In the last 24 hours we’ve had a lot of new readers to ProBlogger after a couple of links from sites like Yahoo.

If this is your first time (or you’re newish to ProBlogger) to ProBlogger.net then I thought I’d put together a quick tour of my online home.

Firstly, my name’s Darren Rowse (that’s me posing with my computer monitor trying to look like that’s a normal thing to do) and – I’m a full time blogger. I blog both here at ProBlogger but also at Digital Photography School.

ProBlogger is a blog that is devoted to helping bloggers improve their blogging and explore ways to earn an income at the same time by writing about topics that they love.

More and more bloggers are now making at least a part time income blogging – with some even having gone ‘Pro’ with full time incomes.

I write more about the reasons for this blog and my experience as a blogger in my About Page. You might also like to see some of the ways that I make money from my blogs for an introduction into how bloggers make money blogging.

If you’re new to blogging you might find this ‘what is a blog?‘ article and my series on Blogging for Beginners helpful.

If you like what you read here you can follow my future entries (I write 1-2 posts per day) in two ways – either using our RSS News feed or you can get daily updates by adding your email address to the field at the top of my sidebar.

I also send weekly(ish) newsletters out with updates from this site plus extra stuff just for subscribers. You can sign up for that here.

Resources for Bloggers

Most of what you’ll find here on ProBlogger is 100% free – however I’ve also produced 3 resources that you might find useful:

1. ProBlogger the Book – a hard cover book I co-authored two years back that is ideal for beginners wanting to explore how to make money online.
2. 31 Days to Build a Better Blog – an e-book for people with blogs that have stalled and in need of a little inspiration and motivation.
3. ProBlogger Community – a community of bloggers who come together to learn and collaborate to improve their blogs.

If you’re looking for a blogging job – also check out the free ProBlogger Blog Job Boards.

Thanks for stopping by – I hope you enjoy your stay at ProBlogger. If you do have any questions feel free to drop me a note in a comment below or via my contact form.

Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger.

Welcome to ProBlogger – A Quick Tour for New Readers

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Welcome to ProBlogger – A Quick Tour for New Readers

Guest post by Deb Ng from Freelance Writing Gigs.

While going over my stats last summer, I learned something important: If I stopped blogging each day, I would still earn enough each month from my content to draw a salary and pay the bloggers who write for my network. I’m no longer breaking even and I can tell you, after almost five years of trying to make this blog work out, the rewards go far beyond that of money. Success is a great motivator.

I would like to tell those who don’t feel niche bloggers can’t earn decent advertising revenue, they couldn’t be more wrong.

“Make money online” bloggers are always pimping affiliate links. Niche bloggers can’t necessarily do this. Our readers don’t want to receive pitches every day. Moreover, not all niche blog readers are buyers. For example, selling high end products via a frugal living blog probably isn’t the best idea. The same with my freelance writing blog; one thing I learned over the years is that writers don’t open their wallets for the next big thing. If they’re buying products through an affiliate link, it has to provide tremendous value. When I have sold it’s with conferences, books, ebooks, courses and other teaching products. The bulk of my income doesn’t come from affiliate links, however. They come from private ad sales and Adsense.

So, niche bloggers, here is my advice to you:

1. Traffic and community come first: To truly earn money through advertising revenue on a niche blog, you have to build trust within your community. Sure, you can place ads on your blog from the very beginning, but they probably won’t earn. Don’t focus on monetization right off the bat. Take the time to build traffic and community. Establish trust among your readers. Once you have an active community and regular traffic with a pattern you can rely on, then you can deal with traffic.
2. Know your readers: Before you sell anything, you have to know your market. Tech blogs and “make money online” blogs can enjoy a more diverse income stream because their readers will respond to a variety of products and services. Not so much with nichier topics. Knowing your community’s habits is essential to monetizing narrow niches. For example, my community is made up of clickers, not buyers. As mentioned above, when they do buy, they choose items that teach. They don’t invest in gadgets but they will invest in materials to help them further their careers.  I learned what they like by playing with the various revenue streams and also by conducting polls and reading every single one of their comments and emails.
3. It won’t happen overnight: Don’t be frustrated if you don’t begin earning as soon as you place ads. It doesn’t happen overnight. Your community wants to trust you – and your advertisers.  Give each ad some time to earn, but if you don’t see any response at all after a month or two, explore other advertising possibilities.
4. Good content continues to earn over time: Timeless or “evergreen” content has the ability to earn for a lifetime. Try posting advice that will be relevant five years from now. In addition to current news and events, discuss topics that will always appeal to web searchers.
5. Find other forms of passive income: Advertising isn’t the only way you can earn through your blog. As Darren has proved here, you can also sell ebooks, courses, work books, webinars and even a membership forum.
6. Don’t wait for advertisers to find you: For me, private ad sales are the most lucrative. Other than Adsense, my highest payers are advertisers who didn’t come from a particular advertising agency. I found many of them on my own. Advertisers won’t reach out to you if they don’t know about you. If you have enough traffic coming in, create a press kit. List stats such as bounce rate, pageviews, traffic and more. Market your blog much in the same way traditional media market to their advertisers. See if you can convince potential advertisers to come on board.
7. Don’t rest on your laurels: OK, so you have a few ads. I can tell you now, it won’t last. You can’t expect every advertiser to stick with you for years. They come, advertise for a while, and go on their merry way after sales start to lag a bit. Always be on the lookout for new sponsors and advertising opportunities to ensure there are no dry periods.

