Tag Archives: Google

How To Make Your Blog Posts Go Viral Part One

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how to be a successful blogger, blogging, writing, working from home, Catherine Balavage, freelancing, money from writing, business, Catherine Balavage, Margaret Graham,
So you have written your amazing blog post but how do you get people to read it? In fact, how do you get your blog to stand out and be successful by having your blogs go viral? Here are my tips for writing good content that gets read and shared. For more on blogging check out my blogging book The Ultimate Guide To Becoming a Successful Blogger which is available in ebook and print. 

Content is King

If people are to be expected to put up with turning on a computer to read a screen, they must be rewarded with deep and extremely up to date information that they can explore at will. They need an opportunity for personal involvement that goes far beyond that offered through the letters to the editor pages of print magazines.” -Bill Gates.

These three words are the most important. In fact, these are the words your business should live by. Content IS king. Your posts will only go viral if your content is good enough. You have to write great posts that people will not just read but also share. You have to capture their imagination, or tell them something they didn’t know. You have to solve one of their problems or entertain them. You should write consistently good blog posts so people keep coming back for more. Your content should be good, well-written and sharable. But that is not enough, you also have to do the next step.

Tip: Be so good that they can’t ignore you.

Share Your Content

The more you share your content the more likely other people will see it, read it, and share it too. You can share your post on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Digg, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest and Tumblr. Phew. That is a lot of different sites and it can be exhausting sharing your post on all of them. The key is to find the ones that work for your content and then you can ditch the others. Of course, sharing on them all would be great, but you have to think about opportunity costs. Do what works, drop what doesn’t. Burning out never helped anyone.

Keep Your Title Short

It makes it easier to share on Twitter. People also have short attention spans.

Write Catchy Titles

Your title is an advertisement for your article. If it isn’t good, then people won’t click on it. The title is the most important thing because if you do not have a good one then your post will not get read. Take time on your titles and make sure they are catchy, suggest what is in the article, and pique people’s interest.  It is also important that the title tells you, or at least gives a hint, on what the post is about. No song titles or vague descriptions. I know it is irritating, but magazines can get away with that, but online you have to let people know why they should click immediately or you will lose them.

According to Peter Sandeen 80% of people don’t read more than the title. So make sure you make it count.

Tag Your Article And Include Good Keywords

Tag your post with relevant keywords. Google don’t penalise for over-tagging anymore but you don’t need to. Just add the most relevant keywords for your article so people can find it easily. Also include the best keywords in your title and in the first paragraph of your post. For example, I would tag this article “blogging” “how to make your blog post go viral” and “blogging tips”. It is also a good idea to go through your old posts and put in relevant keywords in the title and throughout the article. Optimise your old posts and your new ones. You will be more likely to get traffic this way.

This is probably the point where you realise that writing great content and making it go viral is not as easy as it looks. Well it isn’t, but it is a skill to learn and you can do it. You just have to learn how and I will give you the knowledge. Keep an eye out for part two. You can also read my article on how to make money blogging.

 

I will be telling you all you need to know about blogging in a series of articles. You can also check out my book, The Ultimate Guide To Becoming a Successful Blogger which is available in ebook and print. 

 

 

Using a Copyrighted Picture Cost One Blogger $7,500. Why You Should Never Use Copyrighted Pictures

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Using a Copyrighted Picture Cost One Blogger $7500. Why You Should Never Use Copyrighted PicturesDo you take images from Google without checking the copyright and hope for the best? Then stop. Pictures from Google and other search engines are protected by copyright law. It is rare to be sued over an image, or even to get a cease and desist letter, but it only takes one mistake to lose vast amounts of money. If you want proof then here is one example,

Chrystie from Living for Nap Time blogged about green pepper coupons in 2014, she needed an image so did a Google image search for a photo of green peppers, found one she wanted and then uploaded it, months later she received an email from a lawyer stating that the image cost $750. Chrystie pointed out that it was a picture of a green pepper that you can get a lot cheaper, the lawyer responded that the law was on their side and that their client wanted $7,500 in damages.

