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 will not 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

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.

Tips for Blog Posting

You should not have to look far to find content or new ideas for your podcast show. Look to your daily sources to find fodder and ideas for new podcasting segments.

1. News
Both online and offline sources, from the Associated Press to CNN, contain a deluge of news item each day. Scan headlines on a regular basis to see what catches your eye. In addition, explore your niche market to find any industry-specific news portals that may warrant monitoring.

2. Blogs
Blogs are a fabulous source of ideas and inspiration. Monitor blogs for developing industry news. Comment on breaking news or editorials that you strongly agree or disagree with. Be sure to credit the source of any blog posts that you comment on or quote within your show.

Where Do You Find Content for Your Podcast?

RSS, or Really Simple Syndication as it is commonly known, is a technology that gives webmasters the ability to easily distribute and publish syndicated content on the Internet. It seems like all Internet businesses now have RSS feeds available; at least your competitors do. You have finally made the decision that you have to have one. Where do you start?

Steps to Creating & Promoting an RSS Feed

You have an RSS feed and you have worked hard to get the word out. According to your logs you have subscribers! Now the hard part: how to retain the subscribers to your RSS feed. Follow these simple steps to insure that your subscriber base will grow.

13 Tips to Maintaining an RSS Feed Subscriber Base

RSS offers webmasters a unique opportunity to display fresh content on websites. While publishing an RSS feed is a great way to generate site interest and increase communication, syndicating and displaying feeds from related relevant sources can also generate interest, increase traffic and improve search engine ranking.

Displaying RSS Feeds

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:

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

The arguments continue to rage over the ambiguities in the RSS specifications. But the fact is: RSS is here to stay, and the current defined RSS 2.0 specification is likely going to be as good as it is going to get. Attempts have been made to create "best practice" documents and specification clarifications. We felt it would be helpful to provide general guidelines for those constructing an RSS 2.0 feed. In general, the following are guidelines for constructing an RSS feed. It is good to get into the habit of validating the RSS feed, either with software, or with an online validator.

Etiquette for RSS Feeds

The planning and work that takes place before and after a podcast is an important part for a professional show. Do not neglect preparation or post-show production tasks.

Effective Podcast Tips

Implementing RSS (Really Simple Syndication) can be aided by an understanding of the terms relating to RSS. Learn the ABCs of RSS....

ABCs of RSS Feeds

If you are struggling with the decision of whether to implement RSS feeds or not, consider the following pros and cons for webmasters who use RSS feeds as part of their content and communication plan...

Benefits (Pros Of Using RSS)
The benefits for a webmaster who opts to implement RSS feeds on their website are numerous:

Pros and Cons of RSS Feeds

Podcasting is increasing in popularity and, realizing that many are interested in providing audio content in a podcast, we have assembled a collection of tools that make creation, promotion and listening to podcasts a little easier.

Tools for Podcasting

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.

Places to Get Ideas for Blog Posts

As podcasts increase in popularity, listeners have more choices. So while you might be ahead of the competition, you should still be thinking about ways that you can make your podcast unique and stand out from similarly themed podcasts.

Set Your Podcast Up for Success

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

26 Great Ideas for 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.

Great Ideas for Blog Post Topics

Can You Put Pictures in an RSS Feed?

You can either use HTML to insert a picture in the Description field, or you can add the picture to the Enclosure field.

Financial institutions are reaching out to clients using RSS feeds. While banks and financial institutions are usually slow to adopt new technology, that is not the case with RSS adoption. More and more professionals are using RSS in innovative ways, to stay ahead of their competition.

Financial Companies Use RSS Feeds

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

There are a number of ways to track an RSS feeds popularity. Unfortunately because of the nature of syndication the tracking is not always reliable or accurate. Use the followng to track the consumption of RSS feeds.

How Do You Track an RSS Feeds Popularity

There are many, many things that separate a good podcast from all the rest. Here are a few to consider...
Recording Quality

The quality of the recording is probably the most critical component of a podcast. A good podcast is easy to understand, and should be recorded at a volume level that makes it easy for listeners to hear all that is said.
Sound Balance

Adding background music polishes a podcast, but be careful that the music does not overpower the primary content. The background music should be subtle and not distracting. Create a balance that does not compromise the quality of the recording. Also, be sure that the music is not the focal point of a podcast show, unless the topic is about the music -- the emphasis should be on the primary content, and not on the musical arrangements.

Hallmarks of a Good Podcast

Regardless of the size of your business, or whether your company is public, private, a government agency, or a non-profit... there is little doubt that you should consider podcasting. Podcasting is a 21st century medium, and has proven that it is far more than just a passing fad.

Podcasting For Businesses

You can either use HTML to insert a picture in the Description field, or you can add the picture to the Enclosure field.

Can You Put Pictures in an RSS Feed?

Royalty-free sound effect libraries contain thousands of sound effects that can be licensed for specific uses. A customer who uses royalty-free sound effects, as opposed to hiring a sound engineer to create them from scratch, can save considerable time, effort, and money. Typically, podcasters and other content producers can obtain non-exclusive rights to a single effect, or they can purchase a subscription of sorts. The subscriptions allow publishers to download a limited number of sound effects during a specified period of time.
Here are a few sources for Sound Effects...

