New Blogger Talk And Tips

Taking A Break.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:44:00 +0000

This is the month of Ramadhan,for muslim this is the fasting month followed by Syawal,the month to celebrate the success we achieve during Ramadhan.To honour this great month,I will be taking a break from blogging for about 5 weeks.

Sharing Some Thoughts.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:30:00 +0000

I've been blogging for about 4 month now.At times I do feel like it is something not worth doing,but somehow I still manage to carry on,maybe I just don't want my blog to end just yet even if I'm low on motivation because of things happening in my life.

Through those 4 month there are certain things that I realised while I spend my time blogging which I think applies to all other aspect of life and things that we do,not just blogging.

Knowledge.When I first start,I only knew a few things related to blogging and what it is about,but now,I think my knowledge have increase a lot,not only about things related to blogging but about other things on the Internet.Most of us start with just a little knowledge,while some just lost interest or give up,the one who stick around will benefit with added knowledge and also able to watch the blog grow.Don't give up easily.
Friends.I'm not talking about other blogger you network with but the one in your real life and also maybe the one you get while blogging.Someone who likes you and your blog because they just like it.Friends who can tell when you make mistake,who ask when you miss a post,who gave their views about your blog.We need friends because they are honest,they will tell you the truth.Who can lift you up when you are feeling down,motivates you when you feel like giving up.
Observation.Don't just look at your blog but spend time looking at other blogs,see what they are doing,how they are doing,how they do things.Through observation you can learn a lot of things which you can apply to your own blog with some minor adjustment to fit it in.
Rules.Rules are never meant to be broken,but sometimes you can bend it a little bit as long as it won't get you in trouble.After seriously considering all the risk,if the benefit is worth the risk,then go for it,but only after doing serious calculation and never do it all the time.
Dark side.There is a dark side of blogging but you must be strong to resist the temptation.Rules are never meant to be broken,bending it once in a while is still OK but never cross to the dark side like doing black hat SEO or other things.Doing this can hurt your reputation and will also land you all sorts of trouble.Resist the dark side.
Expectation.It is normal to have expectation.You give something,you certainly want something in return,but in blogging it is not always run by this rule.Sometimes it is better to give and expect nothing but you do get something in return rather than to give and expecting something in return only to get frustrated for not getting anything.Be honest,be kind and you will get your rewards.

Well that's it,something for you to think about during the weekend.Have a good weekend.

A Blogging Checklist.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:55:00 +0000

Once in a while it is good to do a checklist of things regarding your blog and blogging activities just to know what you have achieve after a certain period of blogging.

Subscriber.After providing RSS feeds option to your readers,do you have any subscriber and have it increase from the day you started with it?
Inbound links.We all know that links are important in getting traffic,getting good results from search engine.Is there any significant changes to your inbound links?Have it increase or do you still find it hard to get any inbound links?
Comments.Do you still get 1 comment for each of your post or more people are leaving their comments now?
Visitors.When you check your Google Analytic tool do you find an increase in visitor or it still remain unchanged.Do people manage to arrive to your blog through search engine or do you still rely on referral sites?
Posting.Do you still post whenever you like to or do you now have a certain posting schedule that you follow?
Quality.Do you post about whatever you like or using free articles or you now do your own research and come out with your original articles?
Niche.Do you blog about whatever that interest you or have you choose to blog about a certain niche?
Networking.Do you still do it alone or have you start networking with other blogger?
Knowledge.As I always point out,blogging is a learning process.Have you gain any new knowledge or do you think you are still at the same level of knowledge when you first start your blog?
Goals.Have you achieve your goals or maybe half way there or are you still not sure what your goal is and if you did have a goal,do you think you are nowhere near it?

If most of your answer to all the question are yes,you are on the right track with your blog,you have achieve something with it and it is just a matter to fine tune it here and there,but if most of your answer is no,you have to seriously think is blogging really for you.Maybe you are doing it just for fun,as a hobby,but getting nothing from it even it is a hobby can be a waste of time that you might want to consider a new hobby,but it is all up to you.

To those who are serious about blogging,getting a yes for all the question is an achievement because that is what you work for all this while but don't feel satisfied,keep it up and make it better.Hopefully one day you will be among the A-List blogger due to your hardwork,your sacrifice,the time you put in and the patience that you have.I hope to get there too.Good luck to all of you and to me :-)

If Looks Could Kill..

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:19:00 +0000

Looks are among the things that can give a big impression.Take a car for example,if the looks is good,people will like it,later they will look at the technical aspect of the car,the ride,but if it looks ugly,even if it have good performance and handling,only hardcore fans of that particular model will love it.

Back then when I'm working as a marketing executive,my boss always told me,your first impression is important,with the right first impression,you already get 50% of your client confidence.First impression is not only on how you dress,your body language,the way you shake hands,walk,talk,sit all can show your level of confidence and who you are.

What that has to do with a blog?People cannot see you,they don't even know who you are.Correct,but your blog represent yourself.A well kept blog with consistent update shows that you are serious about blogging,but a blog with lots of ads and a mixture of post that you can get your hands on shows that you are doing it just for the sake of getting money through clicks on your ads.

A good first impression to your readers will leave them impress and they want to read more,so they wait for your next post,and if you can keep on giving good value to them,they will subscribe to your blog and maybe tell others about it.

The layout of your blog play an important part,people can tell about you by looking at your blog layout and things you have on it.Look at popular blogs and see what kind of layout they have,what kind of gadgets they put on it.Learn and experiment until you find the suitable layout and theme for your blog.

There are blogger who blog using speaking language with a certain slang and a mixture of profanity and cursing..there is nothing wrong,there are no written laws of what kind of language you must use,some people like and love it,but to be on the safe side and to gather a wider base of readers,the best choice is to use normal writing language,some people are offended by profanity and cursing,some people come from a non English speaking country so the English they know is the standard English.

The first thing your reader will find on your blog the first time they see it is what your blog looks like,if it look nice,well arrange,everything in place and in order,they will move to your content and having a good and well written content will bring them back to your blog over and over again.

Make a good first impression and it can help your blog grow.

