Blogs build internet families

Blogs build internet families?



Has Wayne gone completely off the deep end this time?



Well, it was to be expected sooner or later, you suppose.



In fact, the idea is not as outlandish as it appears at first, or to provide a bit more leeway, the second or sixteenth glance.



Blogs do help create, nurture, and build internet families.



There now, was that so hard?



In the modern world, you hear every day that people are beoming more disconnected from their neighbours.



No one knows anyone around them, except for a small coterie of friends, or perhaps some work and business associates. In the past, communities were more stable, over longer periods of time. People had time to know and develop close ties with the people around them.



Today's fast paced world has made those bygone days a distant and fading memory.



Like some faded black and white or sepia tinted photograph from a long ago time, the days of knowing all of your neighbours, their children, and even their cousins twice removed, are over.



Or are they?



The internet has created a new and exciting medium for developing friendships, and even extended family. The bloggers, as always, are on the forefront of the new family building revolution.



Distant bloggers are often brought together by an interest in topics, often thought arcane and on the very edges of reason, by members of the mainstream. Some blogging connections are developed from more traditional roots like business, politics, law, technology, sports, and the various creative hobbies.



Blogging communities have sprung up, like dandelions on the front lawn, on a warm spring afternoon.



Like minded bloggers communicate with one another, first by by commenters and by e-mails. Later, the friendship passes to the telephone and to live and in person meetings.



Over time, these meetings and discussions blossom into more than simple friendships. Marriages, business partnerships, and yes...extended families are often the direct result of maintaining a blog.



Bloggers have become one of the new family and relationship paradigms of the Twenty-First Century. While other forms of community building have occurred on the internet, few achieve virtual family status as quickly as do like minded bloggers.



Yes, Virginia, blogs do build families.



Real closeknit blogging families too!

READ MORE - Blogs build internet families

Blogosphere Radio hosts Ensight sale story

As I have reported before, and all of you are already aware, Jeremy Wright has sold his Ensight blog.



His story has been picked up by several major Canadian newspapers.



The discussion has also been part of one of the newest phenomena in blogging. Jeremy Wright appeared live on Blogosphere Radio.



At just under 15 minutes in length, the conversation is quite indepth. The opportunity for bloggers and radio to converge is a boon for both media formats.



Radio can enhance the personal aspects of blogging, by adding a voice to the words on the page.



With the addition of voice, the blogger can enhance the human element of blogging even more deeply. Those listeners, who have now heard the voice, complete with its inflections and nuances, can imagine the sounds on the blogging page as well.



Radio benefits from the numerous insightful bloggers, who provide ready guests on virtually any conceivable topic. After all, there is almost no subject imaginable that lacks for bloggers to discuss it.



There is a real future for blogs and radio to co-operate in the future.



The Jeremy Wright interview on Blogosphere Radio is a tremendous beginning.



While you're there, be sure to vote for the value you received from the interview.



READ MORE - Blogosphere Radio hosts Ensight sale story

Blogger honoured with business award nomination

Business and marketing blogger Yvonne DiVita of Lip-Sticking was honoured with a nomination, by the Rochester (NY) Women's Network (RWN), for the "Up And Coming Business Woman Of The Year" Award.



There are a total of 15 talented business women among the nominess for the prestigious business award.



The award presentation will be held during the RWN Business Women's Conference lunceon on October 29. The special awards luncheon will be at the Rochester Riverside Community Center.



For those of you in or near the Rochester, NY area, there is still time to register for the conference, and to attend the awards luncheon.



Regarding her nomination, Yvonne DiVita stated, "I hope to see many of my good friends and colleagues there. I am so thrilled to be among this list of local talent!"



As your good friend, I am pleased and privileged to congratulate you on this honour.



Way to go Yvonne!



READ MORE - Blogger honoured with business award nomination

Cheap hits: You get what you pay for

Cheap visits to your blog.



I know you have thought about getting some.



All those of you who are guilty, please raise your hands.



Aha! I thought so!



Okay, now we have that naughty little secret out in the open, we can discuss it freely.



I had an e-mail question on the subject today, as a matter of fact. The writer wanted to know how to get some fast visits to his blog. He was hoping there were some magic words he could use to streak to the top of the search engines, and pick off some stray internet searchers.



Well, let's consider the idea.



Is there any value to cheaply acquired visits from the search engines like Google, MSN Search, Yahoo, AOL Search, Teoma, and others?



I don't think so.



First of all, visitors to your blog who are searching for Britney Spears wedding photos, Paris Hilton video movies, and the latest news about Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan, are not likely to read your blog about planting rutabagas in Nebraska.



Simply placing keywords in a blog post, suggesting risque pics and stories, won't develop a blog's readership base.



The visitor counter will register a stop alright, but the click away in frustration, by a dissatisfied fan of Charlize Theron, will be much faster.



There is no magic bullet to gaining blog traffic. No one said building a blog, and a regular readership was ever going to be easy.



It takes hard work, and many, many interesting and informative web posts.



While it would be great to gain visitor traffic as a result of popular celebrity searches for Christina Aguilera, Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp, and Jessica Simpson, it's not going to benefit your blog in the long run.



Unless you are writing an entertainment or celebrity news blog, or those topics are components of your current blog, your cheap hits won't pay off very well.



The search engines might just register your blog high in the search rankings as a result of the famous names. Don't get too excited, however. The resulting visits to your blog don't usually translate into loyal readers.



Instead of looking for cheap search engine hits, on highly popular searches for famous names, concentrate on writing good quality posts instead. Link out to other related blogs that provide even more helpful information on your blog's subject matter.



Feel free to add a mini-link section to blogs on your personal interests. I have some baseball blogs linked, for example.



I write a small bit about baseball, and Blog Business World might even be slightly themed as a baseball blog. I know it's already themed as a roller derby blog, due to the fact I have an actual blog about roller derby.



Write great posts about your areas of real interest; and that includes your hobbies.



Don't go chasing cheap hits from the search engines.



The resulting visitors won't stay, for more than a few seconds, before they click away to a more relevant site. Searchers want to find what they are looking for in the search engines.



Now, since I have mentioned some celebrities in this post...



Maybe I can get some cheap clicks to this blog...



Nah!







READ MORE - Cheap hits: You get what you pay for

Carnival of the Capitalists at Crossroads Dispatches

As we all tend toward the philosophical at this time of year, the travelling business show, recognized by one and all as Carnival of the Capitalists, provides us with some wisdom for the ages.



This week's posts have a decidedly contemplative air, as we engage the thoughtfulness of Evelyn Rodriguez's highly philosophical marketing and innovation blog, known as Crossroads Dispatches



When Evelyn is not juxtaposing the yin and the yang, she is writing about innovations and ideas. As a supporter and believer in creativity, I like that idea. A lot.



This week's edition of Carnival of the Capitalists features some of the best bloggers writing on the internet today.



Blogging topics presented include entrepreneurship, management, legal issues, regulation, the media, internet commerce, the national and global economies.



As you would expect from Crossroads Dispatches there are innovation and ideas postings everywhere.



It's always great to read and discover the many high quality blogs out there in the blogosphere.



We don't always get to them all, and this edition of Carnival of the Capitalists has introduced many of us to some brand new ones.



As I am always privileged to do, I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Capitalists as well.



