Successful Blog

Thanks to Week 355 SOBs

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Successful and Outstanding Bloggers

Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,

Purple SOB Button Original SOB Button Red SOB Button Purple and Blue SOB Button
and the right to call themselves
Successful Blog SOBs.

I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.

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They take the conversation to their readers,
contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.

I thank all of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on.
Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.

Should anyone question this SOB button’s validity, send him or her to me. Thie award carries a “Liz said so” guarantee, is endorsed by Kings of the Hemispheres, Martin and Michael, and is backed by my brothers, Angelo and Pasquale.

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Want to become an SOB?

If you’re an SO-Wanna-B, you can see the whole list of SOBs and learn how to be one by visiting the SOB Hall of Fame– A-Z Directory . Click the link or visit the What IS an SOB?! page in the sidebar.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

5 Important Reasons to Hire Professional SEO Services

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Prarthana Majumdar

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5 Important Reasons to Hire Professional SEO Services

When you take your business online, it becomes vital to hire professional SEO services. It is the SEO experts who take care of optimizing your website to search engine requirements. That will help you achieve the boost in traffic that gets search engines to move you forward in their listings.

Here are 5 important reasons to hire professional SEO services:

  1. Professional SEO services are designed to increase the visibility of a website and facilitate in better traffic flow along with improved profit sales return.
  2. SEO professionals take the help of various SEO tools and techniques like keywords analysis, link building, on-page, off-page SEO, directory submission etc. in order to increase your webpage ranking in search indexes.
  3. A website can rely on a professional SEO service to make choices that generate quality and relevant traffic.
  4. Using the right set of keywords suggested by a professional SEO service will work in attracting related traffic flow to a website.
  5. Link building, another essential aspect of professional SEO services, can seriously increase the popularity of a website among the top search engines.

Make sure that you choose these services from cost-effective and affordable SEO service.

Author’s Bio:
Prarthana Majumdar is an expert SEO writer with considerable years of experience. This article has been solely written to provide you with an expert SEO solution and guide. To learn more on these SEO topics like professional SEO services and affordable SEO service visit his website.

Blogging Tips: Finding Your Voice

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How to blog series

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Rob Pell

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Why Is Finding Your Voice Important?

If you’re just starting out, it’s difficult to know how to address your audience. From the first instance, that audience won’t actually exist; you will need to build it gradually over time. This makes it even harder, how are you supposed to know how to speak to someone if you don’t yet know who you’re speaking to?

This why finding your voice is important. The specifics of who you are addressing or talking to do not matter; what matters is finding a voice that suits your style, subject matter and personality.

Personality

Writing a blog is not the same as producing news copy. You might be writing a blog about a very recent or developing event and so are tempted to write it in a ‘newsy’ style: don’t, newswriting is a stilted, stripped back and very artificial style of writing. It is used to give the reader the information in the most clear and concise way possible, with little elaboration other than what is necessary.

Try to resist the trap of falling into a newswriting style because once you’re in it’s difficult to get out of. We’ve all read the papers and seen news broadcasts; we know all about ‘the news’ register. If you start your blog post with something along the lines of “Soft drinks giant Pepsi have announced record breaking profits following the release of…” you will very quickly get locked in to that newsy style.

The audience of a blog is looking for something more than just news; they require personality, rather than the cold and clinical form of news copy. Let this shine through; sprinkle your copy with opinion and comment; use a conversational tone; drop in clauses like “I don’t know about you but…” or “my thoughts on the subject are…” and give your writing the space it requires to breathe.

Structure

Of course a blog post does have its own duties to fulfill. For example, it must be interesting and informative. When you begin a post, note down the different points you want to cover beforehand and plan a structure which allows you to retain your personality and conversational tone without resorting to a banal listing of the facts.

Planning in this way will give your work structure and life and will allow you to tailor your article towards a specific outcome. It also keeps the blog sharp and concise and allows you to avoid losing your way as can happen when we become absorbed in our writing.

You will want to include your key phrases in your blog, but do not over do it with these. The primary thing to maintain is your blog’s quality; as long as it is engaging, informative and fun to read you will retain a good core audience. If your blog posts have awkward key phrases shoehorned in all over the place, are difficult to read or are nonsensical, it doesn’t matter how good your SEO tactics are, you are going to lose any new audience members you bring in for the simple reason that your page just isn’t up to scratch.

Finally, always remember to enjoy your blogging. This is paramount and will shine through in your writing.

What helps you find your voice, the voice that connects with your audience?

Author’s Bio:
Rob Pell is a technology enthusiast, all round geek and happy employee of Simplifydigital, the UK broadband, digital TV and home phone experts. Simplifydigital are accredited by Ofcom and provide independent consumer advice on digital services.

