BlogWritingCourse

So we are smack dab in the middle of the information age.  Some might say that we are drowning in information.  No one company, organization, or individual has control over how information is dispersed…we are living in an information free-for-all.  So why not get in on it??

Blogs provide an easy outlet for content creation.  You have something to say?  Say it in a blog.  Do you have access to interesting data or information on a specific subject?  Why not blog about it?  Have a business that you would like to promote?  A blog is a cost-effective way to advertise, and also to share your vision with your current and future customers.  What about personal updates?  Families are finding blogs to be the perfect venue for keeping friends and family abreast of all that is going on in their lives.  It is also a great way to share pics and videos.

If you use the internet on a regular basis, chances are you are getting at least some portion of your information from a blog.  Interestingly, sometimes blogs are even the preferred medium for info.  Whereas the monopoly of daily newspapers gave way to up-to-the-minute news web sites years ago, even those have had to take a backseat to immediate news from the front lines - - bloggers who see the stories up close and tell about them first hand.  Company marketers and advertisers have lost their influence compared to multiple product review bloggers who can make or break a new mp3 player or a new restaurant in town.  These user-based reviews tend to have much more impact on the consumer than the biased descriptions written by distributors.  And blogging can have an incredible impact.  Grass root movements have been known to blossom overnight after one well-written blog post. 

Now is the time to be part of the information age in a real way.  Bloggers have the opportunity to express themselves, to promote themselves or their causes, and to deliver information like never before.  We all want to be heard.  We want to matter.  And starting a blog is such a simple way to get in on the action.  If you are new to the world of blogging, you would probably want to take our free introductory blogging course, Get Ready To Blog.  Once you understand what blogging is all about, it is time to build your blog, and grow your readership.  Our subscription based course, Blogging 101 is designed to help you write a blog that others will want to read.

There is no better time to get in on the blogging revolution!  Sign up today!

Until next time,

Your cabinets are almost bare, your meal choices these day are PB&J vs Beanie-Weanies, and you are eyeing the cat rather suspiciously.  Well, I hope times haven’t gotten quite that desperate for you, but you are probably having to live a little on the “thrifty” side these days.  Everyone seems to be pinching pennies, praying for gas prices to go down, and looking for ways to earn an extra buck or two.  But what if that extra income were as close as your home computer?  Have you ever considered blogging as a business? 

Bloggers have many opportunities to make a profit on their writing efforts.  Some blogs are even designed for the sole purpose of making an income.  If you are new to blogging, and have been wondering if there is any money in it, you might want to consider a few possibilities.

• Hosting ads on your blog  Programs like Google’s Adsense and Bidvertiser offer pay-per-click ads designed to match your blog content. BlogHerAds are geared at blogs written by women, and use quality advertising females can relate to.  Even new blogs can benefit from these type ads.
• Using Affiliate Programs Giving product reviews and link-throughs to products or services you evaluate and recommend to your readers.  These usually work best with established blogs getting regular traffic.
• Selling A Product Or Service With A Blog If you have a personal product or service that you sell or are associated with, you can use your blog as a virtual billboard to promote and market it

If you decide to try to make some additional income from any of the above methods, however, you need to remember that none of these will turn a profit unless your blog content is meaningful.  Good writing is still the key to drawing traffic to your blog.  Just as companies don’t gain by advertising their products on a floundering television show, neither will they gain by advertising on a blog that people don’t read. 

To find out how to write a blog that others will want to read, I highly recommend one of the blog writing courses offered by BlogWritingCourse.com.  Our free course will introduce you to the world of blogging, and our subscription course will guide you through the ins and outs of building your blog and growing your audience.  And perhaps, putting something besides peanut butter and beanie-weenies in your cabinet…

Until next time,

Hello All, I haven’t done anything like this before not sure if there are rules or etiquette for this.The nearest to blogging I have done is given answers or advice at the Yahoo Answers community. A little about myself I am in my early 40s am partially deaf. The internet , emailing & stuff ( texting on mobiles too),is a godsend to someone like myself when it comes to communication. I am not sure what yet I am hoping to gain by learning about blogs & blogging I thought I should keep up to date with communication trends. So onto the next chapter……

One of the best perks of being a blogger is getting to read other blogs.  Sometimes I get so lost in my fellow bloggers’ worlds that I forget there are pans with baked-on grease and shoes with doggie-doo on them waiting for me. (Ok, so maybe I’m blog surfing to AVOID the more distasteful parts of my housework, but that doesn’t lessen the impact of the illustration.) Certain bloggers are so incredibly clever with their posts that you know a book deal is just one good dancing-monkey-story away.  And isn’t it cool to get to live in an era when material from such talented authors is as close as your laptop, and as cheap as your DSL subscription??!!  I love the 21st century!!

