Blogging…

It seems everyone is doing it.

In fact, I asked someone the other day, “Does anyone create websites anymore?”  It seems that when given the choice between a blog and a website, most people opt for blogs these days.

If this describes you, I certainly understand your reasons.  Blogs are much easier to setup than websites.

They are dynamic, which means the scripts allow you to display content in many different ways (by date, category, tag, most commented posts, etc.)

The search engines love them, and the free plug-ins (if you use WordPress) can give you even more flexibility and increase your blog’s coolness factor.

One Problem With Blogging

Even though there are many positives with blogging, there’s one thing I’ve noticed about many who choose a blog over a website.

Blogging can often discourage beginners from learning the fundamentals of website creation and design.  Unlike a website, you don’t need to learn anything about HTML, CSS or uploading files to publish a blog.

You might argue the same could be said about websites if you use an editor.  However, even if you use an HTML editor like Dreamweaver or CoffeeCup for a website, you still have to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of HTML at some point. (At least I had to.)

With blogs, everything can be done through a WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) control panel that comes with your blogging platform.  You don’t have to look at a lick of code if you don’t want to.

Of course, this is no big deal if you find a blog template/theme that you want to use “as is”.  But what if you want to customize large sections of your design or change it completely?

Staring at a gazillion lines of CSS code can be quite intimidating.  In fact, most people will tell you that in order to learn CSS, you should have a basic understanding of HTML first. (And I agree.)  So with no HTML background, I completely understand why some bloggers cringe at the thought of going near the code.

Many people choose blogs because they are easier to setup, but many don’t venture out and learn the fundamentals of HTML and CSS so they can freely update their designs.

I have nothing against blogging. I own one myself, obviously.  But I do believe that if you are going to blog, you should spend time learning the basics of HTML and CSS so you have the freedom to update your design beyond the standard template.

Of course, outsourcing a designer is always an option too.  However, you don’t want to become completely reliant on a third party.  I’ve heard too many nightmare stories with this scenario.

About once a month I get an email from someone who’s paid a designer to create and design their site, but they’ve lost contact with the person and have no idea how to make edits to the design.

As I say all the time, I am far from being a designer, but I have learned enough to maintain and customize my site.  You should too.

Even if you buy the premium WordPress Thesis Theme that I use for this blog, it still helps to know the basics of CSS so you can juice up the standard, out-of-the-box template.

A CSS Tutorial Minus The Techie Talk

If you haven’t viewed my newest 4-part CSS tutorial on YouTube, you can watch all four videos in the playlist below.  I even provide a very simple, 3-column template that goes along with the video.  You can tweak it as needed.

Even though this template and tutorial is for a website instead of a blog, it will still help you grasp the basics and make more sense of your blog’s template code.

Give yourself the freedom to design the kind of blog you want.

I’m not one who likes to publish pre-written articles on my site or blog, but I came across an OUTSTANDING article written by the six-figure blogger, Yaro Starak.

Since Yaro allows affiliates to republish his articles, I thought it would be a good candidate for a blog posts since so many new bloggers come here for advice.

If you have yet to draw in much traffic and/or make any money from your blog, then you’ll want to pay close attention to the article below…

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There are basically two types of bloggers in the world – reporters and experts – and some people perform both roles (usually the experts, it’s hard for reporters to become experts, but it’s easy for experts to report).

If you have ever taken an Internet marketing course or attended a seminar specifically for beginners, you have probably heard about the two different methodologies.

Whenever the business model is based on content, and if you blog for money then the model is based on content, people are taught to either start as reporters, or if possible step up as experts.

I’ll be frank, you want to be the expert.

Reporters leverage the content of the experts and in most cases people start off as reporters because they haven’t established expertise.

Experts enjoy the perks of preeminence, higher conversion rates because of perceived value, it’s easier to get publicity, people are more likely to seek you out rather than you having to seek others out, joint ventures come easier, etc… experts in most cases simply make more money and attract more attention.

Most Bloggers Are Reporters

The thing with expertise is that it requires something – experience. No person becomes an expert without doing things and learning.

Bloggers usually start out without expertise and as a result begin their blogging journey by talking about everything going on in their niche (reporting) and by interviewing and talking about other experts (reporting again).

