| Blog is short for Web Log or Weblog and the | | | | If your blog is a business blog, you really ought to |
| Blogosphere is the online blog world, some parts | | | | host your own blog as opposed to using a blog |
| of which are hyperlinked extensively to each | | | | service. You'll need the extra functionality and |
| other. | | | | control. |
| This is the Wikipedia definition: Blog is short for | | | | If you plan on hosting your own blog and if you |
| weblog. A weblog is a journal (or newsletter) that | | | | plan to use a UNIX Web server platform then |
| is frequently updated and intended for general | | | | you need to go with blogging software such as |
| public consumption. Blogs generally represent the | | | | Movable Type, for example. If you have a |
| personality of the author or the Web site. | | | | Microsoft Web server platform for your site then |
| I recommend that you read lots of people's blogs | | | | you'll need software such as BetaParticle blog. |
| to learn what blogs are. Go to your favorite | | | | Here is a great list of various blog software: |
| search engine and type in the word 'blog' and the | | | | Next you'll need a database to hook your blog up |
| subject you're interested in. For example, 'web | | | | to. The database is what stores the blog entries, |
| design blog', or 'blog music' , or 'sports blog'. You'll | | | | among other things. If you don't know if you |
| find lots of blogs that way. | | | | have a database on or connected to your |
| Blogs have become a way in which regular, | | | | website server, or if you don't know how to |
| non-technical people can post information to the | | | | hook up your blog to your database, contact your |
| Web as easily as they can access it. | | | | host company or Web server administrator for |
| Why are blogs so important? | | | | help. |
| Well, they're not that important, yet. But they | | | | Once you have the blog set up on your domain |
| could be soon, and most likely will be. In fact, | | | | (for example and you've hooked it up to a live |
| some would argue that they are already vital in | | | | database, you can start blogging. Generally, each |
| today's Web business world. I am not ready to | | | | entry is also a day. So you can write a new entry |
| agree to that yet, but it is becoming more | | | | every day, or whenever you want, and that |
| obvious to me over time that blogs can no longer | | | | entry will show up on the blog at the top, moving |
| be ignored in business. | | | | older entries below. |
| Online businesses can benefit from blogging by | | | | You ought to think of a theme for your blog. In |
| taking advantage of a vehicle for easily posting | | | | other words, your blog could be about your |
| new, original, and business-related content on a | | | | personal experiences in the industry you're in. It |
| regular basis. | | | | could be about your company's product reviews, |
| Here are some more business benefits of | | | | or new services. It could be about your thoughts |
| blogging: | | | | and opinions about issues related to your industry. |
| • Blogs help to position you and/or your | | | | It could be a place where you regularly find and |
| company as experts and leaders in your industry. | | | | list new resources to help others in your industry. |
| • They're interactive in nature. At the end of | | | | The list is endless. But be sure to stick to a |
| each blog entry is usually a link that allows anyone | | | | theme and be original. You want to offer |
| to add their own comments to your blog entries. | | | | something of value to your website visitors. |
| This allows your customers and potential | | | | Sticking to theme helps you position yourself for |
| customers to make comments about your | | | | future advertisers and also makes for better |
| products or services or ask you questions to help | | | | reading for your visitors. Furthermore, you want |
| them in their buying process. | | | | to give a good impression with your blog and with |
| • Blogs are marketed easily and quickly by | | | | each and every entry if you want it to augment |
| their RSS feeds | | | | your online business. Finally, sticking to a theme |
| • Blogs allow you to stress your choice of | | | | helps with the search engines since it's believed |
| products, services, relevant news stories, quotes, | | | | that engines determine website themes and use |
| pictures and more with your audience, customers | | | | this information for ranking. |
| and potential customers. | | | | Of course your blog could be about personal |
| • People are generous with adding links to your | | | | things too. Many blogs are just that, an online |
| blog if the content is good, especially within their | | | | journal. But since we're interested in Web business |
| own blogs. More links means more traffic and | | | | here, I am discussing business blogs only. |
| better search engine rankings. | | | | What's great is that blogs get indexed easily and |
| Here are some ways in which you can make | | | | quickly by search engines. Each entry is another |
| revenue from your blog: | | | | "page" that can be potentially listed in Google for |
| 1. Selling advertisements. Whether you use | | | | example, which will drive more traffic to your site. |
| banners or text links, if your site draws a regular | | | | Another neat thing about running a blog once it's |
| audience interested in your blog topics or theme, | | | | set up is that you do not need to be technical at |
| try to offer ad space to organizations that are | | | | all to make regular entries. This is helpful if you |
| looking to market to your audience. In fact, if | | | | want to delegate the writing to someone else, |
| your blogs becomes really popular then | | | | since technical skills won't be a prerequisite. This |
| advertisers will call you. 2. Offering Google's | | | | allows you to have the most qualified person |
| AdSense. Google's website explains, "Google | | | | regarding the blog's theme and hopefully the best |
| AdSense is a fast and easy way for website | | | | writer actually making the entries. |
| publishers of all sizes to display relevant Google | | | | Be creative. Add images to your blog entries to |
| ads on their website's content pages and earn | | | | spice things up a bit. Although blogging can be |
| money." learn more about AdSense. 3. Affiliate | | | | lonely, keep at it. Sometimes it seems like you're |
| Programs. Affiliate programs allow Web sites who | | | | just writing new entries each day for yourself |
| provide links to your site to receive payments or | | | | only. It may be a while before someone chooses |
| reciprocal advertising in exchange for promoting | | | | to add a comment to one of your entries. You |
| your Web site. In the case of blogging, this is | | | | may not hear from anyone for a long time. But |
| reversed, where you post links within your blog, | | | | that doesn't mean people aren't reading it. In fact, |
| and collect money from the owners of those links | | | | check your website statistics to see just how |
| when they result in a click-through and sale. | | | | many people are visiting your new blog. As you |
| Here are some websites where you can get your | | | | add more entries, get your blog listed on other |
| blog listed in: | | | | sites and market your blog. It will build, and |
| • BlogWise - • Blog Search Engine - • | | | | eventually you'll have a nice following of engaged |
| Blog Hub - • Blog Daisey - • Get Blogs - | | | | readers. |
| • Is Blogs - | | | | Most importantly, be sure to pepper your entries |
| How to blog for business: | | | | with calls to action. For example, if your business |
| First you need to get blogging software. You can | | | | blog is attached to your travel website and the |
| choose to create a blog that is housed on another | | | | blog's theme is traveling and finding great travel |
| site such as (which is a blog service) or you can | | | | deals all over the world, make sure you add a link |
| host it on your own Web server. I recommend | | | | to an entry that points people to a travel special |
| the latter since the links that are developed by | | | | you're running on your website. What would be |
| others pointing to your blog won't be counted in | | | | even better is a blog entry about the fantastic |
| the search engines. This is because the links are | | | | vacation you took to Hawaii and included at the |
| attributed to domains, so a link to gives a link | | | | end was a link to cheap Hawaii vacation deals on |
| credit to and not your domain. | | | | your website. |