Blog, Blogger, Bloggest | Renzie On Blogging

Blog-Fixing: Fixing The AddThis Button on Blogspot

2008-05-12T05:10:00.005+08:00

On one of our featured Blog Tools portion, I recently posted a recommendation for using the services of AddThis.com and how plugging it into your site helps with building your blog's community and readership.

Having the AddThis.com button at the end of every post gives your readers the option to conveniently share your articles with their friends on just about every single social networking and social bookmarking service.

But just last weekend, somebody informed me that the 'Share' service of AddThis.com wasn't working right. I noticed that it worked alright for some blogs and there were indeed a couple whose AddThis.com buttons weren't working.

After spending a frustrating afternoon trying to work the kinks out myself, I ran a quick search on Google, and found another blog talking about the same problem. More importantly, said blog offered useful advice on fixing my AddThis.com issue, and it worked like a charm.

So for that, I'd like to thank Frank Gualtier of the fine blog, Touring The Indies. Frank was able to write a code to fix the AddThis.com problem. Taking internet public service a step further, he wrote a little Do-It-Yourself to fix the AddThis.com issue.

You can read the rest of his post here and get the code to fix your blogs on Blogspot.

Like I said, it worked great. And it seems I've fixed the AddThis.com issue on my Blogspot blogs.

Thanks again, Frank!

Cheers, everyone!

Top Blogs: The Gawker Media Network

2008-02-15T17:33:00.005+08:00

Top Blogs is an ongoing effort to bring some of the blogosphere's most successful efforts to the attention of those just beginning to appreciate The Blogging Lifestyle. In this particular post, we take a look at Gawker Media.

I've always admired the way Gawker Media is set up. In case you haven't heard of the company, Gawker Media is an online media group, directly responsible for an entire network of blogs (now just 12).

With a lot of its member sites consistently ranking at the top of Technorati's Top Blogs, you can say that Gawker Media is probably one of the most successful blog-oriented media companies.

The man behind it all is Nick Denton. According to Wikipedia:

While Denton does not go into detail over Gawker Media's finances, he has downplayed the profit potential of blogs declaring that "blogs are likely to be better for readers than for capitalists. While I love the medium, I've always been skeptical about the value of blogs as businesses," on his personal site.

Let's check out the blogs in the Gawker Media blog network.

1. Gawker.com. Obviously, the company's flagship blog. It bills itself as "The source for daily Manhattan media news and gossip"- so it's kinda like Gossip Girl, but it's the real deal, and mostly deals with celebrities and the media industry.

The success of the blog has spawned similar online projects for other key cities. As you have Gawker.com for Manhattan, you also have...

2. Wonkette, the D.C. Gossip. Just like Gawker.com, but this one covers the Washington D.C. scene, and is therefore, a little bit more political. (Renzie's Update: Wonkette, unfortunately, is one of the blogs Gawker Media sold, as they had announced in mid-April of this year)

3. Defamer, the L.A. Gossip Rag. Gawker.com decided to replicate its success on the West Coast this time. So it's just like Gawker.com, only more Hollywood and entertainment-oriented.

4. Vallywag, Silicon Valley's Tech Gossip Rag. Just like Gawker.com, Wonkette and the Defamer, but has its eyes and ears on the San Francisco scene and your Silicon Valley companies.

5. Fleshbot, Pure Filth. Gawker Media's very own sex-oriented blog- for both gay and straight readers. According to Wikipedia:

The range of subject matter includes everything from amateur sex blogs and thumbnail gallery posts to news about sex in popular culture and advertising.

Seriously, who needs a reason to check out a sex blog?

6. Gizmodo, The Gadget Guide. One of the web's most popular blogs on technology and consumer electronics.

7. Gridskipper, the Urban Travel Guide. A great blog on travel and leisure. (Renzie's Update: Gridskipper, unfortunately, is one of the blogs Gawker Media sold, as they had announced in mid-April of this year)

8. Kotaku, the Gamer's Guide. Gawker Media's blog on nothing but video games.

9. Idolator, All About the Music...If Only It Were. One of the greatest music blogs online, in my opinion. (Renzie's Update: Idolator, unfortunately, is one of the blogs Gawker Media sold, as they had announced in mid-April of this year)

10. Jalopnik: Obsessed with the Cult of Cars. Rolling Stone magazine called it a "car-geek-blog" in its 01 November 2007 issue. This blog is mainly about automobiles, car culture, and the automotive business.

11. Lifehacker, Tech Tricks, Tips and Downloads for Getting Things Done. Personally one of my most favorite sites, the motto of Lifehacker is:
Computers make us more productive. Yeah, right. Lifehacker recommends the software downloads and web sites that actually save time. Don't live to geek; geek to live.

I say Amen to that. Any blog that actually helps saves up on time and energy is fine by my book.

12. Deadspin, Sports News without Access, Favor or Discretion. 'Nuff said.

13. The Consumerist: Shoppers Bite Back. A consumer affairs blog. Very interesting stuff, featuring consumers' experiences with various companies and corporations.

14. Jezebel: Celebrity, Sex, Fashion For Women- Without Airbrushing. Definitely a blog for chicks. Still a great read if you want something to talk about with your woman :)

15. io9: Strung Out on Science Fiction. One of Gawker Media's newest blogs, as far as I know. It's about frackin' time someone came out with a quality sci-fi blog, I say.

With all fifteen blogs (actually only 12 of 15 Gawker Media-owned now), there's definitely one or two you'd like to check out. Interesting to note how each one has chosen a particular subject matter, and how each one managed to be one of the most read blogs in their respective niches.

Definitely some of the blogs you have to check out from time to time. Go ahead and add the feed you want to your Pageflakes, Google Reader or your own blog if you like.

Cheers, everyone!

