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When you first read the article title, you were probably asking yourself what exactly I meant by promoting a business online because the whole point of having an online business is so that it can all be ran online right? Well in essence, yes, but there are literally endless ways to promote an online business on the internet and off. It's so rare now a days that you find people who think outside of the box and people who like to do their own thing instead of copying everyone else.

No matter what your niche or what your subject you promote through the use of a website/blog or by other means, it can be promoted offline as well. You could easily utilize the use of offline marketing to gain more attention to your website whether it be as something as big as billboard advertising, or even something as small as fliers and hand outs. Like I said before, the ways to make money online are almost endless and this includes offline methods as well.

For instance, if you had a product that pertains to a younger audience such as teenagers, you could post them on telephone poles nearby local schools or near local hang outs that are popular. If you're trying to promote a store or an auction website, you could have a garage sale and put advertisements all over the garage advertising your store or auction website. There are virtually endless ways to promote a website, you just have to be creative and original and most of these methods are free.

There are some methods that can attract a lot of attention but won't often be free. Posting in your local newspaper is about the cheapest option of advertising while there's more advanced options as having your website displayed on a billboard along the way. While this might be great exposure, it better be a website that sells because it's going to cost you a fortune.

Just try to think to yourself of ways you could possibly promote your website online and offline to maximize your exposure. It may sound silly and even you're people shy, this could be a great ice breaker for you and introducing yourself and telling someone a little bit about your website.

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You will find when you decide you want to get a blog, training on blogging will be a necessary first step. Successful blogging, business or personal, will only come about by first figuring out a few things before you start.

In this article you will find a few answers to your questions about blogging.

How to get a blog - There are 2 top choices for getting a free blog:

Blogger

Wordpress

You can also download the latest wordpress blog software and install it on your hosted domain name. I personally prefer this route because you have control over all features this way.

But if you are truly a beginner to blogs then trying each of the free ones will give you a feel for blogging and is a very fast, hassle free way to get started.

If you take your time learning the basics of your blog software program before you move on to more advanced techniques, you will be more likely to retain what you have learned, and to keep feeling positive about your ability to understand the world of blogging.

Choosing the look of my blog

This will become one of your choices with either route you take above to getting your own blog started. The simplest way to get the look you want is to utilize the "Themes" feature in the wordpress blogs or the "Layout" feature in your blogger.com account. These themes and templates already have the necessary code needed to run your blog pages correctly and have ample choices in colors and designs to fit any desired look or blog niche idea.

What to put on my blog

This blog question is two fold. First you will have to decide what your blog will be about. i.e. will it be a business blog featuring updates about your products, or maybe it will have a affiliate marketing theme featuring your top affiliate program; will it be a personal blog for just posting your thoughts about anything you feel like that day, or maybe a blog created around a favorite hobby or particular interest you have in something.

Once you have decided what your blog will be about then you will need to find content for it (decide what to put on the blog and in the blog posts). It is recommended that you start out with as much content as possible before even announcing your blog or trying to get traffic to it. Content can be articles written by you, articles you hire someone else to write, free articles from popular online article directories, Private Label Articles (PLR), etc. Just keep the content topics within the theme of your blog.

The tighter the niche, or niche within a niche that you can keep it, the better chance you will have at success. For example you may have chosen Dogs for your niche or theme, picking out a main sub niche such as "The fastest, easiest way to housebreak your dog." would attract a more targeted audience and would have way less competition then just Dogs. The rule of thumb on this is the simpler and finer focus you can keep it the better. Don't pick dogs then put a 1000 categories and pages on everything to do with them.

How to get traffic to my blog

There are numerous ways to get traffic to your blog. Not much different then getting traffic to your web site. But there are a few top ways unique to only blogs. One is making sure you research your key words before adding your content, then optimizing that content to be rich in top keywords before using it in your posts. Using your main target keyword or keyword phrase in your title within your post and in your signature file in below your post.

Another method of generating traffic unique to blogs is using a ping service such as PingoMatic.com or FeedShark. Wordpress blogs notify pingomatic automatically as you ad a new post. With blogger.com you will have to subscribe to a ping service such as FeedBurner.

The third traffic method unique to blogs, is utilizing the comment feature on blogs related to yours. Placing relevant comments and then putting your URL to your blog can increase your traffic immensely. Remembering to use proper etiquette when doing this. Don't just post to try and get a link back to you. It would be rude and definitely will not help you in getting traffic to your blog.

How to monetize my blog

There are numerous methods to monetize your blog such as adding your own links and banners to affiliate programs, selling advertising on your blog, etc. But one of the simplest is adding AdSense (TM) ad units. Many themes and templates have been created around adding as many AdSense ad units as you are allowed.

You will also find specialized links as well at places such as Amazon where as an affiliate they provide you with blog related linking tools such as product clouds, search forms and so on.

There is even a plugin module for adding topic specific products from the Clickbank directory. (More on that below.)

Even personal blogs can find related products to link to. Everyone has an interest in something and usually that equal the purchase of various items. Why not provide those items that you know people interested in your niche would buy?

