4 Easy Tips to Keep Blog Readers

1) Reduce your blog's loading time 


      Most people tend to get frustrated if your blog does not load in 10 seconds. So, getting your blog to load in around 3-5 seconds is a good tactic in maintaining visitor's moods. They will also be slightly more patient to view your longer blog posts. If you don't, people may navigate away from your blog before they even see anything! To reduce the loading time, you should take away unnecessary widgets. I see many blogs around that have useless widgets, which means they do not satisfy the visitors anyhow or do not have any particular use. 






2) Write short, simple but meaningful content 
  Stop twisting the story and get to the points straight away! If readers get bored at the part where you are twisting the story, they have a high chance of leaving. Add the interesting bits and just some of the boring bits. Oh, and inject some good humor too!
















3) Insert (relevant) images or videos
     Pictures and videos are more lifelike than just words. Colors also help a lot in this case. It soothes the eye after reading a lot of words. Please do not spam images and videos, just enough to solve the reader's boredom. Imagine you're talking about chimpanzees and you show your daughter's picture. Either you're really stupid to put such irrelevant photos, or your daughter is a chimpanzee! 


4) Be interactive with readers
     To make readers feel satisfied and comfortable reading your blog, you have to interact with them. This makes them feel that your blog is more real, and you can actually hear what they are saying (in this case, typing). Good feedback from readers are also very helpful for both you and the readers, so please listen to your readers!!


       

Free Blog/Website Advertising : Entrecard

  Don't you wish you could just advertise your blog without spending much or no money at all? There are websites such as Google AdWords that offer such choices, but they are quite pricey. But now, introducing the FREE way to advertise, Entrecard!!

  The way it works is quite simple: Sign up, submit your blog, create your logo/business card, start advertising! To advertise, you can start by browsing the different categories they have to offer. Then, choose the category that is relevant to your blog. You start of with 200 credits. To earn more, you can either drop cards to other people's blogs or wait for people to advertise on your blog. Once you get more credits, you can advertise on better blogs with more visitors. So what are you waiting for? Join today!

Introducing Contextual Advertising

  First of all, what is contextual advertising? Basically, this is a kind of advertising where the main website you sign up to scans your blog with a bot for keywords. If preferred keywords are found, the main website then highlights those keywords and links them to the advertiser's main page. On the other hand, you can also advertise through their website and type in your preferred keyword. That way, people who sign up and enter that keyword to their blog content, the keyword may be linked to your blog! But don't think that there are no competitors on the same keyword. Always choose your keyword wisely to reduce competition but with a sum of bloggers who may type that keyword.


  Alright, now you understand the concept in contextual advertising, here are some links to let you join in contextual advertising today!


1)Clicksor
2)Pulse360
3)Text-Link-Ads
4)Kontera
5)LinkAdage
6)LinkWorth
7)ValueClickMedia
8)VibrantMedia
9)Tribal Fusion
10)BurstMedia
11)SixApart

  As far as I know, TribalFusion has very strict requirements that you must achieve in order to participate in their program. Think you're capable? Check it out then! Personally, I recommend Kontera as i use it. 

Protect Your Blog Rights

  Don't want people copying images or content for your blog, but cannot find a way to protect your blog from these people? Have no fear, for CreativeCommons can solve your problem! There, you can create a free license widget that is certified to put on your blog! That way, people will know whether they can or cannot copy images/content from your blog. 

  Also, you may want to find out whether other people are copying your blog. To do so, go to Copyscape and type in your blog URL. Once you're done, you can see websites or blogs that may have copied your content exactly.

  For a more detailed search, you can choose the premium options below the website. Protect your blog's/website's rights today!

How to Overcome the Bloggers Block? My 5 Great Tips to Help You!

  Firstly, what is this bloggers block anyway? If you didn't know, the bloggers block is the time when YOU, as a blogger, have nothing to write. No idea, no inspiration, NOTHING! Surely some of you have been in this situation before? Here, I'll tell you my methods of overcoming it! Here they are:


1) Leave the technology.
   Just leave your computer, blogging problems and other technologies. Go outside and get some fresh air (with air pollution now I don't think so, but you get what I mean) or just relax on the sofa. Clear your thoughts. Think about the interesting things that happened to you. That can be your next blog post! Or else, just relax and let the ideas run naturally in you. 


2) Read other people's blogs
   Take a time off from blogging and start being the reader! Some contents that you find interesting may just be your next blog topic, but improved! That way, you provide readers with better information and you can determine the topic you want to talk about easier. 