The Blogging Mindset: Blog About Stuff That You Actually Care About

2008-01-28T17:12:00.003+08:00

I just read this article on the New York Times about "Blogging Your Way Into a Business". I find it interesting that regular folks like you and me can find their way into a lucrative enterprise by way of their blogs.

But here's the thing: I feel that this article, along with other features on other newspapers, magazines, even radio and TV shows, seem to perpetuate the idea that blogging for money is an easy thing. Maybe it is, maybe it's not- it totally depends on a number of things, in my opinion:

1> your ability to actually communicate effectively through writing,
2> your natural passion to share thoughts and ideas through writing,
3> your discipline and commitment to keep on sharing these thoughts and ideas,
4> and your aptitude towards picking up necessary skills and using them well, like internet marketing, networking, etc.

As you can see, blogging probably isn't for everybody. And if anybody's motivation is purely to make money out of blogs, don't expect those sites to be up for long.

If its one thing I've learned- no matter how hard you try to get into it- you can't write about stuff you don't care about for long. I have this particular blog- "Blog. Blogger. Bloggest: Renzie on Blogging"- mainly because I care about learning how to blog better, and helping other casual bloggers to build better blogs.

Over the past few months, I've positioned myself as a writer-for-hire. So I end up writing for anything from pet care products to industrial packaging and memory foam. I can tell you right now that it didn't quite work out very well.

Pets are alright- in fact, I have a couple of cats at home, but the truth is, I can only care so much about how memory foam is made, and there's just way too much fun writing about industrial-grade cardboard and plastic, right?

So I started working on a couple of other blogs- I now have one on radio and the music industry, another on gaming, and then another on food reviews. Kind of shows exactly what kind of guy I am, right? They're all in the content development stage right now, and not meant to be marketed yet until a few more posts. I also plan to write up one on TV, another on movies, another on business, and the project list can go on and on.

I know it's not going to happen just yet, or at least not anytime soon. I mean, it's great if I managed to stumble onto something lucrative doing this, but it really doesn't matter. For as long as you're doing something you absolutely like, something you feel really passionate about, you can just focus on developing good content.

Which is the whole point in developing the whole positive-reader-experience concept we've been talking about all this time.

Okay, maybe the money matters a little. Got bills to pay too, you know. But that's what the day job is for :)

Bottom Line: Blog about something you care about. Keep at it. But don't rely on it to put food on the table, or pay this month's rent.

Then again, you'll never know when opportunity comes knocking at your door, as a result of what you put online. And when it does, you'll be more than ready to take on new challenges, and reap the rewards of what you've sown.

Cheers, everyone!

Resources for Blogs: BlogCrowds

2008-01-23T06:41:00.000+08:00

I suppose it is no secret that I've been trying out all these different kinds of templates on my other blog projects.

The usual templates provided by Blogger is alright- but as I may have mentioned before, it seems that I have a preference for 3-column templates.

Now, there area a lot of sites out there- both free and paid- which features quite a number of the 3-column templates that I like, and a lot other templates. The problem is that when you start loading the .XML template file, or pasting the template file onto the existing one, more often than not, Blogger displays a variety of error messages, end result being- you find yourself unable to load that smashing new 3-column template you found.

And it does get rather frustrating after the first several tries, really. At least until Blogger fixes this nuisance altogether.

Of course, you have the option of learning how to make a template yourself. I probably could, but I'd really rather spend more time churning out blog entries than making templates on my own- but maybe much later on, who knows?

Thank goodness persistence pays off: I stumbled onto Blogcrowds. On top of the new templates they've been offering, they also have lots of useful tips, widgets and other goodies for bloggers- all bloggers, for that matter- whether begginer, intermediate or even advanced.

Nothing too fancy, really. In fact a lot of them are just the usual Blogger templates, only expanded from 2-columns to 3-column deals. As far as I'm concerned, they loaded easily enough (just take away all your previous widgets before previewing or making final changes- you can slap them back on later anyway), and they look great! And I'm already sporting them on my other blog projects.

So go check it out. I'm sure there's something in there you'd like. If it's working templates you're looking for, you can get them here.

Cheers!

The Blogging Mindset: Preparation + Opportunity = Success

2008-01-20T06:33:00.000+08:00

I remembered it hit me in the face when I saw it on an E! True Hollywood Story or something. It was a story about Keenen Ivory Wayans. You may know him as a successful and talented actor, comedian, director and producer- but for me, I will forever associate him with one of my most favorite sketch comedy shows of all time, "In Living Color".

Shout-out to my sister for getting me Season 1 on DVD, by the way. Great stuff.

Now from what I remember (I could be wrong, so bear with me), Keenen had always wanted to be a cast-member of Saturday Night Live- which has always been the benchmark for TV sketch comedy, even to this day. For some reason, he never made it into the show- but it didn't keep him from honing his craft, working on writing and directing and producing.

It wasn't long until he got noticed- this time, a TV network (FOX) presented him with the opportunity to have his own sketch comedy show- which we now know as "In Living Color", and which I think at the time was positioned against Saturday Night Live.

The show was groundbreaking. We know it now as the show that helped jumpstart the careers of Damon Wayans, Jim Carrey (back then credited as James Carrey), David Alan Grier, Jennifer Lopez (she was a Fly Girl!), and Jamie Fox. "In Living Color" went on for five seasons, until 1994- which was still a very respectable run for any TV series.

Brothers Damon, Shawn and Marlon Wayans all had fairly impressive movie careers already going on at the time the E! True Hollywood Story was done. I remember them crediting big brother Keenen for drilling into their heads this simple, but very important equation:

Preparation + Opportunity = Success.

And it has been a source of inspiration for me ever since. The story was something I've shared with people I've worked with- not just at the radio stations or the contact centers I've seen action in, but also with clients and friends.

It teaches us that success depends on two things: One- the amount of effort you put in to honing your craft, making yourself more marketable, essentially building yourself up. And Two- getting yourself into a position that opens doors for you, and grabbing the chance to showcase your skills when the opportunity presents itself. You need both to achieve success.

