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BloggingALL - IN -ONE
FOR
DUMmIES‰
2ND EDITION
by Susan GuneliusAuthor of Google Blogger For Dummies
BloggingALL - IN -ONE
FOR
DUMmIES‰
2ND EDITION
Blogging All-in-One For Dummies®, 2nd EditionPublished by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New JerseyPublished by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New JerseyPublished simultaneously in CanadaNo part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permit-ted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affili-ates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITH-OUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZA-TION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ. FULFILLMENT OF EACH COUPON OFFER IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OFFEROR.
For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.Library of Congress Control Number is available from the publisher.ISBN 978-1-118-29944-9 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-33190-3 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-33413-3 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-39903-3 (ebk)Manufactured in the United States of America10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
About the AuthorSusan Gunelius is the president and CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc. (www.keysplashcreative.com), a marketing communications company. Throughout her 20-year marketing career, she has worked with large and small companies around the world, including AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Cox Communications, and many more.
She has authored numerous marketing-related books, including the popu-lar Content Marketing For Dummies (Wiley, 2010), 30-Minute Social Media Marketing (McGraw-Hill, 2010), and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps (Entrepreneur Press, 2008). You can find a complete list of books authored by Susan Gunelius at www.amazon.com/author/susangunelius.
Susan is a featured marketing columnist for Entrepreneur.com and Forbes.com, and her marketing-related articles have appeared on a wide variety of websites, including BusinessWeek.com, MSNBC.com, WashingtonPost.com, and more.
She is frequently interviewed about marketing topics for online, print, radio, and television media organizations, and she speaks about marketing, branding, and social media at events around the world (www.susan gunelius.com).
Susan also owns Women on Business, a leading blog for women in business at www.womenonbusiness.com, which received the 2011 Stevie Award for Women in Business in the Best Blog category and has been named to numer-ous top-website lists for businesswomen by Forbes, Little Pink Book, and others.
You can connect with Susan online:
✦ Twitter: http://twitter.com/susangunelius
✦ Facebook Profile: www.facebook.com/susangunelius
✦ Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/keysplashcreative
✦ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susangunelius
✦ Google+: https://plus.google.com/107478593543631183090
✦ Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/susangunelius
DedicationFor my husband, Scott, who always encourages and supports me no matter what.
Author’s AcknowledgmentsThank you to Scott, Brynn, Daniel, and Ryan for going on this crazy writing ride with me.
Thank you to Mom and Dad for giving me the ability to take this crazy ride.
Thank you to Bob Diforio for making sure I don’t fall off this crazy ride.
Thank you to Amy Fandrei, Brian Walls, and everyone else at Wiley who let me return to this crazy ride again and again.
It’s definitely a ride I wouldn’t want to miss!
Publisher’s AcknowledgmentsWe’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:Acquisitions and EditorialProject Editor: Brian Walls(Previous Edition: Nicole Sholly)
Acquisitions Editor: Amy FandreiCopy Editor: Heidi UngerTechnical Editor: Roberta RosenbergEditorial Manager: Kevin KirschnerEditorial Assistant: Leslie SaxmanSr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie CaseSpecial Help: Becky WhitneyCover Photo: © iStockphoto.com / Peter BoothCartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.
com)
Composition ServicesProject Coordinator: Kristie ReesLayout and Graphics: Jennifer Creasey,
Melanee Habig, Joyce HaugheyProofreaders: Melissa Cossell, Linda SeifertIndexer: BIM Indexing & Proofreading Services
Publishing and Editorial for Technology DummiesRichard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group PublisherAndy Cummings, Vice President and PublisherMary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions DirectorMary C. Corder, Editorial Director
Publishing for Consumer DummiesKathleen Nebenhaus, Vice President and Executive Publisher
Composition ServicesDebbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services
Contents at a GlanceIntroduction ................................................................ 1
Book I: Joining the Blogosphere .................................... 7Chapter 1: Joining the Blogosphere ................................................................................ 9Chapter 2: Preparing to Start and Write a Blog ........................................................... 29Chapter 3: Blogging Basics ............................................................................................. 43Chapter 4: Blogging Rules and Ethics ........................................................................... 65
Book II: Niche Blogging ............................................. 79Chapter 1: Understanding Niche Blogging.................................................................... 81Chapter 2: Benefiting from a Niche Blog Approach..................................................... 95Chapter 3: Choosing Your Niche ................................................................................. 105Chapter 4: Writing for Your Niche ............................................................................... 127
Book III: Corporate and Business Blogging ................ 147Chapter 1: Starting a Business Blog............................................................................. 149Chapter 2: Developing a Business Blog Marketing Plan ........................................... 175Chapter 3: Choosing Business Bloggers ..................................................................... 195Chapter 4: Writing a Business Blog ............................................................................. 213Chapter 5: Keeping Yourself and Your Company out of Trouble ............................ 225
Book IV: Choosing a Blogging Application ................. 239Chapter 1: Choosing a Blogging Application .............................................................. 241Chapter 2: Finding the Right Blogging Application ................................................... 251Chapter 3: Taking a Look at WordPress ..................................................................... 269Chapter 4: Using Google Blogger ................................................................................. 299Chapter 5: Understanding TypePad ............................................................................ 327Chapter 6: Blogging with Tumblr ................................................................................. 355
Book V: Blogging Tools ............................................. 375Chapter 1: Search Engine Optimization ...................................................................... 377Chapter 2: Measuring Blog Performance .................................................................... 393Chapter 3: Editing and Finding Images........................................................................ 409Chapter 4: Understanding RSS, Blog Feeds, Subscriptions, and Syndication ........ 427
Chapter 5: Blogging on the Go ..................................................................................... 441Chapter 6: Creating a Podcast ...................................................................................... 451Chapter 7: Creating a Vlog ............................................................................................ 469
Book VI: Promoting and Growing Your Blog ............... 485Chapter 1: Secrets to Blogging Success ...................................................................... 487Chapter 2: Building Community ................................................................................... 495Chapter 3: Social Networking ....................................................................................... 503Chapter 4: Social Bookmarking .................................................................................... 517Chapter 5: Inviting or Being a Guest Blogger ............................................................. 529Chapter 6: Hosting Blog Contests ................................................................................ 539
Book VII: Making Money from Your Blog ................... 551Chapter 1: Blog Advertising 101 ................................................................................... 553Chapter 2: Publishing Contextual Ads ........................................................................ 561Chapter 3: Using Text Link Ads .................................................................................... 575Chapter 4: Placing Impression Ads .............................................................................. 583Chapter 5: Making Money with Affiliate Advertising ................................................. 589Chapter 6: Publishing Sponsored Reviews and Paid Posts ...................................... 603Chapter 7: Merchandising for Profit ............................................................................ 613Chapter 8: Displaying Ads in Your Blog’s Feed .......................................................... 621Chapter 9: Selling Ad Space Directly ........................................................................... 629Chapter 10: Benefiting from Indirect Monetization Opportunities ......................... 641