Chrystie researched the person in question and found out that they owned lots of domains and seemed to be planting clearly-tagged pictures to boost the SEO of the pictures. Chrystie thinks they did this to optimise the pictures so bloggers like her would use the image and would then sue the blogger in question. Chrystie had to hire her own lawyer. Her lawyer advised her to settle the case even though the chances of it going to court were small because if it did go to court she would be liable for the claim and all of the court costs, which could cost $100,000 or more.

The truth is, if you copy a picture from the internet and it is copyrighted it is protected by law and you are liable for the cost of the image or even damages even if you link back to the original source. So don’t do it, it’s not worth it! This case is American and people in the UK may be less likely to sue but it is not worth the risk.

If you need free images you can search Google for copyright-free images by clicking on the options icon in the top right hand corner then going to advanced search. If you then scroll to the bottom you will get to ‘usage’ and can click on ‘free to use or share – even commercially’. There are a few options, including an option to modify images. It helps to take a screenshot of the copyright-free image to further protect yourself. Don’t get caught out. You can also take your own pictures which is the best option as you can then tag them and get hits via Google Image Search. I will do another post on where you can get free images for your blog soon. In the meantime, stay safe.

 

For more blogging tips like this check out my book The Ultimate Guide To Becoming a Successful Blogger. It tells you everything you will ever need to know about blogging. 

howtobeasuccessfulblogger

 

THE FAERIE TREE: A Book In The Making

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faerietreejanecableImbolc: When the days are getting longer and the earth is getting warmer, a time of fertility and fire, and of focussing on our own magical gifts and abilities.

Being an author is in some ways akin to parenthood. Although not, of course, quite so important. But it is an act of creation (albeit solitary), nurture, and then letting your offspring go to make its own way in the world.

The last part is the hardest. Time and again while checking the proofs for The Faerie Tree I was assailed by awful thoughts: it’s not good enough; nobody’ll like it; it will fail. Time and again I had to remind myself to have faith in my editor’s view – and in the opinions of others who have read it.

But when your book makes its way into the wider world it isn’t enough to hover at the school gates for twenty minutes then go home and cry. You have to shout about it – tell the world – make them want to buy it.

So the last month has been focussed on marketing – which isn’t necessarily one of my own magical abilities. I know the theory, but somehow I don’t have the knack of pushing myself that some other authors have. I just don’t know how to stand there and say “Buy my book – it’s amazing.”

The first step in marketing is getting your book into places where people can buy it. Matador does a great deal of this for me, particularly the online stuff. On 21st March (or maybe a little before) it will miraculously appear on Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, Google, Waterstones & WH Smith online. It will be sitting on marketing platforms like Goodreads and I’ve Read That. It will be available for bookshops to order through the industry’s main wholesalers – but the job of persuading them to actually stock it will be down to me.

While the cut price books offered by the big retailers are great for readers they aren’t so good for writers because they have pushed many local booksellers out of business. The chain stores have a stocking policy which rules out local decision making, leaving independent authors and many traditionally published ones out in the cold. Even where they exist the independent book trade can be timid too – before giving it valuable shelf space they have to be sure a book will sell. It’s not their fault – most of them are living hand to mouth and cannot afford to take potentially costly risks. Even on sale or return.

Inevitably many sales are online (The Cheesemaker’s House sales to date are about a 50:50 split ebook and paperback, with half the paperbacks being sold through Amazon) so the marketing focus has to be here too. The first thing I did was organise a blog tour so I am at least guaranteed some coverage around the launch date. The next thing is to make sure the book is available for reviewers, booksellers and librarians to download via Netgalley. And book a Netgalley promotion to make sure it stands out from the crowd.

Other marketing musts are updating my website (www.janecable.com) ready for the beginning of March; moving my Amazon author profile to their new format (long overdue); and polishing up my Goodreads profile, Twitter masthead and Facebook page.

