BlogWritingCourse

Guest blogging is one of the best ways to build traffic to your site and gain faithful new followers. So how do you accomplish this great feat? It’s not all that hard to do.

Identify a blog that is similar to yours and already has a big following. Next, read that person’s blog. Look at their style to see what attracts followers. Then look at the “About Me” page or site index, if there is one, and confirm that they use guest bloggers. Finally, contact the site administrator or blog owner and offer to guest blog for them.

If they agree, write a post in keeping with the tone and theme of the blog.

Here are ideas to get you started on that guest post:

• Explain something obscure.
• Think of a controversy (possibly something related to your blog theme) and take a position.
• Consider what expert advice you can offer based on your level of experience.
• Examine your own pet peeves and discuss one that will bring tons of comments from those who are usually just lurkers.
• Make a compilation of tips, tricks, or best practices on a task those in your area of interest need to focus on.

 Make sure you are allowed to include a bio at the end of your article post. In the bio, include a compelling reason to check out your site and either type in your URL or hyperlink it to your blog name. If images are allowed, include a head shot of you and one other relevant image.  Submit. Then, you know the saying:  shampoo, rinse, and repeat!

Get started on blogging today by taking our FREE Blogging Pre-Course. If you feel you have a basic understanding of blogging, but are ready to tackle the more meaty ins and outs of blogging, then our Blogging 101 course is perfect for you. Get started today!

In grammar, an adjective is a ‘describing’ word; the main syntactic role of which, is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified.  Adjectives assign value to the words they modify. They tell you how you should feel about those words.

The New York Times ran an article in June of 2012 in which they actually scolded themselves for overusing the adjectives “signature” (18 times in one week), “eye-popping” (128 times this year) “jaw-dropping” (74 times) and the adverb “arguably” (almost 500 times).

So what does that have to do with you? Everything! Overuse of words causes those words to lose their impact. Your readers notice this and other quirky mannerisms you might have. Look at the following mannerisms and take note of any you have.

~Do you have a bad habit of using “it’s” when you should use “its”?

~Do you tend to make comparisons in groups of three?

~Do you leave out capital letters?

~Do you use insert pauses everywhere with three dots…cramming too many ellipses in a post of only 500 words?

~Do you use unnecessary adverbs?

Mannerisms annoy readers. You goal should be to eliminate them from your blog.  If you had a proofreader, they would find and fix such flaws for you. However, most blog writers do not have someone that proofreads each post. You are your own proofreader!

If you’re going to keep a lookout on something, adjectives and adverbs are usually the culprits in overuse. Adjectives are fine in moderation, but keep in mind that words have meanings.  Few things need multiple adjectives. If you throw in adjectives just to fill space, you quickly lose points in the eyes of your readers.

Don’t lose heart just yet. You can attack your “mannerism” problem painlessly by insisting on more concrete nouns and active verbs to describe your products, programs and people.

Take a look at this New York Times headline from June 7:  “Stocks Move Higher, but Concerns Remain.” 

What you see is two verbs, “move” and “remain.” The verbs convey the action and the headline summarizes the main points of the article. This headline does not over-promise and it does not tell you how you should feel. Did you notice the absence of adjectives? Good for you! Learn from this headline.

The next time you want to use an adjective in the headline of your blog, or in the body of the blog, make sure you really need it. Can you find a verb that conveys the same thought? If so, use it.

Learn more about blogging with our free Blogging Pre-Course and our Blogging 101 course. You and your readers will be glad you did!

Tim O’Reilly introduced the Blogger’s Code of Conduct as a means to help enforce civility. Tim’s idea was that if bloggers themselves were civil on their own blog, it would encourage others to be civil as well.  He also suggested bloggers moderate comments on their blog.

So why was the Blogger’s Code introduced in the first place? The code was proposed due to threats made to blogger Kathy Sierra. In March 2007, Sierra abruptly canceled her appearance at the O’Reilly ETech conference in San Diego because she began receiving threatening blog posts and emails, which included death threats.  Ms. Sierra cancelled all speaking engagements due to fear.

