Archive for Blogging
How to Write Cool Blog Posts
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What is your blog’s goal? For most internet marketers and blog owners, the goal is to connect with their reader and provide information. Through this information, aka blog posts and content, you are able to establish your business and generate an income. The more conversational your blog posts, the easier it is to create that connection with your reader.
Think about it like this: would you rather talk to someone who is formal and stiff or someone who makes you laugh, think, and feel relaxed? Generally, conversational blog posts are much easier to read. They’re more interesting to read. And they help your reader feel closer to you – like you’re talking to them personally. If you struggle to write conversational blog posts, this is for you!
1 Consider Dictating Your Content
Many people struggle to convert their thoughts into the written word. The result is formal and often disorganized. If you’re “not a writer” then skip that step. Use one of the many marvellous dictation tools available now and dictate your blog content.
For example, if you have an iPhone you can send yourself a text message with your dictated blog post. You can use Dragon Naturally Speaking and any number of other tools. Once you have the content dictated, then you can go through it and edit, format, tweak, and publish.
2 Write as if You’re Writing to a Friend
You talk to your friends differently than you probably talk to your prospects and customers. You’re more conversational. Consider putting a picture of a friend in front of you as you write if you have trouble getting into this mind-set.
3 Ask Questions
Conversations are two way, right? You don’t just talk at people; you ask questions and invite their input and feedback. Do the same in your writing. Ask questions and invite comments and feedback.
4 Use Simple Words and Simple Sentences
Yes, some people talk in run-on sentences. They don’t pause and they don’t take a breath. These generally aren’t people that are pleasant to talk to. And content that contains run-on sentences isn’t fun to read. Keep your sentences short.
Additionally, it’s not enjoyable to talk to someone who uses words that you don’t know. For example, they throw in jargon, acronyms, and words you haven’t heard since your 10th grade spelling bee. Keep your language simple and easy to understand.
5 Easy to Read Formatting
Finally, formatting isn’t necessarily part of the writing process; however, it is part of your reader’s experience. Large blocks of content are difficult to read online. Keep your paragraphs short. Use formatting like bullets and numbers to separate ideas when appropriate. And use subheadings to introduce the next idea or paragraph.
The more you write conversational copy, the easier it will become. Remember what you like to read, and pay attention to those features as you write for your audience.
A WordPress Security Plugin and Why You Need One
Posted by: | CommentsWordPress is a customizable software platform that you can use to build a website in very little time, but I will state here from the start, you should have a wordpress security plugin.
It is popular with affiliate marketers who want the ease of use for their sites.
But, as with all web usage, there can be security risks. What about employing plug-ins?
When you set up shop on the internet you have to assume some risk. Yes, I said risk.
Why You Need a WordPress Security Plugin
Have you ever heard of hackers? If not, you will most definitely have heard of viruses and Trojan horses.
Those don’t just find their way to websites by themselves. Someone has to put them there.
While WordPress is easy to set up, it is what is termed “open source” software. That means that the entire public has access to it. So, someone who has less than admirable intentions could hack your site.
Now, it could be something as simple as leaving improper comments on your blog. People do that all the time.
But, that comment could be embedded with viruses that can infect your entire infrastructure, which would be bad for you and any potential visitors.
People can also steal your content. In the age of intellectual property disputes, it is hard to retrieve something once it has been stolen without going through a lot of red tape.
A hacker can do that as well by gaining access to your WordPress site.
Why not protect yourself from the beginning with a wordpress security plugin?
You may never have a problem with such things on any of your WordPress sites but why take that chance?
What is a WordPress Security Plugin?
Plug-ins are additional codes that you can add that will do things behind the scenes on your site.
There are free plug-ins, premium ones that you might have to pay a small fee for, and also ones that function specifically for affiliate programs.
If you are running an affiliate site, the last thing that you want is for someone else to hijack it.
So, using the security plug-ins that are available may be a wise choice for your protection. Here are a few that you might want to check into.
* Login Lockdown – Just like with password encrypted pages, if someone tries to find your URL with too many failed attempts they will be shut out.
* WP-Database Backup – Just in case one day the server may crash, you can be sure that all of your information is stored somewhere else. Use this plug-in to restore your blog database.
* Admin SSL – Single socket layer is your security protection to encrypt all information transmitted across your site. Most web hosts offer shared SSL for their users. With this plug-in, that encryption is available across all of your web pages, but you must own a SSL certificate.
Protecting what is yours is paramount when it comes to your internet business. Learn how a WordPress security plugin can help.
If you found this article useful, please share it with someone that you feel could benefit from it. Or feel free to leave a comment below.
P.S. To find out how I make money by blogging about the term “WordPress Security Plugin“, just click here.
How to Set Up a WordPress Blog
Posted by: | CommentsWant to know how to set up a wordpress blog?
Well it seems like just about everyone has a blog on the internet these days. In fact, many people and companies have more than one blog.