There’s nothing wrong with reporting of course and for many people it’s a necessity at first until you build up some expertise. Unfortunately the ratios are pretty skewed when it comes to reporters and experts – there are a lot more reporters than there are experts, hence reporters tend to struggle to gain attention and when they do, they often just enhance the reputation of the expert they are reporting on.

Don’t Replicate Your Teacher

If you have ever spent some time browsing products in the learn Internet marketing niche you will notice a pattern. Many people first study Internet marketing from a “guru” (for lack of a better term).

The guru teaches how he or she is able to make money online, and very often the view that the student gleams is that in order to make money online you have to teach others how to make money online.

The end result of this process is a huge army of amateurs attempting to replicate what their teacher does in the same industry – the Internet marketing industry – not realizing that without expert status based on a proven record and all the perks that come with it, it’s next to impossible to succeed.

Even people who enjoy marginal success, say for example growing an email list of 1,000 people, then go out and launch a product about how to grow an email list of 1,000 people.

Now I have no problems with that, I think it’s fine to teach beginners and leverage whatever achievements you have, the problem is that people gravitate to the same niche – Internet marketing – and rarely have any key points of differentiation.

How many products out there do you know of that all claim to teach the same things – email marketing, SEO, pay per click, affiliate marketing, and all the sub-niches that fall under the category of Internet marketing.

It’s a saturated market, yet when you see your teachers and other gurus making money teaching others how to make money (and let’s face it – making money as a subject is one of the most compelling) – your natural inclination is to follow in their footsteps.

If the key is to become an expert and you haven’t spent the last 5-10 years making money online, I suggest you look for another niche to establish expertise in.

Report on Your Process, Not Others

The secret to progress from reporter to expert is not to focus on other experts and instead report on your own journey. When you are learning how to do something and implementing things day by day, or studying other people’s work, you need to take your process and what you do as a result of what you learn, and use it as content for your blog.

It’s okay to talk about experts when you learn something from them, but always relate it to what you are doing. If you learn a technique from an expert it’s fine to state you learned it from them (and affiliate link to their product too!) but you should then take that technique, apply it to what you are doing and then report back YOUR results, not there’s. Frame things using your opinion – your stories – and don’t regurgitate what the expert said. The key is differentiation and personality, not replication.

Expertise comes from doing things most people don’t do and then talking about it. If you do this often enough you wake up one day as an expert, possibly without even realizing how it happened, simply because you were so good at reporting what you did.

You Are Already An Expert

Most people fail to become experts (or perceived as experts) because they don’t leverage what they already know. Every person who lives a life learns things as they go, takes action every day and knows something about something.

The reason why they never become an expert is because they choose not to (which is fine for some, not everyone wants to be an expert), but if your goal is to blog your way to expertise and leave the world of reporting behind you have to start teaching and doing so by leveraging real experience.

Experience can come from what you do today and what you have done previously, you just need to take enough steps to demonstrate what you already know and what you are presently learning along your journey.

I know so many people in my life who are experts simply by virtue of the life they have lived, yet they are so insecure about what they know, they never commit their knowledge to words for fear of…well fear.

Blogs, and the Web in general, are amazing resources when you leverage them as a communication tool to spread your expertise because of the sheer scope of people they can reach.

If all you ever do is talk to people in person and share your experience using limited communication mediums, you haven’t much hope of becoming an expert.

Take what you know and show other people through blogging, and you might be surprised how people change their perception of you in time.

Reporting Is A Stepping Stone

If your previous experience and expertise is from an area you want to leave behind or you are starting from “scratch”, then reporting is the path you must walk, at least for the short term.

Reporting is a lot of fun. Interviewing experts, talking about what other people are doing and just being part of a community is not a bad way to blog.

In many cases people make a career of reporting (journalism is about just that), but if you truly want success and exponential results, at some point you will have to stand up and proclaim yourself as someone unusually good at something and then proceed to demonstrate it over and over again.

Have patience and focus on what you do to learn and then translate that experience into lessons for others, and remember, it’s okay to be a big fish in a small pond, that’s all most experts really are.

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This article was by Yaro Starak, a six-figure blogger. He is the leader of the Blog Mastermind mentoring program designed to teach bloggers how to earn a full time income blogging part time.

I was THRILLED when I found this article because I’ve seen so many new bloggers (and even website owners) start their venture by re-reporting facts instead of establishing their own identity through their personal experiences.

Starting a site or blog on Internet marketing is usually the WRONG approach if you aren’t making money yourself.  How can you gain credibility if you aren’t even succeeding at what you’re writing about?

