Blogs are now a dime a dozen, and bloggers need to make their blog posts stand out. Developing a blog following is not as easy as it once was. Learn how to write blog posts that attract readers and retain their attention. Follow these guidelines to cultivate readers...

1. Draw Attention

Use titles to attract the reader's attention to the blog post. The title should mimic newspaper headlines and generate interest in the blog post. The title can be controversial, but not to the extent of being misleading. Use action words in the title. Bloggers will often come up with a handful of potential titles for blog posts, and then settle on the title that is best suited to a particular blog post.

Attention Getting Blog Posts

The Influence of Technology on Politics
Can, and will, the next generation of politicians exploit the communication mediums available to them? Will the new communication mediums have the power to influence public opinion? Will politicians be the victims of technology, or will they use it to their benefit? Will one party benefit from the use of the technology more than another? All reasonable questions, considering the role technology plays in today's society.

The staggering distribution numbers, through channels like iTunes, YouTube, or podcasting websites, indicate that technology could play a critical role in the upcoming elections. Technology could be the deciding factor in the US Presidential race, and while distribution has never before been as accessible as it is to today's politicians and political candidates, politicians have far less control over the news and media than their counterparts in previous years.

The Influence of Technology on Politics

Coming up with ideas for new blog posts on a regular basis can be a challenge, even for the most prolific writers. Experience shows that readers tend to favor certain types of posts more than others. Here are some popular types of blog posts that you might want to use for those times when inspiration simply does not strike.


Tips for Blog Posting

The best blogs and feeds are those that contain unique, fresh, compelling, content. So where do these prolific posters get their ideas? I talked to a handful of bloggers to determine where their inspiration originated for their content.

How do you get ideas for blog posts and RSS feed posts?

Blogs are the current rage, and many webmasters have blogs but fail to use their blog to it's full potential. Blogs provide a steady stream of fresh content, and if this content is written and managed properly, blogs have the ability to increase a website's ranking in the search engines.

1. Host Your Own Blog
In order to prosper from a blog, be sure to host it on your own domain. Hosting the blog on your own server will maximize the links to your website. Link popularity is one of the factors search engines use to rank websites. Resist the urge to use free hosting services, do not give away your link popularity!

Blog Tips for SEO

Syndication is conceptually simple. It allows publishers to distribute content that can be displayed in another location or context. Using RSS, publishers are able to easily create and disseminate content feeds that include news headlines, blog summaries and related links. RSS is the defined syndication standard that has become mainstream. All types of information are now available in a syndicated format.

Promote A Blog

Blogs have increased in popularity because they provide a steady stream of new and unique content. The only issue presented by this quality of blogs is that it may become difficult for those who run blogs to think of interesting and novel posts. If you have jumped on the blogging bandwagon but suffer writer's block, do not panic: we have created a list of 26 ideas for blog posts.

Great Ideas for Blog Post Topics

There are a wide variety of things you can do in regard to blog promotion. Here are just a few...

1. Optimize

Optimize the blog using standard search engine optimization techniques, so that it performs well in the organic rankings of the various search engines.

Blog Promotion Tips

The best blogs and feeds are those that contain unique, fresh, compelling, content. So where do these prolific posters get their ideas? I talked to a handful of bloggers to determine where their inspiration originated for their content.

Not surprisingly, ideas for blog posts or RSS feed items originate or are influenced by other web content. The following are venues for finding your online muse:

Places to Get Ideas for Blog Posts

The best blogs and feeds are those that contain unique, fresh, compelling, content. So where do these prolific posters get their ideas? I talked to a handful of bloggers to determine where their inspiration originated for their content.

Not surprisingly, ideas for blog posts or RSS feed items originate or are influenced by other web content. The following are venues for finding your online muse:

1.Google News
Monitor Google News for keywords related to your industry. If you find a story you disagree with or wholeheartedly agree with write about it. Add your thoughts, and editorialize the content. This does not mean you should just repost Google news summaries. The value is not only in the news aggregation, but in the commentary that you provide. Tie news items to specific events, conditions, or the impact of specific news on the industry. Adding a view point or reference to a news article adds genuine value.

How do you get ideas for blog posts and RSS feed posts?

