Alright ladies and gents, we knew the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines were coming for nearly a year, and now they’re finally here.  This is an urgent (and legally necessary) read for all bloggers, because it effects your reviews, sponsored posts, PR, news articles, and more.  I hate to be the one to tell you that the new Guides are in fact 81 pages long, but they are.

Grab a cup of coffee, because this pdf will take a while to read. 

Click here for the full 81 page pdf of the FTC’s “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”.

Here’s a snippet from the headline from the FTC that hit our screens on October 5, 2009:

FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials

Changes Affect Testimonial Advertisements, Bloggers, Celebrity Endorsements

The Federal Trade Commission today announced that it has approved final revisions to the guidance it gives to advertisers on how to keep their endorsement and testimonial ads in line with the FTC Act.

The notice incorporates several changes to the FTC’s Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, which address endorsements by consumers, experts, organizations, and celebrities, as well as the disclosure of important connections between advertisers and endorsers. The Guides were last updated in 1980.

Read the FTC’s full article here:  FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials

There are many reasons you may want to add nofollow tags to hyperlinks, the main reason being to block links from paying advertisers from benefitting from your PageRank.  Do you know how to add the nofollow tag to your hyperlinks?

There are 2 types of links: dofollow and nofollow.  When neither tag is present, the default setting is dofollow. The nofollow tag tells a search engine’s crawler not to give any weight or “Google juice” to the link you have posted.

An in-depth discussion of the benefits and uses of nofollow will be covered in another article.  For now, we’ll be focusing on how to add the nofollow tag to links when you know it should be there.

How to Add Nofollow Tags to Links

A regular link (to a helpful article, great post, or relevant blog) will be a normal, followed link.  Its code will look like this when you switch to the html view in your dashboard:

That normal code is how every regular followed link should look when you view its html. To add the nofollow tag in, you’ll add this snippet of html code to your existing link:

rel=”nofollow”

That one simple piece of code will prevent search engine spiders from following the link, in effect, giving no weight to the link.  In other words, the link juice from your page will not flow into that link or out to its corresponding site.

I’ve shown the nofollow tag in red in the example below so you can see the placement.  To add the nofollow tag, your html code will now look like this:

That’s all there is to it.  Adding nofollow tags is quick and easy to do when you know the proper way to modify your html code.  Remember that to be in compliance with Google and many other search engine’s policies, you’ll want to add nofollow tags to all paid links from advertisers. 

In a nutshell:  If you get compensation for the link, it’s best not to be flowing PageRank to the link.  Respectable webmasters and public relations reps know that building backlinks is something you do the old fashioned way – with great content and real relationships, NOT by buying links!

Is your blog feeling stale?  If your site has looked the same for quite some time, it might be time to freshen up your blog.  Here are 13 easy ways to give your blog a mini makeover; some are pretty major, and some are little changes that pack a big punch.

13 Ways to Freshen Up Your Blog

1.  Install a new template or theme.  Is it time for a blog overhaul?  Create a brand new look and layout by installing a new blog theme. 

Find a listing of free WordPress themes here, and free blogspot / blogger themes here.

2.  Get a new badge.  If you don’t do your own graphics, start looking for a graphic artist on twitter to design a new 125×125 badge for your blog.

3.  Change your link and title colors.  This small, easy change is quick to make and will give your posts a fresh new look. 

4.  Add avatars or gravatars to your comments.  Avatars next to commenter names make your comment section look more appealing.  Here are our step by step instructions for how to add avatars to your blog comments section.

5.  Rearrange your sidebar.  Move your widgets around to give readers a fresh perspective.  Bring some sections from the bottom of the sidebar to the top for a while.

6.  Get a new header.  This is another reason to find a good designer who shares your vision of the way you want to present your blog.  Asking for a designer on twitter is always a good starting place.

7.  Add a snazzy new background.  If you’re not up for changing your entire template and you like your current layout, consider adding a new background.  You can find free blog backgrounds at The Cutest Blog on the Block.