Many niche blogs are difficult to monetize, but they don’t have to be. If you study your community and traffic patterns, you can find some profitable solutions. You might have to think outside the box or sell your own stuff, but once your blog hits, the sales will soar.

Are you monetizing your blog now? What methods are using and how is it working out for you?

Deb Ng is a freelance writer, professional blogger, social media consultant and founder of the Freelance Writing Jobs network of blogs. Follow Deb on Twitter @debng.

Tags: Niche blogging

Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger.

7 Tips for Profitable Niche Blogging

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7 Tips for Profitable Niche Blogging

guest post by Kelly Diels

I have a problem with authority.

Step inside my echo chamber. I’m a blogger, and apparently now a ProBlogger (just quit my job and I’m making money!) so I’m keenly interested in bloggers who blog about blogging. Especially bloggers who blog about blogging for money. ‘Cuz, like, I like to eat. And I figure that reading and digesting and applying the bloggingforcash lessons of those who have climbed this hill a little longer, for a little more money, is a good idea.

And up high on the meta-blogging mountain they yodel: get thee some authority-y-y-y.

Yet every time I read that I need to get authority, I recoil, I cringe, I raise my feminine fist to the heavens and wail and curse and gnash my teeth.

My neighbours don’t love this. I’ll probably hear from the authorities, soon.

What’s my problem with authority?

In really precise and technical terms, it icks me out.

First, in real life, my aversion to authority is a philosophical, political, feminist, and don’t-wanna-be-bored thing. I don’t want to do what I’m told because a lot of what we’re told to do by institutions, experts, parents, teachers, bosses, friends and lovers is just patently bad for us as human, feeling, thinking, interesting people.

Second, when it comes to blogging authority, I don’t understand what we’re talking about:

• What is this authority of which we speak?
• How do we get it?
• Why do we want it?

Online Authority. What Am I Talking About? I Have No Idea.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Here’s what I’m talking about:

It might be worth stating that the type of blog that I’m talking about in this series is a blog that isn’t purely about profit or traffic – but a blog that has influence in its niche.

It is certainly possible to build a profitable and/or well trafficked blog without Trust – in fact I know a few bloggers who blog purely for Search Engine Traffic who don’t really care about influence, brand or loyal readers but who just want traffic that they can convert to cash…

What I’m on about is helping bloggers to not only be profitable and have traffic but to build blogs that have profile, influence, authority, credibility, respect and a brand that opens up opportunities beyond quick profit. - Darren Rowse

Good blogging creates authority, plain and simple. Writing consistently about your area of expertise makes you an authority figure within your industry and niche. You will enjoy a definitive advantage over competitors who do not blog, and likely even over those who have been blogging for shorter time periods.

Professionals and other business people have long been writing for trade publications and newspaper columns to build authority, coupled with networking in the community and at trade shows and conferences, all in an attempt to build word-of-mouth referral business. With blogging, you’re building authority and networking all at once, and on a global scale if your business model benefits from that kind of reach.

The goal is not to be on the A-List as determined by the Technorati Top 100 Blogs. Your goal is to be on the A-List for your niche, geographic region or industry. - Brian Tracy

It’s much slower and harder with an authority blog to develop traffic as you have to be more choosy. It’s not enough just to do linkbait or SEO tricks, you have to attract the right people and delight them with your content so they subscribe and come back. Here you actually need to get to know your audience and what they like. You have to treat them as individuals rather than a herd of potential ad-clickers. -Chris Garrett

Authority. The Common Ground (I think). It Is Male Territory (I think).

What do these guys have in common?

• they’re guys (this might have been obvious from the question) and white, male and pretty ones
• they ranked high on Google for “blogging and authority”
• they were who I was thinking about when I was thinking about blogging and authority, because I’ve read them and learned from them
• and I still don’t know what they’re talking about.

I’ve got a theory about why I don’t know what they’re talking about and it all starts with liberal arts. I’m slandering Socrates right now.

I went to University for a long time and during that time the title of nearly every book and academic paper started with “Beyond ________.”

Beyond Pluralism. Beyond Democracy. Beyond Feminism. Beyond Macrophysical Marathoning and Towards Paper Mâché. I just made that up.

My point: all of the writers arguing beyond a concept were reacting to a history or an asserted wisdom that constitutes the canon. They were suggesting that there was more to their field than the regular, accepted arguments and outlines.  They were saying, yes, that’s true, but there is so much more to this story.

I have a suspicion that the reason I’m not grasping ‘authority’ is because that’s what these bloggers and social media thinkers are doing, here, too, with online authority. They’re saying things like “it is not enough to…”, “the goal is not…”, and “isn’t purely about profit or traffic” – all of which makes me suspect there is a discussion or core knowledge animating these beyond-ish arguments.