Blogs have increased in popularity because they provide a steady stream of new and unique content. The only issue presented by this quality of blogs is that it may become difficult for those who run blogs to think of interesting and novel posts. If you have jumped on the blogging bandwagon but suffer writers block, do not panic: we have created a list of 26 ideas for blog posts.

Great Ideas for Blog Post Topics

Blogs are now a dime a dozen, and bloggers need to make their blog posts stand out. Developing a blog following is not as easy as it once was. Learn how to write blog posts that attract readers and retain their attention. Follow these guidelines to cultivate readers...

Attention Getting Blog Posts

Coming up with ideas for new blog posts on a regular basis can be a challenge, even for the most prolific writers. Experience shows that readers tend to favor certain types of posts more than others. Here are some popular types of blog posts that you might want to use for those times when inspiration simply does not strike.

Lists

Lists are loved by readers. Top 10 lists, lists of top resources, lists of tools, lists of important dates, etc. Really, just about any type of list will tend to be very popular with blog readers. And you can easily craft lists from popular posts and other resources.

Interviews

Interview top professionals in your market or niche. Blog posts that contain interviews will frequently generate interest and attention.

Tips for Blog Posting.

Website design can be elusive to even creative individuals. Sadly some webmasters do not realize their incompetence and they post websites that have grainy graphics and turgid colors. If you are one of these webmasters and have seen the error of your ways, consider this. Your website is a sales tool. A professional layout and design can significantly increase sales and conversion rates, gaining you customers. Businesses can greatly benefit from a professional and unforgettable logo that sets them apart from their competition. Logos are not just fancy graphics that adorn websites or letterhead, logos are a representation of a businesses' philosophy. Logos are a critical component of brand development.

Many webmasters do not realize that all images on the web are copy written and it is in many cases illegal to use an image that you find on the web without properly licensing it. Fortunately, for the graphically challenged websmasters there are a whole host of resources available to assist with web and graphic design. There are logo websites where you can purchase a single logo for a fixed fee, or subscription websites that allow you to purchase a subscription and download multiple logos. The logo is often the starting point for web design. Many webmasters use the companies logo to develop the website, the rest of the design evolves around the logo.

Building an Image with a Logo

Tips for creating a blog.
There are no hard and fast rules on how to blog. Having said that, bloggers will likely increase their exposure by following some simple blog guidelines.

1.) Stay on topic.
Opinions are generally accepted but the content of the items in the blog should all relate to a general theme. Unless you have an uncanny knack for wit, humor or cynicism, the majority of your readers will be interested in the content that relates to a specific defined theme or loosely defined area of interest. Most readers won't care that you eat Cheerios for breakfast. They may, however, be interested in the fact that vinegar takes out stains and that toilet paper rolls make great wreaths. Define a topic and stick to it. This will ensure that you create a loyal following of interested readers.

Tips for Blogs

I have heard many a blogger say that blogging fills a need. While blogging provides a humanizing effect on news and journaling, it also opens a window into personal lives. The details shared in blogs were once only available to a select group of friends, and while blogging has become common place, it has risks that should not be ignored.

Cyberstalking is a new phenomenon that allows anonymous online stalkers to prowl for victims. Online bloggers traditionally provide personal details about their lives. As a result, many women that blog are becoming victims. Most people are concerned about children on the Internet and set up rigorous posting guidelines for children, adolescents, and teenagers, but few adults heed the warnings and often do not consider that they too can be targeted.
Females, in particular, should be cautious when circumnavigating the blogosphere.

The Dangers in Blogging

Blogs are now a dime a dozen, and bloggers need to make their blog posts stand out. Developing a blog following is not as easy as it once was. Learn how to write blog posts that attract readers and retain their attention. Follow these guidelines to cultivate readers...

1. Draw Attention

Use titles to attract the reader's attention to the blog post. The title should mimic newspaper headlines and generate interest in the blog post. The title can be controversial, but not to the extent of being misleading. Use action words in the title. Bloggers will often come up with a handful of potential titles for blog posts, and then settle on the title that is best suited to a particular blog post.