My entry post this week is entitled "Ensight blog sale important for bloggers" where I discuss the sale of a blog, in terms of how it helps all bloggers, by extension.



If you wish to submit an entry to next week's, or any Carnival of the Capitalists edition, e-mail your entries to the new address:



cotcmail -at- gmail -dot- com



If you are searching for new and exciting ways to expand your blog's readership, you should seriously consider sending an entry to Carnival of the Capitalists.



Merely being included in the company, of the first rate regular Carnival of the Capitalists contributors, will enhance the reputation of your blog.The extra visitors can't sent to your blog won't hurt either!



The growth and staying power, of Carnival of the Capitalists, is beginning to catch the attention of people outside the blogging community. The readership is enlarging, and finding entirely new visitors, every single week.



The visitors aren't only bloggers anymore.



Readership is expanding to include the mainstream media, various government and private organizations, many businesses, and other interested people from beyond the blogging community.



Next week's Carnival of the Capitalists moves over to the fine business, technology, and marketing blog called Drakeview.



In the meantime, click that mouse over to this week's Crossroads Dispatches hosted Carnival of the Capitalists.



It doesn't require an innovative spin on yin and yang, but that approach might pay dividends in the end.



You won't want to miss reading any of this week's tremendous entries.



We can all gain a vast amount of knowledge from the many informative and interesting contributors.

READ MORE - Carnival of the Capitalists at Crossroads Dispatches

The Joy of....blogging

And you thought I was going to give this post a racier title!



Well, sorry to disappoint you. Again.



One of the hidden facts about blogging in general, and business blogging in particular, is that it's fun.



It's fun to write and pontificate (love that word, so indulge me) on all sorts of things bloggidy. And is bliggody a word?



Well, maybe like bloggidy, it is now.



I can sense a song here somewhere.



Hot bliggody, blog bliggody...



Well, that idea clearly didn't work as I had hoped. I definitely won't be hearing from Ross over at the great House Of Blues business blog anytime soon.



It will be more like, "Wayne, don't give up your day job!"



Well, the joke's on them. I don't have one. I feelance; and no that is not code for unemployment. I used "consultant" for that.



For those of you still not certain if I am posting about blogging or about the joys of procreation. Yes, I realized that title would trigger naughty thoughts.



Well, blogs can be fun too.



In fact, putting some personality into your blog really helps. Readers don't want or expect useful information every day. At least I hope they don't. Some of my posts are less helpful than others.



That's fine too.



While a basic level of consistency in blog quality is a worthwhile goal, some days find the posts simply better than others.



Want to know something funny?



Well, at least I think it's funny. It's sort of a secret in blogging, that not many bloggers really consider.



Seriously, they don't think of it.



Some of the posts, that I have thought were weaker than others, turned out to be some of my most popular and linked posts.



It's true. I didn't believe it either.



But there it is.



Some of what I thought were my better posts got somewhat less than zero response.



On the other hand (as baseball blogger Aaron Gleeman would say, "You knew there had to be another hand") some of my weaker posts got mega attention.



That's one of the joys of blogging (sorry, nothing risque there either).



Some posts turn out far differently than we ever imagine. Some catch on, while others fizzle like that cut rate fireworks you bought for the holidays.



That leads me to the greatest joy of blogging. I believe I have unanimous agreement from you on this one.



It's the visitors. The readers who arrive at the blog, whether thre for the first time or the hundredth, they are all a delight.



The comments they leave, and the e-mails they write, get many a blogger out of bed in the morning. Or night as the case may be.



In the end, the true joy of blogging is meeting new and wonderful people. Many of them become your friends, and even business associates.



As Yvonne Divita at Lip-Sticking would say, "What's not to like about that?"



READ MORE - The Joy of....blogging

Blog radio becomes bigger and bloggier

Blogs on the radio.



Or rather, I should say bloggers are becoming more important on the radio.



With the rapid expansion of the internet blogging community, it was only a matter of time before one of the big three media embraced the blog concept.



Radio is really a natural for blogs.



As I had written some time ago on Blog Business World:



Talk radio is blogging writ large, complete with comments on and references to, other writers, and news stories. The most popular talk radio hosts opine on news and current events, with references, in the same manner as bloggers.



The step from blog to radio program would be a small transition.




What I had written about blogs on the radio then, is certainly becoming a reality these days.



With the recent sale of his Ensight blog, Jeremy Wright appeared on the rapidly growing blog radio station called Blogpsphere Radio.



Offering blogging news and ideas, Blogosphere Radio serves up an earful of bloggity goodness.



As a venture into turning the world of blogging into radio content, the concept definitely has merit.



And they aren't the only blogs on radio.



Pundit Review Radio has added some bloggers to its lineup.



That story has been reported by Jennifer at Drink This... and by Trudy Schuett at WOLves.



Pundit Review Radio is streamed out of Boston, MA via the internet broadcast of WBIX AM 1060.



The shows will be archived and made available to bloggers.



Representing a fusion, of traditional media stalwart radio and blogs, the show promises to deliver the concept of blogs and bloggers to the mainstream.



More and more, now and in the future, we will see blogs become part of the mainstream media.



Move over radio.



The bloggers are coming!



The bloggers are coming!

READ MORE - Blog radio becomes bigger and bloggier

Thinking beyond the grey flannel box

Thinking outside of the box.



I know it's a cliche.



It's probably overworked as one of the dreaded buzzwords and phrases.



You know the ones. They make your teeth grind together every time you hear them. Like fingers on the proverbial blackboard, they make your hair stand on end.



That doesn't make it any less important.



In fact, the only thing about thinking outside the box or pushing the envelope, is that not enough people do it.



Oh yes, they talk about them all of the time.



They are going to even do it.



Someday.



Well, bloggers are doing things outside of the box every day.



Like a child who had the audacity to colour outside of the lines, business bloggers are cutting right past the traditional lines of corporate communications.



Instead of having to have every word and even every comma, vetted, hashed out, and argued over, business bloggers go directly to the people. Talking straight to the current and future customers blasts right past the old style rigid lines of public relations and marketing.



And you know what?



It works.



It works so well, that businesses are starting to perk up their collective grey flannel covered ears, and are doing a little bandwagon jumping.



Of course, they have to leave those old boxes behind. There is the rub. Those old grey flannel ideas don't take well to changes.



Blogging means changes are being made to the box.



Some business bloggers have even thrown the box away.



Putting that human face on the cold glass and concrete corporate headquarters is good for business.



Modern customers are way too savvy, and much too interested in themselves and their own needs, to care at all about the corporate structure. In fact, many of a company's current and potential customers prefer the old mom and pop style of business.



Well, what do you know. Blogs provide that human face that's been missing all along.



Instead of letting those bottom lines sag, from some solid black to some banker worrying red, it's time to get out of that box.



Instead of the traditional corporate communications and marketing style, speak directly to your customers.



Treat them as your friends and as real human beings.



That's all they ask from you and your company.



Oh, one more thing.



It pays off with long term loyal customers, who will sing your praises to all of their friends and families.



They might also say nice things about your business in their own blogs.



Throw out those old boxes today!

READ MORE - Thinking beyond the grey flannel box

Ensight blog sale important for bloggers

As pretty much everyone around the blogosphere knows by now, well known business and technology blogger, Jeremy Wright has sold his highly popular Ensight blog.