8.  Move your ads around.  Giving your ads a more prominent placement on your blog can present a very different look, not to mention helping you earn more money from your blog. 

If you’re using Google Adsense, you may even consider changing the sizes of your ads to change up the types of graphics which are displayed.  For example, using a 300×250 rectangle will give you the ability to display video ads.

9.  Add a new weekly or monthly feature.  Add excitement by coming up with a new regular feature that readers can participate in and look forward to.  Blog memes using Mr. Linky or MckLinky give your readers a chance to participate and help your blog get more exposure.

10.  Add Google Friend Connect.  If you’ve seen the widgets in blog sidebars with lots of faces, chances are you were looking at Google Friend Connect.  This feature allows your reader to join your blog’s community and connect with your other readers, as well as showing their picture off to your audience.

11.  Move your sidebar to the other side of the page.  It’s just like rearranging furniture!  Try moving your right sidebar to the left side of the page for a brand new perspective.

12.  Change the color of your navigation bar.  Does your navigation blend in or stand out?  Make the navigation buttons pop against your color palette to ensure your readers see it and know how to move around your blog.

13.  Change your site’s name.  This one is only to be used in extreme cases, such as when the content on your blog no longer fits with your blog’s name. 

Get more Thursday Thirteen at the new Thursday 13.  Thanks to stock.xchng for the graphic.

Have you seen faces next to comments on other blogs, but don’t know how to add them on your own blog?  Never fear!  Our step by step instructions for both blogspot and WordPress self-hosted blogs will teach you how to add avatars to your blog comments in no time.

Avatars next to commenters names make your comment section look more appealing. 

If you haven’t set up your own avatar for your site yet, visit Gravatar to find out how.

How to Add Comment Avatars on Blogspot Blogs:

• In your dashboard, go to “Settings”.
• Go to “Comments”.
• Near the bottom of the page, change “Show profile images on comments?” to “Yes”.
• Click the “Save Settings” button.

How to Add Comment Avatars on Wordpress Self-Hosted Blogs:

• In your dashboard, go to “Settings”.
• Go to “Discussion”.
• Scroll down to the Avatars section.
• Under “Avatar Display”, choose the radio button for “Show Avatars”.
• Under “Maximum Rating”, select what pictures are appropriate to show up your blog.  Avatar ratings are G, PG, R, and X.
• Under “Default Avatar”, choose the picture you want to show up for readers who don’t have an avatar of their own yet.

Avatars are a great way to add some pizzazz to your blog’s comments section and encourage readers to leave some feedback.  It’s nice to be able to connect words with faces and help to foster the community on your blog!

Matt Cutts is the head of the Web Spam (anti-spam) team at Google.  He spoke at the recent WordCamp 2009 in May of this year about how to boost your WordPress blog’s results in Google search.  WordCamp is an annual Wordpress conference that provides helpful information on Wordpress for both bloggers and developers alike.

We all want better rankings for our blogs, because that means more traffic and – if you’re doing things right – more money!  You’ll want to keep reading and watch the video to make this happen.

There’s always a lot of speculation and advice by SEOs, internet marketers, and more about what Google wants and the proper way to do things. I’ve found during my time as a problogger and SEO enthusiast that you’ll never get better advice on “the right way to do things” than when you get it directly from Google staff! 

Here is the link to Matt Cutts’ blog. If you really want to start increasing your Google knowledge, I recommend you go grab his RSS feed now.

Below is Matt Cutts’ video from WordCamp 2009 about how your blog can do better in Google. This is a substantial video at 46 minutes, so grab a coffee and bookmark this page in case you can’t watch the whole thing right now.  (Subscribers will have to click through to the site to watch the video.)

Matt Cutts Google Video Highlights

Advice for PageRank:

• Don’t obsess about getting more backlinks for your site.  You want to have people know about you and you want those people to be reputable.
• About being relevant and reputable- you want to stay on topic with your blogging, so that people are linking to you about things you want to be known for.

