Guest posting has become very popular both for professional bloggers and beginners. I don’t guest post as much as I would like to because I prefer to write articles to build up my blog. And not only this, I have been pretty busy lately with a potential business collaboration in Paris that is currently in progress. But I have been occupied also because of my company tataPC.llc that has kept me busy because the website needed a make over and I also needed to adjust the services offered due to my constant need to travel until I can get a more suitable manager to run the day to day operations while I am on the road aiming for other business ventures. I read about the power of guest posting on several blogs that include: www.guestpostsecrets.com www.copyblogger.com www.problogger.net and I was convinced that this is something that I need to give a shot in order to

• Drive traffic to my site
• Build a network with other bloggers
• Help a fellow blogger
• Build a reputation
• Search engine exposure
• Readability

These are not all the benefits of guest posting but it’s a starting point and the benefits listed are positive for both the guest blogger and the blog owner so it’s a win win right? Of course that’s a yes answer. After all, who wants to start a blog that no one reads?

That is why I decided to write a guest post for www.onetravel.wordpress.com and you can read the post titled Crepes in Paris Are Different But Delicious. So if you want to increase your blogs readability, one of the ways to do it is by guest posting. The more connected you are, the better off your blog will be. But make sure you are writing for a blog that relates to the niche of what your blog is about otherwise you will defeat the purpose of your guest post.

For those who missed the contest boo hoo. But don’t cry, there will be more contests for 2010. In fact, I will hold monthly contests or bi-monthly contests. I haven’t decided yet. But in the mean time, the winner of the $25 commenting contest is Maisha. After checking the commenting list and counting all the comments, she won by a large margin and the first prize of $25 fresh ones.

It was a 3 months contest to see who would write the most comments on my blog. And in that time, she made the most comments. And in second place Kenny for the $10 second place prize.

Again read the contest rules and payment instructions here. If you cannot abide by the instructions for payment, email me to arrange payment pick within one month of this contest closing. If I do not hear from you within that time, I will assume you are not interested in collecting your prize.

Congratulations and a happy New Year

There are several reasons people blog. Most people blog to make money, others for fun and a number of others, to help people. For the most part, I fall on the last of these reasons. But blogging, at least for me, goes beyond these reasons. Blogging serves as a way to:

Organize

When traveling and in modern life, you do many things on the road. Because you do and experience so much, it is hard to keep up with the what and the who. Blogging helps me organize my ideas so that months or even years from now, I can remember what I did and who I met while on the road.

Stress Reliever

As an ESL Teacher, I work long hours. This month I work 10 hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and even though it is a fun job, it takes a toll on the body.

Information Source

A couple of Teachers from around the world live in PyeongTaek. Before we came here, we were unable to find any information about Pyeongtaek. So, I look to them sometimes for ideas that might be helpful to people who might be interested in coming to Korea.

Fun

Blogging is fun, it is a great way to not only express yourself, it is also a great way to meet interesting people who share your passion. Fun attracts and draws others to you. So, have fun in life and have fun blogging. A great post by Smartboy Designs expands on this idea.

Money

For a few lucky bloggers, money comes along with their blogging. They attract a lot of traffic and because of this, they get a lot of advertisers. The advertisers in turn pays them to post adds on their blog. This is the reason a lot of people start blogs.

To tell off and perhaps piss people off

Some people start blogs to tell people off and obviously this may make those attacked angry. They have such a deep hate for something or someone that they start a blog to express their anger for that thing or person.

To persuade

Some people start a blog in support of an cause or an organization. In order to get others to join, they start a blog to expose and promote their cause and or organization.

Conclusion

There are numerous reasons people blog. Whatever the reason, quality content determines whether your blog is successful or not. So when writing, always choose quality over quantity. In fact, quantity can sometimes drive readers away rather than bring them to your blog. I am not claiming these are the only reasons people blog. If not, why do you blog?

You have worked hard on that article. You have stayed up all night and your veins pump coffee. You have done your research and have gathered all the information you can about your topic to help your readers. You have edited several times and a smile of accomplishment runs across your face as you click “publish,” pour a bottle of panul reserve (one of my favorite wines), sit back, relax and wait for your reader opinions.

You smile and pat yourself on the back as readers tell you that they love your article. You feel great then suddenly, you come across a reader who has listed in detail all the things wrong with your article, how the information you have provided is not complete to their satisfaction. He crushes your sense of achievement. What you do you? What should you do? Do you approve the comment or delete it?

