Nicole Allard's Blog
Posted by Nicole Allard
When I set out to interview someone about marketing blogs I did not expect to recieve the answers I did from Richard.
His answers are honest, refreshing, raw, and more importantly easy to connect with. When I wrote about showing your personality in your blog, Richard is a good example of this. His personality really does shine through every word he types. He does not seem like just another persoin with a blog and a book; he is an interesting and humorous person writing a helpful and resourceful blog with a published book.
It is nice to see these answers, because often times I find the interviews I conduct are boring with the answers always pre written and a bit fake. This is not what the blogosphere is looking for. When we seek out a blog to read for entertainment, fun, resources, or whatever that blog needs to be interesting and fun. If it seems fake we will simply click away and look for another blog.
I think my interview with Richard really shows how you can write a good blog by letting your personality show freely. When you don't your blog can seem fake, stale and boring. Keep your readers coming back for more with a blog that shows your true self!
Happy Blogging!
Nicky
Posted by Nicole Allard
Whether this is your first blog or your twentieth, this blog is about what to write when you start a new blog.
So, you want a new blog, but you aren't sure what it should be about. You aren't sure what you should write, but you want to write. There are some simple steps you can take to plan out a new, unique blog that you will enjoy writing. You will need a notebook and pen, or whatever you prefer to write in.
Step 1 - What to Write?
This is an important part of your blog; it is the foundation of your blog that everything else wil be built apon. This will be what you first need to brainstorm. What is your passion? What do you love to do? Jot down as many as you can think of, and narrow it down to a few of your favorites. Now look at your list and see which ones could make an incredible blog. Then you will need to narrow it down to one and focus on that one topic. This will be what your blog will be about! Writing about your passion will help you enjoy posting new blogs on a regular basis, and your readers will see that you are enjoying it and feed off of your enthusiasm.
Step 2 - What's in a Name?
Next you will need to come up with a unique and interesting name for your blog. The title will need to portray what your blog is about, and it will also need to be available for a domain in whichever blog host you will use. Brainstorming a few of them us a good idea just in case one of them is not available.
Step 3 - Making Extra Money
If you are not a member already, I recommend that you sign up for Google Adsense, Commission Junction and Clickbank so you can make some extra money with your blog. You do not have to do this, but I recommend it as I have personally seen benefits from it.
Step 4 - Posting BlogsTo keep your blog up to date and keep your readers always interested in your blog you will need to post a blog on a regular basis, usually no less than once a week. You might want to make a schedule for yourself and your readers so both of you know when to expect a new blog. Some people write new blog posts on a daily basis and have lengthy readerships. However, how often you post depends on how much time you have to do so. Write out how much you want to post and how often. A blog usually needs to only be anywhere from 100 to 500 words. If it is any longer your readers might get bored, but sometimes it does need to be longer.
Step 5 - Setting Goals
What do you want this blog to do for you and your readers? Jot down some good ideas on why you are starting this blog and what you want the outcome to be. This can be the most difficult step, but it can help you and your blog tremendously.
Now, get started! Choose your blog host and get started with your blog. Post it to me in the discussion so we can all take a look! I would love to read new blogs!
Happy Blogging!
Nicky
Posted by Nicole Allard
Writing a press release is not as overwhelming or as difficult as it may sound. You can look at it as a way of announcing your blog to the world in a simple, concise and attention grabbing press release. You will also need to submit that press release to various PR firms, and most of them will let you submit them for free. When your press release is accepted it will be read by many journalists, freelance writers, publishers, and anyone else interested in industry trends.
Even though I said before that writing a press release is not as difficult as it may seem, I do have to say that you must add something to your press release. It has to contain information about your blog that is unique, interesting, attention grabbing. It has to be something that most people who read it will want to write about it or learn more about your blog. It has to reach out and grab your readers' attention to say "hey, this is the blog you need to visit!".
Here are Some Resources for Writing and Submitting Press Releases:
PR Newswire (I use them a lot and they have tips on writing press releases, as well as an awesome template)
Happy Blogging!
