Are Blogs Replacing Websites? There are Benefits and Challenges

Are static websites being replaced with dynamic blogs? During the past year, several marketing and communication pros suggest that a trend has begun. And one of the best-known ad agencies in the country is already on board. The move makes sense for several reasons, as we’ll discuss. But first, are blogs really replacing websites? Read more

Blogging: A Start-Up Guide

Blogging: A Start-Up Guide
By Michelle Bery

Blogging is so easy that you probably do not need a start up guide, but for those who have blogaphobia, I am doing this.

1. By reading this you are half way there. This is a blog style post.

2. If you post, you are blogging to an extent.

3. If you take my advice and get a blog, you are a blogger.

4. If you sell anything, or create money trail, you are making money blogging.

Now that I’ve bored you with a list, you probably want something good. I’ll give it to you. If you have never blogged, this little start-up guide is for you. If you have blogged, maybe you just need a refresher course.

Anyway, you probably want to know how to blog. You know what blogging is and you know you can make money with it. What you may not know is how you start.

Well, it’s easy. Choose a provider. Make sure it’s someone who has the up-to-the minute programming so you don’t look ancient.

Create an account –Then, start writing! Alas, you are going to say “exactly HOW do I just pop into the blog and write?”

It’s not some horrid thing where you have to have a book next to you figuring out designs and codes. For the most part, there are layouts you choose from and often you can even pick colors of fonts and such. It’s like decorating a living room, only this is a living room about 12 million people could possibly visit. So make it look nice!

You don’t have to have software usually or anything snazzy. You simply pick a design or layout and create a look or image based upon choices that you’ll be prompted to make.

Is it an article, a column? What the heck IS a blog?  As mentioned before, in another article -blogs are actually entries. It’s like a diary or a journal. You simply write, but note – that whatever you do not want the world to see, do not write.   After you write your entry, you will be asked to publish or post it. Once you do that you still can often, go in and edit or delete it. You will usually give your blog a title. You type your entry, which you may call “blog” or “Content” and away you go. You’ve just blogged.

Sometimes, you allow (or not allow) the public or a select bunch you’ve invited to make posts or comments to what you have written. This makes for fun if you do allow it but sometimes it can be downright harsh. There is usually no screening on posts unless you specifically in your template and choices make sure no one has potty mouth or gossip mouth. The way to do this is to be a moderator, or to even hire a moderator. This way, all posts first go to an email address (they have no idea) and you or someone with some degree of ethics and standards, will edit, delete or allow the post to go through. That personally is my advice; don’t let downers, potty mouths or idiots post on your site unless you are really sure that you will attract only a top-notch crowd. Since blogs are often public places – think of the blog as a public bathroom. Only let the people in who flush and wash their hands. This is an especially nice feature also for control freaks.

Do I have to be youngish? Hip? Can I be a boomer or older than dirt?  Anyone can blog. There is no set rule of thumb. It used to be hip kids, journalists and maybe a select other few who did it. Now, you have grandparents who blog and let their kids blog also – and grandkids. It’s a great way to keep the family as a unit if you keep everyone together, you know?

Blogs are special. They are unique. They are  really nothing more than a public diary or journal – where a web site is all about people going to the site and just staring at it, a blog is all about saying, “Come on in and sit a spell” – which is why you will find that blogs tend to be more upscale, than say, a chat room or chat board. Blogs are the welcome wagon of the internet. Chat rooms are like a seedy bar. Chat boards are like hospital waiting rooms where people sometimes share doom, gloom and gossip. But Blogs are really usually positive. Sure you will have that negative blog here and there – but a decent blog owner will beget decent posters for the most part.

It is a small world. So, when you visit a blog, or when you have a blog – expect people to comment online. It’s a diary where people will actually say – “this is cool, and I want to be a part of your life and share this with you” and…they will!  If you allow this in the template, you will have comments that agree, disagree or just share. You may have folks promoting themselves, or you may have cheerleaders supporting your blog. Either way, it’s a great way to make friends and yes, make money if that’s what you wish.

You need to realize that your blog could and very well may be found on the net during someone’s search. For instance, if you have certain tag words in your blog, or it’s just plain popular, a key word search could turn up your blog. It’s the net, and it’s public. Blog smart!

Blogging is for you, even if you think it isn’t. You may think you are not a writer. So what? First of all, if it is a personal blog meant for only a few folks, and you don’t care that you are not a thespian of the paper, then don’t worry about it.  Also, you don’t have to be a super-duper writer at all. Even if you are a writing savant, you certainly at least have an opinion, correct? Voice it through blogging! You also probably have a passion such as gardening, cooking or fixing old cars…that a bajillion people also have, that you could talk to and share with.   Again, you can make money. If you like gardening, you may want to think about selling seeds, or dried lavender from your garden, or renting ad space or a few thousand other ways to make money. Maybe an online course where you teach the power of planting? As long as you have passion and ideas, there will always be possible ways to make money that are fun and proactive.

Blogging is absolutely one of the most easy, fun, economical yet possibly financially rewarding hobbies you can start for yourself.