And yes, I believe in that.

It's no different for blogging. Building up your blog is the 'Preparation' part of the the equation. It gives you a chance to develop your writing skills, to get into the habit of churning out good content, and get completely immersed in the blogging lifestyle.

The 'Opportunity' part comes in when you start marketing your blog. You allow more people to check out your work, and you also put yourself in situations where you can get noticed by the people you want. You'll never know what you can find out there: making new online friends, getting offered to write for a blog network, getting invited to blogger events, being asked to talk about your blogging experiences at a workshop- the possibilities are endless.

In fact, blogging presents a lot of opportunities for anyone who's serious enough with it. Check out this posting for jobs for bloggers just for this month. And the way things are going, there's a rising demand for good, quality content- a need that can be filled if writing is your game.

So do you think you're ready? If so, then good for you- get yourself out in the spotlight and show us what you got. If not, well then keep building yourself up- and hope that, next time the opportunity presents itself- you'll be ready this time.

Hope this helps. Cheers, everyone!

Blog Tools: AddThis.com

2008-01-19T06:05:00.001+08:00

In my quest to find out how they put little "Bookmark This!" buttons at the bottom of every post on your blog, I have managed to stumble upon (no pun intended) a rather useful service on AddThis.com.

As a blogger, you'll want the buttons from AddThis.com because of several reasons, all pretty much pointed out on their homepage.

1. It allows for easy bookmarking. Once a reader likes one of your posts, you have a button right there that allows bookmarking on several services- Technorati, Digg, Facebook, MSN Live, Furl, Ask, Del.icio.us, Google, Reddit, Stumbleupon, Yahoo MyWeb, Twitter, and so much more.

Note that I probably haven't even familiarized myself with some- okay fine- a lot of these services, but let's leave it at that for now, and get back to them in greater detail later on.

2. It helps promote your site. Sending content to social bookmarking services like those mentioned above helps bring traffic to your site. So, yes, you'd want to do this.

3. It increases your rankings. More traffic means a greater likelihood of people linking to your site, and therefore, higher ranking on search engine results pages.

4. It reduces overall clutter. No need for separate codes and buttons for each bookmarking service. One less thing to worry about, so just keep on churning out good content!

5. It's easy to install. No shit. If I have been able to figure it out, so can you. Assuming you already have an account on AddThis.com, just click on the large 'Get Your Button' button on the home page. Pick the kind of widget you'd want- whether one for bookmarking or one for subscribing to your feeds- and how it looks like.

You go to a page which enables you to put an AddThis button on your blog, and gives you a code to put on your template's html coding so that all your posts have an AddThis button at the footer of every post.

6. It comes with free statistics. Because sometimes, you'd like to know more on how readers are bookmarking and sharing your content.

7. It's very reliable. Heck, a lot of sites and blogs already use this service, including Time.com, TechCrunch, ABC, Lonely Planet, Freewebs, Tower Records, just to name a few

8. It's free! Can't argue with that, can you?

So if you're building a blog, go right ahead and sign up for an account on AddThis.com. Get the buttons for your blog, and keep on posting!

Cheers, everyone!

Social Bookmarking For Blogs: del.icio.us

2008-01-18T06:20:00.000+08:00

I was playing around with my del.icio.us account the whole day today, mainly trying to figure out how to slap a del.icio.us script at the footer of each post, versus just having one at the side of my blog.

Del.icio.us is a free social software web service for sharing web bookmarks. See, there used to be a time when you'd bookmark your favorite websites from whatever PC you'd be using at the moment. Del.icio.us takes all that bookmarking several steps further because, not only can you store all your personal bookmarks on an easy-to-use, easy-to-access online account, you can also share your bookmarks with other people, as well as check out what other people are bookmarking.

So in essence, del.icio.us allows you to create your very own list of links, categorize it, and share it with others. You can access this list anytime you're online, so you can practically bring your list of links and bookmarks to any PC or laptop you're working on.

As a blogger, you want this service. For several reasons:

1. On the front page, you can see what are the hottest topics/pages/blogs at any given time. You'll want a quick way of finding the newest, or the most popular resources online, especially on subjects related to your blog.

2. It's a great way to market you and/or your brand, or in this case, your blog. You would want to use del.icio.us to promote your blog and your individual blog entries with other people.

3. It's really meant for networking. You'd want to hook up with people who also look for the same things you do, and share bookmarks with them, as they share theirs with you.

4. It's a great way to archive your blog. Del.icio.us allows you to keep track of what you've already written or what you still want to write about.

Check this out: Roland Piquepaille has a great read on how he uses del.icio.us. Sign up for del.icio.us by visiting their website. For more information on del.icio.us, read more about it on Wikipedia here.

I hope this has been useful. Cheers, everyone!

Social Networking For Blogs: Twitter

2008-01-14T05:50:00.001+08:00

I've just successfully put up Twitter on a few of my blogs.

Twitter is a free micro-blogging service, which enables you to post updates of about 140 characters long- enough for a short sentence, and enough to tell people what you're doing, what you feel or what you're going through with just a few words.

You can go sign up quickly for a Twitter account here on their website. Once there, you'll want to start looking for friends who are also on Twitter. Eventually, you'll be able to 'follow' each other through little updates you leave online.

You can get the html codes for your Twitter account so you can embed it in your blog, MySpace or website. I was able to set up my Twitter on one of my Blogger blogs here, and also on my Multiply. It shouldn't be any problem setting it up on, say, a Wordpress blog- in fact, I'll get down to it once I'm done here.

Another interesting feature is that you can actually send Twitter updates via SMS- through your mobile phone. Which means you can easily tell people what you're having for lunch right at moment, or what you think of the latest Will Smith movie, or mention how you've spotted some local celebrity at a local mall or restaurant or something.