What settings should my blog options have

What options you chose to set for the most part will be based on your personal preferences. But after you have ran a few blogs you will realize there are options that must be set a certain way to protect your blog from outside invasion. The first most important setting you should adjust is to make sure the "Membership:" in Options/General settings is set to "Users must be registered and logged in to comment". This will protect you from receiving SPAM comments from all over the Internet. If you choose not to require members register. Then at the very least you will want to set the "Before a comment appears:" in the Options/Discussion settings to "An administrator must always approve the comment" so you can control what is being posted before it is.

What plugins are necessary

Again this is going to be mostly decided by your own preference. But one highly recommended plugin is the Akismet plugin which checks your comments against the Akismet web service to see if they look like spam or not. Stops virtually all comment spam.

Then to further help towards monetizing your blog a good plugin is aLinks - a handy plug in that automatically links keywords in your blog posts to any URL you want or even specific products from popular affiliate programs such as Amazon and Clickbank.

How you utilize these will be different for the free blogs then one that is hosted on your own web site. If you do have your own wordpress blog software installed you can easily find and install any plugins you find in their directory at: wordpress.org

Take these necessary steps of training on blogging and you will find yourself blogging with the best of them out there in no time. And quite possibly earning an automated income as well.

Sincerely, Debbie Ducker

Debbie Ducker is the owner of DuckerPromotion.com Ready to try your hand at hosting your own blog?

Let us do all the work (Free training on blogging included):
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A serialized story was released in segments, usually a segment per week, through an often released media form such as a newspaper or magazine. These stories were immensely popular from before the Civil War to after the Vietnam War. Then the concept moved to the realm of the soap opera. In the last few years, TV series have become essentially a serialized story with a centralized plot threading through the entire season. For example, the wildly popular 24.

The information explosion on the Internet has opened many opportunities for interaction and sharing among prospects and clients. One of these is blogging. A blog is essentially a conversation between the writer and the guests. The writer can post his ideas, and the guest can comment on them. This technique can be used to connect with fiction readers and invite their participation in critiquing the story as it unfolds. This creates community and is a lot of fun.

This innovative technique was used very effectively by Tom Evslin in his self-published novel hackoff.com, a mystery centered around Internet crime.

Evslin released small segments of his novel in serialized form on his blog. The story grew in popularity until thousands were reading daily, and his self-published novel saw success on several levels.

The benefits of using a serialized blogging technique to release a story are many:

Readers can comment on segments of the story as it unfolds, giving the writer valuable feedback.

Pre-sales escalate because the reader knows he loves the story, and he'll see an autographed copy as a prize and the book as a gift option for friends and family.

Publishers like a book that already has a wide client base.

This method creates a relationship that's much deeper than the writer/reader relationship stemming from a book purchased in a superstore. this invites greater sales the author's other titles.

Some writers would worry that their work could be stolen by posting it online. However, the opposite is true because blogs are dated and provide proof that the work is indeed the author's. Others would say, "But my story idea could be stolen." This is also a needless worry. Even if the root idea were garnished by another writer, the development of that idea would be much different since each writer has his unique voice and style.

Some may be concerned that once people read the story they won't want to purchase the book. My own experience has shown otherwise. I gave away my Christy award winner Reaping the Whirlwind as an e-book that was downloaded by thousands. Within 48 hours my Amazon rating jumped like never before. Having the opportunity to read the book increases sales because the story is known and the buyer takes no risk. That would be the case in the blog as well.

Dust off those old unpublished manuscripts. Tighten them up. Polish them up. And start blogging.

If the story is good, they will come.

And now I'd like to invite you to get my free CD, "Publication Transformation: How to Make your Book your Business." Even if your book is still in the future, you can gain great insight into how to reformat and market the information you already have.

Here is the link: http://PublicationTransformation.com

Rosey Dow is CEO of Experts in Focus--http://expertsinfocus.com

There has been a lot of talk lately about whether building a blog can really help boost your party plan business and find more customers and bookings for you.

The simple answer is it can, but only if you have set it up in a way that fully markets you and your business to the best of your potential.

So how should you set up your blog to build your party plan business?

You need to take some time to try and understand what potential customers would be looking for before they have decided to purchase. While it can be good to get customers when they are ripe to buy with credit card in hand, in reality this doesn't happen until you establish yourself first.

Therefore you need to target people who would be interested in your products but are not actually seeking them. Instead they are seeking advice or information on the benefits of what your product can do.

For example, there would only be a small group of people looking for a particular brand of eye cream but there would be thousands upon thousands of people looking for ways to reduce wrinkles or get rid of puffy eyes.

So to effectively market to these potential customers you need to give them information on how to achieve what they want in your blog.

Each blog post should be relevant to one customer concern. So you could have a blog post on reducing bags under the eyes, other on choosing the right blush for your skin type, and yet another on why to use a toner and what it actually does.

By providing this information you are then in a great position to offer recommendations based on your advice.

