Blogs

Blog Hosting Decisions When Starting A Blog

Blog hosting can be one of your chief decisions when starting a blog. Referring to blog hosting we are talking not about the blog itself but where precisely it resides on the Internet.

So, for example, the kind of blog platform you might choose--Blogger, WordPress and TypePad are some popular options--should be distinguished from where the blog is hosted--usually a third party service like GoDaddy, Laughing Squid or Network Solutions to name only a few.

Here's ClickMillionaires guru Scott Fox giving his recommendation for the best in blogging platforms:

Some of the basic blog hosting options you will have when starting a blog:

• Pick free combined blogging and hosting. Blogger and WordPress both offer this option. The service takes all the headache out of hosting and can be started in minutes, but the downside is that you will not be able to select an original domain and will have to settle for a subdomain provided by your host and will need to follow the regulations of the community...which may, at times, impact the way in which you can modify your site or use it for business.
• Pick a paid hosting option. One of the best examples of this approach is probably the TypePad community, where users pay for a premium account and all hosting, software upgrades and customer service for troubleshooting are taken care of. On the downside, you are generally limited in the degree to which you can customize the blog for your purposes.
• Choose an independent host. With this option, you might take a downloaded version of WordPress, for example, and host it courtesy of GoDaddy or Laughing Squid. The pros of this approach include the ability to pick an original domain name of your own. (This is generally done through hosting services like GoDaddy) There are also no limits on the monetizing options open to you and you will have total control to tweak your blog for the look and functionality you want. Downsides are that this route is generally the most complex from a technical standpoint and may not be for everyone.

Need more information on starting your new blog today? Just contact us at info@postranger.com and let us help make blogging work for you.

Using Blogging for Your MLM Business

You can stop chasing leads or trying to sign up family and friends by using blogging to promote your MLM business.

MLM business coach Tania Mesar gives a few good reasons in the video on this page why blogs can turn your network marketing business around and have prospects chasing you.

As Tania explains, this is because blogging:

• Creates community by encouraging readers to visit again and again for updates on their favorite blogs
• Increases search rank by providing a steady flow of fresh content preferred by search engines like Google
• Provides info either with a link to your Website or or details on the blog itself allowing prospects to decide whether to join your business or buy your products.

For more on blogging as an MLM or network marketing tool, read "Marketing Your MLM Business With A Blog" at the MLM Marketing-Weblog.

Bare Bones Blogging for Your Business

Whether you plan to hire a blogger or maintain things in-house, remember these tips for bare bones blogging for your business to keep your business blog lean and focused.

Portrait of an articulated skeleton
on a bentwood chair
Originally uploaded by
Powerhouse Museum Collection

Creating an attractive article for your blog or other Website is simple and fun.

With a few basic elements you'll have a blog that draws readers in, holds their attention and keeps them coming back to your website for more.

• Great writing. You don't have to write like Ernest Hemingway, but keep your articles clear and to the point with a conversational, entertaining style. 
• Photos and video.  Upload photos from your computer or use copywrite free or Creative Commons photos from Flickr, Morguefile or other sites and embed video from sites like YouTube to add extra interest.
• Links to other resources. Adding hyperlinks to other websites, or other parts of your website, make a great attraction for your blog and a way to share even more information with your readers establishing you as an expert and guide to Internet resources on your topic.

The Real Reason for Business Blogging

What is the real reason for business blogging?

Pioneering blogger Darren Barefoot is a great inspiration to us around here and in this video he gives a great explanation to GetConnected host Mike Agerbo of exactly why you need to blog for your business.

Darren's explanation mentions how blogs offer a "bigger bucket" of content for Google and other search engines.

Of course, blogs can also be used to establish expertise, recruit for your company and answer questions about your product or service, Darren adds.

There are, of course, plenty of other reasons for blogging including the reinforcement of your brand and the building of trust and community around your company.

Please watch the entire video for more on how a blog can help your business grow in ways you may not even be able to imagine today and also check out Darren's post on The Because Effect. It may change the way you think of blogs all together.

How To Hire a Blogger: A Small Business Guide

If you're wondering how to hire a blogger to blog for your business it really comes down to answering some questions about your expectations.

i r serious blogger
Originally uploaded by John Stansbury

These questions could include:

• What level of blogging service do you need?
• What kind of results are you seeking?
• What are you willing or able to pay?
• What level expertise with the subject matter is necessary?

