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Samsung debuts Galaxy Pro

Samsung Galaxy Pro

Samsung Galaxy Pro

(Credit:
Samsung)

BlackBerry users looking to make the switch to Android might be interested in taking a look at Samsung’s latest smartphone, the Galaxy Pro.

The Galaxy Pro, which was unveiled today, combines both a full QWERTY keyboard and a 2.8-inch, 320×240-pixel touch screen in a slate design. It runs Android 2.2 with Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface, so you have access to the various Samsung Hub services.

The smartphone also offers support for Microsoft Exchange, Adobe Flash Player 10.1, and mobile hot-spot capabilities. Despite having the word “pro” in its name, however, the handset is more of an entry-level to midrange device, as it uses an 800MHz processor and has a 3-megapixel camera.

The Galaxy Pro is expected to ship in the UK later this month (UK service provider Three is already onboard), while other European countries, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and India are expected to follow soon afterward. There’s no word on pricing or U.S. availability yet, but the smartphone is a quad-band GSM/HSDPA device, so there is the possibility of buying it unlocked.

For more information, check CNET Asia’s hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Pro for some first impressions.

Rumor: LG Optimus 2X headed to T-Mobile as G2X

T-Mobile and LG working to bring the dual-core Optimus 2X to the United States.

(Credit:
TmoNews)

If the latest whispers prove to be true, the upper end of T-Mobile’s Android lineup is set to get a little more crowded. According to a leaked document, the wireless provider is expecting to bring the LG Optimus 2X Stateside. This would potentially make for two dual-core handsets for the carrier, as it are also rumored to be working on one with HTC.

According to the information obtained by TmoNows, the LG handset will carry the name of G2X. That would follow the G-Slate as the next in the “G” series of Android devices. Thus far, the G1 and G2 have both have stock Android user experiences from HTC. Though the Optimus 2X has a custom UI overlaying Android 2.2 Froyo, it would not surprise me to see a stock Gingerbread experience when it arrives in the United States.

Perhaps T-Mobile is trying to label more of its higher-end Android products with a brand, much like Verizon has done with the Droid series. LG has been making it a practice to release the same smartphone across multiple carriers, so you might look for a variant on other providers as well.

Samsung introduces 3 new headsets

Samsung Modus 6450 with secondary earbud attached

Samsung Modus 6450 with secondary earbud attached

(Credit:
Samsung)

Samsung has announced three new Bluetooth headsets–the HM1610, the HM3600, and the Modus 6450–each of which offers slightly different functions.

The Modus 6450, for example, is the second device in the Modus family of Samsung’s stereo headsets. It can be worn either in a mono-style headset or attached to a second earbud for a more stereo audio experience. Obviously the Modus 6450 supports A2DP stereo audio. This improves upon the previous model with the support of an Android app called Samsung FreeSync, voice alerts, and additional EQ settings. It even has a dedicated Voice Command button. The FreeSync app offers text-to-speech capabilities, caller ID services, and other features.


Samsung HM3600

Samsung HM3600

(Credit:
Samsung)

A slightly lower-end option is the Samsung HM3600, which Samsung claims is designed with comfort in mind, with an on-ear design intended to minimize ear fatigue. It features voice prompts, dual-mic echo and noise cancellation, and more. The cheapest of the bunch, however, is the HM1610. It also offers noise reduction but only with a single mic. It also features A2DP streaming, wind noise reduction, and automatic volume adjustment.


Samsung HM1610

Samsung HM1610

(Credit:
Samsung)

The Samsung Modus 6450, HM3600, and HM1610 are $99.99, $59.99, and $39.99 respectively, and are available today.

Now You Can Use Facebook To Power Comments on Your Site

Last week Facebook released a new social plugin that web publishers can use to power comments on their websites. Here are two benefits of using it, according to the official Facebook Comments page (which is where you can get the plugin as well):

Social Relevance: Comments Box uses social signals to surface the highest quality comments for each user. Comments are ordered to show users the most relevant comments from friends, friends of friends, and the most liked or active discussion threads, while comments marked as spam are hidden from view.

