining content will help keep readers on your real estate blog, but that isn’t always what brings them there. If you can boost your blog’s reputation as a resource site with unique images, videos, and informative links, you’ll attract more regular visitors and back links. This is especially true in real estate, where readers are always looking for an edge to increase their investment or business prospects.

Once your blog is ready to go with a few pages of content, it’s important to keep it visible with regular updates. The more you content you add, the more essential it will become for readers to visit and read on a regular basis.

As you enter the bloggosphere, your site will begin to impact on other sites out there, and vice versa. One way to manage and keep track of this effect is to enable RSS feeds for syndication, and have posts linked to social networking sites like Digg, Linkroll, and Technorati, where readers can help promote your content.

As in the real estate industry, the world of real estate blogging is full of competition. But if you can put together something unique and entertaining using the above strategies, you’ll be ahead of 90 per cent of the sites out there.

About the Author

John Daniel is an Orange County Real Estate agent and blogger serving the Orange County, California area. He sells residential and multifamily homes.

posted by W A Blog Tools on Nov 20

Measuring the state of business blogging can be tricky. Statistics are contradictory and change almost by the day because of the exponentially rapid growth of the blog as a medium (not to mention its newness).

A recent Pew Internet research poll the amount of businesses using blogs to be in the neighborhood of 7% (a research poll conducted by American Express last month suggested a similar percentage). Meanwhile, another poll by Guidewire Group suggests 89% of companies are either blogging now or plan to in the near future. Despite these wildly differing figures, the point of agreement is that business blogging is growing. The pace seems to be the heart of the dispute.

There are about 175,000 blogs being created each day (or about two per second), but don’t let that figure frighten you: the business share is a drop in the bucket. Experts put the number of active business blogs in the U.S. today at about 5,000, with half of them being less than a year old and only 10% older than three years. Many new business blogs, like all blogs, are abandoned after a few months, and only about 39% of total blogs are in English language (Japanese is top). What all of this says is that blogging is becoming a global norm but is still very much open to newcomers.

Trends vary by company size, with smaller companies tending to make more use of business blogging, while larger companies maintain a healthy share. About 55% of all business blogs are started by companies with fewer than 100 employees while around 15% account for companies with 1,000 or more employees. However, of the largest 500 companies in the United States, 40% utilize blogs in their comprehensive strategy.

Outside the unruly statistics, what is actually successful in the world of business blogging itself is a little clearer. Virtually all research and opinion on the subject points to a handful of critical factors, including:

• A writing style that is able to both connect on a personal level and be entertaining. This includes knowing your customer and establishing a significant relationship in the blog medium.
• The company’s willingness to be engaged in an honest marketplace dialogue with its clientele (the source of the infinitely precious credibility of any blog).
• The individual blog writer’s time given to the blog itself, for relevant research, thought, responding to posts from readers, and the overall construction of quality work and frequent updates.

Of course, individual companies in their unique industries face their own quirks and demands. For example, depending on the situation or industry, your business may want to focus most carefully on the tone and style of the writer. Companies with reputations they’d like to salve or improve (oil companies, for example) may find particular interest in the transparency aspect of blogging. While in a fast-paced industry (such as technology or media), a company blog might need to weigh its time devoted to updating material for the blog more carefully. Many businesses begin blogging with clear goals in the onset, or even test a blog internally before developing an external blog. Some businesses also run more than one blog. General Motors, for example, runs an entertainment blog (Fastlane) and information blog (FYI) combo that has been very successful.

The General Motors blogs is a great example of successful business blogging in its maturity. Both are easy to navigate and subscribe to, are succinctly written, and utilize costumer-generated material, including photos and video. There are also many links (not only to GM but other auto sites and even other blogs), so the reader gets a real sense genuine dialogue and openness. A look at the high volume of comments and responses in the Fastlane blog shows that successful blogs are both social and relevant.

In the world of blogs, there is still disagreement on who should be writing the business blog. In the case of Fastlane, it’s Vice Chairman Bob Lutz. For some companies, however, the pitfalls might outweigh the privileges of having an executive doing the blogging. The voice of the boss does not always come out well in a blog. Also, an executive might be unlikely to continue blogging for long due to a simple lack of time. This is the situation for about half of all blogs that are created: after three months, the entries stop and the blog is essentially dead. For this reason, typically the most successful business blogs are run by the employees rather than the CEOs. Therefore, it might make more sense for your business if the employees conduct blogging because they generally have the energy and detailed insight (and voice) to make a more readable blog because to the peers of the readers, and thus legitimate.

Legitimacy has proven to be of central importance to any success in business or market blogging. A few years back, Dr. Pepper attempted to overstep this in the marketing of their now infamous new product, Raging Cow (a flavored milk drink). The company hired teenagers to try the drink and blog about it after being coached. Dr. Pepper’s efforts were received with viciousness and even boycotts for trying to infiltrate the “integrity” of the blogosphere with marketing through coached customers and “hip-ness.” The whole thing went sour and Raging Cow went unreleased. Moreover, many of us are looking at the fate of “Pay-Per-Post” and its legitimacy in the near future.

Another drink company, Jones Soda, offers a much different and more successful model of blog legitimacy and customer outreach. A visit to the blog gives more the impression of a teen hangout than a business. The blog, in fact, acts as a hub for numerous customer blogs. There is all of the usual business-related material present: an online store, a product locator, and message boards (with posts reaching into the thousands). But the people at Jones very obviously know their customers well and have developed a highly successful blog counterpart to their business by loosening the reigns and putting the clientle completely in charge. Terrifying as this might be to some executives, it seems to have worked brilliantly for Jones.

In summary, business blogging can be best looked upon in its infancy even though the sheer statistics of blogs appearing everyday appear to be high. Businesses that whish to enter the blogospere should do so cautiously unless they have a strategy that meets several of the requirements above. However when executed carefully, a business blog can be a great source of customer intimacy, relationship building, and an extension of your business’s brand.