When I first started 2 Create a Website, it mainly consisted of tutorials on how to build a website.  I didn’t add the Internet marketing and “how to make money” information UNTIL I began to get traffic and make money myself.

Once I started seeing results, THEN I found my own unique ways to teach people what I learned.  I was able to draw in a readership because I made it clear that I am walking the walk and not just reporting or paraphrasing other sites with similar topics.

So I hope you take Yaro’s advice.  Even if you are building a website instead of a blog, his tips still apply to you as well.  Download his free report, Blog Profits Blueprint and watch his video that explains how he earns a living with his blog.

And finally, if you aren’t making any money yet, steer clear of the “how to make money” and Internet marketing niches until you can offer unique advice based on your own experience and success.

I’ve gotten better as of late because of some techniques that alleviate my “blogger’s block”.

1) Go Off-Topic & Post Something Fun

When you have a loyal following, they don’t mind as much when you have an off-topic post every now and then. 

In fact, people often enjoy a break and it gives you a chance to showcase your personality and/or other interests.

That’s sort of what I did with my last post, If You Had a Website in 1998… It wasn’t completely off topic, but definitely different from the kind of posts I normally publish here.

However, if your blog is very new and you have a small following, I wouldn’t recommend going off topic much in the beginning.  Let your readership and blog identity grow first.

2) Wait Until You Have Something Interesting to Say

When I first started blogging, I felt compelled to post something new, just because it had been 5 or 6 days since my last post.

What I’ve learned is that it’s much better to wait until you have something useful to say than to blog just for the sake of blogging.

I’m sure the majority of your readers would rather wait an extra 2 or 3 days for a useful post than for you to publish something that is low in quality.

3)  Do Your Homework

Sometimes when I don’t have anything to blog about, it’s because I haven’t been reading the latest news in my industry and the blogs I subscribe to.

I often get ideas for my topics by reading other blogs.  I don’t copy the posts, of course, but I may take a topic and re-develop it with a different spin.

For example, as soon as Yaro Starak released Blog Mastermind, it seemed everyone started reviewing it on their blogs.

(And who would blame them? Yaro gave away high-end prizes for the top affiliates and he pays a $48 residual commission for every blog coaching sign-up.)

So instead of just writing a regular review on the book like so many others had done, I downloaded Blog Mastermind, took a single point from the book and expanded upon that. 

This evolved into the post, Most Bloggers are Poor Marketers.

4) Keep Blog Notes

Sometimes blog ideas will pop into my head when I’m not at my computer. Rather than relying on my memory, I’ll quickly jot it down on paper and transfer it to my “Blog Notes” file that I keep on my computer.

Now when I’m ready to write my next blog post, I have a selection of topics to choose from that I can develop.

If it’s a post that will take time to develop, I often fire up WordPress, type the key points and save the draft for later.

5) Highlight What’s Free

A great way to build credibility on your blog is to direct your readers to relevant quality products and services.  If they happen to be free, that’s even better!

If you can’t think of anything to blog about, make a list of some quality, relevant resources and publish them on your blog.  Good quality freebies never go out of style.

6) Get Some Rest

I’ve noticed a direct correlation between how rested I am and my writing quality. When I’m well-rested, ideas flow all over the place.

When I’m tired, sometimes even the smallest tasks like answering emails can be a challenge.

Rest is so important to the creative sector of your brain. And if you work on your site or blog full-time like I do, it becomes especially important because we have a tendency to take fewer breaks because our work is always accessible to us.

I know people who place alarm clocks on their desks to remind them to take frequent breaks. It’s easy to lose track of time and nothing for me to sit here for hours at a time without realizing it.

It’s good to love your job like that, but not necessarily the best for your health and creativity. Give yourself a break! (In fact, I’m going to take a walk right after this post. It’s a beautiful day!)

Don’t Announce You Haven’t Posted in a While

I’ve seen many bloggers post apologies or announcements about their inactivity and I’m not sure why they do it. If you don’t have anything to write about, won’t it be obvious by the fact you haven’t posted anything?

And if your slump only lasts a couple of days, chances are, most people won’t even realize it anyway.

Of course, there’s always the exception to this. If you have a regular posting schedule and a large following who awaits your posts on certain days, then you may want to inform them that you’re taking a break — especially if it’s a longer break than usual.

