Monday, October 31, 2005

Creating unique content for your blog

There are a lot of blogs out there that are very generic in their look and feel. I know when I surf blogs (usually by randlomly selecting from other people's blogroll or by using blogexplosion) that some of them do not grab my attention at all. Be different and you will stand out.

Being the expert on some topic that interests you and which you are involved also gives you an excellent way to create unique content. More often than not you will generate a lot of search engine traffic from keywords on this topic also.

Here is an example. Say I was a Peregrine Falcon afficionado. I could do one of two things. I could create a specific website just on Peregrine Falcons like this one or a nesting falcon blog, or I could incorporate information and pictures of falcons from my life into the blog. I could also provide quality links, information on breeding and nesting and forums for falcon oriented people.

Here are some pages of a webcam showing a nest of a pair of Peregrine Falcons here in Brisbane that I found while looking for pictures of lightining strikes on a tall building in Surfers Paradise.

So write about what you like and know about. You will be amazed at how many comments and emails you will get asking for further information and you will enjoy the research and passing on of your own knowledge.


Posted by: Jethro | 8:19 PM |

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Chitika Advertising Program

I have found a great alternative and complement to Google. Chitika has contextual ads with graphics that look great (See the box on the left). They also pay well.
If you want to try Chitika on your blog then click this link and go and sign up. There is a great referral program too.


Posted by: Jethro | 9:43 AM |

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

New Blog Ranking Tool

Want to see where you are ranked? A new tool is available called Blogelo. See others such as Technorati.


Posted by: djuggler | 1:25 AM |

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Directnic still going strong

Sig Solares the CEO of DirectNic our main domain registration and DNS hosting company has been even ore forthright and open then in the past on his blog. He has now requested help from the readers in writing a letter to his customers.

Here is the introduction to his letter:

The following is a draft email that I am thinking of sending to our customers to re-assure them that our company is well positioned and their domain names are safe with us in a post-Katrina world. Some questions that I have for you:

1. If you were or are a customer of directNIC / Intercosmos Media Group, Inc. / Zipa, L.L.C. what additional questions, comments, or criticisms would you have, after reading the following email?
2. If you are a business owner, do you think you are prepared to handle a disaster such as Katrina hitting your area? What additional preparations do you plan to make?

Here is my comment:

Hi Sig
I am a customer from Australia , have been for quite some time, around 4 or 5 years or so(and my techie and I have somewhere around 20-30 domains between us) I was surprised to find out that your company was in New Orleans. I did not know this until I noticed that some of my URL's were not working shortly after Katrina due to links down between where I was at the time and you. I went to the website and saw the blog.

I was a happy customer before Katrina and I am a happy customer now. More importantly you have now done something the other places I have domains registered have not done, and something I pride myself on in my business, and that is you have created relationships with your customers through the blog. Michael started it and you have done an excellent job continuing it.
You have now created an edge for yourself over the "faceless corporation" and that is you have a human face, you have created something.

So in relation to your letter, the fact that you even consider asking for opinions before sending it, has continued to keep you human.

My only critical comment would be to avoid identifying amounts - eg the $3M. However I would suggest that your writing style is what is needed, not some spin doctor, legal eagle or business coach. Sure take it to them for checking, but when you write it its real and when an advertising copywriter writes it we can all smell it a mile away.
That is the reason CEO's are blogging.


Posted by: Jethro | 3:42 AM |

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Add Adsense Revenues to Your Site at the Click of a Button!

If you publish with Blogger, the template tab now has an option to place an Adsense banner, button or link onto your blog for you.


Posted by: djuggler | 9:23 PM |

Why I hate Microsoft Internet Explorer



I am busy bulding a brand new web site at the moment and using CSS to create the columns and styles.
I write the code and display it in Firefox and it works exactly the way its supposed to then I open it in Microsoft IE and its garbage. Why?

Apart from the fact that Internet Explorer is probably the poxiest browser out there to use anyway (so switch to Firefox if you are reading this in IE) it doesn't process boxes correctly, and also refuses to accept the font classes I created.

Grrrrr.

Hate it...


Grumbles


Posted by: Jethro | 2:29 PM |