Your Blog Tools

I have just recently completed the Beginners guide to blogging, an e-course put together by a friend of mine
Mike Clife Jones, also know as mikecj – A Professional Blogger

I’ve known Mike for several months.
I first came across him on Twitter and at a course we both did.

As part of his giving back to the community policy, Mike gave away copies of Beginners Guide To Blogging to the first 10 people who wanted it.
I think I was lucky number 7. And considering the wealth of information I’ve got from it, I still can’t believe it was free.

What is Beginners Guide to Blogging.

BGB offers newcomers insight to the world of blogging. Presenting an opportunity to lay a strong foundation for what could potentially be a profitable venture.

It is a 60 day training course which is delivered by email on a daily basis.
The course starts with the all important task of researching and finding the right market, and then moves on to the process of setting up an effective blog.

Through the course, Mike also walks you through the process of cultivating and developing good writing habits.

Another amazing thing about BGB is how it doubles as a great resource for personal development as well.
Tips on time management, reading schedules and how to have the support of your family are surprise packages in the course that not only show Mike’s experience but also how helpful the course is as an aid to new bloggers.

BGB also offers suggestions on how to build a community around a blog and generate traffic.

It also, shows ways of dealing with challenges common to bloggers.

Blog monetization is another area BGB concentrates on – from building a mailing list to launching your first product , dealing with advertisers, membership sites and more.

What I like about this course is that it seems to cover everything. Even, after completing it, I still return to it repeatedly for reference.

Who is this course for?

Well, the title gives it away- New and Learning bloggers.

Although, I strongly believe a seasoned blogger has a lot to benefit from it too.

Wondering what you can get out of this course?

• It teaches you the techniques of operating your blog from a business standpoint.

• It walks you through the important things to pay attention to and things to avoid.

• The course also provides you with action points and exercises – designed to help you take action.

BGB is a course that I can confidently recommend to anyone wishing to turn their passion into great rewards – it will certainly push you in that direction.

Conclusion

Overall, BGB has been a real eye opener, and have enjoyed the systematic approach Mike has taken deliver this course.
So far, I have experienced the benefits on this very blog.
Another point to note is this, there’s a wealth of information available on blogging scattered online.
They are almost like pieces of a puzzle – which can be very confusing for beginners. A well researched course like Beginners Guide To Blogging brings it all together. It’s the most needed one stop shop on how to blog effectively.

Try a full week of lessons completely free of charge and with no commitment!

How do I get more traffic?

Probably the most asked question on the blogoshere.
If you are a beginner blogger, you’ve probably written a few posts
and then you think….umm…where’s the traffic?

Traffic doesn’t just magically appear, you have to actively find them.
We all know the benefits more traffic can bring – more sales, more revenue, higher opt-rate, good ranking and so on…

Imagine being in a crowded place and you are attempting to push a product,
your method of approach isn’t working and no one is paying you any attention.
At that moment, wouldn’t it be nice if someone handed you a megaphone?
Using one would get your voice out there – loud and clear.
It would certainly grab people’s attention and eyeballs.

Let’s look at 4 Megaphone equivalents on your blog.

Good Content

You’ve probably heard this a million times before, and it’s so true – Your stuff has to be good and useful.
People value their time, and would only invest in what brings them good returns.
Using our megaphone analogy, if the message being conveyed is anything but useful, then person is simply ignored.

Identify Your Customers and Discover Where They Hang Out

In order to have useful content, you need to identify the group of people you’re trying to serve and where to find them.
Find out which market they are in and stick with them. By doing so, you have the opportunity to know them better and understand their needs.
Depending on what this is, you can decide to offer a solution product/ service to them – achieve this and you’ll become their hero.

Position Yourself

This is essentially putting yourself on their radar.
If your customers or readers are on Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, Youtube – be there as well.
Let them see you as a new discovery – one that they will bookmark and keep coming back to for reference.