Distribution: Comments are easily shared with friends or with people who like your Page on Facebook. If a user leaves the “Post to Facebook” box checked when she posts a comment, a story appears on her friends’ News Feed indicating that she’s made a comment on your website, which will also link back to your site.

Some large websites and blogs are already testing the plugin, including TechCrunch. In fact they started using it right after the official release, and today the have a post summarizing the results and feeling so far. You can read it here: Facebook Comments Have Silenced The Trolls — But Is It Too Quiet? (by visiting the post you’ll be able to see the Facebook comments in action too).

In the past couple of years we have seen at least half a dozen comment systems and plugins emerging on the web, but I don’t think any of them became the de facto standard. Facebook Comments might.

Why? Because the previous plugins and platforms only offered small benefits to the web publishers (e.g., easier logins, connection with Twitter, etc), while the Facebook plugin has two big advantages which might swing the pendulum in its favor: a) it reduces the number of trolls around because people need a real identity to comment and, most importantly, b) using it might actually increase your traffic because every time someone leaves a comment on your site that comment will also be published on the user’s Facebook stream.

Have you guys spotted the Facebook Comments plugin around? Are you considering to use it on your site?

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8 Responses to “Now You Can Use Facebook To Power Comments on Your Site”

  1. I just don’t like the idea of giving Facebook even more power. Besides, we cannot export the comments to any other platforms. Another disadvantage is that it does not support mobile devices. Techcrunch still uses disqus for mobiles which no one comments on now that they have moved to FB on their main website.

  2. I for one will continue to pledge my allegiance to disqus.

  3. Agree with Deceth, Disqus all the way. I still can’t believe some website do not use it

    It’s a great way to create community (community box, you can write your interests after the name…), visitors have much more options to share and login ( facebook, twitter), their support is really great…dozen of other things.

    By the way, I would like it if Facebook makes it available to increase the font size and width of the column…

    • I think you can change the width of the column while creating the widget for your site, but not sure about font size.

      • To bad fonts bother me the most…By the way, your “Facebook Comments” link isn’t working.

      • Thanks for the heads up. Should be working now.

  4. It seems like it will be a big hit..but it just another piece of software i will have to mess with..but I will check it out..

    “Black Seo Guy “Signing Off”

  5. Can’t afford this plugin yet to make my site more slow.

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How to Build Your Blogging Credibility – While Getting Paid

This is a guest post by Ali Hale. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

In your first months – or even years – of blogging, it can feel like you’re shouting into the wind.

Your traffic is almost non-existent. Your subscriber numbers are still in the double digits. Readers never email you. Bloggers never link to you. And you’re pretty sure that the “nice post, honey!” comment was left by your mom.

And you try to get some momentum going. It just doesn’t seem to work. Maybe you email a bunch of of big-time bloggers, but no-one writes back. Or you send out a guest post, but it gets turned down. Or you ask for retweets, but no-one’s listening.

The thing is, you’re a good writer. You just need a way of getting your name out there.

Well, that’s actually not too hard. In fact, you can:

  • Build up your blogging credibility
  • Improve your writing every day
  • AND … get paid at the same time.

Sounds way too good to be true? Here’s how.

Write for Big Blogs – for Money

Most large blogs use a team of paid writers to produce regular, quality content. Although Daniel doesn’t have paid staff here on Daily Blog Tips, he’s got hired hands working on Daily Writing Tips. There are thousands of blogs which pay writers – and you’re probably already reading several.

Pay rates vary, though you can certainly find plenty of gigs paying $40 or more per post. The thing is, though, getting paid to blog isn’t just about the money.

As well as getting a steady income from your writing, you’ll get some amazing exposure and experience:

  • You’ll have your name on every post you write, on big sites – and many will let you have a link back to your own blog on a “writers” page. Instead of being a complete nobody in the blogosphere, you’ll start to find that people know your name.
  • You’ll get to flex your writing muscles in front of a huge audience – often tens or hundreds of thousands of readers. Scary? You bet! But it’s also hugely motivating, and you’ll quickly learn what works and what doesn’t.
  • You’ll learn from the best. The bloggers who can afford to pay writers have build up great blogs that generate plenty of money. By studying what they do, you’ll learn how to make your own blog stronger.