Book VIII: Microblogging with Twitter ....................... 649Chapter 1: Getting the Short Story with Microblogging ........................................... 651Chapter 2: Getting Started with Twitter ...................................................................... 657Chapter 3: Getting More out of Twitter ....................................................................... 675Chapter 4: Using Third-Party Twitter Applications ................................................... 693
Glossary .................................................................. 707
Index ...................................................................... 717
Table of ContentsIntroduction ................................................................. 1
About Blogging All-in-One For Dummies ...................................................... 1Foolish Assumptions ....................................................................................... 2Conventions Used in This Book ..................................................................... 3What You Don’t Have to Read ........................................................................ 3How This Book Is Organized .......................................................................... 3
Book I: Joining the Blogosphere .......................................................... 3Book II: Niche Blogging ......................................................................... 4Book III: Corporate and Business Blogging......................................... 4Book IV: Choosing a Blogging Application ......................................... 4Book V: Blogging Tools ......................................................................... 4Book VI: Promoting and Growing Your Blog ...................................... 5Book VII: Making Money from Your Blog ............................................ 5Book VIII: Microblogging with Twitter ................................................ 5Glossary .................................................................................................. 5
Icons Used in This Book ................................................................................. 5Where to Go from Here ................................................................................... 6
Book I: Joining the Blogosphere ..................................... 7
Chapter 1: Joining the Blogosphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Welcome to the Blogosphere ....................................................................... 10
In the beginning.................................................................................... 10Blogs today ........................................................................................... 11What is a blog? ..................................................................................... 12
Finding Out Why People Blog ...................................................................... 12Blogging for fun .................................................................................... 13Blogging for networking ...................................................................... 15Blogging for exposure ......................................................................... 16Blogging for business .......................................................................... 17
Finding and Reading Blogs ........................................................................... 17Why read other blogs? ........................................................................ 17Finding blogs ........................................................................................ 18
Deciding to Start a Blog ................................................................................ 24Blogging benefits .................................................................................. 24Blogging repercussions ....................................................................... 25Blogging success secrets .................................................................... 26Setting your goals ................................................................................ 27
Blogging All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Editionxii
Chapter 2: Preparing to Start and Write a Blog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Choosing a Topic ........................................................................................... 29
Reviewing popular blog topics ........................................................... 30Determining the best topic for your blog ......................................... 32Going broad or staying focused ......................................................... 33
Choosing Your Voice ..................................................................................... 34Deciding What to Write About ..................................................................... 35Knowing What Not to Write About .............................................................. 36Writing Great Blog Posts .............................................................................. 36
Writing meaningful and interesting content ..................................... 37Staying consistent ................................................................................ 37Being honest ......................................................................................... 37Citing sources ....................................................................................... 37Using images ......................................................................................... 37Writing for the web .............................................................................. 38
Understanding Types of Blog Posts ............................................................ 38Avoiding Blogger’s Block and Finding Blog Post Ideas ............................. 39Determining How Often to Publish Blog Posts .......................................... 41
Chapter 3: Blogging Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Choosing a Domain Name ............................................................................. 43
Understanding the types of domain names and extensions .......... 44Creating a domain name and making sure it’s available ................ 46Buying a domain name ........................................................................ 48
Identifying the Basic Elements of a Blog .................................................... 49Home page ............................................................................................ 50About or profile page .......................................................................... 51Posts ...................................................................................................... 52Comments ............................................................................................. 53Categories or labels ............................................................................. 54Sidebar .................................................................................................. 55Archives ................................................................................................ 56Header ................................................................................................... 57Footer .................................................................................................... 58Blogroll or links .................................................................................... 59Trackbacks or backlinks ..................................................................... 60Pings ...................................................................................................... 62Tags ....................................................................................................... 62Template or theme .............................................................................. 62
Chapter 4: Blogging Rules and Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Avoiding Blogging Don’ts ............................................................................. 65
Don’t plagiarize (Get permissions!) ................................................... 66Don’t commit libel against someone or something ......................... 67Don’t spam through comments ......................................................... 67Don’t publish spammy posts .............................................................. 68Don’t steal bandwidth ......................................................................... 69
Providing Attribution .................................................................................... 69
Table of Contents xiii
Understanding Copyright and Fair Use ...................................................... 70Using Creative Commons Licenses ............................................................. 71Disclosing Your Policies ............................................................................... 73
Creating a comment policy ................................................................. 73Writing a privacy policy ...................................................................... 74Developing a Terms and Conditions of Site Use page ..................... 76
Book II: Niche Blogging .............................................. 79
Chapter 1: Understanding Niche Blogging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81Determining What Makes a Niche Blog ....................................................... 81Finding Niche Blogs ....................................................................................... 82
Capitol Annex ....................................................................................... 82The Glass Hammer ............................................................................... 83Small Biz Survival ................................................................................. 84The Purse Blog ..................................................................................... 8467 Mustang Blog ................................................................................... 85
Finding Out What Makes Niche Blogs Successful ...................................... 86Benefiting from the Positives of Niche Blogging ....................................... 88
