Pro Business Tips

The Blog Advantage: The 4 Reasons Blogs Are So Popular

What makes blogs so popular with publishers and readers alike?

1. Content - Blogs are updated frequently and the content is usually ordered in reverse chronological format. It makes a static website seem more than just a brochure or catalogue by comparison.
2. Syndication - All blog platforms include a technology called RSS (Really Simple Syndication). Basically I can subscribe to your blog and each time a new article is posted, I am notified. If I no longer want to read the information I just unsubscribe. So distribution and consumption is painless and easy.
3. Conversation - The conversational, intimate tone of blogs encourages community and loyalty. Since blogs are updated by individuals (or a group of individuals), the ‘voice’ of the blog author(s) will often shine through. Adding personality and approachability to your blog encourages two-way communication.
4. Easy publishing - A lot of people find website building and maintenance daunting. That’s why many people don’t have a website or pay a web designer to not only design and build the site but to also update content. The current technology available for content management in blogs removes this hurdle. Now, more than ever, it has become easier to run a site and update content yourself--even if you have no technical knowledge or interest.

Related Posts

• Blogging - Should You Host or Take a Pass?
• Widgets and Plug-ins for Your Blog
• My 9 Favorite Blogs for Making Money Online
• The 4 Most Important Types of Blog Posts
• Blogging and SEO
• Making Money Blogging

Widgets and Plug-ins for Your Blog

Widgets and plug-ins are self-contained little applications that add functionality to a Web site or blog. These include interactive polls, search, RSS, and tag clouds. Most of the major blogging platforms offer these for free. For example:

• Wordpress Plugins
• Typepad Widgets
• Blogger Widgets

If you want to see zillions of free widgets that can be used no matter what site software you use, head over to WidgetBox for the largest offering on the Web.

But don't get carried away adding widgets. They can clutter your page and make it slow to load. Also, make sure the widgets are consistent with your topic. It may take some testing and discarding before you find one that works with your niche.

Traffic Building Strategies with RSS

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is an XML-based format for content distribution. If you click on the orange RSS icon in the "Stay in Touch" section to the far right on this blog, you will an example of it that allows you to subscribe to this blog's content.

The advantage for a subscriber of this type of content is that it saves users from having to come to your site to find a new content. That's because the RSS feed fetches new content automatically and serves as a reminder of the content you are creating. But, if the content is compelling, this should encourage future visits to your site and drive loyal traffic.

Most blog providers like Typepad, Blogger, and Wordpress feature RSS--and therefore the ability to syndicate your content--as standard fare or as a free, easily integrated option. Take advantage of it.

Writing Tips and Tricks 1 - Title

What makes a good blog post? There are many important elements but for today's tip, I'm going to focus on the title.

Post title

• Keep your title short and snappy - Anything under 40 characters is good.
• Keep it informative - A cryptic title ("When Things Go Bad") can work but an informative one is usually better ("Money Saving Tips in a Bad Economy")
• Make it visually distinct - Keep the title distinct from the rest of your blog entry (font size, weight, type)
• Get their attention - This is especially important for search engines and RSS feeds since this is often the only thing a potential user will see. But make sure the promise lives up the hype. So if your title is "14 Scariest Gerbils of All Time," make sure the gerbils look scary, not cuddly.
• Make sure the title is SEO friendly - By default, most blog software will include your title in the URL, so rich keywords are important to consider since they are easily recognized by search engines. However, it's important to balance keyword rich titles, which can get formal and dry in a hurry, with something clever, pithy, and memorable.
• Meet a need - Any titles that meet a need are especially effective since they have a tutorial quality about them, such as "7 Must-Have Tools for Running a Business Online"