Plus, you’ll have a lot of fun. My first paid blogging gig was three years ago this month (and I’m still writing for that blog, too!) It’s been a fantastic journey that led me to quit my day job, sell advertising, create ebooks and ecourses, and make a living as an entrepreneurial writer.

The only problem is, it’s pretty unlikely that anyone’s going to email you and say “Hey, I’ve got a blogging job for you.” You’re going to need to do a bit of work.

Get On Course for a Blogging Job – Today

Landing a blogging job isn’t too hard. There are a couple of key ways to do it:

#1: Build Up a Relationship With Blogs that Pay Writers

Let’s say you read FreelanceSwitch – and you’d love to write for them.

How can you tell that they use paid writers?

Well, for one thing, you’ll see the same names cropping up again and again. For instance, Thursday Bram has posts there pretty much every week.

And there’s an even bigger clue, too: the Contribute page (which tells you they pay $50 per post)

Not all blogs tell you that they use paid writers – but if you see the same name coming up every single week, it’s a fair bet that they’re being paid.

If you demonstrate your writing skills to the blog’s owner – probably by sending in a guest post or two – then there’s a good chance that they’ll be more than happy to let you know when a vacancy opens up. Current writers move on, and blogs grow, so you’ve got a good chance of scoring a blogging job this way.

Of course, you can’t normally be certain that a particular blog is looking to hire. So you might want to use the next method instead – or even better, as well.

#2: Use Job Boards to Find Blogging Jobs

There are several great listings of blogging jobs, but the two best (in my opinion) are:

Both have new jobs every day – Problogger only lists jobs which are specifically sent to them, and Freelance Writing Jobs compiles different leads from all around the internet.

It’s up to you to make sure that a job is worth your time. Some blogging jobs – particularly for big “content mills” like Demand Media – don’t pay very much. You may well need to sift through quite a few low-quality jobs to find some good ones.

When you apply for a blogging job, remember that there may be dozens or even hundreds of other writers applying too. You can maximize your chances of success by:

  • Following all the instructions. If you’re asked to attach your resume, for example, make sure you actually do so. If you’re asked to send samples of your writing, send them.
  • Proof-reading your application. Editors are looking for a way to reject unsuitable candidates, and if you look careless or sloppy, they’re not going to give your application a second glance.
  • Tailoring your application to the job. I know it’s tempting to just copy-and-paste paragraphs from a previous application – but you need to show that you’ll be great for this job. If it’s obvious that you’re just sending a form email, the editor will give the job to someone who seems to care.

You might need to apply for quite a few jobs before you get one – but trust me, the rewards are well worth it.

In six months’ time, you could be a well-known name in the blogosphere, with dozens of great posts to your name – and hundreds of enthusiastic comments from readers. Give freelance blogging a try – today.

About the Author: Ali Luke has just released The Blogger’s Guide to Freelancing, a fully-updated and expanded version of her popular Staff Blogging Course. Grab your copy today for just $29 , and put yourself on the path to blogging fame and fortune!

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9 Responses to “How to Build Your Blogging Credibility – While Getting Paid”

  1. Thanks Ali for this post,

    you’ve opened my eyes to certain things for sure

    Cheers,
    Togrul

  2. Or #3, write for the Blog you read. That is what I did when I saw MakeUseOf.com looking for writers. I need it for almost a year, and in that time, they also bumped me up to PDF editor.

    I made a couple of thousands with them, they pay is great, and you learn heaps. Plus, you are also exposed to other workers of the site, and you help each other promote each others personal blog.

    Basically, you work together, and help each other out personally.

    • Wow, thanks for sharing that, Jack! Writing for the blogs that I read has been a cornerstone of my own success, and it’s great to hear how it’s worked for others too.

  3. Good tips! I was going to try HubPages. I write articles for Suite101. But they are not on subjects that my blog is related to. At least not yet. Suite101 lets you write on anything. I’m testing the waters to see if any income is generated. I’ve heard of ProBlogger’s Job Board. But I’ve never heard of FreelanceSwitch,com. I’ll check it out!

  4. Thanks for your post,

    I really like the idea to combine getting ‘exposure’ for my Blogs with also getting paid for actually writing. Especially the link you provided with the info about how to contribute is definitely interesting, especially since you can even keep republishing articles offline and they make their payments with PayPal making it easy to work with.

