Category Archives: Advertising

Google’s AdSense, banners, and other advertising topics.

ActiveBlogging: the 18+ Guide!

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No, it’s not porn – it’s a guide where I excerpt some of the last 18 month’s worth of articles from ‘The ActiveBlogging Report‘.

Think of it as a taste, offered at a low price so you can see if you like the site.

I also throw in my bonus beginner’s guide, ‘The ActiveBlogging Solution‘, and a very simple rotator script plugin – ideal for rotating ads in WordPress.

You can get this WordPress Report very cheap (around $8.00 currently), and considering the content/bonus products, it’s a bargain.

An the articles aren’t fluff – here’s a list.:

  • Why Use WordPress?
  • How to ‘Tell a Friend’ – and Become a Spam Gateway!
  • The WordPress MySQL Database Made Easy
  • Easy Edits to Your WordPress Template
  • What is Tag & Ping?
  • Exploring the WordPress Template, Part 1
  • Are Your Blog Pages ‘Section Targeted’ by Google?
  • How to Set Up a Site Map in WordPress
  • How To Add Non-WordPress Pages to Your Blog
  • Make 404s Count!
  • Are You Losing HALF Your Search Engine Rankings?

So like they say get yours today.

What is Blog Pinging?

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What is Pinging?

The word ‘ping’ has a long history both off and on the Internet. In 1983, Mike Muus wrote a tool to check if other sites were up and accessible (http://ftp.arl.mil/~mike/ping.html)

Somewhat like a sonar ping in the submarine movies, a single packet was used to see if there was anything out there, so it’s very appropriate that he named it after the sonar ping.

This small information packet is used to see if a site is up and running – but it can be used for more. WordPress uses it to tell a site that it has something of interest – a brief advertising message, as it were.

This mini ad doesn’t do much more than say ‘come visit me’, but for blogging, it’s quite effective – many sites list the blogs that ping them, and search engines visit THOSE sites.

In other words, for the effort of a single ping, you could get a listing on a high-ranking website!

Some have abused this system by artificially pinging, or pinging too often. This means that the listings are temporary, since with hundreds or thousands pinging every hour, yours will soon scroll by.

But right now, pinging is positive, it does work, and for now, it’s a great way to advertise your site without effort.

And the good news – WordPress includes it at no cost!

In the Admin section panels “Options; Writing; Update Services” you have a list you can edit to enter a list of ping sites. The original entry, for pingomatic, is from the fellows that developed WordPress, and should be included in everyone’s ping list. It takes care of the majority of advertising, but you may wish to include more.

A listing of ping sites that are commonly used can be found at http://activeblogging.com/info/wordpress-ping-list/ – whether you use them all is up to you, since each ping slows down you system when posting, and some sites are redundant (eg, pingomatic calls others for you).

So if you wish a quick way to get noticed, and don’t feel like submitting your site to search engines, remember WordPress, and use it for your site – with a full ping list!

Are You Using Your Blog for PROMOTION, or ‘Taking It Easy’?

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What Are YOU Promoting?

Using a blog means one of three things – you’re promoting yourself, your product, or somebody else’s product.

At least, I HOPE you’re promoting with your blog – if you’re not, then what exactly is your traffic doing? And what use is it to you, except to use up bandwidth?

But no matter why your blog exists, the good news is it’s all promotion, and any affiliate tips and tricks you can get apply just as well when it’s your own product (or YOU)..

Here’s a guide on blog and website promotion using ‘black hat’ tricks (the good news is the tricks are actually quite fine, with only a few exceptions).

http://activebits.com/link.php/170

I’ve just finished reading it, and he’s wrapped a lot of information about social networking, affiliate marketing, and even article writing and Adwords in just under 60 pages – and all for $7!

I don’t do much affiliate marketing, but I found the book a great read for promoting my own products – especially the details on Squidoo.

Enough talk – the report is good, YET inexpensive – so give it a try!

http://activebits.com/link.php/170

How to Get Noticed – Testimonials! Part Two

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In the last part, I explained why testimonials are powerful – now in this section I explain how to send them…

Can you provide a testimonial? Very much so. As you read the others you see on the Internet, take note of what grabs you. And if you find it interesting, others will too – and that’s what your testimonial should focus on.

Here’s some key points to remember:

  • Always comment on something you like, and can stand behind. Never email a testimonial for a product you are lukewarm about, because people will ask you about it!
  • Work at the testimonial. Look at what gets quoted for movies (even bad movies!). Don’t say that you liked it – say why, or how, or how it’s helped. Ask yourself – if I was talking to a friend, what would I say to sell them on the product? THAT’S what you want to say!
  • Size isn’t important. I fear the thought of a testimonial makes people worry they aren’t up to the task – but the fact is a single sentence can do the job if it helps sell. Aim for 50 words instead of a 500, and you might find it easier to write.
  • Never say ‘here’s a testimonial’. Instead say something like ‘Just wanted to drop a note’, or ‘I wanted to say…’
  • To offer your comment as a testimonial, I like the P.S. approach, something like: ‘P.S. Please feel free to use my comments as a testimonial – if you do, please include my name ‘Jane Doe’ and URL ‘http://egwebsite.com’)
  • Don’t expect anything. Offer a sincere comment, let them know they can use it, and leave it at that. Some comments don’t fit, the timing may not be right – there may be any number of reasons it’s not used. But it may be in time…

This is a tip that’s never talked about to my knowledge, but it’s hugely useful, and a great way to get a higher profile for yourself. For a small outlay of time, you could get your comments published, establish your credibility, and possibly get your site linked. Try it and see!

How to Get Noticed – Testimonials! Part One

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Testimonials are hugely important – and key if you have a product or service.

But there’s a little-realized technique you can try – OFFERING testimonials!

Here’s how it works: when you try a product you really like, and you feel you can ‘stand behind it’, then send the author a nice email, and tell him or her so.

AND

Make sure they know they can use it as a testimonial!

The result? If nothing else, they receive a complimentary comment, and they like you (and who doesn’t mind being liked?)

But they may also add your comment to their site – and you get recognition and exposure, possibly at a high traffic location.

For example, when I released my first ‘Top10Tricks’ in 2005, I received some very nice testimonials, which I posted on my site to encourage purchases (and if you didn’t already know, testimonials on a site are an EXCELLENT way to improve sales).

This sort of thing is win-win – they get recognition, and I get advertisements that my product is good, convincing others to buy.

So give it a try!