Attention Getting Blog Posts

Blogs have increased in popularity because they provide a steady stream of new and unique content. The only issue presented by this quality of blogs is that it may become difficult for those who run blogs to think of interesting and novel posts. If you have jumped on the blogging bandwagon but suffer writer's block, do not panic: we have created a list of 26 ideas for blog posts.

1. Make it visual.
Include a photo or other graphic in a blog post to break up the text, attract your reader's interest, or help illustrate a point. Better yet, talk about the image you have included to further incorporate it into the post.

Great Ideas for Blog Post Topics

Coming up with ideas for new blog posts on a regular basis can be a challenge, even for the most prolific writers. Experience shows that readers tend to favor certain types of posts more than others. Here are some popular types of blog posts that you might want to use for those times when inspiration simply does not strike.

Lists
Lists are loved by readers. Top 10 lists, lists of top resources, lists of tools, lists of important dates, etc. Really, just about any type of list will tend to be very popular with blog readers. And you can easily craft lists from popular posts and other resources.

Interviews
Interview top professionals in your market or niche. Blog posts that contain interviews will frequently generate interest and attention. Additionally, interviews will often be cross-promoted on a related website by the person you interview, which often results in additional backlinks to your site.

Tips for Blog Posting

There are a wide variety of things you can do in regard to blog promotion. Here are just a few...

1. Optimize
Optimize the blog using standard search engine optimization techniques, so that it performs well in the organic rankings of the various search engines.

2. Submit
Submit the blog to the available online blog directories. There are a number of blog search engines and RSS directories which you can submit your blog to in order to gain additional exposure.

Blog Promotion Tips

UK-based R&D shop White Motorcycle Concepts (WMC) punched a gaping hole in a Zero SR/S electric motorcycle to reduce aerodynamic drag by 10%. The prototype now goes faster, and can deliver extended range at highway speeds – proving this method can serve as an effective way to increase EV efficiency.

Continue Reading

Category: Motorcycles, Transport

Tags: Zero Motorcycles, WMC (White Motorcycle Concepts), Electric Motorcycles, Aerodynamics

(Telecompaper) France's leading TV channel TF1 said that viewers of its TF1+ streaming service can now access over 2,000 hours of additional content following a distribution partnership with Franco-German TV network Arte. As part of the agreement, the entire offering within the Arte.tv platform will be available...

(Telecompaper) Eutelsat Group announced a partnership with Clear Blue Technologies to work together on power-efficient broadband services for businesses and local networks in Africa. Eutelsat will integrate Clear Blue's products for off-grid energy infrastructure into its GEO Konnect and LEO OneWeb satellite platforms...

The menus delve into different aspects of history — the heritage of a city, of a place, ingredients that have stood the test of time, and even, classic drinks

Reporters Without Borders reports today that Chinese authorities have stepped up Internet censorship to include blogging, closing two sites hosting blogs, Blogbus.com and and Blogcn.com.

Alexandra Mihai, The Educationalist, Nov 13, 2024

Interesting commentary on the state of research in educational technology today and what's missing. What's missing? Research that links theory through technology to needs and practices (so I summarize). Thus, Alexandra Mihai looks for "insights into how educational technology can enhance the learning process" and "how technology can contribute to addressing the increasing diversity of our learner population." Mihai also considers the impact of AI on the research process, suggesting "it's so important to maintain our agency in the research and writing process." I don't think education as a discipline has come to terms enough with how people actually learn, which (to me) explain the persistence of the sort of teacher- and institution-focused approaches Mihai asks for here.

Government Computer News reports that the Navy is building a business case for using weblogs for project management. Enterprise blogging software by Traction Software, Inc. called TeamPage was selected for evaluation for being one of the first weblog systems designed for business use.

You may remember Gilbert Lee when he was a web designer for Utah.gov. He left us to design for Northrop Grumman and now has his own successful firm PlainSimple Design, LLC at www.plainsimple.org. Gilbert has just volunteered to organize the Salt Lake City Weblogger Meetup. He encourages SLC bloggers to come out and meet others doing the same. The first meeting is Wednesday, September 15 at 7:00 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 1104 East 2100 South (Cafe), Salt Lake City.

