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When I first heard of the word “blog” years ago in the mid 90’s, I was puzzled as to why I did not hear it earlier, having been immersed in the English language for more that 4 decades!

Naturally, I reached for my half-a-dozen copies of dictionaries on the shelf to check for its meaning but I could not find one. The reason is simple the word “BLOG” simply did not exist in my dictionaries including the Oxford Dictionary!

A frantic search led me to Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang that eventually gave me a clue. It says “blog noun An Internet website containing an eclectic and frequently updated assortment of items of interest to its author. 1999-. [Shortening of weblog.] So blogger, noun”

Not happy with this half-hearted and vague explanation, I ventured into the Web to do further “research”.

Lo and behold! I’ve got some more meaningful citations. Below is a list of these.

- Blog is short for weblog. A weblog is a journal (or newsletter) that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Blogs generally represent the personality of the author or the Web site.

- A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is “blogging” and someone who keeps a blog is a “blogger.” Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog.

- A blog is information that is instantly published to a Web site. Blog scripting allows someone to automatically post information to a Web site. The information first goes to a blogger Web site. Then the information is automatically inserted into a template tailored for your Web site.

- A short form for weblog, a frequent and chronological publication of comments and thoughts on the web. They usually include philosophical reflections, opinions on the Internet and social or political issues.

- Web LOG is a journal kept on the internet. This journal is often updated daily and contains all information that the person maintaining the BLOG (Blogger) wishes to share with the world. Also applies to websites dedicated to a particular topic and being updated with the latest news, views and trends.

There’s no need to go on because I’m now more than satisfied.

Many years have passed since and blogging has come a long way indeed. Not only can you do all the above mentioned, you could now make full use of it to promote and expand your Internet business.

Savvy marketers have discovered that blogging is one of the best Internet marketing methods that is free because you could create your blog almost immediately at no cost compared to the setting up of a conventional website.

Putting information in your blog to help establishing your presence in the Web is now a growing phenomenon. Blogging for your Internet business is one surefire way to enhance the visibility of your products and services.

With the continuing improvement in software technology, publishing, introducing plug-ins, banners, pictures etc to create a fun and interesting “website” has become a breeze even to those with old and rusty brains like me.

Here is what you could do to improve your Internet online business:-

1) Give advice to your visitors on specific tips, tricks and opportunities related to your own business with the objective to increase awareness not only about yourself but also your business. This will establish you as an authority with customers, prospects and casual visitors through your publications.

2) Encourage readers to leave their comments and feedback. Positive feedback could some times help you to improve your website design, layout, content and hence your buisness.

3) Make announcement and broadcasting on any new changes or offers available in your main websites, for instance, new products and/or services.

4) All your postings in your blog could be kept in an Archive file which is very friendly for retrieving. You can therefore keep track of all your business plans and old but important information. 5) Any articles which you have written and posted could be reprinted by others for their own websites with your permission on condition that the resource box about the author remains unchanged i.e. with all your important URLs intact. This would link your websites to other websites hence exposing your business to more visitors.

6) Try adding fresh and quality content to it on a regular basis since search engines like fresh content. As a result, search engines will list your website in their directories. As soon as you have pages of your blog in the search engines, you’ll start attracting free traffic to your site without having to paying a dime for it.

7) Include links that will fetch back links and subsequently improve your ranking on search engines. Affiliate links in the form of advertisement banners could also be included in your blog to earn more extra income.

You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. You can have some kind of link exchanges with other bloggers for mutual benefits of increasing traffic to your blog and other main websites.

9) In summary, there’s almost no limit to what you could and want to do with your blog. You can include your ideas, opinions, expertise in your field of work, resumes, home recipes, pictures, streaming audio or video clips, e-books, poetry, products, services, consultations etc., etc.

What are the main differences between a blog and a website then? You may ask.

Most websites are relatively permanent with only occasional updating. With blogs, you could post any new content almost on daily basis. Also, websites are usually less personal as far as their relationship with the visitors is concerned.

Visitors to your blog could leave comment after their visits which sometimes could prompt a follow-up discussion between you and them resulting with both parties learning from each another.

So how do you start blogging? There are many host services providers you could join. Among the most popular are Blogger.com and LiveJournal.com. I’m using Blogger.com which I find serving my needs just perfectly.