Loyal readers ........................................................................................ 88Less competition .................................................................................. 88Long-tail search engine optimization ................................................ 89Recognition and exposure .................................................................. 89Targeted advertising opportunities .................................................. 90
Identifying the Drawbacks to Niche Blogs ................................................. 91Lower traffic and a smaller audience ................................................ 91The startup curse ................................................................................ 91The disappearing niche....................................................................... 92Fewer advertising opportunities ........................................................ 93
Chapter 2: Benefiting from a Niche Blog Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95Finding Your Focus and Keeping It ............................................................. 95Generating Traffic and Capturing an Audience ......................................... 97
Search engine optimization ................................................................ 97Link benefits ......................................................................................... 98Organic growth .................................................................................... 99
Establishing Yourself as an Expert .............................................................. 99Gaining Online Exposure ............................................................................ 100Networking with Other People in Your Niche ......................................... 101
Chapter 3: Choosing Your Niche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105Determining Your Niche Blogging Goals .................................................. 105
Building your expertise ..................................................................... 106Sharing your passion ......................................................................... 108Offering your opinion and sharing your knowledge...................... 109Networking and building relationships ........................................... 110Making money .................................................................................... 111
Blogging All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Editionxiv
Identifying Niches That Might Work for You ........................................... 112Researching Existing Niche Blogs ............................................................. 113
Technorati search .............................................................................. 114Google blog search ............................................................................ 114Google Alerts ...................................................................................... 114Twitter searches ................................................................................ 116
Determining the Audience Potential for a Niche Blog ............................ 117Performing keyword searches ......................................................... 117
Understanding Monetization Opportunities for Niche Blogs ................ 119Using the Google AdWords Traffic Estimator ................................ 119Researching with the Google AdWords Keyword Tool................. 122
Chapter 4: Writing for Your Niche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127Creating Content .......................................................................................... 127
Writing different types of posts ....................................................... 128Choosing your voice and style ......................................................... 130Linking ................................................................................................. 132Finding inspiration for new content ................................................ 133
Branding Your Blog ..................................................................................... 134Networking and Commenting .................................................................... 136Creating Off-Blog Content for Your Niche Blog ....................................... 137
E-mail campaigns ............................................................................... 137Newsletter subscriptions .................................................................. 138E-books ................................................................................................ 139Social networking and content sharing........................................... 142
Book III: Corporate and Business Blogging ................. 147
Chapter 1: Starting a Business Blog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149Revealing Why Companies Blog ................................................................ 150Finding Companies That Do It Right ......................................................... 152
Southwest Airlines ............................................................................. 152Whole Foods Market .......................................................................... 154Dell ....................................................................................................... 154Google.................................................................................................. 156Zappos ................................................................................................. 157
Benefiting from a Corporate or Business Blog ......................................... 159Building an online presence ............................................................. 160Marketing and publicity .................................................................... 162Brand building .................................................................................... 165Customer relations versus customer service ................................ 167Employee retention ........................................................................... 169Employee referrals and new hiring.................................................. 170Knowledge, experience, and expertise ........................................... 171Search engine optimization .............................................................. 172
Table of Contents xv
Chapter 2: Developing a Business Blog Marketing Plan . . . . . . . . . .175Researching the Competition .................................................................... 176
Finding business blogs to benchmark............................................. 176Differentiating your business blog from the competition ............ 178
Understanding Your Readers and Delivering Content They Want ....... 178Finding your customers online ........................................................ 179Researching what consumers talk about and want from
your business blog ......................................................................... 183Getting involved in the online conversation .................................. 184Answering consumer demand with meaningful content .............. 185Driving consumers to your business blog ...................................... 186
Creating a Business Blog Marketing Strategy .......................................... 187Setting long-term goals ...................................................................... 188Developing short-term promotional campaigns ............................ 188Advertising opportunities ................................................................. 189
Blogging with Multiple Writers .................................................................. 190Developing a team blog ..................................................................... 191Choosing a team blogging application ............................................ 192
Chapter 3: Choosing Business Bloggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195Knowing When You Need Outside — or Inside — Help ......................... 195Knowing the Skills to Look for When Hiring a Blogger ........................... 198
Blogging experience .......................................................................... 199Ability to use blogging applications and tools ............................... 199Writing skills ....................................................................................... 199Social personality .............................................................................. 199Understanding of search engine optimization ............................... 200Existing social networking, social bookmarking, and other
social sharing sites presence ........................................................ 200Active participation on Twitter ........................................................ 200Knowledgeable about finding and attracting visitors to
your blog ......................................................................................... 200Self motivated and dependable ........................................................ 201Understands your business or industry ......................................... 201
Publicizing Your Open Blogger Job ........................................................... 201Hiring a Blogger ........................................................................................... 202
Employment status ............................................................................ 203Pay model ........................................................................................... 203
Defining Blogger Guidelines ....................................................................... 205Writing a style guide .......................................................................... 206
Training Bloggers ........................................................................................ 208Communicating and Collaborating with Bloggers ................................... 209
Knowing what to communicate and why ........................................ 209Using tools for communication and collaboration ........................ 210
Blogging All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Editionxvi