The harassment increased after the threats were reported in the news:  a false account of her career was posted online, along with her address and Social Security number.

The BBC was the first to report the idea of the code. They quoted O’Reilly saying, “I do think we need some code of conduct around what is acceptable behavior, I would hope that it doesn’t come through any kind of regulation it would come through self-regulation.”

O’Reilly and others came up with a list of seven proposed ideas:

1. Take responsibility not just for your own words, but for the comments you allow on your blog.
2. Label your tolerance level for abusive comments.
3. Consider eliminating anonymous comments.
4. Ignore the trolls.
5. Take the conversation offline, and talk directly, or find an intermediary who can do so.
6. If you know someone who is behaving badly, tell him or her so.
7. Do not say anything online that you would not say in person.

This article is not meant to scare you at all. The sole purpose is to cause you to think carefully, act responsibly, and encourage safe blogging practices…Do Unto Others!

Try Our Free Blogging Pre-Course Today!

It happens to everyone…writer’s block. You think you have written everything you can think of. You have tried brainstorming ideas with no luck. You are down to twiddling your thumbs in frustration. What’s a blog writer to do??

Maybe writer’s block isn’t your problem, maybe it’s poor writing in general. Don’t let poor writing contribute to your writer’s block and stop you from posting. There are solutions to your current corundum.

The best way you can improve your writing skills is by simply writing. Write everyday, even if it is considered poor writing. The simple exercise of daily writing does indeed boost your current skill level. I am not suggesting you keep a diary, or babble on and on. On the contrary, I am suggesting you write clear, direct, honest posts about things you see in this wonderfully wild world. Browse the latest magazines (all topics, not just the ones you are interested in) for ideas. Write about things you would like to see happen in this world. Write about things you are a part of. Write a post teaching something. Everyone likes to learn something new, perhaps you are the perfect teacher.

But wait a minute, I don’t want other people to read my poor writing and laugh, or worse, criticize me.

Oh ye of little faith! I would never leave you to the sharks. You can always write under an assumed name. As for critical comments, that one is a no-brainer, turn off the comments.

If you actually write every single day, even if it is only a paragraph, your writing will improve as will your confidence. The last suggestion is to read quality blogs, books, and magazines. Reading good writing will also help you write better.

Sign up for our FREE blog writing Pre-Course or our Blogging 101 Course today!

What is the second most important part of your blog after the title?

Eugene Schwartz was one of the very best copywriters ever. We still “borrow” his material today. It was not uncommon for him to spend an entire week on the first fifty words of an ad–the headline and the opening paragraph. His specialty was direct-mail campaigns. Schwartz went beyond copywriting he captured great marketing.

Imagine this, suppose you construct a killer headline for your new blog post, but you end of losing readers because your opening paragraph simply does not have the muscle it needs. A great headline is premo, but if your opening is lame it is as if you invited the reader to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea as they read your post, but as the reader starts to sit down, you jerk the chair out from under him and walk away. OUCH!

If you want others to take time to read your blog posts, then you will have to take a few steps to insure that it will happen. You must capture the reader’s imagination and artfully root them deeper into your content.

So how do you accomplish this feat?

1. Ask a Question

Opening your post with a question is a rhetorical device, which creates curiosity and encourages the reader’s mind to begin thinking. Thinking equates to active engagement with your writing…winning situation.

2. Share a Short Story or a Great Quote

Quick stories tend to make people laugh. Everyone enjoys a good laugh. The story, or anecdote, will immediately establish the main point of your post. A quality quote from a recognizable authority or famous person also work wonders in capturing the reader. It can hold their attention in those first few critical opening seconds.

3. Stir the Imagination

A reader needs a strong mental image so they can properly engage with your post. You must use wording that will produce a visual in the mind’s eye. Creating visual imagery is one of the most powerful things you can ever do as a writer. Try using words such as “picture this,” “imagine,” “do you remember when,” etc.