The sale is important in the blogging community for a number of reasons.



The first, and obviously important to my good friend Jeremy and his family, was the $15,000.00 sale price. All I can say is that it couldn't happen to a nicer or more deserving person. I am always happy to see my friends do well in life.



A second reason, which is related to the first, is the simple fact that blogs are valued monetarily, and are therefore considered a legitimate business. Those blog critics who considered blogs to be a mere fad or hobby, and little more than an "online diary", might have to dine on a certain black feathered bird.



Hanging an actual dollar value, on what we already knew to be valuable, just handed blogs instant mainstream media credibility.



A third reason that the ground breaking sale is important is the fact that suddenly all of our blogs have some level of cash value.



Of course, like anything else, some blogs will be worth more than others. Some blogs might have a low value, while others might have valuations approaching those of any conventional online independent business.



A fourth and very powerful benefit of the sale, and it affects all bloggers as well, is the additional exposure that the blog sale has created. Jeremy has already been contacted by two major Canadian newspapers for more information on the story.



Where press coverage goes, interest from the public will soon follow. The overall profile of blogging has just risen. A lot.



As suggested by the always astute Rob, from Business Pundit, the field is wide open for the development of blogs, and then offering them for sale. Rob, who always has a nose for a business opportunity, has suggested that blog building and eventual sale, might form a future business for some people.



After all, the value is in the level of visitor traffic, link, incoming link values, and content building for the regular readers and for the search engines. The time and work of developing those areas would already be completed for the cash buyer.



Like any startup business, a new blog needs to develop its niche in the blogosphere and overall internet marketplaces. Many business people prefer to purchase an established and known entity, rather than begin from the proverbial square one.



Business blogs in particular received some much needed publicity. As the mainstream news media picks up the Ensight blog sale story, many busness people will begin to understand some of the benefits of business blogging.



That third party endorsement of business blogs possessing real value will certainly tip the scales in favour of blogging. Many astute business people will add a business blog component to their conventional websites as a direct result.



Overall, the sale of Ensight has some far reaching benefits for the blogging community as a whole, and for business blogs in particular.



The entire blogosphere owes a bit of thanks to Jeremy Wright.



He just gave your blog some financial value.



I figure mine are now worth at least $10.00!

















READ MORE - Ensight blog sale important for bloggers

Blog power in action

Blogs are a powerful medium of communication.



Okay, Wayne, tell us something we don't already know. We know you like to state the obvious, and built your blog around it, but give us something new for a change.



As a collective whole, bloggers are a powerful force in the media. In fact, bloggers have already exerted their will onto the mainstream stage, with the recent Rathergate issue.



Regardless of your political position, it's very obvious that bloggers had a major impact on the world of journalism.



As my friend David St. Lawrence of Ripples points out:



...as long as there are bloggers who write rationally and document their

sources, blogs will continue to exert more and more influence on everyday life.




In fact, as David concludes, even bloggers are somewhat surprised at their effectiveness, when working as a united force.



Whether the bloggers or Dan Rather were correct on the issue, is not really the point here.



As my readers already know, I don't take a political stand, as I have problems with all of the major political parties. I prefer less government in every way, including in our lives.



Instead of discussing the politics and facts of the case, as viewed by both sides, I prefer to examine the role of bloggers, in the entire Rathergate affair.



The politics are discussed on many other political and legal blogs, and many of them have examined both sides of the issue very well. I leave the politics to others.



If bloggers ever had a moment in the sun, however, this is it.



If for any reason, the blogging community was in error, the members of the blogosphere are very self correcting.



The sheer number of bloggers, who look at political matters, ensures that ideas will be looked over and weighed many times. Some bloggers will take entirely different stances than others. That is a great thing for freedom and for democracy.



When individual voices speak up, and are heard, everyone benefits whether everyone agrees with the message or not. That is one of the powers of blogging.



The last thing we need is a leash placed on bloggers. There is certainly no need for any watchdog. The blogging community will police itself very well, thank you.



I will say this.



Bloggers bring highly specialized skills, knowledge, and abilities to the computer table.



With that massive knowledge and talent base behind it, blogs will be a media force to be reckoned with in the future.



Let that talent and ability display itself and the news media will have a powerful partner in uncovering the truth on many issues.



Blogging is a conversation, making it much different from the big three of television, radio, and newspapers. Bloggers talk back and forth and quote and debate one another. The idea is about developing dialogue, as a powerful reason for maintaining a blog, in the first place.



Muzzle the blogging community, whether for or against any political party or media position, and everyone suffers.



Let bloggers be bloggers.



The truth will be presented on the blogs, sooner or later.



It will appear in the conversation between blogs.





READ MORE - Blog power in action

Business blogs beginning to boom

Business blogs are starting to catch on with more and more businesses.



Traditional websites are beginning to add a blog component to their content.



The reason for the boom in business blogging is simple.



There are so many benefits to be gained from a business blog, that having one as part of a website, will soon be standard operating procedure.



The search engines like fresh content. Blogs provide it with every new post added to the blog. For example, if a new post is added daily, the search engine spiders from Google, Yahoo, and MSN Search, will be along to reindex a site just as often.



By being constantly updated and reindexed, a site will usually score higher rankings in the search engines for your most important keywords. As a result, when people search for information on the net, whether for knowledge or for online shopping, the blog will have contributed well to the bottom line.



Score one for a business blog.



Bloggers are free and generous linkers. Blog owners constantly link to posts on other blogs that interest them. Bloggers also link to blog posts that might interest their readers. Bloggers cross link with one another.



The search engines, and in particular the link obsessed Google, credit linked sites very highly. They view many incoming links as a sign of a site's importance and popularity. The added incoming links, resulting from the business blog, will do their job in getting higher search engine rankings for the site.



Score another one for the business blog.



Because relevance is the new buzzword around search engine circles, a business blog will really be of major assistance in that regard. Since most bloggers write their posts about similar and related topics, and link to bloggers who discuss the same general themes, blogs do very well in the relevance department.



Having relevant and on topic content is part of what the search engines expect from a top ranking website. The business blog provides even more themed content, with very little effort on the part of the blogger.



Looks like another score for the business blog.



These concepts of business blog value are not lost on progressive thinking website owners.



These webmasters see blogs as adding tremendous value to the bottom lines of their online businesses.



Through a combination of high search engine rankings, and returning website visitors to read the latest blog postings, more customers are created for the business.



That means way more dollars into the old bank account.



What is really great, is the fact that I only gave you the search engine value of the business blog.



I have only given you part of the story today.



There are many more reasons for launching a business blog.



The high search engine rankings are only the beginning of the fun resulting from adding a blog component.



Business blogs = dollars for an online business.



That is simply stating a fact!





READ MORE - Business blogs beginning to boom

Carnival of the Capitalists at voluntaryXchange

As the summer moves into fall, the travelling business show, recognized by one and all as Carnival of the Capitalists, provides us with some knowledge for all seasons.



This week's posts have a decidely economics focus, as we stroll past David Tufte's highly informative and perceptive economics blog, known as voluntaryXchange.



Any blog that features the tagline "It's as intrinsically human as opposable thumbs" has to be doing something right!



This week's edition of Carnival of the Capitalists features some of the best bloggers writing on the internet today.



