Archive for the ‘Blogging Sense’ Category
by Jonathan Bailey on September 29th, 2010
Imagine sitting down to your computer one morning and opening up your blog. However, instead of finding your homepage your admin panel staring back at you, you instead see a bright red warning screen telling you that malware has been detected on the site and you are advised not to enter.
The realization quickly sinks in that, if you are seeing that error, so is everyone else trying to visit your site. You begin to hurry and try to figure out what happened but quickly realize that your site has been compromised and, if you’re even able to log in, you have a very big mess to clean up. Worst of all, when you’re done, you have to apply for reconsideration with Google and other security companies and then wait 12 hours or more for the warning to clear off.
It’s a painful process and, in the best of circumstances it can ruin an entire day and, in the worst, it can destroy an otherwise healthy site.
Still, it is an all-too-common occurrence on the Web. Bloggers learn too late that their sites are vulnerable and are left to clean up the mess an attacker leaves behind. That mess could be as simple as adding malware to the site, inserting spam links into the theme or defacing the site but in some extreme cases, it can go as far as to delete everything the blogger has done.
To help keep you, your visitors and your site safe(r) from hackers, you need to make sure your server is secure. Fortunately, it isn’t very complicated but failure to spend the time and energy today can be very costly tomorrow. Read More
Categories: Blogging Sense, WordPress Plugins, WordPress Tips
Tags: Backups, blogging, Blogging Pitfalls, cracking, hacking, hardening, malware, Security, spam, wordpress
by Jonathan Bailey on August 25th, 2010
There’s a story told to those in school for advertising about William Wrigley Jr., the owner and founder of Wrigley gum.
According to the story, Wrigley was on a train when another passenger asked him why he continued to spend millions of dollars when everyone knew his product and he had a virtual lock on the market.
Rather than answering the question, Wrigley responded by asking how fast the train was going. When the other passenger said, “About 70 miles per hour,” he shot back with the now-famous quip:
“Well, that’s fast enough, why don’t they unhook the engine?”
Wrigley understood that advertising and promotion was a key to growing his company and it is also key to growing your blog. However, most bloggers only focus on promotion during the earlier days and months of a blog, let it coast to hopeful success later. This can cause growth to slow to a crawl and, in extreme cases, even stop.
Read More
Categories: Blogging Sense
Tags: blog promotion, Blogging Pitfalls, Comments, Facebook, marketing, search engine optimization, twitter
by Franky Branckaute on August 1st, 2010
Even nerds and always online people have a life so it was a slight surprise when last night I found myself at the pub instead of online and more so when I found myself enjoying a frozen one while not attending some kind of conference or WordCamp.
The truth though is that I wasn’t the only online specialist there: my fellow bloggers Fire Extinguisher Expert, SEO Expert and Financial Spreadbetting all were there as well and it didn’t take long before the focus changed, switched to the eternal debate around blog traffic.
Fire Ex, that’s how his friends call him, SEO dude and Financial actually are really cool people but the problem is, no one knows who they are or their name and they are obsessed by only one thing: traffic. Traffic to their website.
Every time you meet them it all revolves about the same and they will do their best to engage in a conversation but they resemble those guys you meet at conferences, the ones who always tend to hand out their business card even before saying ‘Hi’. Read More
Categories: Blogging Sense, Blogging Tips, General
Tags: comment spam, Policies, spam, Splashpress Media
by Jennifer Brown Banks on June 28th, 2010
Successful Blogging is all about strategy.
And there are hundreds of how-tos written to up your game and increase your bottom line.
True?
But, equally important in your efforts is what “not†to do in terms of techniques and time management.
With this being said, here are 4 things to NOT make time for in your blogging career.
1. Worry—How many times have you agonized over your work? Here’s the typical scenario. You pick a topic after much deliberation and debate. Then you write it and revise it. Then you post it. Then you have second thoughts. Then you worry about whether or not it will be well received and responded to. Maybe you should have chosen a different topic or approach, you think to yourself. Sound familiar? Stop the madness! Give your best, then give it a rest! Read More
Categories: Blogging Sense, Blogging Tips, General
Tags: Blogging Perspectives, Blogging Pitfalls
by Jennifer Brown Banks on June 24th, 2010
I hate to be the bearer of bad news.