How to Get Blog Traffic Using Social Channels

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Jordan Mendys

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Gaining Blog Traffic

When you have a blog, and especially when you are starting one, gaining traffic is the most important thing. You want your work noticed, and the more traffic you get, the more success you will have with your business, services, etc. One of the best ways to get traffic to your blog is to showcase your work and website, and using your social media channels can increase that effort greatly. When you utilize your social networks, you will get more articles shared throughout your network, and if you have good material, people will come to your blog more and more often. So how can you utilize social media to benefit your blog?

How to Get Blog Traffic Using Social Channels

First, your blog should utilize a plugin that allows not just you, but anyone who comes to your site, to share your article on Twitter, Facebook, and more with the click of a button. A really good plugin for this would be WordPress’ Sociable. At the bottom of all of your posts will be a toolbar allowing easy share, and as we all know, that is the easiest way that you can get organic traffic. You should be sharing every post that you write anyway, but now when visitors come to your site, it’s easy for them to share.

Next, you should use your social networks to get guest posts. We all know that guest posting, and getting guest blogs on your site, is one of the best ways to drive up traffic. The more content you have, the better your site will look, and the longer you can keep the audience on your blog. To get guest bloggers, reach out through Twitter to have an open call for guest posts. It is an easier platform for people to contact you. Then you can get a pitch to from them to see if the article is right for your site. This is a good way to drive up the requests to post to your site, but be careful with who is contacting you, because you don’t want to waste your time with spam posts.

When you start getting guests to post, encourage (or make it a requirement for a guest post) for them to share their article, and then people outside of your own network will be drawn to your site. Allowing guest posts will also open up opportunities for you to contribute to others’ blogs in return. That way you will gain all of the benefits that come with guest posting.

These are the best ways to use Facebook, Twitter, and all of your other accounts to drive up traffic and exposure to your blog. Letting people contribute to your work will always garner excitement for your work, and encourage people to share your site with the world. The better content you have to share, the more people will come, and stay, for awhile.

Author’s Bio:
Jordan Mendys is a media professional and blogger based in North Carolina. He helps blog to help people find the best in cable internet bundles () around. Follow him @JPMendys

Thank you for adding to the conversation!

What to Find Out Before You Start a Business Blog – 25+ Web Resources

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How to blog series

We All Start Somewhere

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Most of us who started a blog before LinkedIn and Twitter, while Facebook was barely finished code, got to the blogosphere one at time. We picked out our templates and our blogging platforms and decided what we would blog about. We learned the culture, the rules, and how to use the tools. And all of us learned HTML — the alphabet of blogs.

It was an apprentice culture. We learned the craft from other bloggers. At the same time we linked our blogs, read and commented, we got to know and connected to other bloggers. Much of the information was passed on as we got to know each other. If we needed to know how to do something, we just asked someone who had been blogging longer than we had. Some started building courses and putting together tutorials, probably because they realized they were repeating themselves — an audience existed to learn these things.

Then things changed. Somewhere around 2006, bloggers got serious about making money, running business from their blogs. Social media brought millions of people who had heard that blogs could help their business have a presence online.

It’s no longer an apprentice culture. Still, we all start somewhere. Now, resources exist in the form of blog posts written to answer frequently asked questions and courses to teach the masses. Still, the best way to start is to have someone point you in the right direction.

What follows are 25 how-tos and guides that represent over 65 resources that offer top-notch information for a solid start on a successful-business blog.

What to Find Out Before You Start a Business Blog – 25+ Web Resources

You wouldn’t build a business or a building to house one, without doing a little research first. At least, I hope not. Before you start or restart your business blog, do some research to give you context as you make the initial decisions so that you be confident about the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Here is what to find out before you start a successful business blog.