Chapter 4: Writing a Business Blog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213Discovering the Types of Business Blog Posts ........................................ 213Turning a Business Blog into a Direct Sales Tool .................................... 216Finding Out the Tips for Business Blog Success ..................................... 218Avoiding Things Blog Readers Don’t Like ................................................ 219
A blog that reads like an employee manual ................................... 220An impersonal tone ........................................................................... 220A blog that lacks transparency ........................................................ 221Corporate rhetoric ............................................................................. 221PR posts with no real content .......................................................... 221
Engaging with Your Audience .................................................................... 222Providing content the audience wants ........................................... 222Encouraging comments..................................................................... 222Making the audience feel special or exclusive ............................... 222Creating relationships with key influencers ................................... 223Leveraging word-of-mouth marketing ............................................. 223
Chapter 5: Keeping Yourself and Your Company out of Trouble . . . .225Learning Rules and Laws ............................................................................ 226
Following blogosphere rules ............................................................ 226Staying within the law ....................................................................... 227Maintaining private information ...................................................... 229Knowing when to hold your tongue ................................................ 229
Responding to Negative Comments and Attacks .................................... 230Ignoring the negative ......................................................................... 230Defending the business ..................................................................... 231Engaging the source and audience .................................................. 231
Understanding Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM) .......... 232Responding to and acknowledging mistakes ................................. 234Burying the untrue or reputation threats ....................................... 234Building an audience of brand advocates and
brand guardians ............................................................................. 234Using SERM techniques..................................................................... 235
Book IV: Choosing a Blogging Application .................. 239
Chapter 1: Choosing a Blogging Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241Getting Familiar with How Blogging Applications Work ........................ 241Defining Hosted and Self-Hosted Solutions .............................................. 244
Hosted blog ......................................................................................... 244Self-hosted blog .................................................................................. 244
Considering the Types of Blog Hosts ........................................................ 245Finding and Choosing a Web Host for a Self-Hosted Blog ...................... 247
Comparing web hosts ........................................................................ 247Identifying popular web hosts for self-hosting your blog............. 248Selecting a web host .......................................................................... 248
Table of Contents xvii
Chapter 2: Finding the Right Blogging Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251Determining Your Goals and Needs .......................................................... 251
Growing your blog ............................................................................. 252Customizing your blog ...................................................................... 252Branding your blog ............................................................................ 252Maintaining your blog ....................................................................... 252Personalizing your blog e-mail addresses ...................................... 253Investing money into your blog ....................................................... 253Making money from your blog ......................................................... 253Blogging with multiple authors ........................................................ 253
Taking a Look at the Most Popular Blogging Applications .................... 253WordPress.com .................................................................................. 254WordPress.org.................................................................................... 255Blogger ................................................................................................ 256TypePad .............................................................................................. 257Tumblr ................................................................................................. 258
Comparing Popular Blogging Applications .............................................. 258Considering Other Blogging Applications ................................................ 261
Movable Type ..................................................................................... 261b2evolution ......................................................................................... 262Xanga ................................................................................................... 262ExpressionEngine............................................................................... 263LiveJournal ......................................................................................... 264Drupal .................................................................................................. 264Joomla! ................................................................................................ 265
Choosing the Right Blogging Application for You ................................... 266
Chapter 3: Taking a Look at WordPress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269Finding Out What WordPress Is ................................................................. 270Understanding the Two WordPress Options ........................................... 271
Checking out the differences ............................................................ 271Choosing between WordPress.com and WordPress.org .............. 272
Creating a Free Blog at WordPress.com ................................................... 273Installing WordPress.org ............................................................................ 277Reviewing the WordPress Dashboard ...................................................... 280Configuring Settings .................................................................................... 283
Profile .................................................................................................. 284General Settings ................................................................................. 285Reading settings ................................................................................. 285Discussion settings ............................................................................ 286Privacy Settings .................................................................................. 288Permalink Settings ............................................................................. 288
Understanding Widgets .............................................................................. 289Personalizing Your Blog ............................................................................. 290
Themes ................................................................................................ 290Add new themes................................................................................. 290
Blogging All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Editionxviii
Editor ................................................................................................... 291Choosing a theme .............................................................................. 291Finding themes ................................................................................... 292
Publishing a Post ......................................................................................... 293Making Sense of WordPress Plug-Ins ........................................................ 294Getting Help and Finding Resources ......................................................... 296
Chapter 4: Using Google Blogger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .299Discovering Blogger .................................................................................... 299Creating a Free Blog at Blogger.com ......................................................... 300Reviewing the Blogger Dashboard ............................................................ 304
The Blogger dashboard main page .................................................. 304Account link ........................................................................................ 305Create New Post button .................................................................... 305Go to Post button ............................................................................... 305More Options drop-down button ..................................................... 305
Configuring Settings .................................................................................... 306Profile .................................................................................................. 306Basic settings...................................................................................... 307Posts and comments settings .......................................................... 309Mobile and Email settings ................................................................. 311Language and formatting settings ................................................... 311Search preferences settings ............................................................. 313Other settings ..................................................................................... 313