Lesser-Known Plugins Mentioned in Video:

• Cookies for Comments by Donncha O Caoimh (an awesome plugin developer). I’ve never tried this plugin before, but I’ll be testing it on one of our new blogs to see how well it does at blocking spammers from commenting.  Matt Cutts recommends using this in addition to Akismet.
• Enforce WWW Preference by Mark Jaquith.  This plugin helps with SEO by making sure all of your content is in either www or non-www, instead of split between both (essentially diluting your PageRank).

More on this subject:

1. Wordpress 2.8.4 Upgrade – Security Must

Update: The 2 Purex Insiders have been chosen! Stay tuned for the names to be announced.

As you may know, I’m a Purex Insider.  This means I get to test out their new products, handle their promotions, and be a brand ambassador for Purex to people worldwide.  Now, Purex is expanding their group of 200 Purex Insiders, and told me I can choose 2 people to add!

You can find out more about the program at the Purex site here.  Representing a high profile brand like Purex can be a huge boost to your PR resume, which translates to better clout with potential advertisers. 

I mentioned this earlier today on Twitter and got quite a response.  I can only choose two people and it will be a very tough decision to narrow it down to only 2. 

If you are interested in being considered as a Purex Insider, please leave a comment below.

(Please don’t leave a comment if you have in the past, currently are, or plan to participate in a PR blackout.  PR blackouts are not supported by our company, IS World Media, and we can’t nominate a blogger who is closed to PR opportunities.  This is IS World Media’s policy only and does not reflect the ideas of any products/companies that we promote/review.  Thank you for understanding.)

Feel free to link to this post for your readers – they might like to sign up as well!

If you ask people their thoughts on making money from blogging, you’ll get as many different opinions as there are people.  Some think you should never make money from a blog, while some think it’s okay as long as you are running your blog as a business.

If you’re not currently making money from your blog, the question to ask yourself is: “Do I want to make money from a blog?”  if you answered yes, which you probably did since you’re reading this site about how to be a problogger, this article series is for you. 

If you’re not sure if monetizing your blog is right for you, here are some things to consider. 

To Monetize Your Blog or Not – That is the Question

1.  What is blogging costing you?  If you have your own domain name and pay for hosting every month, then you are actually paying to give your readers the great free content that you provide.  Shouldn’t you at least be able to recover the costs that you pay to have the website?

2.  Your time is valuable.  Blogging for fun and writing about your passion are wonderful, and are the reasons that most of us are blogging right now.  If you use this reasoning in the past (“I just blog because I like it – so I shouldn’t really make money from it because it’s not a business”), think about this: 

Isn’t your time valuable?  Don’t you put time, effort, and care into creating the best possible experience for your readers?  As the if you probably answered yes, it would make sense for you to get a little compensation for the hard work you put into creating and maintaining your site.

3.  The personal blog.  If you haven’t monetized your website because it’s a personal blog, you may not want to.  Bloggers who only write about personal topics, their families, or post family photos and videos to share with relatives, are among the group of people who may not even want to consider making money from the blogs. 

This is not to say that you can’t; whether or not to monetize a personal blog is purely a personal choice and only you will know if it feels right for you.

4.  Blogging for a cause.  Is charity important to you?  Perhaps you blog about social issues, if public services, or nonprofit organizations.  If this is the case, it would make sense to fill wary about making money from your blog. 

However, you still have to consider that the money you raise from monetizing your blog could be directed toward serving the causes you’re so passionate about.  Many bloggers choose to donate a portion or all of their blog earnings to charities and causes.  If you’re looking for a starting place to find events dedicated to your cause, check the Yahoo Issues and Causes directory or search Facebook groups to find like-minded cause bloggers.

So You Want to Make Money From Your Blog…

If you aren’t making money from your blog right now but wish you were, then stay tuned.  In the next few articles, I’ll be writing about the many different options to make money from blogs, the best ways to monetize blogs (including affiliate marketing and banner advertising) and tips for earning more.

Make sure you don’t miss any of these helpful tips for making money from your blog! 