However, for the average blog, this is not usually necessary.

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The next time you have blogger’s block, hopefully you’ll be able to put some of these techniques to use. Don’t fret. It’s something almost all bloggers go through from time to time. I think it just comes with the territory.

That sentence resonated with me because it reminded me of the mistakes I made when I started to blog back in 2006.

I was more concerned with building another backlink for my main site instead of building a readership and focusing on writing solid content.

I’m glad I finally read Yaro’s free report.  I have to admit, I wasn’t overly excited about it because I assumed it was just going to be a plug for his blog coaching service.

Of course it was (and who would blame him?), but there is also a plethora of solid advice in the report.  If I was just getting started blogging I would definitely consider signing up to have him coach me.

If you’ve been on the blogging scene long enough you’ve probably read many of the tips Yaro writes about.  However, he does an excellent job of putting his own perspective on various topics.

Do You Write Pillar Content?

Yaro talks about the importance of creating Pillar content.   He defines it as the “foundation of a good blog.”   It’s that content that gets people’s attention, builds your credibility and often gets spread virally over time.

Some examples would be a How-to article, list article (100 ways to do X), articles on theory, controversy, definition or even a resource report.

These articles can be very helpful at boosting your readership because of the viral potential.  I’ve even noticed from reading other blogs, many of the “most popular” articles are of these varieties.

People also tend to bookmark this kind of content and even submit them to sites like Digg and StumbleUpon.

Most bloggers don’t write Pillar content.  They simply re-report facts and information this is already out here, and then wonder why their traffic struggles.

Is Yaro Down on Websites?

In the report, Yaro takes a small shot at websites saying, “Websites are too technical for most people.” I agree with that on some level, but I still don’t think a blog is perfect for every situation.

And because blogs are so easy to setup (especially compared to websites), people often believe they are a faster route to financial success.

However, Yaro makes it clear that blogging takes work and more importantly an understanding of business.  I am glad he emphasized that point.

Nevertheless, it didn’t surprise me that Yaro seems somewhat anti-website . After all, he sells a blog coaching service so of course he wants to gently nudge you toward the blogging world.

However I still believe you should do your homework and decide which option (blog or website) is best for your individual needs.

And if you do decide that a blog is best, then Yaro may just be one of the best online mentors around. Why not learn from someone who is actually walking the walk and making a solid 6 figures from his blogs?

Keeping it Real

Yaro’s statement, “Most bloggers are poor marketers” may offend some people, but he’s absolutely right.  Too many bloggers only focus on re-reporting facts without a solid plan for marketing.

And if you find that traffic and sales from your blog is struggling, perhaps you should give Yaro some of your attention.

You don’t have to sign up for his blog coaching service, but you can at least download his free report.

It may open your eyes to some promotion techniques you’ve never thought of before. And most importantly, it will help keep your expectations in check.

With the emergence of the social networking scene, developing connections and acknowledging regular contributors is an important part of marketing (particularly if you’re a blogger).

Having said that, I thought I’d discuss a few of the ways people publicly reward their visitors…

EntreCard – Top Droppers

Many EntreCard members make the occasional post to their blog with a list of their top EntreCard droppers.

If you aren’t familiar with EntreCard, it’s a free service that allows you to promote your blog by dropping your card (a 125×125 image) on other blogs.

You earn credits for every “drop” you make and you can use those credits to buy advertising space on other blogs.

I haven’t posted a list of my top droppers as of yet.  On one hand, I like the idea, but on the other, it opens the door for a bunch of empty drops by people looking to make my “Top Dropper” list.

Nevertheless, it can be a good way to build up loyalty.

Top Commenters

I read every comment posted here and often follow them to view the person’s blog.  But I pay even more attention to the people who take the time to craft insightful posts.

Blog comments are important because they make a blog look active and they encourage participation from other readers.  So I appreciate it greatly when people take the time to make a thoughtful comment.

WordPress has a plugin that allows you to display the top commenters as a widget on your sidebar.  While that’s a very generous thing to do, you still have to monitor rewards like this very closely.

People are competitive, and any time there’s a reward for quantity, some take advantage of that and the quality of the content begins to suffer.  So you have to evaluate if it’s worth implementing.

Your top commenters may not always be your best contributors. Personally, I’d much rather reward someone with a few good comments than someone else with a bunch of empty ones who is just looking for first billing on my widget.