For me, reading a well-written blog is much akin to a photographer surveying a purple-hued sunset - - it just inspires the heck out of me.  I immediately am reminded of how thankful I am that I took the blog writing course, and why this whole blogging thing took hold of me!  I can hardly wait to get back to my Live Writer and spew out my newly-revitalized content for my own blog.  One such blogger that does this for me is Christine Moers, author of “Welcome To My Brain.”  I’d love to introduce you to Christine in all her glory, but I’ll be doggoned if I can come up with any consistent label or description.  So, I’ll lean heavily on her own introduction from her blog site:

I’m crazy in love with the God that made me, and the hot, bald man He gave me. Our family was built through birth and adoption. My kids are a mix of Tourettes, OCD, sleep issues, tics, and food allergies! I’m a pastor’s wife with a nose stud. I am me. I am art.

1. Christine, let’s start with the obligatory starting-gate question…what got you started blogging and how long have you had your blog?

I started blogging on March 19, 2005.  What I didn’t stop to think about at the time was that this was the anniversary of our country invading Iraq.  So, needless to say, I have never celebrated my blog’s birthday.  Instead, I mourn the war, and pray that one day I can use that day to post about something as frivolous as a blog birthday!

I’ve now been plugging away for over three years have churned out more than 700 posts.  Not too shabby.

2. Burgeoning bloggers sometimes aren’t sure where to start.  Where did you get your inspiration for what type things you wanted to blog about?

Anyone can blog.  Granted, you may only get one hit a day (which is YOU, just checking in!).  There are plenty of blogs out there that describe how many times the baby spit up … or regurgitated daily devotionals.  However, if you want it to be something that continues and is actually enjoyable for the reader, then you have to really, really, really, REALLY love to write.  I think I read about four million really boring blogs initially, which is what pushed me to start my own.  I promised myself that I would never write something that I would not want to read (if I wasn’t me).  You won’t get any country blue lace and bunnies, surrounded by scripture.  You will, however, find out why a Southern Baptist pastor’s wife would vote for a Democrat in the same week as a detailed description of how to take a dump at church without anyone discovering that you are the source of the smell.  Apparently some people find this stuff valuable!

Fortunately, I really, really, really, REALLY love to write.  I try to post something daily (”try” being the operative word).  I talk about me, and the things and people around me.  I tend to be a freak magnet, so my life oozes with inspiration.

3. Did you start to get a loyal following of readers right away, or did it take awhile?

I can’t even remember how long it took me to discover Site Meter (www.sitemeter.com).  So, I had very little idea just how many people were actually reading my blog.  Once I hooked myself up on that site, I realized that people were lurking all the time, just not commenting.  Of course, I also discovered that my loyal readers were pretty much just my family and like two friends!  However, after adding my blog address to my email signature, and commenting on blogs that I loved to read, the numbers started to grow. 

I found a few blog carnivals that were based on things that were interesting to me (homeschooling, easy cooking, etc.).  That draws people to my blog that might connect with me.  Rarely have I noticed a drastic jump in readership that stays.  You may have a really big day of readers because of something you posted, but that may only equate to about three new regular readers.  The blogosphere is fickle.  Again, if you really, really, really, REALLY love to write, you’ll just keep doing it because you enjoy it - even when the numbers fall.

4. What do you like most about blogging?  Dislike most?

Blogging is therapeutic.  I have saved thousands of dollars in therapy over the last three years.  I’m cheap, so I really like that aspect.

I enjoy opening a dialog that challenges people, however, I do not participate in arguments.  You can learn from a discussion, but not from an argument.  Occasionally, I will have someone come in on the comments and blast away at everyone (or sometimes just me!).  I could probably count on one hand the times that I have deleted comments.  Instead, I try to gently steer the conversation back to something productive.  It’s a balance.  I don’t think we should censor (except in cases of outright libel), but we can’t learn from one another if we do the blogging equivalent of yelling and then taking our toys and going home. 

5. Christine, about how much time do you invest in your blog each week?  What about it makes it worth the investment of your time?

Again, it’s therapeutic.  I love to talk, and this is just me talking through my fingers.  While I may post something every day, I don’t necessarily write something every day.  I may have a weekend where my brain is overflowing.  So, I’ll put it all down, and break it up into posts.  Then I can publish them as I see fit.  If I don’t write it down quickly, it will leave my mind within minutes.  I may have some posts that I mull over for hours and hours.  Others come flying out without any effort. 

I spend a lot of time on my blog.  Most days I absolutely love blogging.  Some people make crafts.  Some go to the gym.  Others hit Starbucks.  I blog.

6. Yours is a very personal blog, and you aren’t advertising any particular product or service, but do you use advertising or other methods to generate any income from your blog?

The only regular advertising that I allow on my blog is from BlogHer (www.blogher.com).  I had to apply and be accepted into their network.  They are a growing community of blogging women.  They pay fair.  They’re extremely professional, and are actively improving themselves.  I might pull in about twenty bucks a month from those ads.  Not much, but many times the ad boxes are actually promoting charities and other public service announcements.  I like that.  I like BlogHer.  So, they will continue to have a prominent spot.

I tried some ad boxes that I created myself.  I wanted to give my blog readers the opportunity to advertise their own blogs.  Unfortunately, very few of them took advantage and I was overrun with gaming web sites.  Boo.  So, I pulled those off.  You live and learn.

