The idea was to post every day and whilst it started it out well, things just got a little hectic to say the least.

I finally got round to launching my own portfolio / business-blog at ItsDanSmith.com and alongside that and working for several new clients, I’ve barely had time to shower over the past few months.

I’m planning on restarting the regular posts again here soon, so check back soon – and don’t forget to contact me if you would like your blog reviewing.

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The way I came across the articles section of the Directory Journal blog is one that is a little long winded and wasn’t simply me stumbling on it accidentally or randomly(but directly) through a search engine or being provided with the direct link.

When are things ever that straightforward?

A few months back I was recommended to take a look at the photo blog section of Directory Journal (http://www.dirjournal.com/info) which features some extremely interesting photos and information on topics of all varieties. This, as those who have read previous posts on Find A New Blog will realise, is something that I particularly love – there’s not many things better than reading up on all things, well, weird.

Clicking around the blog to discover more, I came to the main website, which is a directory of some very interesting and useful websites and from here I realised that the website had a range of other useful sub-sections.

Enter http://www.dirjournal.com/articles.

It’s difficult to summarise the blog into one section, as it is more of an amalgamation of everything related to internet marketing, social media and Search Engine Optimisation. The topics may be relatively broad, but the information is extremely useful, particularly for those who are new to the entire industry.

The blog started on 5 June 2007 with a post on ‘What is a feature?’ (in relation to PR writing) and over the last 3 years (almost), has featured posts on everything from whether or not you should offer a mobile version of your website to how to spot problems with your website by using Google Analytics.

Speaking to Hasan Saleem, the owner of the entire network, he explained that “Our visitors love the posts and our subscribers are rising every month”, the first part being something which is obvious by simply reading through the comments made by the community.

Largely due to the writers and experts that the blog utilizes, the blog has featured in many credible websites lately, including http://www.toprankblog.com and the more specific http://www.toprankblog.com/search-marketing-blogs/.

http://www.dirjournal.com/articles is a blog dedicated to providing the latest social media news, search engine optimisation tips, design trends and internet marketing, as well as throwing into the mix a whole host of other subjects and topics under its internet marketing / social media / SEO umbrella. For the vast majority of people online, whether they work in the SEO field or simply have their own website, a visit to this blog will almost always be of substantial benefit.

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I check back on that blog quite regularly and today I noticed that there was a little link at the top saying ‘Next blog’.  Unable to refrain from pressing it, I ended up on The Backside of Water blog and was pleasantly surprised at what I found.

Reading the blog title, what would you expect it was about?  Water?  Aquatic animals?  I guess it could even be a bit poetic and feature the works of an up-and-coming writer.

Nope – Disney theme parks.

The Backside of Water blog was set up in 2008 and provides information on a vast array of different topics to do with all aspects of Disney’s theme parks.

For instance, recent posts have covered the new bins that are apparent in the park (which include separate recycling sections, showing a greener side to Disney),  whilst older posts have covered everything from the entrance sign for Splash Mountain to the benches that are near to the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.

The Backside of Water blog might not seem particularly interesting, featuring just tidbits of information about Disney theme parks – but it’s tidbits of information that I like.

And plus, it’s Disney – who doesn’t like Disney?

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Now I’m addicted.

The 2010 championship started in February and two races in I can’t get enough. It’s because of this that I came across World Superbike News, a blog that provides up to the minute information on SKB (the more common name for the championship…I believe).

Covering the last two years championships, World Superbike News features everything from where to watch the races on television through to videos of interviews with the riders. Most recently there’s a video of Chris Vermeulen, the rider who came off his bike during the opening race of the championship and hit the tyre wall after having his bike follow behind him, missing him by inches.

It didn’t look good at the time and it turns out he’s badly damaged his knee – something which World Superbike News reported on straight away.

There’s no arguing that Superbikes aren’t as popular as other sports in the UK, but if you’re into racing and have even a basic interest in bikes, I’d really recommended heading over to this blog to see if you get as sucked in with the sport as I have.

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I have to say that the blog is one of the happiest I’ve come across.

As the the title would suggest, Miss Tyler-Smith’s Grade Five Blog is a blog of Miss Tyler-Smith’s Grade Five class, who are a class in an independent school in Cape Town, South Africa.