3) Write about your problems.
   Problems that you find hard to solve can become your next post! Surely someone out there has faced your problem and solved it before! On the other hand, you can also write about how you solved your problem! Helping other people is a great way to keep loyal readers and more traffic and information. (Ironically, I wrote this post about the bloggers block when I was facing it. I wrote about my problem, see?)


4) Look at your old posts.
   It's always useful to look back at your past to get a hang on the present. Go on, have a great laugh on your stupid mistakes that you made before and correct them. Sometimes, you can even improve the post and make it a new one! You can also change the topic slightly (E.g: 'Factors that increase pollution' to 'Ways to decrease pollution'). 


5) Take a small handbook EVERYWHERE you go.
   It's such a frustrating thing when you go somewhere and suddenly thought of an interesting topic to blog about, but nowhere to write it down. Yes, some people will think that 'It's so easy to remember, how can I forget?' or 'Bah! Who needs a handbook? I'm not getting old!'. Even so, there are chances that you will forget the topic, just like a dream. This small action of jotting down everything you want to blog about can be quite annoying, but it really helps when you need it. 
   

Strategic Advertisement Positions

  Being a blogger that earns through adverts, you must learn the most STRATEGIC positions to place your adverts where most readers tend to look first! Here is a small chart I made myself to show you roughly where the strategic positions are.

  The ones in black are components of your blog, the ones in orange are the adverts that can roughly catch the readers attention but the one in red is the MOST strategic position to put your adverts. Most readers tend to go straight to the content, but with a slight glance at the header and the sidebar. Thus, adverts close to both of these sections stand a change to attract a reader. But, the most important one is the one nearest to the content, especially on top of the content. Of course, don't try to drown out the main content with your adverts because that won't help you, but the opposite effect will happen. So use this simple tip today to increase your earnings!

Social Websites to Publicize Your Blog

  Social websites play the most important role in making your blog popular. Some of them such as Facebook, Twitter, Digg, StumbleUpon and other websites can really help you improve your blog traffic. Here, I will introduce some of them to you that will help you increase your blog's number of readers.


 1) Facebook
      This is the most well-known social website on the planet! Introducing your link there will enable people all around the world to see it. Thus, it is always good to start here. You can start by getting feedback from your friends and family. They are kinder and friendly to you and you should be able to understand best from their point of view. Once you get their feedbacks and edit it to satisfy them as much as you can, it's time to take it to the next level. Make a Facebook page or group about your blog if you want. Let the public judge your blog and make your blog as close to perfect as you can.


  2) Twitter
        Being the main website for micro-blogging, of course you should post your links there! As a reminder, please do not spam Twitter and save your karma. Doing that just makes people hate your blog. Introducing and spamming is very far apart, so don't make the mistake. You can also use automated posts that connect to your blog. When you post something new, it will automatically appear at Twitter. That way, you can save a lot of time and trouble.


  3) Digg
        Here, you can publish each post you wrote to the world. To attract people using this website, you must learn to use catchy titles and good descriptions. That way, people will get interested and visit your blog for the whole thing. Once you get permanent visitors that follow you, your popularity will increase and if you keep it up, you might be one of the most followed people on Digg. Work hard, because it pays off at the end. Remember to Digg the posts of others to catch their attention.


  4) StumbleUpon
        At first, I really didn't get how StumbleUpon works. But later on, I figured it out and started using it. All you have to do is submit your website to the StumbleUpon directory, or let your readers to it. You can do so by installing a sharebar for your blog. Remember my tutorial on how to do it (You don't? Click here!)? Once you do that, there will be over 10 million people that have a chance to StumbleUpon your blog! I know it sounds impossible that your blog will be chosen, but it has helped increase my traffic! Try it out in the beginning!

3 Great Tips to Find the Right Blog Advertising Communities

  1) Find one closer to home.
       What I mean? Find a local blog advertising community. The reasons are simple: First is they use your local currency. It's better to get local currency than foreign currency and going through the trouble to convert it. Also, local blog advertising communities usually arrange blogger events for locals that you can participate. That way, you can meet other bloggers, join contests, publicize your blog and much more. Because it's local, it will be easier for you to participate in those activities. They may also provide sharing platforms where you can meet other local bloggers.


  2) Get proof that they pay.
       What's the point of joining a advertising community that doesn't really pay you? Get proof from friends or other bloggers that use that community to be sure that they really pay. The community's website may also have proof on that. Big companies like Google AdSense are usually trustable. Whatever you do, alway get proof that they pay first.