Selling government agencies on RSS would be easier if we could demonstrate to them an easy way to convert their existing news formats to automatically generated and delivered email newsletters. In this first, of a two-part series, we show you how easy it is to use Moveable Type and Bloglet to provide rudimentary email delivery.

Jeremy Zawodny has announced how to ping Yahoo's RSS database when you post to your Movable Type weblog. Yahoo joins weblogs.com, blo.gs, and several others in offering the XML-RPC ping interface. Pinging has the advantage of getting your content much faster into those sites that crawl RSS feeds for news.

Most states currently do not provide constituent service blogs for their legislators. One reason is the fear that blogs can be misused. Legislative staff make every effort to offer non-partisan services and information and fear that blogs could be used as state sponsored tools for campaigning.

Most U.S. Representatives and Senators have both official governmental websites and private sites for operating campaigns. The question is, could state governments promote a similar dual model of separate sites/weblogs for constituent services and campaigning?

Elected officials and those running for office have seen how RSS news syndiction can help them spread their message. Howard Dean rose out of obscurity last year using a combination of weblogging and local web meetups to become his party's front runner in the presidential race. Dean and others learned that this technology can even the playing field and allow someone to rapidly organize a grass roots campaign. RSS syndication can help create a dynamic website and produce both email and online newsletters in the same process. With legislative staffs slow to offer the service, there is an inviting market niche for the private sector.

Recognizing this golden opportunity, LaVarr Web, Publisher of UtahPolicy.com today issued an "Invitation to Blog" to elected officials and party leaders wishing to communicate directly to citizens. Mr. Webb writes:

We would like to invite you to become a blogger. UtahPolicy.com is creating the Utah Policymaker Blog and we hope you will be part of it. It is an opportunity for you, as a Utah policymaker, to publish your opinions, thoughts and ideas to a wide audience of opinion leaders. It is an opportunity to participate in an exciting new high-tech communications medium that is becoming a powerful tool in politics, business and in every walk of life.

It's fun and exciting to be a blogger. You are probably aware of how bloggers are credited for toppling the powerful Dan Rather and CBS News. The phenomenon of blogging is growing rapidly and as a leader in Utah you ought to become familiar with this new method of communicating and use it to your advantage. In effect, Utah policymakers will have their own electronic publication in which to communicate with the public.

Some reasons UtahPolicy.com offers as to why elected officials ought to consider blogging include:

• You can communicate directly to citizens and other policymakers and opinion leaders without having your comments and opinions filtered by the news media.


• You can talk back to the news media. You can comment on news stories published by newspapers, and magazines and aired by television and radio. You can even link to the original articles.


• You can promote your pet projects, priorities, legislation, causes, and issues.


• You can respond to others' comments in the blog, creating a dialog.


• You can learn how to use an entirely new, and very powerful, communications channel. At some point you might want to create your own personal blog, and this will give you experience.


• You will be joining millions of other bloggers, some of whom have developed large followings.


• The Utah Policymaker Blog will become a very popular blog if enough policymakers participate. News reporters will read it for story ideas. It will help set the political agenda of the state. It will become a valuable forum for the exchange of opinions and ideas on public policy issues in Utah.

Utah policymakers interested in the offer should send an e-mail expressing their interest to daily@utahpolicy.com. While the general public will be able to read the blogs, only invited policymakers (i.e. elected and appointed officials and a few key opinion leaders) will be able to publish to it.

This is an example of the union of business and government to promote democracy and inform the citizenry using RSS news syndication. We wish them well in their efforts!

Government is already rife with chiefs, why not one more? HighBeam Research, Inc. has set the pace by announcing today the appointment of Christopher Locke as Chief Blogging Officer (CBO). Looks like the role of CBO is a pace setter who creates a buzz about the company products and enlists others to blog the cause. Ironically, the announcement came in the form of a (oh, so 20th century) press release.

HighBeam is looking for bloggers interested in exclusive use of its new "blog this document" tools and free access to the company's premium archives of over 3,000 print publications for adding depth and historical background to virtually any subject. HighBeam, under the direction of Chairman and CEO Patrick Spain, is the recent amalgamation two paid content sites (eLibrary and Encyclopedia.com) and a meta-search site, Researchville.com.