    All the Best,
    To your Happy – Blogging – Inspiration,
    HP

  5. Hi Ali

    Nice piece of advice, it certainly works and can bring in some extra income. What is way more valuable however, is the exposure you get for your brand.

    Elias

    • It depends a bit on your goals, and what you’ve already got to sell (if anything)! I agree that the exposure is great, but for a lot of folks starting out, the money is pretty important too

  6. It is great info about writing for other blogs and earning some money too in the process. I have been looking for such opportunities and wondering where to start. I will sure take your guidance and try some of the leads provided by you.

  7. Hi Ali,

    Wow, what great tips… I never really thought about this but have had people approach me and offer to pay me to write articles for them. Just didn’t really think I had the time and I’ll admit, the money they were willing to pay me just wasn’t worth my time.

    I considered at one time to write blog posts for others but never knew how to approach this. Now I know, thanks for this information.

    Adrienne

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A New A-List Blogging Bootcamp Is Coming Up Next Week

In the past I already talked about the A-List Blogging Bootcamp, which is a virtual training event created by Leo Babauta (from Zen Habits fame) and Mary Jaksch. The bootcamps take place every four months or so, and there’s a new one starting next week, titled “The Art of Blog Seduction.”

I participated as a guest speaker in a previous edition, and I must say that the training materials you get as an attendant are packed with value. There are four master classes where you can watch live and ask questions, and you also get to download reports, podcasts and ebooks that complement the learning environment.

The current bootcamp will run from March 6th until April 2nd, and it focuses on how to make your blog stand out from the crowd and on how to gain subscribers. Here are some of the topics covered:

  • How to create a blog that seduces new readers
  • The ‘how behind the wow’
  • The crucial must-know design elements of an attractive blog
  • How to create supreme usability on your blog
  • The art of creating an irresistible brand
  • How to use videos and podcasts to attract readers

Mary told me that over 3,000 students enrolled in previous editions, and that the feedback was very positive. That is why I think you should check it out if you are looking for a training program to improve your blog. Here is the link to the official website where you can get all the details and sign-up.

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1 Response to “A New A-List Blogging Bootcamp Is Coming Up Next Week”

  1. In my opinion, building seductive blog is about building a psychological attractive blog. It takes time and effort. No short cut.

    But recently I stumbled upon this interesting service that could make your blog attractive, active and popular through a psychological approach, in no time. I had mine made, and frankly it’s awesome. It’s called xtiveblog dot com.

    Check out yourself and you’ll be impressed

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The Best Methods for Rejecting Guest Post Submissions

This is a guest post by Broke Professionals. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

You open your email and see a guest post submission. You get excited because you recognize the submitting site or the person. Maybe it is another blog whose work you respect, or an alleged “fan” that has commented on your blog several times. However, your excitement quickly turns to fear, when you open the word document and are faced with a difficult situation: the guest post is no good. At this point in time, you need to go into your arsenal, and dig out the most appropriate method of rejection you have. If you are anything like me, you should have a vast menu to choose from, having been on both sides of the equation at various times.

Cyber-Rejection v. Real-Life Rejection

In my “real” job as a young professional, there are times when I am tasked with “firing” current clients or “rejecting” prospective clients. Being put in such a position is never easy, but I always manage to get through such occasions because I know that such decisions are at the behest of competent and experienced partners and rendered almost entirely outside my sphere of influence.

“I am simply following orders”, I tell myself, and then I try to let it go. It is easier to reject or fire someone in my job because there are almost always clear reasons why such a decisions had to be reached, such as the client would not cooperate or stopped paying their bills.

With my blog, it is different. When I receive a request for a guest post, I cannot “hide behind company orders.” I am the company. What makes things even tougher, as pointed out in this prior ProBlogger article , is that the decision-making process is oftentimes so subjective. Sure there are times when I receive guest posts that are easy to reject, such as guest post submissions that are clearly spam or not aimed at my niche.

However, there is an even larger contingent of guest post submissions that fall into a nebulous gray area, the type of area where as a blogger you are left with no other choice but to make a tough call. Sometimes, that means having to tell people “no.”