For example, internet marketers who are actively involved in promoting multiple products often find it worthwhile to maintain separate blogs for each promotional campaign.
While there are many different services and software packages you can use to set up a blog, the most popular solution is WordPress.
How to Set Up a WordPress Blog Using WordPress.com
Many people who start off by asking how to set up a wordpress blog, set up their blogs by using the WordPress.com website. This is by far the easiest way to get started.
The service is free, and you simply go to the website and sign up for an account by selecting a unique username.
Not surprisingly, though, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a unique username on the WordPress.com service (or at least one that isn’t overly long and unwieldy).
In addition, using a WordPress.com blog makes it challenging to market your blog, because the blog is hosted on the WordPress.com servers.
For example, which of the following URLs do you think will be easier for you to promote (and easier for your prospects to remember): “thisismyblog.wordpress.com” or “thisismyblog.com”?
You need to self-host your blog (or pay WordPress.com an additional fee) to get a web address like the latter, and to get greater control over how your blog looks.
How to Set Up a WordPress Blog The Self Hosted Way
Self-hosting simply means that you run the blog yourself, and as a result you have complete control over how it looks and functions.
Setting up a self-hosted blog can be almost as easy as using the free service on WordPress.com.
The first step is to select a web host. A web host is a company that provides you with a portion of a web server and gives you space to build your own website.
In fact, even the most basic web hosting plans (some starting at just a few dollars per month) actually allow you to host multiple blogs on a single account.
Many web hosts offer a streamlined set-up process for WordPress. In the past, you’d have to download the WordPress software, upload it to your Web server, set up MySQL databases, and hassle with a number of different settings and configurations.
Thankfully, the set-up process today generally involves choosing your username and password, and letting the web host’s installation service do it for you.
The Customization and Personalization Way of How to Set up a WordPress Blog
The basic set-up process only gets a WordPress blog up and running in its most basic form. This means that the look and styling of the blog will be in a “default” configuration.
To set up your blog to look exactly the way you want, you’ll need to select a “theme” that suits your needs.
There are thousands of different themes available for your blog. Most of these themes also allow different customizations, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to set up your blog to look exactly the way you want.
The best resource for free WordPress themes is at wordpress.org/extend/themes/.
There are also a number of different “premium” WordPress themes that are available through different companies on the internet.
Sometimes these premium themes can be worth the cost if you are looking to distinguish your blog from the countless others that are on the internet.
If you found this article useful, please share it with someone that you feel could benefit from it. Or feel free to leave a comment below.
P.S. To find out how I make money by blogging about the term “How to set up a wordpress blog“, just click here.
Affiliate Marketing Blog
Posted by: | CommentsAn Affiliate marketing Blog is one of the easiest ways to break into internet marketing. You can potentially make a living by promoting the products of another company. But you need an online presence. That is where WordPress comes in.
What Is a WordPress Affiliate Marketing Blog?
WordPress is a platform used to set up blogs and websites. If you know nothing about websites and their set-up, it can be daunting to have to do so. WordPress takes the guesswork out of the process for you so you can get up and running in very little time.
Now, be aware that there are two WordPress sites: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. WordPress.com is popular with many bloggers.
It is a ready-made site that can be set up right away. The only issue here is that it is not as customizable as you might like for an affiliate site. And, monetizing it may be difficult.
Setting Up an Affiliate Marketing Blog
For an affiliate marketing program, you will want to go with WordPress.org. Some are scared of this because it is open source.
That means you will need to have a domain name and a web hosting company secured before using it. Ask your web host if they are familiar with WordPress.org and could help you integrate it into your site.
So, as we just alluded to, the next step is downloading the open source software through your web host. If you are technically savvy, you can do it yourself although it takes time. But, for a fee, your web host can do it for you without much trouble.
Now you are ready to explore. WordPress offers a lot both for the new and the experienced affiliate marketer. One benefit is its customization.
You have a variety of themes to choose from for the look of your site. Changing them is no problem and can be done across all pages easily.
Add new pages in an instant. If you are promoting several types of products, keep them separated for effortless browsing by visitors.
Did I mention that WordPress is free? Yes all of the benefits of the software are free to use. And, it features plug-ins that can help you not only secure your site but also make it easier for you to manage.
This is a plus if you are running several affiliate marketing sites.
Also, Google seems to like WordPress platforms a lot. This is good for you since you want their bots to crawl your affiliate sites for better page rankings and increased traffic. More traffic means more potential sales.
But, WordPress doesn’t leave you to fend for yourself. Their customer support is available if you are having problems with their product. They will assist you as needed to keep your site running optimally, which is what you want when operating your business. Once you get the hang of setting up a WordPress site, creating subsequent sites won’t be a problem.
WordPress seems tailor-made for the affiliate marketer. Use one to help you grow your business today.
If you found this article useful, please share it with someone that you feel could benefit from it. Or feel free to leave a comment below.
P.S. To find out how I make money by blogging about the term Affiliate Marketing Blog, just click here.