Locke says, "The HighBeam database of 33 million articles going back almost 25 years is the best resource I've found for adding historical depth of focus to the sort of stuff I write about. Any blogger who wants to get at the trends and issues underlying today's headlines will immediately see the same benefit I did. And their readers will too. I'm turned on at the prospect of making the HighBeam Research content and tools more accessible to the blogging world."

I don't think Highbeam will need to look too far for volunteers. Chris' own Chief Blogging Officer blog, offers a preview of how you can turn your own ordinary blog musings into a Blogipedia.

According to ClickZ News, HighBeam plans to begin offering its new blog content tool in late January or early February for $19.95 a month or $99 a year.

Dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster's reports that "Blog" tops their list of the 10 words of the year. Merriam-Webster Inc. said on Tuesday that blog, defined as "a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks," was the most looked-up word on its Internet sites this year.

The list is compiled each year by taking the most researched words on its Web sites and then excluding perennials such as affect/effect and profanity. The company said most online dictionary queries were for uncommon terms, but people also turned to its Web sites for words in news headlines.

Source: Reuters http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041130/us_nm/life_words_dc_2

While the government may not be enthusiastic over offering RSS news feeds, the Chinese people themselves are embracing Internet communications with gusto and particularly RSS news syndication in the form of blogging.

According to China's biggest blogging service provider blogcn.com, the number of subscribers has soared from 10,000 in June last year, to more than 500,000 now.

A couple of years ago technology writer Fang Xingdong at his site blogchina.com coined the Chinese term bo ke to mean blogger. He encouraged his readers to try blogging by registering on blogger.com. “Blogging is a true revolution,” he wrote. “One needs zero technology training, zero institution and zero cost to become a blogger.”

The number of Chinese online has quintupled over the past four years. Duncan Clark, managing director of BDA China, a telecommunications and technology consulting firm based in Beijing, said in an email message to the to Tom Zeller, Jr. of the New York Times, "China's rulers are bent on putting communications, mobile phones, Internet access and the new growth area, broadband, into as many hands as possible."

"China is already the largest mobile communications subscriber market in the world," reports the Internet Herald Tribune, "with more than 320 million subscribers." Internet users, who numbered fewer than 17 million in 2000, are now estimated to be somewhere near 90 million, according to the China Internet Network Information Centre, the government's clearinghouse for Internet statistics. China is second only to the United States in the number of people online."

Beijing has an uneven record of late in allowing citizens access to Google English News headlines giving Chinese searchers access to uncensored news from all over the world. According to Reporters Without Borders, China is censoring Google News to force Internet users to use the Chinese version of the site which has been purged of the most critical news reports.

Similarly, the government is also ambivalent about how allowing its citizens to freely blog. Xiao Qiang, director of the China Internet Project at the University of California at Berkeley runs the China Digital News blog and is monitoring the pulse of blogging in China.

Qiang reports that by January 2003, China had about 2000 bloggers when, without warning, the Chinese government blocked all access to blogspot.com, the server that hosts all blogs registered on blogger.com. According to Qiang:

[The] crackdown in 2003 closed websites and internet cafes and saw the arrest of dozens of online commentators.

Yet this is not proving enough to stifle the pluck and ingenuity of China’s bloggers. The rise of the blog phenomenon was made possible by blog-hosting services. Just as companies like Yahoo host email accounts, sites like blogger.com, based in the United States, host blogs.....

Blog services are now sprouting all over China. By the end of October 2004, China had more than 45 large blog-hosting services. A Google search for bo ke will return more than two million results, from blogs for football fans to blogs for Christians.

Sources:

• Zeller, T. Jr. Beijing embraces the Internet while it clamps down on online dissent, International Herald Tribune, December 6, 2004.


• China View. "Blog" the word of the year, December 5, 2004.


• NewScientist.com. Special report: The "blog" revolution sweeps across China, November 24, 2004.


• Interfax-China. China censors Google News, (November 30 2004, updated December 1).