So I’m convinced that they all know something I don’t – which is easy, because I know nothing. And I know it. Thanks, liberal arts.

(For this I paid an average of $17,000 a year for six years. Ah, higher education.)

And because I think there is a core idea underneath these discussions, I keep asking this question: when we’re talking about online authority, what are we talking about?

Is authority

• internal, like mastery of your subject and therefore of your domain and possibly the world?
• an external perception, assessed by others based on your contribution?
• Empowerment?
• Knowledge?
• Expertise?
• Reputation?
• Search engine rankings?
• Some bundle thereof?

Questioning Authority and The Tautology Thereof.

So I asked, directly.

I went to the Misters and the Masters (because sometimes – a lot of times – they are the same and I know this from real life and Women’s Studies, thanks liberal arts) and asked them by e-mail,

What is authority and why do we need it?

Yes, I questioned authority by going to the authorities on authority for advice about authority. Ahem and a’men. All men. Again.

Chris Brogan: Is authority the same as trust? A great question. No. Authority is that sense that someone knows enough about something as to be useful. Trust means that PLUS the sense that you’d take this advice, implement it, and follow one’s recommendations on some things (not necessarily all) without much question. I think authority is to the left of trust on a spectrum, so to speak.

Chris Garrett: Authority could be credibility, could be based on your expertise, experience or results, but it is often simpler than that.It is the answer to the question “why should I listen to YOU?”

Can you demonstrate that you have valuable knowledge, insights, ideas? Have you done something that I would like to be able to achieve too? Do other people look to you as the go-to person in your subject area?

What it absolutely is not is beating people over the head with your credentials and calling yourself an expert – in fact that would work against your authority rather than in favour of it. Labels do not create authority because what a badge gives we can undo in moments as soon as we open our mouths

Chris Guillebeau: Authority matters! All authority is perceived authority, meaning that it is determined largely by personal interpretation — but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. When people look to you as an expert and trust what you say, you have a powerful relationship with them, either as a blogger, a marketer, or just a human being. Credentials for credentials sake aren’t that important anymore, but authority is here to stay.

Jonathan Fields:Depends who’s asking. If you’re a kid, it’s the folks who make the rules. If you’re a grown up, it’s the people who refuse to be constrained by the rules. Those who question authority, create their own paradigms, push envelopes and buttons, then bring others along, opening doors, expanding world views, crafting experiences and solutions and, most importantly, walking the walk.

Real authority is also about aligning words with deeds. It comes from those who dare to live. Those who dare to be judged. Those who open themselves to failure and swap spewing for doing. Real authority takes work and risk. Because if it was easy, everyone would be doing it…and everyone would be an authority, leaving the word so diluted as to have no import.

Honestly, I’m Still Not Getting It. WTbadword is Authority?

These are some smart answers from some very smart people – but I’m still not getting it.

So I posed the question to my friends, family, lovers and stalkers who then proceeded to break Twitter and blow up my blog comments.

Neat fact: the people who answering my question “what is authority and why do we need it?” are not all men (nor are most of them named “Chris”). Holy revolution.

Authority to me, and based on my experience, is that you believe what someone says without having to verify it from a 2nd source. It’s half trust, and half faith that someone knows what they’re talking about. - Nathan Hangen

Authority is earned on some level. Chris Brogan became a social media authority when everyone believed he was. My question is…when did HE believe it? - Kelly Livesay

Authority is also respect. Have learned that, (in my culture anyway.) a person must choose between authority & respect…or will we choose rapport and communication and transparency? Rapport encourages connection, a lack of fear and a sense of security. But there is a cost – often a loss of respect comes with rapport if it’s chosen over authority, especially if that person is a woman. - Franis Engel

Authority is in the eye of the beholder - Mary H Ruth

“Authority” squelches innovation, originality, unconventional acumen. It keeps us looking 4 the same answers in the same places.  “Authority” says that “they” are experts when actually “they” might just be louder or more privileged, male, white, pretty.”Authority” can have sumptuous merit – lived experience, deep digging, TRUE interest. It leads tribes. Bottom line: ALL AUTHORITY NEEDS TO BE QUESTIONED, including one’s own, for true freedom and creativity. Never stop asking. - Danielle LaPorte

I think we are moving to a new place about what constitutes authority, so I am glad you are writing about it. The etymology of authority goes back to the word “autor” -from the Old French for “father”. So there are the patriarchial roots….My new definition of authority is authenticity + clarity (haven’t figured out what to do with the o yet). When I show up as fully myself – with my beautiful flaws and mistakes and fears, and say “this is my truth” from a place of clarity – that is worth listening to. This type of authority is on the rise. If your authority means getting people to listen to you, to follow you, that’s fauxthority. You’re just looking for clones. If it means showing people the possibility of authenticity + clarity to find their truth, now we’re talking. -Lianne Raymond

Authority and Women. That’s a No Go, Boys.

Rich, gorgeous stuff, yes?

And a bit thematic and consistent.

Did you notice a point that kept emerging from the women weighing in on authority?

Authority might be a bit off-putting to women: it feels pretty linear, competitive, male,  and exclusive. And – again with the precise language – kind of icky.