Nicky
Posted by Nicole Allard
Writing blog posts is fun. It has a sense of community about it where people of common interests can come together to your blog, share ideas and advice, and connect. That is a wonderful thing, and nearly pertinent to those of us who are self-employed and work from home with two small children. Yes, that's me. Sometimes I just need to get away without really going anywhere. Traveling is not really my thing anyway. I enjoy solitude when I get the chance to. However, I also enjoy finding something to read that can hold my interest, is about something I enjoy (such as writing), and makes me giggle a little.
Humor in writing is a wonderful thing. I like to read a blog post and smile about something the blogger wrote. And, yes, I have had times where I nearly spit coffee out of my nose because of something a blogger wrote. Both are great things, because I would go stir crazy if it weren't for these little blogs that humor me with their presence and intriguing content.
The blogs I tend to like to the most (and notice that others do too) are the ones where the blogger is unafraid to show his or her personality in their writings. It gives the readers a glimpse into the blog writer's mind, even if for only a moment. That connection, even if it is made anonymously, is still a fabulous thing.
A blog that is more dry and educational can be quite the turn off. We blog because we love to and want to, and we read them for the same reasons. Do not be afraid to show off your personality in your blogs. Let your personality shine through. You might see a difference in the amount of readers you have, and even in how many comments you get.
Wishing you Successful Blogging,
Nicky
Posted by Nicole Allard
A blog is not quite like anything else. It's not a television show, a movie, a magazine, a newspaper, or a website - all of which can have different topics sprinkled throughout them. Magazines and newspapers have different departments for different topics, and websites have different sections for different topics.
However, a blog is something completely different. A blog is a blog. There aren't any sections or different departments so you can have numerous topics all in one blog. In a blog you have to focus on one particular topic and write blogs to post that are related to that topic in some form. It can get a little hard to do at times, especially if you are writing in your blog regularly.
However, if you do not choose a niche topic for you blog you might find that readers will either never read or subscribe to your blog, or your readership will dwindle. If you choose a niche topic, you can find people who would love to be able to read about that topic a lot and give them what they want.
If you really want to pump up your readership offer something for free, try to give resources in your blogs, and give your readers helpful information!
Happy Blogging!
-Nicky
Posted by Nicole Allard
Blog marketing can be just like any other business marketing strategies, but it is unique, just as each business is unique. Your blog might market well with a newsletter that has related content to your blog, while another blog might have trouble finding stable readers through a newsletter ad.
We are all different, our business are all different and our blogs are all different in some way or another. What that means is that I can't tell you precisely how to market your blog. I can only give you some guidelines like in my article, some advice and hope you will find much success in marketing your blog.
Blog Marketing Resources -
That should be enough to get you started right there! I hope that you learn as much as you can about blog marketing so you can have a successful blog with countless, loyal readers. You can do this by marketing your blog and letting people know that your blog is out there and that it offers something for them.
Happy Blogging!
-Nicky
Posted by Nicole Allard
Larry Genkin, the publisher of Blogging and Podcasting Magazine just wrote to me and offered to give my readers a free subscription to his new magazine! What am I going to say, no? Of course not! You, my devoted reader, deserve this awesome deal!
This is an amazing deal, and you should take advantage of it as soon as you can. It is not everday that someone offers this kind of generosity!
This offer is just for you! All you need to do is click on the link to the Blogger & Podcaster Magazine and fill out a short form. Yap, that is it!
Blogger & Podcaster Magazine is the industry’s first trade magazine and it launches this April. It’s for bloggers and podcasters who are serious about the business. It features editorial like case studies, technology reviews, interviews and feature stories with industry experts, thought leader columnists and news.
Thank you, Larry! My readers and I appreciate your genorosity and kindness! I can sign up, too right?! = )
I'm so excited!
Happy Blogging!