Blogging topics presented include entrepreneurship, management, legal issues, regulation, the media, internet commerce, the national and global economies.



As you would expect from voluntaryXchange, there are political and technological postings everywhere.



It's always great to read and discover the many high quality blogs out there in the blogosphere.



We don't always get to them all, and this edition of Carnival of the Capitalists has introduced many of us to some brand new ones.



As I am always privileged to do, I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Capitalists as well.



My entry post this week is entitled "Search engine rankings: No sleeping" where I discuss the lazy person's method of gaining high search engine rankings for your blog.



If you wish to submit an entry to next week's, or any Carnival of the Capitalists edition, e-mail your entries to:



capitalists -at- elhide.com



If you are searching for new and exciting ways to expand your blog's readership, you should seriously consider sending an entry to Carnival of the Capitalists.



Merely being included in the company, of the first rate regular Carnival of the Capitalists contributors, will enhance the reputation of your blog.The extra visitors can't sent to your blog won't hurt either!



The growth and staying power, of Carnival of the Capitalists, is beginning to catch the attention of people outside the blogging community. The readership is enlarging, and finding entirely new visitors, every single week.



The visitors aren't only bloggers anymore.



Readership is expanding to include the mainstream media, various government and private organizations, many businesses, and other interested people from beyond the blogging community.



Next week's Carnival of the Capitalists moves over to Evelyn Rodriguez"s philosophical and high quality marketing and innovation blog, called Crossroads Dispatches.



In the meantime, click that mouse over to this week's voluntaryXchange hosted Carnival of the Capitalists.



It doesn't require opposable thumbs, but they might help!



You won't want to miss reading any of this week's tremendous entries.



We can all gain a vast amount of knowledge from the many informative and interesting contributors.

READ MORE - Carnival of the Capitalists at voluntaryXchange

Reading my daily e-mail and thinking about helping

I like to read my e-mail.



Well, at least I enjoy reading it once I have conducted a herculean spam deletion. I am always surprised at how that little chore lowers the overall number of e-mails.



Considering the number of e-mail addresses I have, it definitely adds up.



Because I write about blogging, blog promotion and marketing, along with search engine optimization (SEO), I get many e-mails on those topics.



Some people even offer to pay me for my expertise, in what is becoming a fast growing field.



Blogs.



I am always happy to help other bloggers along on their road to success. Each day, along with many other great bloggers, I freely provide information on making your blog be all that it can be.



By providing information posting ideas, I can help you avoid blogging writer's block.



Through suggestions for links, I can help you help your own readers share in your favourite blogs.



From letting you know how the search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN Search reward blogs, I can assist you in achieving high rankings when people search for your blog's topics. Instead of finding other sites, the seeker of knowledge can read your blog for pearls of wisdom.



Freely showing you ways to get more readers for your blog, through marketing and promotion, many more visitors can enjoy your thoughts on whatever subject interests you. Chances are, your new readers are very interested in your blog topics too. They will be happy you told them about your blog.



I write this blog to help other bloggers achieve success.



It's always fun to help someone get farther along that long, and never ending road.



Take marketing and publicity for example.



Often bloggers are told, very mistakenly too, that if they "write great high quality posts, people will flock by the thousands per day to read their words". Sadly, too many new and even established bloggers believe that fairy tale.



If your blog is that good, be proud of it.



Tell everyone you know, and those you don't. If your blog is as good as you say it is, then you will get more readers and incoming links. Of course, you have to let the people know about your blog first. Word of mouth is great, but you still need those first mouths to tell the words.



Marketing and promotions does not make you a bad person.



It means you are thinking like a business person.



My goal is to help bloggers to help themselves.



My daily e-mail on the subject proves other bloggers agree with me.





READ MORE - Reading my daily e-mail and thinking about helping

Reciprocal links: Are they harmful?

Reciprocal links.



You know. Link trading with other bloggers.



Swapping links is an old practice, used by all bloggers, since the idea of blogs were new. Bloggers like to share their visitor traffic with one another.



Recently, however, the concept of reciprocal links has come under attack. Some search engine optimization (SEO) experts claim that traded links do your blog harm in the search engines.



I think they are wrong.



SEO professionals might have a point, regarding links between sites, where there is absolutely no relationship whatsoever. Those are generally entirely commercial sites, however.



Blogs are very different.



Bloggers link to one another in many more ways than simply exchanging links on a blogroll. Most blogs link to other blog posts, within the body of their own entries. Often the receiving blog will make note of that fact in another later post.



The beat goes on.



The real isue here is relevance. Bloggers who link to, or exchange links with other bloggers who write about the same topics, are doing one another a favour.



Blogs with posts on the same themes benefit one another in more ways than one.



First of all, each blog shares a small portion of the other blogger's regular visitor traffic. That is always nice. I like to find new readers visiting my blog, and I always try to visit the sending blog, especially if it's brand new to me.



Some great blog discoveries are made that way. Many of those brand new findings are listed as regulars on my Resources list. I'm sure you have done the same thing.



Related theme blog links help one another in the search engines. Because each blog involved in the link exchange is relevant to the other, they both get some added link popularity boost in the search engines.



For example, two political blogs or two legal blogs crosslinking, help one another.



In fact, it's very easy to make your blog themed and relevant for any incoming link.



Even if the traded link had nothing to do with your blog, that can be changed in an instant. Simply write a blog post or two about the topic of the formerly unrelated blog. Just like that, both of your blog traded links are themed for one another. Relevance is born.



Don't let anyone discourage you from sharing and exchanging links with other blogs.



Everyone benefits, especially from the chance to visit an entirely new blog.



You can't beat that.



Don't worry about reciprocal links.



They work for blogs.





READ MORE - Reciprocal links: Are they harmful?

Has your visitor total grown?

Visitor totals to your blog.



Talk about a delicate topic.



It's almost akin to a discussion of personal hygiene products. It simply isn't talked about in polite society. It's a touch subject for many bloggers.



Well, it's time to break the taboo.



While many people claim to not care about their number of readers, most do. In a tone similar to those who say they only play games for fun, the actions are more important than the claims of innocence.



Most bloggers want more visitors to their blogs. They want more and more people to read their words of wisdom...or at least their thoughts.



There...I said it.



Now we're getting somewhere.



Bloggers swap links with other bloggers, occasionally for search engine purposes, but mostly to share visitor traffic. If the writer wanted fewer visitors, they would have no incoming links at all.



Keeping a blog in non-public mode is also an option.



Many search engine savvy bloggers make certain their blog has all of the mainstream search engine optimization practices in place.



Their title tag, which appears on the very top of the computer screen above the browser, will contain their most important search terms, called keywords.



Their incoming links will have a mixture of their blog title and their major keywords on the clickable link from other blogs. That is called link anchor text and is important in search rankings.



Once a week or more, the visitor conscious blogger will check the major search engine,s like Google, Yahoo, and MSN Search, for where their blog is ranked. They higher the better!



Their blogs will be listed in the main blog directories, in hopes of gaining a few visitors from there. I have a list of the major blog directories, placed high on my Resources list, to help those directory seeking blog owners.



More than once per day, the visitor oriented blogger will check his or her visitor counter. Eagerly seeking new sources of blog readers, the traffic origins are carefully examined.



The visitor log entrails are read and scrupulously contemplated.