(Bloggers and internet marketers, take note. There is an ISSUE here. More than one woman talked about how authority doesn’t resonate with them, or how it signals all the wrong things. It might be as simple as speaking a different language or it might be more.)

No wonder I can’t get my head around what authority means. We all mean different things by it, and it resonates and triggers wildly different associations in each of us:

• Credibility
• Trust
• Respect
• Experience
• Rapport
• Influence
• Connection
• Social Proof
• reputation
• Accountability
• Google

I don’t really know what to do with that. How does one systematically go about attempting to manufacture influence and manipulate perceptions?

(Actually, I think this is called “branding”).

Still: fertile ground.

Wherein It Turns Out Online Authority is Way Simpler and Less Sexy and Sexist Than I Thought.

Buried in all of this yummy, complicated, thinky hummus were two great potatoes:

Authority is landing on 1st page of Google for search term. Preferably in the top 3 - Dave Doolin

Normally “Authority” online is a reference to how Google values your website / pages. Google considers a Site more authoritative if it has the keyword in question in the site’s URL, if it is an older site, if it has plentiful backlinks from other sites considered to be high value sites, and if the content relates well to the search (among other things). Not too differently from how one might look for an Authority on a topic — who does everyone else look to / listen to (link to) for information on a specific topic? - Bruce Nunnally

Oh well, okay then. Now we’re talking. Now we’re sheering off all the emotion, politics, genitals and gendered intersections and just talking about results.

Search engine results.

I think we just figured out the old school (really old school – as in Platonic) online authority that everyone is obliquely telling us to get beyond.

Authority is the Goddess Google via John Mellencamp. Worship Accordingly.

So at its most basic, Platonic level, online authority is search engine results.

And contained in this most minimal of definitions is an action plan. Here’s how you get online authority:

• backlinks (guest posts)
• backlinks (commenting on other blogs)
• backlinks (great content and value aka “linkbait“)
• backlinks (community. Play nice.)
• backlinks (relationships. Be nice.)
• and all the stuff bloggers advise you to do to build traffic, dominate SERPS and create online authority is about…backlinks

I must confess that my inner feminist, idealist and fist-shaker just died a little for the 47 millionth time since I started this essay approximately six hundred years ago.

Fortunately, all of my alter egos are resilient. And persistent.

So is John Mellencamp, from whom I unabashedly stole the title of this piece. His 80s old school words of wisdom, in song:

I fight Authority, Authority always wins
oh, I’ve been doing it since I was a young kid and I always come out grinning.
I fight Authority. Authority always wins.

And Authority is Google and I’m pretty sure she’s a woman.

To woo her, you’ll need backlinks. To keep her (and her friends, the ones she very kindly sends your way), you’ll need plain ol’ likeability, credibility, and respectability.

You know, exactly what everyone was telling me but I just had to keep questioning. Curse you, liberal arts.

_____________________

Kelly Diels writes for ProBlogger every week. She’s also a wildly hireable freelance writer and the creator of Cleavage, a blog about three things we all want more of: sex, money and meaning.

Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger.

I Fight Authority and Authority Always Wins. (And What IS Online Authority Anyway?)

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I Fight Authority and Authority Always Wins. (And What IS Online Authority Anyway?)

Oh happy, glorious, liberating Friday. We’re so glad you’ve come back! What’s in store for the recap today? Truth be told, I don’t even know. We must read on to find out!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

The biggest, brightest full moon of the year happens tonight. Tonight’s full moon also happens to be the first of the year, an event known as the wolf moon. If you’ve got clear skies, celebrate by snatching your three wolf moon shirt from the closet and check out this celestial beauty.

Before voting closes tonight, take a minute to vote for your favorite finalists of the SEMMY Awards. The SEMMYS honors the best Internet marketing blog posts of the year as chosen by the community. Congrats to all the finalists on this distinction! If you’re not really one to pick favorites, you’ll still enjoy the SEMMYS for pulling together and categorizing a ton of incredible posts from the last year.

Inc., publishers of the annual Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., is predicting the best performing and worst performing industries for the decade ahead. Several tech industries, including search engines and VoIP providers, made the top of the list, while many manufacturing industries were found in the bottom.

Survey results are in! What did the participants of a poll say about the role of blogging in overall marketing goals? Check out TopRank Blog’s analysis of the report. What? You don’t want me to spoil the ending, do you?

Now I never thought I’d say this, but there is such a thing as too much bacon. For instance, here we see bacon to the crazy degree:

[10:26:15 AM] BCI-Susan Esparza: http://www.geekologie.com/2010/01/i_must_live_there_bacony_foods.php
[10:26:20 AM] BCI-Susan Esparza: Creepy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dongkwan/ CC BY 2.0

This one’s probably had marketers scratching their heads ever since those counterintuitive commercials started rolling out. The pizza chain Domino’s is in the middle of an image re-vamp campaign where they admit to passing off cardboard for pizza all these years. Risky move, but could it work? Domino’s CMO shares his insight into the campaign in a revealing interview. Smart move or suicide — what do you think? [My roommate is unhappy. She actually liked the old recipe. …she's very odd. --Susan]

Next week in Spokane, Washington, the first Local University event will be held. The half-day workshop will teach area businesses about locally focused Internet marketing. I didn’t hear about this event in time to include it in our SEO Newsletter’s Shindigs this month, so spread the word to your friends in Washington state!

