Screen shot from Contest Blogger
Holding a contest in a blog is a good way to increase subscribers, links and even traffic. I see nothing wrong with it especially if the prize is attractive like huge cash. In fact, I ran a small one when I was a member of Entrecard and even joined some. Luckily, I won some ad space and an interview that I will never forget.
However, bloggers especially newbies should be aware that some of them may be scam. Although it may look hard to detect which one is scam or not, one should only have some common sense to be smart enough. The tips below may not be the actual indication of a scam contest, but they can serve as clues.
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Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
How to avoid Scam Blog Contests
I will be attending my first Blogging Event ever
This is just to inform you that I will be attending a blogging event for the first time. This DigitalFilipino.com Club and Bloggers Manila Networking Event will be on October 25 (which was originally set to Oct 29), 6 ~ 11pm, at the Forum Hall, Casino Filipino, PIRC Bldg. Ninoy Aquino Avenue, Parañaque City, Philippines. This free event is being sponsored by a club member, PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) and being organized by DigitalFilipino.com. Actually, there are 2 similar seminars that will pursue; one in Davao (Oct 21) and the other in Cebu (Oct 23).
By the way, DigitalFlipino.com Club is an Internet community that was launched last December 25, 2003. It is founded by Janette Toral, who is also the blogger behind Blogging from Home and a lot more. According to her invitational post, the highlights of the event will be exchange of updates of Filipino e-commerce industry players and bloggers as well. As of this posting, 103 Filipino bloggers are listed to come including me.
I found some familiar names on the list, and I am very much excited to meet them personally for the first time. I am also expecting to learn a lot from some of the finest Filipino Internet marketers and bloggers.
With this, I am inviting all fellow Filipino bloggers and Internet marketers to join and support this interesting event. I will try to take some photos and make a separate post after the event, on my main blog.
If you have further questions about this event, you can check out Janette Toral’s blog post.
Hope to see you there.
You can also visit my latest blog - Father Blogger dot Com as it is being updated daily. Well, almost.
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Blogging tip: Let me write your name in Arabic
My name is Angel and here is how I write it in English, A-n-g-e-l. It is very simple, isn’t it? But how about writing it in Arabic? Well, you can see it on the image shown on the left side of this post. But since I do not know Arabic, how in the world did I learn it? Before I answer this question, I would like to share to you what I learned recently on how to increase visitors to your blog, convince them to come back and even make them invite others to visit it too.
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Charice Pempengco – A great Inspiration to Discouraged Bloggers
Photo from Charice Pempengco dot Com
Charice Pempengco, you probably heard her name as she is now the latest singing sensation. I bet most of you even watched her at You Tube in her finest performances, and admire her powerful voice as she sings at Oprah and her recent duet with Celine Dion.
I am a Filipino; and it really feels great when a young girl with a great talent from your country is bringing honor and pride. She has gained a lot of followers around the world and is now gaining high respect from top caliber artists and singers. She is now inspiring a lot of aspiring singers and discouraged bloggers. Yes, even discouraged bloggers and here’s how.
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5 Smart Ways on how some Bloggers fool their Visitors
I am been blogging for more than a year, but I must say that I still have a lot of things to learn. I have been reading a lot by joining some forums and visiting other blogs. But while I am learning, I also learned some dirty tactics or should I say how some bloggers can fool fellow bloggers. They might be mad at me, but I do not care. All I know is that fellow bloggers especially newbies must be aware about this. Besides copying posts from other blogs and posting them on their own, here are other smart things some foolish bloggers do.
Getting credit from others’ forum posts
A forum member complained that his previous post was re-posted by another blogger. The foolish blogger was not smart enough that he even posted it on the same forum, the same category and did not even wait for a long time before doing so.
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When to say that Content is King
Photo credit to Uros Petrovic
Content is king! I think this phrase has been overused and if you Google it now, it will give you 22,700 results. But when does a particular content becomes great, or king for that matter? What factors constitute the crown to be on its throne? Darren Rowse of Problogger recently asked his readers this question – How do you define Great Content? Since I am one of them, here are my thoughts.
For me, content is king when the following characteristics are present.
