Have you ever imagine how much money you can make by knowing how to blog? People all around the word are earning an extra income by just sharing their daily activities or their interest with the world. Isn't it wonderful that you too can make your living by sharing your voice on blog? So, here are some tips for you when you want to engage in this industry.
1. Host or guest
The guest here means you are publishing your blog on a free platform instead of hosting it with your own domain name. Many said that you should host your blog with your own domain because you have more control over your blog and you can optimize it more easily. Although there is nothing wrong with that statement but you should also look into your budget when you are starting this blogging business.
Please know that you still need to pay monthly hosting fee when you are not making money with your blog. Personally, when you can market your blog successfully and the conversion looks good, it is still alright to have your blog on free platform.
2. Be focus
Another rule of thumb for blog marketing is to keep your blog topic in one niche. Try reading a blog that covers internet marketing to fashion and continue to talk about erectile dysfunction. How do you feel? Most probably you will be asking why the author can't be more focus.
If you have a lot of interests and are passionate to share all of them with your viewers, it doesn't hurt to register for a few accounts on the free blogging platform. Let's imagine you offer quality information to your readers and just by publishing this information on their own blog and you will be seen as expert in the niche. Isn't that better then being a novice blogger with multi-niches on one blog? At least you will be making more money by being focus in your blog.
3. Keywords
Search engine traffic is very important to your blogging business and keywords are what get your blog visible on search engine. Looking at the fierce competition for traffic, how do you emerge as victorious for your niche?
Do understand that the popular keywords are now occupied by the people who started this business before you. It is going to be a hard fight for you to rank high with popular keywords. Given a choice, do you want to get into this kind of fight?
Instead you can always look for long tail keywords which are more specific and you can do that with the free keyword tool online. Key in your keyword and look at the monthly searches for those particular long tail keywords and target them in your post. Very soon , you will start to see people visiting your blog.
Source: ArticlesFactory.com