Personalizing Your Blog ............................................................................. 314Changing the fonts and colors used on your blog ......................... 315Finding and choosing templates ...................................................... 317
Understanding Blogger Gadgets ................................................................ 318Publishing a Post ......................................................................................... 322Getting More Advanced .............................................................................. 323
Using your own domain .................................................................... 323Using a web host ................................................................................ 324
Getting Help and Finding Resources ......................................................... 325
Chapter 5: Understanding TypePad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .327Finding Out about TypePad ....................................................................... 327Understanding TypePad Fees .................................................................... 328Creating a Blog with TypePad .................................................................... 329Reviewing the TypePad Dashboard .......................................................... 332Configuring Settings .................................................................................... 333
Profile .................................................................................................. 334About Me page ................................................................................... 335Notifications ....................................................................................... 336Basic settings...................................................................................... 336SEO settings ........................................................................................ 338Sharing settings .................................................................................. 339Feeds settings ..................................................................................... 340
Table of Contents xix
Add-ons settings ................................................................................ 341Posts settings ..................................................................................... 342Categories settings ............................................................................ 344Comments settings ............................................................................ 345
Personalizing Your Blog ............................................................................. 347Choosing a theme .............................................................................. 347Selecting a layout ............................................................................... 348Organizing content ............................................................................ 349
Publishing a Post ......................................................................................... 350Using Advanced Features ........................................................................... 351Getting Help and Finding Resources ......................................................... 352
Chapter 6: Blogging with Tumblr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .355Checking Out What Tumblr Is .................................................................... 356Understanding How Tumblr Differs from Other Blogging
Applications .............................................................................................. 356Creating a Free Blog at Tumblr.com ......................................................... 357Reviewing the Tumblr Dashboard ............................................................. 358Configuring Settings .................................................................................... 359
Preferences ......................................................................................... 359Settings page ...................................................................................... 360
Personalizing Your Tumblr Blog ............................................................... 363Choosing a theme .............................................................................. 363Changing your blog title, description, and appearance ................ 364
Publishing a Post ......................................................................................... 368Reblogging, Following, and Liking ............................................................. 369Creating a Group Blog ................................................................................. 371Getting Help and Finding Resources ......................................................... 372
Book V: Blogging Tools ............................................. 375
Chapter 1: Search Engine Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .377Understanding SEO Basics ......................................................................... 377Interpreting Keywords ................................................................................ 379
Doing keyword research ................................................................... 379Using keywords .................................................................................. 382
Demystifying Long-Tail SEO ....................................................................... 383Writing SEO-Friendly Blog Posts ................................................................ 383Building Relationships to Boost Search Rankings ................................... 384Understanding Google PageRank .............................................................. 385
Increasing your blog’s ranking in Google searches ....................... 386Checking your blog’s Google PageRank .......................................... 386
Avoiding SEO Don’ts ................................................................................... 388Using the NoFollow Tag .............................................................................. 389Considering Search Engine Reputation Management ............................. 390
Blogging All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Editionxx
Chapter 2: Measuring Blog Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .393Making Sense of Web Analytics ................................................................. 393
Defining web analytics terms ........................................................... 394Knowing what to track ...................................................................... 396
Choosing a Web Analytics Tool ................................................................. 396Google Analytics ................................................................................ 397StatCounter ......................................................................................... 398Site Meter ............................................................................................ 400Adobe SiteCatalyst ............................................................................. 400
Using Your Blog Data .................................................................................. 402Harnessing the power of referrer statistics.................................... 402Publishing content similar to popular content .............................. 402Timing post publishing for high-traffic days .................................. 402Identifying keywords ......................................................................... 402Finding underperforming content ................................................... 403Calculating online marketing results ............................................... 403
Tracking Your Influence ............................................................................. 403Understanding why influence matters ............................................ 403Finding influential people online...................................................... 404Analyzing your influence with free tools ........................................ 405
Keeping Perspective .................................................................................... 406Understanding web analytics limitations ....................................... 406Remembering not to sweat the numbers........................................ 407
Chapter 3: Editing and Finding Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .409Changing Image Size .................................................................................... 409Changing Image Format .............................................................................. 410Finding Resources for Changing Image Size and Format ........................ 410
Paint.NET ............................................................................................ 411GIMP .................................................................................................... 412Shrink Pictures ................................................................................... 412
Using Images on Your Web Host, Not Others’ ......................................... 413Determining Whether You Can Use an Image .......................................... 414
Remembering copyright, fair use, and attribution laws and rules ................................................................................. 414
Creative Commons licenses ............................................................. 414Asking permission ............................................................................. 415