That’s why I’m a fan of the new partnership between SezWho and EntreCard.  Hopefully this will enhance the commenting community and encourage more productive discussions across the blogosphere.

As an EntreCard member you can now earn credits for leaving comments on SezWho-enabled blogs.  The catch is you only earn credits for quality comments.

This keeps people from flooding other blogs with quick comments like “nice post” or “great info”, just to drive up their credit totals.

Just for the record, this blog uses SezWho, so if you’re an EntreCard member, get to commenting and earn those credits.

vBulletin – Top Posters

There’s a hack out for vBulletin 3.x that allows you to show your forum’s top posters for the month.  I’ve installed it and posted a link to this list in two places on my forum Website Babble.

While the quantity vs. quality issue could come into play here as well, I’m not as concerned about that with my forum due to the high number of regular, quality contributors.

As many of you know, it takes a lot of work to build and maintain an forum active, and I am truly grateful to the active members who have helped Website Babble grow.

My forum is nowhere as active as Digital Point or ABestWeb, but for someone who has launched 3 forums that failed in the past, you won’t hear me complaining.

When I first launched Website Babble, I held 2 contests and gave away cash prizes ($300 and $150 respectively) to the the MVP (Most Valuable Posters).

I do believe that incentive helped my forum grow in the early days, and I do have plans to offer more prizes in the near future.

The great thing about this reward was that it was based on quality of posts, not quantity.

Even though I had to manually review several posts to determine who was eligible for the contest, it was worth it. It’s important to recognize and give back to quality contributors.

You can join my forum here.  I’d love to get to know you.

If you’re thinking of starting your own forum, think of ways you can reward your members.  It doesn’t haven’t to be money.  Perhaps it’s free advertising space on your blog, or you could give away EntreCard credits.

Public Response to Tweets

Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.net is good at this.  Anytime someone poses a question on Twitter that he feels is best answered publicly on his blog, he’ll post a link to the person’s Twitter account in the post.

When you get a link from a blog with over 50,000 RSS readers, you’re bound to get some kind of reward, even if it’s just a few extra Twitter followers.

I just started using my Twitter account in the last week to announce my blog posts, and plan to come up with more useful ways to interact with my followers.

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The bottom line is people love to be recognized, and it’s important to show your audience that you appreciate their support.

Do you reward your visitors?  If so, how do you do it?

1. No Focus

More is not always better — especially when it comes to topics on a blog.

I know it may be tempting to target everyone with multiple subjects, but when you do this, you end up alienating everyone because your focus is unclear.

Find one topic you enjoy talking about and stick to it. Avoid creating a blog flea market.

Note:  Some personal blogs can get away with this, but if you are trying to make money from a blog, it’s best to choose a niche.

2. Expecting Too Much Too Soon

If you check Technorati (a site that ranks blogs), you’ll find that the top ranked blogs are at least 3 years old (on average).

Most bloggers don’t see much traffic or revenue in their first 6 months to a year, so don’t panic if things are slow-going right now. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a successful blog.

Even though blogs are easier to launch (compared to a website), it still takes time to build traffic so keep your expectations in check.

3. Social Bookmarking Icon Overload

Unless you know your audience is familiar with multiple social bookmarking sites, there is no need to waste space on your blog with 4,346 social networking icons splattered across your template.

Even today, the average person doesn’t know what most of those icons mean, and those that do, don’t use them anyway.

Ask 10 people in your friend or family circle if they know what Reddit is, and patiently await the blank stares.

It’s OK to display the more popular icons (Digg, StumbleUpon, etc.) but taking up valuable space with a string of icons, is more of a distraction than a useful add-on to your blog.

If you feel the need to display them, use ShareThis. At least they consolidate the icons behind a compact button and don’t create a confusing sea of icons that most people will ignore anyway.

4. Too Many Ads

One surefire way to spot a desperate blogger is to look at the ratio of ads to content. My favorite is the blog that makes you scroll through half a page of ads before you get to the main content.

The steps to making money online have always been the same and will never change…

1) Build useful content

2) Attract targeted traffic

3) Monetize the traffic with ads, affiliate programs, etc.

Notice the order of the list. That’s the ONLY way it will ever work. Unfortunately too many people follow those steps in reverse order. They start with #3, then work on #2 and finally put the least amount of effort into #1.

If making money becomes more of a priority than building quality content, then your blog will become evident of that, and will hurt your credibility tremendously.