The blog was setup to allow for the children in the class to have a safe place to share their ideas, which is, in my opinion at least, a wonderful idea.

Featuring everything from information on the ‘Learner of the Week’, to historical resources about parts of history that the class have been learning about and through to pictures of them hard at work (looking like they’re having a really enjoyable time, however – school must have changed since I was there!), Miss Tyler-Smith’s Grade Five Blog is well worth checking out, irrelevant of whether you’re from an educational background or not – I guarantee it will bring a smile to anyone’s face.

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DS: Welcome to Find A New Blog, Tamahome. Tell me a little bit about yourself.
TJ: I’m 28 years old, expecting my first child next month. I’ve never been so excited and nervous in my life. My wife and I live in Asheville, NC, having moved from Fort Worth, TX last year.

DS: Congratulations on the baby!
TJ: Thank you! It really is an amazing time, and I can’t wait to meet the newest member of my family. Maybe she’ll grow up to be a blogger like her dad!

DS: When did you start blogging?
TJ: I decided to start blogging about history in December 2008 when I saw that there weren’t too many sites devoted to the topic. All of them were either incredibly academic (read:boring) or they were copies of Wikipedia or the History Channel. So, I set out to write about history and try to make it interesting for everybody which resulted in EverythingIsHistory.com.

DS: I reviewed EverythingIsHistory a while back and I have to say that I’ve checked back quite regularly since – it’s a really interesting blog. Have you got any plans for future blogs?
TJ: I’m going to start a personal blog/portfolio site this spring because I’ve learned a lot about blogging and I want to share my ideas and experience with other new bloggers. I already have the domain (TamahomeJenkins.com), I just have to start the site now.

DS: Is blogging your main job?
TJ: I’m writing and blogging full-time and I dabble a little in affiliate marketing. I’m not making as much money as I was as a systems admin with the Department of Homeland Security, but I’m much happier and I know this is the best experience of my life. Thankfully, I have a very supportive wife who is behind me 100% and wants me to go for this.

DS: How long did you work as a Systems Admin for?
TJ: I started as a help desk tech back in 2005 and I loved it. I quickly moved up the ranks to systems admin, and I enjoyed it, but it was too political. I enjoyed working with the technology, but sometimes people’s egos would get in the way of actually getting stuff accomplished.

DS: What made you leave the corporate world?
TJ: After 4 years, I just started to get burnt out and knew that I wouldn’t make it another 30 years in the corporate world. Besides the creeping burnout, I also am a historian by trade. My degree is in history, but I entered the IT field because the pay was really good. I knew that now was the right time to get out of the corporate world, before I had too many attachments and responsibilities. I knew if I didn’t try it now, I never would.

DS: EverythingIsHistory has been going for a while now. What are your plans for the future in respect of your business?
TJ: I plan on releasing a couple of history-related trivia books this year. They’re going to be big and flashy, like something people will want to keep on their coffee table or in their bathroom. I’m also going to start marketing for my cousin’s diaper service business here in Western North Carolina. That will at least get the bills paid for now while my wife’s on maternity leave.

DS: You mentioned about writing – is this for clients, yourself, articles, news stories, education books, etc?
TJ: I write mostly for EiH (EverthingIsHistory), but I plan on guest posting about my experiences with blogging this spring. I’ve also started writing creatively; mostly for myself and my friends, but we’ll see if that turns into anything.

DS: How big of a part does writing play in your business life?
TJ: Writing is the core of EiH. Information can be found anywhere, but you need to give people a reason to come get it from you. This has opened my eyes to a whole world of marketing and how the human mind works. This, in turn, has helped me with my affiliate marketing efforts.

DS: How did you get into affiliate marketing?
TJ: I got into affiliate marketing when I got tired of Google paying me 5 cents per click! It was tough to get into at first, and I got discouraged early, but I’m glad I stuck with it. It’s definitely a better long term method of monetizing your blog than traditional ad networks.