Sign up for our free RSS feed or email subscription right now.

Thanks to Alicja Stolarczyk at stock.xchng for the photo.

Wordpress 2.8.4 was released yesterday (August 12, 2009) and if you haven’t upgraded your blog yet, you should do so ASAP.  You can upgrade to Wordpress 2.8.4 from your dashboard or download the latest version here.

There was a security vulnerability found in the previous Wordpress version that allowed people to use a special URL that could bypass the security for password resets.  In essence, this would enable a hacker to hit user accounts (like the admin account), reset your password, and have access to your blog.

Think it couldn’t happen to your blog?  It can – Robert Scoble’s site was hacked into yesterday.  Don’t let this happen to you!

We luckily upgraded all of our Wordpress sites when the release was announced and haven’t had any problems. 

Security Not a Drawback to Using Wordpress

Some people use security issues like yesterday’s as an excuse to not use Wordpress.  However, the window is very small between the time hackers discover a vulnerability and Wordpress finds out about it and creates a solidly tested solution.  The power of using an open source CMS with such collective knowledge going into its development really gives Wordpress users the blogging edge, with an extremely robust platform. 

To put it plainly, there is no better than Wordpress, so don’t let yesterday’s security issue scare you away.

Remember that Wordpress updates are critical for your security and should be installed as soon as you know about them.  You can keep informed of these updates by simply checking your Wordpress dashboard or following the Wordpress Blog.

More on this subject:

1. Boost Your Wordpress Blog’s Results in Google – Matt Cutts WordCamp Video

Even if you are a brand new blogger, you need to read this article!  The tips at the end have saved my emotional well being and allow me to be a celebrity blogger without unnecessarily wondering why the spotlight can be so tough.

I’m a big fan of Shoemoney (Jeremy Schoemaker), Chris Brogan, and Crystal Paine (Money Saving Mom), because they are all probloggers who are also at the top of our game.  Top bloggers running some of the top websites in the world are bound to get criticism, insults, and bad press on a daily basis, just because of the nature of their jobs.

As celebrity bloggers, some people look up to us, and others yearn only to find fault with our success and tear us down.  Being in the top 1% of sites in the world opens up a huge international audience that scrutinizes your every move, action, and choice of words.  It can become a huge burden, the responsibility of trying to field all these unsolicited opinions about your life. 

I’m lucky to have a naturally thick skin. Not many things get to me, I’m pretty easy going.  Even so, I tell my husband that Jeremy, Chris and Crystal get me through the days sometimes when the negativity from readers and non-readers gets to be too much. 

Jeremy Schoemaker gets back by firing back sharp words and making it apparent that his life and his choices are still his own, even as a celebrity. He uses humor to diffuse the situations, and he’s had a lot of experience perfecting his approach. 

Chris Brogan has taken the arrogant approach (in a good way) at times, with a “you obviously don’t know who I am – I’m Chris Brogan” attitude.  He chooses to produce results and succeed even more while the naysayers spend their time and energy focused on complaining about what he does. 

Crystal Paine chooses to step out of the public eye almost completely; you’ll barely even find photos of her on her site.

I rarely talk about the downside of being a celebrity blogger because I feel it’s my choice to be here so it’s my responsibility to deal with the side effects.  However, all bloggers should know that we all have to deal with these issues.

When trolls talk about my family or publicly wish me ill will (yes, even though I’m a 2-time cancer survivor, a reader actually wished me to get cancer in a comment last month), I draw the line and leave a firm but polite response on twitter.  Other than that, you don’t hear about the downside from me.

Now keep in mind that Jeremy, Chris, and Crystal are  more popular than I am.  I imagine the volume of public scrutiny they deal with is even more than mine.  My hope is that I will have perfected my thick skin by the time I reach their volume so that I can deal as well as they do.