Logitech is making it easier for consumers to access refurbished devices with the expansion of its Certified Refurbished program. Now, customers in North America and Europe can purchase a wide range of products, including mice, keyboards, tablet accessories, gaming gear from Logitech G, and Bluetooth speakers through Logitech’s eBay Refurbished brand store and its own websites. The company is tapping into a growing trend as more consumers seek out high-quality refurbished products. The appeal of these devices lies in their cost-effectiveness and environmental benefits, offering users a way to own premium technology while contributing to waste reduction. Sacni Leon, Head… [Continue Reading]

Logitech has introduced a range of Sync smart office tools designed to improve workplace efficiency and provide enhanced analytics for IT teams. The new suite includes Auto Book and Auto Release, which automate room reservations and cancellations based on user activity. Additionally, Logitech View offers interactive digital office maps to assist with navigation in large office spaces. Henry Levak, VP of Product at Logitech for Business, highlighted the AI capabilities of the tools, stating, “Rally Bars use AI in-camera sensors to automatically detect and respond to natural workplace behaviors with no human intervention needed.” This approach aims to simplify room… [Continue Reading]

Thinking about starting a law firm?  Whether you are a lawyer for investment fraud claim or a personal injury attorney, you will definitely need a logo. A good logo is among the core elements of your law firm’s visual branding. It matches a business with its products or services to potential customers. When you create […]

The post Designing a Law Firm Logo appeared first on The Design Inspiration.

Vinny DelGiudice first dove into blogging to pass the time when he moved to Nevada by himself just out of grad school. Although that blog never really took off, he did learn a lot from the process. A few years…

The post How Vinny DelGiudice Grew His Italian-American Food Blog to +100k Page Views a Month appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

Taegan Goddard’s been in the blogging game for a long time, launching his first website before WordPress even existed.  He went on to create his current website, Political Wire , which has been not only running but growing consistently for…

The post How Taegan Goddard’s Political Blog Gets Up To 10 Million Visitors/Month appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

This week Jared Bauman sits down with Jake Cain, a long-time blogger with a portfolio of sites, a former Niche Pursuits employee, and an attendee at Google’s recent Creator Summit. In this interview, Jake shares his experience at the event,…

The post Jake Cain Was Inside Google’s “Secret” Meeting with 20 HCU Crushed Bloggers. Here’s What Happened appeared first on Niche Pursuits.

Discover actionable digital marketing strategies tailored for the moving and logistics industry in 2024.

The post Expert Advice for Moving & Logistics Brands in 2024 appeared first on Portent.

Fr. Stephen reflects on the "theology of the image," particularly its importance in St. Paul.

Does God have feelings? Can we influence how he feels? Fr. Stephen looks carefully at the theology of grace and the idea of the psychology of God.

Fr. Stephen speaks about the doctrine of the Church (ecclesiology) and how it is best understood by looking at the cross of Christ.

The post How to Create a Sense of Anticipation on Your Blog appeared first on ProBlogger.

People read and then subscribe to blogs that they think will enhance their lives in some way in the future. Many bloggers create a sense of anticipation on a blog quite instinctively – but there are numerous things that you can do quite intentionally to create anticipation and increase the ...more

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The post 3 Factors to Consider Before Starting a Blog – Maintaining Blogging Momentum appeared first on ProBlogger.

Originally posted by Darren Rowse, Updated for 2024 Starting a blog is an adventure—a journey I’ve embarked on more times than I can count. And along the way, I’ve learned a thing or two about what it takes to keep that momentum going. Today, I want to share some updated ...more

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The post Strategies to Maintain Blogging Momentum Through Life’s Ups and Downs appeared first on ProBlogger.

This week at ProBlogger, we’re diving deep into a topic close to every blogger’s heart: how to keep the momentum going, no matter what life throws your way. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned pro, maintaining your blog’s momentum is key to its success. Last week, we ...more

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The post Engaging Your Audience: How Building on Reader Comments Can Fuel Your Blog’s Growth appeared first on ProBlogger.

Maintaining Momentum in Blogging Series Blogging thrives on conversation. It’s not just about broadcasting your ideas; it’s about sparking dialogue and engaging with your community. One of the most vibrant places for these interactions is often overlooked—the comment section. As we continue “maintaining momentum” on your blog, let’s explore a ...more

The post Engaging Your Audience: How Building on Reader Comments Can Fuel Your Blog’s Growth appeared first on ProBlogger.