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	<title>A Productive Pen&#187; blogging A Productive Pen : A blog about writing, online marketing and personal development</title>
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	<description>A blog about writing, online marketing and personal development</description>
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		<title>Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup</title>
		<link>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/creating-killer-blog-content-a-speedlinking-mashup/</link>
		<comments>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/creating-killer-blog-content-a-speedlinking-mashup/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:00:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ebourne</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[create killer blog content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Darren Rowse]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s Day #7 of the #31DBBB challenge, and today&#8217;s assignment s to write a linked post. The topic I will be covering with my speed linking post today is a bit of a mashup of blog posts about a topic that is close to my heart&#8211;creating killer blog content. As a tip of my hat [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="fblike_button" style="margin: 10px 0;"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fproductivepen.com%2Fblog1%2F2010%2F07%2Fcreating-killer-blog-content-a-speedlinking-mashup%2F&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:25px"></iframe></div>
<div id="attachment_461" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/blogging.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-461" title="BLOG" src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/blogging-300x190.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="190" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Creating Killer Blog Content</p></div>
<p>It&#8217;s Day #7 of the #31DBBB challenge, and today&#8217;s assignment s to write a linked post. The topic I will be covering with my speed linking post today is a bit of a mashup of blog posts about a topic that is close to my heart&#8211;creating killer blog content.</p>
<p>As a tip of my hat to the developer of the #31DBBB, this first link is to Darren Rowse, who shares a great blog post about creating great blog content.<br />
<a href="http://www.problogger.net/how-to-write-great-blog-content/" target="_blank">http://www.problogger.net/how-to-write-great-blog-content/</a></p>
<p>In this vintage, oldie-but-goodie post, seomoz shares some online tools that you can use to find ideas for blog psots:<br />
<a href="http://www.seomoz.org/blog/10-web-tools-to-help-generate-blog-content-ideas" target="_blank">http://www.seomoz.org/blog/10-web-tools-to-help-generate-blog-content-ideas</a></p>
<p>Chris Brogan shares 40 tips for delivering killer blog content. You&#8217;ll find lots of inspiration and ideas that will help you to crank out copy that reflects your passion and your expertise.<br />
<a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/40-ways-to-deliver-killer-blog-content/" target="_blank">http://www.chrisbrogan.com/40-ways-to-deliver-killer-blog-content/</a></p>
<p>Dosh dosh shares even more creative ways to surmount the daily challenge of delivering compelling content that appeals to your readers:<br />
<a href="http://www.doshdosh.com/how-to-effectively-create-content-for-your-niche-blogs-a-brief-introduction-and-guide/" target="_blank">http://www.doshdosh.com/how-to-effectively-create-content-for-your-niche-blogs-a-brief-introduction-and-guide/<br />
</a><br />
Karan Singhal provides lots f practical tips in this post about creating blog content that will interest your readers:<br />
<a href="http://www.famousbloggers.net/create-bolg-content-interests-readers.html" target="_blank">http://www.famousbloggers.net/create-bolg-content-interests-readers.html<br />
</a><br />
So, enjoy these blogs and feel free to share a link in the comments for your favorite posts that have ideas for creating great blog content.</p>
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<br/><br/><p align="left"><a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=Creating+Killer+Blog+Content%3A+A+Speedlinking+Mashup+http://hw8t7.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter"><img class="nothumb" src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png" alt="Post to Twitter" /></a> <a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=Creating+Killer+Blog+Content%3A+A+Speedlinking+Mashup+http://hw8t7.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter">Tweet This Post</a></p><h2  class="related_post_title">Other posts on this topic. . .</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/10-life-lessons-ive-learned-from-being-a-blogger/" title="10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger"><img src="" alt="10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/10-life-lessons-ive-learned-from-being-a-blogger/" title="10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger">10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger</a><br /><small>

I'm participating in the #31DBBB Blogging Challenge, and this post  part of the Day #2 assignment. I want to welcome all of my fellow SITS  Bloggers and thanks for all of the linky love ;-)

The...</small></li><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/can-you-improve-your-blogs-alexa-ranking/" title="Can You Improve Your Blog&#8217;s Alexa Ranking?"><img src="no" alt="Can You Improve Your Blog&#8217;s Alexa Ranking?" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/can-you-improve-your-blogs-alexa-ranking/" title="Can You Improve Your Blog&#8217;s Alexa Ranking?">Can You Improve Your Blog&#8217;s Alexa Ranking?</a><br /><small>