It is powerful
The word of a king is very powerful that every thing he says is a law. A great content can convince readers that the post is true by adding facts and data needed to support the content. It also uses simple but attractive words that can magnetize even the ones who seem not to be interested in it. Although it seem to be the strongest of them all, humility is still present and with a pleasant image.
It is invincible
Although it may have some opposition or distraction, the post seems not to be affected. Just like a wounded warrior, it even becomes stronger. It is being shielded by a deep research before it was published. Gladiators must pass through many training before the fight, and this can be compared to a well-written post wherein it was rigidly checked for misspelling and grammatical errors. It has a strong armor against any force such as plagiarism and spamming.
It gains a lot of respect
A great leader must portray a role model. A great content guides the readers and provides useful information. It is easy to understand that makes it friendly to the readers. Thus, it receives a lot of real praises from commentators, and not for the sole purpose of agreeing on it. Although it may receive some negative feedbacks, the respect remains intact and the admiration is still alive. Ageless posts are not being easily forgotten and in fact, readers will bookmark them for future reference.
It can rule a kingdom
A king cannot be called a king if he has no kingdom. A great content can capture the pages of social sites such as Digg. It can drive a lot of quality traffic without buying them; and it can also invite a lot of subscribers and regular followers. It was also written with a little application of SEO wherein keywords are carefully chosen and placed accordingly to be available for humans and search engines simultaneously.
A great king does not try to be perfect for himself, and this is what makes him great.
So if you were to be asked the same question, what are your thoughts?
You can also visit my latest blog - Father Blogger dot Com as it is being updated daily. Well, almost.
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Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
Humane Blogging Tips is now a Lifetime Supporter of DTM forum
I must admit, this is a long overdue post as I should have made this about 2 months ago. But hey! It is better to be late than never. I just hope John Raven will buy my excuses, lol!. Anyway, I think I already mentioned before that I am into forum posting and DreamTeamMoney forum is one of them. It was Silveraden, the humble but intelligent blog owner of Myseoblog.net who recommended this forum to me and I did not have a second thought of joining.
Surprisingly, John Raven the wonderful forum Admin liked my blog and approved Humane Blogging Tips as one of the Informative Blogs. What does that mean? Well, I have a privilege of having my own sub-forum wherein I can submit my articles which is a big and yet free promotion on my part. In addition, John also created an additional sub-forum upon my suggestion – All About Parenting, which is also my favorite blog topic.
Right now, Humane Blogging Tips is a Lifetime Supporter of DTM forum and it feels wonderful to be one.
What is the effect to me as a Blogger?
I got to meet wonderful bloggers and learn more through their posts. But then, being noticed and appreciated through your work is something that motivates us to do more, unless you hire someone to do that to you.
Anyway, I seldom do this but below is the PM of John Raven to me as we are having a conversation.
If you receive a message like this from a very busy man, what will you feel?
What is the effect on my blogs?
Being motivated may be different from the actual effect to my blogs. I am an active member of 5 forums and DTM forum is currently the second highest forum that gives me traffic, second to Sitepoint. The greater effect is that my Father Blogger dot Com blog is also getting visitors from them and even receiving inspiring comments.
Enough of what I am saying, I am not going to tell you that DTM forum is the best forum, you can join and let it be yourself to discover what is in store for you.
You can visit their forum at DreamTeamMoney forum and you do not have to worry; it is totally free and I will not even earn a dime if you join through my link.
Happy posting!
You can also visit my latest blog - Father Blogger dot Com as it is being updated daily. Well, almost.
If you want to receive my future posts regularly for FREE, you can subscribe in a reader or by e-mail. If you have concerns, please do not hesitate to Contact Me anytime.
Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
How would you like your Blog to be remembered?
Photo credit to cattycamehome
As a person, how would you like to be remembered? Good deeds, power and respect are some of the possible answers and some may include being rich. Two days ago, Michael Jackson celebrated his 50th birthday and I am sure all of us still remember his moves, songs and being extremely unique. The latter is the best choice, I guess. In terms of blogging, it is very important that our visitors will remember us so they will be reminded to visit again. But how do we that? Is being different enough? Here is my analysis.