Give Twitter a try- I understand that it's probably not for everybody. It's just one of the many options available to you for keeping in touch with your online network- but not like you already need any more social media applications, right?

In any case, if you do feel like Twittering, do look me up- look for 'Renzie' and drop me a message. Cheers!

Read more about Twitter here on Wikipedia, or check out their website here.

Social Bookmarking For Blogs: Technorati

2008-01-13T04:13:00.002+08:00

Seems like a real fun site. Technorati is an online service that allows you to keep track of other blogs from all over the world.

It works just like a search engine, you can search by topic, tags or keywords, keep track of your favorites, and visit blogs based on your searches, or by other people's recommendations.

Signing up to Technorati involves letting them know which blogs are yours- so you not only create a short profile (so other people can know a little bit about you), but you also create a list of all the blogs you author, and what your blogs are all about.

You want this, because it effectively registers your blog into Technorati's massive blog directory, and as more people turn to Technorati to find blogs and websites on topics that interest them, it therefore gives you a chance to get much-needed exposure for your and your blog/s.

It seems that your blogs are measured by "authority", which are denoted by a certain amount of points. Currently, this blog's authority points are at 5, which isn't much, considering the most popular blogs on Technorati have authority points in the tens of thousands! *gasp*

Which therefore begs the question: How do you gain more authority points on Technorati?

A quick Google search led me to a forum on The V7 Network- and a number of contributing members have thrown in their two cents' with regards to increasing your standing on Technorati.

According to a post by info4beingrich...

Technorati authority increases with incoming links. So you should:

1. Make comments on various blogs, so that your links in the comments are treated as backlinks (but be careful, don't spam comments)
2. Swap links or buy links from other websites..
3. Trackback your url on other sites..
4. Request people to post review about your blog on their sites with links to your blogs. This can be done via paid reviews or free reviews..
5. Request people to techno fave your blog or writings..

Another contributing member, interwebhunt, also suggests...

start surfing high authority blogs in your niche, and take time to cultivate a relationship with that blogs owner. If you find a connection with that blog owner, look to link exchange. Just randomly emailing people for a link exchange can be viewed very negatively.

Bottom line: If you want to build your blogs well, focus on two main things...

1. Developing quality content. Keep churning out content that readers can keep coming back to, and share with other people. This pretty much is in line with creating a good experience for your readers, fans and fellow bloggers.

2. Developing relationships. Be a good blog-neighbor- leave comments, encourage interaction, and share with others. Link exchange with fellow bloggers-turned-friends, rather than just spamming people indiscriminately.

Well, I've only gotten into Technorati for a few hours, and as I discover about its services and the blogs featured in it, the more I have to share with everyone.

So I'll check you guys in a bit. Cheers, everyone!

Blogology 101: Building Your Online Authority Through Blogs

2007-12-21T15:47:00.000+08:00

Welcome to Blogology 101: Blogging For Beginners. In this post, we talk a little bit about how to slowly build yourself up as an authority figure using your blogs.

Even as I write this blog on blogging, I know I'm hardly an authority on the topic, knowing that there are so many others who have come before me- bloggers, and various other blogs about building a better blog.

The beauty of blogging, however, is that everything you write about is all about you, your opinions, your passions, and your experiences. Who knows? Maybe in a few years, I might actually just turn out to be a blogging guru of sorts. Or some authority figure in some other way.

In fact, when blogging, you should never be afraid of what people think, or if what you write about is right or wrong. Of course we all try to get our facts straight as much as possible, but beyond that, it's the whole "human" side of blogging that makes it so appealing. It doesn't get any more personal than that.

Authority is something given to you by your readers. I've known some not-so-heavy hitters literally become online superstars, and conversely, some real-life bigshots who are virtually unknown by the denizens of the blogosphere. You can be a complete unknown in a certain field- but as long as you're honest about what you post, and write from your experiences and opinions, and get people to read about you- it's really all you need.

For example- I'm not exactly a food critic by profession- I don't have a magazine column or a lifestyle section with my name on it on a newspaper. But I do have a genuine love for food (hence the girth), an appreciation for quaint, cozy hangouts, and I'm sure there are people out there who either would:

a) like to read about food and quaint, cozy hangouts or
b) like to share their thoughts about their own experiences on food and quaint, cozy hangouts.

In any case, it's a very viable target market. I don't have to be an authority figure just yet, but eventually, as I fill up my blog with more reviews on food, and stories of other cozy places, and links to other good reads, then perhaps more people will come read what I have going on, and keep coming back for more.

When that time comes, when people actually keep coming back to your blog to read about what you think about things, and when they bother to leave a comment, or interact with you in some way, then in a way, they have given their vote to you. They have given you some authority by simply patronizing your site.

So what's the plan? If I want to be recognized as a food critic, or at least one who recommends good food and quaint, cozy spots- then I'd better get down to writing about things along those lines.

Which is exactly what I'm doing now, as I'm taking bites out of this huge meatball sandwich I'm enjoying right now at this lovely little Italian deli/pizzeria called Fratelli's. My review of the place actually comes up in a separate blog entry elsewhere.

Keep blogging now, and authority comes later from your readers and regulars. Regardless of your stature in the real world, your online authority depends on the amount of work you put into your blog.

Personally, I'd tell you to build up both. Both online and offline authority. It's a great exercise in building and marketing the brand that is you.

Cheers, everyone!

Blogology 101: Ten Tips For More Effective Blogging.

2007-12-09T12:56:00.001+08:00

Welcome to Blogology 101: Blogging For Beginners. In this post, we touch on Ten Things to Keep in Mind for More Effective Blogging.

I suppose it doesn't matter whether you've only just begun or if you've been at it for a while. There are some rather basic things we can all come back to from time to time. Here are a few tips to consider if you're seriously into blogging.

1. Write now. When you have the urge to hammer away at a keyboard and churn out some words- go right ahead- there's no better time than right now!