Blog Usability.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:23:00 +0000

Blog is about content,there is no doubt about it,content is king,so they say and it is true.What is a blog without great useful content.But content alone will not bring readers to your blog or make them become loyal readers.Your first impression is important too,because that is what readers will see first,your blog outlook,if it is attractive,they will move on to the content.I'll talk more about first impression in the next post,but now I want to talk about the looks of your blog,more precisely about things you put on your blog.

There are 2 column and 3 column blog,a section for content and the rest is your sidebar where you can put what ever gadget you came across on it.You can look at other blogs to get some ideas on what you might want to add on your sidebar,most common things are ads,feed button,email subscription,about me or your profile,latest post,links to related blogs,archives,tags or labels,most read post,popular comments.

This things are call gadgets and it has it usability for your readers,that is why it is there but little that we realise how this small things can affect the readers of our blog making them to get attach to our blog.There are certain things you must remember when you want to place a gadget on your blog,or add a new one.The most important one are its usability,giving something that benefit your readers.

Here are some of the rules to remember.

Common.Have something that is common on other blogs,not to imitate but because it is important and useful.This things are feed button,email subscription and your profile.Some blogger create a special page for their profile which is their about me page and even their contact page.This are common things that readers look for when they visit a new blog.
Importance.Put things according to its importance,not because it will make your blog attractive.Some blogger add a playlist and slide show on their blog,it depends on your personal taste but for readers with slow connection,having to wait for your blog to upload will turn them off and you can lose potential readers because of it.
Options.Add things that will give your readers option,like your archive,categories,labels or tags,latest post,popular post and links to other blogs you find interesting within your niche.By giving your readers this option,they will not only read your latest post,but they can read what you have written,popular post on your blog and from this it will attract them to read more and even subscribe to your blog.
Positioning.I have seen some blogs where they put ads right up there on their sidebar,there is nothing wrong but most readers get turn off when they see ads.The best thing is to put your feed button there,followed by your about me or profile so they know who you are.Positioning of your gadgets are important,so keep in mind about your readers when you arrange it.
Changes.Just like your ads,you have to keep changing its format and position to get the best results,the same goes for your gadgets.Make changes to make it a great usability to your readers,you will be surprised by the results you receive even from small changes you make.

When is the last time you really look at your blog?Maybe it is time to make some changes?

Doing Things Slow And Steady.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:32:00 +0000

What ever we do,we want to do it as fast as we can,because time is money so they say.Time is so valuable to us that we can't just simply waste it doing things that will take time to achieve let alone waiting for something to happen.We even resort to finding shortcuts in doing things,even if your are using a computer,there are certain key on the keyboard that you can use as shortcuts,just so you can save a few seconds,that is how valuable time is for us.

But there are certain things that we just have to take time to do like making money online,even though we know there are no shortcuts,people still want to try the easy and shortest way to it even if there are overwhelming evidence it won't work,so does blogging,we know there are people making money with their blog,we want to be like them,but are we willing to wait like them,work hard for it,put time and effort into it?No..we want results as soon as we start,that is the reason why a lot of people abandoned their effort after 3 or 6 month,they can't wait.

While pursuing our dreams,our goals,we forget what a blog is really about.A blog is about connecting people,real people,not just traffic,or figures from our statistic.This people are the one who will make or break us.If we treat them just like a number,part of a statistic,one day we will lost them because we put more emphasis on getting the number bigger and higher,not on what we should really do,give useful,quality,original content.Blog is about content,giving something that people want,not giving something for something in return.

Blogging is about making friends,you cannot make friend through one post,your first post is your first hello or hi..you build it through your next post and the next and so on until you get their trust,friendship is about trust,your friends can become your customer but never make your friends into becoming your customer.Don't ruined the friendship you have develop by pitching a sale to them,if they are interested,they will let you know.

The one who make your blog successful are your readers,not you.Be humble towards them,listen to them,respond to them.We need them to grow our blog,they are the one who reads your blog,subscribe to your blog,recommend it to others.You must not only take from them,but you have to give first,and giving them a good quality content will make them come for more,will give you their trust.

Starting a blog is like competing in a marathon,you have to pace yourself,you cannot run too fast or too slow,you have to run on a moderate pace,a steady pace.Always stay with the leaders,but never out run them until near the end.You have to be patient,waiting to make the right move.You cannot make a dash for it like it is 100 meter sprint.Start slowly but steadily with your blog,don't push yourself too hard,but don't get left behind.Keep on posting regularly according to the schedule you have set,everyday,4 or 5 times a week,it is all up to you,but remember to do it regularly,consistently.If you can maintain this,you can do it for a long time,while others who started before or after you maybe have given up because they do not pace themselves for the long run.

Remember why you start a blog,remember what blogging is about.

Networking?

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:22:00 +0000

Ever consider networking with other blogger?Maybe it will do you good if you can start doing so,well not only for you but to your networking partner too.Like all other things related to blogging,even though there are none written law about doing things,but there are a few things you have to observe when you want to start contacting other blogger with your intention of networking with them.

Intention.If you want to start networking,there must be an intention for doing so,but make sure it is the right intention.Some blogger wanted to network just so they can gain something from it from the other party.Networking is about finding something that can benefit both parties.
Respect.Do not hassle your intended networking partner.Find ways to inform them of your intention and why,and wait for their response,don't keep asking for answers if they haven't give any,maybe they need time to think about it.
Be real.Be yourself and never try to be somebody you are not just to impress.Let them know who you are and why you want to network with them,be honest about yourself.
Give more.You must be willing to give more and accept less for the start,that will be a good start for a relationship.It is best to have something for a start rather than not having anything.
Equality.Treat everyone equal.People will treat you they way you treat them.
Ask.To start something you have to ask.Don't be afraid to make the first move.
Presentable.Before you approach other blogger,make sure your blog are presentable,you are presentable.Write your profile carefully and professionally.

Having know what to do when you approach other blogger for networking,it is now a matter of how you approach them.