Different Types of Guest-Post Submission Rejections

A. The Semi-Rejection
If the submission is close to being acceptable, perhaps you may want to make some suggestions rather than starting out with an outright rejection of a submission. The benefit of this is that in the end you will hopefully receive a decent article for your site, without having to possibly burn any bridges along the way.

The downside is that in most instances you will not be in love with the article despite the tweaks. Worse yet, you will likely be forced to expend valuable time and energy trying to bring the submission up to your standards.

B. The Formal Rejection
As a failed novelist, I can tell you that just about every major publishing company has virtually the same rejection letter. A publishing companies’ catch-all cover letter is brilliant in its muted, institutional simplicity. The benefit to implementing such a letter is that you will save time.
However, such a letter is also impersonal and not likely to win many fans. It tries so hard to be innocuous that it is almost offensive. Unless you have a large site with many guest blog requests, it may be better to move on to option “C”, the Informal Rejection.

C. The Informal Rejection
The Informal Rejection is the most honest form of rejection. If done correctly, it can also be the most beneficial, to both blogger and prospective guest blogger. In my day job I am taught that the rejection of a client should be honest but not personal. Another tip is to stick to somewhat easily correctable and if at all possible, factual reasons for the rejection. Nobody wants to hear “your blog is awful,” even if it is hidden beneath flowery language.

For example, when responding to a recent guest post that I ended up rejecting, I mentioned that the post was too political for my site. This was an honest assessment of one of the reasons why I rejected the submission. I did not mention that the article would have been rejected anyway because it was poorly written.

For one thing, I do not want to potentially shatter another person’s dreams. Nor do I have the time or ability (judging from my success as a “novelist”) to assist another person in greatly improving their writing ability. I am not usually a fan of white lies, but there is a difference between being honest and outright hurting another’s feelings. A lot of it comes down to putting some “spin” on the rejection, and focusing on using the proper language.

Most people respond favorably to an honest tailored rejection. You may even receive a thank you note down the line, letting you know that your advice made a positive change in the course of their blogging careers. I know that I think back favorably on the two or three editors who took the time to give me a tailored letter of rejection. I appreciated the advice and it felt good knowing that the submissions were actually read by somebody.

Of course, there is the chance that engaging another person in such a way may lead to you getting the other individual’s hopes up, which could lead to more communications. There is always a slight chance that you may offend the submitter, no matter how delicate your response. Unfortunately that is one of the hazards of blogging.

Finally, it should be noted that even if multiple communications do not often occur as a result of this method, the semi-formal rejection method will take up a lot of time compared to more automated rejection methods. Therefore it may not be feasible for a blog that receives a lot of traffic and guest post submissions.

D. Total Silence
In my opinion no response at all is the worst blog submission rejection method, unless you have already rejected a submission and the applicant is getting pushy. It is important to respect the fact that the blogger is waiting on a response so they can pitch it to another site or post it on their own blog.

Conclusion

One of the benefits of being a blogger is that to some extent it can simulate problems found in management or business ownership that an individual may not otherwise have a chance to experience. I one day hope to have my own office as a professional, and I know I will be better at handling some of the human resource type tasks that go along with running a small business because of my experiences as a blogger.

Although setting up an area on your blog where you list your Guest Post Submission Guidelines can help reduce the number of ill-fitting submissions, the fact remains that at some point or another you will have to reject guest posts or risk adding less than stellar content on your site. At this time, it is important to review the situation and apply the appropriate rejection method.

You won’t be able to make everyone happy no matter what methodonable people, and at the end of the day you can’t ask for much more then that.

About the Author: Most other Bloggers in the field of Personal Finance discuss their “Goal of obtaining one million dollars” or their “journey to financial independence and freedom.” After seven years each straight of “higher” education (and all the student loans that go along with it), our husband/wife blogging team goal is to simply get back to broke. Join us on our journey at BrokeProfessionals.com.

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8 Responses to “The Best Methods for Rejecting Guest Post Submissions”

  1. I am yet to reach to that level to reject a guest post. But it was an interesting read learned how to tackle a few of the difficult situations like “rejecting” someone’s work.
    I think an informal rejection with a brief reason (as why it is rejected), may help both the publisher and one seeking guest post.