And if that wasn’t enough I’ve also got this really crazy idea to create a faerie tree for my home city of Chichester. I’ll certainly need more than a little help from the hidden folk to pull that one off…

 

 

 

Inbound Marketing And SEO: Insights From The Moz Blog | Book Review

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Inbound Marketing & SEO: Insights From The Moz Blog , Rand Fishkin ,Thomas Høgenhaven, book, book review, SEO, I am sure some readers will have no idea what this book is about. Nor even care. But for those with blogs, online magazines, websites or digital companies, Inbound Marketing and SEO: Insights from the Moz Blog By Rand Fishkin and Thomas Høgenhaven is essential reading.

This excellent book didn’t only teach me a lot of stuff I didn’t know, it also taught me stuff I didn’t know that I didn’t know. That is not to say it made my head hurt with esoteric talk, as well as being knowledgeable it is also easy to read and the knowledge sinks in. I love the graphs too.

If you are in the digital media business I think you should buy this book, read it as quickly as possible and then reevaluate your business. Great business advice in a humourous and enjoyably written book. Brilliant stuff.

The Moz blog is the go-to place for the latest thinking on Search Engine Optimization, and Inbound Marketing and SEO: Insights From The Moz Blog is an anthology of some of the finest writing on this topic.

Search engine optimization (SEO) has been a growing area for many years but industry professionals now recognise that they require a broader set of competencies. In order for SEO to be successful, a wide range of marketing channels need to be covered. In response, Inbound Marketing and SEO is split into sections encapsulating: Channels of Online Marketing; Search Engine Optimization; Content Marketing; Social Media; Outreach; Conversion Rate Optimization; and Analytics.

Aimed at both new and experienced marketers within each of these six sub-disciplines, it primarily focuses on leveraging existing products such as Google, Bing, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as marketing platforms. While most of the book does not require advanced technical knowledge, it also contains articles which look at SEO from a more technical point of view – for example, focusing on how to implement schematic data in HTML or setting up advanced segments in Google Analytics.

Updating the The Moz blog’s most popular articles on the key SEO disciplines, this new title compiles them with brand new, purpose-written articles which are unavailable elsewhere.

Inbound Marketing & SEO: Insights From The Moz Blog is available here, Waterstones, WH Smith and wherever books and e-books are sold.

How To Build A Website

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buildawebsiteBuilding a website can seem like a daunting experience. Especially to the technologically challenged. But like most things, when you get the hang of it, it becomes a lot easier.

To get you on your way Frost has put together a handy guide. Good luck!

Get Some Hosting

If you are going to build a website you need to have it hosted on a server. When deciding what hosting site to go with ask around. Word of mouth is important. 1&1 My Website have a good reputation. They also have good customer service. My first ever website was hosted by them. Aw, memories.

Get a Domain

Different from hosting. The domain is the name of the site. So Frostmagazine.com is our domain. A good domain name enhances your brand and makes your URL (uniform resource locator) easier to find. These can be inexpensive. Although it you want katemiddleton.com not only would that probably be taken, but it would also be very expensive.

Think About The Design

You want a design that is pleasing to the eye and easy to read. Also think carefully about installing flash or lots of plugins. This will slow the site down and some people might not even be able to view it.

Content is King

This is the most important thing on your site. Nothing is more important than content. It will get people coming back to your site. You need to update your content regularly. Not only for your readers (if an online magazine) or customers (if for your business) but also for the search engines. If you constantly update your site then search engines like google love it as it shows growth.

Think About Getting a Template

You don’t need to learn how to code. You can use a wordpress template. We use one on Frost Magazine and so do a lot of other sites.

Ask For Help

Never be scared to ask for help. If you are stuck you can ask your hosting site’s customer service, search on the internet or ask the question on Twitter and Facebook. People love to help.

Back Up!

This is so important: Back up your site! If you don’t back up then you can lose all of your hard work in an instant. So many things can go wrong so back up at least once a week.

 Do you have any website building tips? Share them below.