Here is what you can do:

1. Keep your cool

   What makes you think that you can have a blog and write your opinions and not expect readers to have opinions of their own? Isn’t that why you blog anyways, to share ideas and have others share theirs with you? Am I wrong?

2. Approve the comment

   Not only will this promote conversation on your blog, it will show something about you and the writer of the comment. Remember, people say more about themselves by what they don’t say.

3. Acknowledge

   If indeed you left out some pertinent information and not just the reader trying to draw attention to them, acknowledge the error and correct it, no one is perfect.

4. Thank them and reply

   If you intentionally left out the information because you saw it as irrelevant to the topic, tell them so without attacking them. Nothing is worse than attacking your readers and doing so just makes you look stupid.

5. It may help someone

   The comment may help your readers, especially if another reader thinks the information left out was pertinent for them. By acknowledging the comment and addressing it, your readers will see that you have their best interest at heart and not your ego. This will add to your credibility and you are also letting your readers play moderator because they are deciding if the information is important rather than you deleting it right away because you feel your poor little ego is threatened.

6. Conclusion

   Negative comments are more beneficial than you may think; however, don’t let the reader take from the experience of others. I personally don’t consider any comments negative. I value my readers opinions and encourage them to add their thoughts because readers help each other too.
   

   But I am curious, how do you deal with negative comments on your blog? Do you do something different from what I have outlined here?

I will pay you $25 for commenting on my blog. Tatesjourney is having a commenting contest. For 3 months, whoever has the most comments in my database will get $25 cash. The contest begins on the date of this post and will end in three months. Second place will get $10.

Who can enter?

• Anyone can enter this contest.
• You don’t have to be a subscriber to comment but I recommend subscribing so you can get email updates on new articles. By getting new articles in your inbox you will increase your chances of winning because you will be the first to know of the article to comment on it.

The rules

1. There are no requirments on comment length; however, the comment must be relevant to the article.
2. Spam comments will be deleted and will not count. Spam comments in this case simply mean comments that are not relevant to what an article is about.

How will I get paid?

• For now I can only pay you via paypal if you are the winner at the end of the contest. If you know of another method, I am open to suggestions. Since paypal has become very popular when sending and receiving money and paying for items both on ebay and online in general, I am assuming that you have an account. It’s free and simple and all I would need is the email address to your paypal account to pay you. From your paypal account you can then transfer the money to your bank account. But if I assumed wrong and you don’t have an account, you can open one right now by clicking on this paypal referal link.

How will comments be counted?

• Comments will be counted on per post basis. What this means is that if you comment on one post five times, the comments will count as one.
  This is the reason why I recommend you subscribe so you can get email alerts when new content is posted.

How will I know if I won or winning?

• I will email the winner at the end of the contest and in that email I will ask for their paypal account email address to send them the money. I will do the same for the second place winner.
• On the sidebar of this blog, you can see a heading that says “Top Commentator,” use it to see if you are ahead of the race. Sometimes it takes awhile to update but it’s fairly accurate at telling who is commenting the most.

That is all. If you have any questions, comment or fire an email my way. Use my contact page

Like in the movie “Ratatouille,” which features a mouse to promote the idea that anyone has the skill to be a chef if they really love cooking with its moto that “anyone can cook.” I believe this is the same when it comes to blogging. There are bloggers who are passionate about blogging and thus become successful and others who are not so passionate and just do it; the result for them, no success. But regardless of what your goal is or the reason you blog, these 5 suggestions will serve you well.

1. Write

   Content is the key for any blog. Content keeps readers coming to your blog. That is why it takes even a great blog with great topics sometime before it takes off because readers don’t have a reason to stay on the blog for a long time. So write, write and write some more.

2. Connect with other bloggers

   One of the best ways to connect with other bloggers is by commenting on their blog. You can build a relationship just by writing great commentsl on another blogger’s site. However, never comment for the sake of commenting. What I mean is that don’t be nincompoop on another blog by ignoring the topic and writing irrelevant comments. This is a quick way to distant yourself from readers.

3. Another way to connect is to follow what other bloggers in your nich are doing and link to their posts if you want your readers to get more information and another blogger has written on the idea. In the end, the key is to give your readers the best content and experience from reading your work.

4. Submit your blog to search engines

   Why have a blog that is hidden from the world? Send your blog to blog directories and search engines like:

Be passionate

5. If you don’t love what you do it is hard to do it well. This is why it is a good idea to start a blog about something you love and want to share with others.