Pope Benedict XVI has been involved in social media in the five years since he became pope and he’s now encouraging priests to blog, be active on Facebook, and publish YouTube videos. The pope understands marketing and is, like, hip. Color me impressed.

Social-media-interested Businesses, individuals and priests will all appreciate these tips for how to write better tweets and how to better engage Facebook fan page fans. Don’t forget to check your Facebook privacy settings while you’re at it!

Google Earth was updated with a GeoEye layer that provides high-resolution satellite images.

[1:55:17 PM] BCI-Paula Allen: Google set up a GeoEye Featured Imagery layer in Google Earth for satellite photos http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2010/01/25/google-adds-geoeye-layer-to-earth-zoo-to-maps
[1:56:30 PM] BCI-Paula Allen: Internal images, too (my nightmare scenario is coming closer!) On a somewhat related note, Google is also now mapping interiors of places. Before you get too worked up, don’t worry, they’re not coming into your house), but they do have imagery up from within the San Diego Zoo
[1:57:14 PM] BCI-Paula Allen: I want to trademark a new term: “Google potato”

Brilliant idea! Both clever and original! Unlike China’s newest search engine, Goojje. Google’s sister? More like Google’s identity stealing clone.

Apple finally announced its touchscreen tablet, the iPad, this week. I wrote about the Apple hype machine yesterday, and by now you’ve probably read all there is to know about the device. But I can’t in good conscience write an end-of-week recap without mentioning the iPad, so here:

[1:52:45 PM] BCI-Virginia Nussey: http://www.buzzfeed.com/dinoi/a-comparative-chart-between-two-tablets-dj0
[1:52:54 PM] BCI-Virginia Nussey: how do you multi task with a stone?
[1:53:01 PM] BCI-Virginia Nussey: you can bash people in the head with it?
[1:53:05 PM] BCI-Virginia Nussey: you can do that with the ipad too!

Other acceptable answers the writers discussed: lap warmer, lap desk and something you can simultaneously read and write on. Who says the iPad can’t multi task? [It can be a paperweight too. Which is probably the best use for it. --Susan]

Things I learned from Boing Boing this week:

• Who says New Yorkers are cold and isolated? They’ll willingly carry a stranger on their back!
• I’ve never felt sympathy for a robot before… Keep your spirits high, little Spirit!
• You know those gorgeous, iridescent blue butterflies? Turns out they’re quite the deceivers.
• Forget jet-setting in a giant suite. I’d much rather get a ticket in cuddle class!
• The world’s largest island on a lake, on an island, on a lake, on an island…

Friday Recap: Wolf Moon Edition was originally published on BruceClay.com, an SEO services company.

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Friday Recap: Wolf Moon Edition

Earlier this month we published a list of 30 bloggers to watch in 2010 that caused a lot of conversation and debate in the comments section of that post. Of course the list of bloggers were simply one persons opinion and fairly much focused around that persons interests – so a week later I invited readers to create their own ‘bloggers to watch’ lists and submit links to them in the comments of that post.

47 bloggers have created such lists so far. The great thing about the submissions is that while there are some themes there is also a lot of diversity in the lists submitted. There is everything from food bloggers to watch, to Mom bloggers to watch, to greeen bloggers to watch, to personal finance blogges to watch to diabetic bloggers to watch. While not every niche is represented it is a great celebration of the blogosphere.

As it’s been a couple of weeks since I called for posts I thought it might be time to combine all the lists of bloggers to watch into a list of posts.

I encourage you to surf through the list – find the posts you resonate with – link up to them, tweet them and add to them with your own comments and posts.

You are welcome to keep submitting your posts of bloggers to watch in your niche but I probably won’t compile the list again unless there are a lot submitted.