Limit your ads — especially in the early stages.

5. No Domain Name

Domain names are too cheap for you not to have one. If you want your visitors and other bloggers to take you seriously, secure your own piece of real estate on the Web. Period.

6. No Design Customization

You don’t have to be a technical genius to customize your blog. Yes, it takes a bit of work and there is a learning curve, but you should give your blog a fresh look to help establish its own brand and identity.

If developing a custom design feels overwhelming, just start with customizing your header and then go from there.

If you’re a Blogger user, Blogger Buster has some helpful advice and templates. For WordPress users, check the WordPress Codex. They have an entire section on customizing various parts of your blog.

If you need assistance developing a design for your blog, you may want to hire someone from a site like RentaCoder. Or you can post a request in popular Webmaster forums like Digital Point or ABestWeb.

Someone told me the other day that they immediately devalue any blog that is using a standard, non-customized Blogger or WordPress template.

We all know there are some good blogs out there that use the standard templates, but I would be naive if I believed he is the only person who does that. First impressions are huge.

Note: WordPress users may be able to get away with using non-customized standard templates because there are many more to choose from (compared to Blogger). However, you should still take the time to customize some elements no matter which platform you choose.

7. Blogging For the Sake of Blogging

When I first started blogging in 2006, I was guilty of this. I didn’t really take blogging seriously at the time, and would post something just because it had been a while since my last entry.

The post was usually a re-write of something already on my website or some topic that had been covered numerous times by other blogs or websites. I would just re-write it in my own words.

Yes, it’s important to maintain a consistent blogging schedule, but that doesn’t mean to publish low-quality content just because it’s been too long since your last post.

It’s much better to wait until you have something useful to say, rather than wasting your reader’s time with a thoughtless post.

Before publishing a new post, ask yourself the following questions…

1) What’s the purpose of this post? (Sell a Product? Build credibility? Educate? Entertain? Offer a unique perspective on something?)

2) Based on what I know about my audience, how will this post benefit them specifically?

3) Has this topic been overdone by too many other bloggers, and if so, what can I add to make it more unique and fresh?

8. Ignoring Post Stats & Feedback

Not only do I watch traffic levels for individual posts, but I also keep a close eye on the kinds of posts that generate the most feedback. This helps me learn what kind of topics my visitors enjoy reading about.

As your blog grows, pay attention to the quantity and contents of the comments you receive. It will help you develop more relevant, useful content for your audience over time.

For example, even though this blog is derived from a site that is mainly about website development, the posts on building traffic, blogging and making money tend to yield the most visitors and responses.

Comments and feedback have taught me what subjects my audience likes reading about, so I tend to focus a larger percentage of my posts on these topics.

9. No Conversational Tone

Many blogs talk AT their readers rather than to them. I want my audience to feel as if they’re sitting in the room with me when they’re reading my content. This is something I’ve really had to work on.

For the most part, web writing tends to be more relaxed. Help improve the flow of your copy by using transitional words, shorter sentences and don’t be afraid to lighten up. Also, make a habit of using the words “I” and “you” on a regular basis.

Take time to allow your personality to shine from time to time. It will help your readers connect with you and give your blog some personality and warmth.

10. Bad Headlines

It amazes me how many bloggers put little or no thought into their headlines. Remember, many people use RSS functionality to read blogs so your headline is the first thing they see.

This is your one chance to get the click so make it count!

I could have titled this post, “10 Blogging Mistakes” but how overdone and boring is the phrase “blogging mistakes”? So I used “awful” instead.

That word is a bit more dramatic, but that’s why I chose it. It catches the eye since it’s not used as much as the word “mistake.”

Now, if you look at the title bar of the browser notice I used the phrase “Blogging Mistakes”. Even though it’s not as eye-catching, it’s a better title from an SEO standpoint because it’s searched more than than “awful blogging practices.”

If you use WordPress, take advantage of the All in One SEO plug-in. You can craft two different titles: one for your blog’s title (the one published in your RSS feed) and a more practical one for the <title> tag — which of course is the one the search engines display.

Taking a few extra minutes to compose a catchy title can make all the different in the world when it comes to generating traffic to your blog.

See more of my videos here and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

If you haven’t gotten Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six Figure Income you’re missing a treat.

First of all, it’s an easy read so getting through the 211 pages is a breeze.