It's called creative tension by some- where you suddenly find yourself wanting to write with a terrible sense of urgency- before the impulse to write goes away. And sometimes, it goes away just as quickly as it set in earlier on.

It might be just a spontaneous thing, but it's that all-too-important element of inspiration that matters. So if it hits you, don't ignore it. Write. And write right away.

2. Write regularly. It's all about setting a rhythm- not only for your readers, but also for yourself!

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. That should be just about enough time to allow your neural pathways to form loops in your system to help you go through the movements easier. But besides just forming habits, it also needs a conscious commitment on your part.

Blogs ARE commitments. As they take on a life of their own through new content and reader interaction, all the more they need you- the blogger- to sustain that life.

3. Focus. Know what you want to write about and stick to it. If you want to write about something else, well you can always have another blog :)

It's really all about contributing to the overall positive reader experience. Your readers go online because they're looking for something particular. If you say your blog is about technology, then give your readers technology.

This way, you not only give readers a reason to keep coming back, you also make yourself more marketable, and that's always a good thing.

4. Let your personality show. Your blog is all about you!

Personality is what separates you from other blogs, and even other media. There may be thousands of, say, music blogs out there, but only you can write about what YOU like, what YOU feel strongly about.

Ultimately, it's what makes blogging so interesting: you can let your passions show. Unlike newspapers or magazines, you can make your own rules, set your own standards, write anything however you want it written. You can, therefore, give your blog its own voice- your own.

5. Write for your target audience. Can't please everybody. At least appeal to the kind of people you want to keep coming back.

There are thousands, if not millions of blogs out there, and anybody can find a site that personally appeals to them- that's the whole beauty of the internet.

Your blog enjoys this same privilege; you don't HAVE to appeal to everybody- let radio and TV pander to the masses. Your blog should at least appeal to others who feel and think the same way you do. Ultimately, it's all up to you- whether you want to share about needlecraft and crocheting with mature homemakers, or write about digital audio and video editing for young entrepreneurs- the choice is all yours.

6. Offer something fresh. This is where the effort comes in. Or sheer luck. You never know when an idea is going to be big, right? So keep those ideas comin'.

The internet is both a boon and a bane. True, you can find just about anything online, but on the other hand, we've just about seen it all.

Offering something fresh might not be so hard- just ask yourself a simple question: what one thing interested me today? Then write about it. Put a personal spin into the topic. Slap on a picture, add a link, even share a video with it. You just gave your readers something to talk about.

7. Offer something useful. It's great to come up with something interesting. But it's even better to come up with something useful.

They say that the most successful ventures today should: a> help you save time, b> help you save effort> and c> help you save money. Or a combination of any two, or even better, all three.
Again, this is all part of contributing to the overall positive reader experience. It's what separates your blog from all the other websites that just waste your time.

8. Be neighborly. If you want others to read your blog, read others' blogs too. Drop a comment, interact and even cross-promote!

It's all about being a responsible member of the online community, really. Give credit where credit's due: if you like what you read, take some time to show your appreciation by leaving a short thank-you note, linking to the article, or even leaving a tip, if you feel like it.

In the same way, when people leave comments on your posts, thank them back. Make your site more visitor-friendly. Because you want people to keep hanging out on your blog.

9. Stick to short paragraphs, instead of writing long, looongg ones. Makes it a lot easier to read, and it's easier on the eyes.

Pretty much like taking bites off a sandwich rather than wolfing down the whole thing in one go; you want to make reading easier for those dropping by your blog.

Besides, portioning off content in this manner makes it easier for readers to scan through your article: maybe there's something specific they're looking for, or maybe they'd like to quote you on a post of theirs.

Make your posts easier for your guests to read. Again, part of the overall positive reader experience.

10. People love lists!

No idea what the psychological reason is behind this; but for me, I feel that lists offer a certain kind of structure that allows people to get the information they want right away- it's all for them to see in plain sight.

Furthermore, it encourages readers to compare notes with what they know or how they feel about the topic. "What are my own top ten favorite horror movies of all time?", "I think the author missed it with that one", or "I think #8 is more important than #3".

Lastly, even if there was no ranking involved, there's that element of suspense that gets built up until the list is done. And the reader would finally decide to what extent he agrees with your list, if he ever agrees at all. Then let the comments fly.

So there you have it: Ten Things to Keep in Mind for More Effective Blogging. Sure hope that helped. Of course, I'd sure love to hear your ideas and tips as well. So do let me know what you think!

Cheers, everyone!

Blogology 101: The Blogging Lifestyle

2007-12-09T12:20:00.001+08:00

Welcome to Blogology 101: Blogging For Beginners. In this post, we talk a little bit about The Blogging Lifestyle.

In my opinion, the beauty of blogging is that it complements any kind of lifestyle. You can be a fashionista, a political pundit, a geek, a fitness buff, movie critic, or be just about into anything- whatever it is, it works with blogging. Blogging works, as long as you have a genuine desire to share, and a passion to write (or blog) about it.

Because blogging is about sharing your experiences, and so long as people's interests are so diverse and varied and personal, there's just so much stuff out there to blog about. Take for example the topic of contemporary pop music- you can blog about your favorite artists, or share notes on how to play a certain song, or talk about a great new place to download music, or even follow your favorite artists online.

For blogging to work, all it needs (like we said earlier), is a genuine desire to be interactive; a true yearning to share your experiences with the world, and in turn, to appreciate other people's efforts to also share with you.

In fact, normally introverted people might actually find it much more comfortable for them to write online instead. And there are people who, finding difficulty speaking publicly, might actually discover that their thoughts flow more freely when typing it out onto a keyboard, and into a blog.

You can write as often as you want, and interact as much as you want. You can even create as many blogs as you want, just as long as you have the time and commitment to maintain all of them.

