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Wishing everyone a happy new year from My self Steven Porter and Rick who also works on the blog. We have big ideas for 2008 so keep checking up on us for new tips for making money with your blog.

So to start out 2008 here is a small list of blog direcectories for you to use .

#1bloglines.com

#22rss.com

#3blogarama.com

#4bloggernity.com

#5blogdirs.com

#6blogs.botw.org

#& This directory is list of blogs that are in Canada. blogscanada.ca

http://bestinternetblogs.com

How Can Blogging Earn You Money - Part 2

Written By Steven Porter

Previously, we have discussed why blog is a good place to earn money. In this part, I will cover how can you monetize your blog using different sources of income instead of merely depending on Google Advense.

First of all, when your blog is receiving decent traffic, for instance, about 80 unique visitors a day, you should be able to earn some money from your blog. One of the most common ways to monetize your blog is of course by adding Google Adsense advertisement. Basically, when people click at the Google Adsense advertisement, you will get some money. Here are some tricks on how to maximize your Google Adsense revenue :

1) Make sure that your major traffics are from US, Canada and European countries. The major reason is because these traffics will generate the highest revenue per click.
2) Reduce the traffics from countries like Iran, Afghanistan et cetera, because these traffics will cause you to be “smartpriced” by Google, which means the average money you will get per click will fall drastically(less than 1cent)
3) Make sure that the Google Adsense advertisements are integrated to your blog template, so that the click through rate (CTR) will increase. For instance, you can change the advertisement background color so that the background color is the same as your blog’s background color. By doing this, the visitors will think that the advertisements are relevant links, hence they will click at the advertisements.

Other than Google Adsense, there are actually other good Pay Per Click affiliate programs even though they do not pay as much as Google Adsense. Some of the Pay Per Click affiliate programs are WidgetBucks, Adbrite, Kontera, Chitika and Azoogle. Kontera for example, is a text-link advertisement program. Which means you can actually combine both Kontera and Google Adsense. This will increase your total revenue!

Rather than relying on Google Adsense, if your blog is well established (about 1-3 months old), you can actually start earning money by writing paid reviews at your blog. How can you earn money by writing paid review? Basically, there are many “Get Paid to Blog” websites in the Internet. Please do not be wary with the term “Get Paid to” because “Get Paid to Blog” is totally different from the pathetic “Get Paid to” programs. “Get Paid to Blog” requires long term commitment and effort in building your blog in order to get offer from the advertisers. What you need to do is to join these websites, and write reviews about certain products or companies in your blog. Then, you will be paid by the advertisers. Some of the “Get Paid to Blog” are : Blogsvertise, Linkworth, BlogToProfit et cetera.

Lastly, when you have gained the thrust from the visitors, you can start selling affiliate products, or even your own products. The old visitors will normally believe in you and purchase the products from you. This means that the conversion rate will increase tremendously if you manage to maintain the blog for a long period of time.

http://bestinternetblogs.com

by: Courtland Bovee

Millions of blogs fight for readership online (over 75 million by some counts), with thousands more being created every day. Making yours stand above the rest may seem like a daunting task, but here are ten suggestions for making your blog posts stand out from the crowd.

1. Write each post title so it grabs the reader’s attention. It is the first thing someone reads, and it should get your reader’s attention right away. Your title should both pique the reader’s interest and be informative. Do not write “Business Writing Advice”; instead, say “The Best-Kept Secret to Reducing Your Business Writing Worries.” Longer titles have the advantage of describing in detail what your post is about; 8-12 words are a good range.

2. Keep sentences short and clear. A little goes a long way. Readers are busy people and they will not spend hours detangling complex syntax or sifting through blocks of text. Also, use strong language. Start a new paragraph every few sentences, and limit each post to 250 words, if possible. If you cannot write it in under 250 words, split it into two entries.

3. Break up the text. Use numbered lists, bullet points, and subheadings to make your posts easy to scan. Lots of white space on the page is a good thing-it allows your reader to take mental breaks and let the knowledge soak in. In addition, with the inevitable clutter of banner ads and side text, this technique puts some distance between your writing and all those distractions.

4. Keep current. No one wants to read old news. Your job is to stay up-to-date so your readers do not have to themselves. Read newspapers. Scour the web for references. For example, if you write a blog about business communication, subscribe to Google News Alerts using keywords related to the field, such as blogs, podcasting, instant messaging, business letters, memos, and business reports, so you will always be well informed. Posting items from last month or last year will lose your reader’s interest faster than you can say “Enron.”

5. Be bold. Timidity is an easy path to anonymity. Do not be afraid to create and state your opinions. Of course, there are some situations in which objectivity rules-but you have to give people a reason to read this blog by you and not by the person next door.