Comments.You can start by leaving comments on their blog,not straight asking them you want to network,but leave comments about their post,how you find it interesting and it touches the topic that you are also interested in then ask if it is possible if you can collaborate with them.
Emails.You can approach them by sending them an email explaining your intention,but make it short and simple.
Calls.Some blogger listed their contact number so you can call them and explain your intention,but calls are better made if you have leave comments or email them earlier.
Events.There are also events organised for blogger,you can meet you potential partner here and struck a deal with them.

Make sure you have something valid before you approach other blogger and you know how to convince them to join you.Making approach randomly not only waste other people time but yours too and it can ruin your credibility and reputation.

Things To Remember.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 03:30:00 +0000

A lot of things can,have and will be said about blogging.There are a lot of blogs out there with tips and all other things related to blogging.Do this,do that,don't do this,don't do that.Do it like this,not like that,be like this,don't be like that.Use this,don't use that.In the end it is all up to you to decide because after all it is your blog,you decide what it is going to be,what it will be like.

With all the tips available,not much can be written that someone else have not write about,only the way it was presented can be different,and how many people read it.Maybe what you read here you have read somewhere else,maybe it is coincidence.

But of all the tips and things related to blogging,I wanted to share this things that I hope we all can remember no matter where we are now with our blog.

Self belief.It is your blog,you started it and with strong self belief you can bring it to where you want it to be.You can learn from others but if you don't have strong self belief,it is hard to keep going,to achieve your goals.
Step-by-step.Don't rush it,do things step-by-step.The faster you run,the bigger cut you will get if you fall.Don't rush yourself,do one thing at a time.
Branding.Yes..you must create your own brand,choosing a good name for your blog is branding it,a good brand will last long in memory.
Instinct.We all have instinct,follow your instinct,don't just follow the trend.If everyone say Entrecard is good,Twitter is good,follow your instinct,if your instinct says no,don't do it,maybe it work for some,but not for you,maybe you will do better doing something else.
Mistake.Don't be afraid to try something for fear of making mistake.We are human and human make mistake.Learn from the mistake we make to make us wiser.
Quality.Always give quality content and maintain it.A quality blog is what readers want.It is not about quantity.Posting quality post daily or thrice a week are better than posting 3 non quality post daily.
Different.You must dare to be different.Be yourself,don't imitate others.
Lead.Try to be a leader,not a follower.Create a path where others will follow instead of going with the path that others are following.

Finding A Way Out.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:03:00 +0000

No..I'm not giving up blogging,I love blogging and I believe most of you are like me,we just love blogging because it gave us satisfaction.But sometimes,someday we just don't feel like doing it,I mean posting to our blog.It is not because the lack of ideas,being bored or not having enough time,but as human we can't escape from problems and this problems can have major effect on our blogging life.

These problems varied from personal problems like family issues,relationship issues.Health can also create problems,not feeling well will keep you in bed and I guess it can even effect your thinking and creativity to come out with a post.Financial problems can led to personal and health problems and can certainly jeopardize your blogging ways.

I have the combination of personal,health and financial problems now.I'm not feeling very well since the weather here is quite hot and windy and it cause some people to go down with fever,sore throat,flu and coughing.But I try not to let all this problems have any effect on my blogging life,but how do I do it?Well one thing that I have to say is that you have to have strong will power and since I love blogging and I didn't feel it is a chore,I can work myself up to keep on creating and making a post but still strong will power is not just enough.

You must have a clear goal and I have set my goal when I first started blogging,so I have a schedule that I hope will help me achieve my goals.I work within my schedule no matter how my condition are,I push myself to follow that schedule so I will be doing the things I was suppose to do.It is a bit hard,that I agree,but knowing there are things need to be done are enough to keep me out of just lying there on my bed.

You just can't let one thing from stopping you to do other things.I know that my health are important,but after taking my medicine,I do my work and later I can get my rest,there are certain things from my schedule that I can skip and maybe do it later or tomorrow,but things related to making a post must be done,it is a priority.

One more thing got me thinking during this period.Passion.It is what keep me going on and I'm lucky because I choose something that I love to do,something I'm passionate about and it is the passion that keep me going,keeping me strong.When you face difficult situation,then you will know what is the real reason you are doing it,if it is not something that you are passionate about,even one small obstacle will get you demoralized,but if it is something that you really want to do,really love,really passionate about,you can conquer it even a mountain or sea lies in your way.

As human we are made to be different but there are somethings that apply to everybody no matter who they are,and love is certainly one of it,it knows no boundaries and we all know what people can do out of love.

Things To Do On Your Blog.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:20:00 +0000

While we concentrate on generating traffic to our blog,considering what to post to it,there are certain things that we sometime overlook that can be as important as getting traffic,getting exposed.

It might look simple,but it can certainly make a big difference to our blog.

Proofreading/editing.Do we do it before publishing our post?Consider doing this because it can minimize your spelling and grammar mistake,as human we tend to make mistake but by double checking our post,we can minimize it.Post with a lot of spelling and grammar mistake can turn readers away and if nothing is done to counter it,it can even kill your blog.
Link to older post.Linking to older post can boost readership to your blog or it can also help when you just run out of posting ideas.Most of the readers you get are someone new,so referring them to your older post might get them interested to keep on visiting your blog since they know what kind of post you have on your blog.
Response to comments.Well this one I have write up a few times here on my blog but I will keep on writing about it since from my view there are a lot of blogger who don't bother to response to comments they get or leaving comments the wrong way.
Approve comments.Most of us have set to moderate the comments we receive to avoid spamming,but taking time to approve comments you receive will turn away people who leave genuine comments.
Networking.Network with other blogger to increase your chance of getting the right exposure.Help exposed their blog and they will do the same for you.Networking is not only about helping each other getting traffic but you can also create opportunity,do joint ventures,project or whatever you think that can benefit all parties involve.
Updating.Don't let your blog look the same like when you first started it.Keep up with time and make necessary changes that are important and relevant,but don't indulge too much into it either,it is not just about what your blog looks like,but the content are also important.

These are just simple things but try not to overlook it because it can bring significant changes to how your blog will perform.Remember,there are a lot of other blogs out there all trying to get the attention you also want,being different and being one step ahead can help you compete and gaining the advantage.