1. Saving Money Bloggers to Watch
2. Dance Blogs to Watch in 2010
3. Top Business and Finance Magazines, Blogs and Journals
4. Bloggers to Watch in 2010- Translation and Localization Industry
5. My Women of the Web
6. Faith Bloggers to Watch in 2010
7. Sewers and Quilting Bloggers to Watch
8. 11 Famous Food Photo Bloggers to Watch This Year
9. Owen Greaves Bloggers to Watch
10. 15 Simplicity/Minimalist Bloggers to Watch in 2010
11. Six Win Bloggers to Watch for 2010
12. 5 More Blogs to Follow in 2010
13. Personal Finance Bloggers to Watch in 2010
14. 5 Laser Sailing Bloggers to Watch in 2010
15. 10 Food Bloggers to Watch in 2010
16. Music Therapy Bloggers to Watch in 2010
17. 10 Top Bloggers to Follow in the WordPress Community
18. Blogs I’ll be Following in 2010
19. Green Crafty Reading List
20. Coupon and Deal Finding Bloggers to Watch
21. My Fave Blogs
22. Decluttering and Getting Organized Bloggers to Watch in 2010
23. Moms Plus Bloggers to Watch in 2010
24. Bloggers to Watch Out For
25. A List of the Best Gardening Blogs
26. 25 Blogger Active Roster
27. Israel Bloggers to Watch in 2010
28. A Few of My Favorite “Mom Blogs”
29. My 2010 Blogs Watch
30. 10 Blogs to Watch in 2010
31. Top 50 Diabetic Bloggers of 2010
32. Fun and Frugal Bloggers to Watch in 2010
33. Green Bloggers to Watch in 2010
34. People to Watch and Learn from in 2010
35. 50 Personal Finance Bloggers to Watch in 2010
36. 62 More Personal Development Blogs – Watch List 2010
37. Blogs to Follow in 2010
38. Social Media Bloggers to Watch
39. Vegan Blogger Reading List
40. The Merch Girl’s Blogs to Watch in 2010
41. 5 Frugal Blogs With the Best Strategies to Save Money
42. Watch List of Bloggers
43. 11 Kingdom Bloggers to Watch in 2010
44. Bloggers to Watch in 2010
45. List of Green Women Bloggers
46. 45 Cross-Cultural and International Bloggers to watch in 2010
47. Four Personal Development Bloggers I’m Watching in 2010

Thanks to everyone who submitted lists!

PS: an interesting piece of feedback that I had from quite a few of the bloggers behind these links was that the posts were among the most popular posts they’ve ever written. These kinds of lists do have a habit of generating traffic and conversation!

Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger.

47 Lists of Bloggers to Watch in 2010 – Check them Out!

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47 Lists of Bloggers to Watch in 2010 – Check them Out!

A Guest Post by Alexandra Levit from www.newjobnewyou.com

I’ve been an author since my early twenties, and a journalist since last year. All forms of writing were not created equal, and I’ve found that writing my blog, Water Cooler Wisdom has had its own set of challenges. However, there are a lot of takeaways for bloggers who have spent some time in the trenches of traditional media. Here are some that I’ve observed:

1. Endurance is King

When I’m getting ready to start a new book, the very prospect of it is overwhelming – after all, 65,000 words is a lot of writing. These days, I’m also writing one career advice column a week, and everyone is watching to make sure I don’t repeat myself. In order to sustain my momentum, I have to plan what I’m going to cover far in advance and conquer the work involved a little bit at a time. Blogging requires the same sort of vigilance. 90% of blogs start out strong but fizzle in the first few months because the writers can’t keep up with the posting frequency necessary to engage the community. Blogging’s history is routed in stream of conscious journaling, but to say the medium has evolved would be an understatement. To blog well today, you must continually re-think your approach and topics, and always be striving to learn more about your niche and the blogging craft.

2. Loyalty is Queen

To be a successful author or columnist, you have to build up a following over time. In the beginning, no one reads you and it feels like you’re talking to yourself. But you just keep trying to put out useful information and advice, and you add readers one by one as particular pieces resonate with them. Those people start reading you regularly and recommend you to their friends. They trust what you have to say, and they defend you when online trolls make mean comments. I’ve learned that having a loyal subscriber base is critical to blogging success as well, and that it’s actually better to have a smaller group of highly engaged readers than a larger group of fickle individuals. I rely on my blog readers to provide me with early feedback on new writing projects and to tell me when I’ve mentally gone off the grid. I know that they are always looking out for my best interests and they are the best source of constructive feedback I have at my disposal right now.

3. Straight Writing is no Longer Enough

Authors used to write books – only. And columnists used to write columns – only. No longer. Now authors handle 90% of book promotion themselves, and columnists are expected to adapt to the online format and respond to readers in real time. Similarly, a blog these days that only consists of your writing will probably die a swift death. The best bloggers are product development and marketing whizzes in addition to great writers. They spend almost as much time responding to comments as they do writing posts. Also, I first really grasped the power of video when I decided to make a free career change webinar to supplement my new book, New Job, New You. The format was so compelling that I started regularly using video in my blog too, and I’ve seen my readership shoot up.

4. Source Carefully or Forever Hold your Peace

As an author and journalist, I’m held to strict ethical standards regarding the sourcing of material. I’ve learned to take precise notes when doing interviews, and to ask for permission to cite written passages whenever they exceed a certain word count. I’m grateful that these processes have been drilled into me, because many in the blogosphere play fast and loose with sourcing and get into hot water as a result. A blogger who copies someone else’s post word for word and claims it as their own is bound to be found out and will risk losing their credibility and reputation. On the other hand, bloggers who generously credit others with thoughts and ideas are usually rewarded by the community.

5. The Insider’s Club is Alive and Well

The world of the published author and the related world of the working journalist used to be rarefied territory. Each club was viewed as exclusive, with its own set of rules and behaviors, and members stuck together closely. While authors and journalists may not be as revered as before, they are to some extent still part of a tight-knit group. Members can relate to each other’s experiences and gravitate toward one another socially and professionally. Anyone who has been to Blog World Expo or a BlogHer conference knows this to be true of the various strata of bloggers as well. Even though I’ve never met many of my blogging cohorts in person, I am closer to many of them than I am to members of my family.

