Our Blog

Welcome to the ineedbloghits blog, where experts share search engine marketing news and views on industry developments. You can add your feedback to the posts by clicking the "comments" link under the post you want to comment on.

Tuesday, February 27

10 Step Guide to Building Your Blog Community

Blogging, like all things web 2.0, is all about the community. Whether you're blogging for business or just to share your view on the world, as a blogger, you'll be hoping to build a loyal audience of readers and more importantly participants.

Joe Whyte down at Search Marketing Standard has posted a 10 step guide for bloggers to build their community. While Joe suggests it's a list to review before entering into the blogging fray, I think it's a great checklist for all us bloggers to keep up on our walls. It helps to keep our efforts focused on the big picture.

I have noted down the 10 steps with a brief summary below, but for the full guide in all it's glory, visit his post.

1. Network yourself
This is the online version of networking. The key is to build your profile outside of your blog by getting to know key bloggers and authorities online in the topic of your blog. By commenting and providing feedback on others blogs, you'll start creating a profile for your own.

2. Know your community
If you have a genuine interest in the topic of your blog, then really get to know the community of readers in that space. By reading other blogs and comments, you'll get a better understanding of what your potential community responds to and what the hot topics are.

3. Your Content
"YOUR" is the operative in this step. It's your chance to have a say and build a presence online. So create your own unique persona online. Readers are drawn to content written in a different way with alternative views and opinions.

4. Think Long Term
Blogs come and go frequently. The key to being sustainable as a blogger is setting realistic long term goals. Trying to be the next www.techcrunch.com overnight is impossible. So ensure you have a road map to gauge your success and create small wins along the journey.

5. Retaining Visitors
Retaining blog visitors is all about engagement. So if readers post comments or mention you elsewhere - get involved in the conversations. Also post with retention in mind. Use "tempters" in your posts to encourage readers to come back for another dose of your opinions and views.

6. Increasing comments
As mentioned above, getting comments helps you retain readers. So encourage them to do so. The simplest way is to ask for themâ€¦Get them to share their views, ask open ended questions, be controversial (if appropriate) - and the comments will come.

7. Title bait
Simply put - use your blog titles to draw readers in. Remember there are millions of blogs out there and even more posts, so your title needs to capture enough attention to encourage a potential reader to delve further.

8. Leveraging Social Media
Social media is abundant, with communities, bookmarking services, feed aggregators, and the list goes on. To really increase your blog community, you need to start immersing yourself in these media - as they are a great source of potential readers and exposure.

9. Link Baiting
Link baiting is all about being viral. Create content that others find useful, and you'll pull readers to your community. Link bait can be just about anything (lists, games, tools, advice) as long as it's unique and there's demand for it online.

10. Ad Networks
Good old fashioned paid advertising. If you're looking to make money from your blogging efforts, it might be worth exploring the many online advertising options available to drive traffic to your blog.

So that's the summary of Joe's guide. Like I said, if you want the complete guide with examples and relevant links - visit Joe Whyte's post and enjoy. Thanks for the list Joe.

Wednesday, February 21

Cool Free Blog Tools

One great thing about social, community and user generated content online is the availability of some excellent free sites, widgets, templates, images, icons and the list goes on. Otherwise, undiscovered designers, programmers and writers are now able to share their talent with the online world, and thankfully, we all benefit!

Blog Templates

Template Panic has a wide range of blog templates to use with different blogging software. Use the handy tag cloud to navigate your way through the site, or just check out the archives tab.

Gecko&Fly specialize in Blogger templates, it's a simple click, and you can download the code to place into a Blogger template. Simply add your details and away you go!

weblog tools collection have an extensive archive of WordPress themes listed, and you can choose one according to its description

WordPress Theme Viewer allows users to filter their template search by colour, columns and even width. Professional templates to kick-start, or revive a lifeless blog!

Blogger Templates are a variety of templates solely for use in Blogger. Aman, the designer, gives detailed instructions on how to use and make these templates your own!

Widgets

Widgetbox an excellent site for widgets, or blidgets (blogs turned into widgets) and gadgets that work in practically any blog or website.

Konfabulator is a vast collection of widgets supported by Yahoo! You can navigate through fun and games, news, sight and sound tabs to find the perfect addition for your blog. Maybe the 'Geek Stuff' tab will be more your thing?

Widgipedia is the latest widgety website. Offering, 'Wikipedia like' user generated content you can download blog, website and desktop widgets to your hearts content. And, if you're interested in giving a little back - you are able to upload your own widgets!

Free Blogging Sites

Blogger is possibly one the most renowned of all the free blog publishing sites. This Google offering is an easy, automated and functional blogging platform for those new to blogging or just in it for some fun!

WordPress has developed a serious reputation as the premiere blog publishing platform. The likes of Matt Cutts, the Rolling Stone Magazine and The New York Times all use WordPress powered blogs. While you may not be in this league just yet - start your free WordPress blog and see how you go.