I have a lot of chachkis on my side bars, but overall I like to keep a clean blog.

7. Do you feel a sense of community with the readers of your blog?  What obligation, if any, do you feel toward them?

I know I’m repeating myself a lot, but remember that the blogosphere is fickle.  People come and go.  Yet, I have built some really fun friendships over the years with other bloggers.  I don’t reply to every comment and I don’t comment regularly on other blogs.  Some days I have a lot of time to do those things.  Other days I’m … well, just read my blog!  Some days I can barely find time to pee!  There’s just not enough time to explain all of the private emails, and personal connections that I’ve made over these three years.

I was listening to a podcast on blogging etiquette (which cracks me up - first that people are trying to create etiquette guidelines on blogging, and secondly that someone took the time to record and upload a podcast about it!).  The big question of the day was whether or not it is polite to lurk on someone’s blog, without commenting.  That’s like saying it’s rude to browse the library without reading every book.  We’re all real people.  I have a gal that I used to read very regularly.  She’s in a dry spell right now.  I’m not finding her interesting.  I just skim past her on my feed reader these days.  People do that to me, too.  It’s life.  Gotta’ prioritize things - even entertainment!

And no, I’m am NOT telling you who it is!

8. What type of blogs do you enjoy reading yourself?

Some of my favorite blogs talk a lot about social justice, environmentalism, adoption, foster care, following Christ, etc.  I also have a few friends and family that I keep up with by reading their blogs.

9. As a blog reader, I’ll admit I frequent blogs with an offbeat - - even cynical sense of humor. What keeps you coming back for more on a particular blog?

I like fresh content and smart humor.  I like to laugh, I like to writhe over injustice, I like to comfort and be comforted, I like to grow and be challenged.  Mostly, though, I like to laugh.

I try to do the same thing with my own blog.  Posting frequently, but keeping it worth reading. 

Maybe one day I’ll run out of things to say. 

Maybe. 

I doubt it.

A huge thanks to Christine Moers for an incredibly in-depth and insightful interview about the world of a blogger.  If you want to find out more about the hijinks happening in Christine’s life, please head over to Welcome To My Brain, and subscribe to her feed.  And for more information on starting and writing a blog yourself, please sign up for one of our blogging courses.

Until next time,

Blogging 101 is proud to introduce it’s next new crop of blogging students.  Some of their introductory posts will be featured here on this blog - - giving everyone a chance to meet them and encourage them in their blogging journey.  Please feel free to support them with your comments! 

Also stay tuned later this week for a wonderful interview with Christine Moers, talented writer and blog author of “Welcome to My Brain.”  You won’t want to miss out on Christine’s experiences with blogging, and how she has turned a passion for writing into a therapeutic hobby! 

Until next time,

So you want to know WHO I am? I am a “newbie” to this type of thing (blogging) but certainly willing to try anything once. If I like it, it usually sticks. I don’t have any trouble expressing myself and I have always enjoyed writing so the combination of the two sound interesting, especially since there will be an audience. That usually makes anything fun.

I am anxious to find out what I can do to become more professional at this craft and will love the idea of others commenting on my thoughts and experiences. Each of us has a story to tell… it’s truly a matter of whether you want to tell it or keep it to yourself. I have found that the more transparent I am, the more I find I have in common with others journeys on the path of life, both smooth and rough roads traveled.

Since I am definitely an amateur at blogging, I welcome all this course has to offer. Titles such as, “Blogging 101″, “Beginning Blogging”, and “Starter Course” all sound appropriate. As long as you supply the technique, I will supply the person stuff.

Longing to learn more,

CL

I like to write as a means of either sharing what I feel to be important information or feelings as well as to highlight social injustice that happens to people around the world.

When inspired I must admit I can write some moving pieces. When I write from the heart it can literally make people cry. Just recently I wrote a three paragraph thank you letter to a donor who gave money to feed the hungry in south Florida and he said he was literally moved to tears. A 50-year-old blue collar worker with a pick-up and chewing tobacco moved to tears! I didn’t know red-necks cried over anything except their pick-ups!

The power of words reinforced by feelings on a human level can move mountains. Stories of everyday people in their everyday worlds doing some amazing things to make the world a better place. That, simply, is why I want to learn to blog.

There are many wonderful and interesting blogs on every subject imagineable. Some are so well-written; they just draw you in. By the end of one post, you feel like you really know the writer, or at least know where their passion lies.

I want to blog like that!

I currently have two blogs. My oldest blog deals completely with our homeschooling adventures. I also have a more personal blog that deals with thoughts and happenings, friends and family. All too often, the topics merge on this blog because, as homeschoolers, everything seems to blend naturally. I’d love to have one blog for everything, but I’d hate to lose all those entries.

And another thing…I love comments! I get very few comments on either blog. I want to readers, but obviously my entries are not interesting enough to pull in comments. I’d like to think that my blog is just not seen, but I need to be realistic!