Signature
Each of us has a different signature from the other, which means being unique is not enough. It does not mean readers will not forget you. With this, why don’t we think of a signature that can easily be remembered? While the King of Pop is extremely different, his fans love him for that. On the other hand, you cannot have a popular blog as Seth Godin’s blog by just making your blog as simple as his blog. So what’s my point? Our signature must fit to us and our readers can identify you through your signature. But most of all, they will like to see it again.
Style
No matter how good you copy a style, people will always refer to the originator. In addition, you can change your style anytime you like although it is quite risky. If you are comfortable in writing long posts like Steve Pavlina, then your visitors will be surprised once you make a two-word post entitled Wordless Wednesday. But then again, readers love surprises. Another problem would be the trend, as it may affect you somehow if you will not dance to the music. Although not everybody will agree with you, the more important thing is they will remember you. After all, we cannot please everybody.
Quality
Although some bloggers became popular even they talk about nonsense, we cannot deny that they are still being remembered. Some people like junk as a good form of entertainment. But this is dangerous as most of us would still go for quality. This maybe very hard to maintain as many newcomers will arrive and can do better than you. Quality and consistency always go hand in hand. Have you ever wondered why Levi’s jeans are still being liked even it is simple and expensive? They are over 130 years old but still on top. Well, as their promotional statement says, quality never goes out of style.
My conclusion
There are so many ways to let our readers remember us and sometimes we do not even need to use words. However, to convince them to come back is the hardest part. As I do not believe in luck, hard work and being smart are two major factors I believe in.
In short, we must be the right blogger at the right place and at the right time.
But if you will ask me the same question, this will be my answer. I want my blog to be remembered as the blog that contains blogging tips for humans.
Hope you won’t forget that.
We can forget the people who held our hands but not the ones who touched our lives.
Related posts:
Are you a born Blogger?
Are you a Humane Blogger?
Blogger’s Name – To Use or Not to Use
You can also visit my latest blog - Father Blogger dot Com as it is being updated daily. Well, almost.
If you want to receive my future posts regularly for FREE, you can subscribe in a reader or by e-mail. If you have concerns, please do not hesitate to Contact Me anytime.
Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
How to Choose the Top Bloggers you must Socialize with
Photo credit to brunosmi
It is a fact that there are top bloggers who are much superior to us. They have placed themselves in a safe pedestal where we can always look up to. They are the icons of this industry and gained a lot of respect from fellow bloggers. While there is no need to mention names as we already know who they are, it is interesting to know that we can still socialize with them in spite of their high status. Although it will be a great advantage for us to do that, we should still choose them carefully. Here are some important factors that I believe we must consider first.
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You can also visit my latest blog - Father Blogger dot Com as it is being updated regularly.
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Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
Are you a born Blogger?
Image credit to asboluv
Artists are being born, not made. No matter where you studied arts, if you are not a born artist, you will never shine. On the other hand, born artists only need a single opportunity and boom! – They are up there. Skills can be learned from school and experience, but talent is the blood that runs within the veins. In terms of blogging, you can also ask yourself the same question. But before you do that, here are some useful questions to jot down that might help you. While there are many of them in my mind, I only choose I think the most applicable ones.
How passionate are you?
Blogging needs passion, and inspiration is not enough to have passion. Passion is a unique feeling one can feel in spite of all the challenges one is facing. It is hard for a blogger to be inspired in blogging if his topic is not popular, like marriage and parenting. But if he is passionate about it, he can increase his visitors maybe slowly, but surely. He does not run out of a good topic to discuss and confidence in him is very obvious. Readers can notice his sincerity in his first two sentences. A born blogger can make his readers alive.
How do you handle frustration?
Low traffic means low earnings and it really frustrates a blogger after working hard to get positive results. You have bought a lot of ebooks as reference, joined forums and social bookmarking sites and submitted your blog to directories but still, the result is devastating. Do you feel like quitting or just rest for awhile and then here you go on with a new strategy? Are you afraid that your next post will not be noticed, just like your previous one? Blogging needs a lot of perseverance and patience. A born blogger is like a brave soldier, the deeper the wound the stronger he is.
How sociable are you?
Are you blogging because you just want to say something, or because you want to share something? The two differs a lot as the latter is more of socializing. Do you bother to leave comments on other blogs even if it is a no-follow or even care to reply to comments on your blog? Can you easily draw a crowd of bloggers and make yourself comfortable at once? Are you at ease when you share personal experiences to your readers? A born blogger can create a network from his blog.