Michelle is a bona fide professional blogger. If you’re aiming for six figure online profits then you NEED her fresh, upbeat advice! Read the full version of this article here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Bery

Video Blog: Google Creates Video “Vending” Machine Online

It’s really no secret that search giant, Google.com, wants to own the gateway to all media online.

They operate the Web’s most popular search engine, largest free blogging service, and one of the largest news services online.

Recently, Google started offering video from their website. Google’s video offerings so far, comprised mostly of documentaries, news, and daytime talk TV programs, represented a testing device to get the kinks out of their video delivery and search system.

Now, thanks to widespread availability of high-speed Internet access, inexpensive desktop video editing, and the emergence of portable video players, Google is steadily ramping up what will surely become the Web’s first video “vending” machine.

Log on to Video.Google.com and search a limited number of available TV shows.

Curiously, most do not allow you to play video, only to see still screen shots of the show and read a transcript taken from closed captioning for the hearing impaired.

However, based on the fact that Google recently started accepting video submissions through their website, this format is about to change drastically.

Originally, speculation about Google’s new video service centered squarely on video “blogging, ” where online pundits would share their thoughts in video rather than written form.

However, after releasing more details, it appears that Google maintains much grander plans for online video than just allowing people with a camcorder to rant and rave.

Currently Google is in the “gathering” stage. This means they are accepting video submissions from content providers with very few restrictions.

Basically, Google says they want original content, no porn or offensive content, and they want it in a very specific video format (mpeg2 or mpeg4 with MP3 codec).

Other than that, the sky is literally the limit. For specifics, log on to https://upload.video.google.com/ and click the “Find out more” link.

Right now it appears that Google decided to gather as much content as possible before offering any of it to the public, so you currently can’t view any videos.

Google also states that they will allow content providers to either charge for their videos or allow viewers to watch them for free.

Google states they will collect the money, take a small fee, and pay the content provider. This alone should excite anyone who sells content online because the barrier to entry (high-speed servers, video delivery, credit card processing, customer service) just got a lot lower.

Plus, it’s a safe bet that Google will find a way to integrate revenue producing videos into their pay-per-click program.

Combine all this with the recent emergence of truly portable digital video players (Sony PSP, Creative Lab’s Zen Media Center), and beginning of video-on-demand through the Internet just arrived. Now this doesn’t mean growing pains won’t occur.

The biggest drawback to searching for and finding online video is that each video file must have a text transcript associated with it in order to get properly indexed by a search engine.

In the beginning, this will slow the production of new material.

Despite these and other growing pains, plan on Google opening up the first and largest video “vending” machine online within 12 months.

© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved - http://www.thenetreporter.com

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links…

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Video Blog | Video Podcasting

The original audio Podcasting concept was developed by Adam Curry. It was created as a alternative content distribution method that allows people to produce and distribute audio programming. Video is a recently added feature.

Video Podcasting is the combination of video files made available for download, a specialized xml file and software capable of reading the xml file. The xml file is known as Real Simple Syndication.

Each video Podcast publisher creates a unique Real Simple Syndication ( which is more commonly known as RSS ) file. The purpose of the RSS file is to describe the video, distinguish it from other publisher’s material, presenting the most current content available and allowing people to subscribe to individual Podcast “stations”.

Anyone with a Internet connection and access to a web host that allows media file and xml file hosting, is capable of distributing their own video content with Podcasting.

Peer to Peer data transfer can be used to distribute the video Podcast media files and minimize bandwidth requirements. Bittorrent and Dijjer are both open source software applications that can be used for Peer to Peer Podcast distribution.

Creating a video Podcast is very easy. Video can be recorded using free or low cost software. Web cams or digital cameras can be used to capture video imaging. The “raw” video can then be edited using open source or free software. The completed video can then be encoded using open source video codecs, such as VP3, Theora or Dirac, to compress the video and optimize it for Internet distribution. Free software can also be used to create the RSS files.

Video Podcasting does not require special server distribution software such as Internet broadcasting does. There are no technical restrictions on the types of video encoding formats available for video Podcasting.

Dave Childers is a freelance Internet broadcast consultant, writer and webmaster of http://www.scvi.net, The Winamp TV, NullSoft Video information website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Childers

 

The History of Podcasting

What we know as a podcast had its beginnings in the creation of MP3 files that could be downloaded and played on the iPod device developed by Apple Computer. The release of the iPod encouraged people to share their music with others. They then realized that they could create, upload, and download information other than music. Some iPod users reverse engineered the device and loaded various types of firmware or operating system software. Other users decided that they would share sound files to be played on the iPod, since the technology for distributing such files already existed. RSS feeds provide a way to generate machine-readable files, which could then share data between Read more

Is Your Business Ready for Podcasting?

Everyone seems to be making and listening to podcasts nowadays. At the beginning, podcasting seemed to be associated with the so called computer geeks. These days however, it is not uncommon to see podcasts from businesses and corporations trying to widen their horizons and get a hold of a larger market. As podcasts inherently surpasses the limits of traditional broadcasting and advertising, they present a feasible alternative to businesses as a means of making their presence felt all over the world. Read more