Choosing Your Path.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 08:26:00 +0000

You have already make a choice when you decide to blog.There are so many reasons why someone starts a blog but to me,it all ends up into this 4 categories.

To become well known/popular.
To get lots of readers/subscribers/followers.
To become an authority figure.
To make money.

In which category do you fall into?If you ask me,I want to be all 4 of it,because if I am well known or popular,I will surely get a lot of readers who will subscribe to my feeds and become my followers and this will make me an authority figure in the niche I choose and since to monetize your blog you need traffic,and I have have lots of it,I surely can monetize my blog.

I wish it is that simple,but the truth is,blogging is a very long journey if you really set those things as your goals.It is not just a long journey but also full of obstacles and hurdles that you have to carefully manoeuvre so you won't get stuck among the obstacles and fall while attempting to clear the hurdles.Most blogger are afraid or not ready to go by this path yet they want to achieve those goals,so what did they do,they choose an easier path or maybe a short cut.Why bother taking the longer route that you don't even know if you will reach your destination if there are other simpler and shorter routes.

There is nothing wrong in choosing other path because there are a lot of path to choose from and the choice is all yours,nobody will stop you in choosing your own path because you decide your own destiny.It is easy for all those A-List blogger to say this and that because they are already there,we are the one who are just starting the journey and at the time when those A-List blogger start theirs,they don't have as many choices and path as we now have,so how would they know.

They know because they have gone through what we just started to experience,they don't have the luxury that we have know when they start blogging but still they have to make a choice which path they want to use.Maybe you don't want the 3 things,you just want to make money,sure you can make money with your blog,it is easier now with ads,GPT,reviews,affiliate programs.

Paid review.You can apply to PayPerPost and once you are accepted,you can start writing reviews and will get paid for it,but don't blame Google if you suddenly lost your PageRank.Later on you might wonder why your readers suddenly decrease so does your subscribers and even your bounce rate are getting higher.I won't bother reading something that you know are being written because it is paid for,but if it comes with the pro and cons and from someone who you know knows what he/she is writing about is a different thing.
Duplicate content.Just copy other people work as long you have a post to show to your readers,and make sure you copy some very good article because this will make more people want to read your blog,more people = more money.This will also get you banned,not only you don't get anything,you can even get fined for it.
Free articles.Why bother doing research for your post,you can easily get free articles on whichever topic your choose,people don't care as long as they see you post regularly on your blog.Once people know you only create your blog to make money,they will leave your blog until you give up and abandoned it.
Spamming.Shamelessly promoting yourself when leaving comments,in forums.It will make you famous for a while,but only for a while.
Lying.No one knows who you really are online,you can lie and people won't even know,maybe not now,but sooner or later they will know and once they know it,it will spread like wildfire on the Internet and that will be the end of your day.
Illegal.You can do all sorts of things illegally online,getting traffic,doing your SEO,I read last week you can even hack the number of your blog subscribers,but sooner or later people will know but you are in greater trouble if the search engines know you are cheating them.

Some blogger choose the above path so they can make money with their blog,but for how long?Why just aim to make money and I don't think you will be rich by resorting to those methods.Why not choose the correct path,it is much longer and harder,but if you can reach the end,not only you will earn good money,you become popular and most importantly,you gain respect.

So which path do you plan to choose?

Know Your Readers And Increase Your Traffic.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:28:00 +0000

Learning from your current readers can actually help you in getting more readers to your blog.One main target of anyone who have a blog is to have more and more readers reading it and having a lot of readers can help you achieve a lot of things such as getting more income from your ads,getting advertisers to become interested in advertising on your blog,getting more subscribers,get a lot of comments,get more emails,getting more business and getting your blog more and more popular.

But how is it that you can learn from your readers so it will help in you getting more new readers?

Comments.If you provide good content,invite discussion,your readers will participate and from their comments you will know what kind of readers are reading your blog,what they are like,what they want,what they don't like.Which type of post attract them.
Post.There are different type of post,tips,educating,discussion,general.Learn from your readers which type of post they like most.You might assume that they like tips,but sometimes discussion are the one that readers like because they can participate,give their opinion.
Statistic.From your readers statistic you will know where they come from,what kind of keywords bring them to your blog,what they are looking for,which post gets more attention.Spending time to study your statistic will help you to improve your blog by posting material that you know your readers want.
Emails.Readers will sent you emails maybe asking question,giving recommendation,giving you the much needed feedback because your readers are the one who determine the success of your blog,listening to them and giving them what they want will help you get more readers because their word of mouth can help spread news about your blog.
Feeds.If it increase,you know you are getting more people subscribing to your blog,but if it is decreasing,you must act fast to study why it happen and do the necessary things to stop it.

Getting new readers is one big task,getting them to stay loyal are a bigger task,but learning to know who your readers are can help you make them stay and will help in getting new ones,but knowing what your readers want is only a part of the process,you will have to come out with good articles,good tactics to increase your readers like giving free newsletter,free ebooks,doing contest.

Mistake When Leaving Comments.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:39:00 +0000

Most of the blogger you ask on how to get your blog exposed will surely tell you to leave comments on other blogs,especially blogs within your niche.

While most will talk about how to leave comments,it is seldom discuss about what not to do when leaving comments.Since most blogger now know the importance of commenting on other blogs,some go all out in achieving this that they forget what they want to achieve will actually backfire.Instead of getting exposed and directing traffic to your blog,people will treat you as to spamming their comment section.

Doing your comments properly will help you in a few ways.

Building link with other blogger.
Exposing your blog.
Getting some traffic to your blog.
A start in building network with fellow blogger.

Doing it wrongly can damage your reputation and your blog so remember not to do this when you want to comment on other blogs.