In fact, it made my plane ride to Detroit feel like a 10-minute trip. That’s how engrossed I was.

Who Is This Book For?

One great thing about this book is that there’s something for everyone.

New and soon-to-be bloggers will appreciate the early chapters that talk about setting up a blog.

Chris and Darren go as far as providing specific steps for installing WordPress on a web host. It’s very detailed.

If you’ve passed that step in your blogging journey, have no fear. There’s plenty of golden information on blog writing, promotion, marketing and even a chapter on buying and selling blogs.

Focus on Chapter 2

One of my favorite chapters is “Niche Blogging”. There’s very good advice here.

I don’t think people spend enough time narrowing their niche when creating their first blog so they end up re-inventing the wheel and publishing content that’s already out here.

If you follow Chris and Darren’s advice in this chapter, you’ll have a better chance at choosing the most appropriate topic and will hopefully avoid many of the common mistakes new bloggers make.

They encourage you to ask some good questions and visit useful websites that will help you land the right topic.

Just like creating websites, people often rush the topic selection process for blogs. This book definitely emphasizes the importance of getting it right and how to go about it.

Free Self Promo Opportunity at ProBlogger.net

If you buy the book, Darren is giving you the opportunity to display your picture along with your blog address. He is making a collage with all the book owners and will display it on his site. Details here.

Another brilliant marketing tactic by Mr. Rowse.

Should You Get the Book?

If you’ve already started a blog and keep running into a brick wall, the early chapters may help you understand why. As I said before, the chapter on finding the right niche is quite useful.

Or if you’re thinking of starting a blog, but not quite sure which platform is best and how to get started, then you’ll appreciate the book as well.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a quick way to make money with a blog then please don’t buy this book.

The authors take their time in the first chapter explaining how much work is involved when it comes to building a successful blog.

Neither Chris or Darren made money overnight and I really appreciate how they make that point very early.

Blogging is often perceived as a quick route to making money online (compared to a website). That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Yes, publishing a blog is typically easier than publishing a website, but that doesn’t mean it’s easier to generate a profit. Darren and Chris do a great job of setting realistic expectations from the start.

Other than the typo on page 78 (oops!), it’s hard to find anything negative about this book.

It’s a comprehensive guide to blogging for all experience levels, and the authors effectively use their own blogs to illustrate examples and make points.

The more useful, relevant and unique it is, the more likely it will connect with its intended audience.

So why don’t people keep this in mind when commenting on blogs?

I’ve been generating decent traffic from this lately, and it’s mainly because I’ve revised my commenting strategy.

I used to reply with a quick comment like “Great post, thanks.” That may be cordial, but it’s not very unique or noticeable.

So of course my comments got lumped in with all the other “Great post” variations.

Now I take a little time to craft my comment and the results are paying off. Here are some tips to help you become a more effective blog commentor.

1. Don’t Be Afraid to Disagree

When I’m scanning comments on other blogs, I always find myself reading comments from people who disagree. Why? …

Because their comment stands out among all the “Great post!” comments.

Disagreeing doesn’t have to be rude or disrespectful. There is a tactful way to do it. Simply state that you disagree and more importantly explain why.

This is your time to shine and potentially prove you are a credible source. This may also engage other readers and the author.

Back up your reasons with facts and useful information. Saying you disagree just for the sake of disagreeing is pretty pointless.

2. Make ‘em Laugh

Lighten up and inject some humor where appropriate. You’ll be surprised how this will make people look twice at your comment.

Most blog comments are serious. Make yours stand out with some light-hearted fun.

3. Create a Powerful Opening Line

Just like writing content for your blog or website, you want to get people’s attention. Consider that opening line to be your comment’s headline.

Most people scan, so if they their eye happens to catch your witty opening line, you’ve just increased the chance they’ll read your comment instead of skimming to the next.

4. Add Another Item to the List

I often look for blog posts where the author mentions an ordered list of items – for example, “5 Ways to Build Traffic.” In your comment, why not suggest a 6th way, and if #6 has worked for you, briefly explain how.

Obviously people reading this post are interested in ways to build traffic, so naturally they’ll find your addition relevant and hopefully useful.

5. Impress The Author

Nothing impresses Webmasters more when blog commentors show they are familiar with their work. When it’s relevant, refer back to previous content the author has written and tie it into your comment.