So you finally figured out how to get those visitors to your site, huh? Well, partner, it's not over. Now you've got to keep them there if you hope for your blog to be effective.
So, how do you keep your blog traffic? I knew you'd ask that...
1. Your Audience Is More Important Than Your Search Engine Rankings
Who knows what way the wind will blow in years to come. You may be able to do without traffic from Google one day - just like you're probably doing without traffic from Hotbot right now.
However, you'll never be able to do without your clients and prospects. If you could you wouldn't be in business, would you?
So pay attention to what your audience wants to hear. If you configure your blog correctly in the first place, you won't have to worry about a good ranking so much.
2. Don't Add to the Noise.
It's okay to be silent for short periods if you have nothing interesting to say. In the meantime, while you're keeping your lips tight, find something *really* interesting to say.
Of course, I believe that there's never nothing to say. But I'm a writer and not everyone thinks that way.
After the first six to eight weeks, post every day if it suits you and you have words of interest. But after that, if you can sense that your posts aren't full bodied and home brewed, it really is fine to make us go without for a few. We'll live. We won't think so, but trust us, we will.
Just make sure you have something darn near-earth shattering to share when you get back, so we will all sit up and take note... and realize that we missed you.
3. When You Do Talk, Do It Loud and Proud
(Even if you find out later you were Loud and Wrong)
It's considered impolite to behave like a Rock Star when you're having a business dinner, even if you are one.
But guess what? When you're blogging, you aren't at a business dinner. That's not to say that you must indulge in Rock Star behavior if it doesn't suit you..
You don't even have to be *a* star. But you definitely want to be noticed, maybe referenced, and hopefully linked. A great way to do that is to be different. The most unique thing about you is You. Inject your personality in all that you do online.
So if you have news, share it. Heck, if you have gossip share it, just always, always, always, link to your suspicions or sources. On the rare occasion that a high-profile blogger's information is totally off-base, they print a retraction. So don't be afraid to suppose. Just let us know whether you are sharing a rumor, hunch, a fact or opinion.
4. Do Unto the Blogosphere, and Make It Easy for Them to Do Unto You
When I have credible sources, I link to them. Even if I read something from the Google Blog, but know when I first saw it first at Micropersuasion, I'm still linking to Micropersuasion. That's all there is to it.
(And let me tell you - it's a Huge deal when Steve Rubel links to an article that you wrote even when it's not posted on your site - think about that the next time you're tempted not to link out because "they have enough traffic.")
For the majority of people, I realize, that situation may never be in consideration. Most of the people reading this have nothing to do with search engines, public relations, or internet marketing.
Well, I'm here to tell you that even if your business is timeshare resales, you should still link to your sources. You never know who is reading and who is going to link back. Especially if you're in a business niche where twenty visitors eventually means at least one sale, find out what the neighborhood is like in your part of the Blogosphere, look around, and play nice with the other kids.
5. Blog Like You Talk - But if You Talk "Funny" Get Someone Else to Blog with You
Nothing will scare your visitors away faster than landing in techno-babble by accident. I landed at a friend's site about search engines, and the first paragraph I saw said something about (a+n) times the square root of pi and I clicked out before I even remembered why I went there.
Don't get me wrong - if that's how you talk, keep it real. But if that's not the language your clients speak, you might want to either have an employee represent your company in the blog, or do a team blog that represents all the prominent voices.
6. Give Every Subscription Option Under the Sun
Most people paying online are going to use their credit card or debit card, by far. How crazy would you have to be to say, hm, 90% of people use credit cards, but the hell with that. If they want my binoculars, their only choice is to send me a $20 check by snail mail on Tuesday mornings.
In this same way, refusing to turn on your site feed, because most people are currently following you by email, makes absolutely no sense. Refusing to start an email list or offer subscriptions to your blog headlines, summaries or posts via email is equally nuts, particularly now that there are tools in place that will translate feeds to email for you.
Not serving as much of your audience as you can is turning down money, plain and simple.
Hopefully these tips will help keep visitors coming back to your blog. It's like the old adage said , it's easier (and cheaper) to keep your present customers than it is to constantly find new ones.
The same thing goes for your blog visitors.
Source: ArticlesFactory.com

1.) Stay on topic.
Opinions are generally accepted but the content of the items in the blog should all relate to a general theme. Unless you have an uncanny knack for wit, humor or cynicism, the majority of your readers will be interested in the content that relates to a specific defined theme or loosely defined area of interest. Most readers won't care that you eat Cheerios for breakfast. They may, however, be interested in the fact that vinegar takes out stains and that toilet paper rolls make great wreaths. Define a topic and stick to it. This will ensure that you create a loyal following of interested readers.
2.) Stay informative.
If you are attempting to create the impression that you are knowledgeable about a specific industry or sector, be sure that you stay current on news. If you are endorsing a product or voicing an opinion, be sure to check your facts; your reputation is at stake. If you are offering an opinion, be sure to qualify your post, making it clear that the content is intended as an editorial.
3.) Old news is not news.
While blogging every day can be a drain, it is important that the information presented is current and accurate, writing an article or blurb about something that happened 6 months ago, will not be of interest to many. Telling your audience that Martha Stewart was convicted and will be going to prison, after her sentence is completed will make people question the value of your columns.
4.) Adhere to a schedule.
Create a schedule and stick to it. Realizing that blogging requires time and effort, don't create unrealistic expectations and be unable to deliver. An occasional lapse or holiday is generally understood but readers returning to find stale, out-dated content are going to find another blog with similar content. New blogs and RSS feeds are popping up on a daily basis. If you have worked hard to develop an audience and a community you don't want to lose them due to lack of communication.
5.) Clarity and simplicity.
Keep your posts and blog entries clear and easy to understand. Remember, the web is global and expressions, idioms and acronyms don't always translate. Sometimes a little explanation goes a long way.
6.) Keyword-rich.
If the goal of your blog is to increase your visibility, include related keywords in the title of the blog. Use the title as a headline to attract interest. Each item post should have a title that will attract attention but still be relevant to the post. The title should be no longer than 10-12 words.
7.) Quantity matters.
In order to attract the attention of search engines, you will need to develop content and substance. A headline or simple sentence is not going to generate the interest of readers or help with search engine ranking. Be sure to archive old blog posts to develop a large portal of similarly-themed content.
8.) Frequency.
If your blog content is updated frequently, search engines will tend to spider the pages at regular intervals.
9.) Spell checking and proof-reading.
It only takes a few extra moments and can save you from having to make embarrassing explanations. Remember that whatever you publish on the Internet can be found and archived. Think carefully about what you post before doing so.
10.) RSS.
RSS will increase your blog's reach. It is important that you include your blog's content in an RSS feed to increase readership and distribution.
Most weblog audiences are small, but with time and regular updates audiences grow. Bloggers may never have more than a few hundred readers , but the people who return to regularly are generally interested in what you have to say.
Source: ArticlesFactory.com