It is very important that you provide good advice and not just try and sell to them first up. A good ratio is around 80% good advice and information and only 20% marketing.

For the best way to set up your party plan business blog visit Party Marketing Success.

Tracey has been using a blog to promote her direct sales business with great success. http://www.partymarketingsuccess.com/

This weekend would be a great time for bloggers to just Chill Out! Why, well because the temps may be in the 110 plus range here in the Coachella Valley, that's why. And being one who likes to lead by example and let cooler heads prevail, I have a strategy to Chill Out. How so you ask?

Simple, my plan is to soak up some ambiance inside in a perfectly air-conditioned room, maybe do a little shopping, go to a book store or two, travel in an air-conditioned vehicle and go out to eat in an air-conditioned restaurant. Of course, I will be spending some time in the evenings outdoors, in the pool. I encourage all bloggers to chill out and enjoy coolness.

Go to where the cool people hang out. Just relax and chill out this weekend. Think cool, be cool and stay cool! Bloggers who remain cool tend to blog better and more relaxed, thus their words are better received. Any hot head can spew venom and hate or write nasty blog posts complaining about this, that or the other thing, but when cooler heads prevail, it's a better blogging experience for all.

Many folks do not enjoy blogging because of all the mean-spirited comments they receive, but many of those comments are due to the very blog posts they render. It's time for bloggers in the Coachella Valley to chill out and perhaps bloggers around the world also? Please be considerate, think twice about the comments and blog posts you make and keep it cool.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Blog Content Service If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/

There has been a lot of talk lately about whether building a blog can really help boost your party plan business and find more customers and bookings for you.

The simple answer is it can, but only if you have set it up in a way that fully markets you and your business to the best of your potential.

So how should you set up your blog to build your party plan business?

You need to take some time to try and understand what potential customers would be looking for before they have decided to purchase. While it can be good to get customers when they are ripe to buy with credit card in hand, in reality this doesn't happen until you establish yourself first.

Therefore you need to target people who would be interested in your products but are not actually seeking them. Instead they are seeking advice or information on the benefits of what your product can do.

For example, there would only be a small group of people looking for a particular brand of eye cream but there would be thousands upon thousands of people looking for ways to reduce wrinkles or get rid of puffy eyes.

So to effectively market to these potential customers you need to give them information on how to achieve what they want in your blog.

Each blog post should be relevant to one customer concern. So you could have a blog post on reducing bags under the eyes, other on choosing the right blush for your skin type, and yet another on why to use a toner and what it actually does.

By providing this information you are then in a great position to offer recommendations based on your advice.

It is very important that you provide good advice and not just try and sell to them first up. A good ratio is around 80% good advice and information and only 20% marketing.

For the best way to set up your party plan business blog visit Party Marketing Success.

Tracey has been using a blog to promote her direct sales business with great success. http://www.partymarketingsuccess.com/

Optimizing Blogs For Search Engines

What is the purpose of optimizing blogs for search engines? Many bloggers overlook the importance of optimizing blogs for search engines. The point of blogging is usually to gain readers and have others read your opinions on various issues on life. Some bloggers who blog to make money or promote their business main goal is to gain more traffic. Both of these blogging needs requires the optimizing of their blog for search engines. Some call this process SEO or search engine optimization. This process is the same that you normally go through with a business or personal website only it is a blog that you are now attempting to optimize. The whole process of optimization is vital to bring in new traffic to your blog and present you in major search engines. This makes it easy for users or readers to search and find your blog. If you want to gain a large group of readers and customers than you must optimize your blog for search engines the same way you would a personal or business website. Optimization is the key to a successful online website and the traffic you need. Without the optimizing of blogs for search engines your blog will never be seen or read. What is the purpose of a blog with no one to read it.

What exactly is the process of optimizing blogs for search engines? The process of optimizing blogs for search engines involves the magic word keywords. The proper keywords must be placed or embedded into the blog. Majority of blogs have this handy option called tags sometimes keywords at the bottom of each blog post or entry. The key words or key phrases that you place into this box is vital. It must be the best possible keywords for optimization of the blog. You can start this process by searching online for a free keyword search engine optimization tool. This tool will generate free keywords that will properly optimize your keyword search box aiding in the process of optimizing your blog for search engines. Keywords are the key factors to get your blog crawled by the spiders to obtain the proper rank in most of the major search engines. Without the proper keywords it is nearly impossible to have optimization for your blog. Once you have the proper keywords they should be embedded into your blog and into your title. This is very important. The title and keywords in your blog should all be the best possible phrases to obtain optimization. The next step in the process of optimizing blogs for search engines is to clean up your blog or blog page. There should not be a lot of html graphics or clutter. Your blog should be clear and easy to understand. Clutter filled blogs are often overlooked when it comes time for spiders to crawl. You should ensure that your blog has nothing but quality content and nothing is confusing in your blog. It will give you better chances of total optimization. Once that is completed simply add your blog to as many search engines as possible.

40% of Bloggers are not optimizing their Blogs, Learning to Stay in Business online

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