Depending on how casual or how serious you want to be as a blogger, there are just so many options available to you. For more serious bloggers, some even invest in more portable devices- laptops that allow them to blog whenever and wherever the compulsion hits them. Many have cameras to take pictures of whatever catches their fancy- anything they can blog about later on. Others invest in better audio-video capturing equipment to come up with their own podcasts or viral videos.

Welcome to a new digital age- an age where people make their own content and share it with others. User-generated content has never been more popular- which is why blogs are huge these days, in the same way YouTube, Facebook and other social networking sites are huge. It's all about people's desire to share, desire to discover, and desire to form communities.

It truly is a great time to get into the blogging- and there are just so many ways to go about doing it. Get into the blogging lifestyle now, and see how blogging works out for you.

Cheers, everyone!

Blogology 101: Blogs, Bloggers and Blogging

2007-12-09T11:59:00.001+08:00

Welcome to Blogology 101: Blogging For Beginners. In this post, we talk a little bit about the basics of blogs, bloggers and blogging.

Blogs (short for Web-Logs), are essentially online showcases of a person, usually posted for all the world to see.

See, it used to be that all we had were just websites, which earlier on, were really only nothing but fancy online brochures that you can visit 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Nevertheless, only a relative few knew how to set one up and keep things running- thus the popularity of web design and web development companies.

You have to understand that blogs became popular partly because it changed the traditional model somehow- anyone can now have an interactive website; a site where you can post things, and your readers can interact with you, and you can interact back. And since you always inject your personality into it, anyone can now have a voice online.

Having your own blog these days is so easy now, since there are a lot of free blog-hosting services available online. All you need really are a few thoughts you feel strongly about, and a willingness to share those thoughts to the online community.

Blogging then, is just like writing something on your journal, except that this time, your journal is now online, and that (depending on how much you want to share) it is available for people to interact with.

When you do maintain a blog, you are in effect, a blogger. And there are thousands of bloggers out there all over the world, blogging on so many different things.

Since blogging is a very personal thing, expect most bloggers to write about stories and articles they feel passionate about- personal interests, reviews, politics, hobbies, experiences- all that sort of thing.

Others might like to showcase their knowledge on various topics, taking advantage of their expertise- which is perfectly quite all right. So they give advice and help point others in the right direction.

Still, others might want to use it to advocate a particular cause, issue or lifestyle- informing others, sharing experiences, voicing out opinions- blogs can be very empowering that way.

So blogging can be so many things- it can be a social activity, where you can interact with other bloggers (at least those with some common ground with you), it is a venue for you to express your personality, an opportunity for you to showcase your talents and knowledge, or a much-needed change of pace from the usual things you do in real life.

For some, they use it as a manifesto, as a marketing tool, or even as a means to earn a living.

Whatever your reason, remember that ultimately, blogs are merely tools; just another way for people to communicate with others. Use blogs for your own reasons, or for your own agenda, but blog responsibly.

Cheers, everyone!

The Blogging Mindset: Manage Your Online Portfolio

2007-12-07T02:41:00.000+08:00

I was with a friend the other day, and just like me, she's just started blogging recently.

So we've been talking about how blogging can open so many doors for anyone: not only is it a great way to practice writing, and general English use, it's also a springboard for learning other cool stuff like internet marketing, SEO, programming, digital photography and graphics.

So after a while we started talking about what our plans were for blogging- basically, exactly how do we see ourselves as bloggers.

Right off the bat, she said she wanted to write for other companies- which really wasn't a bad idea. After all, one of the companies I worked with recently paid their copywriters quite alright as long as they churned out quality material. I'm down with that; writing for a company helps give you discipline and structure, and helps you build a body of work.

She said, on the side though, she wanted to do reviews- book reviews, spa reviews- whatever she could write on to get herself some free stuff. I dig that. Heck, I'll write for some free stuff, mercenary that I am.

So she goes on saying that she had gone ahead to apply with a few companies- all of which turned her down in favor of some other (seemingly) more qualified candidate.

Did they check out your blogs, I asked. She said, 'yes', and so we went online so I could check out what she has done so far.

Now I admit right off the bat that I'm no expert on blogging. At least not yet, and definitely nowhere some of the fine chicks and dudes I've met on- and offline I know who have definitely been blogging for quite some time.

But when I saw that all she had to show for were a few posts- most of which were dated months ago- I could see how things didn't fall in her favor.

Which pretty much brings us to our topic at hand: Build Your Online Portfolio

Landing yourself the job you want is an exercise in marketing and selling yourself. Sure you got the killer resume, you look sharp and show up on time. But if you say you're a writer, and you want to land a relatively favorable position doing so, then you have to have a sizeable portfolio to show and back up your claims.

Of course, you just can't expect people to take your word for it. You could say you're a kick-ass writer, but what any company really needs is a kick-ass writer that can consistently deliver results.

So I gave her advice- this same advice I'm giving to other aspiring pro-bloggers out there: you want to be taken seriously as a professional writer or a professional blogger? Build up your blogs.

Specifically, put some content- 50 to 100 posts showcases not only what you know, but also how you write, and the kind of personality you have, but also shows how dedicated you are with what you're doing.

If you want to land a job in internet marketing, or as an SEO consultant, then you have to show that you have a few optimized sites under your belt- not just theories you've read from books or from websites. Show your clients you actually gave them increased traffic to their sites, and more importantly, show them how you were able to monetize that traffic.

If you say you're a professional photographer, open a couple of photo-oriented social networking sites like Photobucket, Multiply or Flickr and put up your own galleries from your own shots. Or start a photo-blog.

Remember, anyone can come up with an impressive resume. As someone who's been hiring personnel for years in my previous line of work, I've seen more than enough of those to have some conviction to say you can't believe everything on a CV.

Bottom line: you have to have some proof of your claims to fame. It's what sets you apart from the wannabes who just want to ride the wave and coast along. So get to it, and good luck building up your portfolio!

Cheers, everyone!