Facebook is a social networking site, similar to MySpace that offers free blogging along with a multitude of other great community based features.

Can't find the blogging site what you're looking for? There are plenty more available online, or to ask us just post a comment below!

Free doesn't have to be cheap or shabby - these sites are both comprehensive and professional. As you're browsing think about what you'd like your blog to say about you or your business, and be inspired!

Monday, February 19

Statistics Show You Should Blog

The term blog by definition is an online journal that is updated frequently, and contains information including reviews, thoughts and personal opinions. Blogs generally represent the personality of the author, or a website. Their functionality enables readers to respond to articles with short comments or ideas, thus they generate a community of people reading, writing, responding and sharing with each other.

Blogs may be used as a means of communication between organizations and their customers. Statistics show that 83% of corporate bloggers have seen traffic increases to their website as a direct result of their blogging efforts. The number of blogs has also grown from 9.4 million in April 2005 to over 70 million in July 2006, yet it is estimated that an amazing 90% of businesses still do not have a blog! (So, what are you waiting for?)

So you may ask how do I get a blog? Many sites now offer free blog templates, set-up and even hosting, these include Blogger, Facebook, WordPress and more. It is simple - you sign up, choose your look and you can be up and posting within minutes!

According to eMarketer a new blog is launched every second! Chances are no matter what you are searching for there is someone out there that has dedicated a blog to that topic. A great place to find a blog about everything and anything is by searching the largest blog directories Google Blog Search and Technorati.

Good luck blogging!

Friday, February 16

Blog School - The How To Guide to Better Blogging

Blog School is your 'how to guide to better blogging'. Our Blog will bring you the latest on bloggers, blogging, vlogging and loads of other interesting blog topics.

News and Updates
We'll bring the world of blogging to your door with articles on bloggers in the news, the hottest blogging software and styles, who's blogging what and why. You'll also be the first to find out about ineedbloghits' latest product promotions and enhancements.

DIY Tips and Tricks
Need to know something, anything, about blogging or blogs? Blog School will cover all manner of need to know, do-it-yourself articles and whitepapers. If there is something blog related that you'd like us to cover then just ask - we love a challenge!

Industry Research
Not only will we be covering current industry research and statistics regarding blog and blogging trends, we will be conducting our own studies, and polls concerning your blogging habits, subjects, business blogging and more.

You'll see who does what at ineedbloghits, if you view our individual profile pages under the 'Contributors' section in the panel on the right. Or, visit our About Us page to find out more about our company.

So, welcome again! We look forward to sharing our blog experience, and hearing all about yours. We'll use this space to ask, share, argue, comment and listen - we hope you do the same!

Wednesday, February 14

5 reasons why ineedhits launched ineedbloghits

Welcome to Blog School and our first post. This blog is intended to help bloggers gain quick and easy insights into how to increase their marketing so they have more time to blog. We'll share everything we know about online marketing to drive more traffic to your blog.

I thought I'd kick it off by sharing why ineedhits, a search engine marketing firm with 10 years experience, has decided to launch a service for bloggers.

So how did ineedbloghits pass the product development checklist?

1. Market Opportunity - well there is no debate - there are millions of bloggers.

2. Customer need - bloggers would much rather blog than mess about trying to market their blog

3. Our credentials/experience - we have been selling search engine marketing services to small businesses for 10 years now and we know a thing or two about reliable, low cost online marketing solutions

4. Profitable - well the proof will be in how many bloggers take up the service - sure there are free services out there - but from our experience they are unreliable and time consuming!

5. And finally Management Support helps! Well for anyone who knows the ineedhits founder, Clay Cook, he is now the owner of a serious web 2.0 offering http://www.minti.com/ a social network for parents and so the blogging phenomenon is not new to him. I share below an email from him to me over 12 months ago.

Jackie

For Minti I have been doing a lot of research into blogs. What I have found out is that they are probably the fastest growing market for "new websites".

Can I suggest you give serious thought to a submission/inclusion style product specific to Blogs

I think once people have created a blog they need to let various Blog Search Engines know their web address and Feed address.

If you would like any further info from me, please let me know. Matt also has a couple of blogs so he may have some thoughts also.

Regards
Clay Cook
29.1.2006

If you noticed the date was over 12 months ago you may ask - why did it take that long? Well perhaps the hardest question with product development is to know when something is a distraction from your core business versus a strategic play. We had a few other competing interests (including the birth of a baby girl) but I'm pleased to officially launch ineedbloghits and wish it the greatest of success and I hope it helps save bloggers some time so they can get back to blogging.

The 5 Point Guide to Start Blogging

A recent poll conducted by ineedhits found that although most respondents didn't have a blog, they would like to start one. So, we thought we could start you all off with the best tips and advice on how to get started!