All of you ProBloggers had other careers before you started blogging, and many of you still maintain those careers. What skills and lessons have you learned from your other jobs that have made you a better blogger?

Alexandra Levit is a columnist for the Wall Street Journal and the author of the new book “New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career.” If you’re struggling with what to do with your career in the New Year, visit www.newjobnewyou.com for free tools and guidance.

Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger.

5 Things I Learned About Blogging from Being an Author and Journalist

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5 Things I Learned About Blogging from Being an Author and Journalist

“Let’s play a game!” said Google to SEOs and webmasters this week.

Google has challenged webmasters to test their Google Fu with a fun and educational quiz (like the “Are you a good kisser?” quiz in that woman’s magazine that you couldn’t resist taking as a teen — but I digress …)

Quiz Strengthens Webmasters’ and SEOs’ Understanding of Google

I just took the quiz and I’m sure I stumbled on a few of the questions. Luckily Google will be explaining the answers in a follow-up blog post, meaning that I’ll learn the info I don’t already know, and I’ll be able to grin proudly knowing that, hey, would you look at that, I iz Google smart. (Humor me and let’s assume that’s the outcome. It was much too painful to learn that even a Cyclops with spoiled milk breath living in his mom’s basement wouldn’t kiss me.)

A post on the Google Webmaster Blog read: “[W]e’ve tried to come up with questions and answers that reflect recurring concerns in the forum and some information that may not be well known.”

It’s always nice to know you’re not alone — a fact made sweeter when you can gain the missing knowledge that caused you grief as you tried to hunt down solutions that escaped you earlier.

Quiz Results Help Google to Better Understand the Webmaster Community

Of course SEOs and webmasters aren’t the only ones who stand to gain from the quiz. In fact, Google will probably be the biggest winner after the quiz closes on January 27. [They call it a quiz but it's really a survey. But surveys are boring to take and there's no competition aspect. —Susan] Ahh, true! Clever wordsmithing there, Google. —Virginia

Knowing what webmasters know will be helpful to Google in shaping their marketing message strategy. What to do webmasters already know? What initiatives should be better publicized? What SEO solutions are underutilized or misunderstood? Where do we need to step up our game when it comes to communicating with the community that relies on search (and thus, pays the bills at the Googleplex)? The direct feedback is any company’s dream.

Through the quiz survey Google is also able to get across a subtle message. Take this question for example:

Google’s little joke seeks to undermine the common conspiracy theory occurrences in the SEM industry. I’m not saying we break out the tin-foil for no reason, but Google is addressing the phenomenon by saying, “We don’t hate you and we aren’t conspiring against you, promise!”

(By the way, by publishing that question and its multiple choice answers I’m not spoiling your quiz results, Google. I’m just indexing and organizing your information with a representative sample under Fair Use guidelines for news reporting. Cool?)

While it’s clear that everyone benefits from Google’s knowledge share, I’m a fan of Google reaching out to the SEO community in this entertainingly educational way. On a related note, I also enjoyed hearing from Matt Cutts about his predictions for the search industry in 2010. Predictions and polls are useful in informing your SEO strategy, and of course, nothing beats trend projections straight from the source.

Think You’re an SEO Expert? Google Tests Your SEO Smarts was originally published on BruceClay.com, an SEO services company.

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Think You’re an SEO Expert? Google Tests Your SEO Smarts

If you pay attention to the ads that monetize most of the web, you’ve likely noticed a trend towards ads that promote content. Glance at these nifty alternatives to traditional banner ads, make some observations of your own, and then join me again at the end for my own analysis.

Is web 2.0 moving marketers to view community-building is a desirable goal?

AMEX

The AMEX ads above are the strongest affirmative answer to that question. The ads’ main goal is to drive entrepreneurs to AMEX’s Open Forum initiative, where the business owners can pick up expert tips to manage their businesses. Not only that, but AMEX has developed a ‘Connectodex’ service that helps SMB owners make connections amongst themselves.

In exchange, AMEX gets brand awareness with excellent targeting, filling the top of the sales funnel. They’ve also got a direct response effort going on at the site itself that succeeds in balancing AMEX’s revenue goals with visitors’ learning goals. You might have also noticed the subtle ‘Apply Now’ call to action in the banner’s upper right corner that ties into this.

Neutrogena

This co-branded ad with the Glam network tries to target 20- and 30-somethings, judging by the models and the text of the ad. And instead of talking about “me,” the ad focuses on “you” by offering tips presumably geared towards their audience’s interest.

I didn’t click the ad (I already know how to stay fabulous, duh), but I’m guessing by the co-branding with Glam that Neutrogena’s chosen to answer my question in the negative. They don’t want to build their own community of 20-something women.

Chase / Visa / Marriott Rewards

The ad targets an  affluent demographic of travelling businessmen who would presumably care for a hotel-rewards card with content that solicits them by name, as with AMEX’s focus on business owners. But the approach appears to be the same as with Neutrogena – sponsor content without hosting/ “owning” it.

