Blogging for Dollars Blog

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If you’ve got a blog you want traffic; and you want to get as much traffic as you can every day. While there are many ways you can win traffic, there’s one method which is very simple and extremely effective. It can also be free.

Here it is: use online press releases.

I’m amazed that more bloggers don’t use this easy traffic-generating method. I suspect that’s because it seems complex. It’s not; if you’re writing posts and posting them on your blog, you can write online press releases.

Online press releases are similar to the press releases which you’d send to print media, but they’re different in one vital way - the keywords you use are important. With an online press release, you’re aiming to gather links, as well as garner attention for your blog.

Write your press release as a news story

A press release is an announcement; it’s news. Indeed press releases are often called “news releases”. Here’s a list of the elements of a media news story. The story you’re presenting in your press release must contain at least one of these elements: timeliness, public interest, conflict, tragedy, humor, sex, money, human interest, the future, or animals.

A press release is not advertising, and it shouldn’t be written as an ad. It’s news. If you use one of the essential elements of a press release (here they are again) - timeliness, public interest, conflict, tragedy, humor, sex, money, human interest, the future, or animals - your press release will be treated as news. You’ll get attention and links for your release.

There’s a well-defined tradition format for a press release. Here’s a good template for you to follow in writing it.

With your release written, where should you post it? Many sites online offer press release services. I’ll mention just two in this article because I’ve used them myself and am familiar with them.

Post your press release free

You can post your press release for free at PR-GB.Com.
Your press release will appear in Google News.

Commercial press release services

PRWeb has been a stalwart of online press releases. Although the basic service is no longer free, their basic service is inexpensive, and well worth the fee. You can track your press releases to see where it’s appearing.

So there you have it: a way to get your blog into Google News. You’ll get a bounce in traffic to your blog immediately, but I call online press releases are the “gift which keeps on giving”, because their effect is cumulative, they bring you traffic over time.

A final tip: post your press releases on your blog too, in a Media section of your site. Journalists and others who are interested in your blog will visit this section; it gives you credibility in the online environment.

Step by step to blogging success

Blogging for Dollars is a comprehensive blogging package which helps you to make money blogging.

Pro bloggers can make serious money, whether you choose to blog for a company as a freelance blogger, or build your own entrepreneurial blog. Many bloggers make six figures annually, and blogging networks have been sold for millions of dollars.

Make money blogging today - you’re sure of success with Blogging for Dollars to guide you.

Technorati Tags: blog, blogging, news, traffic, news release

Blogging is lots of fun, and it can be lucrative too. But if you’ve got a baby blog that’s less than a year old - I know what you want. You want traffic, unending traffic, and you want it now.

In this article, we’ll cover five tips which will ensure that you get traffic and faithful readers, and also that you stay sane in the process. Blogging can be stressful, if you allow it to get out of hand.

Discover blogging with Blogging for Dollars - your complete blogging guide.

1. The more content on your blog, the greater the chance you’ll attract visitors

Here’s the reality: when your blog is new, it lacks content. A new blog with ten posts is no match for a four-year-old blog with several thousand posts.

So accept the fact that your baby blog will need to grow, before you get a ton of traffic naturally via the search engines. Each blog post (page) on your blog provides one gateway for readers - the more gates, the greater the flow of traffic.

If you’re hungry for traffic, advertise, until your blog’s big enough to make its presence felt in the search engines.

If you keep your eyes open, you’ll see that most of the top bloggers advertise - even they find it difficult to get all the traffic they want without advertising.

2. Post good content, or your traffic will leave, never to return

Unfortunately, blogging is becoming ultra-competitive in some niches, such as the “make money online” niche, for example.

If you’re new to blogging, I advise staying away from these kinds of niches until you’re more experienced in driving traffic to your blog using free methods. It’s a bitter pill, but if there’s lots of competition you’ll need to spend money to get traffic.

Encourage your readers to subscribe to your RSS feed; most won’t know how to subscribe, so provide information on how to do this.