6. Be original

   Bring a fresh and different insight into the blogging community by having a unique way of writing your posts or finding some way to stand out. For instance, always having a quote at the end of your post is a good way to stand out, but I am sure you can think of other ideas.

TIP

You lose readers when you ignore readers

Fin

Those who are persistent and dedicated are the ones that come out on top. Never give up and never surrender your passion for anyone or anything. Go to “the infinity and beyond” and be the best blogger you can be. OOoops, did I miss something? Is there something that you do that makes you stand out from the crowd of bloggers holding Wordpress and Blogger signs outside the internet’s house? It would be great if you can share your success story!

Before you make your blog public, it is very important you have written a few articles so that when people visit your blog they can have something to look at, read and comment on. I made this mistake because when I launched my blog, I had only a few articles on it about what my family and friends thought about my decision to go to South Korea to teach English. Another mistake I made also was not writing often. Now that I have read avidly on the topic I realized the importance of doing these two things. You do not have to write everyday but try to write at least two posts a week. But before you can write, you want to ask yourself, what is the purpose of my blog?

What is the purpose of your blog?

This is a very important question to ask yourself because you do not want to write on too many topics. If you do your readers might lose interest. For example, my blog is about traveling, writing, money and blogging; I should not be writing articles about car repair because that is not what I say my blog is about. The only way I can squeeze in an article about that topic is only if in the course of my travel, a car breaks down and I had to repair it, but even then I would have to carefully word the article to make it relevant to the theme of my blog. So, before you start writing, narrow down your niche as much as possible. There is no right or wrong answer to this question however because you make your blog what it is. You also want to think about the most important thing before blogging. So, what is the most important thing when blogging?

Know what you are writing about before you write

The three most important things about blogging are

• Love

Love what you are writing about because if you don’t, you are going to hit some rough spots and you are eventually going to give up blogging because it can be frustrating in the beginning when you are writing and no one is reading.But if you love what you are writing about and it is enriching to you, then it is going to be that much easier to keep going. Even seasoned bloggers can get discouraged but if you have a strong passion about what you blog on, it is easier to snap out of it and jump back on the horse if you love riding than if you do not. But if you ever fall-off the horse, there is a great article by master blogger Yaro Starak how to remain productive when you feel like giving up.
To help you understand how much passion you have for your topic of choice ask yourself these questions. Do you find yourself smiling or happy when you write on your topic? Do you write on your topic with no intention to publish it? Can you talk about your topic for a long time without getting tired of it? Can you write a thesis on your topic (just kidding)? If you can answer yes to the first three questions then your journey will be long and successful.

• Smarts

People come to your blog because they feel like they can learn something from it. Try not to let them down. Knowledge on the topic you have decided to write about is essential. If you cannot think of forty to fifty article topics in 10 minutes when you think about your topic, then you might want to consider writing on something you know more about. Do you read other blogs that write on your topic? Do you read books about your topic? You should be nodding your head yes to these questions.

• Consistency

I have talked about consistency a bit but it is too important not to emphasize. Write as often as you can. If you can write every day do it. If you can only write two, three or four times a week that is fine too; the key is to just write. But just writing is not enough, write great content for your readers. Do as much research as possible on the article topic before you write, but try not to write too much on what others have written about unless you can provide fresh and unique insight on the topic.

So, how many topics can I write on?

Well, that depends on what your interests are. But ask yourself, can I write on these topics consistently and not put too much emphasis on one and neglect the others? Have you heard the saying, a slave cannot serve two masters, he will despise one and love the other? But I tell you this, when it comes to blogging, you can serve two masters. The key is how you relate those two, three, or even four masters/topics/themes your blog is about to each other. But try not to be a renaissance man/woman otherwise your readers will not know what to expect with each article you publish. Readers are more likely to return if they know what to expect. If you cannot narrow down on your topic because you are the ultimate renaissance man/woman, consider using sub-domains.

I recommend

The best thing you can do about narrowing down on a main topic for a blog is to brainstorm. Then start by writing about the topic that interests you the most. When you have passion, smarts and love for what you blog about then you start to get a regular readership. The regular readers will eventually bring other readers and your traffic will start to grow. Then you can start monetizing that traffic; I will cover monetizing your blog on a later article.

I am glad you are reading the second post of the how to start your own blog series. Since you are serious about starting your blog, let us get on with it because I am sure you are as excited as I am when I right on this topic. But before we do so, if you have not read the first part of this series I suggest you do so by clicking here. Now shall we begin?