I feel it’s important for any blogger, no matter how new or how small your following, start to gain a healthy perspective on this issue now.  Here is my advice to you:

The Hard-to-Face (but True) Realities

• As a blogger, you are now a public figure.  You made this choice when you started a public blog.
• People will expect more from you than they do of themselves or their friends. 
• People will feel you owe them explanations for your actions, your blog posts, and even the choices you make in your personal life.
• People will say negative things sometimes.  Never believe what people say about you. YOU decide what you are, no one else has that right.

Notwithstanding the above points,

• You are ONLY responsible to yourself, your family, and your values.  As long as you do and say what you believe is right, no one’s opinion of what you do matters.
• You are the only person that can tear down your blog, your choices, and your work.  You spent the effort to build it, so no one else has the right to criticize it but you.
• “When you are up at the top, you’re up for shots.” A very smart woman named Nina Elliot taught me that very early in my career.  I owe my thick skin in part to her teaching.  Jealous people can’t create, they can only destroy. As long as you are an example in the world of happiness or success, there will be some who try to tear you down.

These hard to swallow facts come with the territory of being a public figure.  The sooner you accept this for what it is, the sooner you can let it pass right by you so you can focus on what really matters.

Even if you haven’t received your first hate email or nasty comment, you will.  When it happens, remember to keep it in perspective.  You don’t have to be a hard or cold person to put up a protective shield around yourself and your family.  Be strong in knowing that at the end of the day, you only have to answer to yourself!

Visit Homemaker Barbi today, your ultimate Home & How-To source.

Mommy bloggers exist in a highly competitive blogworld, at least, it often seems that way to us in our minds.  Protecting ourselves against self-imposed “blog negativity” is absolutely key if we want to be successful and to ensure our own peace of mind.  (This advice doesn’t apply only to bloggers – it is vital for parents as well.)

I read a paragraph in an article by Trent Hamm from The Simple Dollar a long time ago, and I’ve never forgotten the quote. Seriously, I mean a LONG time – I’ve been holding onto this quote since July 2007, just waiting for the perfect time to write about it.   Well my friends, that time is now.

It’s Easy to get Caught Up…

We bloggers are immersed in other people’s lives.  We usually browse and read other people’s blogs, and interact with

other bloggers on twitter and in blog carnivals like Works for Me Wednesday, Family Friday, and Thursday Thirteen.  Since we have so much exposure to other people’s lives and activities, it is easy to get caught up in a subconscious habit of comparing ourselves to other bloggers. 

After all, we see everything everyone else is doing – what they’re blogging about, tweeting about, what sponsors they have, what conferences they are going to, what blog talk radio shows they’re doing, the newest widgets they’ve found, what forums they participate in, what cool Wordpress plugins they’ve installed… the list goes on and on.

Blogging is hard work, and being part of this community means creating things to contribute, whether blog posts or photos or comments or advice.  How can you use your creative power when you’re choked by negative feelings about other people doing more than you? 

Even if you’re not a blogger, this tip still applies to you.  Parents can get involved in negativity and self-doubt by seeing what other parents do or think or accomplish, and feeling as though they’re not doing as well. 

It’s overwhelming to think of what everyone else is doing, and it’s only natural to compare ourselves and our efforts to see if we “measure up”.  But you have to keep that comparison reasonable and in perspective.  When this happens to me, I think back to the quote I was telling you about earlier.  I read it in an article titled, “10 Techniques I Used To Go From 0 To 12,000 RSS Subscribers In Seven Months – With No Ads Or Leverage”.  When I started reading Trent’s article (which was a guest post on ProBlogger), I expected to find strategies and action items.  What I did not expect to find was this snippet of gold, perfect for mommy bloggers:

“Don’t give into negativity:

“At some point, you’re going to be jealous of the success of another blogger. At some other point, you’re going to believe that the game is rigged against you – that there’s no way you can become really popular. Don’t believe a word of it. The blogosphere is the closest thing to a meritocracy that exists for sharing ideas – the things that get you ahead are working your tail off and having good ideas.