Link.Most comment form allow you to fill in your URL,so there is no need to put your link again in the comment section,some people will take you as wanting to spam.
Signature.The comment form also allow you to write your name,so no need to end your comment by signing off with your name..again.
Read.Read the whole article before leaving your comment.Some people just want to leave comment to leave an impression on the blog owner without reading the whole article.Big mistake.You will make yourself look like a fool if you do this.Make sure what you are saying are related to the article and topic being discuss.
One line.I personally hate it when people leave a one liner like..Very good..Love your article..Great post..it shows that you are doing it just for the sake of doing it..comments are supposed to be something that you can add to the topic,agreeing or disagreeing back by some fact.
Expert.You can disagree with the writer,but don't show off like you are an expert on that particular topic that you insult the writer in doing so.Write about your disagreement but write it in a subtle way that can lead to a discussion rather than a fight.
Your blog.Don't shamelessly promote your blog by hijacking that particular blog readers by leaving comments like..I wrote about this too,check it out in my blog at http://something.com,instead you can write how you agree with the writer,but he/she wrote it using different approach,invite them to see how you wrote about it and maybe they can leave their view.
Your business.The biggest mistake is promoting your business,or affiliate programs..I like what you write,but if you really want to make money online,you should try my program..If someone leave a comment like that on my blog,I will delete it as soon as I see it while moderating my comments.

In doing a lot of things,there are the right way of doing it and also the wrong way.So always do things the right way.Some people get away when they do things not using the right way,but only some do get away.

I Don't Feel Like Blogging - Final Part.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:30:00 +0000

As I said in my last post,I will be discussing the other major problem that blogger face..Lack of motivation to keep on blogging.

There will be a lot of reason depending on each person on why they feel they don't want to blog anymore,but one obvious reason that I think are common among most of us are the feeling of not really getting what we expect to get.Some hope to make an income from blogging,but after 6 month only have about $40 in their AdSense account,some wants to make a difference but with family members and a bunch of friends reading it everyday,not much difference can be done I guess.Some might feel that being a blogger is something glamorous,but still being unknown can be a bit frustrating.Most are being disillusioned actually by the attraction of blogging,by seeing how others achieve great popularity through their blogs that they forget these bloggers didn't achieve it overnight and there are a reason how they achieve it,most of the time by doing the right thing at the right time,by being bold enough to be different or maybe because they really know their capability and they take advantage of it.

Blogging was never easy but it is suppose to be fun.You are suppose to feel happy doing it,you learn something everyday,get the feeling of fulfilment from your blog.If you are feeling stressed,feeling like a big burden or feeling frustrated,maybe you start blogging for all the wrong reason.

If you really want to blog for a long time,here are somethings that you have to consider.

Why do you want to blog.
Once you know why,set a target,a goal that you want to achieve.
Create a plan to help you achieve your target,your goal.
Learn from others.

We all do feel a bit lazy sometimes with all the things that we have to do,research,posting,networking,SEO..but if we have a target,a goal,that is one thing that will keep us motivated to keep on going and the other thing is because it is the thing we love doing.

If you start a blog to earn easy and fast money,think again.That is the worse reason to start a blog,but if you really want to monetize your blog,willing to put effort and time in building your blog to achieve your target,you are on the right track,but if you feel the lack of motivation,take a break for a while,and when you return you will be fresh as new.

Having a real goal will always give you a drive in achieving it,but not having one,you will be wandering here and there not knowing exactly where to go and when you feel tired,you just give up.

I Don't Feel Like Blogging.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:26:00 +0000

There comes a time in your life,when you just suddenly feel you don't want to do anything.You don't want to go to school,not because you are ill,but just because you don't feel like going,same goes when you are in your working age,you feel tired,not motivated to go to work,even though there are tons of work that you need to finish up at the office.

I sometimes feel this way about blogging,especially lately,it is not just about blogging,it is just a time in my life that I just don't want to do anything,not everything,but mostly things that need your mind and body to work.In a simple word,I just feel lazy!

Who ever says blogging is easy,boy,I wish he or she is in front of me so I can knock their head.There is nothing easy about blogging.Exciting,fun,enjoyable..yes..easy..no.

The biggest problem that I think a blogger face is finding time to blog and to keep motivated to blog.So I will touch on the first one,about time in this post and discuss about the other one,how to keep motivated in the next post.

For fulltime blogger like me,time is not such a big problem,but sometimes it does,not because of not having enough time to write a post,but more about finding the right time to write it.But for part-time blogger,time can posed a big problem.So how do we solve this time problem since we cannot do anything to change the 24 hours a day that we have.

Time management.

I think this is the best solution.We have 24 hours,so work it out to our benefit no matter if we blog full or part-time.I believe if we manage our time properly,we can do all the task that we need to do,blogging or non blogging related,attend to other things in our life and as a bonus,we can even have some time for a nap!

To manage our time,we must have a schedule.List out what are the things that need to be done daily after we woke up,to the time we go back to sleep,no matter if you have a job or spend all day at home like me.Through this schedule,set a time to make your blog post,but remember,there is no point in having a schedule if you do not stick to it.Try it for a few days,make changes until you find one that really suits you and stick to it.Doing things routinely everyday will create a habit,a good one and will benefit you and your life.

Always have a pen and notebook close to you,not only to write points for your post,but with every free time you have,write and edit your post,so when you want to make your post,just type it in,without having to think while you type,you can easily finish your post in 15 to 20 minutes,giving you time to do other things.

Look for ways that will make your life easier,like subscribing to certain site you like for information,so instead of spending time looking for it,you can open your reader and get the feeds there,or subscribing through emails.If you have extra time and with a few post in your notebook,type all of it and schedule it for the next 2 or 3 days,so on that day you don't have to think about making a post,instead you can do research,or just enjoy a break by going out.

If you are serious about blogging and finding it hard to make time to make a post,you really should have a daily schedule and include posting to your blog in it.

As for me,feeling lazy is just something you feel inside,once you get over it,everything return to normal.It is something that you have to fight,or maybe it is time to take a break?

Envy And Learn From Top Bloggers.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:29:00 +0000

Being new to blogging,sometimes or most of the times we just can't help but feeling envy towards the Top Bloggers.Why not?They have about 20,000 readers subscribing to their blog,but we only have 20,we sometimes don't have people commenting on our post,the best we get is 1 comment,but they get 20 to 50 comments easily though sometimes we feel our post are much better than theirs.We struggle to even make 1 post,but they can easily make 3 post daily and the biggest envy will surely be because we make our first $100 after 3 month,but they make $10,000 to $30,000 every month.