Stand Out From The Crowd

Be unique in your delivery. Be unafraid to go against the grain, and more importantly be yourself.
Chances are, thousands of other people are doing what you do, but only you can deliver it in your own unique way.

Have these 4 elements in place and you’ll truly have a megaphone in your hands to draw attention.

Once again, If you are new to blogging or are in the process of starting a blog there are some essentials WordPress tools and services you need to have in place,

(1) Get the All in One SEO plugin. This would handle all your search engines optimisations.
(2) You will also need Google XML Sitemaps. A plugin that alerts search engines of changes to your blog by generating XML sitemaps
(3) Sign up to Google Webmaster Tool. A free service by Google that allows you to monitor and improve your site’s visibility in Google search results.

Have you ever had moments when you’ve been hit with a wave of blog post ideas?
Those special moments when you get one brilliant idea after another?
Inspired either by your surroundings or are sparked off during your travels – And then there’s this big scramble for a pen and paper or a digital notpad…

Well, check out this standalone WordPress for BlackBerry application that connects to your existing Wordpress server. It gives you the flexibility to create or modify existing drafts and even publish posts on the go.

I have been using WordPress for BlackBerry for several months now –
it is a must have blogging tool. WordPress is also available on the Iphone.

To install:

Simply point your BlackBerry browser to http://blackberry.wordpress.org/install and then follow the instructions.

In my previous post, Personal Networking can benefit your Blog, I highlighted some benefits of face to face networking and where to find a local meet-up event.

Following on from this, I wish to share some tips that will help prepare you for one.
If you are new to this whole networking stuff, it may sound a bit daunting and intimidating at first -

meeting someone for the first time, talking about what you do,
what your business is about and so on…

I can still remember when I attended my first ever meet-up event,
on my way there I heard this little voice in my head saying -

“turn back you muppet… you gonna to look like an idiot…
you don’t even know anyone there…”

Nevertheless, I pursued on, kicking aside my fears.
I had one intention in mind, and that was to make new friends and learn something new.

There should be an overall motive when networking on any medium. If your motives are good, goodwill will follow.
And you never know, these relationships may end up being great business or personal opportunities.

Be An Ice Breaker

Now, with fear driven out and the right attitude in place,
you now have the freedom to mingle and instigate a conversation.
If you find a yourself standing alone – start introducing yourself to others.
Open the conversation by asking what they think of the meeting, what they blog about e.t.c
Although, with that said, 80% of my interactions had been instigated by others – They’ve beaten me to it

So, to do a quick recap:

• Banish your fears.
  Personal interaction is bound to happen at some stage in your blog’s life-cycle. i.e. meeting fellow Bloggers, Advertisers e.t.c.

• Have the right attitude.
  Your motive is really important here. People see through fake individuals who do nothing but promote and talk about themselves – Do more listening.

• Be an ice breaker
  Start a conversation. Most of the time, your effort are always appreciate and valued.

Preparation

It is important to prepare yourself when you attend a meet-up group.
One of the first questions regularly asked are “What do you do?”,
“What is your Business about” or “What do you blog about”.
I was asked this over and over again. After a couple of shaky answers, I soon got into the rhythm of it.
I would recommend reciting what your business is about within a 30 seconds time frame – Stick to this and you’ll be fine.
Last thing you and want to is over-sell yourself or bore them.
Spend equal time listening and talking. Also, always ask questions – It shows you are fully engaged in the conversation.

Business Cards

Have your business card handy and produce it at an appropriate time.
Don’t pull out your business card before you start talking or 5 seconds into introducing yourself.
I have had several instances when this has happened – not a good look.
I personally find it distracting – It becomes an awkward moment when I end up reading the business card instead of listening.
Rather, let the business card hand-over support the conversation not the other way round.

In your preparation, keep the following points in mind:

• Be able to explain what your blog/business is about in 30 secs.

• Engage yourself in the conversation.

• Arm yourself with business cards.
  Don’t expect others to remember your your domain name – it is forgotten the moment you leave them.