4. Use an Analogy, Metaphor, or Simile

Analogies, metaphors, and similes are quite powerful devices when it comes to telling a story in a single sentence. What better way to capture a reader’s attention. These devices also serve as a catalyst to provoke mental imagery that allows readers to tell a story to themselves.

5. Shocking Statistics

Interesting facts or tidbits are a great technique and an easy way to start your post. People love interesting data, but only if it is truly unique, startling, or even shocking. The statistic should also be directly relevant to the point of your post as well.

Now it is time for you sit down to construct a killer headline, an engaging opening paragraph, and offer relevant information to your reader in the form of a winning blog post. Remember, it only takes 5 super easy steps to accomplish this!

If you are interested in learning more about the fascinating world of blogging, sign up for our free Blogging Pre-Course, and do not forget our mind boggling Blogging 101 course, it covers it all!

Blogging is such a great adventure. It gives you the fabulous opportunity to share what’s on your mind with millions of folks you will never meet. It gives you the opportunity to grow your business in a new direction. It gives you an opportunity to connect with family and friends. It gives you an opportunity to encourage others. It gives you an opportunity to teach others about your neat hobby. It gives you an opportunity to…

HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language though it really isn’t a programming language. HTML is a way to describe how a set of text and images should be displayed to a viewer. It really is not that difficult to use.

Writing an HTML file simply means you will compose the text you want to display, then insert tags you want. The tags will need to be in the place you want something special to be shown. Some things you might want to use could be italics, bold, using a larger font, showing an image, using color, or linking to another Web page, or a combination of several. Tags begin with a < character and end with a > character. Between the <> characters are the tag name, and maybe some attributes, depending on the tag. HTML has many tags you can use, though you certainly do not need to know all of them in order to write HTML.

Here is a very simplified example of using HTML:

<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>the title of your page goes here</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>This is where the information for your page goes.
</BODY>
</HTML>

Here are nine easy tutorial lessons about how to use HTML. This page shows how to use HTML, Javascript, and web authoring tutorials starting with beginning steps up to advanced stuff.

Play around with HTML until you become comfortable using it. It will benefit you in the long run, especially if you use your blog for marketing.

Don’t forget to check out our FREE  pre-blogging course and our Blogging 101 course. Both coureses will get you up and going right away.

Today we are sharing a post from Quaint Scribbles. This post discusses how a homeschool Mom, Jackie, uses blogging to help encourage her reluctant writer. The ideas in this post are great for not only homeschoolers, but non-homeschooled kids as well. So pull up a chair and find out to jump start your child’s writing lessons.

Blog Your Way to Writing

My daughter LOVES anime. She loves to watch it, read it, sing Japanese songs, and draw anime characters. Because she loves it so much, I use it as part of her schooling. Surely no Mom has ever tried to sneak a little schooling into fun! You could say this is a little sneaky, because it is. I just say it’s creative. I use it as a portion of her reading and art assignments.

Lately, the two of us have been working on writing skills. It’s not always fun, in fact, she thinks it is down right boring. Though she enjoys writing, she doesn’t like our “writing” lessons all that much. Go figure! The key word here is “*lessons.* In her mind, writing is fun, but learning about writing isn’t.

I decided to introduce her to the idea of starting a blog. So what do a blog and writing lessons have in common. They have my child and your child in common. Whenever a kid writes something, they usually say, “Mom read this.” Most kids want others to read what they have written. A blog is a super way to find an audience and encourage a reluctant writer. My daughter uses her new blog to write anime stories…fan fiction.

Since I use WordPress, she decided to use it as well. Some other choices would be Blogger or Typepad. She had fun setting up her blog, deciding what theme to use and such.  Now she is in love with the ability to showcase her anime stories for others to read. I am “in love” with the fact that she lets me use the blog to help teach writing.

Her new blog has given me a fantastic avenue for discussing grammar and writing. She doesn’t mind talking about her writing because it is real, not just an assignment. Since she has “ownership” of the post, she is very interested in making sure it is written correctly. She doesn’t want others to go to her blog and see junk. I think that is awesome…no more begging and bribing just to get her to write a story.