In our envy,we sometimes forget that they actually are not much better than us when they also first started blogging.They struggle like we do,have nothing to show after their first 3 month,some even feel frustrated and thinking whether they make the right decision,but they did the right thing by sticking to it and now we the new ones are looking up to them with envy and also for inspiration.

There is nothing wrong to envy them but we must also learn from them,what is it that we can actually learn by looking at this top bloggers?

Persistence.Like what I said,some have even think if they made the right decision,after a few month of blogging,we will face the same situation.We will get frustrated,unmotivated and might just want to give it all up.Persistence is the key to success.Keep on going,never give up and you will get the due rewards.
Loving it.If you do it out of any other reason other than because you love doing it,you will find it hard to carry on.Just like your 9 to 5 job,if you don't love your job,the reason you keep on doing it is because you know,at the end of the month,you will get your pay no matter what,but there is no satisfaction.Blogging won't promise you will get anything from it,but doing something you love give a sense of satisfaction and will keep you motivated to go on and will later earn you monetary rewards.
Follow.They don't do it on their own,but they network with other bloggers,learn from others.We also must learn from others,network with other bloggers.
Be yourself.Each person are different.You cannot be like them but you can become one of them,or maybe better than them.Be yourself,don't try to imitate them.Have it your way but add some of their element that can be useful.

Keep on going and one day you will become the envy of others for a change.

SEO For Beginner's.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 09:16:00 +0000

I'm just learning to blog,so SEO is really a new thing to me,like most other things that I only learn after I start blogging.Even though still new to it,I know the importance of SEO in getting targeted traffic.People who got money can just pay some SEO expert to do the SEO for their site,but for me and I believe for a lot of you out there,learning to do it ourselves is something that we just have to do for now.Luckily there are a lot of resources that we can find about SEO online,the thing now is to apply it to our site.

Here is something that we as beginner's should really do to get started in doing the right SEO for our site.

Search engine friendly content.What else there is to be index by the search engine other than the content on our site,but remember not to sacrifice what our readers want just to make our content search engine friendly.Before this sites with lots of flash are not being index by search engine but it will be the thing of the past since Google and Yahoo will be indexing this kind of site too,not just text content like before.Use your keywords properly in your title,heading and content so it will get index,but without altering the real meaning of your content.Remember your readers right for good quality and informative content.
Choose keywords wisely.Once you have decided what keywords you want to use for your site,use it in your title,heading and content and if you just want to get started,use it in your URL as well.If you have trouble in looking for the right keywords,you can always use Wordtracker,Keyword Discovery and Google AdWords tools to do your research and find what are the most suitable keywords in your niche.
Links.Ever wonder why bloggers keep on asking about exchanging links?It is because it will help with your SEO,but not all links help.Link with other blogs within your niche,higher rank blogs will help increase your rank too.There are lots of ways to create valuable links,I will discuss this on my other post.
Social media.The craze among bloggers now is joining social media sites.Digg,Reddit,Stumbleupon,Technorati are all social bookmarking site which can help boost your presence online.Using Facebook,MySpace to promote your site will also help,so does using Squidoo.Through this not just your site are being exposed,you can create network with other webmasters,bloggers and this will all help with your SEO.

For beginners like me and you,I believe this is something that we all can do and achieve.It is all in the effort,if you are willing to put in the effort,I believe you will have success in getting your SEO like the way you want it to be.

Well,time to do my SEO now,have a good weekend and enjoy trying your new SEO knowledge.

PageRank Or SERP?

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:14:00 +0000

I'm not an SEO expert nor do I really know about search engines algorithm,but what I do know is SERP or search engine result page is much more important than PageRank.PageRank is what Google think of your page based upon how long it has been around,what type of links coming and going from your page,it is rank from the lowest 0 to the highest 10.Advertisers will want to see what PageRank you have and certainly having a 0 PageRank meaning you have a very low chance of advertisers wanting to advertise on your page,or maybe you want to do paid review,chances are a blog less than 3 month old with 0 PageRank will not get to do it yet.

SERP on the other hand is how your site fare when people do a search on certain keywords that are related to keywords you have on your page,let say blogging tip.If you are in the first page,at number 1 to 5,chances are these people will certainly visit your site since they want to know about blogging tip and getting it from a site that came top in their search results meaning they will get the best tip possible that all other people are looking at too,but if you end up in page 3 and above,it seems very unlikely people will discover your site.

If you want visitor,work on your SEO to get the best SERP,there is no point in worrying about your PageRank are still 0 or you have a PageRank of 3 and suddenly it goes to 0.What you should really worry about is whether your site are being index,how to optimize your site to get good search engine results and good search engine results mean more traffic.

I'll write a little bit more about SEO in my next post,how you can do-it-yourself without paying huge sum of money to get it done for you.I'm no SEO expert,but like to share what I know,what I learn.

Some Tips For Every Blogger(Including Me)

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:12:00 +0000

Here is something that I believe we all should look at and maybe try for the benefits of our blog and also for ourselves.

Get rid of distraction.Sometimes being distracted by something out of our blogging activities can bring negatives results towards our blogging productivity's.We have to stay focus,minimize the noise and interruption while doing our post research and posting.Choose a good time when the noise from neighbours are low,switch off communication tools if necessary like mobile phone,emails and IM.Set a time for posting and research daily and follow it.
Take care of your health.This is something that we sometimes ignore.Drink a lot of water,eat well and eat on time,if necessary have healthy and energy boosting snack.Do exercise and once in a while,take a break,maybe once a month.
Schedule.Have a daily schedule for your activities,blogging or non blogging and if you have a laptop,a change of environment once in a while can do wonders.Go out and do your work outside sometime,maybe in cafe,go to the malls or to the park.
Planning.If you are serious about blogging and want to achieve something with it,it is best to have a plan.A plan is a step by step action in achieving your goals but first you must know why you blog,what you want to achieve.
Networking.You cannot do things alone.Connect and network with other bloggers within your niche or outside of it.Leave comments on their blog,join forums,social networking sites and blogging communities to meet this other bloggers and start building your network.
Opportunities.The more you get involve,the more opportunities you will get and will open up,grab this opportunities like blogging gigs,guest post but you must also learn to say no,choose and select what will be beneficial for both sides and something that is within your niche and what you believe.
Down to earth.Personality,some bloggers become arrogant when they become successful or just started to be successful.Don't be like this,always remain down to earth especially in your relationship with your readers.
Improve.Never be satisfied with what you have achieve but always try to improve.