Where to Locate Sound Effects

Sound effects are an important part of entertainment, often comprising an integral part of vidoes, games, podcasts, movies, and animations. However, the costs and conditions associated with acquiring and using sound effects may be prohibitive for many rising creators of media. Thankfully, royalty free tracks offer an alternative to media producers on a budget.

Royalty free sound effect tracks can be used by anyone. Not only are they legal to use, but in most cases they may be edited, looped, or manipulated by overlaying additional tracks to create another sound.

Royalty Free Tracks

Daily more and more realtors are turning to RSS as a tool to market homes for sale. The growing RSS phenomenon in the realty market makes perfect sense. Unlike email RSS feeds have a 100% delivery rate. In addition the costs involved in creating and managing an RSS feed are insignificant when compared to the print advertising Realtors spend on each week. Imagine the amount spent each week to promote various properties in circulars and weekly newspapers, compared to the costs associated with updating and managing an RSS feed.

Realtors Employ RSS Feeds to Sell Homes

Using RSS Feeds To Locate Jobs

In addition to actually seeking a job, there are also other valid reasons to monitor the job market. Perhaps you are satisfied in your current position, but just want to keep an eye on new positions in a specific sector. Perhaps you are just curious to know what the wages are for similar positions. The job market can be monitored quite easily using RSS feeds. You can subscribe to RSS feeds in order to find specific company job openings, employment available within a specific region (i.e. by using a postal or zipcode), specific positions available, or to locate all jobs within a specific wage range.

The following are websites that have RSS feeds to help employees looking for jobs...

RSS Feeds to Locate Jobs

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

As the Internet matures, users and governments are struggling to manage controversial issues. Lets face it, the Internet did not exist when the US copyright laws were written;let us not forget, while many countries respect copyright laws, the Internet is global without a governing body. There are not only different laws, rules and regulations, but also jurisdiction issues. RSS didn't exist when copyright laws were written either. While ardent supporters feel any content in a feed can be syndicated, other equally fervent publishers contend that original works are just that--original works, and in many countries protected by copyright laws.

What is Fair Use?

Sound effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds that are used in artistic works to emphasize or express an action, mood, or feeling. Sound effects were initially used in radio dramas, but can be observed more often today in podcasts, theater, films, and television shows. They are often synchronized with certain actions, such as a door's slamming being accompanied by the appropriate noise. Sound effects may also be used in the background of a scene to create anticipation or other emotions.

Production and Use of Sound Effects

Many people assume that podcasting is all about audio and fail to acknowledge the writing behind the show. Skilled communicators understand the type of planning required in order to pull off a clean final product. The most memorable and effective podcasts are always well planned. Some of the best podcast shows use a script and follow a structured format. The preparation that occurs behind the scenes is similar to what would take place for a radio show.

Effective Podcast Tips

With all the vast amounts of information available on the web, it is becoming more and more difficult to sort through and find what you are looking for. RSS significantly lowers the signal-to-noise ratio. RSS has the unique ability to compile information and filter it, so you only see unique and relevant content. The information superhighway has become packed with content, and those familiar with technology are using RSS to filter the content, allowing them to drill down and access only the content they want, without having to wade through all the noise.

There are very few subjects or topics that do not currently have an RSS feed available.

What Can be Published Using RSS Feeds?

Academia has embraced RSS as a means to educate, but scrutinizing how educational institutions are using RSS feeds in their daily routines show RSS is utilized can vary across different industries.

1. Share Resources
Academics are using social bookmarking websites to share quality websites that relate to their area of expertise with colleagues and students.

Academia Adds RSS Feeds to Their Teaching Tool Kit

As the Internet matures, users and governments are struggling to manage controversial issues. Lets face it, the Internet did not exist when the US copyright laws were written;let us not forget, while many countries respect copyright laws, the Internet is global without a governing body. There are not only different laws, rules and regulations, but also jurisdiction issues.

What is Fair Use?

Lawyers have never been known as a technical bunch, but more and more often you see a lawyer with a palm pilot making appointments and a blackberry for those urgent messages. Electronic gadgets are now common in the courthouses across the US. Lawyers have increased productivity by utilizing technology so it should come as no surprise that lawyers are using RSS feeds as a means to grow and manage their practices.

Lawyers are using RSS feeds a number of different ways to increase efficiency and productivity. Common RSS feed usage in the legal field include:

Lawyers Use RSS Feeds

Daily more and more realtors are turning to RSS as a tool to market homes for sale. The growing RSS phenomenon in the realty market makes perfect sense. Unlike email RSS feeds have a 100% delivery rate. In addition the costs involved in creating and managing an RSS feed are insignificant when compared to the print advertising Realtors spend on each week. Imagine the amount spent each week to promote various properties in circulars and weekly newspapers, compared to the costs associated with updating and managing an RSS feed.