Adding more interesting content, to the blog's daily posts and later to the archives, will add many more interested readers. The search engine oriented blogger, gets a boost in the rankings, from the fresh content as well.



I know that you, personally, are not interested in or obsessed with your visitor totals. Of course, you know several bloggers that are quite into their traffic counts.



I'm glad you aren't one of them.



Wink.





READ MORE - Has your visitor total grown?

Writers turn to blogging

Writers are beginning to take the idea of blogging seriously.



In an effort to market their books, in an increasing crowded reading marketplace, blogs are becoming a vehicle of choice.



We all know the power of blogs (if not, you have some reading on this blog to do!) and what they can do for any site or business.



I'll talk about three fiction writers who have gone blogging. All three are friends of mine, and I'm very sure that blogging has helped their book and merchandise sales.



The hard facts are in the bottom line. That's where the blog rubber hits the internet road...or superhighway, if you prefer.



David Kilpatrick is a crime novelist. His self titled David Kilpatrick blog provides rolicking reading on law, crime, and all things from the seedier underside of humanity.



In other words, it's a fun blog!



He links to his novels, which are available in print on demand format. He includes some reviews, many of which are from other bloggers.



Blogs are working for David Kilpatrick.



A second writer who is using blogs to enhance her book sales, as well as her reputation as a spinner of high quality prose, is Vikk Simmons.



Her Down The Writer's Path blog features well written posts about writing, as you would expect.



She also features interviews with other noted writers, who provide their insights into the writing profession. As with all of Vikk's blog posts, the information on writing well, is superb.



Vikk takes her writing craft very seriously, and it definitely shows well.



Of course, no discussion of an author and blogs would be complete, without mentioning Trudy Shuett of WOLves.



Working tirelessly at promoting the use of blogs for business, public relations, and...surprise...for writers, Trudy is in a class all by herself.



Trudy has gone so far as to place her own novels on blogs, to enable her readers to get a taste of her writing.



As blogs become a more mainstream medium of communications, public relations, and marketing, writers of both fiction and non-fiction will be blogging too.



While authors using blogs are still in the first chapter, that will change soon.



In a very short time, you will read you favourite authors, both in hard copy and on their blogs.



It's the future for writers.

READ MORE - Writers turn to blogging

Comments using Blogger

Many Blogger users take advantage of the Blogger comments feature.



That feature was not always available. As a result, many Blogger users added a third party commenting system. I use a third party add on commenter myself.



I wrote yesterday about the importance of comments, but failed to discuss the Blogger commenter.



While many of my readers don't use Blogger, as their blog's host, many others do.



For their benefit, check out my friend The Blog Bloke's excellent discussion, on the many ways to use Blogger comments.



It's well worth reading, even if you don't use Blogger, because you will easily encounter many Blogger hosted blogs in your surfing.



Happy commenting.

READ MORE - Comments using Blogger

Comments and more comments

Blog comments.



Most blogs have comments, either with the blogging platforms version, or a third party blog commenter.



I am one of the radicals who uses a third party commenter.



The problem, for many bloggers, is getting more visitors to actually leave some comments for others to read.



It's not uncommon to visit a blog and see a week's worth of posts, and no comments made at all.



How do you get more comments?



One proven technique for gaining blog comments is to give them. By posting comments on other people's blogs, many of those blog owners will return the favour.



One thing the blogging concept is about is community. The more you put into creating a social network of bloggers, the more you will receive in return.



On many blogs, the comments section is the liveliest part of the post. Sometimes a post will stimulate a rather lengthy discourse, lasting for weeks, and for literally dozens and dozens of posts.



In effect, a single blog comment can trigger an entire discussion or debate.



I like to post comments at many of the blogs that I visit. Often I will visit a blog, and write a comment to an earlier post, that I had missed at a previous time. I do that for both my regular daily reads, and for some newly discovered blogs.



It's never too late to provide a comment. From a blogger's point of view, that I believe is shared by many others, comments are greatly appreciated. I think everyone likes to think their postings are valuable.



Much thought goes into most blog posts, and often much of the writer's personal life is poured into those expressions of their hearts and minds. It's always nice to know your posting was well thought of by someone.



If a post on a blog touched you intellectually, emotionally, or spiritually, don't hesitate to let the blogger know about it.



By starting a dialogue between people, a blog commenter can be the birthplace of a new friendship.



If that isn't reason enough to post a comment on someone's blog, then I don't know what is!



Happy commenting, everyone!





READ MORE - Comments and more comments

How do you link to other blog posts?

Linking to other blogs and postings.



How do you do it?



When I link to other blog posts, I like to use the double link technique. While it's not essential, and certainly not mandatory, I prefer it.



I believe it's simply extending a courtesy to the blogger.



As we all know (or at least I hope we do), it's necessary to provide a link to the post you are quoting.



You can link to the post in question, either using the permalink, or the trackback feature. I always use the post's permalink, because Blogger has some issues with trackbacks. I hope they remedy that shortcoming soon.



I also provide a link directly to the blog home page as well.



Many people do not believe that it's necessary, or even important to do so. I disagree for a number of reasons.



1. The reader of the linked post gets a quick opportunity to read the entire blog.



2. Reading the rest of the blog might entice the visitor to return, where landing on a single selected post might not.



3. It seems polite to me to acknowledge the blogger, in as many ways as possible,



4. It provides a highlight of the home page and the display of the blogger's outgoing links and blogroll for further exploration.



5. The added link to the blog home page, provides a boost to that blog in the search engines, for the blog's particular theme and topic.



I am always happy to provide some additional support to some of the great blogs available.



One of the ways, in which I give some extra assistance, is through the double link method.



I link to the blog post under discussion.



I link to the blog home page as a courtesy.



It's up to you if you want to borrow that technique.



I have borrowed it from several other bloggers myself.





READ MORE - How do you link to other blog posts?

d-42.com hosts Carnival of the Capitalists

As the summer television rerun season moves into the new fall programming schedule, the travelling business show, recognized by one and all as Carnival of the Capitalists, provides us with some first run knowledge.



The posted shows are great, as we find a second season at Josh Cohen's informative political, technology, and television viewing blog d-42.com.



This week's edition of Carnival of the Capitalists features some of the best bloggers writing on the internet today.



Blogging topics presented include entrepreneurship, management, legal issues, regulation, buying and selling, internet commerce, the national and global economies. As you would expect from d-42.com, there are political and technological postings everywhere.



As an added bonus this week, there are many newer contributors to the d-42.com hosting, along with many of the regulars you have already met.



It's always great to read and discover the many high quality blogs out there in the blogosphere. We don't always get to them all, and this edition of Carnival of the Capitalists has introduced us to some brand new ones.



As I am always privileged to do, I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Capitalists as well.



My entry post this week is entitled "Small business: Is it for you?", where I ponder whether starting a business, might be the best insurance, against what may prove to be a long term difficult job market.



If you wish to submit an entry to next week's, or any Carnival of the Capitalists edition, e-mail your entries to:



capitalists -at- elhide.com



If you are searching for new and exciting ways to expand your blog's readership, you should seriously consider sending an entry to Carnival of the Capitalists.



Merely being included in the company, of the first rate regular Carnival of the Capitalists contributors, will enhance the reputation of your blog.The extra visitors can't sent to your blog won't hurt either!