 

The Most Common Social Media Mishaps of People On-the-Go

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Social Media is all the rage these days. Can you imagine going through an entire day and not posting your activities? Probably not. But should you post everything you do every day? One of the biggest risks you can make is posting too much information. Be careful of the possible dangers you may create if you post compromising information.

Letting the World Know “No One’s Home”

Social Media Mistake

Don’t Let the World Know You’re Not Home

Image via Flickr by waferboard

Perhaps one of the most dangerous faux pas you can commit while out of town is alerting thieves that your home will be unoccupied for the foreseeable future. Burglars scour social media sites, hoping for a great post like this, alerting them to the fact that your home will be empty, and ripe for the picking.

Telling the World Where They Can Find You at All Times

Social Media Mistake

Don’t Tell the World Where You Are

 

Image via Flickr by FlyingSinger

One of the most-used apps on social media sites is a geographical locator. These apps quickly let you tell others exactly where you are at the time of your post. Although this feature may seem like a neat way to say, “Look where I am!” it’s also a way to let potential danger find you. There are people out there who use social media networks to stalk their prey. If you use a geographical locator, you’re telling your potential stalker exactly when and where to find you.

Alerting Your Boss That You’re Not at Work

Social Media Mistake

Don’t Let Your Boss Know Through Social Media

Image via Flickr by ilamont.com

Remember, when you post anything to your social media network, anyone can see it, including your boss. The last thing you want to have happen is for your boss to discover that you’re out of town when you’re supposed to be working.

Sharing Events That Should Remain Private

Social Media Mistake

Don’t Share Private Stuff That You Don’t Want Others to Know

Image via Flickr by Daniel Morris

Have you ever been embarrassed about something you said the morning after a binder? Imagine having it plastered all over the Internet. If you post your status to your social media sites while you’re drunk and don’t realize what you’re doing,  you risk having information you wanted to keep private leaking all over the web. More importantly, you risk future potential employers seeing what you want to keep private from them.

Posting The Location of Other People

Social Media Mistake

Don’t Let Everyone Know the Location of Your Friends

Image via Flickr by AMagill

Even if you still feel comfortable posting your “away” status, other members or your group may not be. Remember, if you’re mentioning you’re away with a group of people, your companions are now in the spotlight too. Do not mention anything about the rest of your group being out of town if they’re not comfortable with it. Even if you don’t mention them by name, anyone who knows other members of your group will be able to figure out that they’re away too.

So the next time you’re out of town with your new ultrabook laptop, think twice before posting an update or Tweet. You Know what they say about “assume,” right? Well, never assume that you are safe when using social networking. You may think, “What’s the harm?” when posting what you’re doing while out of town, but there are too many potential dangers out there, and you need to protect yourself from them.

This article is written by Shaun Chatman, a prolific freelance writer who has been featured on many authority sites. In his spare time, Shaun loves playing with his two kids or his collection of gadgets.

 

THE ERA OF iPARENTING

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New mums turn to the internet for parenting advice

 

New mums are more likely to log on than go to their own mums for parenting advice, according to a new report released today.

 

A resounding eight in 10 mums (80%) turn to Google, parenting forums or Facebook before asking their own mums for advice (44%), according to the research commissioned by Growingupmilkinfo.com, a new website for parents providing information about toddler growth and development.

 

Psychologist Doctor Richard Woolfson comments: “The internet continues to be a growing influence with popular forums likes Mumsnet and Netmums being a key advice resource for new mums, whilst a third of mums (33%) head to Google for parenting advice. This is good because it means parents have immediate access to valuable advice, exactly when they need it.

 

“Unfortunately, that also means the traditional source of parenting support – from grandma and grandpa – is less popular. This is partly due to the younger generations moving further away from where they grew up so parents and grandparents are less likely to live around the corner than they used to.”

 

The Online Generation

Mothers over the age of 35 were most likely (71%) to rely on the internet for support and advice. However, the social network savvy under 25s were the biggest Facebook users for parenting queries (15% versus 9% national average).