Each time she writes a new chapter in her fan fiction, she and I sit together to edit. We call it co-editing. The more we sit together and edit, the more she learns from her mistakes and the less I see those same mistakes. We also discuss sentence structure, story flow, adjective use…

I encourage her in something she loves, and in return, she gains new skills and strengthens ones she already has.

Does she still make  mistakes? Sure she does, but she learns more each time she works on a piece. Blogging has made learning to write much more interesting and fun for her, and for that, I am one thankful Mom!

So what do you think about the way Jackie encourages her daughter to improve her writing skills? If you look on the right hand side of each Quaint Scribbles page, you will notice Jackie is a Blog Writing Course Alumni. She took both the free pre-course and the Blogging 101 course. Maybe it’s time for you to take a few blogging courses too!

*This article was posted with permission from Quaint Scribbles.

Why do you blog? Everyone blogs for a different reason. Some want to express their ideas, some share family events or homeschooling insights, some blog their business, some blog for the attention it brings. While blogging can be time consuming and sometimes frustrating, it does bring many benefits to the blogger.

Let’s explore some of the many varied benefits. Don’t be surprised by the wow syndrome…“Wow! I never realized that benefit before.”

• Therapy

Blogging is great mental therapy. It stretches your mind in directions you never thought about going. When you feel down, read the great comments your readers leave.

• Improved Writing Skills

Because you care about what your readers are reading, your writing skills are shapened. You find your writing style as your grammar and punctuation also improve along the journey.

• Increased Credibility

If your blog posts are well-written, well-researched, documented and informative, your credibility is boosted within your circles as you become “the one to read”.

• Community Builder

Business blogs and/or personal blogs allow you to share your expertise and knowledge with a larger audience. You build friendships with other bloggers.

• SEO Guru

Search engine marketing has the lowest cost-per-lead and the highest return on investment.   Business bloggers are achieving top search engine rankings because search engines rank based on link popularity and easy to index regular content among other factors.

• Cost Effective

Blogging is a low-cost alternative to having a web presence. For small business owners without the time to learn web html or the money to hire a designer/developer, blogging offers an inexpensive method to get your company’s name out on the Internet.

• Knowledge Growth

As you grow your blog, your knowledge base increases and you become an expert in your field. This growth brings more and more subscribers, and you become well known on the information highway.

• Research Genius

Writing informative posts that others want to read usually requires reasearch. As you continue to write, your research skills grow and become habit.

• Earning Potential

A lot of research, time, energy and effort go into making blogging earn you a decent income, but it is doable.

• Strengthens You

Not everyone leaves nice comments. You soon learn to humbly accept criticism and move on taking what you can from it.

Did you find any “wow” benefits? One awesome benefit we want to make available to you today is a free introductory blogging course. Keep writing and you will achieve more benefits than you can count.

You have decided to start a blog. Good for you! You’ve searched host sites and settled on one. You’ve spent hours, well days really, adding side bars, widgets, RSS feeders…Your new site will surely impress the readers.

Is the cold, brick wall hurting your head about now? All the fun stuff is done. It is time to actually draft your first post. Oh, the first post you say. Yes, the first post…did you forget that one small detail? Your readers need a post to actually read. What are you going to write about? It is time to knock the brick wall down.

If you are not sure what to write about, make a list of things you really love, things for which you have a certain talent, areas folks are always consulting you for advice… This helps guide you toward a blog theme. Your blog can be as unique as yourself, or as common as you please. The most important thing is to always blog your passion. If you are not passionate about what you write, certainly nobody else will be either.

Gerard Vlemmings is the author of  The Presurfer. His blog covers all things strange, funny, or weird on the Internet. This is a list , via Mr. Vlemmings, noting his 10 favorite funny, weird, strange, and interesting blogs. Our intention here is to help generate ideas for your new blog. The eclectic possibilities are endless. The sky is NOT the limit; your own creativity is the limit.

What do you have to contribute to the blogiverse? What are you passionate about? Be certain to get off on the right foot by signing up for our free Blog Writing Course so you can turn your idea into the blog the world has been waiting for!