Finding Images that are Safe to Use on Your Blog .................................. 415Flickr .................................................................................................... 415Stock.XCHNG ...................................................................................... 418morgueFile .......................................................................................... 420FreeFoto.com ...................................................................................... 421Dreamstime......................................................................................... 423Fee-based image sources .................................................................. 424
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Chapter 4: Understanding RSS, Blog Feeds, Subscriptions, and Syndication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .427
Defining RSS .................................................................................................. 427Making Sense of Feed Subscriptions ......................................................... 429Setting Up Your Blog Feed .......................................................................... 431
Discovering FeedBurner ................................................................... 431Using FeedBurner to create your blog’s feed ................................. 432
Making Your Feed Available ....................................................................... 434Tracking Feed Statistics .............................................................................. 435Increasing Your Blog Subscribers ............................................................. 436
Publish useful content frequently ................................................... 437Make subscribing easy ...................................................................... 437Ask people to subscribe.................................................................... 437Offer something in return to subscribers ....................................... 437Show off your popularity .................................................................. 438
Discovering Other Forms of Syndication ................................................. 438Free or bartered ................................................................................. 439Ad-supported ...................................................................................... 439Licensed .............................................................................................. 439
Chapter 5: Blogging on the Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .441Weighing the Mobile Blogging Option ...................................................... 442Finding How Well You’re Equipped ........................................................... 443
Mobile phones .................................................................................... 443Smartphones ...................................................................................... 443Tablets ................................................................................................. 444
Mobile Blogging with the Popular Platforms ........................................... 444WordPress .......................................................................................... 445Blogger ................................................................................................ 445TypePad .............................................................................................. 446Tumblr ................................................................................................. 446
A Handful of Handy Mobile Apps .............................................................. 446Adobe Photoshop Express ............................................................... 447Evernote .............................................................................................. 447Dragon Dictation ................................................................................ 448Box ....................................................................................................... 448
Chapter 6: Creating a Podcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .451Getting the Scoop on Podcasts .................................................................. 451Discovering Why Podcasts Are Popular ................................................... 453Determining Whether Podcasting Is Right for You ................................. 453Finding the Equipment You Need .............................................................. 454
Audacity .............................................................................................. 455GarageBand ........................................................................................ 455
Blogging All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Editionxxii
Strategizing and Creating Your Podcast ................................................... 456Setting goals for your podcast ......................................................... 456Picking your podcast subject matter .............................................. 457Considering your audience ............................................................... 457Selecting your voice .......................................................................... 458Identifying your podcast format ...................................................... 458Recording your podcast.................................................................... 459Editing your podcast ......................................................................... 459Testing, analyzing, tweaking, and learning more ........................... 459
Finding an Online Home for Your Podcast ............................................... 460BlogTalkRadio .................................................................................... 461Blubrry ................................................................................................ 462Podbean.com ...................................................................................... 464iTunes .................................................................................................. 465
Publicizing Your Podcast ........................................................................... 466
Chapter 7: Creating a Vlog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .469Understanding Vlogs ................................................................................... 469
Understanding why vlogs are popular ............................................ 470Leveraging the video trend opportunity......................................... 470
Determining Whether You Should Vlog .................................................... 471Finding the Equipment You Need .............................................................. 472
Audio and video ................................................................................. 472Editing software ................................................................................. 472
Planning and Creating a Vlog ..................................................................... 472Picking a topic .................................................................................... 473Planning the video ............................................................................. 473Lighting considerations .................................................................... 473Setting up sound ................................................................................ 473Editing the video ................................................................................ 474Saving your video .............................................................................. 474Remembering laws and rules ........................................................... 474
Uploading and Sharing a Vlog .................................................................... 474YouTube .............................................................................................. 475Viddler ................................................................................................. 477Vimeo................................................................................................... 478Dailymotion ........................................................................................ 479Blip ....................................................................................................... 479TubeMogul .......................................................................................... 480
Promoting Your Vlog ................................................................................... 482
Book VI: Promoting and Growing Your Blog ................ 485
Chapter 1: Secrets to Blogging Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .487Writing Well .................................................................................................. 487Writing Often ................................................................................................ 488
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Building Links ............................................................................................... 489Link baiting ......................................................................................... 490Using Google Trends for short-term traffic boosts ....................... 490Using Twitter to find hot topics to blog about ............................... 490
Committing the Time .................................................................................. 491Streamlining Tasks ...................................................................................... 491Having Passion ............................................................................................. 492Socializing ..................................................................................................... 493Reading More than Writing ........................................................................ 493Being Comfortable with Technology ......................................................... 494Having Patience ........................................................................................... 494