I have been learning more and more about Google pagerank and Alexa rankings, and while my blog is now a PR3 (out
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People create blogs for various purposes ranging from simply writing about what’s happening in their daily lives, trying to bring attention to a particular cause, selling products, for corporate o...</small></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger</title>
		<link>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/10-life-lessons-ive-learned-from-being-a-blogger/</link>
		<comments>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/10-life-lessons-ive-learned-from-being-a-blogger/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:23:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ebourne</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Publishing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://productivepen.com/blog1/?p=295</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m participating in the #31DBBB Blogging Challenge, and this post part of the Day #2 assignment. I want to welcome all of my fellow SITS Bloggers and thanks for all of the linky love The first post of this blog was published originally in January of 2007, but a catastrophic crash in October of 2008 [...]]]></description>
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<p><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/life_lessons1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-296" title="life_lessons" src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/life_lessons1-273x300.jpg" alt="Life Lessons" width="218" height="240" /></a></p>
<p><em>I&#8217;m participating in the <a href="http://www.thesitsgirls.com/" target="_blank">#31DBBB Blogging Challenge</a>, and this post  part of the Day #2 assignment. I want to welcome all of my fellow SITS  Bloggers and thanks for all of the linky love <img src='http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </em></p>
<p>The first post of this blog was published originally in January of 2007, but a catastrophic crash in October of 2008 (before I knew about the importance of backing up my database) caused me to lose all of those early posts.</p>
<p>Prior to this blog for my consulting business I had a personal blog that I began in the fall of 1998 (before they were actually even called &#8216;blogs&#8217;). So with 12 years of blogging experience under my belt, I thought I&#8217;d write a post about what being a blogger has taught me about life.<br />
<strong><br />
1. Don&#8217;t write anything you wouldn&#8217;t want your parents or your children to see.</strong><br />
In the early days, I didn&#8217;t tell my parents that I kept a blog. I felt far more free to write whatever I felt like writing when I was pretty sure that they weren&#8217;t reading it. Well, the day eventually came when my dad, bless his heart, discovered my blog one day when he googled me. Thank goodness he didn&#8217;t find anything embarrassing, but it might have been a more awkward conversation had I been writing about something that they would not have approved of, or would be embarrassing.</p>
<p>Aside from your parents and off-spring, be mindful that your employer or colleagues might also discover your blog, so be mindful of what you write and publish online.<br />
<strong><br />
2. Don&#8217;t be afraid to speak your mind.</strong><br />
Your blog provides you with the opportunity to stand up for what you believe in, to take a stand for your beliefs and defend the ideals that you hold dear. There will be people who will agree and there will be people who will disagree with what you have to say, but don&#8217;t let that dissuade you from writing from your heart.<br />
<strong><br />
3. Be authentic.</strong><br />
One of my favorite quotes on this topic is by Dr. Suess, and he said, &#8220;Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don&#8217;t matter and those who matter won&#8217;t mind.&#8221; Authenticity totally shines through in everything you write. Don&#8217;t try too hard to sound witty, or take on a fake persona. Your individuality is the gift that you offer to the world. Let it shine through.</p>
<p><strong>4. Always publish your best work.</strong><br />
Don&#8217;t fall into the trap of waiting until you &#8220;get discovered&#8221; before you start coming up with fabulous content because it&#8217;s the fabulous content that will get you discovered. Write your posts like everyone&#8217;s watching. Edit ruthlessly. Find a writing partner to edit and/or proofread for you. Ask for feedback from your readers, and strive to always improve your writing.</p>
<p><strong>5. Having a platform is powerful.</strong><br />
As your blog readership grows you will discover that you are creating a platform for yourself. Your blog is your own media outlet. Don&#8217;t squander your chance to put forth your message. Take your blog seriously and others will do the same.</p>
<p><strong>6. Avoid negative posts and bashing or flaming.</strong><br />
Avoid writing scathing posts and railing with negativity about a person or a group. If something has gotten you angry and upset, you might want to take some time and process it and choose the most intelligent course of action rather than firing off a vitriolic post that you may regret sooner than later.</p>
<p><strong>7. It takes a village.</strong><br />
The blogoshpere is a community, so reach out to other bloggers and create relationships. Offer to guest post on your favorite blogs. Link to your blogging buddies from your blog. Be as supportive as you can of other bloggers  within your community.</p>
<p><strong>8. Encourage other bloggers.</strong><br />
Be sure to leave positive comments on other blogs. Find something encouraging to say that goes beyond, &#8220;great post.&#8221; Show that you read the post and write a comment that adds value and builds up the blogger.<br />
<strong><br />
9. It takes commitment.</strong><br />
Maintaining a blog is not easy. With all of the other responsibilities in your life, it can be a challenge to commit to writing three to five blog posts each week and managing all of the other tasks inherent with the job. Determine at the outset if you think you can be committed to maintaining the publishing schedule before you begin.</p>
<p><strong>10. Persistence pays off.</strong><br />
In the end persistence definitely pays off. When you have a blog that is getting decent traffic, a steady flow of comments and good reviews you&#8217;ve really got something to be proud of. Don&#8217;t give up when things get challenging because the only way to fail is to give up.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re a blogger, please feel free to leave a comment that shares a life lesson you&#8217;ve learned from blogging.</p>
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<br/><br/><p align="left"><a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=10+Life+Lessons+I%26%238217%3Bve+Learned+from+Being+a+Blogger+http://bn4q2.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter"><img class="nothumb" src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png" alt="Post to Twitter" /></a> <a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=10+Life+Lessons+I%26%238217%3Bve+Learned+from+Being+a+Blogger+http://bn4q2.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter">Tweet This Post</a></p><h2  class="related_post_title">Other posts on this topic. . .</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/06/the-purpose-driven-blog-make-it-plain/" title="The Purpose Driven Blog: Make it Plain"><img src="no" alt="The Purpose Driven Blog: Make it Plain" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/06/the-purpose-driven-blog-make-it-plain/" title="The Purpose Driven Blog: Make it Plain">The Purpose Driven Blog: Make it Plain</a><br /><small>

People create blogs for various purposes ranging from simply writing about what’s happening in their daily lives, trying to bring attention to a particular cause, selling products, for corporate o...</small></li><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2009/01/my-life-as-a-blogger/" title="My Life as a Blogger"><img src="" alt="My Life as a Blogger" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2009/01/my-life-as-a-blogger/" title="My Life as a Blogger">My Life as a Blogger</a><br /><small>
I am writing this post in answer to the question: "What have been the rewards and benefits of participating in the blogging community?" for Mabel's Labels BlogHer contest.

I have been blogging si...</small></li><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/creating-killer-blog-content-a-speedlinking-mashup/" title="Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup"><img src="" alt="Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/creating-killer-blog-content-a-speedlinking-mashup/" title="Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup">Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup</a><br /><small>[caption id="attachment_461" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Creating Killer Blog Content"][/caption]