  2. I often use informal and total silence. Most guest posts I receive are too promotional and I reply to them the real reason why I reject their submission although I point out to them that correcting this and resubmitting their article might help it get published.

    I use total silence when the articles submitted are non-compliance of my submission guidelines, it only means they are not reading what should be read. I am also a guest blogger and I see to it that before shooting an article thru the email, I make sure that I comply with the submission guidelines.

  3. All methods are acceptable apart from total silence, i find it arrogant. You do not need to say much at the rejection anyways, couple of words are enough.

  4. If the guest post is good – but needs editing, I make that a condition for posting.

    Always run the post by the original author.

    There is a school somewhere which has a teacher who seems to make getting published on a blog a condition of passing a class. Wish I knew who it was.

    I got at least one post a month from his or her her class. Most are really off my topic – and mostly pretty lame.

    I do answer these telling them they don’t fit. I hope she or he counts that they at least tried.

  5. If I hear back from the blog I submitted to, then I am elated. Not responding to someone who submitted, in my opinion, is simply wrong.

    Truth is, getting guest posts rejected is a part of the submission process and every blogger who does guest posts often *should* be pretty immune to it.

  6. Hmmm…. interesting tips here. I’ve had a few handful of people ask to guest post on my blog but I always told them I’m not currently accepting guest posts at this point, so I haven’t had the opportunity to go over any actual posts.

    I agree that silence is the worst form of rejection. No matter how bad it is, the writer deserves an answer.

    Thanks, going to keep this info in mind for future reference.

  7. Nice tips . I think the total silence is not the good way to reject guest post submission.

  8. “Thank you for your unsolicited post. I will not be publishing it at this time.”

    Unless you want to cultivate someone to publish future posts, I don’t see any reason to explain a decision to reject one.

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Poll: Is It Becoming Harder To Sell Ads Directly?

A couple of years ago selling your own ads was considered one of the best monetization methods. Provided you had some traffic and that your blog was focused on a particular niche it was just a matter of finding companies related to your niche and negotiating directly with them.

That is when 125×125 ads on the sidebar spread all over the web.

Lately, however, I have been noticing an opposite trend: it seems that fewer and fewer blogs are selling their ads directly to advertisers, and the ones who are still doing it have fewer advertisers aboard.

What is causing this change? I can think of two factors: perhaps advertisers are becoming reluctant to negotiate directly with bloggers and small site owners, and instead they are relying more on large ad networks (e.g., CPM networks or Google AdWords).

On the other side of the coin there are the bloggers and site owners, who perhaps are also relying less on selling ads directly and more on other monetization methods, like selling their own products.

Either way those are just my views, and I would like to know what you guys think. You can cast a vote on the poll below, and if you want to expand your opinion please leave a comment.


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10 Responses to “Poll: Is It Becoming Harder To Sell Ads Directly?”

  1. I mainly have some (affiliate) ads in the side bar (and also in other places) on the Blog….,

    Only – for example on my Writing Lifestyle Blog (where I write about things like Successful Writing and Writing Inspiration) – eventhough near the top of this Blog I do have an impressive carousel widget with nice photo’s of all kinds of – Coffee Makers – and – Espresso Machines – I don’t really expect my readers to immidiately click on them to order. I do think that they just look nice on this blog and helps reminding my readers that there is a posibility to Invest their Money in one (or more) of those beauties.

    ‘I don’t think that those ads themselves
    will directly be very effective…,’

    So I do think that it’s only interesting for advertisers to advertise on blogs with a very big audience or else atleast a very reponsive audience.

    Because I expect the actual buying to take place when – In the heat of the Moment – when reading my Posts, while they read that for helping their – Writing Inspiration – they can Buy a Coffee Maker or an Espresso Machine, only than they can get excited enough to acutally have a closer look at those babies by clicking on the link that they can find in the post they are reading at that exact moment. (BTW aren’t you – caught in the heat of the moment -yourself a little right now? and aren’t you atleast slightly curious about what they look like yourself?) Yes? No?