The growth and staying power, of Carnival of the Capitalists, is beginning to catch the attention of people outside the blogging community. The readership is enlarging, and finding entirely new visitors, every single week.



The visitors aren't only bloggers anymore.



Readership is expanding to include the mainstream media, various government and private organizations, many businesses, and other interested people from beyond the blogging community.



Next week's Carnival of the Capitalists moves over to David Tufte's always interesting and insightful economics based voluntaryXchange.



In the meantime, grab that remote control, turn on the television, and watch this week's d-42.com hosted Carnival of the Capitalists. Josh Cohen has served up another hit show!



You won't want to miss reading any of this week's tremendous entries.



We can all gain a vast amount of knowledge from the many informative and interesting contributors.

READ MORE - d-42.com hosts Carnival of the Capitalists

Getting lazy with your posting

Getting lazy with posting to your blog.



It's happened to everyone from time to time.



Instead of posting to your own blog, you read every blog on your links directory, and your entire blog RSS feed reader besides.



Perhaps, you had a better idea. Taking a tour of the offline world, and enjoying the great outdoors, beats blogging hands down. The wonders of nature trump almost everything blog related.



It's not a bad thing to be lazy. Don't worry about any sense of guilt or some misplaced Puritan work ethic.



Those concepts, whether outmoded or not, have absolutely nothing to do with maintaining a successful blog.



A good blog post requires some degree of care. A good blog posting can add many more new visitors to your blog. Other people will link to it. Your regular readers will e-mail a link to their friends and family.



A bad blog posting can send your regular visitors to another blog in a hurry. New traffic will simply pass on through your stop on the information super highway.



Instead of being concerned about being lazy, and worried about not posting, use the time for more important things. Family and friends are infinitely more valuable than a slapped together post about...well...not much.



Missing days of posting can be refreshing. A short break can help to refocus the mind on what your blog is truly all about. Keeping your blog on topic is helpful, for those regular readers, who turn to your blog for specific information.



After all that talk about being lazy, I think I'll go commune with nature.



Then take a nap.



What could display laziness better than that!









READ MORE - Getting lazy with your posting

Search engine rankings: No sleeping

Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine results pages (SERPs).



Even the thought of such topics causes many people's eyes to glass over and start to yawn.



Just the terms alone: search engine optimization...if that's not enough to put anyone to sleep, they probably have permanent insomnia.



Don't get me started on search engine results pages, or something like Topic Sensitive PageRank. I can see you nodding off to sleep already.



I know that some bloggers are very concerned with their blog's position in the search engines, like Google, Yahoo, MSN Search, AOL Search, and Teoma. Those bloggers are likely in the minority.



Most blog owners don't care at all.



Most of you simply post to your blog, add links to other blogs, and let the search engine rankings fall where they may. The good thing is that the placements, for your blog's main keywords, land very well.



Because most bloggers write about what interests them the most, and they link to other blogs with similar topics of discussion, the blog scores well in the search engines.



Without you doing anything.



The little SEO term, and yes it's kind of boring too, is relevance.



If your blog posts are related to the overall theme and subject matter of your blog, they are considered relevant. For example, a law blog talking about a court case; or a political blog discussing the Iraq War are using relevant subjects.



The fact that blog posts are written very regularly, often on a daily basis, the blog content is always fresh. Search engines love fresh content, and reward it well.



Links to and from blogs and other traditional websites, containing the same or very similar subject matter, are also considered to be relevant. The good news for bloggers concerned with SEO, is relevant incoming links are given more weight, than links entirely unrelated to your blog.



Even outgoing relevant links help to some degree, as your heavily linked blog is on the way to becoming what Google calls a hub site.



Fresh relevant content plus relevant incoming and outgoing links are a very powerful combination in the search engines.



Because the power of a business, or any other type of blog, is enhanced by the search engine muscle of relevance, scoring high rankings is a natural extension of blogging.



You don't have to worry about your eyes glazing over.



There is no need to stay up all night fretting about small incremental improvements.



Simply write posts on your blogs main topics and subject matter, add links to and from similar blogs and websites, and your SEO takes care of itself.



Let the power of relevance work for your blog.



You can go to sleep now.









READ MORE - Search engine rankings: No sleeping

Blogs to marketing blogs to new friends

Business blogs to marketing blogs.



The owner of a business blog has so many advantages over the competitor who avoids the fun of daily postings.



I know, I know, as a blogger you have the daily fun of dreaming up a topic. Sometimes the subject of your latest post finds you, but as a rule, it's a bit of a challenge creating posting ideas.



The trouble it takes, to find something to write about, is well worth the effort.



Think of the communication factor alone.



Your visitors are possibly your existing customers, for your products and services. Much more likely, however, most of your visitor traffic consists of people who have never heard of you or your business. While we all know, and fully understand the brilliance of your company, most people have not.



As a blogger, you have the opportunity to let people get to know you. If your blog is offering good solid information that genuinely helps people, and you let your personality shine through, you are well on your way to making some online friends.



The great thing about a huge circle of friends is the possibility of referrals. People tell others about the products and services they like, especially if they like you. Women, in particular, are very likely to pass along strong testimonials. They can help your business develop a strong customer or client base, entirely as a result of your blog.



You don't have to sell anyone anything to benefit from blogging, in a more personal way.



I have made many new friends as a direct result of my blogging activities. People whom I would never have made contact with otherwise, have become regular e-mail and phone friends. Over time, I will meet many of them in person.



I'm sure you have had a similar experience, since you first put keyboard to blogging platform.



Even if your regular blog readers never become paying customers, a blog is still a net positive for you.



An ever widening circle of friends and acquaintances is great beyond measure, in and of itself.



Blogs provide the benefit of friendship.



Your competitors can't say that.

READ MORE - Blogs to marketing blogs to new friends

Small business: Is it for you?

Starting your own small business.



Should you do it?



Or should you maintain your employment with another firm, whether public sector, private sector, or non-profit sector.



It's all up to the individual.



Some people are better equipped, personality wise, to be great entrepreneurs. Other people are the ideal employees. Many others fall somewhere in the middle.



Let's consider starting your own business; at least as an option to consider.



While entrepreneurship might not be the ideal career path for everyone, it could be the best hope for a rewarding future.



Regardless of which political party is in power, the employment picture is not likely to be a pretty scene for any one. Politicians of all stripes will try to paint over the bad, and talk up some minor points that are really insignificant for the population as a whole.



In fact, there is little that governments really can do about the ephemeral matter of job creation.



What is happening is that in the short and long term, employment by others is looking much less attractive. It's a given now that most people will have several careers, and multiple employers over their working lifetime. Long gone are the days of one career and a single lifetime employer.



Well, if you are going to have several careers, why not entrepreneurship as one of them.



In the mix of many employers, one could easily be yourself.



It's really not that much of a stretch of the imagination.



Find an unmet need in the marketplace, in an area that is of interest to you. The old saying of doing what you love and the money will follow, is a powerful recipe for entrepreneurial success.



I have written in the past that bloggers are ideal entrepreneurs. I stand by that statement. In fact, I am becoming even a stonger believer in that fact with each passing day. Bloggers will be well served by working for themselves.



Let's consider some possibilities.



If your employment situation was suddenly turned bad, what would be your options?