It's Day #7 of the #31DBBB challenge, and today's assignment s to write a linked post....</small></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Can You Improve Your Blog&#8217;s Alexa Ranking?</title>
		<link>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/can-you-improve-your-blogs-alexa-ranking/</link>
		<comments>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/can-you-improve-your-blogs-alexa-ranking/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:03:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ebourne</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traffic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alexa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alexa Internet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alexa ranking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Google]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PageRank]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rank]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://productivepen.com/blog1/?p=254</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have been learning more and more about Google pagerank and Alexa rankings, and while my blog is now a PR3 (out of 10), my current Alexa ranking is so high (over 2 million) they don&#8217;t even show stats for it on their website.  All this means is that I must continue to work on [...]]]></description>
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<p><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/alexa.gif"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-255" title="alexa" src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/alexa.gif" alt="Alexa" width="200" height="52" /></a></p>
<p>I have been learning more and more about Google pagerank and Alexa rankings, and while my blog is now a <a class="zem_slink" title="PageRank" rel="wikipedia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PageRank">PR3</a> (out<br />
of 10), my current <a class="zem_slink" title="Alexa" rel="homepage" href="http://www.alexa.com/">Alexa ranking</a> is so high (over 2 million) they don&#8217;t even show stats for it on their website.  All this means is that I must continue to work on driving targeted traffic to my blog, because the more traffic a site gets the more their alexa ranking will rise. But there is a bit of a caveat in there. The traffic needs to come from sites where the visitor has the alexa toolbar installed.</p>
<p>So, if you&#8217;d like to know how you can help a blogger boost her Alexa rankings, here&#8217;s a couple of things you can do. These, by the way, are things that you can also do to boost your own website or blog&#8217;s ranking so take note.</p>
<p>1. Install the Alexa toolbar, (it can also be a status bar). Use it to visit your own site daily and you&#8217;ll get lots of geeky, techy info about the other sites you visit.<br />
<a href="http://www.alexa.com/toolbar" target="_blank">http://www.alexa.com/toolbar</a></p>
<p>2. Leave a short review of my blog:<br />
<a href="http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/productivepen.com#" target="_blank">http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/productivepen.com#</a></p>
<p>Here are the steps I&#8217;m taking to nudge my Alexa rankings down as much as I can without breaking out in a cold sweat<br />
or losing a moment of sleep about it:</p>
<p>1. Leaving a review (with a link back to my blog) on the top ranked Alexa sites<br />
<a href="http://www.alexa.com/topsites" target="_blank">http://www.alexa.com/topsites</a></p>
<p>2. Installed the Alexa widget to my blog</p>
<p>3. Installed the WP Stats and the WordPress.com stats plugins so that I can track all of my relevant stats from</p>
<p>one handy dashboard.</p>
<p>4. Getting listed in web directories such as dmoz.org, which was down today when I tried to log in.</p>
<p>5. Most importantly, work on publishing relevant, useful content that keeps my readers coming back, encourages<br />
them to comment, and share the content that they find useful.</p>
<p>Here I am, unabashedly pimping the all-powerful Alexa because it&#8217;s basically the popularly accepted way to determine a website&#8217;s value. Do you care about your blog&#8217;s Alexa ranking? If so, and you&#8217;ve tried some other nifty hacks to nudge your ranking down please share them here.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Enhanced by Zemanta" href="http://www.zemanta.com/"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: medium none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=75201a94-1c05-4dae-b410-07156c4e8185" alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" /></a><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" type="text/javascript"></script></span></div>



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<br/><br/><p align="left"><a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=Can+You+Improve+Your+Blog%26%238217%3Bs+Alexa+Ranking%3F+http://f4oa2.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter"><img class="nothumb" src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png" alt="Post to Twitter" /></a> <a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=Can+You+Improve+Your+Blog%26%238217%3Bs+Alexa+Ranking%3F+http://f4oa2.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter">Tweet This Post</a></p><h2  class="related_post_title">Other posts on this topic. . .</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/creating-killer-blog-content-a-speedlinking-mashup/" title="Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup"><img src="" alt="Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/creating-killer-blog-content-a-speedlinking-mashup/" title="Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup">Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup</a><br /><small>[caption id="attachment_461" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Creating Killer Blog Content"][/caption]

It's Day #7 of the #31DBBB challenge, and today's assignment s to write a linked post....</small></li><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/10-life-lessons-ive-learned-from-being-a-blogger/" title="10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger"><img src="" alt="10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/10-life-lessons-ive-learned-from-being-a-blogger/" title="10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger">10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger</a><br /><small>

I'm participating in the #31DBBB Blogging Challenge, and this post  part of the Day #2 assignment. I want to welcome all of my fellow SITS  Bloggers and thanks for all of the linky love ;-)

The...</small></li><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/06/the-purpose-driven-blog-make-it-plain/" title="The Purpose Driven Blog: Make it Plain"><img src="no" alt="The Purpose Driven Blog: Make it Plain" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/06/the-purpose-driven-blog-make-it-plain/" title="The Purpose Driven Blog: Make it Plain">The Purpose Driven Blog: Make it Plain</a><br /><small>