DS: Have you learnt anything in particular in respect of blogging / writing / affiliate marketing that you wish you knew when you first started out?
TJ: I knew that the traffic wouldn’t start pouring in just because I was writing something, but I wish that I knew how slow that trickle would be! It was definitely discouraging to see 20 visits per day after a month. I guess that means that I wish I knew more about SEO. Also, I wish I knew about StumbleUpon. I know a lot of people don’t like it, and I understand why, but I often get extra 1000-2000 visits per post from them.

DS: Have you ever thought about giving up the writing work and heading back into a more secure / salaried job?
TJ: I’ve thought about it, but I quickly banish the thought when I realize that I do most of my work in my PJs or at the park. Money comes and goes, but at the end of life all anybody wants is time. When I start to freak out about money, I just remind myself that being self-employed is the best time investment, and renting your time to someone else is a poor investment.

DS: Are there any avenues that you want to take in the future in respect of business and / or personal life that people may not expect you to or that you think ‘I’d really like to try that in the future’?
TJ: Since moving to Asheville, I’ve discovered the outdoors, and mountain biking in particular. I want to start riding competitively and eventually open a bike shop.

And that concludes the second in the Interview With A Blogger series. Thanks to Tamahome for taking the time out have a chat with me and make sure you check back early next month for the next in the Interview With A Blogger series.

Dan

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There are other occupations, however, that are relatively unknown but which can have a substantially positive impact on your life.

Michelle Whaite currently practices in one of those occupations and is a fully certificated LifeSuccess Consultant.

Starting off by training as a Life Coach at Newcastle University in the UK, Michelle progressed to become a business partner of Paul Martinelli and Bobby Gill of LifeSuccess productions.

The aim of Michelle’s work is to ensure that, in essence, everyone can unlock their true potential.  It may sound like a bit of a cliche or a bit cheesy to some, but a lot of what Michelle says and practices is very true and that everyone, to a certain degree, can achieve whatever they set out to – as long as they receive the proper advice and guidance to be able to do so along the way.

There’s a lot of interesting information on Michelle Whaite’s blog, include a podcast entitled ‘Think and Grow Rich!’.  Whether you feel that Michelle’s work is fatnastic or not, a lot of the resources, including this podcast, are completely free and so the blog is worth five minutes of anyone’s time.

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Well, unless maths isn’t your strong point, you’ll have realised that there have only been five reviews this week – things have just been ever-so-slightly busy this week and I didn’t find the time to get up another blog review.

It looks like things are going to be busy for the foreseeable future, so I might be dropping the blog reviews down to one every other day.  Not fully decided, but I’ll just see how things go.

Remember, if you want me to review your blog, you can contact me.

Also, don’t forget to check back next week – March’s Interview With A Blogger feature will be live.

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If you fall into the latter category and think that moving abroad can be a particularly daunting experience, what can help is knowing people who come from a similar background to you reporting and providing information on the considerable task that you are about to carry out.

Clogs and Tulips is the blog of Tiffany Jansen, an American, originally from Maryland, USA.  In short, Tiffany met a Dutchman in 2007, fell in love, got married and moved back to his homeland where they have lived happily ever since.

Understanding the importance of helping fellow expats (or wannabe’ expats), Tiffany set up Clogs and Tulips to not only provide information on various aspects of Dutch life, but also to act as a gathering place for those who have moved, or want to move, to Holland (or the Netherlands in general).

As someone who has no immediate plans to move away from the UK, you might think that this blog would be of no relevance to me.  However, it is a particularly interesting blog to read through for anyone, as Tiffany details a range of different points on her new wedded life with a Dutchman.

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Now, if you’re not technologically minded, it can be tempting to think that Matt Cutts‘ blog is not for you.  And, well, maybe you’d be right.

OK, so Matt Cutts‘ blog may not be solely devoted to all things technical and he does stray from that side of things occasionally.  However, Matt is a technological Google whizz, so what else would you expect him to blog about?

Matt speaks about all things Google, as well as many different aspects of Search Engine Optimisation, with many of his blog posts becoming instant talking points on a range of SEO and webmaster forums, as a lot of the information mentioned is relatively unknown, particularly expected or simply interesting and discussion worthy.

This blog is definitely worth of visit, especially for anyone who owns their own website.  Just, you know, make sure you’re wearing your techy cap when you do.

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