  1. Prelaunch Blog Review Checklist
  2. 10 Blogger Best Practices: Guides as You Extend Your Reach
  3. Don’t Buy that New Domain Name Yet
  4. 10 Questions about Starting a Business Blog Answered
    An FAQ with links to articles answering basic questions for starting a brand new business blog.
    1. Why should I start a business blog?
    2. What blogging application should a business blog use? WordPress or Blogger?
    3. What is the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
    4. Are there any advantages to hosted vs. self-hosted (through a third party)?
    5. Should comments be allowed?
    6. Is it okay to moderate comments?
    7. What should I write about on my business blog?
    8. Are there any rules to business blogging such as content, ethics, etc.?
    9. Are there any security issues that I should be aware of?
    10. Is there anything else I should know about starting a business blog?
  5. How to Start a Business Blog Series
    A ten part series for starting strategically:
    Part 1 covers the basics and benefits of starting a business blog
    Part 2 is on determining the purpose of a business blog
    Part 3 is about choosing authors for a business blog
    Part 4 covers policy-making for business blogs
    Part 5 is about blog platform and website/blog integration
    Part 6 is a continuation of blog platform and site integration
    Part 7 covers business blog design considerations
    Part 8 is about how to choose blog categories for a business blog
    Part 9 tells you what you need to know about creating initial blog content in the pre-launch phase
    Part 10 was a very interesting look into business blog crisis management planning and its importance
  6. 8 Things to Do Before Starting a Business Blog
    WeBlogBetter SlideShare Presentation with notes.
  7. Blogging to Build Your Business
    Why and how a blog builds a marketing platform essential for growth.
  8. Which Business Blogging Strategy Is Right for You?
    Resource Nation defines distinct approaches to business blogging
  9. Checklist: How to Start a Business Blog
    A brief checklist from Hubspot
  10. How To: Choose The Right Platform For Your Business Blog
    Criteria for choosing the blogging tool that will be your home.
  11. Blogging for Business: How to Choose the Best Blog Platform
    A quick comparison of Blogger, WordPress, and Tumblr

    12. 7 Real Ways a Blog Raises Influence and Increases Expertise

  12. 8 Sales Rules for Writing – No One Kills a Messenger who Writes for Readers
  13. Cardinal Sin #1: Launching With No Content
  14. How Images Can Make Your Blog Post Demand to Be Read
  15. Writing a Good Business Blog
    by Dummies.com
  16. HOW TO: Create a Successful Company Blog
    by Venture Capitalist Mark Suster for Mashable
  17. Do You Know the Five Cornerstones of an Outstanding Business Blog?
    by David Hobart, Managing Director of Pure Content
  18. How to Hire a Great Web Writer, Copywriter, or Blogger
    What they do, What to look for, Where to look, What to ask.
  19. 10 Steps to Creating a Network of Guest Bloggers
  20. Paid Guest Blogging-Why Business Owners Must Hire Professional Bloggers
    The benefits of getting professional blogging help
  21. The #1 Conversion Killer in Your Copy (And How to Beat It)
  22. Blogging policy examples
    Sample policies – every company and blogger will have to modify them to meet their own needs
  23. IBM Social Computing Guidelines
    A great example for enterprise level policy
  24. 24 (of the) Best Business Blogging Guides, Tips and Tools of 2011
  25. The Most Important Blog Post You’ll Probaably Never Read

Take a look at the ones that answer the questions you’ve got right now. Then revisit this page to revisit it when the new questions come up tomorrow and the next day. You might also visit the New Business Blogger Page to find out more about building a successful business blog.

If you have great ideas or advice for starting up a Business Blog, tell us in the comments. If I get enough I’ll pull your comments together into a new post.

Be irresistible.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Keep Time Working … For You

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Keeping Time

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I think my life has sped up in the last few years.
Do you feel the same way?

Things that need doing seem to pile up faster.
Things I want to do keep coming up more quickly too.
Are you having the same experience?

These days I think of time off as the luxury of time to do what I want to.
And I ease into Mondays with ideas of keeping time working for me.

Keep Time Working For You

Time is flexible. We can waste time, spend time, invest time, have a good time, even use time to plan how we’ll use it. We’ve been know to stretch time and cram things into it. Some people actually speak of killing time. Why would you do that? The only thing we can’t do is get more of it. Twenty-four hours in a day is what we get no matter what we do with it.

I’ve spent some time considering the time I spend when I’m feeling like I don’t have enough of it.

If you want to know what you value, look where you spend your time and who you spend it with.

We Make Time for Things Important to Us

Here are a few truths about time that I’ve become aware of. You should too if you want to keep time working for you.

  • We make time for the things we know are important.
  • We find time for the things we want to do.
  • We use time to find things that will save us time. Sometimes using up the time we had do it whatever we would have been doing.
  • If we can’t find time to do something, we don’t value it as much as what we’re already doing.
  • When we take time for ourselves, we’re not so tight on the time we spend on others.

Time is the only resource we can’t renew. We need to use it while we have the time to. Time well invested gets us closer to the people we care about. When we spend time focused on what the relationships, projects, and businesses we’re building, we build them better.

This week, before time gets away from you, take a few moments to choose one goal that’s important to you. Decide to focus your attention for a set amount of time each day on that important goal and see what happens. Quality time focused in that single direction will have an exponential effect. But you knew you.

Be aware of the things you’re doing and the time you’re spending doing it.
Are you spending your time on what you value?

How do you keep time working for you?

It’s irresistible to be generous with your time.
Be irresistible.
–ME “Liz” Strauss