People create blogs for various purposes ranging from simply writing about what’s happening in their daily lives, trying to bring attention to a particular cause, selling products, for corporate o...</small></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>5 Tips for Improving Your Online Writing Skills</title>
		<link>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/06/5-tips-for-improving-your-online-writing-skills/</link>
		<comments>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/06/5-tips-for-improving-your-online-writing-skills/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:33:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ebourne</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[online writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SEO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing for the web]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://productivepen.com/blog1/?p=231</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Writing for the web is not the same as writing for print. If you are going to be writing content that will be consumed online there are a few concepts that you need to get clear on. By now most people understand the fact that we don&#8217;t read text online in the same way that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="fblike_button" style="margin: 10px 0;"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fproductivepen.com%2Fblog1%2F2010%2F06%2F5-tips-for-improving-your-online-writing-skills%2F&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:25px"></iframe></div>
<div id="attachment_234" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/web-writing.jpg"><img src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/web-writing-300x207.jpg" alt="" title="web-writing" width="300" height="207" class="size-medium wp-image-234" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Writing for the Web</p></div>
<p>Writing for the web is not the same as writing for print. If you are going to be writing content that will be consumed online there are a few concepts that you need to get clear on. By now most people understand the fact that we don&#8217;t read text online in the same way that we read text in hard copy such as a book or a newspaper that we hold in our hands. </p>
<p><strong>People tend to skim online copy very quickly with their eyes.</strong><br />
The Internet is by nature fast moving and bright and shiny. Our brains and eyes move hyper-fast when we are online and if what we are looking at does not appeal to us, we can quickly get rid of it within a nano-second by clicking the next link.</p>
<p>As writers, we need to get in touch with the way our readers engage with our work online so that we can create a product that will be both useful and enjoyable by those who consume it. You want to craft content that makes your readers stop long enough for you to convey the message that you are trying to send. Your words must draw them in so that they can consume your content and in exchange for their attention you must fulfill the promise of supplying the information they were searching for.</p>
<p><strong>Write for human readers but with SEO in mind.</strong><br />
Another unseen audience that is consuming our content online is the search engines. Since our human readers&#8217; eyeballs are our most important audience we write for them, but it&#8217;s also important to keep the principles of SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, in mind as we create web content.</p>
<p>Since many of us learned to write prior to the Internet age, there are a few specific strategies that we can employ in order to be effective at online writing. </p>
<ul>
<li>Do Keyword research and write content that focuses on one or two keywords while delivering concise information that the end user is searching for.
<li>Link to other related pieces of content within the site that add to topic.
<li>Link out to related authority sites that have high search engine rankings and provide additional information for your reader.
<li>Use images that illustrate your point and break up the text on the page.
<li>Write in shorter paragraphs allowing for sufficient white space on the page to give the reader&#8217;s eyes a place to rest.
<li>Use bullets and call-out boxes for the skimmers to grab information quickly.
<li>Use meaningful sub-headers to introduce ideas.
</ul>
<p><strong><br />
Tips for sharpening the saw:</strong><br />
This is a list of five tips that can help you to improve your online writing skills, but this does not pretend to be an exhaustive list. You&#8217;ll want to keep learning and constantly strive to improve your craft over time&#8211;&#8217;sharpening the saw&#8217; as Steven Covey calls it.</p>
<p><strong>1. Read excellent writing</strong><br />
While it might sound far too simple and obvious, but reading good writing is really the best way to improve your own writing skills. Read widely on diverse topics. Pick authors whose writing style you admire and read several of their books. Get suggestions for good reads from fellow book-lovers, or make friends with your local librarian.</p>
<p>Here are a few blogs that feature both excellent writing and compelling content for writers:</p>
<ul>
<li>http://www.copyblogger.com/
<li>http://www.problogger.net/
<li>http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/
<li>http://sethgodin.typepad.com/
<li>http://www.doshdosh.com/
</ul>
<p><strong>2. Join a writing group</strong><br />
This can be tricky because a really good, established writing group can be quite challenging to find. You may end up starting one of your own, but find a group of fellow writers of varying levels of skill and accomplishment where you can share your work and get honest feedback on how you can improve it.</p>
<p>There are tons of writing groups online, but I prefer live groups because it gives you the chance to interact with other writers and create real relationships with real people who share your interests. Check out meetup.com  to find a local writer&#8217;s critique group, or search online writing forums to find local writing groups.</p>
<p><strong>3. Take a class</strong><br />
Visit your local University or Community College&#8217;s website to see if they offer an online writing class. It may, oddly enough, only be offered online, but you can find some live online writing classes as well. Other resources for online writing classes include:</p>
<ul>
<li>The Education Portal has an article with links to 10 Universities that offer free online writing classes
<p>http://education-portal.com/articles/10_Universities_Offering_Free_Writing_Courses_Online.html</p>
<li>The Gotham Writing Workshop
<p>http://www.writingclasses.com/</p>
<li>Wrter&#8217;s Digest University writing classes
<p>http://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>4. Hire a writing coach</strong><br />
Working with a writing coach is an excellent investment. If you want to write a book, but you would like to polish up your writing style, a coach can help you to get motivated, get unstuck, create a writing routine that works for your lifestyle, and most of all hold you accountable to the goals that you have set for yourself.</p>
<ul>
<li>http://www.writingforward.com/category/writing-help/writing-coach
<li>http://writingcompanion.wordpress.com/2007/11/27/writing-mentor-coach/
<li>http://www.genreality.net/ten-reasons-to-hire-a-writing-coach
</ul>
<p><strong><br />
5. Practice, practice and more practice.</strong><br />
&#8220;A writer writes,&#8221; as they say. Write something everyday. Set a daily word count goal that you feel that you can stick to, but that will also force you to stretch yourself a bit. Commit to meeting this goal, but don&#8217;t beat yourself up when you don&#8217;t. Just pick up where you left off. Keeping a daily longhand journal can be therapeutic and help you clear out what&#8217;s on your mind so that you can focus on creating good writing.</p>
<p>Keep a blog where you write about whatever inspires you. Write a new post every day and before long you will begin to notice that you are developing a unique style that your readers will come to enjoy.</p>
<p><strong>Additional Writing Resources:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>http://www.webanddesigners.com/20-ways-to-improve-websites-readability
<li>http://www.problogger.net/31-days-to-building-a-better-blog/
<li>http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/fifty-50-tools-which-can-help-you-in-writing.html</li>
</ul>



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<br/><br/><p align="left"><a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=5+Tips+for+Improving+Your+Online+Writing+Skills+http://shez7.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter"><img class="nothumb" src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png" alt="Post to Twitter" /></a> <a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=5+Tips+for+Improving+Your+Online+Writing+Skills+http://shez7.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter">Tweet This Post</a></p><h2  class="related_post_title">Other posts on this topic. . .</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/10-life-lessons-ive-learned-from-being-a-blogger/" title="10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger"><img src="" alt="10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/10-life-lessons-ive-learned-from-being-a-blogger/" title="10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger">10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger</a><br /><small>