 

Dr Woolfson continues: “Thirty years ago your family probably would have lived in the next street but now they might live on the other side of the country or even the other side of the world. Yet I still tell new parents to ask granny and grandpa for their advice. You don’t have to take it but there’s no harm in listening.”

 

Our Regional Differences

  • Southampton mums are the most reliant on friends and family for advice with three in four (75%) relying on their expertise, compared to less than half in Newcastle (44%)
  • Welsh mums are the least dependent on forums, with less than a third (29% versus 38% national average) relying on this source, compared to almost half (47%) the mums in Plymouth
  • Mums in the capital are twice as likely to tap video sharing site YouTube for tips and advice (10% versus 5% national average) while the opposite could be said of mums in the Scottish capital with one in five Edinburgh mums going it alone, asking advice from no one
  • Facebook is heavily used by mums in Brighton with more than a fifth (21%) seeking advice from Facebook friends, higher than any other city in the UK

 

Nutritionist Amanda Ursell comments: “With nearly eight out of 10 parents unaware that toddlers have different nutritional needs to adults, it is clear more needs to be done to help parents understand what nutrition they need to fuel their toddlers’ amazing growth and development. The toddler years are often overlooked but, thanks to the internet, a greater level of information is more widely available from a variety of sources including other mums, a wider network of friends, experts, brands, Governments and researchers.”

 

‘New’ Wives Tales

But new mums shouldn’t be too hasty to dismiss the wise adages of past generations, as experts confirm some of the ‘old wives’ tales’ are grounded in real facts. Nutritionist Amanda Ursell explains the truth behind some popular old sayings:

 

  • An apple a day keeps the doctor away. According to Amanda Ursell, “apples are great because they give us both soluble and insoluble fibre, as well as some vitamin C and a host of super nutrients. Obviously though, toddlers need to get a balanced diet that combines all major food groups. Between the ages of one to three, toddlers undergo an extraordinary period of growth and development and their nutrition needs are at least double an adult’s, relative to their size.”

 

  • Grow big and strong, like Popeye, by eating your spinach. “Spinach is a rich source of iron but it also includes a substance which makes it hard for the body to absorb this essential nutrient. Toddlers need a lot of iron – four times the amount of an adult for their size – but this can be from a range of sources. Good sources of iron include red meat, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs and hummus. One easy way to give toddlers some of the key nutrients they need is to use fortified foods and drinks, such as Growing Up Milk.”

 

  • Carrots help you see in the dark. “This was really a piece of World War II propaganda and it isn’t actually true but it’s certainly true that carrots can be part of a healthy balanced diet. They provide one of your 5-a-day and are a good source of beta-carotene, which is converted in your body to vitamin A – an essential vitamin.”

 

  • Take cod liver oil for your joints. “Cod liver oil is rich in vitamin D, which is needed for the growth and development of bones. However, it isn’t recommended for children these days. Other sources of vitamin D that children can eat include fortified foods like breakfast cereals or Growing Up Milk, as well as foods like egg yolks or oily fish.”

 

Growing Up Milk is made from cows’ milk enriched with key nutrients that toddlers need like vitamins A, C and D, iron and calcium. Giving your Little One-der two 150ml beakers of Growing Up Milk each day is an easy way to help provide them with the extra nutrients they need, as part of a healthy balanced diet.

Is Paloma Faith Lying About Her Age?

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Paloma’s age is clearly stated as 26 in this article from 2007. In 2012, Paloma said in a number of interviews that she was 26….

Frost was flicking through back issues of uber cool poetry magazine, Trespass, recently and came across an article with Paloma Faith just before she became famous. In the interview Paloma put her age as 26, this was in 2007. In 2012, in a recent interview with Paloma, she again put her age as 26. Has she frozen in time or is she aging backwards? Frost would love to know. The article is here and a sceenshot is attached.

Google says Paloma Faith age is 26 years (July 21, 1985), but could google be wrong, and Paloma, erm, mistaken? Shh…