A minimum wage job, strictly supervised, no benefits, and someone else holding your job by a thread doesn't sound all that enticing. Of course, many such jobs can lead to better things. Many do not.



If you do have a job already, now is a good time to lay the foundations of a private business. Get your entrepreneurial feet wet while still on the job. Whatever you do, however, start and operate your fledgling business on your own time. Don't use your employer's time to do it, however. Maintain your professionalism at all times.



Better than the option, of a possibly dead end job, is to become self employed. Find a field of business you love, and develop a product or service to offer. Find a need and then be the person, or team of people, to fill it.



Don't worry about the money. It will follow if you market your product or service well, and provide that modern day rarity, in the form of excellent customer service.



Work hard to be the best in your niche, in the same way you are striving to be best blogger you can be.



After all, it's better than being underemployed or even without a job entirely.



The future is bright for small business and entrepreneurs.



Like you did with your blogs, get out there, create some business concepts, and think like an entrepreneur.



Find a need and fill it.



The sky is the limit to what you can achieve.



READ MORE - Small business: Is it for you?

Blogging with all sales set

As more and more bloggers start to think about gaining some sort of revenue from their blogs, the issue of sales often arises.



Many bloggers don't think of themselves as salespeople.



Some of those bloggers don't even want to think they could ever be involved in something like sales. This mode of thought is often accompanied by an expression, similar to one seen, from the taking of medicine.



A few people would rather jump off of a bridge than be involved in sales.



I have some news for all of you. Everyone is involved in sales, in their daily lives.



When you landed a job, you sold the idea of choosing you to fill the job, to your employer.



When you asked someone out on a date, you sold the person of your desire, on the benefits of accompanying you. Of course, the results of the sale may or may not have created a long term customer.



Sales is simply helping other people get what they want.



By solving other people's problems and helping them to be happier in their lives, you are involved in sales.



Everyone has heard tales of dishonest sales representatives, in every industry. It should be remembered, however, that those people are not successful sales personnel. By failing to help people get what they want, by supplying unsatisfactory solutions to their problems, the unhappy buyer soon goes elsewhere.



A customer is lost due to dishonesty.



In the long term, someone who is genuinely interested in helping others, will be the best sales person.



When you consider selling items from your blog, consider helping to solve people's problems first.



The problem faced by a prospective buyer might be the need for information on your topic of interest. Consider writing a book, in print or electronic e-book form, that helps solve their problems.



That is only one example of course. You can think of many more, I'm sure.



Just remember, help others to achieve their goals, and everyone succeeds.



You never thought you were a salesperson?



Now you know better, right?

READ MORE - Blogging with all sales set

Using blog links to help you think

There is nothing new about linking to interesting and informative posts on other blogs.



In fact, many blogs are built entirely on providing a series of such links. The bloggers who specialize in that well known posting technique tend to do it very well.



They create a mini-Carnival every time they post to their blogs.



I rarely link to more than two blogs in any one post.



My preference, is to provide you with a one or two representative posts, that illustrate well my blog topic for the day. By not overwhelming you with examples, I believe it better displays the blogging point that I am attempting to convey.



If I were to provide too many links, it might decrease the emphasis on the great blogs that I am using to show my points.



We wouldn't want that.



To help develop useful topics for discussion, I use variations of the same idea.



I have elected to use the blogging method of taking a blogging, marketing, or search engine optimzation topic (to name just a few) and writing a column about them. For additional background I provide a link to a blog that includes a strong on post on the subject, or using the blogging technique, that I am discussing.



Sometimes, I find a post, link to it first, and then elaborate on their thoughts. It's using the same idea for topic generation, only in reverse.



My ideas for creating new ideas are always the following:



* Make something larger by expanding on it.

* Reduce something down to its basics; in effect, making it smaller.

* Turn it upside down or reverse it and see it from another vantage point.

* Adapt it to a different than usual idea; in effect creating alternative uses.



If you apply that creative thinking to your daily search for blogging topics, you will never run out.



You will be able to use links, to other great blogs, even more effectively than before.



You will be able to unite your own thoughts and impressions, with those ideas expressed in the linked post.



It makes both your blog, and the linked blogs that much more interesting, and that much more valuable and beneficial to the readers.



Think links and expand on them.



READ MORE - Using blog links to help you think

Joe Grossberg hosts Carnival of the Capitalists

As the hamburgers sizzle on the coals, and the barbeques heat up for Labour (or Labor) Day, the travelling business show, recognized by one and all as Carnival of the Capitalists, doesn't take a holiday.



The posted meals are great, at the informative political and technology blog, maintained by its namesake Joe Grossberg.



This week's edition of Carnival of the Capitalists features some of the best bloggers writing on the internet today.



Blogging topics presented include entrepreneurship, management, legal issues, transportation, business books, nostalgia, internet commerce, the national and global economies, and buffalo meat. As you would expect from Joe Grossberg, there are political and technological postings everywhere.



As an added bonus this week, there are many newer contributors to the Joe Grossberg hosting, along with many of the regulars you have already met.



It's always great to read and discover the many high quality blogs out there in the blogosphere. We don't always get to them all, and this edition of Carnival of the Capitalists has introduced us to some brand new ones.



As I am always privileged to do, I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Capitalists as well.



My entry post this week is entitled "Controversial money making ideas for your blog", where I suggest some interesting, if somewhat contentious ways to generate a few dollars from your blog.



If you wish to submit an entry to next week's, or any Carnival of the Capitalists edition, e-mail your entries to:



capitalists -at- elhide.com



If you are searching for new and exciting ways to expand your blog's readership, you should seriously consider sending an entry to Carnival of the Capitalists.



Merely being included in the company, of the first rate regular Carnival of the Capitalists contributors, will enhance the reputation of your blog.The extra visitors can't sent to your blog won't hurt either!



The growth and staying power, of Carnival of the Capitalists, is beginning to catch the attention of people outside the blogging community. The readership is enlarging, and finding entirely new visitors, every single week.



The visitors aren't only bloggers anymore.



Readership is expanding to include the mainstream media, various government and private organizations, many businesses, and other interested people from beyond the blogging community.



Next week's Carnival of the Capitalists returns to Josh Cohen's always interesting political and economics blog d-42.com.



In the meantime, join the holiday, and take the day off, at this week's Joe Grossberg hosted Carnival of the Capitalists. He is working today, so you won't have to.



You won't want to miss reading any of this week's tremendous entries.



We can all gain a vast amount of knowledge from the many informative and interesting contributors.

READ MORE - Joe Grossberg hosts Carnival of the Capitalists

Clothes to go blogging by

What are you wearing?



I know that sounds like some opening line from a phone sex line (not that I know anything about that. I just heard).



Hey, wait a minute, I might get some Google rankings for the search term: phone sex line.



Talk about a bonus, when I wanted to discuss internet businesses. There's a certain satisfaction and pleasure, from getting some frustrated visitors, thinking this blog might offer advice for operating the aforementioned business.



Never underestimate the value of a handy, and very highly searched, keyword phrase.



I need to get out more...



Anyway.



What interested me was a post, by Florida based blogger Lloyd Lemons of By Lloyd Lemons, regarding the return of the suit to the workplace. That staid and conservative icon of the business world was in a bit of retreat.