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		<title>The Purpose Driven Blog: Make it Plain</title>
		<link>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/06/the-purpose-driven-blog-make-it-plain/</link>
		<comments>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/06/the-purpose-driven-blog-make-it-plain/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:00:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ebourne</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traffic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Author]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Domain name]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Publishing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://productivepen.com/blog1/?p=221</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[People create blogs for various purposes ranging from simply writing about what’s happening in their daily lives, trying to bring attention to a particular cause, selling products, for corporate outreach, or gaining increased exposure for the author, every blog works better when it has a clearly defined purpose. By the time you have finished reading [...]]]></description>
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<p><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/blogs.jpg"><img src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/blogs.jpg" alt="" title="blogs" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-222" height="195" width="300"></a></p>
<p>People create <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog" title="Blog" rel="wikipedia">blogs</a> for various purposes ranging from simply writing about what’s happening in their daily lives, trying to bring attention to a particular cause, selling products, for corporate outreach, or gaining increased exposure for the author, every blog works better when it has a clearly defined purpose.  By the time you have finished reading this blog post, you will have a clear idea of the advantages of having a purpose driven blog and some ideas for refining and communicating your blog’s purpose to the world.</p>
<p>The blog seems to embody the spirit of new media. The blog has emerged as a great equalizer in the world of publishing and media. It provided the average person who might otherwise never get a book publishing contract the ability to get their message out to the world.</p>
<p>Anyone can start a blog for free, or you can purchase a <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_name" title="Domain name" rel="wikipedia">domain name</a> and hosting for minimal cost and potentially reach millions of readers.  But in order to maximize this opportunity to reach your audience, you’ve got to make your blog’s purpose plain when visitors arrive.</p>
<p>People make a decision within about three to five seconds as to whether or not they like or find useful what you have to offer on your blog.</p>
<p>Here are some questions you can ask yourself as you begin to refine your blog’s purpose:</p>
<ul>
<li>What are you trying to accomplish with your blog?
</li>
<li>Clearly a blog whose purpose is to sell products will have a different layout and style from one whose purpose is to generate interest in a particular topic or cause.
</li>
<li>Can visitors tell what your blog is about in less than five seconds after landing on your page?
</li>
<li>The mission and goal of your blog should be clearly communicated in the title, and the content should not veer too far from the main topic keywords.
</li>
<li>Have you narrowed your focus sufficiently?
</li>
</ul>
<p>Some bloggers who are knowledgeable about and passionate about several topics try to cram all of them in to one blog. This can make it challenging to attract targeted traffic, and the search engines won’t be clear on how to rank your site with such a divergent array of keywords.</p>
<p>Are you creating value for your readers?</p>
<p>Regardless of your blog’s purpose, if you are not creating value for your readers they will not have much reason to stay long or return. You are competing with millions of other blogs for your reader’s attention. Do not squander the opportunity to shine by always presenting your best content.</p>
<p>LaShanda Henry, author of  the <a href="http://www.sistasense.com/2010/05/13/how-to-create-a-honey-blog-for-steady-traffic/">Sistasense.com</a> blog, among several others, says this about blogging:</p>
<blockquote><p>“Blog like you’ve got an audience of millions reading your blog. Blog like everybody’s watching you&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Don’t wait and hold back your  best content until you get ‘discovered’ because you will not get discovered unless you consistently provide excellent, valuable content that attracts readers, keeps them coming back and inspires them to share your posts with their friends and followers.</p>
<p>When you give valuable content away on your blog it communicates your depth of knowledge about your topic and it causes people to keep coming back because they are confident that you will always have something important to say that will benefit them in some way.</p>
<p>Do you love your topic?</p>
<p>When you love your blog topic, when you have a passion for what you are writing about, when an idea hits you and you can’t wait to get out your laptop and blog about it, that passion and enthusiasm is absolutely infectious and it comes across to your readers.</p>
<p>If you love your topic, chance are there are lots of other people out there who share your feelings and who will be thrilled to find a kindred spirit.</p>
<p>Clearly defining your purpose will make it easier for you to create excellent content because you will be delving deeply into a narrow topic rather than going all over the place on a variety of topics.</p>
<p>The purpose driven blog has a clear focus, it provides value for the reader, and it communicates the bloggers passion for the topic. If you are a blogger, take a moment and re-visit your blog’s vision and mission. Where can you make your purpose more clear? Try doing a quick poll for your readers to see if you can discover what kind of impression they are getting and what suggestions they might offer to make yours a more purpose driven blog.</p>
<p>Now it’s your turn. Go ahead and leave a comment about your blog along with the URL. Visitors who read this post will visit your blog and leave you a comment about their impressions of how effectively your are communicating your blog’s purpose.</p>
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I'm participating in the #31DBBB Blogging Challenge, and this post  part of the Day #2 assignment. I want to welcome all of my fellow SITS  Bloggers and thanks for all of the linky love ;-)

The...</small></li><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/creating-killer-blog-content-a-speedlinking-mashup/" title="Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup"><img src="" alt="Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/creating-killer-blog-content-a-speedlinking-mashup/" title="Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup">Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup</a><br /><small>[caption id="attachment_461" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Creating Killer Blog Content"][/caption]

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		<title>WordPress Security: 5 Crucial Strategies for Protecting Your Blog</title>
		<link>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/04/wordpress-security-5-crucial-strategies-for-protecting-your-blog/</link>
		<comments>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/04/wordpress-security-5-crucial-strategies-for-protecting-your-blog/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:47:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ebourne</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog security]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[WordPress security is an important issue for wordpress bloggers. I maintain a network of about seven blogs, and thank God none have been hacked yet. Last year I installed a blog for a client, and recently she came to me saying that her blog had been hacked. A hacker had gotten in and embedded some [...]]]></description>
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<p><div id="attachment_187" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 260px"><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/wordpress-security.png"><img src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/wordpress-security.png" alt="wordpress security" title="wordpress-security" width="250" height="256" class="size-full wp-image-187" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">WordPress Security</p></div><br />
WordPress security is an important issue for wordpress bloggers. I maintain a network of about seven blogs, and thank God none have been hacked yet. Last year I installed a blog for a client, and recently she came to me saying that her blog had been hacked.</p>
<p>A hacker had gotten in and embedded some malicious code, so Google blocked it. Now imagine if your blog that you had worked on for months to develop a stream of traffic and revenue got hacked and then banned? Does the thought give your chills? It did for me, so I have taken this as a warning and I&#8217;ve done a little bit of research on WordPress security. </p>
<p>Since I am by no means an expert on this topic, I came up with some links to a few good blog posts about blog security that should be helpful to you:</p>
<p>•	<a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Hardening_WordPress">http://codex.wordpress.org/Hardening_WordPress</a></p>
<p>•	<a href="http://blogsecurity.net/wordpress/wordpress-security-whitepaper">http://blogsecurity.net/wordpress/wordpress-security-whitepaper</a></p>
<p>•	<a href="http://www.noupe.com/how-tos/wordpress-security-tips-and-hacks.html">http://www.noupe.com/how-tos/wordpress-security-tips-and-hacks.html</a></p>
<p>Here are five of the tips that I gleaned from these articles that I plan to implement immediately: </p>
<p>•	Always update to the latest version of WP. WordPress developers take security seriously. As new potential security vulnerabilities are discovered they are cleared up in subsequent versions.</p>
<p>•	Back up regularly using the WP DB Backup plugin. Set a schedule and stick with it. Otherwise, you may be kissing your hard work goodbye.</p>
<p>•	Change your username and password regularly. Don’t use the word ‘password’  for your password. Use a secure password which should be at least 7 digits, not a word in the dictionary or a name, contain numbers and letters and a capital letter. </p>
<p>•	Add an index.html file to hide the contents within your directory. Upload to your ‘plugins’ directory to help prevent unwelcome intruders from seeing the plugins you are running. Just open up a Notepad file and save the blank file as index.html. </p>
<p>•	Add a security plugin. WP Security Scan is a good one: <a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-security-scan">http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-security-scan</a>, but there are many others to be found at wordpress.org.</p>
<p>Take a minute and put these security measures in place so that your blog will be secure.</p>
<p>Please share your favorite blog security methods here.</p>