    Anyway,

    If you happen to have an interest in getting that kind of ‘Writers Inspiration’ for your Blogging yourself while reading this comment right now, you are welcome to have a look yourself

    All the Best,
    To your Happy – Blogging – Inspiration,
    HP

  2. Hy, daniel I think it is becoming more and more hard to sell direct ads on blog

  3. It is becoming more difficult so we need to improvise once more, competition is getting hard so the only way to differentiate is simple, produce quality content hard to find, traffic will come in and eventually advertisers as well.

  4. i disagree with this
    in my opinion if your blog’s niche matches the advertisers link and you can provide him with fair traffic then he will buy ads on your site
    i have sold 2 ads today btw

  5. I have also a top rank SEO blog and now I merely find an advertiser. This is, I think, due to fast spread of internet usage and NET of websites.
    Still quality websites can found out advertisers with no problem.

  6. It’s definitely become harder! 3.5 years ago I had 100 visitors a day and I sold a 125×125 banner (actually two of them) for an X price. Today, when I have at least 2000 visitors a day (a few days ago I had over 35000!), I have no direct ad sales! And my price is only 30% higher.

  7. In the travel niche at least, there has been an explosion of high quality new blogs in the last 12 months (the ones who got started a year ago are maturing and kicking butt). I sell less banner ads than I did a year ago, even though my number of page views per month has more than doubled to over 100k.

    It’s made me realize I need to spend more time focusing on building income through my membership site and less time chasing traffic and advertisers. Ultimately, I think this will be an empowering change in thought, but I still have a lot to learn about product marketing.

    I’ve also seen a shift with SEO companies wanting more contextual links, and less links from a sidebar/footer over the last few months.

  8. A friend of mine owns a significant motoring website. Three years ago he was being approached by car companies and car gadgets to place advertisements on his site.

    In the past 6 months he has cancelled his personal advertising as it had effectively dried up. He still does well through the agencies.

    As he sees it there are two main reasons:

    Downsizing and Outsourcing

    The big corporations are cutting back on their marketing budgets. Marketeers are being shown the door and most organisations are now outsourcing the marketing on a lower budget.

    This means that the there is very little scope for smaller scale individual advertising campaigns.

    Fear of Failure

    There’s an old corporate expression – ‘nobody got fired buying Microsoft’ – that is do something original like not buying the market leader and if it goes wrong you’re in trouble.

    Running an independent advertising campaign on a lot of small sites is riskier. It would be difficult to prove he success or otherwise of a campaign.

    If sales fail because of of the downturn – the failure will be blamed on the individualised campaign even if that is not the real reason.

    On the positive side

    I reckon targeting small organisations, possibly with a payment by results scheme, would be more likely now in the current climate.

  9. Oh no, I haven’t even begun monetizing my blog! :S:S:S

    (Just kidding. I am not worried at all. I am going to be the queen of the blogging world )

    (Or well, maybe somewhere in between those two options lol.)

  10. On top of that, I also find it’s fake screenshot whoever claims that they are making over $1000 a day from Adsense.

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4 Ways to Use Variety to Attract New Subscribers

Could you imagine a restaurant that had one meal on the menu? Even if it was the greatest dish in the world, you’d get sick of it after only a few visits.

Just as a great restaurant has many selections, a quality blog gives its audience many different kinds of posts.

Here are four ways to bring variety to your blog.

1. Long vs. short posts

Both long and short posts can attract new subscribers and also make currents subscribers happy.

But if every post you do is either long or short, you’ve prevented the benefit that comes from incorporating various lengths.

Not only is it sometimes nice to read a long or short post, but many ideas that demand one length or the other will be excluded from your blog if you’re too rigid in what length of post you’re willing to publish.

2. Vary your format

My general advice is to make every post as entertaining as possible.

But sometimes I’m not in the mood for an artful essay and just want the goods straight up.

Daniel does a Q A segment every Friday which I love because they’re so to the point and highly educational. Incorporating Q A Friday really mixes things up, bringing wonderful variety to his blog.

In addition to the above, here are some other methods to vary your blogging format:

  • Incorporate both list and non-list posts
  • Do face-offs where you ask two bloggers their opinion on various subjects
  • Incorporate posts with diagrams and pictures that help illustrate your point
  • Write personal or fictional stories to get your point across

3. Expand what you write about

I believe everyone can expand what they write about regardless of how seemingly narrow their niche is.