Do you have anything to add through your own experience that we all can share?Please leave a comment if you do.

Should Bloggers Use Widgets On Their Blog?

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:30:00 +0000

There are a lot of widgets that you can add to your blog to make it more attractive,something that can be useful for your readers,something that can provide extra information and something that can be used to interact with your readers.Most of this widgets are free and some of it are really useful,like the visitors counter.

What exactly are widgets?It is a small bit of code,usually in JavaScript that can be paste into your blog template.It serves fresh content from other servers.

Should you add widgets to your blog?

It all depends on what type of widget you want to add.If it can be useful to both you and your readers,it is recommended to add it.There are a few widgets that you can add to your blog because it is useful not just for you but also for your readers.

Visitors counters.Not only it can track the numbers of visitors to your blog,some even provide stats about those readers.
AdSense,eBay,Amazon - Well AdSense so you can make some extra cash when it get clicked,your readers can find further info related to your blog from it.eBay and Amazon widgets listed the latest product from their store,it is best when you are an affiliate to either or both programs.
Blog roll,headlines,top blogs,news break - You can share with your readers which blog you like,the blogs you subscribe,latest news headlines.
Blog directories and communities - It is for reciprocal links and also to inform your readers which blogging community you join,maybe they are from the same community and this will help them network with you.
Chat box - Not my favourite but I see more and more bloggers are adding it to their blog,it is a way to communicate with your readers.

Before you add all sorts of widgets on your blog,do remember this,

Performance - Some widgets will slow down your load time,especially flash widgets,it may look nice,but not all people browsing the Internet have fast connection.If it takes too long for your page too load,they will just leave.Add widgets that will not effect your site loading time.
Usefulness - Too many widgets will make your blog page look crowded,readers want to see and read your content.Add widgets that you find are really useful for you and also your readers.
Only what you need - Add widgets that you need like AdSense,visitors counter.Don't add widgets just because you see other bloggers are using it or just because it look nice.

What really matters is actually your content,some widgets are only for first impression.When your blog look nice with lots of graphic on it,people will want to look more but if they find your content is nothing to shout about,that will be the first and last time they visit your blog.

Not Getting Traffic To Your Blogs?

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 06:53:00 +0000

This is one of the most biggest concern among bloggers.You start a blog,write a post,but there are no people reading it.You can find topics about traffic in any forums you join.There are ways that we can do to promote our blogs like submitting it to blog directories,joining blogging community,use social networking sites to promote it to other members,join forums,comment on other blogs and a lot of different ways that we can think of just to get people to our blogs.But still,even if they do come,that is the only time they came.

Maybe we are getting the wrong kind of traffic?Maybe there is something wrong with our blogs?Lets see,do we forget about this 3 major ingredient which can help our blog,not in getting sudden rush of traffic,but a more targeted traffic,that will eventually become our loyal readers.What are the 3 ingredients?

Content - Well,blogs are about content and content as they say are king.Would people come to your blog again if you don't have anything that can interest them?They want to read something,gain new information,learn new things,being told stories they never heard of before,knowing things they never come across ever in their life,seeing new products that they never thought exist.If people want to see ads,they can find it without effort,its everywhere.But unique,fresh quality content are hard to find and once they found it,they will keep coming for more.Some will say it is difficult to come out with good content,if other people can do it,why can't you?Read other blogs within or outside your niche,look at how they write their content,why theirs have a lot of people subscribing to it.If they can do it,so can you.
Promoting - Some bloggers will go all out to create one killer content,submit it to Digg,Reddit or Stumbleupon and get a blast of traffic,but it won't last long.They will leave as fast as they came,just to see what the fuss is about,but if you constantly,regularly update your blog with good quality content,mixing well all the SEO things into each and every post,you will see the increase in your traffic,it will take time,but this are targeted traffic,people who come to your blog because they know you have something that they want,because they do a search about your blog keywords.
Tracking - I believe this is one thing that most bloggers,especially new ones are still unfamiliar with.The most simple tools to use are Google Analytic.You will know how many visitors you have,where they came from,how they get to your blog,if through search from which keywords,which article get the most view,what is your bounce rate,the higher your bounce rate means they only open your first page and leave.With all this stats available to you,you can use it to further enhance your blog.You know what kind of articles the readers like,you know which keywords normally bring people to your blog.Giving what people want will help increase traffic to your blog.

Now that we know the 3 important ingredients,it is time to put it into practice and hopefully we will see an increase to our traffic in not a very long time.After we achieve this,is there anything else to do?There sure is,don't be easily satisfied.We can always optimized our effort.If we can create good content,optimize our knowledge to make a better or even great content.If we manage to get good amount of traffic through SEO,optimize it by making it better or do other things that can help add more traffic.Join conference,network with other bloggers,create a group among bloggers in your niche.

As I've said a number of times before,blogging is a learning process.If we are willing to learn and put to practice what we have learnt,learning from mistakes we made,we always have a better and bigger chance of being a successful blogger.

Bloggers Are Humans Too..

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:14:00 +0000

Bloggers are only human,and as human,we make mistake.How hard we try to be perfect,but sometimes mistakes does happen.Spelling error,grammar mistake are common among bloggers,but certain people have trouble in accepting this fact.It is like when you blog,you must be perfect,no mistake is allowed.You must present great content,no spelling error,no grammar mistake.The post must have a certain flow so reading it will be a smooth and enjoyable experience,and surprisingly,these people are bloggers too,and even their own blog doesn't represent what they preach.