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<br/><br/><p align="left"><a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=WordPress+Security%3A+5+Crucial+Strategies+for+Protecting+Your+Blog+http://dnkf5.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter"><img class="nothumb" src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png" alt="Post to Twitter" /></a> <a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=WordPress+Security%3A+5+Crucial+Strategies+for+Protecting+Your+Blog+http://dnkf5.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter">Tweet This Post</a></p><h2  class="related_post_title">Other posts on this topic. . .</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/04/guest-blogging-5-tips-for-generating-results/" title="Guest Blogging: 5 Tips for Generating Results"><img src="no" alt="Guest Blogging: 5 Tips for Generating Results" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/04/guest-blogging-5-tips-for-generating-results/" title="Guest Blogging: 5 Tips for Generating Results">Guest Blogging: 5 Tips for Generating Results</a><br /><small>
Guest blogging is the new--or not so new article marketing. The practice of bloggers inviting other bloggers to publish on their blog has been going on since blogging began, but now this somewhat qu...</small></li><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/creating-killer-blog-content-a-speedlinking-mashup/" title="Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup"><img src="" alt="Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/creating-killer-blog-content-a-speedlinking-mashup/" title="Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup">Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup</a><br /><small>[caption id="attachment_461" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Creating Killer Blog Content"][/caption]

It's Day #7 of the #31DBBB challenge, and today's assignment s to write a linked post....</small></li><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/10-life-lessons-ive-learned-from-being-a-blogger/" title="10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger"><img src="" alt="10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/10-life-lessons-ive-learned-from-being-a-blogger/" title="10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger">10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger</a><br /><small>

I'm participating in the #31DBBB Blogging Challenge, and this post  part of the Day #2 assignment. I want to welcome all of my fellow SITS  Bloggers and thanks for all of the linky love ;-)

The...</small></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Guest Blogging: 5 Tips for Generating Results</title>
		<link>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/04/guest-blogging-5-tips-for-generating-results/</link>
		<comments>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/04/guest-blogging-5-tips-for-generating-results/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:24:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ebourne</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelance writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traffic]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://productivepen.com/blog1/?p=171</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Guest blogging is the new&#8211;or not so new article marketing. The practice of bloggers inviting other bloggers to publish on their blog has been going on since blogging began, but now this somewhat quietly kept practice is becoming more and more popular. If you are an online freelance writer you&#8217;re always looking for ways to [...]]]></description>
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<p><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/guest-bio.jpg"><img src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/guest-bio.jpg" alt="" title="guest-bio" width="185" height="185" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-172" /></a><br />
Guest blogging is the new&#8211;or not so new article marketing. The practice of bloggers inviting other bloggers to publish on their blog has been going on since blogging began, but now this somewhat quietly kept practice is becoming more and more popular. If you are an online freelance writer you&#8217;re always looking for ways to get more exposure for your writing to attract more clients. The occasional guest blog posting gig can get you exposure with a new audience, confirms your expert status and attracts fresh traffic to your blog.</p>
<p>As bloggers see the fabulous results that they can gain from both guest blogging on other blogs and hosting guests on their blogs, they are engaging in the practice more and more.</p>
<p>In this article I want to share five simple tips for getting your feet wet so to speak as a guest blogger:</p>
<p><strong>1. Choosing the right blogs</strong><br />
Your goal as a guest blogger is to find a new audience for your writing, to get wider exposure and to attract fresh traffic back to your blog. So, it makes sense to choose blogs that focus on keywords similar to yours, within the same industry and a similar compatible niche.</p>
<p>Choose blogs that are more established and higher ranked than yours for the biggest bang for your time, but don&#8217;t neglect those up-and-coming blogs with a growing, loyal following.</p>
<p>Spend the time to regularly visit the blogs in your niche that you would like to guest post for. Make note of their idiosyncrasies, practices and biases. Take notes and keep these issues in mind when you are writing your post so that you don&#8217;t slip up and offend your host.<br />
<strong><br />
2. Making contact with the author</strong><br />
Compose a simple email to the blog owner explaining that you are offering to do a guest blog post for them. If this is your first contact with this blogger, briefly explain your blog&#8217;s topic and include a link. </p>
<p>Let the blogger know what you like about their blog and how your writing will fit in with their blogging style and topic.<br />
<strong><br />
3. Establishing a clear, mutually beneficial arrangement</strong><br />
Guest blog posting is a win-win for the guest blogger and the host blogger. The guest blogger gets exposure to a fresh audience, a nice boost in traffic back to their blog and more favorable search engine ranking from the highly relevant link. </p>
<p>The blog host wins because they get some fresh, relevant content that provides something new for their readership, and buys them a bit of time to do other things. But the blog readers also benefit because they gain exposure to a new writer and a different look at the topic.  </p>
<p>Be sure to spell out the terms of the arrangement so that both parties are clear on things like the approximate word count of the post, publication date, number and types of links, ownership of the content, etc.</p>
<p><strong>4. Coming up with the right content for the blog</strong><br />
Refer to the notes you took when you were choosing blogs to guest post on, and write from the perspective of someone who is familiar with the audience. Read through recent posts to get ideas for filling in and rounding out the blogger&#8217;s approach to the topic. Ask the blog host if there is a particular topic they would like for you to cover.</p>
<p>Be sure to always present your best work when guest posting. Do your research, format the post carefully and ask for someone to proofread it for you before you submit it.</p>
<p><strong>5. The importance of follow up</strong><br />
After your post has been published, be sure to check back and respond to the comments. This is a great opportunity to forge a real relationship with another blogger and their readers, so don&#8217;t overlook this important part of the arrangement.</p>
<p>Go ahead and start guest blogging. It&#8217;s a great way to broaden your reach as a freelancer, create relationships and get some new, targeted traffic for your blog. If you are looking to host guest bloggers, it&#8217;s a great way to add fresh perspectives to your blog and give your readers a bit of variety. </p>
<p>For more of the gritty details about getting started check out this <a href="http://budurl.com/guestblogging">guest posting guide</a>. Save the time and frustration of trying to figure it out on your own and instead hit the ground running with fabulous results.</p>
<p>Have you tried guest blogging, or hosting a guest blogger on your blog? Share your results here.</p>
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<br/><br/><p align="left"><a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=Guest+Blogging%3A+5+Tips+for+Generating+Results+http://5ghtx.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter"><img class="nothumb" src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png" alt="Post to Twitter" /></a> <a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=Guest+Blogging%3A+5+Tips+for+Generating+Results+http://5ghtx.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter">Tweet This Post</a></p><h2  class="related_post_title">Other posts on this topic. . .</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/04/wordpress-security-5-crucial-strategies-for-protecting-your-blog/" title="WordPress Security: 5 Crucial Strategies for Protecting Your Blog"><img src="no" alt="WordPress Security: 5 Crucial Strategies for Protecting Your Blog" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/04/wordpress-security-5-crucial-strategies-for-protecting-your-blog/" title="WordPress Security: 5 Crucial Strategies for Protecting Your Blog">WordPress Security: 5 Crucial Strategies for Protecting Your Blog</a><br /><small>[caption id="attachment_187" align="aligncenter" width="250" caption="WordPress Security"][/caption]
WordPress security is an important issue for wordpress bloggers. I maintain a network of about sev...</small></li><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/03/blog-traffic-5-tips-for-marketing-your-blog/" title="Blog Traffic: 5 Tips for Marketing Your Blog"><img src="no" alt="Blog Traffic: 5 Tips for Marketing Your Blog" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/03/blog-traffic-5-tips-for-marketing-your-blog/" title="Blog Traffic: 5 Tips for Marketing Your Blog">Blog Traffic: 5 Tips for Marketing Your Blog</a><br /><small>