Do you have an X-factor?
No two bloggers are the same. Although some of us have the same niche, you must have something that your competitors do not have. You may have the best-looking blog theme in the world, but it is useless if you cannot carry it. Creativity is what your readers like and just like show business, one has to have an X-factor. Your content might be king but if your visitors can only read words and without feelings, your blog will look dry. A born blogger does not need magic, as he himself is the magic.
Conclusion
If you cannot answer any or all of them positively, you do not have to worry because you can still blog. However, do not expect positive results from your blog.
On the other hand, if your answers are positive but not seem to get positive results yet, do not also worry. You are not alone but one thing is for sure, you are on the right way.
Born bloggers only live once but they last forever.
Related posts:
How to know if you can be a Professional Blogger someday
Are you a Humane Blogger?
Are you doing the Right Blogging frequency?
You can also visit my latest blog - Father Blogger dot Com as it is being updated daily. Well, almost.
If you want to receive my future posts regularly for FREE, you can subscribe in a reader or by e-mail. If you have concerns, please do not hesitate to Contact Me anytime.
Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
What Bloggers can learn from Cinderella
Poster credit to IMDb
I bet everybody knows about the fairy tale of Cinderella. It is a story of a girl being disliked by her stepsisters and cruel stepmother. The story was sad in the beginning but ended happily as she met her Prince Charming. Although it is more of a love story, bloggers can also learn some lessons that can help improve their blog that is, if they can only analyze things a bit deeper. Here is what I learned as I am sharing the story to my daughter.
You must start from scratch
Success in blogging does not come overnight, as some expert wannabes claim. Do not be afraid to start from zero as every blogger are passing through this situation. There will be a lot of distractions around but do not mind them. There are even those who will not like you but still, you got to go on. Dance with the music as long as you enjoy it. It is better to turn rags to riches rather than the other way around.
You cannot improve alone
All of us need someone who can help somehow. I believe that every blogger has his fairy godmother or mentor for that matter, who will always be there to lend a helping hand. Do not hesitate to ask if you do not understand certain things such as codes, plug-ins and even writing tips. You will need the expertise of top bloggers and even advises from fellow bloggers. Read their posts and try their tips. Let their articles be the magic wand you are longing for.
Follow the rules
Do not wait till the clock strikes at midnight. If you are into forum posting, read the rules first and follow them religiously so you won’t be banned or suspended. Do not challenge Google by spamming around just to promote your blog, or to sell your stuff. Do not even try to copy and paste posts from other blogs thinking that nobody is watching. It will be only you who will suffer in the end. You can only run but you can never hide.
Do not rush things
If the shoe fits on Cinderella’s foot, why was it left in the palace? Well, it is because she is running. Why hurry in making posts to update your blog and discover later that it has multiple mistakes after posting? Take time to look for useful tips and understand them carefully before applying them to your blog. Blogging is about the early bird who catches the early worm, but you might miss the most important thing when you are in a hurry.
Blogging has no magical powers, but can produce magical results.
Related posts:
How to be a Popular Blogger in the Newspapers
How to Blog like a Boxing Champ
How to Make your Post a Masterpiece
You can also visit my latest blog - Father Blogger dot Com as it is being updated daily. Well, almost.
If you want to receive my future posts regularly for FREE, you can subscribe in a reader or by e-mail. If you have concerns, please do not hesitate to Contact Me anytime.
Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
The Seven Deadly Sins in Blogging
Photo credit to a ♥ melissa ♥
Christians are being taught on how to be a better person and according to their doctrine, there are seven deadly sins that must be avoided. Although this post is not about religion, it is interesting to learn that these sins can also be applicable to blogging. One might think that this post seems to be offensive, but its intention is pure and clean. I think this is one of the best ways to remind every blogger on how to avoid their blogs to die. Here they are.
Lust
This is not limited to sexual addiction and adultery. As bloggers, we should not also be involved in scams just to win visitors and make money on-line. It takes a lot of effort to gain a decent traffic and subscribers but it is the way it should be. In addition, do not put anything in your blog that should not be there. Simplicity attracts more readers.