Before You Start
Before you start your first post, it's a good idea to make a plan of what you intend to blog about. While certain topics may seem like a never-ending wealth of information, finding yourself with nothing new to write about may bring a quick end to your blogging career. Blog about subjects of which you have a genuine interest and knowledge. Readers are more likely to return, if they perceive that you will provide insightful and interesting observations. Once you have a good plan of the topics you're going to cover, its time to find somewhere to host the blog.

Hosting Your Blog
For all the first-time bloggers, the easiest way to start would be to try out a free hosted solution. This will give you the ability to quickly set-up your blog and make a few posts to see if blogging is right for you. There are many free hosted solutions, with blogger.com and wordpress.com amongst the most popular. Setting up your blog is easy; you simply create an account, name your blog and choose your template!

Naming Your Blog
Give your blog a name you like and one that fits in with the subject you will be writing about. For company blogs, try to select a title that fits in with your corporate goal or mission. If your blog is personal, don't make the fatal mistake of calling it "My Blog"; instead choose a heading that lets people know what subjects you will be covering. When deciding on the URL (web address) of your blog, include a couple of important keywords you would like the blog to be found in search engines with. Finally, ensure your title is short and succinct and don't 'keyword stuff' the heading.

Choosing Your Template
There are a couple of considerations to be made before choosing your blog template. Firstly, does the design of the template match the design of your personal or company website? Your template should match the design of your website as close as possible so readers can easily make links between the two. Secondly, does the layout of your template suit the design of your blog? For example: if you want to write long blog articles, choosing a narrow template would not be the best option. Alternatively, if you're looking to put Google AdSense in your blog, choosing one with a large sidebar would be a good choice.

Making Your First Post
Before making your first post, it's a good idea to draft your article in word, or similar, to make sure there are no obvious spelling or grammar errors. There's nothing worse than a blog post riddled with errors. Also, make a plan of when you intend to post, and how often. This will remind you to keep your blog updated and maintain fresh content - something that will attract readers.

A Few Bonus Tips
We've covered the basics to get started, so now its time to get your blog posts out there. Remember to enable comments and claim your blog on blog search engines such as Technorati and FeedBurner. Last but not least, when you update fresh content, don't forget to use Easy Blog Ping and let the blog search engines know you have something new to share. Happy blogging!

Tuesday, February 13

Are Your Blogs Too Personal?

Blogging has grown up with a tradition of sharing and confidences. How then, do we reconcile business blogging with full disclosure of personal experience - getting personal without 'getting personal'?

Unlike many other forms of publishing, where articles 'tell' you the content, blogging allows authors to give their opinion, ask for the audience's thoughts, share anecdotes and cover any manner of subject matter.

Business blogging has the same fundamental guidelines as personal blogging - blog about what you know, about your interests. People are more likely to read, and return, to a blog written by a passionate author. In the case of blogging for your business keep content relevant for your subscribers, now is not the time to digress into areas of your personal love life and passions!

You can develop a dialogue or community with your readers, share ideas and let them get to know a little bit about you. Similar to an 'about us' page, your blog can cover elements of your professional life. Support your writing by telling of your previous experiences, learnings or disappointments - just make sure these are relevant business related topics and don't make it all about you!

Finally, blogging should not be synonymous with the departure of basic grammar, punctuation and spelling! Professional blogging should be just that - professional! While you can keep the look and feel of your blog cool, casual or funky just remember that your readers will use this to gauge your credibility. Choosing to write in first, second or third person, all are acceptable.

That's the fun about blogging - there are no hard and fast rules. Keep on topic, have fun and blog with personality while not getting personal!

Feeding Your Blog

Blogging is all about sharing; and sharing requires distribution, and this is where feeds come in! Feeds are publishing formats that allow viewers to receive the latest updates from their favourite blogs, websites or online publishers. Generally, they display a headline, short description and links to an article/content.

The two most common feed types are Atom and RSS. For those that like to know all the technical elements, and understand the details behind the process, then check out Answers or Wikipedia for more information about these feed formats. Simply, they are the best way in which to make your blog content available to a wide audience, who will be able to view your updates as, and when, they are made!

If you're blogging from Blogger, MySpace, Facebook or many of the other free blogging sites out there, then feeding your blog is usually done automatically, as these sites provide either / both RSS and Atom feeds with your blog. Find out how feeding your blog works in the FAQ, or the Help section at your preferred blogging site.

Here are a few symbols synonymous with website or blog feeds - you can even create your own!

Common RSS Feed chicklets

Find out everything you still want to know about RSS feeds, applications, XML and readers from RSS Specifications.
Once you have set-up your blog and your feed use Easy Blog Ping to keep the most popular blog search engines up to date with your musings! Finally, grab yourself a free FeedReader from the wide selection available online and start discovering feeds for yourself!
With feeding and Easy Blog Ping - keeping up with the online world, and your competition, has never been easier.