But be forewarned.
If you’re a “serious†blogger or writer, at some point or another in your blogging career, you’ll be forced to take a stand or express an opinion that may cause disagreement or debate.
Sometimes it may be intentional or strategic on your part. Other times it can come quite by accident.
Suffice it to say, it comes with the territory.
Anytime you have a platform or public visibility, there’s a potential for it to happen.
Let’s face it.
Words are powerful. And whether they’re written or spoken, sometimes people can misconstrue them, “respectfully disagree”, or take offense to your word choice or delivery.
No worries. All controversy need not cause dissension.
These situations can provide great opportunity for intelligent debate and enlightenment. Read More
Categories: Blogging Sense, Blogging Tips, General
Tags: Blogging Commentary, Blogging Debates, Blogging Views
by Robyn-Dale Samuda on June 19th, 2010
Personally, having dedicated readers 
engage my blog by asking questions, providing feedback and coming back for more are some of the basic goals for my site. User interaction and engagement is a great sign that you are producing content that sparks the interest of visitors and is an excellent indicator for sustainable growth of your blog’s audience.
Among the many different goals bloggers may have, user interaction and engagement should be among the top on your list. Whether your goal is to increase affiliate sales, e-book sales, drive traffic or become a leader in your niche, an inviting and user-friendly blog is key for all these achievements.
Let’s take a look at some of the basics that will capture the interest of all types of readers. Read More
Categories: Blogging Sense, Blogging Tips, Blogging: How To
Tags: Blogging Tips, Reader Interaction, User Friendly Blogging
by Jennifer Brown Banks on June 10th, 2010
In a popular movie of former years, Forest Gump compared life to a box of chocolates. “You just never know what you’re gonna’ get,†he tells us.
That is, according to “mamaâ€.
Well, perhaps there was a grain of truth to that statement.
And, much the same, blogging has the same potential.
Read More
Categories: Blogging Sense, Blogging Tips
Tags: Blogging philosophies, Blogging pleasures
by Jennifer Brown Banks on June 1st, 2010
No matter where you are on the “food chain†of blogging, chances are, you can be better and ascend higher.
Growth is what it’s all about.
Growth is a true sign of maturity, and the true sign of a professional.
And like many other life forms, if you don’t grow you risk dying.
Read More
Categories: Blogging Sense, Blogging Tips
Tags: Blogging excellence, Blogging Growth
by Jennifer Brown Banks on May 27th, 2010
Don’t take my word for it.
Surf the Net and you’re sure to find millions of blogs devoted to every niche in the book.
Sleuth for blogs on blogging and there are more than I can possibly mention.
To attract and sustain the attention of today’s busy readers, the savvy blogger knows that he must stand tall and stand out amidst a smorgasbord of endless choices.
It’s no longer sufficient just to provide “good information.â€
That won’t cut it.
Read More
Categories: Blogging Sense, Blogging Tips, Blogging: How To
Tags: Blogging effectively, Blogging techniques, Connecting with readers
by Robyn-Dale Samuda on May 24th, 2010
What is your purpose for blogging and what does it 
provide for your audience? Is it simply a personal journal of your daily life, a venture for achieving success, a source of valuable information and guidance for others or are you just following a formula that seems to work for everyone else? Hopefully, you can answer these or similar questions for yourself since for any successful venture you need to have clearly defined goals for what you want to achieve.
More specifically you should be genuinely connecting with your audience with the ultimate goal of knowing your readers better, providing truly beneficial content for them which will in turn capture a dedicated following for your blog. We should be emulating the likes of Chris Brogan or Darren Rowse, to name a few, who have over the years built a huge audience and following who are tuned in to the words of wisdom these bloggers are providing.
So How Do You Become A Truly Influential Blogger?
In no scenario does this sought after status occur overnight; it takes passion, dedication, study in your field and consistency to achieve. I was reading a few articles on Darren Rowse’s website and realized that he has been blogging on problogger.net since 2004. That’s 6 years since he has started blogging and for what I know about Darren, he started blogging as a complete newbie. He started from nothing and was not an expert in his field at all. Read More
Categories: Blogging Sense, Blogging Tips
Tags: Blogging Tips, Influence & Authority
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