Expectation.That is the problem.You cannot expect all the blogs out there to be the same.It is created by different people with different taste,different liking,different interest,different background from different countries.There will be a difference.People from US,UK,Canada and Australia maybe can blog in English with a very little effort since it is a major language there,except for Canada where there are a mix of English and French,but to people like me,from Malaysia,somewhere in South East Asia and I believe some of you didn't even know where it is and many other Asian countries,or African countries,or certain European countries like Portugal,Spain,Romania where English is not a major language,there will be some problem,unless you have good command of English.

You can proofread your article before getting it publish,some even ask friends to proofread it for them,this will reduce the percentage of making mistakes,but do you always proofread your articles?Do you always have time to proofread it or ask someone to do it for you?I normally check for spelling errors,then read it twice or thrice before I hit the publish button.

I'm sharing what I learn,what I know,what I find is right with my readers,so we can all learn something new,that is why I also read other blogs,to learn.I'm not writing to get an A+ in exams or writing novel,some English Literature,and so does all of you.Just write what you want,try to minimize the mistake,but in the end,mistakes still happen because we are only human.

Bloggers have emotion too.We have personal,family and financial problems and it all can have effect on our blogging.Sometimes we just make a simple post,or maybe miss our posting because there are other things we have to attend to,some people understand,some people don't.They start questioning you being here on the blogosphere,but when you look at their blogs,there isn't any regular posting pattern,at least you update your blog regularly.Most blog readers are bloggers too,so try to understand that bloggers are human that have other things in their life other than blogging.

Take a break from blogging maybe for 2-3 days or a week.Go somewhere,settle your problems,spend time with your family.Refresh yourself.Life is not just about blogging and life on the Internet.Don't treat it like you are addicted.Don't push yourself.Do take care of your personal thing,your health,these are the things that matters too.You won't be blogging if you got sick or maybe even dead.Blogging can be hazardous if you don't take care of your health.Sitting too long can bring problems to your back.Facing the monitor for too long can be bad to your eyes and brain.Spending long time online,sometimes eating chips and coke and not having enough sleep can be bad for your heart.Take good care of your health.Being healthy meaning you can keep on blogging for a long time.

Social Network - The Real Deal.

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 09:08:00 +0000

I've read Daniel Scocco recent posting on his blog,DailyBlogTips about social network and how he compares it to the fashion industry.I pretty much agree with Daniel because it does have some similarity.

The fashion industry is all about glamour.About creating new trends,creating the "In thing",being cool,being seen in the right place,with the right people wearing the right trendy outfit.It is about creating new looks,competition among fashion designer and designer house,sometimes creating ridiculous fashion.It is about creating something so people will want it,not because they need it.Just so they can be cool,and people will look at them as some kind of fashion icon.

Social Network are also about being cool,being in the right social networking,the latest site where most people on the Internet spend their time,where popular bloggers and popular people in the industry hang out.When new social network site emerge,they will abandon what they have now and move to that site,creating their profile,linking with others,inviting all their friends there because,it's new and it is a new cool place to hang out,to get noticed.

There is nothing wrong about this,who doesn't want to be seen among cool people,among the top people in the industry,you will get the much needed attention and getting the boost you always need for yourself,your blog.

But what about that old social network site that you just left,that you abandon to be in this new site.What about all the friends you have there,the links that you have created.Using social network site now is not just about getting to know other people,but more and more are using to expose their work,their blog especially.But if you keep on jumping to the latest craze on the Internet,and abandoning your effort to create a whole new profile and links there,that is not such a good move.

Not all social network site have good impact on exposing yourself and your blog.While taking time to create your presence on the latest site,keep on building what you have on the existing one.Jumping to every new social network site available and joining too many of it can be bad for your blog,because you will be spending more time there instead of updating your blog and looking for resources for your post.

Join just one or two social networking site and spend just the right time on it,there are other things that needs your time to,like posting to your blog,doing your SEO,connecting with your existing readers and contacts,replying their comments and emails.Neglecting them to get new readers will be a very big mistake.Most good bloggers said that getting readers for your blog is one big task,keeping them as your blog readers is a much bigger task for you.

It is great to get notice and getting new friends from a new place,but lets not forget the real true friend that have help in making your blog popular and successful,your existing readers.Social networking sites are things that you can do,but it is not something you must do.Don't indulge yourself into just one particular things because there are a lot of other factors that will contribute to your blog success.

Does A Good Education Help You To Become A Better Blogger?

noreply@blogger.com (napimael@nyomot) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:30:00 +0000

I want to start a discussion here and I hope it will get good response from all of you,my valuable readers.I read in Daily Blog Tips how Daniel discuss about this,but it is more open where it isn't just about blogging,but about getting it right and being successful on the Internet.Chris Garret did a survey among his readers recently,and one of the results is that 87% of almost 1,000 bloggers who participate have a university degree,but Chris himself left school at the age of 15.

My personal view is that it depends actually not on the education background that you have but more towards this 3 things.

Are you willing to work hard to achieve your target.Most bloggers have set a goal that they want to achieve when they started blogging.I have set a target of wanting to monetize my blog,maybe I wouldn't be able to achieve what Darren of Problogger have got,but still I think it is a realistic target to at least manage to monetize my blog so I can earn my living doing it.My work experience have taught me that education alone is not enough to be successful.You have to have a strong will to do what you do best,and be very good at it.It all depends on your willingness to be the best and put a lot of effort in trying to achieve it.
Do you have the resources to achieve it.There are a lot of resources available for everybody on the Internet to become successful.It is just a matter of getting the right resources and getting it done.There are free blogging platform to start your own blog.You can learn from a lot of blog about skill and trick in becoming a good blogger.You can earn money from your blog through a lot of making money resources available.
Are you willing to learn to achieve it.With the available resources,it is up to you whether you want to learn and apply it to become successful.I'm sure most of us can write and read,and most of the things are easy to learn,there are even videos to guide you about some of the things that you have to know about blogging and if you want to make money with it,or to be a good and successful blogger.

I once read a book by one Internet Marketer.He wrote,people always say that knowledge is power,but to him it is wrong.Applied Knowledge is Power..and I agree with him.Having knowledge but not doing anything with it means nothing,but learning about something and then applying that knowledge to be become successful,that is true power.It doesn't promise instant success or a guarantee of success,but it does increase your chances of becoming successful.

What do you think?