Actually, the Kudzu Business Success Center has developed a relatively awesome list of "10 Tips for Hiring a Professional Blogger for Your Small Business Blog" incorporating some of the points above.

The post is by Susan Gunelius and will give you a head start on the questions you should be asking to make the best decision.

Great Headline Writing Key to Professional Blogging

Professional blogging relies on great headline writing whether you hire a blogger to blog for your business or take on that responsibility in-house.

best headline goes to...
Originally uploaded by autiscy

As Niall Devitt of bloggertone explains in his post "#1 AMAZINGLY Successful Blogging Tip!":

the HEADLINE is without doubt the single most important piece of any blog post that you create….

But great headline writing involves more than just writing an attention grabbing title above your online article.

Good/great blog headlines should:

• Clearly communicate the content of a post.
• Use effective keywords for search engines to help readers find your post.
• Use conversational style to make an entertaining experience for the reader.

Bloggers for Hire Make Up a New Profession

If you're planning to hire a blogger to blog for your business or other organization you won't be alone.

i follow a terrible profession
Originally uploaded by milah.keeler

As of April 2009, the Wall Street Journal reported that "bloggers for hire" make up a new profession almost as large as the legal profession.

Hiring a professional blogger can be helpful for businesses, political organizations or any other individual or group seeking to keep up a steady stream of fresh content online because:

• Bloggers save you time by taking responsibility for creating quality content including interviews, reviews, news etc. about your niche wile leaving you free to operate your business.
• Bloggers save you money because well-maintained blogs are still easier to maintain and may be more effective marketing than more costsly traditional media campaigns.
• Bloggers bring expertise particularly in the area of using keywords and other SEO considerations to boost your site's visibility and working hard to promote the site.

With the right blogger at the helm, your Website can take on new vitality and the upswing in professional blogging is another sign this is a secret your competitors may already know.

Does Your Local Business Have a Blog?

Does your local business have a blog? If not, why not?

My business plan :)
Originally uploaded by lepiaf.geo (back mid
February)

Whether you hire a blogger to blog for your business or learn business blogging for yourself, blogs offer:

• Targeted marketing of a specific audience interested in your services
• Low cost including a free or low cost blog platform and the time to write regular posts
• Great feedback in the form of a community who can comment and share your posts with others

  For more on how blogging can help your business read Don Power's post on "Going Local – How do You Use Social Media to Boost Local Business?" Or share success stories from you own local blogging efforts below.

Professional Blogging Remains Hot Alternative Career

Professional blogging remains a hot alternative career says Amit Agarwal (pictured below) who ought to know. Agarwal was profiled by Cable News Network-Indian Broadcasting Network in 2008 for his success as a professional blogger since quitting his job in the software industry.

Amit Agarwal Photograph - Blogging Office
Originally uploaded by @labnol

Agarwal may earn his living from advertising and other messages on his site, but you can hire a professional blogger too, helping you:

• Market your business or organization to the world
• Communicate to followers or influence opinion leaders
• Educate, enrich and spread your unique message
• Or just about anything else you can think of

Watch the report on Amit Agarwal "Mindbloggling salaries are just a click away" and consider how professional bloggers could enhance your local community and share its ideas and values with the world.

Who Has Time for Business Blogging?

Does anyone in your small to medium sized business have time for blogging?

*Time* Ticking away...
Originally uploaded by Michel Filion

Business guru's may tell you it's necessary to take the time out to create a blog for your own company.

After all, Valeria Maltoni argues, "you embody the company and not a third party", so write your own blog.

But Melbourne, Australia-based business coach Daniel Watson, who has walked the walk, disagrees...strenuously.

Over a six month period, Watson untertook the excercise of maintaining his own business blog before recommending that his clients do the same to promote their businesses.

His conclusion:

Following my own personal experience, my recommendation to any business owner thinking of doing it themselves, would be to outsource the majority of the heavy lifting that is involved, and just play the key roles of idea generator and final editor.

While Maltoni fears hiring a blogger "will awake the ghostwriting fairies", Watson warns that "Blogging is Tough Going for Business Owners."