Realtors Employ RSS Feeds to Sell Homes

Sound effects are an important part of entertainment, often comprising an integral part of vidoes, games, podcasts, movies, and animations. However, the costs and conditions associated with acquiring and using sound effects may be prohibitive for many rising creators of media. Thankfully, royalty free tracks offer an alternative to media producers on a budget.

Royalty Free Tracks

There are many, many things that separate a good podcast from all the rest. Here are a few to consider...

Recording Quality

The quality of the recording is probably the most critical component of a podcast. A good podcast is easy to understand, and should be recorded at a volume level that makes it easy for listeners to hear all that is said.
Sound Balance

Adding background music polishes a podcast, but be careful that the music does not overpower the primary content. The background music should be subtle and not distracting. Create a balance that does not compromise the quality of the recording. Also, be sure that the music is not the focal point of a podcast show, unless the topic is about the music -- the emphasis should be on the primary content, and not on the musical arrangements.

Hallmarks of a Good Podcast

Regardless of the size of your business, or whether your company is public, private, a government agency, or a non-profit... there is little doubt that you should consider podcasting. Podcasting is a 21st century medium, and has proven that it is far more than just a passing fad.

Podcasting For Businesses

You should not have to look far to find content or new ideas for your podcast show. Look to your daily sources to find fodder and ideas for new podcasting segments.

1. News
Both online and offline sources, from the Associated Press to CNN, contain a deluge of news item each day. Scan headlines on a regular basis to see what catches your eye. In addition, explore your niche market to find any industry-specific news portals that may warrant monitoring.

2. Blogs
Blogs are a fabulous source of ideas and inspiration. Monitor blogs for developing industry news. Comment on breaking news or editorials that you strongly agree or disagree with. Be sure to credit the source of any blog posts that you comment on or quote within your show.

Where Do You Find Content for Your Podcast?

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

Podcasting content comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Businesses are finding many different and creative ways of incorporating podcasts into their business strategies and marketing plans.

Here are just some of the various types of content that businesses are turning into podcasts...

Creative Podcasting for Businesses

RSS, or Really Simple Syndication as it is commonly known, is a technology that gives webmasters the ability to easily distribute and publish syndicated content on the Internet. It seems like all Internet businesses now have RSS feeds available; at least your competitors do. You have finally made the decision that you have to have one. Where do you start?

Steps to Creating & Promoting an RSS Feed

RSS feeds are a great communication medium, and when properly managed, web feeds can bring in significant Internet traffic. RSS feeds should contain compelling themed content with episodic titles that are united in common broad theme. Use RSS feeds as an online marketing and search engine optimization tool. Just as optimizing an HTML web page will increase exposure, so too will an RSS feed that is properly optimized and promoted. Use these simple tips to improve your web feed exposure.

RSS Feed Tips to Help Search Engine Optimization

Tips for Helping Your RSS Feed Perform!

In some ways RSS is very similar to HTML, the language commonly used to create websites. Just as with HTML, webmasters using traditional search engine optimization tactics when creating an RSS feed will find that their RSS feed receives additional exposure and interest.

Search Engine Optimization for RSS

There is little argument from webmasters and publishers that RSS brings in traffic. So once you've made the leap and created a feed, how do you tell your visitors about the feed?

1. Submit Your RSS Feed to RSS Directories.
This will not only increase the number of sites linking to your website and increasing your link popularity, it will also increase the RSS feeds profile. A number of RSS search engines and RSS directories exist that allow you to freely submit RSS feeds. Feeds are generally categorized and grouped together by subject. Web surfers looking for RSS feeds about a specific subject will often search the RSS directories, to locate a feed that matches their specific criteria. Topic specific RSS feed and podcasting directories are also emerging. Choose a web feed's category carefully and only submit relevant feeds to topic specific directories.

Publicize Your RSS Feed

Just as the second generation of search engines and directories evolved into niche topic specific portals we are seeing the same occur in the area of RSS feed directories and search engines. While some directories are admittedly more niche than others the trend is obvious.

Why Niche RSS Feeds Matter

You have an RSS feed and you have worked hard to get the word out. According to your logs you have subscribers! Now the hard part: how to retain the subscribers to your RSS feed. Follow these simple steps to insure that your subscriber base will grow.

13 Tips to Maintaining an RSS Feed Subscriber Base

Growing subscribers of your RSS feed will expand your reach. Put the appropriate effort into marketing your RSS feed, so you can increase adoption and spread the message contained in the RSS feed.

Increase Your RSS Feed Subscribers

Citizen journalists and writers have become common place on the web. Perhaps you are considering blogging, but are unsure of how to enter the world of online journaling. As the medium has grown, I thought it might be a good idea to put together some general guidelines for new bloggers and reminders to veteran bloggers about blogging practices.

There is no Emily Post in blogging that offers etiquette advice, or a Miss Manners that details appropriate behavior. That does not mean there are not acceptable and unacceptable actions that bloggers should take. In order to efficiently communicate as a blogger on the Internet, it is critical to understand the unwritten rules of blogging etiquette.

RSS Feed Etiquette