Challenged by the idea of "casual Friday" on the one hand, and a youth culture with little concern for the formal suit on the other, the suit was slipping off the rack. Going back into the clothes closet was opening up employees to more sartorial freedom.



One of the major advantages to operating an online business, and maintaining a business blog, the need for being dressed for success is pushed mercifully into the background. Along with the less suited up requirement for men and women, the clothing budget isn't strained either. The alleged necessity for new ties for the men and pantyhose for the women is removed.



Business blogger Elana Centor of Funny Business, touched or perhaps embroidered upon dress codes, in a very humourous post entitled "Open-toed Shoes".



In essence, forget comfort. Wear what top management, cool in their air conditioned corner offices decree. So what if it's hot and humid. It's the Company Policy. Sounds like it should be on dual stone tablets, doesn't it!



Those of us who earn our living from the internet are under no such artifical constraints. I like to be fully clothed at the keyboard. You never know when someone might arrive at the door. That said, I wouldn't doubt that many of the more successful internet business owners wear a bathrobe, as they update their sites.



Comfort works.



I also know form personal experience in business that comfortable employees are more productive. It is sort of logical, I think. If a person is sweltering in the officially sanctioned wool uniform, their work levels will suffer. Their levels of frustration, and concern about The Rules, will rise with the thermometer reading.



As more and more people start their own small businesses, the so-called clothing rules will change drastically.



Comfort will win out. Happy entrepreneurs and and the casually clad staff will make more money, and enjoy one less irritant at the office.



That is what I call dress for success.









READ MORE - Clothes to go blogging by

Sponsored posts: Do they have a place in blogs?

Sponsored posts.



In its simplest terms, a sponsored post is like one of those "advertorials" you often see in newspapers and magazines. The ad appears in the form of a atandard article, but has a disclaimer attached, stating the article is a "paid advertisement".



Since the phenomenon is already part of the traditional media, we can't say it's original. I suppose, on the other hand, the regular media can't dismiss sponsored posts as a "blogging idea" either.



That unstoppable fountain of enginuity, Jeremy Wright of Ensight, has added sponsored posts to his widely read blog.



His sponsored post was clearly labeled as such. The advertorial was also clearly demarcated from the rest of his blog.



Jeremy has also promised his loyal readers that there will be no more than one paid posting per week.



That is probably wise on his part, as readers will probably drift away from any blog that is perceived as being all paid advertising. Note that the perception of some readers might differ widely from the reality. However, as the philosopher Marshall McLuhan said, "Perception is reality". What a person believes to be real, is in fact, completely real to them as they see it.



Jeremy is doing a great job of quelling that possibility.



As a money making concept for bloggers, paid posts might be a useful idea. Simply find a sponsor for a column, place the advertorial and link on the blog, and there is a revenue generator.



While sponsored posts are certainly not for everyone who blogs, they might be idea for some bloggers.



A blogger must weigh the revenue against the possible alienation of some readers.



Whether you decide to make the tradeoff, is up to you.



Remember, everything in business as in life, involves tradeoffs. You simply have to choose the trades with which you are most comfortable.



Personally, I have no problem with bloggers accepting sponsored posts, or any form of blog based advertising.



It is definitely worth at least cosidering, if you require sources of revenue for your blog.



You mileage might vary, however.



READ MORE - Sponsored posts: Do they have a place in blogs?

How important is a blog anyway?

Most of the time...well...okay...almost all of the time, I'm writing about the value and benefits of blogs for businesses, non-profit organizations, professionals, and just about everyone else.



I leave few stones unturned.



I support other bloggers in their efforts as much as I can.



Sometimes, however, we have to step back and examine blogging from another perspective.



David St. Lawrence, of the always interesting and thoughtful Ripples blog, has apparently forgotten how to blog. That is what he is saying, anyway.



Busy from his rapidly growing business, David seems to be feeling the pressure to post on his blog, despite his obvious time constraints.



Should David feel that posting pressure at all?



We have to all remember that a blog is simply a tool. It is a means to reach your goals.



Whether the purpose of the business blog is to support public or customer relations, provide industry or company news, improve your search engine rankings, or simply to interact with the general public, the blog is not the end in itself.



The blog is part of the road to that destination; but only one part.



More important than posting all of the time, is keeping the business running efficiently, and maintaining the company cash flow. The blog can be updated as time permits. Your regular readers, like David's, will understand.



Always keep in mind that like the computer it's composed upon, a blog is still only a tool.



It has more in common with the hammer and saw, than with the finished house.



Keep your blog in its proper perspective, and you will avoid blogging pressure entirely.



The blog posts will be even better as a result.

READ MORE - How important is a blog anyway?

Business blogs: Reasons to have at least one

Business blogs...how can I count the ways...



If you are starting a business blog, you will need some really good reasons for doing so.



A major investment in time and effort, that is part and parcel with blogging. Because of the necessity to write regular and interesting posts, no one is going to establish one, without it making sense.



Once the advantages of a business blog are recognized, many businesses go ahead with the idea.



If you have a small independent business, you can at least make the decision to proceed on your own.



It becomes a bit more problematic if you have to convince someone, higher up in the chain of command, that a company blogging effort is a sound concept.



That task was made much easier by two recent posts on the topic.



The reasons for starting a business blog are laid out like a road map. All you have to do is present the ideas almost as written.



My friend Yvonne DiVita of the must read Lip-Sticking blog is a marketing specialist. She is also a powerful advocate of business blogs.



She describes five fundamental reasons for every small business to start a business blog.



After reading Yvonne's great post, you are likely to start one yourself; whether your company is large or small.



A second post, written by rising blogger Rachel Cunliffe of Cre8ed Design summarizes the advantages of business blogs and their potential applications.



Rachel also provides a bulleted list of advantages for business executives, to blog their hearts out. She also tosses in some great blogging advice for those same executives.



If you need to sell upper management on the idea of blogging, simply commit the points made in these two great posts to memory.



Your business blogging project will probably be approved.













READ MORE - Business blogs: Reasons to have at least one

Bloggers helping bloggers

As we are all too well aware, many people are experiencing difficult financial times at the moment.



Often, through no fault of their own, they find themselves unemployed or in a job that doesn't pay very much. All too frequently, there is too much month remaining at the end of the money.



Occasionally, some bloggers find themselves facing the same shortage of cash.



As bloggers, we have a responsibility to assist other bloggers, by providing a helping hand. Rather than waiting for the all too often heavy handed government, some things are best handled by individual acts of kindness.



Bloggers understand bloggers.



We will do what we can to spread the word about the momentary monetary shortage of other bloggers. If we can find them a job, it's that much better.



You know the old story about howgiving a fish feeds someone for one meal. Teaching the art of fishing feeds them for a longer time, provided the fish are biting. A day out in the great outdoors, just so happens to provide a person with a great stress reliever, as an additional bonus.



Well, okay, I embellished it a bit.



Anyway...



Jay Solo at Accidental Verbosity has mentioned, that highly regarded political blogger Jeff Soyer of Alphecca, has run into a bit of a financial crush.



As with everyone who has had a bit of bad luck, Jeff deserves a helping hand.



Let's give Jeff Soyer and Alphecca our blogging support.



Help to fill up Jeff's Emergency Tip-Jar.

READ MORE - Bloggers helping bloggers

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