6. Be accurate. If you make a statement, be prepared to back it up. Know what your sources are and quote them accurately. Misinformation spreads like wildfire online; do not be the spark that sets it off or the wind that fans it.

7. Contribute to the conversation. Links are great-but then what? Do not just post links to the same tired sites, offer your reader something new. Contribute to the conversation. Your goal is to be the site to which everyone else is linking-so you had better have something worth writing about.

8. Stay focused. Once you have defined the theme of your blog, stick to it. A blog about piggy banks has no business posting about the latest innovation in alternative energy. Such a deviance will only confuse your reader and chip away at your virtual authority.

9. Use key words liberally. Keywords are, well, key. Harness your blog’s search engine potential by dousing your title and post with effective keywords that will help interested parties find your page in the vast, muddled blogosphere. This is one of the most important elements of getting your blog read-go at it with gusto.

10. Be consistent. Keep a schedule and stick to it. Post frequently-at least several times per week if you want to increase your potential of attracting new readers. Let your blog languish for weeks without updates and your audience will move on to fresher ground.

Maintaining an informative blog that people want to read takes hard work and good writing skills. Find what makes your writing unique-and flaunt it for all it is worth.

About The Author

Courtland L. Bovee, one of America’s leading instructors in clear and effective communication, co-authors several leading college-level texts with John V. Thill, a prominent communications consultant and current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Global Communication Strategies. Their website, Business Communication Headline News, the #1 business communication site on the web, is at http://www.businesscommunicationheadlinenews.com

The dark circles under his eyes are evidence that he has been pecking away at the keyboard again. Night after night he sits, mesmerized by the computer screen surfing forum after forum filling the blank spaces with his comments and opinions about senseless issues, political debates, religious matters, business strategies and shopping options. All the while his marriage is deteriorating, his children are growing up and away, his business is wavering on the brink of bankruptcy, spiritual matters are being neglected, all to which he is oblivious.

One day he happens upon an internet forum about blogging. “What in the world is blogging?” he wonders.

Suddenly he becomes enthralled with a new mission. He has to get to the bottom of this. With all the time he has spent on the internet communicating with people throughout the world, he has never heard of blogging. He wants to learn everything there is to know about it…

Blogging is a relatively new phenomenon that is truly undefined due to the fact that it is not yet what it will become. Currently weblogs teeter on the edges of interactive journalism vs. personal archiving and information sharing. Different bloggers have varying purposes and goals. Some aim to record their thoughts, some to share resources and information and some to tell stories. Blogging has also been used as a tool for educating readers and for providing customer service and communications as well as serving as a tool for self-expression.

With Google’s introduction of the AdSense content-targeted advertising program, you can even generate some revenue from your blog as you get paid per click for Google Ads accessed from your blog. Don’t create a blog on the premise that you’re going to get rich from advertising payments or you may be sorely disappointed. Rather, view the ad program as an added bonus for the time spent filling your blog with useful content, or as getting paid a little for doing something you enjoy.

The best way to get started blogging is just to jump in and get your feet wet. Decide what you want to accomplish through your blog. Is it a tool for getting things off your chest? Sharing your thoughts and feelings? Providing information? Tracking events?

Reading through various blogs will provide you with some ideas for your blogs purpose and for developing your writing style.

Find a blogging medium that you are comfortable with. There are some options out there for free blogs and there are some paid services that are very reasonable, some for commercial and some for non-commercial use.

Probably the quickest and easiest way to start your own blog is to use a hosted service like Blogger - http://www.blogger.com.. Getting started with Blogger is a three step process that you can take care of right now. You simply create an account, name your blog and choose a template and you’ll be ready to get started making blog entries. Once you get comfortable with the basic process of blogging, be sure to visit the “Help” section of the Blogger website to learn more about advanced uses and blogging options.

Jason Tarasi publishes the reciprocal links newsletter “Elite Links” Learn HOW thousands of other Elite Links members generate FREE traffic and increase their search engine rankings by swapping links. Grab your free lifetime subscription now at: http://www.freeclassifiedlinks.com

http://www.johnwoon.com

When I first heard of the word “blog” years ago in the mid 90’s, I was puzzled as to why I did not hear it earlier, having been immersed in the English language for more that 4 decades!

Naturally, I reached for my half-a-dozen copies of dictionaries on the shelf to check for its meaning but I could not find one. The reason is simple…… the word “BLOG” simply did not exist in my dictionaries including the Oxford Dictionary!