-Nicky
Posted by Nicole Allard
There is a huge variety of ways that you can promote your blog, but in this article I am going to show you how to promote your blog with the technology of blog directories. Blog directories are much like web directories or ezine directories where you go to a certain website and find an ezine or website that relates to your interests. Listing your blog in a blog directory will also help your blog get higher rankings with the search engines, because your blog link will be added to more websites. The more websites you link to the better chance you have of raising your search engine status, which means more people will be able to find your blog through searches as well!
Here Are Some Blog Directories To Get You Started –
Blogwise - http://www.blogwise.com/
Bloglines - http://www.bloglines.com/
Technorati - http://www.technorati.com/
Feedster - http://www.feedster.com/
Syndic8 - http://www.syndic8.com/
BoingBoing - http://boingboing.net/
WeBlogALOT - http://www.weblogalot.com/
Blog Critics Magazine - http://blogcritics.org/
Blogdex - http://blogdex.net/
Globe of Blogs - http://www.globeofblogs.com/
Bloggernity - http://www.bloggernity.com/
Blog Rankings - http://www.blogrankings.com/
Blog Street - http://www.blogstreet.com/
Blog Matrix - http://www.blogmatrix.com/
1 S Blogs - http://www.lsblogs.com/
Pub Sub - http://www.pubsub.com/
2 RSS - http://www.2rss.com/
Blog Universe - http://www.bloguniverse.com/
Blog Catalog - http://blogcatalog.com/
Blog Search Engine - http://www.blogsearchengine.com/
Blog Flux - http://www.blogflux.com/
Blog Digger - http://www.blogdigger.com/
Your Web Log Here - http://www.yourwebloghere.com/
Bloggeries - http://www.bloggeries.com/
Top 100 Bloggers - http://www.top100bloggers.com/
Fast Buzz - http://www.fastbuzz.com/
Blog Runner - http://www.blogrunner.com/
Bulk Feeds - http://bulkfeeds.net/
Blogs by Women - http://www.blogsbywomen.org/
Finding Blog - http://findingblog.com/
Search 4 RSS - http://www.search4rss.com/
Blizg - http://www.blizg.com/
Blurt It - http://www.blurtit.com/
Bloogz - http://www.bloogz.com/
Blog Audit - http://www.blogaudit.com/
Blog Explosion - http://www.blogexplosion.com/
Blog Listing - http://www.bloglisting.net/
Search 4 Blogs - http://www.search4blogs.com/
Blog Shop - http://www.bloghop.com/search.htm
Blog Code - http://www.blogcode.com/
Read a Blog - http://www.readablog.com/
Local Feeds - http://www.localfeeds.com/
Blog Top Sites - http://www.blogtopsites.com/
Blogger's Point - http://www.bloggerspoint.com
Blog Guru - http://www.blogguru.biz/
Blog Vision - http://www.blogvision.com/
BoogiePlay - http://www.boogieplay.com/
Way Path - http://www.waypath.com/
Blogs Collection - http://www.blogs-collection.com/
Find Some More Here –
http://www.toprankresults.com/blog-submit-list.htm
http://dmoz.org/Computers/Internet/O...s/Directories/
Happy Blogging!
-Nicky
Posted by Nicole Allard
ProBlogger is definitely a blog that you should have bookmarked or in your RSS feed no matter what kind of blog you own. It always has helpful and informative tips on the many aspects of blogging and has yet to disappoint me with its many blogs.
I thought that it would be helpful to anyone who wants their blog to be the best that it can be with ProBlogger's 31 Days to Building a Better Blog Headquarters.
Inside the ProBlogger's 31 Days to Building a Better Blog Headquarters there are miscellaneous blogs, a strategic blogging series, declaring war on blogger apathy series, search engine optimization tips for blog series, how email newsletters can improve your blog, and affiliate programs for blogs.
There is just so much information that can help you improve your blog it's amazing. I love what ProBlogger has done, and I recommend that you check it out for yourself!
There are also some great links posted on that same page, so check those out too. This series is like a free tutorial on how to optimize your blog for better results.