Blog Tip Number 1
Make sure you post to your blog frequently, at least a few times per week. The biggest mistake made by bloggers is to let weeks or even months go by without blogging. If your blog is not being updated it will no longer be considered “sweet” to the search engines , by that I mean it will be considered a “dead” blog and the search engines won’t visit as often.The search engines are always looking for new content. A blog that has frequent updates is just the kind of content they love.

Blog Tip Number 2
Start leaving comments on other successful blogs in the same niche or category as your blog. Once you have built a relationship on the other blog you can eventually leave a link back to your site after creating a relationship.

Blog Tip Number 3
Research the most popular blogs within your category; you can use Technorati for your research. Look at what they are doing and try to model their success without copying.You can also subscribe to their RSS feed so that you always know when there is a new post on their blog.

Blog Tip Number 4
Add your links to the blog directories to gain more backlinks.Be sure to claim your blog at Technorati.

Blog Tip Number 5
Monitor your web stats to see where your traffic is originating. It is important that you use a web stats program that can show you how many people are “bookmarking” your site. A good bookmark ratio is a good sign that people are interested in your blog and have plans on re-visiting it.

Follow these steps and you will be moving forward with a very successful blog. Please remember each blog post does not have to be pages in length. It can be as little as one to two paragraphs. Keep in mind that whatever you post should be valuable to the user and elicit a response.
Source: ArticlesFactory.com

A quick search on the net for blogs and you find that not only are the general public using them as a way of electronically noteing their feelings and thoughts but also businesses are using them as an informal way of updating their clients of products and services.
It seems that when it comes to blogging big businesses and small businesses are on the same playing field. A blog offers any business the opportunity to communicate with employees, and customers, sharing knowledge and expertise.
As you may or may not have realised is that blogging is a big plus and if used correctly can provide an interesting and effective way to increase brand identity and awareness.
My personal web design company (Able Net Design) has seen an increase in interest of blogs and its use with our own customers. It seems that everyone is jumping on this new system, as a cheap and effective way to spread the word.
A quick google search for the term "business blogging" returns 11,200,000 results. There are even companies poping up everywhere as blog consultants, which can help set up a blog that you will get the most out of.
Is blogging really as good as everyone thinks, well i am certainly having some fun with it and am sure if it didn't work it would have died by now.
But what are people blogging about? Well people are blogging about everything and anything and there are some reports that people are making a nice little income from it aswell.
Income off a blog how can that be? That is the same question i asked when i first heard about it. I would have thought that the process to making money of a blog would have been quite involved however I have discovered that it is quite the opposite.
It seems that with the use of strategicly placed advertisements and a large amount of traffic bloggers are utilising the paid to click type of advertisements, to earn profits.
Now i thought this has to be tested, so i impletemented a few different paid to click advertisements on my blogs to see how they go. It took me little over 10 minutes to change my blog templates and implement these advertisements.
So with the ads up and running i decided to continue posting as usual to see what happens. Well i can say that im not going to get rich quick. However i assume that the more traffic you have the more clicks you will get, and since my blogs are relatively new i didn't have high hopes. But all in all it is a fun way to keep the bloging interesting.
The blogging revolution just seems to keep on getting bigger and bigger with Google and Yahoo releasing its on Blog search engine and others like Technorati which would be the most well known blog search engine. Technorati claims to be tracking 20.1 million sites , and if you view their top 100 blogs you will see that the topics which are being blogged about are endless and unique in every category you could think of.
For more information on blogs and how you can get one check out our site (ablenetdesign.com) or read my online marketing blog (ablenetdesign.blogspot.com) there will be more information on blogs posted in their as time goes on im sure of it.
Source: ArticlesFactory.com