Sometimes this puts you on the author’s radar. Perhaps they’ll even visit your site. It never hurts to seek out a few brownie points… especially if the author has a large audience. They may decide to feature your site in one of their posts.

I always look twice at someone who makes a well thought out comment, especially if it’s clear they’ve been reading my work.

Who doesn’t need their ego stroked once and a while, right?

6. Look for Highly Relevant Posts

Use the blog’s search function to find posts that match up well with the theme of your site and comment on them.

Say you have a blog about fantasy football and you are reading a sports blog. Do a search for “fantasy football” and look for posts that will allow you to show off your knowledge and expertise.

7. Use the Name of Your Site Instead of Your Name

When you fill out a comment form, most blogs will link your name to your site’s URL. Instead of using your name, use a catchy, keyword-focused name that may encourage people to click on your site.

I have to be honest. I’ve never done this, but may try this in the future. I added this strategy to the list because I was reading a comment on my own blog, and I actually clicked the person’s link because their title caught my attention.

Keep It Short and Simple

No one wants to read a novel. While it’s important to add something of substance, you also don’t want to get ignored because you wrote too much. More is not necessarily better.

Make your key points quickly, and do so without a lot of fluff and fillers.

9) Comment on Other Comments

If you can spark a meaningful conversation with another commentor, this can also draw some attention to your site. Not only will this increase your visibility, but you get a chance to show off your knowledge.

10) ???

I’ll leave #10 to you. Have you done anything useful I did not mention? What were the results?

(Hint: This is where you put Tip #4 into action.)

All signs seemed to point to WordPress – especially when I realized how simple it was to install.

Don’t get me wrong. I loved Blogger and it was ideal for my situation when I signed up in June, 2006. But as I got more serious about blogging and developed more content, it just made sense to make the move to WordPress.

It’s more robust and has a ton of plugins, and since it’s open source, programmers are constantly coming out with new plug-ins you can use on your blog to enhance it.

What’s a plug-in? It’s basically a script you can install to give your blog an added function. WordPress even has a directory of plug-ins and installing them is very simple if you know how to FTP files to your host.

There’s even a WordPress plug-in directory with a categorical listing of all the free plug-ins.

Need a sitemap created for your blog? Just download and install the plug-in and in seconds your sitemap is ready to go!

Want to make your blog pages more search-engine ready so you can get more traffic? Simply install the plug-in and instantly your blog becomes more SE friendly.

OK, here’s where you see that it doesn’t take much to make me happy. I love how the keyboard smilies turn into graphical emoticons automatically. No more image inserts or using those boring text-based smilies! (Sometimes it’s the little things .)

Another big reason I wanted to move away from Blogger was I was having issues with the upload feature. I wanted to move my blog’s content from blogger.com to my own domain, but was having issues with their FTP setup.

Hosting your own blog’s content not only looks more professional but it’s much more comforting to know my content is not sitting on a 3rd party’s server.

Importing my content from Blogger to WordPress was a breeze. WordPress has an Import feature that instantly transfers all you posts and comments in a few seconds. The formatting remained the same and my images and video came over just fine for the most part.

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Don’t forget to change your Blogger’s Archive settings to “No Archive” before you import. Otherwise you’ll be scratching your head like I was, wondering why WordPress was only importing my first post from every month.

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And if you’re worried about losing your Blogger feed subscribers, worry no more. Of course if you use a service like FeedBurner this is never an issue.

But if you don’t, Blogger allows you to redirect your Blogger feed to another URL. So all your Blogger feed traffic will be directed to your new one.

[insert shameless plug]

Speaking of feeds, the one for this blog is http://feeds.feedburner.com/2createawebsite (hint, hint )

[/end shameless plug]

What about your existing Blogger traffic? No problem. There are tons of tutorials out there that will show you how to redirect your blog traffic to your new location. Laffers.net has a tutorial that was easy to follow.

So if you’re looking to start a blog or want more options, I highly recommend WordPress. Blogger has made several advancements in the past few months but not enough to entice me to stay.

You don’t have to have your own domain to use WordPress. You can host your blog on their site, but I think it’s best to host your own content on your own domain. Hosting is so cheap these days and why not have the piece of mind and professionalism of sporting your self-hosted blog.

Not to mention if you already have a site on your own domain, adding a blog just gives you more content. And you know how the search engines love that!

WordPress may not be for everyone’s needs and desires, but I’m certainly happy with the switch. My only regret is not doing it sooner.