Posted by Nicole Allard
Blogging your life on an online journal can be very motivational, inspiring and a great way to vent. Most of us had journals or diaries as children so we could have our own private place to write down our secrets, thoughts, events, and feelings. However, if you want your blog online to stay private make sure you fix the settings of your blog to private. You can still keep your thoughts, feelings and secrets all to yourself.
However, if you want to blog about your life and share it with others all over the world, you can do that too. Just be a little careful about what you write. One time, I had been asked to write in one of my blogs 5 things that someone reading my blog might not know about me. I thought, all right, that sounds cool. So, I wrote 5 things people may not know about me. One of those things was that my then fiance and I were going to elope on New Year's Day 2007. Well, my sister had found my post and decided to tell our whole family! It was a secret, hence the word "elope". So, just remember, if you do not want anyone to know, you might not want to blog it!
Anyway, a great place to start a blog journal online is LiveJournal, where there is a strong community and nearly everyone blogs about their thought, feelings, lives, and events. LiveJournal can be a great place to begin your online journal.
Just don't announce that you are going to elope. ; ) Even though everyone knew, we are happily married now. = )
Happy Blogging!
Nicky
Posted by Nicole Allard
Fortunately, creating a blog for your business can bring you the exposure you desire. You will be able to create a readership using RSS feeds, create loyal readers, let people know about your products or services, give special discounts, and have content on your blog to help readers become familiar with your business.
Blogging is a great way to market your business no matter what it is. As a freelance writer I use my blog to promote my work with a blog portfolio. Anyone - potential clients, family, friends, etc. - can go to my blog portfolio and see that I have labels created for each topic I have written about. When you click on a specific topic you can read what I have published on that topic alone instead of scrolling (and wasting time) through hundreds of articles trying to find what you are looking for.
With a business blog you can also have Google ads, outside ads and your ads right there on your blog to help make even more money. I will discuss how to make money with a blog in a future post. You can even hold contests for your readers to keep them coming back! Yes, you need to market your marketing blog! If you can't write compelling, concise content for your blog you can simply hire a blog writer to write them for you. Post at least one blog per week with search engine optimization for the best results.
Happy Blogging!
-Nicky
Posted by Nicole Allard
FeedBurner is a great tool if you have a blog or two...or more. Signing up is easy at http://www.feedburner.com I went through the trouble of figuring out how to do this myself for my own blogs, and now I can show you!
This feed burner will give you the html codes you need to keep your readers coming back for more every time you post a new blog. Anyone can subscribe. They just have to have a Google, Yahoo or AOL account, or have an account with FeedBurner, NewsGator, Rojo, Newsburst, FeedLounge, Netvibes, Bloglines, The Free Dictionary, Bitty Browser, Plusmo, NewsAlloy, Excite MIX, ODEO, podnova, or Pageflakes.
You simply activate your blog feed by entering your blog URL in the homepage of FeedBurner. You will then be given a few options. Choose the tab "publicize". In the left hand side you want to click on Chicklet Chooser. Now you are on the page where you can get each individual html code for your blog. Just make sure you go directly to your blog's html area to enter the code and update your blog.
After updating, check your blog to make sure all of the logos are there. Great! Now you are ready to receive subscribers to your blog!
You can subscribe to this blog by clicking on the following -
Subscribe via RSS feeds to get the latest on Blogging and Podcasting -
Posted by Nicole Allard
Here is where I'll tell you all about the latest and greatest blogs and bloggers out there: who's bringing the best (and the worst), who's blogs are making people talk, and the blogs causing controversey.
I'll talk about all of the blogs out there, and what is going on in the big ol' blogging world. I don't care if it's good or bad; you are going to hear about it. We have a right to know. Besides, we want to know all the goings on in the blogging world!
So, I'm here to bring you the blog news wih no bias so this is the one and only blog news site you will need to read to get your fill of blog news. I'll be bringing you the dirt on the blog world too. Just remember, you read it here first on Blogging and Podcasting!