3. Who are your visitors? Write to ONE person

Although you’re writing for millions of readers (you hope), each reader is an individual, sitting at his or her computer. So write to that one person, and write as if you’re writing to a personal friend.

Share, tell secrets, and tell stories. If you treat your readers as friends, they’ll become friends.

4. Is your blog a conversation, or not? You can close comments if you wish

Your blog may be a conversation, or not. Your choice. If you want to correspond with your readers in the comments to your posts, that’s fine.

However, don’t feel obligated. If you wish, close the comments. It’s your blog; you decide how you’ll manage your blog.

If you allow comments, moderate them. It’s unfortunate, but some mean-spirited people will try to take over a blog and use it for their own purposes, such as posting spam.

Remember that you’re responsible for what’s on your blog, even in the comments.

5. Track your traffic - your readers will tell you what they want

Your referrer logs are your most valuable tool. They tell you what your readers want. Check your log at least once a week, and copy down the searches which have led readers to your blog. These provide valuable insights into what people want to read.

So there you have five tips which will help your baby blog to grow. Before you know it, you’ll have all the traffic you can handle.

Discover blogging with Blogging for Dollars - your complete blogging guide.

Technorati Tags: blogging, blog, how to blog, traffic, blogs, blogger, marketing, blog ads

Although WordPress is rightfully popular as a blogging platform, many bloggers are wary of installing it because it seems complex. It’s not. Discover how you can create your own perfect WordPress blog in five simple steps.

The major benefit of WordPress is that it’s a complete Content Management System. No matter how large your blog grows, WordPress will manage it for you. WordPress also has many plugins which will extend the functionality of your blog.

Another huge benefit of installing WordPress on your own domain is that you have complete control over your blog. With free blogging platforms, your blog may be deleted without notice. This is heartbreaking if you’ve spent time and energy on your blog.

Discover blogging with Blogging for Dollars - your complete blogging guide.

So here we go. Just follow these simple steps:

1. Think keywords and buy a domain name

What will your blog be about? Make a list of keywords which describe your blog. For example, if you wanted to create a blog about dogs, make a list of keywords a person would type into a search engine to find your blog.

“Dogs” would be an obvious keyword; others include “puppies, dog, canine, hound.”

Now it’s time to buy a domain name. Many hosting companies will include a domain name as part of your hosting package, but find a company which just specializes in domain names. You may want to move your blog at some stage, so the domain name registrar should be separate from your hosting.

Do a search for “domain names”, pick a company, and register your domain name.

With your domain name purchased, it’s time to get hosting.

2. Get hosting

You can either pick a company you find via searching, ask a friend which company they use, or ask on any forum for favorite hosting companies.

A tip - read your chosen company’s Help files before you buy. Look for “WordPress installs”. Be sure that your host will install WordPress for you with just a few clicks.

Pick a company, and pay for your hosting. Their Help files will tell you how to update the DNS (Domain Name Service) to your new hosting company.

Once you’ve updated the DNS, allow 24 hours for the domain name to be updated around the Web. If you try to install WordPress immediately, it may succeed, or it may fail - so give yourself a break of 24 hours.

3. Run the WordPress script - read your hosting provider’s Help file

Since WordPress is so popular, most hosts offer scripts which install WordPress. If your host uses CPanel, click the Fantastico icon to install the WordPress script.

Some companies use proprietary scripts, so just do search to find the script, and install it.

4. Choose a theme

With your script installed, you’ll arrive at your WordPress Dashboard. Click Design to change the theme.

You can find hundreds of great WordPress themes on the Web, both free and commercial, so you’re sure to find exactly the right theme for your blog.

5. Add plugins

You’ll also want to install some WordPress plugins. These are scripts which perform functions on your blog. Your blog already has a plugin which will guard it against spam, so activate that plugin.

Other useful plugins are those which will create a contact page for you, create archives, and allow you to backup your blog.

Now all that’s left for you to do is to - start blogging!

Discover blogging with Blogging for Dollars - your complete blogging guide.

Technorati Tags: blogging, blog, how to blog, traffic, blogging tips, pro blogging, WordPress