Free blog hosting sites

After deciding if blogging is for you and choosing a name for your blog, the next step is deciding whether using a free service or pay for a hosted service that does not include the name of your free hosting service. There are several sites you can use to start a free blog. I have compiled a list for you of the more popular ones. When you are finished reading this article, you can come back here and click on the name and it will take you to the home page.

1. Wordpress.com You can create a free blog at Wordpress.com, but there is also Wordpress.org were you can download themes, plugins (separate widgets that allow you to add more functionality to your blog) and a whole lot more. Wordpress is the largest free blogging service out there. There is a large community base so if you have problems, there is already a solution for it or the community will gladly assist you. My blog is not hosted by but it is powered by Wordpress. With Wordpress, you can download and install it on your host (I will talk about hosting companies a little later in this article) or you can use it on their website and not worry about the technical stuff.
2. Blogger.com
   is also a great starting site for new bloggers.
3. Livejournal.comis almost as popular as Wordpress and offers different account types, free and paid. However, their free account comes with ads; it is reasonable because these ads perhaps pay for them to be able to offer you a free blog.
4. Blog.comoffers unlimited bandwidth (the amount of traffic you get on their server) for their free blogging platform.
5. Blogr.comhost pictures, videos and podcasts etc.

This a good list for you to start with but if you like a list with more services to choose from and a brief introduction of them as I have done above, there is a great post that was published by Mashable.com that compiled a list of 40 or more free blog hosting sites. Click on the name link and it will take you directly to the post.

Top 4 hosting services

Choosing the correct (paid) hosting service is critical. Make sure you look at their list of features to make sure they meet what your needs are. For instance, before I chose Startlogic, I took a look at their list of features to make sure they supported all of the features I was looking for. You want to make sure your host supports and is improving their list of features. See what you get with:
StartLogic! You will see for yourself why I choose them. Not only are their features up to date and an easy to use vdeck to manage your account, their customer service and support is excellent. As if that was not enough to convince me, their packages are very cheap as well. With that said, here is my top 4 list of hosting companies. I have had experience with only two of these (Startlogic and Fastdomain) so do your research on the other two eventhough I have read good reviews about them and have spoking with customers on online forums and contacted them when I was looking for a host in case I missed something. With that said, here is my list.

1. Startlogic Awesome service and up-time.
2. Fastdomain
3. HostMonster
4. Bluehost

Here is a link to the current promotion Startlogic is running.

These hosting companies among others if not all allow you to install Wordpress either as your main domain or as a blog on your website. They are paid services so you do not have to include the Wordpress name on your name of choice when choosing a domain. For example, if you wanted to create a free blog at http://www.wordpress.com, you would have to have your www name like this: myblog.wordpress.com but with a paid service, the host provides the domain name (your www name, so it would just be www.myblog.com with a paid hosting service) and since Wordpress is free, it is included with most paid hosting packages and you can install it in your public directory to use it as your index page. This is how my site is running.

These are cheap web hosting companies that provide more than exceptional service for their pricing.
If you have a host that you think should be included on here, don’t be shy, leave a comment. On the other hand, if from your experience you think one does not deserve the ranking, meet me on the comments floor.

If you have not picked a name for your blog yet

Your domain is your website phone number (except you get to pick it) so choose it wisely. It is wise to choose a name that is short because it is likely to be remembered and easy to type. Make it stand out. Think of the name Google, it is catchy and easy to remember is it not? It sounds a bit silly but once you hear it, it is hard to forget it. You want a name like that. I am not advocating you name your blog moofol or moogle, but you might be on to something if your name is short and catchy because you want people to not forget it. That is the making of a good domain name.

On the other end of something good is something bad. So what makes a bad domain name? You guessed it, it is long, hard to remember, and since it is long, it takes forever to type. By the time you finished typing it, you lose interest and start aimlessly looking for something on Google. A bad domain name does not get many visitors and thus dies a lonely and slow death from lack of exposure. Don’t become one of these.

To dot com or not to dot com

In the world of the web, .com names are more common than the rest, period. Dot com names are then followed by .org as in Wordpress.org. The .org ending is associated with organizations but anyone can purchase a .org name. Then we have .net, .info, .biz, .tv and country names such as .ca for Canada, .fr for France etc. etc. However, try not to use the less popular names because when you tell people about your site, they usually assume it has a .com ending. If the name you choose does not have the .com ending, you can choose the .net ending or tweak the name until you get the .com ending. Stay away from .info because it is associated with a lot of spammer sites.