Chapter 2: Building Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .495Responding to Comments .......................................................................... 495Posting Comments on Other Blogs ........................................................... 496Handling Comment Moderation ................................................................ 497Linking and Creating Trackbacks and Backlinks ..................................... 498Inviting Guest Bloggers ............................................................................... 500Going on Beyond the Blogosphere ............................................................ 500
Chapter 3: Social Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .503Defining Social Networking ......................................................................... 503Finding Popular Social Networking Sites .................................................. 504Facebook ....................................................................................................... 505
Reaping the benefits of Facebook .................................................... 507Using Facebook to promote your blog ............................................ 507
LinkedIn ........................................................................................................ 508Looking at the benefits of LinkedIn ................................................. 510Using LinkedIn to promote your blog ............................................. 510
Google+ ......................................................................................................... 511Checking out the benefits of Google+ .............................................. 512Using Google+ to promote your blog .............................................. 513
Starting Your Own Social Network with Ning .......................................... 513Using Social Networking Sites to Boost Blog Traffic ............................... 515Avoiding Social Networking Don’ts ........................................................... 515
Chapter 4: Social Bookmarking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .517Getting to Know Social Bookmarking ........................................................ 517Finding Popular Social Bookmarking Sites ............................................... 518
Digg ...................................................................................................... 519StumbleUpon ...................................................................................... 520Reddit .................................................................................................. 521Slashdot............................................................................................... 522Newsvine ............................................................................................. 522Diigo ..................................................................................................... 524Pinterest .............................................................................................. 524
Using Social Bookmarking Sites to Boost Blog Traffic ............................ 525Avoiding Social Bookmarking Don’ts ........................................................ 527
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Chapter 5: Inviting or Being a Guest Blogger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .529Understanding Guest Blogging .................................................................. 529Defining Your Goals ..................................................................................... 530Being a Guest Blogger ................................................................................. 530
Writing a guest blog post .................................................................. 531Choosing blogs to write guest posts for ......................................... 532Making your pitch .............................................................................. 533Following up after your post is published ...................................... 534
Inviting Guest Bloggers to Write Posts for Your Blog ............................. 534Benefits of accepting guest bloggers on your blog ....................... 535Finding guest bloggers for your blog .............................................. 535Setting guidelines for guest bloggers .............................................. 535Tracking the results ........................................................................... 536Repaying the favor ............................................................................. 536Separating spam guest post requests from legitimate ones ........ 537
Chapter 6: Hosting Blog Contests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .539Understanding Blog Contests .................................................................... 539Benefiting from Blog Contests ................................................................... 540Deciding on Prizes to Give Away in a Blog Contest ................................ 541Writing a Blog Contest Post ....................................................................... 542Setting Rules ................................................................................................. 542Structuring the Contest for Maximum Traffic .......................................... 544Promoting Your Contest ............................................................................. 544
Online-Sweepstakes.com .................................................................. 544ContestBlogger.com .......................................................................... 545About.com Blogging Forum .............................................................. 545
Choosing a Winner ...................................................................................... 546Random selection .............................................................................. 547Subjective selection ........................................................................... 549
Sending Prizes .............................................................................................. 549
Book VII: Making Money from Your Blog .................... 551
Chapter 1: Blog Advertising 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .553Determining Your Goals ............................................................................. 553Deciding to Publish Ads on Your Blog ...................................................... 554Reviewing Types of Ads .............................................................................. 554Setting Earnings Expectations ................................................................... 557Keeping Ethics and Legalities in Mind ...................................................... 557Tips for Advertising Success ...................................................................... 558
Chapter 2: Publishing Contextual Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .561Understanding Contextual Ads .................................................................. 561Getting the Most Benefits from Contextual Ads ...................................... 562Exposing the Negatives to Publishing Contextual Ads ........................... 563
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Finding Popular Contextual Ad Programs ................................................ 564Google AdSense .................................................................................. 565Kontera ................................................................................................ 568Clicksor ............................................................................................... 569Vibrant................................................................................................. 571Pulse 360 ............................................................................................. 571Chitika ................................................................................................. 573
Chapter 3: Using Text Link Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .575Understanding Text Link Ads ..................................................................... 575Knowing the Positives of Text Link Ads ................................................... 576Uncovering the Negatives of Text Link Ads ............................................. 577Finding Popular Text Link Ad Programs ................................................... 578
TextLinkBrokers ................................................................................. 579Text Link Ads ...................................................................................... 580LinkWorth ........................................................................................... 580LinkAdage ........................................................................................... 581
Chapter 4: Placing Impression Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .583Understanding Impression-Based Ads ...................................................... 583Reviewing the Problems with Impression-Based Ads ............................. 584Finding Popular Impression-Based Ad Programs .................................... 585
Tribal Fusion....................................................................................... 585ValueClick Media................................................................................ 586Burst Media ........................................................................................ 586Casale Media ....................................................................................... 587
Chapter 5: Making Money with Affiliate Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . .589Understanding Affiliate Advertising .......................................................... 589Benefiting from Affiliate Advertising ......................................................... 590Knowing the Problems with Affiliate Advertising .................................... 591Making Affiliate Advertising Work on Your Blog ..................................... 591Finding Popular Affiliate Advertising Programs ...................................... 593
Direct affiliate programs ................................................................... 593Third-party-managed affiliate programs ......................................... 596Affiliate directories ............................................................................ 600