That said, some niches are easier than others to widen the scope of what you write about.

Here’s what Leo Babauta of Zen Habits says on why his blog outgrew other blogs he was competing against:

“They limited themselves to a smaller niche, and thus limited their potential readership. Once they had most of the potential readers in this niche, growth slowed . . .”

Be careful not to become too narrow on what you write about because of your niche. The more subjects you can successfully incorporate into your niche, the more of an audience you can attract to your blog.

4. Repeat yourself skillfully

All bloggers repeat themselves. There’s no way to escape it, and there’s also nothing wrong with it.

After all, repetition is the mother of all learning.

That said, you certainly don’t want to repeat yourself consecutively. Allow some space between posts that cover the same subject.

Moreover, when you do cover the same ground, always do it with a new angle by using techniques such as new metaphors, quotes, stories, or data.

One great benefit of repeating yourself in new ways is that people will pick up new distinctions that they didn’t last time when you explained the subject in a different way.

The saying ‘variety is the spice of life’ applies to blogging just as much as it does to life.

What other ways can you bring more variety to your blog?

About the Author: Bamboo Forest created Tick Tock Timer, an online timer designed to help bloggers increase their focus and get serious work done.

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10 Responses to “4 Ways to Use Variety to Attract New Subscribers”

  1. repeat yourself skillfully that one is really interesting …

    • The thing is we ALL repeat ourselves.

      Part of the art of repeating yourself is conveying the same message but in a new way.

      The new way should be compelling and worthwhile.

  2. Thanks, some food for thought in there.

    There are other ways to introduce variety too, for example:

    1. Get in guest posters now and again – their style and topic matter will vary from your own
    2. Include videos and images now and again where appropriate to add colour and variety when illustrating a point
    3. Include quotes from other resources now and again or transcribe an interview or conversation you’ve had
    4. You might even get away with the odd ‘spoof’ post once or twice a year

    Just a few more ideas…., am thinking out loud….

    • Excellent ways to add variety. Thank you for sharing.

  3. Thanks! It’s the videos my blog is lacking. … (I think. I think that’s what it is.) Good advice!

    • Video blogging, done on occasion, can be a nice spice to add to a blog.

  4. Hi, nice post. I like your idea of variety. Though its good to remember there are exceptions. Viperchill.com being the most prominent. Glen just uses long descriptive posts to give excellent info. This busts your opinion on long and short posts.

    • Good point.

      Even I thought about Glen when I wrote this

      But if I’m not mistaken, some of his posts are far shorter than others. So there still seems to be a measure of variety in length with his blog (and I think that enhances his blog).

      Regardless, as with anything, no one method fits all.

  5. Expanding on what I write about works best for me. I think every blog post can be expanded at least once and/or can be given a new perspective at least once. While writing such an expanded post, you always refer to the original post and engage your readers. That makes the readers stay long and explore more. This will kindle their interest.

    Thanks for the great article Bamboo.

    Cheers,
    Jane.

    • I’m glad you found value in it.

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iPad 2, Xperia Play clear FCC

Congratulations, iPad 2, you’re official!

(Credit:
James Martin/CNET)

Phew! We picked a good week to pick up our semiweekly blogs on the happenings at the Federal Communications Commission. The agency certified a hefty load of big-name devices this week, including the iPad 2 and the HTC Merge. The feds also gave the thumbs up to many of the gadgets we saw last month at Mobile World Congress, including the HTC Desire S, LG Optimus Pad (as well as its G-Slate cousin), and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play.

Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency’s online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a selection of filings from the past week on new and upcoming cell phones. Click through to read the full report.

Apple iPad 2

HTC Incredible S

HTC Merge

Huawei C2831

Huawei Ideos X2

LG Cosmos Touch

LG G Slate

LG Optimus 3D Pad

Nokia 5530 Xpress Music

Nokia X7

Samsung SCH-i510

Samsung SGH-T499

Samsung SPH-M380

Sony Ericsson G11

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc

ViewSonic ViewPad

ZTE E821

ZTE S1001

ZTE Z221

ZTE Z331

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