Bloggers, Reach Out with Valued Comments

    Credit: superhua

Say You, Say Me  Do you want to be an isolated blogger? A blogging frog in the well? Surely, that's not what you want to be. You want to reach out and communicate with other bloggers by leaving constructive and meaningful comments on their sites. That's how you can get good karma and your blog benefits by having these other bloggers coming over to check you out.

One of the strategies to get traffic coming to your blog is to create a high profile by making yourself to be seen on the radar. Commenting on other blogs is one way to get noticed. Okay, it's not exactly a new topic and it has been bandied around in the blogging community. I'm just posting this as a passing thought. It might do some good to new bloggers.

By leaving comments on other blogs you will grab attention, develop a personal brand and create backlinks. This is a proven method.  But don't just leave comments that are trite and commonplace such as " I agree", "good post", "yeah!" and so on.

One viewpoint is that if you give value by commenting in a constructive and sincere manner on a blog, then it should not be looked upon as spamming although the idea behind it is to gain traffic. Don't try to leave your site's URL with your comment because this is always frowned upon by most bloggers.

It is possible for you to be controversial with an opposite viewpoint without being rude and obnoxious. I'm sure no one would like to let his or her blog become a venue for flaming, name-calling or worse.

However, not everyone will be able to follow this strategy right down to the letter. The other point to consider is that many people are not full-time bloggers and to spend hours going from site to site can be a very taxing exercise although we are aware of some bloggers who are very active travelling along this route.

Sometimes, we also need to understand that, for some bloggers, the quality of the comment does NOT come easy for them. One must have a flair for it. Bearing in mind all this, if you can do it, then DO it. Comment.

One caveat to remember is that, despite the traffic you are getting, few people would bother to post a comment on your site if your content is shallow and crappy. To encourage comments from visitors, you need to write compelling articles that resonate with your readers.

A blog is an interactive discussion platform of which the author decides on the topic and the visitor is given the incentive to engage in a discussion.

What do you think?

Review RevResponse: Get 50 Bucks...But Be Quick!

As I write this post, those of you who might be interested in making 50 bucks had better sign up with RevResponse.com as soon as possible because you only have just about 13 days to make the cut in this promotion. RevResponse is calling it the July Challenge and you can get more details at the RevResponse blog.

Once you have signed up with them, just write a review of at least 200 words about RevResponse. Okay, we are in a rush but you'll probably want to ask: "What the heck is RevResponse?"

Well, RevResponse is all about providing B2B marketers free information through subscription with a unique online lead generation service. They have an awesome list of nearly 900 free trade and career-oriented magazine subscriptions that you or your organization can subscribe. Would you want to read for free "Business Week", "Website Magazine", "Target Marketing", "Internet Retailer" and "White Papers" just to name a few?



As a RevResponse partner cum web publisher, you are given a co-branded site as you can see mine here (partly) on this screenshot where an extensive list of free trade magazine subscriptions and technical document downloads is on view for you to choose and apply for a subscription.

With this partner site you can start generating revenue by simply providing your viewers with information content and relevant offers related to their professional needs.

For every qualified free magazine subscription or document download generated through your website and marketing campaigns, RevResponse will compensate you competitively. In short, while you monetize your site as a RevResponse partner you are providing free offers of value to your readers.

Look up the co-branded site and you will find the titles that best match your skills and interests. Topics include Customer Relationship Management (CRM), call center management, advertising and public relations.

RevResponse is the online arm of TradePub.com which has been serving the publishing industry since 1994. The company, as the leader of online subscription services for controlled circulation publications, has been generating qualified leads for B2B publishers in dozens of industries. TradePub.com is a division of NetLine Corporation which is headquartered in Los Gatos, California.

Money for Nothing, Chicks for Free

Credit: steepways


Money For Nothing  That was the hit song from the now defunct British rock band Dire Straits, and I guess the famous line "money for nothing, chicks for free" sounded like a great attention-grabbing hook. It sure did.

What comes to mind is that blogging seems to attract a lot of people who think there's easy money to be made online. Not for a moment do they think through that blogging for money takes more than some quick-fix attempts to be able to stay the course and see the rewards.

Home-based business: Dream, Hype and Reality

The Dream:

Millions of people are dreaming about owning a home-based business online.

Why?

1. opportunity to work at your own pace

2. there's no one to boss you around

3. making money online is an intoxicating idea

The Hype:

* Well, there are thousands of new home-based business opportunities born everyday - offline and online.

* Promises of easy wealth and a fantastic lifestyle

* Flashy websites, well-crafted audio presentations

But don't be blinded by the flash...

The Reality:

* Once you're in, you will have to Sell....Sell...Sell. But are you the type of person who can be a salesman.

* The truth is many hate selling. That's why they never succeed in the business.

* You got to advertise, but do you have the financial means to invest in advertising?

Think. Do you get money for nothing, chicks for free?

Do not get sold on the idea that purchasing a home-based business will give you immediate passive income. This is a pipe dream that can cost you both time and money.

Whatever endeavor you wish to pursue takes dogged determination, resilience, and getting your hands dirty in order to succeed. There's plenty to learn.

Take the plunge but don't be a 'no-brainer'

If you're an Internet newbie and looking forward to stake your claim in internet marketing, go in with eyes wide open.

Watch out for the phoney gurus. They're so smart with words, they could even sell the shirts on their backs to some of you. Don't fall for their "latest" and "greatest" hype. Be very circumspect about it all.

They'll tell you of their brand new marketing strategies that will blow the competition away. Some of them will even tell you that making money online is a no-brainer. You can do it in your pyjama, underwear or whatever. And the money keeps rolling in.

Surf most of the traffic exchanges and you'll come across mini-sites and splash pages that tell you they have the "greatest thing" since sliced bread. Great, but take it with a pinch of salt.

That's the surrealistic world of Internet marketing. The hypes are obviously targetted at countless newbies who are just coming on board the Internet bandwagon. If you had travelled down the same road before then you would be wiser by now.

To be fair, much as there are the "quick buck" artists, there are the real marketers who have their reputation to protect and they only think of your best interests.

In fact, once you know your way around the Internet minefield, you'll discover many sources of useful information that'll help you to move on to the next level. I'm sure you'll recognize the right source when you come across it.

Related posts:
Where have some of the bloggers gone?
Are you ready to be a laid-back blogger?
There'll always be another noob or sucker
On the Internet trail of delusions
Mama, don't let your baby grow up to be a blogger
Would you wait 10 years to earn some change from Agloco?