Chapter 6: Publishing Sponsored Reviews and Paid Posts . . . . . . . .603Discovering Sponsored Reviews ............................................................... 603Understanding Why Bloggers Like Sponsored Reviews and
Paid Posts ................................................................................................. 605Exposing Potential Drawbacks of Sponsored Reviews and
Paid Posts ................................................................................................. 605Publishing Sponsored Reviews and Paid Posts Safely ............................ 606
Provide full disclosure ...................................................................... 606Use the NoFollow HTML tag ............................................................. 606Stay relevant and useful .................................................................... 607
Blogging All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Editionxxvi
Finding Popular Sponsored Review and Paid Post Programs ............... 607SocialSpark ......................................................................................... 608PayPerPost .......................................................................................... 609SponsoredReviews............................................................................. 609ReviewMe ............................................................................................ 610PayU2Blog ........................................................................................... 611
Chapter 7: Merchandising for Profit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .613Understanding Blog Merchandising .......................................................... 613Benefiting from Merchandising .................................................................. 615Reviewing Considerations before You Jump In ....................................... 615Taking a Look at Merchandising Sites ...................................................... 616
CafePress ............................................................................................ 617Zazzle ................................................................................................... 617Printfection ......................................................................................... 619
Chapter 8: Displaying Ads in Your Blog’s Feed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .621Understanding What Feed Ads Are ........................................................... 621Benefiting from Feed Ads ............................................................................ 622Uncovering the Negatives of Feed Ads ..................................................... 623Finding Popular Feed Ad Options .............................................................. 623
Pheedo................................................................................................. 623BuySellAds .......................................................................................... 626FeedBlitz.............................................................................................. 627AdGenta ............................................................................................... 627Mediafed.............................................................................................. 627
Chapter 9: Selling Ad Space Directly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .629Choosing to Sell Direct Ads ........................................................................ 629Selecting Types of Ads to Sell .................................................................... 630Researching Similar Blogs in Size and Topic ........................................... 631Developing a Rate Sheet ............................................................................. 632Accepting Payments .................................................................................... 634Promoting Ad Space for Sale on Your Blog .............................................. 635Using a Third Party to Facilitate the Ad Sales Process ........................... 636
BuySellAds.com.................................................................................. 637Blogads ................................................................................................ 638
Chapter 10: Benefiting from Indirect Monetization Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .641
Requesting Payment for Guest Blogging Services ................................... 642Booking Speaking Engagements ................................................................ 643Offering Consulting Services ...................................................................... 644Writing for Other Publications ................................................................... 645Asking for Donations ................................................................................... 646Using Licensed or Ad-Supported Syndication ......................................... 646Accepting Job Offers ................................................................................... 647
Table of Contents xxvii
Book VIII: Microblogging with Twitter ....................... 649
Chapter 1: Getting the Short Story with Microblogging . . . . . . . . . . .651Microblogging for Beginners ...................................................................... 651Understanding the Microblogging Craze .................................................. 653Choosing a Microblogging Application ..................................................... 654
Twitter ................................................................................................. 655Plurk .................................................................................................... 656
Chapter 2: Getting Started with Twitter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .657Getting to Know Twitter ............................................................................. 658Finding Out Who’s Using Twitter and Why .............................................. 659Taking a Look at Twitter Drawbacks ........................................................ 660Creating an Account .................................................................................... 663Writing Your Profile Description ............................................................... 665Writing Tweets ............................................................................................. 668Reviewing Types of Tweets ........................................................................ 670Following Twitter Etiquette ........................................................................ 671Finding People to Follow ............................................................................ 672Setting Up E-Mail Notification Preferences .............................................. 674
Chapter 3: Getting More out of Twitter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .675Customizing Your Profile Page .................................................................. 675Changing Your Twitter Profile Background and Colors ......................... 677Using URL Shorteners ................................................................................. 680
Understanding why URL shorteners are useful ............................. 680Choosing URL shorteners ................................................................. 681
Understanding @replies and @mentions .................................................. 684Retweeting .................................................................................................... 685Using Hashtags ............................................................................................. 686Blocking Followers ...................................................................................... 687Sending Direct Messages ............................................................................ 688Using Twitter to Boost Blog Traffic ........................................................... 689Joining Tweet Chats .................................................................................... 690Finding and Using Twitter Buttons ............................................................ 691
Chapter 4: Using Third-Party Twitter Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693Understanding What Third-Party Twitter Applications Are .................. 693Finding Twitter Apps ................................................................................... 694Using Popular Twitter Apps ....................................................................... 695
TweetChat ........................................................................................... 695TweetMeme ........................................................................................ 696TweetDeck .......................................................................................... 697HootSuite ............................................................................................ 698
Blogging All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Editionxxviii
Twibes ................................................................................................. 699SocialOomph ...................................................................................... 699Twellow ............................................................................................... 700Nearby Tweets ................................................................................... 701WeFollow ............................................................................................. 702Twilert ................................................................................................. 703Monitter .............................................................................................. 704Twitterfeed ......................................................................................... 704GroupTweet ........................................................................................ 705
Glossary .................................................................. 707
Index ....................................................................... 717
