When it comes to blogging, are you a known quantity or do you operate quietly in the shadows of the blogosphere?

Blogging offers an excellent connectivity venue for millions of people around the world, allowing them to put voice to their thoughts, by finding like-minded folk and building a reputation for excellence.

That reputation certainly did not come overnight and it is also something that must be protected – the appeal of the “dark side” has sunk many bloggers, people who embraced black hat SEO in a bid to get ahead.

We’re not talking about the bad habits of some bloggers here. Instead, our focus is the effectual traits of successful bloggers, not just a Darren Rouse or a Peter Cashmore, but people who not only dominate a niche, rather they define it.

Here are seven effectual traits of a successful blogger: [Read more…]

Living (and loving) Life)

Most writers have the desire to write great copy, but have trouble writing fast enough to make good money.

The good news is you can write high-quality articles quickly as long as you stay focused on your article topics, create an outline for each article and don’t proofread until you are finished writing. It is a good idea to use a timer to give yourself a deadline and keep you focused on writing.

1 – Organize Your Day

Before you begin writing for the day, make sure that you have a plan. Most writers have a good idea of how long it takes them to write each article, depending on the article’s length and topic.

Freelance writers may not know which articles will be available to them at the beginning of the day, but they should have a goal in mind. Try writing down either the number of words you plan to write for the day or the amount of money you would like to earn and keep this paper next to your computer where you can see it. [Read more…]

The blogosphere is under assault from social media forces such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+. If you were to believe even just half the hype, legions of bloggers are calling it quits and moving their online efforts to one or more social media platforms.

Hype is just that: it is based on conjecture, usually without solid facts.

The reality is that some weblogs are shutting down with former bloggers moving to one or more social media sites, perhaps seeking a more sustainable engagement with their readers. Facebook, of course, is their chief destination, one where roughly one in seven earthly inhabitants is now registered.

Facebook may be the darling of more than one billion people, but it is most certainly a time-suck for the intrepid blogger.

Allow me to explain… [Read more…]

Visitors are the lifeblood of your blog, people you probably will never meet unless they’re your relatives or you attend conferences where you cross each other’s paths. The former may take pity on you and make the occasional visit to help brighten your day. The latter may smile to your face, but secretly wish your blog was more user-friendly.

If people were honest, they would tell you what is wrong with your blog. Then again, if you were to ask them, you might find the following shortcomings are contributing to your blog’s high bounce rate:

1 – You talk too much about yourself.

Yes, it is true: you are the hype king, a self-promotional type of person who talks all about himself and forgets that he has an audience.

Guess what? Blogging isn’t about you: it is about them – your readers. Lose the first person voice and write in the third person. Talk about people besides yourself and generously link out to quality websites.

Self-promoting has its limits. Unfortunately, you’ve pushed this boundary a bit too far and too often here. [Read more…]

So, you are interested in launching a real estate blog or website. Once you’ve successfully determined your business objectives, your target markets and voice and tone of your blog, next you should figure out ways in which you will manage all this once it is up and running.

First, you will need a robust Content Management System (CMS), which will help you simplify all activities associated with plugins, managing edits, ascertaining site structure, SEO, and tons of other useful things that will simplify blog management.

Many real estate agents and realtors often ask whether they should have a blog, a website, or both. Well, it’s best if you can have both as they are inclusive, and by combining them you can have a powerful comprehensive solution. [Read more…]