The Omni BloggerBlogging tips

10 Simple Tips for Launching A Website

Matthew — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:00:32 +0000

Just ten – of what could be a list hundreds of pages long.

The process of launching a website can be a daunting endeavor. There are many things you want to do, but not enough time and resources to do them. However, even though it might seem like a herculean task, as long as you keep some fundamental things in mind, you can ensure a hassle-free website launch.

Read the Full Article at SixRevisions.

Blogging Myths Busted

Matthew — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:00:48 +0000

Boom.

The mirage of blogging keeps on attracting more and more people each day and with it, bloggers and online publishers hurry to launch debates on tips and best practices.

There is no secret that some of these blogging tips available on many blogs out there are written out of the desire to catch a profitable train or only to align with a publishing trend.

Some of these blogs only offer tips based on myths, without a reference or statistic background. What are these myths and my arguments against them?

Click the link to see some of the biggest blogging myths busted. Busting myths is a great way to get some easy traffic to your blog. People love conventional wisdom, but they love it even more when someone discredits the conventional wisdom. Think about it like this – It was pretty cool when Einstein figured out relativity. It explained a lot of things. Now, how cool would it be if someone came along and said Einstein was all wrong – that would raise some eyebrows.

If you’re in need of a boost, bust some myths.

If You Build It Right, They Will Come

Matthew — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:30:20 +0000

I came across this post at Blogussion yesterday and was immediately turned off. It’s wrong, just wrong.

To get us started, Rob Stretch says the old adage ‘if you build it, they will come’ just isn’t true.

The Field of Dreams myth is alive in many bloggers just starting out. Many new bloggers get an idea for a niche they want to infiltrate, build and host a blog, and wait for traffic. And wait some more. And the traffic never comes.

The e-marketing myth is that the internet has so many users that if you take the time to build a website it will generate its own traffic. More simply put, “If you build it, they will come.” This is not an accurate assumption.

Before I go on, let me say this – Rob isn’t wrong, but he isn’t right either. If you build it, they might not come. In that case, he’s right. But — and here’s the important part — if you build it right, they will come.

If you do what it takes to build a good blog, they will come. If you offer great content, a unique opinion, do it frequently and have a readable design – then you’ll get traffic. You’ll have to do some promotion along the way, but it will happen.

Blogging isn’t a big secret, hard thing to do. It’s pretty simple. It’s not easy – but it’s simple.

Four Tips for Outsourcing Your Blogging

Matthew — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:00:45 +0000

I came across the question of ‘outsourced blogging’ at Problogger this morning. As blogging becomes more profitable for people, I think it will become more common to see parts of the blogging process outsourced.

Now, I wouldn’t be surprised if a blogger outsourced technical parts of running a blog – coding, SEO, design etc. But are you really a blogger if you’re not writing? Sure – blogger to me is more synonymous with businessperson than it is with writer.

With that said, here are some tips to remember when it comes to outsourcing.

Deal With Legitimate People

When you start looking for people to outsource to, don’t just take the first person that comes along. You should deal with legitimate people only. There are a lot of people out there who are trying to make money by scamming you. You have to protect yourself. Get to know the person you’re dealing with, make sure they have a portfolio and ask for references. Doing this isn’t being difficult, it’s being safe.

Use A Third Party Arbitrator

Use a job board or freelance site like ODesk or Elance to make sure you get what you pay for. You can find great people on these sites and they have a lot of services to offer. ODesk and Elance both offer workrooms and other collaboration tools as well as timekeeping and invoicing tools. With these sites, you don’t have to pay until the work is done and if there are any questions, you’ll have someone to turn to in order to resolve the dispute.

You Get What You Pay For

If you buy a BMW, you’re getting a BMW. If you buy a Chevrolet, you’re getting a Chevrolet. If you buy a Pinto, well, you get the point. The same goes with outsourcing. Your budget will dictate the quality of work you should expect. If you’re a startup, this doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money; you will have to look harder to find someone who is willing to produce good work at a low price.

Stay in the States

This is some of the best advice I can give you – stay in the United States. Workers in other parts of the world may be cheaper and may offer a good solution for your business, but the headaches aren’t worth the reward. First, there is often a language barrier. Even if your potential parter speaks English, they probably don’t speak it well. Second, there is a time-zone difference. Remember, it’s day time in India when it’s night time here in the U.S. Thirdly – they probably have a different perspective than your audience.

Conclusion

In the end, you have to make the decision. Ask yourself if outsourcing is the right way to go. If it is, use these guidelines to make sure you don’t get burned.

Teach, don’t sell

Matthew — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:00:53 +0000

For those who are trying to make money blogging, the first reaction can be to ’sell something.’ That’s how we’re taught to make money our entire lives.

In the blogosphere, you’re in a unique position that makes that impossible. In most cases, readers get to try and use everything – they even get to take it home before they buy. In fact, they might take it and use it and not buy at all. Buying, in this case, of course being subscribing to your blog or clicking on an advertisement.

If you’re having trouble selling – it’s probably because you’re trying to sell something. Try teaching instead.