Blogger Essentials: The Asus EEE PC

2007-12-06T02:34:00.001+08:00

Since my first post about my acquisition of one of these sexy Asus Eee PCs, there have been a number of posts and comments- more like questions, really- asking me what I think about it. So here's my effort to give it a personal review, hoping that this will be of help in your decision-making process- whether to get one of these babies for you, or not.

Read the rest of my personal review of the Asus EEE PC here on my other blog, "Renzie's Realm of Awesome".

Cheers, everyone!

The Blogging Mindset: Manage Self-Doubt

2007-12-05T02:17:00.000+08:00

When you're just starting out your very own blogging career- just like me- you can easily get overwhelmed jumping from one blog/site to another.

As blogs and blogging have steadily gained popularity, you'll find a wide variety of material out there- stuff you'd like to read, stuff you'd like to comment on, stuff you'd like to link to and share to your friends.

You can always check out the most popular blogs on Technorati, Digg or del.icio.us, and network with bloggers from all over the world on Facebook, Multiply or even Myspace. Or even just browse through other blogs on Blogger/Blogspot or Wordpress.

Then you realize- damn, my blog is nowhere near these other guys' blogs! My 20 posts are nowhere near the volume of articles put out by this one who's been blogging since 2004! Wow, it's got podcasts? Photo galleries? It's got streaming video too?

So you suddenly get hit by a wave of self-doubt and get rattled by the realization of how puny you look next to a whole bunch of other blogs.

At least, that's how I feel.

But the split personality in my head that is the voice of reason comes to the fore- "you should take a chill pill, man," it says, almost way-too-relaxed.

Remember that these guys- these veteran bloggers- have really put in the time building their blogs. The awe, fascination and authority is definitely well-deserved. The respect for what they have going on just comes naturally.

But remember this: all those veteran bloggers? They started where you started out too. Everyone at some point had been grasping at straws to come up with a post worthy of posting, just like many of us are right now.

Everyone must have, at some point, felt some degree of self-doubt. Just as some of us do now.

Story of my life, I suppose. When I started out as a jock at this local radio station in Metro Manila (99.5 RT) in 1994, I was a lowly trainee with these big, famous, hotshot DJs walking around. Naturally I was awestruck, at the same time I was the new kid, and I didn't mind that they'd almost totally ignore me, or make me do far-out exercises like talk about a random subject for fifteen minutes non-stop, or keep practicing my calls for everyone to hear. It was all part of training.

But part of the whole training process also tells you to just focus on your own thing- don't worry about what the listeners think, don't worry about your family and friends think. Listen to your seniors. Learn with your peers. Hone your craft and keep at it regardless of any kind of opposition.

A valuable lesson I keep coming back to every now and then.

So it's really that kind of persistence that helps build credibility. Every post you put up adds to your cred. Put in the effort, put in the time, play it smart, and you'll be running with the rest of the pack in no time.

Besides, blogging is supposed to be fun! Heck, it's really all about writing about the things you're totally into and sharing it with others. The money, fame, recognition, authority- everything else- means squat if you're not blogging for the love of it.

So next time you write your next post, take a deep breath and put yourself in a state of focus. This is your blog. This is what you have to say. This is your voice online. And in this blog, you are master of your own domain.

Cheers, everyone.

Better Blogging: Get To Know RSS

2007-12-03T11:36:00.004+08:00

oIf you're going to be a blogger, RSS is going to be your new BFF.

That's really simple syndication for RSS, and best friend forever- at least until the next great new syndication technology comes along.

In any case, as a new blogger, you're probably checking out websites and other blogs for new content. After all, you do need to draw inspiration from someplace, right? You'd like to see what other people are talking about, have your own perspective on things, and react to what other people have to say.

In the course of your meanderings through the internet, you would most definitely find a couple of sites that you would find more interesting than others- new favorites that you would usually then add up to your bookmarks.

Now it used to be that you would have to visit and re-visit your favorite bookmarked sites to get updates on new stuff they have posted up, right? And a lot of us actually still do that.

But if you have a LOT of favorite sites, and a LOT of stuff you want to keep tabs on, then keeping yourself updated can get a little tedious, done this way.

You might even miss an important update, and it can take you the whole day to check out all those sites- assuming of course, you even have the time to do all that checking!

RSS helps you out with that- it allows you to get updates from your favorite sites and blogs, as soon as they get updated. I'm sure RSS stands for something, but everyone seems to say it means "real simple syndication", which fortunately for us, works very well in our favor. Other sites would also use "rich site summary", or some other term.

In any case, it's a great boon for the internet community: you get these convenient little news feeds, and you can then 'subscribe' to these feeds from just about any site you fancy.

Today was actually the very first day I used RSS for my blogs (this one, in fact!), and from a beginner to another- this baby is going to change your life.

RSS 101: Getting To Know RSS.

Yes, you want to use RSS. RSS is the technology that allows a website to talk to another website- so your blog automatically posts the latest news updates as it comes, in the same way you get notifications on Facebook on your friends' updates, and allows you to embed music and video on your MySpace or Friendster.

RSS is what ushered in a new era for the internet- Web 2.0. This is the technology that allows people to share stuff they find online with friends and colleagues. Communities on the web exist because of RSS.

RSS files come in a text-based format, and these files- or feeds, as we call them- are usually labeled as an .XML file. In this RSS feed is all the important things you need to know from your favorite website- title/author, updates/comments, etc.

If you look at the URL window, you'll sometimes notice the small orange-and-white RSS logo on the extreme right of the window- such as in the case of my blog, for example. This means the website has an available RSS feed- and is therefore "syndicated". Other times, you'll see the RSS logo within the website- it's the same thing: it allows you to pick up an RSS feed for keeping track of the latest posts, comments, or whatever updates.

How To Use RSS

First things first: get an RSS Feed Reader. It works almost just like email (it's just like getting a bunch of newsletters everytime), and there are a few free web-based services readily available to you: Bloglines, Google Reader, My Yahoo and Live Bookmarks.