Next article: what to write about

Be honest with your readers. It is the only way.

I have had many readers and new bloggers ask me how I started my blog. So this how to start your own blog series of articles is for them and anyone else interested in starting a blog either for fun or for profit. I hope in the series, to help people realize their goal in starting their own blog.

This how to start your own blog series is aimed at helping you decide if blogging is for you and if so, how to set up a blog and get it going. There are many topics that can be covered within this series, I will touch on some but it is impossible to cover all. Fortunately, there are a number of blogs blogging about blogging, getting people to your blog, making money, and many other topics that might interest you. However, this how to start your own blog series is different because not only will I point you to sites or blogs that can further assist you if I am unable to, I am available to answer questions you may have that meet your individual need. And I will also talk briefly about a host of sites that allow you to create a free blog. However, I will concern this how to start your blog series mostly with Wordpress because I use it and is more widely used, has a large community of developers and bloggers alike than any other service; did I forget to mention, it is also free.

What is a blog?

Weblogs or blogs started out as personal websites or web spaces that people used to share their likes and dislikes, and as a way for people to share links and stories with others on the internet. With time and advances in technology, blogging grew to something more as well. Today, blogging is something anyone can do; anyone, from the spiked haired teenager that plays loud music at midnight to a fortune 500 company CEO and even grandma Pooky who may know little about the internet. Blogs can be set up in minutes free of charge or you can buy a hosting plan like I have and pay to own your domain and other expenses. Simply put, a blog is whatever you want it to be. There are no rules. You make your own rules and write about whatever you want. However, respect the property of others. But before you continue, think about why want to start a blog.

Why do you want to start a blog?

For me it is simple; I am a creative person who dislikes the confinements and methods like those found in mathematics although I like computer math. I know it does not make sense but I like PHP and other tech/geeky related areas that deal with math. I guess my love for the techy stuff out weighs my disdain for math. But, I use my blog as an outlet for the things I love to do. I love design, writing, traveling, programming and a number of other things. But I cannot write about all of them so I only write about a few of them I am really passionate about. And while I travel, this is the best way to keep up with family and friends. But you do not have to start a blog for the reasons I started mine. There are many types of blogs and the benefits of a blog are endless.
Let me state a few: you can communicate with thousands of people, keep up with friends and family, make money, offer products and services, promote a business and much more. More on types of blogs:

• Information sharing blogs :

shares news, data, photos, videos

• Business blogs :

promote and have a presence online or share your business ideas and strategies to help others in the same business, to make money

• Personal blogs:

maintain contact with family in another state or country, thoughts and your reflections, keep a journal

• For fun:

blogging about something that matters to you that may not interest many people or for comedy

The bottom line is that you can blog about anything you like. This list is only to give you ideas or add to ideas you already have. Your blog is only limited by the limits you set for it.

Can anyone really start a blog?

Absolutely yes! Blogging is one of the easiest things you can do on the internet. If you can surf the internet, have a word processor (i.e. MS word, notepad), you can start a blog. However, it does not mean that everyone should start a blog. If you intent to start one, ask yourself these questions:

• Do you like to write?
• Is there something you love to do or are passionate about?
• Is there something you know that you would like to share?
• Do you have a business you want to grow?
• Do you want to an online journal to share information with family and friends?
• Are you a photographer or an aspiring talent in some area of interest?
• Do you like to make money?

These are some questions you should think about. Obviously, these are not all the questions you might want to ask yourself but it is a good place to start. If you answered yes to any of them or perhaps all of them, then you may want to consider starting a blog. The last question is not to entice you in any way; it takes hard work to make money with a blog.

Do want to enter the world of blogging?

Excellent! Then stay tuned. In the following days and weeks, I will continue this series and talk in detail about the important things when starting your own blog. I will talk about how to narrow down on your topic, how to setup your blog, how to choose a hosting company if you want to pay for one and own your domain name, where to go to get a free blog, getting traffic to your site, how to make money with your blog and even where to get free templates for your blog. I have a few resources I use and at the end of this series, I will compile a list that might be useful to you as it has been for me.

There are many aspects in blogging, please be aware that it is impossible for me to cover all of them. Fortunately, there are plenty of blogs and websites out there that you can use to find what you are looking for. I will do my best to point you in the right direction.

I recommend
This is a great book for beginner bloggers and professionals alike.
Blogging for Bliss: Crafting Your Own Online Journal: A Guide for Crafters, Artists & Creatives of all Kinds

Read the reviews on the product page to see what others are saying.