Roger Anderson has tagged me with the Thinking Blogs Award. The idea of this meme is we list five blogs that make us think. Hmmm, tough one. I would include Rogers but he has been listed already, and like Roger I don't want to trot out blogs you are already reading, so extra tough! ... Five blogs that make me think SEOBook - Aaron doesn't just talk about SEO, he gets you thinking about business models and your overall strategy. Worthwhile reading if your business is online, regardless of … [Read more...]

I was chatting to another blogger last night over Skype and he happened to mention something that was getting under his skin. Another blogger repeatedly referenced topics that first appeared on my friends blog but this other guy never credited him, not once. This can happen absolutely accidentally. We all pretty much read the same blogs in any niche, hear much the same news, have similar ideas. The examples he gave were very compelling though. It doesn't help that the two blogs are not so … [Read more...]

Getting links, finding guest bloggers, being introduced to business opportunities, it is all about networking and creating relationships. How do you find and connect with fellow bloggers? The best way to find and get to know bloggers is to talk to them or through their writing. You need to get a measure of them, make a connection, find things in common, see how they think. You can do this through Blog comments Forums Email Twitter Instant Messaging Skype Real-world … [Read more...]

Are your doubts holding you back? Do you feel like a fraud? Talking to people just starting out I know these are common feelings. Here are some wise words from Bill Shakespeare, expert pro blogger of his time ... Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once. Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt. The fear is that there are other people who know more or better, or that someone will see a … [Read more...]

The other day I challenged you to come up with a good Meme. Get my attention and as well as links and a help in getting your meme some traction, you will also get a copy of my forthcoming (really!) ebook. First, because I am a sucker for charity, is  ... the Charity Link Meme! The idea is to spread link love to a whole bunch of charities. Nice :) Here is the original list ... Service International - Disaster Relief Pujols Family Foundation - Children with Down … [Read more...]

Blog Memes, what are they? I just got tagged with another Meme. Last time I mentioned Memes I got a bunch of emails asking what they were, so before answering this Meme let's clear up what a blog meme is, shall we? In science, a Meme (pronounced to rhyme with "theme") is a self-propagating unit of thought that is spread from one host to another. Richard Dawkins invented the term as a kind of idea-gene. Like genes, as Memes spread they mutate or die. Only the fittest Memes survive. For bloggers … [Read more...]

Business and corporate blogs are powerfully effective and make up the "other" half of the professional blogging scene. Rather than showing adsense or banner ads, business and corporate blogs generate traffic, customer loyalty, leads and PR. Business blogs use indirect methods to turn a profit. Even if you don't consider your blog a business, if you use your blog as a publicist and salesman then you are also what I would term a business blogger.Directly monetized blog examples are much easier to … [Read more...]

Who is your blog for? What purpose does it serve?It's good to have a goal when starting your blog. Knowing what you want to achieve helps keep you on track. Having an idea of where you are headed serves to guide your decisions.Focus on the prize, indeed, but not to the exclusion of your audience!Consider the stereotypical grasping used car salesman, insurance salesman, builder, whatever. You know the type, I am not singling out any particular market here, there are dodgy geezers everywhere.You … [Read more...]

More and more people are getting into blogging because they want to make money. To feed this desire more and more bloggers are writing about making money from blogs. I get asked how to go about monetizing blogs, and also why I don't write more about the subject. This post will answer both questions.First let's be clear; blogging is not a magic route to instant riches. While there is certainly no harm in wanting to earn an income from blogging, make sure your expectations are realistic. A few … [Read more...]

Yes, blog critique time again!It's no secret than I am a fan of photography. For a couple of years now I have dabbled with my photography blog, been unhealthily addicted to Flickr and even have a couple of clients in photography and related industry. Portrait photographers are a special breed. While I have photographed two weddings that were successful, the stress of having only one chance at getting it right with no room for mistakes made me decide I could never do it professionally and gave me … [Read more...]