In closing, you must realize that to be successful in running your business blog, you need to be very passionate about products and services. Share your ideas, opinions and thoughts to assert yourself as an authority in your field. The visitors who are your customers or potential customers would remember your blog and keep coming back.

COME BLOG WITH ME TODAY and ride the crest of the business blogging wave! Happy blogging!

Copyright 2005 Woon Sung Liang

About The Author: John Woon (Sung-Liang Woon) is a Latex Consultant with about 30 years of experience.

1) Multiple Internet business opportunity SECRETS: http://easyhomebiz.blogspot.com

2) Hypertension and the Heart: http://hypertension2.blogspot.com

3) Diabetics’ Valuable ONE-STOP Guide: http://diabetics-guide.blogspot.com

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There has been a lot of buzz around blogging lately, and for good reason. Blogs are changing the way people market their businesses.

If you aren’t familiar with blogging, the concept is relatively easy to grasp. Blogs first began as a shared online journal. A blogger posted diary-like entries about his or her daily life. Recently though, blogging has evolved into a new form of business writing and advertising. Many business owners now use blogs to promote their goods and services.

By adding blogging to their marketing campaigns, business owners are able to market their product with virtually no out of pocket expense. In some cases, bloggers may even be able to make large sums of money with their published blog. For example, a blogger who employs the Google Ad Sense program can make money from blog readers. The more readers a blogger has, the more money can be made from the Google ad.

A blogger can also be a guide for shoppers who are looking for specific products and services. This makes blogging an excellent tool for retailers or affiliate marketers. Blogs can also be a source of information and niche industry news.

Because there are virtually limitless possibilities provided by blogging, it is easy to see why blogs have begun to have a significant impact on mainstream marketing practices. Many companies have noticed this and have chosen to hire a blogger to write and post up-to-date information for customers, shareholders, and employees.

Some blogs now get millions of readers every single day. There are so many blog readers out there, that experts speculate that the world of blogging is rivaling the mainstream media.

If you have not yet established a blog for your business, you may want to consider doing so as soon as possible. Keep in mind though that it will take work to attract readers to your blog. It must be interesting and/or valuable to them in some way. A blogger must also concentrate on creating informative pieces that are as honest and up-to-date as possible. Blogging is serious business and if you make a mistake, it will not go unnoticed by your readership. Last, but not least, a blogger must remember to optimize blog writing for search engines. Blogging is an Internet medium and needs to be approached with Internet principles in mind.

About the author: Cliff Posey, owner of CRP Marketing, owns and operates http://webbusinesstoolsonline.com. Cliff Posey has also operated several other successful web businesses including Love Song Cards and Radio Career Consultants. The content in this article was developed from his experience in these businesses and his continual research into further business improvements.

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If you are eager to create a blog there are many kinds of
blogging software to get you going easily and quickly. One
of most popular is Blogger.com. However if you are serious
about growing a professional business, I’d suggest getting
a real domain name and hosting account. This could be
compared to the days when many companies offered free
hosting so you could set up your own web site. After a few
years these companies went belly up and so did your site.
It therefore makes better sense to start correctly
otherwise you will only regret it later.

Here’s some of the major benefits of using Word Press
Blogging Software:

1. Easy to install and set up. If you have a hosting
account which uses Linux servers they will probably have
Fantastico. This is a tool which allows you to install Word
Press within a few minutes from the cpanel that comes with
your hosting account. Just make sure you have the latest
version otherwise update your Word Press installation
before you start customizing it.

If you are strapped for money and can’t afford a domain
name or a hosting account, you can also create a free
account with Word Press.

2. Hundreds of templates to choose from. You don’t have to
be a programmer or even know html to start a blog with Word
Press. You can select from the three templates they provide
at installation and you can easily switch between them. If
you are not happy with them there are other sites which
display Word Press themes and allow you to download them ie

http://webdesignbook.net/themes/

http://www.emilyrobbins.com/how-to-blog/comprehensive-list-
of-615-free-wordpress-15-and-20-themes-templates-available-for-
download-266.htm

3. Customization. The basic themes that come with the Word
Press installation can easily be customized to suit your
needs. There are 100s of plug-ins (http://wp-plugins.net/)
which will allow you to alter the color, design, images,
add contact forms, photo albums etc.

4. Great documentation and support forums. The
documentation that comes with Word Press, covers almost
every aspect of your Word Press Blog. If you get stuck the
support forums are always quick to respond to your questions.

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