Gluttony
Do not eat more than what you cannot take. Although joining social sites can help a lot to promote our blogs, join only what you can handle. Link building can help our blogs to be popular to search engines, but exchanging links to blogs not common to your niche is useless. If you are not checking them properly, it will also affect your PR.
Greed
This is very much applicable to forum posting and leaving comments on blogs. We must remember that we are not the only ones who need exposure. Although it is free promotion on our part, abusing it will annoy others and you will suffer the consequences. You must learn the art of communication to invite readers to your blog. If you share useful tips, you will be acknowledged.
Sloth
While we must not stop improving our blogs, discontentment may also be harmful. Frequent changing of blog theme and topic will confuse your readers. On the other hand, it is not also right to be lazy in posting. We must always be willing to give a helping hand to fellow bloggers who ask for advice, especially to newbies. Always maintain a good reputation to others.
Wrath
Blogging is not for impatient people, as well as those who cannot control their temper. Avoid engaging in useless debates just to prove your point. If you are right, you do not need to push it. In addition, never use foul words that can offend others. The truth will surely come out later. We must project a good image to increase our readership. Patience pays off.
Envy
Self-centered people do not have a place in blogging. Note that successful blogs were not made overnight so do not be envious if they are more popular than yours. Instead of comparing yourself to top bloggers, study them and learn from their strategies. Never copy their posts and post them on your blogs just to get the credit. Every blogger is unique.
Pride
This is the deadliest sin a blogger could commit. Do not act as if you are the best blogger who thinks he already knows everything. Be humble in your posts even if you are the expert on the matter. Do not be too proud about success in blogging just to impress your readers. Instead, thank those who visit you. Humility pays off in the long run.
The wages of sin is death.
Related posts:
How to fight your Insecurities in Blogging
When Blogging can be an Honorable Career
How not to be a Prisoner of your own blog
You can also visit my latest blog - Father Blogger dot Com as it is being updated daily. Well, almost.
If you want to receive my future posts regularly for FREE, you can subscribe in a reader or by e-mail. If you have concerns, please do not hesitate to Contact Me anytime.
Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
What to do if you only have limited time to Blog
Photo credit to minim
First of all, I am sorry if I have not posted for about a week. This is because I lost my connection and it is hard to rent one after office hours. Anyway, all is fine now and I will try to make it up to you. But during those days, I was not really that invisible. Although I only had almost an hour on-line everyday, I did my best to maximize my time. Here is what I did and I hope it can help you once you will be in the same position.
Prepare future posts
Since it is only my connection that was lost, I still have my PC which I used to prepare my future posts. I spend my time making drafts and review them everyday to make them better. I even felt relaxed because there were no pressure as to what time I should post them. You can also use your time to proofread your post, and ask your off-line friends to check them. Their point of views can be as important as your visitors’ comments.
Promote off-line
I took the chance to promote my blogs to non-bloggers. I had more time to socialize with my off-line friends and officemates, and was able to explain them what I have been doing for the last 12 months of my life. This is maybe quite simple but you should be able to choose the people you will talk to because not everybody is interested in opening blogs. But there are also other ways to promote off-line such as placing a promotion sticker on your car, placing ads on newspapers and others.
Forum posting
I am an active member of six forums and it need not take a long time to post on them. Since my signature bears the link to my blogs, it was enough to let them know that I have a blog. However, it does not mean you can easily convince them to visit your blog. Besides the rules that you must follow, you should project an image that can invite them to visit your blog. This is where your posting ability will come out. Being a sociable blogger will also help a lot.
Post comments on blogs
Being a subscriber to your favorite blogs is an advantage if you have only a limited time on-line. You can easily the blogs posts where you can leave a comment. I am a subscriber of about 10 blogs and leaving comments on their posts is part of my daiy blogging life. However, you must not post useless comments and expect the blog owner and other commentators will visit your blog. In addition, your comment might even be disapproved.
Soul searching
You read it right; it is also time to search your self about blogging. Analyze your past views about blogging and compare it to your present feelings. Ask your self some interesting questions like - Is it really worth the effort to blog? Is the excitement still there or you are just pushing yourself in? Does my income in blogging compensate all my hard work? On the other hand, you can also prepare your plans on what to prioritize once you have a connection again.
Time is more precious than gold since you can never take it back.