Blog traffic equals money if you have monetized your blog. There's no use in mincing words about it. If you're blogging to generate revenue, then getting more traffic and exposure for your blog sh...</small></li><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/creating-killer-blog-content-a-speedlinking-mashup/" title="Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup"><img src="" alt="Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/creating-killer-blog-content-a-speedlinking-mashup/" title="Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup">Creating Killer Blog Content: A Speedlinking Mashup</a><br /><small>[caption id="attachment_461" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Creating Killer Blog Content"][/caption]

It's Day #7 of the #31DBBB challenge, and today's assignment s to write a linked post....</small></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Blog Traffic: 5 Tips for Marketing Your Blog</title>
		<link>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/03/blog-traffic-5-tips-for-marketing-your-blog/</link>
		<comments>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/03/blog-traffic-5-tips-for-marketing-your-blog/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:39:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ebourne</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traffic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[twitter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[facebook]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Blog traffic equals money if you have monetized your blog. There&#8217;s no use in mincing words about it. If you&#8217;re blogging to generate revenue, then getting more traffic and exposure for your blog should be your primary task. Blogging is a great way to promote ‘Brand You’, and your products and services. It&#8217;s a great [...]]]></description>
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<p><img src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/blog-traffic-300x186.jpg" alt="Blog Traffic" title="blog-traffic" width="300" height="186" class="size-medium wp-image-139" /></p>
<p>Blog traffic equals money if you have monetized your blog. There&#8217;s no use in mincing words about it. If you&#8217;re blogging to generate revenue, then getting more traffic and exposure for your blog should be your primary task. </p>
<p>Blogging is a great way to promote ‘Brand You’, and your products and services. It&#8217;s a great way to engage with your market and create a dynamic conversation between you and your prospective customers.</p>
<p>But when your blog is one out of millions of other blogs on the Internet, you&#8217;ve got to find some creative ways to stand out from the crowd so that your sparkling prose can actually be appreciated by the masses.</p>
<p>Here are five tips for getting more eyeballs on your page:</p>
<p><strong>1. Write excellent content</strong><br />
Content is what blogging is all about, so make it worth reading.<br />
	Keep it clear and concise.<br />
	Write in short paragraphs.<br />
	Edit ruthlessly.<br />
<strong><br />
2. Make it easy to share your content</strong><br />
If a visitor really likes one of your posts, make it easy for them to share it with one click. Use a plug-in that allows them to post to several social media sites without any hassle.</p>
<p><strong>3. Participate in social media</strong><br />
Create a profile and a Fan Page on Facebook and be active in groups on the topic of your blog. Join Networked Blogs on Facebook and visit, comment on and rate other blogs.</p>
<p>Create a profile on Twitter and link back to your site. Selectively follow people that have an interest in your blog&#8217;s topic or related topics. Share useful information and be a resource.</p>
<p><strong>4. Be a guest blogger on other blogs</strong><br />
Find popular blogs on a similar topic to yours and develop a relationship with the author. Offer to do a guest post on their blog. You&#8217;ll get exposure from a new audience and if they like your post they&#8217;ll visit your blog.</p>
<p><strong>5. Submit your blog to popular blogging directories</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Technorati
<li>Blogcatalog
<li>Blogtoplist
</ul>
<p>The most important tip of all is to have fun with your blog. Don&#8217;t be shy about revealing your passion for your topic. Your genuine enthusiasm will radiate out and attract visitors in droves. Your authenticity is a magnet to those who share the same interest, so let it shine and you&#8217;ll see a steady flow of visitors to your blog. </p>
<p>You&#8217;re invited to subscribe to my email update list where you&#8217;ll get lots of free tips and resources in your mailbox.</p>
<p>What are your most effective ways of getting traffic to your blog? Speak your mind.</p>



Share and Enjoy:


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<br/><br/><p align="left"><a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=Blog+Traffic%3A+5+Tips+for+Marketing+Your+Blog+http://qt9tk.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter"><img class="nothumb" src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png" alt="Post to Twitter" /></a> <a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=Blog+Traffic%3A+5+Tips+for+Marketing+Your+Blog+http://qt9tk.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter">Tweet This Post</a></p><h2  class="related_post_title">Other posts on this topic. . .</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/04/5-things-every-article-marketer-needs-to-know-about-using-scribd-com-for-getting-traffic/" title="5 Things Every Article Marketer Needs to Know About Using Scribd.com for Getting Traffic"><img src="no" alt="5 Things Every Article Marketer Needs to Know About Using Scribd.com for Getting Traffic" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/04/5-things-every-article-marketer-needs-to-know-about-using-scribd-com-for-getting-traffic/" title="5 Things Every Article Marketer Needs to Know About Using Scribd.com for Getting Traffic">5 Things Every Article Marketer Needs to Know About Using Scribd.com for Getting Traffic</a><br /><small>
  	
If you are using article marketing to drive traffic to your blog, and you have not yet tried Scribd.com, you are missing out on a fabulous traffic source. Scribd is also a good resource for sel...</small></li><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/03/the-bank-of-facebook/" title="The Bank of Facebook"><img src="no" alt="The Bank of Facebook" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/03/the-bank-of-facebook/" title="The Bank of Facebook">The Bank of Facebook</a><br /><small>I came across this video on my colleague, Vincent Wright's website. Watch and learn. The future is now.

