Blogging Resources
Background
A blog is an online journal or newsletter (short for web log), written on a regular basis and maintained by an individual or group. Blogging is one way to promote yourself, your skills and your products/services by writing about your area of expertise, opinions and experiences. The resources listed here provide everything from the software for starting a blog, to guidance on how to write, publicize and monitize your blog.
Blogging Software
Blogger
This is Google’s popular blogging software hosted on the Blogger site. The advantage to using this software is that you don’t have to pay for hosting and Google will be sure to index your blog in search engine results. The big negative is that it doesn’t have nearly the power, functionality or capabilities of the WordPress software.
Movable Type Pro
A web publishing platform that’s good for blogging and building web sites. There is a free download version and a paid version that is full featured.
Typepad
Typepad is a blogging service that hosts blogs. Although there is a monthly fee for Typepad, it has extensive features.
WordPress Hosted on Your Domain
Wordpress is advanced blogging software with a fantastic variety of themes and literally thousands of plugins that increase its capabilities. This is the site where you can download Wordpress to install on your own domain. Most web hosting companies provide a one-click install of Wordpress on your site, through a service called Fantastico. Look for this service on your host’s control panel.
WordPress Blog Hosted by WordPress
This is where you can sign up for a blog to be hosted on the Wordpress site. The blog will have a name of your choosing first and then the WordPress domain. Example: www.yourname.wordpress.com
Blogging Articles and Tools
20 Essential Blog Directories to Submit Your Blog To
If you are trying to increase the popularity of your blog, this article in SEO Journal describes various blog directories that accept submissions.
21 Untapped Traffic Sources
This informative article delivers what it promises. Lots of good ideas here for increasing your blog’s traffic.
55 Active RSS Feed Directories
True to the title of the article, this lists 55 directories to which you can submit your blog. This is one satisfactory way to promote your blog. The list was compiled in 2007, so a few directories may no longer be available.
101 Ways to Monitize Your Blog
You’ll probably find some good ideas for ways to make money from your blog. This is frequently referred to as “monitizing your blog.”
Best of the Web Blogs
A selective blog directory where you can submit your blog. The review of your blog is free (for those who are patient or broke) or you can pay a one-time fee for a quicker review.
Business Blogging 101
This series of articles on business blogging covers Blogging in general, RSS Feeds, how to measure your blog’s success, and more. Good straightforward information.
Dragon Naturally Speaking
Talking makes the job of writing easier, according to some folks. This software turns your speech into text.
FTC Guidelines
On October 5, 2009 the FTC published guidelines for website publishers and advertisers that could affect how you advertise on your website or blog. The guidelines are not difficult to understand, so read and decide how you can implement them. Don’t take a chance with your Internet business.
How to Make Money From Your Blog
Steve Pavlina offers tips, guidance and tackles some of the tough questions.
PingGoat
This is a free online service that alerts or pings blog-tracking services that your blog has been updated or that it exists.
Problogger
The Problogger writes about blogging, how to grow your blog and how to monetize it. The author has written at least 5,000 blog posts and is a full time blogger on several sites.
Newstex
Newstex is a syndication company that you can use to syndicate your blog. Their service, Blogs on Demand, helps put your content in front of more eyes. Each time one of their customers views your content, you earn royalties.
Advertising Services for Blogs
AdSense
AdSense is the premiere advertisement application run by Google. It shows ads on a contextual basis determined by the words on each web page. You have less control over which AdSense ads run on your site than you do with other more targeted ad networks, but AdSense is the largest and most well-known.
BlogAds
You can advertise your Internet business on blogs through Blogads or you can run blogads on your blog. Most likely, traffic must be high on your blog to be accepted as a sponsor of their ads.
Chitika
This is a popular ad network you’ll find on many blogger’s sites. You can use Chitika on the same page where you have AdSense ads or as an AdSense alternative. Where as AdSense displays ads by getting the context of each page, Chitika displays ads by search terms. That means it only displays ads to visitors who arrive at your website through search. To other users, the Chitika ads will not display.
CrispAds
An advertising network for bloggers, which lets you control and target the ads on your site. You earn revenue on a cost-per-click or sponsorship basis. Their networks are in the US and UK.