Personally, I go for Google Reader- it's free, easy-to-use, and it's almost a logical choice if you have a Gmail or Blogspot account. Yes, I have a Gmail account, and yes, I use a lot of Blogspot.
Anyway, you can use your same Gmail or Blogspot login/password to access Google Reader, just so you know. I might try out the others later on.

Whatever the RSS Feed Reader of your choice, you now have one singular page from which to scan all the updates to your favorite websites- and if something interests you, just click on the link, and it takes you there right away!

Alternately, you can also place RSS Feeds directly into your blog- which is what I do for my blogs. Whenever I see another blog or website that I like which deals in the same general subject as one of my blogs, I just plug it in.

In the case of Blogspot, it's a simple matter of adding a new page element from your layout dashboard. Look for the 'Feed' widget, enter the .XML file (the RSS feed), customize it a bit and you're good to go. Same goes for Wordpress- just add an RSS widget from the Presentation dashboard.

I suggest you go try it yourself and have fun with it. There's lots of great content online to keep track of, and RSS only makes it so much easier. If you're done going through your favorites in your own Bookmarks, you may also want to check out what others have been Bookmarking on Technorati, del.icio.us, Digg, StumbleUpon, etc. Hence, social bookmarking!

If you want to read more on RSS, you may want to visit this reference on RSS I found on Fagan Finder. Also lots of great stuff on ProBlogger and Wikipedia.

So have fun with RSS, everyone!

Cheers!

Problogging: How Much Cash Do Bloggers Make From Blogging?

2007-12-02T02:08:00.000+08:00

Remember just a few months ago how we had a couple of workshops on Blogging For Money? The idea really was to show our participants how to make extra cash by putting in a few hours a day churning out a few posts on a blog worthy of attention.

Yes, you can blog for money. Some locals actually have gone completely professional, and have foregone a regular job to do just that: blogging.

The real question is, how? How can you make money from your blog?

The answer to this seemingly very important question can easily elude the amateur blogger. And while most blogs are really a labor of love more than anything else, it doesn't really matter to a lot of people if they make cash or not.

But you might want to check this out: A poll made by Darren Rowse on Problogger.net came out with some very interesting results:

1. Of the 3000+ survey respondents, some 28% said that they did not earn any money blogging- either they never tried to, or they tried but failed.

2. Of the remaining 72%...

Almost half (49%) earned under US$100 in October 2007 alone. As for the rest- about a quarter (23%) made over US$1000, 16% earned over US$2500 and about one-tenth (9%) made over US$15000- all in just one month (October 2007)!

So exactly what can we learn from this study? Most people who do blog probably don't make any money out of it. Even those who do make some cash don't make a lot. That's a reality check right there.

But there are bloggers who make a substantial amount of cash- US$1000 or more per month, and some who can completely live off on blogging at more than US$15k/month.

According to Darren Rowse, the number of successful professional bloggers are slowly growing- which is a good sign for anyone who's up for a little challenge.

What does this mean for us? It means, yes you can be one of those making more than US$1000 a month blogging about the things you like. Or even better, one of those making US$15k/month if you play your cards right!

So keep on reading, attend workshops and seminars, invest in books, network with others who dig blogging as much as you do, share what you have learned, and put everything into good use. You'll be a pro just like the best of 'em in no time!

Cheers, everyone!

Blogging Lifestyle: How Many Blogs Can You Maintain?

2007-11-26T01:50:00.001+08:00

Indeed, how many blogs can you realistically maintain?

This was one of the questions that came up in that nice little workshop of ours with Abe Olandres last 24 November 2007.

I got into blogging in March 2007. I knew nothing about how to start a blog, or what it was for, or what good it was to your everyday life.

Shortly after starting out with my first blog, I suddenly realized that I wanted to have a blog for each of my various interests. Soon enough I had one for music, another for TV and movie reviews, and then another on PC gaming, then one came up on business and marketing, followed by one on cats, another on writing, and it just went on and on.

Which was cool, in a way, since it let me toy around with different kinds of layouts and plug all sorts of widgets, and try out different blog services.

But I soon found out that, at the rate I was blogging- which at the time was only once or twice a
week- there was absolutely no way I could put any decent amount of content into any of them.

Which was why I have just recently made an effort to scrap some blogs, or merge others into larger ones in favor of a more streamlined blogging operation on my part.

The question really, is not "How Many Blogs Can You Maintain?" but rather "How Much Time Can You Put In Maintaining Your Blogs?"

Assuming you have a regular eight-hour job, plus a regular enough life (where you have to have meals, take a shower, do some other day-to-day homestuff, have a social life AND sleep for six hours), you realistically only have time to churn out one, maybe two decent entries a day. And that includes a little bit of adding links, putting in some images, tweaking the layout a little and even reviewing it some.

One or two articles a day, if you have a regular enough life. And that's probably a good day.

So given a regular enough life, you might be able to maintain- comfortably enough- anywhere from maybe two to three blogs. Five is pushing the limits of your human ability and sanity.

If you want to maintain more the aforementioned suggested human limit, well, you can always consider going professional blogging- which might possibly mean forgoing all forms of regular employment in favor of a life dedicated to blogs and blogging.

And while there are many successful professional bloggers- or pro-bloggers- out there, there is (more realistically) a far larger number of aspiring pro-bloggers that have achieved varying degrees of blogging success: from "moderately successful" to "absolute failure".

We go back to our question: "How Many Blogs Can You Maintain?"

The answer: As many as you want to, as long as you make time for it.

Make time for it, man. Starting a blog is easy. But making time for it? It's what separates the serious bloggers from most of everybody else.

Whether you blog weekly, monthly, or daily, remember that blogging does take a certain amount of commitment on your part. The more time and effort you put into it, the more you can reap from it later on.

Cheers, everyone!