Understanding Blogs

Blogs are web logs that are updated regularly, usually on a daily basis, so it is basically an online journal. They contain information related to a specific topic. In some cases blogs are used as daily diaries about people's personal lives, political views, or even as social commentaries. The truth of the matter is that blogs can be shaped into whatever you, the author, want them to be. They can be set up at little to no cost at all, and can be used for a wide variety of things. Some bloggers, men and women, just blog for the fun of it Others tend to use their blogs for business reasons.

The roots of blogging can be traced back to the mid 1990's. Who the very first blogger actually was is unclear, as the art of blogging did not really take hold until 1999. The original "weblogs" were link-driven sites with personal commentaries. The very first blogs were human guided Internet web tours. While initially thought of as diaries or online journals, blogs have evolved into the latest fresh web content.

Blogs have been around for many years but have recently become somewhat a new ‘craze’. A buzz word in techie circles, "blogging" is the wave of the future. Whether it’s a fad, or proves to be a new way to communicate with existing and potential customers it deserves at the very least a cursory look.

The following are just a few ways blogs can be used:

1. Updates - Keep customers/clients up to date on changes to your website. Also new product announcement and new related websites.
2. Reviews - You can give opinions, advice and personal recommendations on specific products or services related to your field.
3. Personal and Business uses - Blogs are a great way to keep track of your goals and plans just by open writing.
4. Stress Reliever - Jot down your vents, gripes, thoughts. Some also find general writing therapeutic.
5. Search Engine Optimization - Search Engines love text and content. You can also include links to your website which equal backward links which in turn equals high ranking.
6. Money Makers - Yes, you can make money with your blog by providing readers with quality copy writing and a few affiliate links. So how is a blog set up?

There are numerous online tools that can be used to create a blog. For security concerns, it would just be best to use a standard html program such as Dreamweaver to create daily posts. It’s really not much more complicated than typing an email. The content is then sent via FTP to a web server. If you want to test the waters there are online web-based tool that helps you publish to the web instantly. The most popular web-based tool is Blogger (www.blogger.com).

While you may initially create a blog for your existing customers, you may find that you can attract new customers by illustrating your expertise in a specific field. There are numerous websites that act as "blog search engines", be sure to submit your sites to these websites to increase your exposure. This will also help with your page rank and possibly increase the likelihood you will receive decent ranking with Google. You can also create an RSS feed in order to syndicate blog content and gain additional exposure. This makes it much simpler for your readers to quickly skim the topic headlines and an added benefit to you, the blogger, to keep your visitors up to date. You also have the choice of letting your readers comments on your blog.

There are several options you can choose from when starting your own blog, and a few are:

1. Using a free service such as Blogger.com (www.blogger.com).
2. Using Blogger.com (or other free blog provider) with your own domain name that you can purchase through places such as Mommy’s Helper Domain & Hosting Services (www.mommyshelperonline.com/web-hosting.html) .
3. You can also choose paid services such as Blogit.com (www.blogit.com) for as little as $5.95 a month. You have your blog set up, but how do you get visitors to it and get them coming back?

Along with general advertising, here are a few more ideas:

1. Directories - There are many directories that you can submit your blog to such as BlogWise.com (www.blogwise.com/) To find more simply do a search for blog directories.
2. Link Exchange - Place links on your website to your blog and visa versa.
3. Syndicate Your Blog - For example you can now give your visitors the option of having your blog headlines right on their MyYahoo! Page. (example - add.my.yahoo.com/rss?url=http%3A//www.2wahms.blogspot.com )

Most services have these features and can be a great tool to keep your blog interactive between you and your readers. With all the spam filters and spam blockers available or sometimes even automatically installed in email programs, it’s getting harder every day to keep in constant contact with your visitors/customers and/or clients. Blogs have shed some new light in this aspect giving you a better way to communicate. Most blog services are very user-friendly. If you can run simple programs such as MSWord or Word Perfect then you have the knowledge to maintain your own blog. There’s no need to even have html knowledge. In essence, anyone can have his or her own blog.

Enjoy Blogging!

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