People who read blogs are looking for real information. They want quality, reliable content and they want it fast. That means you have to deliever useful information that will actually benefit people and you have to present it in a way that’s easy to read and comprehend.

Teach, dont’ sell.

Running with the Big Blogs

Matthew — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:46:14 +0000

If you’re just getting started as a blogger, you’re probably not seeing thousands of visitors per day and making lots of money. That’s OK – you’re blog still has a role.

Brandon Cox at Fuel Your Blogging has some tips for people who ‘fill out’ the blogosphere.

Some blogs lead, some don’t. That’s okay. Some blogs aren’t designed for leadership and that’s okay too. Some blogs inspire, some educate, and some just share silly pictures and funny videos. But… some blogs lead.

One of the perceptions of leadership in the blogosphere is that the “big blogs” are the leaders. These are the blogs listed in the Technorati Top 100. They are multi-author, celebrity driven, and corporately sponsored. I would contend, however, that a blog doesn’t have to be big to lead, but first let me define leadership. Leadership is influence, plain and simple. If you’re not influencing anyone, you’re not leading, you’re simply going for a walk!

Any blog can lead, and any blogger can influence others. We can shape thought and culture, motivate people to action, rally people to a cause, and provoke creativity.

If you’re blog isn’t ‘leading the way,’ it could be doing something worthwhile. It sounds a bit brash to say ‘know your role,’ but that’s about the best way to put it. Find where you fit in and make the best of that situation. You’ll have a chance to expand and grow in due time.

Blog For Purpose, Blog With Goals

Matthew — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:52:49 +0000

Sure, there are tons of reasons why you should blog — but really, why are you blogging? What’s your point? With that, what are you trying to achieve with your blog?

These are serious questions that every blogger and potential blogger should ask himself or herself. If you don’t understand your purpose or if you don’t have one altogether, then you could be in for a rough ride. Likewise, if you don’t have a consistent set of goals, you will quickly lose confidence and feel as if you’re accomplishing nothing.

A purpose goes hand in hand with goals. They should come together and be written down somewhere for reference. Having a purpose will help you stay on track and keep you productive. Having goals will keep you moving forward and build up your confidence. A quality discussion about purpose and goals is a unique characteristic of a good blog.

Before I go further, I should stress that there is a difference between purpose and goals. In some instances, the two can be overlapping terms but they are fundamentally different.

Purpose

A purpose is like a mission statement. It is more than just a reason and more than just why. Purpose is your underlying aim or objective. For example, I blog to share with the world what I know and hopefully, make a little money while doing so.

There are plenty of other purposes out there

Make Money
Earn Credibility
Share Your Work
Get Hired
Promote A Cause

That’s just to name a few. These can double as reasons why you should blog, but really – you can only have one primary purpose. Or should.

My purpose helps me increase productivity. I keep working inside my purpose to achieve my goals.

Goals

Goals are different than purpose in that goals are specific parameters within your purpose. For example, my long-term goal is 10,000 visitors and $150 in revenue per week.

I also have short term goals. I have goals for sharing and publicizing my site – like making sure I tweet a certain number of times per week and making sure I blog once per day.

Short-term goals help me build confidence toward achieving long-term goals. The more I accomplish, the better I feel – so to speak.

Why You Need a Purpose and Goals

I have already elaborated a bit on why you need a purpose and goals, but it’s important to reiterate. A purpose will help increase productivity and goals will help build confidence.

You need both of them to make sure you keep going.

If you don’t have them, get them. Tell me what your purpose and goals are.

Ebook Review: Make Money Blogging

Matthew — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:33:26 +0000

There are a countless number of Ebooks across the Internet all trying to tell you how you can make money blogging. On the rare occasion one is actually of value, it’s worth sharing.

Daniel Scocco at Daily Blog Tips has released a free Ebook (perhaps that’s the best part) that covers everything from the most basic fundamentals, to some quality information on how to take your money-making venture to the next level.

The book includes:

How to Pick a Host
How to Pick a Platform
How to Pick a Topic
Creating Valuable Content
Design
Subscribers
Networking
Promotion
Per Click Advertising
Commission Advertising
Direct Advertising

And much more! It’s a quick read at 54 pages, but is loaded with valuable content. In order to get it, all you have to do is sign up for his e-mail list, so go ahead!

8 articles you must read before you start your blog

Matthew — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:08:04 +0000

There are always the essentials. The must-do’s. The absolutes. The things you must do or see before you do or see something else. Blogging is no different.

When you start a blog, there are some things you must know and do before you actually START the blog. Buying a domain, finding a platform and topic aside, I’ve compiled what I think is a list of 7 articles you must read before you start your blog.

The 7 Deadly Sins of Blogging

Before you know what you should do, you should definitely know what you should not do. This is a comprehensive list of blogging no-no’s. Memorize them now.

Blogging Tips for Beginners

Darren Rowse at ProBlogger shares this newbie guide. Don’t be embarrassed, no, don’t be stupid — read this post if you’re new to blogging. For that matter, read it even if you’re not. In here is a great list of tips and how-to’s for beginning bloggers.