...</small></li><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/blogging-tips-7-strategies-for-keeping-up-with-posting-consistently/" title="Blogging Tips: 7 Strategies for Keeping Up with Posting Consistently"><img src="" alt="Blogging Tips: 7 Strategies for Keeping Up with Posting Consistently" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/blogging-tips-7-strategies-for-keeping-up-with-posting-consistently/" title="Blogging Tips: 7 Strategies for Keeping Up with Posting Consistently">Blogging Tips: 7 Strategies for Keeping Up with Posting Consistently</a><br /><small>

Blogging is a personal publishing format that allows you to be able to have your own platform for sharing your ideas with the world. Reading feedback from visitors is quite rewarding and makes it ...</small></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>My Life as a Blogger</title>
		<link>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2009/01/my-life-as-a-blogger/</link>
		<comments>http://productivepen.com/blog1/2009/01/my-life-as-a-blogger/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:32:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ebourne</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog her '09]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I am writing this post in answer to the question: &#8220;What have been the rewards and benefits of participating in the blogging community?&#8221; for Mabel&#8217;s Labels BlogHer contest. I have been blogging since 1998&#8211;which was really before blogs were called blogs. In those days it was simply an online journal where I wrote about my [...]]]></description>
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<p><img src="http://www.productivepen.com/BH09-150.gif" alt="blogher 09" /><br />
I am writing this post in answer to the question: &#8220;What have been the rewards and benefits of participating in the blogging community?&#8221; for <a href="http://www.mabel.ca/mabel.php?n=blogher">Mabel&#8217;s Labels</a> <a href="http://www.blogher.org">BlogHer</a> contest.</p>
<p>I have been blogging since 1998&#8211;which was really before blogs were called blogs. In those days it was simply an online journal where I wrote about my life as a single mom living and working in Massachusetts. I had really wanted to create my web site over a year earlier, but I kept on getting cold feet. I was afraid of putting myself &#8216;out there&#8217; and I felt vulnerable to the criticism of others. After a few months of procrastinating and reciting a litany of why I shouldn&#8217;t put up an online journal I finally just did it and <a href="http://www.brnwebgrrl.com">brnwebgrrl</a> was born. I rationalized that I would just not tell anyone I knew about it. I set up my first web site on the free servers at fourtune city. I simply wrote from my heart a few days a week and almost immediately started getting positive feedback. In fact, as I look back, I&#8217;ve never received any negative feedback from my online writings. I remember at one point, there was an error on my site and I lost some of my work, so I decided that it was time to get my own domain name. One of my readers was a web site designer, and she designed a site template for me in exchange for a link back to her site. I kept that blog unchanged for about nine years. Just this past fall I put my blog on a new domain and set it up using wordpress&#8211;no more coding html by hand.</p>
<p>During those years I met the man who would become my husband through that blog. My readers followed the progress of our relationship and when I announced our engagement, they were all happy for me. I happened to mention in one of my posts that I was going down to Crate and Barrell to fill out my bridal registry. Well imagine my surprise to discover that some of my readers had purchased wedding gifts for us through the registry! When our first child was born, we also received baby gifts, prayers and encouragement as well.</p>
<p>When my marriage ended in a very messy, surprise divorce a few years later, my readers prayed for me and offered their support as I dealt with the depression and pain of betrayal and getting back on my feet as a single mom again. I am still in contact with some of my readers from that early blog, including Michelle, who lives in North Carolina, who has stayed in touch with me to this day.</p>
<p>I also got an email once from an agent who was interested in my writing. That was very encouraging, but because of some of the drama in my life at the time I was not able to pursue that offer.</p>
<p>For me, the main benefits and rewards of participating in the blogging community has simply been the feeling of being a part of the blogging community. We sort of made things up as we went along in the early days. Blogs and bloggers came and went. We freely linked to each other and commented on each others blogs. We&#8217;d send emails when it had gotten to be awhile since the last time someone posted. For me blogging fills a deeply felt need to be heard. When you create a blog you create a space for dialog with the outside world. You share your words and others receive them and comment or not. You get a glimpse into the lives of the writers of the blogs you read and find things that resonate with you or not. </p>
<p>With the advent of paid blogging the vibe of the blogosphere has changed a quite a bit. This is my &#8216;working blog&#8217; and I use this as a platform for my writing when I am working with clients for my writing services. It&#8217;s not about me, rather it&#8217;s about the many topics that I write about in my work. But I still have a place in my heart for the <a href="http://www.brnwebgrrl.com">personal blog</a>&#8211;the online journal that expresses an individual voice desiring to simply be heard above the noise of modern life; where the reward is the ability to be heard and validated. The benefit is being able to share that experience with other bloggers and readers. </p>



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<br/><br/><p align="left"><a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=My+Life+as+a+Blogger+http://n5wx6.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter"><img class="nothumb" src="http://productivepen.com/blog1/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png" alt="Post to Twitter" /></a> <a class="tt" href="http://twitter.com/home/?status=My+Life+as+a+Blogger+http://n5wx6.th8.us" title="Post to Twitter">Tweet This Post</a></p><h2  class="related_post_title">Other posts on this topic. . .</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/10-life-lessons-ive-learned-from-being-a-blogger/" title="10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger"><img src="" alt="10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger" /></a><a href="http://productivepen.com/blog1/2010/07/10-life-lessons-ive-learned-from-being-a-blogger/" title="10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger">10 Life Lessons I&#8217;ve Learned from Being a Blogger</a><br /><small>

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