(As an aside, I think the particular piece of content they’re sponsoring is brilliant given the bulls-eye targeting it affords Chase/Visa/Marriott.)

CLDS / Mormon.org

The Church of Latter Day Saints (CLDS) has a pretty unique situation:

• They have the express offline goal of bringing you into their community
• Their website features more content, just like AMEX
• The website’s format isn’t so much of a traditional online community where you have a multilateral conversation, but more of a guidance counsellor office type of place where you can put your questions to a missionary 1-on-1

As with other lead gen campaigns, the Mormons seem to have concluded that offering content and then gradually nurturing the lead is more effective than going for an immediate sale. This is reflected in their ‘Find a Meetinghouse [a Church]‘ call to action getting secondary treatment below the fold.

But by promoting their content (particularly with the clever flash-animated instant messaging  format), the CLDS is clearly promoting its content to build community.

What about SEO?

The lessons from these campaigns aren’t unique to banner ad campaigns.

When you’re buying or building links, you can be quite successful going with a content marketing approach. And if you own the community, you get the opportunity for both brand awareness/top of mind campaigning and your own customized direct response package. Which means you can be more aggressive with your SEO (eg by buying links) as well as reduce your dependency on search traffic. Inhouse community-building FTW!

{|- Last second update -|}

It appears the clairvoyant John Battelle called this as a 2009 prediction. In fairness, his Federated Media works with many of the companies employing this strategy, as he reveals in his 2009 Predictions: How Did I Do? post. Also, I recall Aaron Wall highlighting the foundation for this trend – advertisers creating their own content sites [not to be confused with website copy] – but it seems that hasn’t stopped them from advertising as Aaron suggested; instead they’re just advertising content.

Gab Goldenberg wrote this post for Red Fly Marketing, an Irish search engine optimisation and online advertising company. You can find Gab on Twitter @GabGoldenberg.

Advertisement: Track your keyword rankings over time with SEO Keyword Ranking

This post originally came from Michael Gray who is an SEO Consultant. Be sure not to miss the Thesis Wordpress Theme review.

Is Web 2.0 Creating An Ad Trend Towards Promoting Content?

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I met Murray Newlands at last year’s Affiliate Summit East in New York. He was introduced by my friend Heather. We did a video interview at the ASE press room while drinking beer. Since then I have watched, even scrutinized his progress. Murray is proof that you can start small (well actually he could still lose a pound or two) and go a long way in just a year. Just look at his Alexa stats. He has come from nowhere (aka the UK) – to one of the largest blogs about affiliate marketing. This is pretty remarkable for someone who has only just started blogging.

Murray Newlands is now short listed for Blogger of the Year at Affiliate Summit Pinnacle Awards. Murray is the first to admit that he has made some mistakes along the way. Still, if you want to make it as a blogger you could do no better than to take note and subscribe to Murray’s affiliate blog.

Researching this post I wanted to know what he was really like so I asked someone I know well who works with him a lot, Eric Schechter at Clickbooth. Eric said that Murray drives thousands of dollars of traffic per month as an affiliate for the network and had been a huge help in promoting the network.

I wanted to interview him this year before the awards and see what tips he would have for bloggers trying to make it.

Murray Newlands, who is going to win the Affiliate Summit Pinnacle Awards?

Jeremy Schoemaker. I would like to say that I am honored to be on the list with two amazing bloggers like Jeremy and Geno Prussakov. Thanks Shawn and Missy.

Murray you get written about on lots of blogs: how do you do that?

It is all about communication, getting to know other bloggers and being open about building relationships. In practical terms, meeting bloggers at events and making a good impression helps, as well as linking to them. Get to know some bloggers and work with them and you will soon get to know the community. Yes, like lots of other things in life it is about who you know, so get to know some people and pay it forward.

You blog about lots of affiliate networks and other companies: why is that?

They interact with me and provide good content for my readers. Once I started to blog about Clickbooth and we built up a good working relationship, other networks could see that, and I know how to interact with a network. Since starting with Clickbooth things have evolved from there.

What is this blog outreach I have read about you doing in other interviews?

Simple. Companies want to get picked up on blogs, they want links traffic and to generate buzz. I am doing some work for a shopping deals site www.ubranstone.co.uk :they sell freezers etc. The want all of the aforementioned. They saw what I had created with my blog and asked me to help them. Now more and more people ask me to help with this kind of work, I see it as more marketing than affiliate marketing, but I love blogging so it all works. I am looking for more bloggers to work with: please do get in contact.

How can people contact you?

At my blog www.murraynewlands.com on Twitter @murraynewlands or on Facebook.

What tips would you give my readers about how to grow their blogs?

Get to know and work with other bloggers. Pay it forward and it will come back to you, while learning who gives back. If you get a reputation for giving, others will want to network with you. Keep blogging and keep learning.

What can we expect from you this coming year?

Well I have just launched a word of mouth marketing blog and bought but not yet re-launched affiliateblogger.co.uk, so that is some clue.

What else would you like to know?

I am going to meet Murray Newlands at Affiliate Summit West and do a video interview with him, what more would you like to know about him? CV, DNA profile, waist measurement?

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Profile Of Success – Murray Newlands