Related posts:
How to promote your Blog to Non-bloggers
How to Post on Forums and Increase Traffic to your Blog
How to Post Comments on other Blogs to Promote your Blog
You can also visit my latest blog - Father Blogger dot Com as it is being updated daily. Well, almost.
If you want to receive my future posts regularly for FREE, you can subscribe in a reader or by e-mail. If you have concerns, please do not hesitate to Contact Me anytime.
Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
How to promote your Blog to Non-bloggers
Sometimes, we are just too busy with other things and we do not have time to socialize with fellow bloggers. But then, we must continue to promote them even to non-bloggers. However, these people may not understand what we are doing and therefore, different approach must be made. Convincing them to do what they do not usually do is the hardest part, and it is not enough that we invite them to visit our blogs without telling them some details. Here are some techniques I have been doing lately.
Choose potential visitors
Not all Internet users are interested in opening blogs, so you must choose them carefully. Know what they like to read and make sure your topic belongs to their point of interest. Otherwise, you are just wasting your time. It is also better if you do it within your circle of friends like parties, meetings and when you are speaking in front of a crowd. Choose the ones who are fond of reading, and avoid the busy people who do not have spare time.
Do not invite them at once
Inviting them at once is like driving them away because reading blogs can be scary to them. Do not expect them to know what a blog is, although they may have heard of it before. A better start is to tell them what they can get from opening your blog, and why should they spend time reading your posts. Never tell them that you are the best blogger and your blog is the best blog in the world. Instead, leave a mystery so they can be thrilled while you are inviting them.
Guide them
Treat them like a child, and guide them patiently. Find the shortest keyword that can lead to your blog on when they Google it, and make sure it really does. Tell them everything they should know about a blog such as the sidebars, the archives as well as your ads. I also think they should know what will happen when they click your ads. This is not only being honest, but also to avoid your ads to be abused which may harm your blog. To guide them effectively, be accessible at all times.
Invite them to subscribe
There is nothing better than to convert them to regular readers, so invite them. This is better than inviting them to visit your blog again. However, they must know that it is totally free and they can unsubscribe anytime they like. Inform them also about your blogging frequency especially when they seldom check their mails. They may get annoyed when they are see a lot of messages in their inbox, and may think that your posts are spam messages.
Treat strangers nicely because first impression lasts.
Related posts:
How to convince your Visitors to read your Blog Posts
How to invite your Subscribers to open your Blog
How to avoid your Subscribers to Unsubscribe to your Blog
You can also visit my latest blog - Father Blogger dot Com as it is being updated daily. Well, almost.
If you want to receive my future posts regularly for FREE, you can subscribe in a reader or by e-mail. If you have concerns, please do not hesitate to Contact Me anytime.
Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
Which do you prefer – more subscribers or more commentators?
Photo credit to tapasparida
Last July 7, I started a thread at Sitepoint forum asking the same question. To my surprise, it had an astonishing 2,382 views and 73 hot replies including mine as of this posting. I even asked Graham, the humble founder of Entrecard and you can find his answers on his Q & A Round 1. Although the result shows that that more are inclined to have more commentators rather than subscribers, here are some of the opinions from different bloggers as I only choose the best answers for me.
To continue reading
If you want to receive my future posts regularly for FREE, you can subscribe in a reader or by e-mail. If you have concerns, please do not hesitate to Contact Me anytime.
Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
How to use Kaizen to improve your Blog
Logo from Wikipedia
I have been working for different Japanese companies for over ten years and as I observed them, they are very workaholic. No wonder that they have a very stable career in terms of technology. One of their effective strategies in everything they do is Kaizen. It is a Japanese term which means improvement, or continuous improvement. Although the whole process looks complicated, it is the PDCA cycle that makes it simple and it can also be applied to blogging. Here it goes.
To continue reading
Related posts:
How not to be a Prisoner of your own blog
How to fight your Insecurities in Blogging
How to motivate your self in Blogging
How to avoid burying your own Blog
You can also visit my latest blog - Father Blogger dot Com as it is being updated daily.
If you want to receive my future posts regularly for FREE, you can subscribe in a reader or by e-mail. If you have concerns, please do not hesitate to Contact Me anytime.
Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
How to invite your Subscribers to open your Blog
Photo credit to Peggy Collins
Subscribers are loyal readers and it is good to have a lot of them. However, we must admit that sometimes our feed counters are not working well and we doubt that our subscribers are really authentic recipients of our posts. But if you have proven that the numbers are for real, you must cherish them. Besides avoiding them to unsubscribe, it is also better if we can invite them to open our blog. Here are my tips that you may find helpful.
Improve your blog looks
Our subscribers can only read what they receive, and they may get bored when they open your blog and see the usual looks again. I strongly advise that you also consider how your blog appears on the screen. Change your template or blog design to a more wonderful site to view, and ask for their opinion. Have additional widgets on your blog such as Top Commenters, Recent Comments and other rewards to your readers. However, changing it frequently is not a good habit.
Host something they can participate
Run a blog carnival, contest or a poll where your readers can participate. Post a sticky invitation so they will be magnetized at once. Convince them that they will not only enjoy the fun, but they will also benefit a lot when they join. However, be sure that you have enough time to accommodate them when they come in numbers. Valuable giveaways such as free e-books and tutorials are also a big help. Being a sociable blogger is a big advantage to have a convincing power.
Maximize your related posts
If you have related posts on your blog, include them at the end of your post with a highlight so they can easily be noticed. But be sure that these posts are really related to the current post. Do not worry about the age of the posts as long as you are making timeless posts. Related posts can also be placed in between the post but do not overdo it. They will be suspected as affiliate links. Be conscious when you are endorsing something. Subscribers are after our posts, not on our advertisements.
Make a summary post
If you think you have enough number of valuable posts, make a post with a link to each post and invite your readers to view them. This post is somewhat different from the sitemap in the sense that you will only choose the posts that will be included. Arrange them categorically and make them reader-friendly. Use an attractive title to identify that they are your best posts. You can also add your older but ageless posts. Your subscribers will then be curious about the posts that they may not have yet read.
Make your posts worth to comment
Comments are the result of an interesting post. Do not be satisfied with what you want to write. Write for your readers, not for yourself. They are our end customers, and their comments are important. Having regular commentators and friendly critics on your blog will spice up your energy, and if your subscribers will know about it they will be attracted to join the crowd. If you can invite your readers to post comments, your subscribers may also do the same.
To gain loyalty, build a character.
Related posts:
How to convince your Visitors to read your Blog Posts
How to Make Your Readers Post a Comment
How to avoid your Subscribers to Unsubscribe to your Blog
The Best of Humane Blogging Tips
You can also visit my latest blog - Father Blogger dot Com as it is being updated daily.
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Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
Why you should also read Blogs that are Different from your Blog Niche
Photo credit to chris spira
The title seems to be confusing but you read it right, we should also sometimes read blogs that do not really interest us. As an Entrecard member, I cannot help but drop by on different kinds of blogs from serious to funny, from realistic to fantasy, and others. But as I go along, there are bloggers who caught my attention and even subscribe to them. By doing this, I found some advantages which I want to share with you.
You can learn different strategies
Blogging about things that are not similar as yours has a different approach, but it does not mean it cannot be applicable to you. Sometimes, we wonder how they can attract readers when their topic does not look interesting. This is because they have mastered the art of self-advertising. You can also get other blogging resources from them such as latest templates and other sources of income that you cannot just find anywhere. The more techniques you learn, the better.
You will expand your knowledge
Concentrating on your topic too much is like isolating yourself in a dark room, and you will be ignorant of other things. One day, you will be surprised that you are being left behind with the latest craze in town. This will be a disadvantage on your part somehow. You will be lost in a blogging conversation during on-line social activities. Although there are blog posts that seem weird; you may also get something from them as additional attraction for your upcoming posts. In blogging, Learning is everywhere.
They can be your future readers
Have you tried leaving comments on blogs that have a totally different topic as yours? What was the effect to your blog? If your comment will be good enough for him, he may also read your blog. You never know, he may be among your future readers. A blogger about sports can also be interested in cooking or even parenting. Remember that every blogger is a potential customer. Nobody is a junk in blogging. This is one important lesson I learned from microblogging, like Twitter.