  3) Compare pay rates.
       Always get a few possible communities, then compare the rates that they pay you. It may sometimes change, but some communities are fixed. Understand their rule and regulations. Don't get overexcited when you see the quantity that they pay you in big print, because there is always a small print to it. Once you confirm the pay rates, compare them and determine the one you want. Even if some blogging communities have larger pay rates, they may be not as attentive and rarely have events. It is up to you to determine what you want as a blogger.

Knowing the Best Free Blog Hosting Websites

  One of the most basic things needed to start a blog is finding the right blog hosting website. What are these websites for? Basically, they give you a domain that is either free or you have to pay for it, then you can blog all you want with your blog. Choosing the right hosting website is important as it affects your blog's appearance, whether you can put your own ads or not, how detailed you can change your blog's setting and so on. 


  However, you must know the details of the famous blog hosting websites available and choose wisely when starting a blog. You must select one that fits what you need perfectly. In this post, I will introduce to you some of the FREE ones that I recommend:


1) Blogger
    My blog is currently being hosted by Blogger right now. Why did I choose this? Mainly, it's because the widgets that you can add on Blogger are almost limitless! There are widgets on almost everything, and Blogger will not stop you from using widgets that come from a third-party. Even thought it does not have a wide-variety of template designs anymore, you can make your own design by learning HTML codes and stuff like that. Also, they allow you to put ads on your blog without charging you a fee, unlike WordPress. 


2) WordPress
    This is another strong competitor of Blogger in blog hosting. I've tried it before and what I like about it is that WordPress offers elegant blog templates that can differ in color, pattern and so on. There are also many templates to choose from, so you're bound to find one that suits you. Although there are few widgets to choose from, the limited widgets are very advanced and sophisticated that gives your blog a elegant style. Some third-party widgets are allowed. Sadly, you cannot put ads on your blog unless you buy your own domain from WordPress. 


3) Tumblr
   I tried Tumblr not too long ago just for fun and guess what? They actually show you 30 reasons to like them! I got all interested and started making a blog and trying out the stuff they claim they can do.  First was the templates: they have a really beautiful gallery of templates. The catch? There was a price for most of the nice ones. WHY? Most of the stuff aren't free, but the free stuff  ain't all bad. You can try it for starters, then move on to others.

  Using these tips, find the right blog hosting website for your needs and start expanding your creativity from there! Have fun!

How to Make a Floating Sharebar on the Left of Your Blog

  If you want your blogger to be spread to others faster, you sometimes need the help of your visitors. Thus, putting sharebars are an easy yet useful way of letting your visitors share about a certain blog post that they enjoy. This is how you do it. First, go and add a widget for your blog, then select HTML code. Copy the following code into the content: 



<style>
#sharebar {position:fixed; bottom:15%; margin-left:-71px; float:left; border-radius:5px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px;background-color:#fff;padding:0 0 2px 0;z-index:10;}
#sharebar .sbutton {float:left;clear:both;margin:5px 5px 0 5px;}
.fb_share_count_top {width:48px !important;}
.fb_share_count_top, .fb_share_count_inner {-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;}
.FBConnectButton_Small, .FBConnectButton_RTL_Small {width:49px !important; -moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;}
.FBConnectButton_Small .FBConnectButton_Text {padding:2px 2px 3px !important;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;font-size:8px;}
</style>
<div title="Get this at wissamidrissi.com">
<div id='sharebar'>
<div class='sbutton' id='fb'>
<a name="fb_share" type="box_count" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php">Share</a><script src="http://static.ak.fbcdn.net/connect.php/js/FB.Share" type="text/javascript"></script>
</div>
<div class='sbutton' id='rt'>
<script src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js" type='text/javascript'></script>
</div>
<div class='sbutton' id='su'>
<script src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/hostedbadge.php?s=5"></script>
</div>
<div class='sbutton' id='digg'>
<script src='http://widgets.digg.com/buttons.js' type='text/javascript'></script>
<a class="DiggThisButton DiggMedium"></a>
</div>
<div class='sbutton' id='gb'>
<a class='google-buzz-button' data-button-style='normal-count' href='http://www.google.com/buzz/post' title='post on google buzz'>
<script src='http://www.google.com/buzz/api/button.js' type='text/javascript'></script>
</a>
<span style='font-size: 55%;'><a href='http://www.wissamidrissi.com/2010/09/sharebar-for-blogger-floating-left.html'>Get this</a></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Then, you can put it anywhere you want on your blog, but the floating sharebar will still appear on the left. This way works for most blogging platforms. Enjoy!