Just a heads up that Google will be re-branding all Blogspot/Blogger blogs (sometime in the next six weeks). Probably will not be a huge change but figured it would be nice to give a heads up:
Google to Retire Blogger & Picasa Brands in Google+ Push
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Blog tip for those on the Spectrum
If you are using a blog as a creative outlet or to draw attention to yourself one thing you should watch out for is blog post bombing. Imagine for a moment that you have an intense interest in something and problems sleeping (sound familiar?). You are up late at night churning out blog posts only to find out that the last one is read a lot and the rest are ignored. What happened?
My guess is that when everyone else woke up they saw a half dozen new blog posts and only read the last one. To combat that use the scheduling feature in your blog to queue up publishing of your posts and space them out over a period of a few hours. More will get read and the readers will be much more appreciative since they did not get a flurry of posts all at once.
My guess is that when everyone else woke up they saw a half dozen new blog posts and only read the last one. To combat that use the scheduling feature in your blog to queue up publishing of your posts and space them out over a period of a few hours. More will get read and the readers will be much more appreciative since they did not get a flurry of posts all at once.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Improve SEO on your Blog
For those of you who have created a blog and want more people to see it I found two excellent tutorial blogs, one for Blogspot/Blogger (Google's blog platform) and one for Wordpress. I highly encourage you to check them out at:
Wordpress SEO
Blogspot/Blogger SEO
Wordpress SEO
Blogspot/Blogger SEO
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Making money from blogs
Some people do make money from blogs although how much money can be made is debatable. However there is good reason to think that at least a little extra cash can come in if your blog is well written and about a subject people find interesting.
As of this writing I have one follower (my lovely wife) so it is hard to see this as a cash cow. But it is young (less than a month old). The same goes for any new blog. Persistence is the key; one column I read said give your blog 2.5 years before you think 'maybe this isn't working'. And if you enjoy doing it keeping it up is a reward in itself.
Where ASD folk excel is in collecting exhaustive information on sometimes arcane subjects; niche subjects that are likely to have specialized audiences and that is where some money can be made. These niche audiences can draw specialized advertising that are worth more than your common keywords. Your blog, with persistence and devotion to a niche subject can pay off. While you might not be able to survive on the income it can supplement the earnings from a desk job any make your life easier.
Edit:
Lo and behold there is an article about blogs making money using AdSense and direct advertising. Keep in mind this is one of the success stories but it shows what is possible: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/My-Blog-Is-Also-Paying-My-nytimes-1951716015.html
As of this writing I have one follower (my lovely wife) so it is hard to see this as a cash cow. But it is young (less than a month old). The same goes for any new blog. Persistence is the key; one column I read said give your blog 2.5 years before you think 'maybe this isn't working'. And if you enjoy doing it keeping it up is a reward in itself.
Where ASD folk excel is in collecting exhaustive information on sometimes arcane subjects; niche subjects that are likely to have specialized audiences and that is where some money can be made. These niche audiences can draw specialized advertising that are worth more than your common keywords. Your blog, with persistence and devotion to a niche subject can pay off. While you might not be able to survive on the income it can supplement the earnings from a desk job any make your life easier.
Edit:
Lo and behold there is an article about blogs making money using AdSense and direct advertising. Keep in mind this is one of the success stories but it shows what is possible: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/My-Blog-Is-Also-Paying-My-nytimes-1951716015.html
Monday, May 16, 2011
Turning an obsession into value
One of my favorite ways to spend time is to hit the Random link button on Wikipedia and read the article that comes up. Sometimes it fits into an already existent obsession and sometimes it spawns a new one. Wikipedia specifically and the Internet in general have been boons to ASD folk looking to indulge an obsession. Thankfully there is a way to capitalize on this knowledge.
By using the free blogging tools (e.g. Blogger, Typepad) and the ability to research a subject to exhaustion you are able to create a series of articles that tie together disparate sources of information into one location. Additionally you can then edit the Wikipedia article to add in information as well.
As a concrete example, one of my obsessions is World War II Naval ships (for some reason WWI is not as big a deal for me). Imagine a blog that examined a ship that sunk, say the HMS Hood, and traced the fallen sailors back to their hometown and then their progeny and/or family? It would be of interest to WWII buffs and the family impacted (and maybe a few other Aspies).
But how is it valuable to a job search?
It helps answer a few different questions that can help you make that personal impression so valuable to rising above the other candidates. A frequent question in interviews is "What do you outside of work?". "I write a blog on <a safe noncontroversial obsession>" may invite you to speak about that obsession more allowing you to show passion and animation OR if you are really lucky the interviewer likes that same subject and you have developed a connection.
It shows that you can investigate and communicate about a complex subject. Many jobs require communication skills or even translating arcane processes into documentation. A blog showing in depth research is an example of what you can produce for them.
It might, might, get you noticed as an armchair authority by someone looking for help with that subject. It is a long shot but seriously what do you have to lose?
By using the free blogging tools (e.g. Blogger, Typepad) and the ability to research a subject to exhaustion you are able to create a series of articles that tie together disparate sources of information into one location. Additionally you can then edit the Wikipedia article to add in information as well.
As a concrete example, one of my obsessions is World War II Naval ships (for some reason WWI is not as big a deal for me). Imagine a blog that examined a ship that sunk, say the HMS Hood, and traced the fallen sailors back to their hometown and then their progeny and/or family? It would be of interest to WWII buffs and the family impacted (and maybe a few other Aspies).
But how is it valuable to a job search?
It helps answer a few different questions that can help you make that personal impression so valuable to rising above the other candidates. A frequent question in interviews is "What do you outside of work?". "I write a blog on <a safe noncontroversial obsession>" may invite you to speak about that obsession more allowing you to show passion and animation OR if you are really lucky the interviewer likes that same subject and you have developed a connection.
It shows that you can investigate and communicate about a complex subject. Many jobs require communication skills or even translating arcane processes into documentation. A blog showing in depth research is an example of what you can produce for them.
It might, might, get you noticed as an armchair authority by someone looking for help with that subject. It is a long shot but seriously what do you have to lose?
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