It will relax your mind
Blogging is not all about traffic and earning money. Sometimes, we need some entertainment and reading fancy blogs such as comic jokes and about showbusiness. They can help our mind pause for a while from the everyday pressure. Unlike before, I am now reading more blogs about daily experiences from different kinds of personal blogs. It is also fun to leave comments when someone asks for my point of views about life and other non-blogging related topics. Honestly speaking, I am enjoying most of them.
Goldmine can also be found in places where you least expected.
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Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
How not to be a Prisoner of your own blog
Am I a prisoner of my own blog? If this question never came into your mind, then I can conclude that you may be one but you do not realize it. This is because right now; you may be rushing to drop Entrecards as many as you can or spending excessive time thinking about your next post. Similarly, you may also be among the bloggers who pressure themselves too much just to meet their targeted monthly income. So before making your next move, here are some important reminders.
Free yourself
I bet one of the reasons why you want to make money on-line is because you do want to be free from an unfair boss. Ironically, you may be making yourself the boss that you hated so much but you do not notice it. Although success in blogging is about making yourself ahead of others, you must not be ahead from yourself. Feel free to rest, eat and sleep anytime. After all, nobody is controlling you but yourself. Blogging is freedom and there is no good reason why you should not free yourself.
Make posts that interest you
Do not use your blog as a complain report about the negative things around you. Instead, make it like a happy diary or an attractive business proposal. Blog about the things that make you happy and readers will also be happy too. Blogging is about entertaining yourself, before you can entertain others. Although you can use high paying keywords, they will be useless if you are not interested about them. You cannot convince others to read your post if you are not happy when you read it.
Enjoy your blog
Are you blogging just for the purpose of blogging or because you heard that you can make good money out of it? What ever your reasons are, you must enjoy your blog. Are you happy with the looks of your blog? How many times a month do you change your template? Or worst, have you ever tried changing it because you are not satisfied with it? Readers want to enjoy when they see your blog, and they can sense when you are not really enjoying it.
Expose yourself
Are you putting too much time on your blog, and not visiting others? Are you aware that there are a lot of good forums you can join to? You cannot promote your blog alone as much you cannot learn by yourself. Do not allow yourself running around in circles because you think you are not capable of exploring unfamiliar communities. You must not focus on what you want to have, but rather on what you can share. Even prisoners need to socialize with each other.
Be the master of your blog and not the other way around.
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How to motivate your self in Blogging
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How to fight your Insecurities in Blogging
How to Make your Post a Masterpiece
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Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
Are you doing the Right Blogging frequency?
How many times do bloggers should make a post? Should it be everyday, twice a day, or once a week? This question has been asked and debated many times but until now, I haven’t read a post telling the exact numbers of posts that will truly help increase traffic to our blogs. While it is true that we should think that content is king, doing the right blogging frequency also matters. Here are some of my thoughts and what I learned from top bloggers.
More than once a day
The main advantage of doing this is your readers may stay longer in you blog. Visitors may also be more interested in you because they will think that you are a very smart and consistent blogger. However, I can assume that you will not always think of good topics to share. In addition, your subscribers might get annoyed when they check their inbox especially if they do not read mails everyday.
Once a day
Many will agree with me if I say that this is the ideal posting frequency. This can be good for both of you and your subscribers. You may also have enough time to promote your post and prepare for the next post. This can also be just enough for your post to be indexed by search engines. But it can also hurt you if you are busy with other things such as office work. There are times that you will not be consistent in maintaining a daily post, unless you choose to sacrifice other things such as time to rest.
Average of thrice a week
I must admit that I belong to this group because of time constraint. Sometimes I feel guilty to my readers, but I am glad I have not yet heard of a negative feedback from them. For someone like me who have an 8-hour office work and a family to attend to, I will be lucky enough if I can post every other day. Although I can assume that I can have more readers than I have now if post more frequently, I try to balance my time in posting and promoting.
Once a week
You may conclude this is a disadvantage for you, and I will not disagree with you. However it does not really mean you cannot attract readers to your blog. If you know how to promote your blogs properly, you may even have more readers than the ones who post daily. How do they do that? Try joining forums, attached your best post as a link and provide valuable information to threads. If you are good in it, you will not need to post daily. However, this is risky to beginners and weak in socializing.
Whatever your choice will be, I think that the next important thing to quality is consistency.
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Article Source: Humane Blogging Tips