A frantic search led me to Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang that eventually gave me a clue. It says “blog noun An Internet website containing an eclectic and frequently updated assortment of items of interest to its author. 1999-. [Shortening of weblog.] So blogger, noun”

Not happy with this half-hearted and vague explanation, I ventured into the Web to so further “research”.

Lo and behold! I’ve got some more meaningful citations. Below is a list of these.

- Blog is short for weblog. A weblog is a journal (or newsletter) that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Blogs generally represent the personality of the author or the Web site.

- A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is “blogging” and someone who keeps a blog is a “blogger.” Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog.

- A blog is information that is instantly published to a Web site. Blog scripting allows someone to automatically post information to a Web site. The information first goes to a blogger Web site. Then the information is automatically inserted into a template tailored for your Web site.

- A short form for weblog, a frequent and chronological publication of comments and thoughts on the web. They usually include philosophical reflections, opinions on the Internet and social or political issues.

- Web LOG is a journal kept on the internet. This journal is often updated daily and contains all information that the person maintaining the BLOG (Blogger) wishes to share with the world. Also applies to websites dedicated to a particular topic and being updated with the latest news, views and trends.

There’s no need to go on because I’m now more than satisfied.

Many years have passed since and blogging has come a long way indeed. Not only can you do all the above mentioned, you could now make full use of it to promote and expand your Internet business.

Savvy marketers have discovered that blogging is one of the best Internet marketing methods that is free because you could create your blog almost immediately at no cost compared to the setting up of a conventional website.

Putting information in your blog to help establishing your presence in the Web is now a growing phenomenon. Blogging for your Internet business is one surefire way to enhance the visibility of your products and services.

With the continuing improvement in software technology, publishing, introducing plug-ins, banners, pictures etc to create a fun and interesting “website” has become a breeze even to those with old and rusty brains like me.

Here is what you could do to improve your Internet online business:-

1) Give advice to your visitors on specific tips, tricks and opportunities related to your own business with the objective to increase awareness not only about yourself but also your business. This will establish you as an authority with customers, prospects and casual visitors through your publications.

2) Encourage readers to leave their comments and feedback. Positive feedback could some times help you to improve your website design, layout, content and hence your buisness.

3) Make announcement and broadcasting on any new changes or offers available in your main websites, for instance, new products and/or services.

4) All your postings in your blog could be kept in an Archive file which is very friendly for retrieving. You can therefore keep track of all your business plans and old but important information. 5) Any articles which you have written and posted could be reprinted by others for their own websites with your permission on condition that the resource box about the author remains unchanged i.e. with all your important URLs intact. This would link your websites to other websites hence exposing your business to more visitors.

6) Try adding fresh and quality content to it on a regular basis since search engines like fresh content. As a result, search engines will list your website in their directories. As soon as you have pages of your blog in the search engines, you’ll start attracting free traffic to your site without having to paying a dime for it.

7) Include links that will fetch back links and subsequently improve your ranking on search engines. Affiliate links in the form of advertisement banners could also be included in your blog to earn more extra income.

You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. You can have some kind of link exchanges with other bloggers for mutual benefits of increasing traffic to your blog and other main websites.

9) In summary, there’s almost no limit to what you could and want to do with your blog. You can include your ideas, opinions, expertise in your field of work, resumes, home recipes, pictures, streaming audio or video clips, e-books, poetry, products, services, consultations etc., etc.

What are the main differences between a blog and a website then? You may ask.

Most websites are relatively permanent with only occasional updating. With blogs, you could post any new content almost on daily basis. Also, websites are usually less personal as far as their relationship with the visitors is concerned.

Visitors to your blog could leave comment after their visits which sometimes could prompt a follow-up discussion between you and them resulting with both parties learning from each another.

So how do you start blogging? There are many host services providers you could join. Among the most popular are Blogger.com and LiveJournal.com. I’m using Blogger.com which I find serving my needs just perfectly.

In closing, you must realize that to be successful in running your business blog, you need to be very passionate about products and services. Share your ideas, opinions and thoughts to assert yourself as an authority in your field. The visitors who are your customers or potential customers would remember your blog and keep coming back.

COME BLOG WITH ME TODAY and ride the crest of the business blogging wave! Happy blogging!

Sung-Liang Woon is a Rubber and Latex Consultant with about 25 years of experience. He enjoys writing, lecturing,travelling, playing flamenco guitar and singing. Not long ago, he didn’t know ANYTHING about Internet marketing.However, within just a few weeks, he launched his own professional website and learned how to PROFIT from an opt-in list, pull in sales with ezines, make money with writing articles and setup his own BLOG! Check this fantastic website to find out how he has done it: http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-9747 Visit his website http://www.johnwoon.com and get to know him better at his Blog: http://www.blogwithjohnwoon.blogspot.com