Blog design is a bit different than ordinary website design. Blogs use specific sections and components that no other sites contain. While designing a blog design you have to remember that blog site is all about content and text formating is a king. In this article I will share with you my yop 5 basic principles to create good-lloking blog design.
1. Choosing the right colors - Colors are one of the most crucial elements of good design. Every color present different feelings and emotions your visitors can experience while visitng your site. As you maybe already noticed most blog designs incorporate light colors, mostly white backgrounds with simple design. The right thing to do is to choose 2, max 3 main colors that will dominate in your site. To do it correct you have to choose those colors that looks together good, some colors like green and pink won't look too good as far as the intensifity will be tweaked. Perhaps on the first looks colors have no possibility to looks good but after making them a bit darker or less intense you will be able to find some interesting color connection. To be more original I suggest you to try to mix main colors like orange-red, choose this between color and play with intens, saturation, brightness.2. Text formatting - that's what makes blog so special. That's very important blog design tip to close attention. Blogs are like online journals, personal space for people to share theirs thoughts, opinions and stories. In standard blogs text is the most important part, it's a content. That's why you should take an extra time to make sure that your text formatting looks good and is accurrate to style of design and topic. Always use CSS styles to format your text. With CSS you have wide selection of option you can choose, the most important are: font-family, text-size, color, line-height (space between each line), font-style (italic or bold); letter-spacing (space between each letter). The most important thing here is to format your text that it looks nice and clean. It needs to be easy to read, with some space and rest for eye.3. Logo - another crucial blog design tip - logo, name of your blog need to be always on top. It's your brand so I suggest you to place it always on top left. That's how people will recognize your blog. To crate a good logo you should consider trying some interesting fonts, nothing to fancy or curly, although it's all depends on your style. The best is to make it sharp, clean and readable. The logo should present the main subject of your site, blog name should be standing up the design, it should be easily recognizable in your blog design. Colors should connect with your whole-site composition, it should all connect.4. Design construction - in blog design you should have at least one menu. It can be on top, left, right and bottom. I found menu on right the most intuitive as the most important content is on left and manu is just an addition. Menus on top is always a great idea but don't exaggerate and add too many sections there, you shoudl place ther 4,5 main ones and more in left/right menu. Bottom menu is great for mybloglog widget, about me, friends links or anything else. You may have each blog post in different box or all at one white background. It's all depends on you. I suggest you to always try make your design connected. Connect header with menu and footer. Don't make everything flying messy. Try to find a balance and make it intuitive so people won't have a problem to find anything.5. RSS Feed - It's very important element that just need to be included always in blog design. It's good to use feedburner widget to show number of subscribers and include big RSS icon in top of blog design. It need to be easy to find and as high as possible. It's more connected to blog marketing but also as a designer you should be aware of it. If the blog is connected to internet marketing and related there need to be an form where you cna fill name and e-mail. Most likely people are offering some ebooks or reports that's why this form box should have space for ebook picture , header text and 2 forms with and pleasing submit button.
I hope these blog design tips will help you to create better blog designs and understand better these kind of sites. It's a very specific sites that are right now very popular. If you wil consider and think about all these 5 main principles before designing and blog you should do very well. For more tips and ideas go to some popular blogs and analyze theirs designs. It's a great way to expand your creativity and understand blog sites.
Source: ArticlesFactory.com