“Whenever you get jealous of someone, think of the time they’ve invested to reach their level of success and respect it instead. Whenever you get down on yourself or on the blogosphere as a whole, remember that by sitting there being negative, you’re wasting time that you could be using to directly or indirectly get your voice out there.” – Trent Hamm

That reality check helps me keep my thoughts on the positive when I start realizing that other people are doing more or different things than I am.     

As an intelligent person, you are a creator, not a copier.  You don’t have to keep up with anyone else, let alone everyone else, and to think you could is unrealistic!  I am ONE person, and so are you.  One person can only do so much, and we have to remember to take it easy on ourselves and RESPECT what we do and all that we accomplish, instead of criticizing our hard work!  You might also like to read our interview with Crystal Paine (of Money Saving Mom) on how bloggers can balance computer time and family life.

I just did a fantastic workout and noticed that my treadmill consistently houses some very specific (and a few unorthodox) items.  In fact, if you look at the dashboard of my treadmill, you’ll see one overloaded console that is nearly overflowing with business tools.

Some of the items really help me push the envelope as a successful problogger and business owner.  Some help me fine-tune my body and my health as an amateur figure/bodybuilding competitor. 

Whatever the purpose, there is no denying that I get value out of every minute on my treadmill – times TWO!  Multitasking for exercise and blogging is a must for me, and I present you with the 13 things on my treadmill that help me do it all.

13 Blogging Tools on my Treadmill Right Now

1.  LifeHack Article.  I print RSS feed articles from various sites in my feed reader and catch up on blogs while I work out. LifeHack.org gives me an edge with efficiencies for my life that keep me inspired.

2.  Quick Sprout Article.  Another printed article by my new acquaintance and problogger, Neil Patel, on business. Specifically, this article is “15 Things I Wish I Had Known When I Started My First Blog.”

3. Fast Company Magazine.  Right at the top of the cover: “The Most Influential Women in Tech.” I’m not on the list this year, but I sure aim to be next year.

4.  Inc. Magazine.  Those of you who know me already know it’s a goal of mine to be on the cover of Inc. Magazine with my husband in the next 5 years.  This mag is invaluable for all entrepreneurs, trust me.

5.  Chapstick.  Bonne Bell Lip Smackers, to be exact. 3 of ‘em. You can never have too many.

6.  Sticky Note Flags.  These are the paper kind that you can write on.  I use them to make quick bookmarks in magazines and books of things I want to go back to once I’m at my desk.  I read for speed and quantity when I work out.

7.  Problogger Article.  Darren Rowse has tons of guest bloggers and there is never a shortage of new and interesting content about blogging on his site.  This keeps me up-to-date with what is going on in the blogworld.  Today’s article?  “5 Ways to Find Direct Advertisers for Your Blog”.

8.  Huge glass of water.  Hydration is ultra-important; I always leave room for a 16 oz water up on the console.

9.  Lined Notebook.  I have my best ideas on the treadmill, while sleeping, and in the shower.  You better believe I have paper nearby to write these down, paper with lines.

10.  Purple Pen From the Flower Shop Down the Street.  This goes with #9.  I can only write on paper with a purple pen from College Floral.  No kidding. I’m a bit weird.  I have about 5 of these pens, and have no idea what I’ll do when they run out of ink.  I guess I’ll have to order some more flowers. 

(I hate all other pens. I guess you could try to sway me by sending me your company’s promotional pens. If I end up liking them, you could end up with some serious advertising exposure, especially when I’m using them at blog conferences!)

11. eWeek Magazine.  This free weekly mag comes in digital form too, but I prefer to receive the hard copy because – you guessed it – I read it on the treadmill!

12.  Library Book.  This varies by week, but man (and woman) cannot live by periodicals alone.  I love books, and my reference library definitely needs more space.

13.  Me.  I am the most important piece on the exercise equipment!  Without me to utilize the tools listed above, they hold no value at all.  You are the most important piece of the blogging puzzle – remember that!

Don’t forget to visit my other sites, like HomemakerBarbi.com, for great tips to get the edge in life in business and at home.