Being a blogger has helped me shape many skills in the past. One skill I learned is the ability to come up with innovative and creative post ideas while I am physically or mentally residing at different “places.”  Such places range from bricks and mortar Apple stores to virtual places, such as Mashable.com.  The idea behind this post is to help bloggers generate ideas about what is meaningful to write, and, most importantly, how you can generate those ideas spontaneously while you are engaging yourselves with a variety of daily chores.  Without further ado, let’s get started with these 5 things on my list.

 

1. “While you’re reading articles on other blogs in the same niche…”

When I visit other blogs, I always pay attention to the good points made in their articles.  For instance, I would explore the possibilities of whether the same idea would survive or thrive on my own blog. Sometimes, a little inspiration can help you go a long way.  Last year, I read an article on Twitip which discusses how to increase Twitter followers. Then I implemented the same concept but installed a completely different set of approaches in my own article about the same topic. You can read my article here.

2. “While you’re reading a book…”

I usually consume one or two books in a month.  I don’t know about you.  But reading books conveys a different kind of experience than reading a blog or online article.  For one, a book requires a longer time for readers to finish.  From a writer’s perspective, apparently they put more thoughts into writing a book than if they just write a blog post.  So, while I am reading a book, I try to observe how the author draw the dots together.  In other words, how they piece together different chapters is important because it represents their thought process.  Then I will see if it’s possible to implement the concept in a blog post.

As an example, here is what I have done with different types of books I’ve read:

“Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust – Chris Brogan & Julien Smith” – “How to Become A Trust Agent in A Digital Market? (Post on WebStudio13)”

“Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? – Seth Godin” – “5 Ways You Can Make Your Brand Indispensable Via Social Media (Post on WebStudio13)”

3. “While you’re having a conversation with a friend…”

This approach seems to be against the rule of communications, because most communications books would tend to teach you to focus on the conversation itself while having it, not wondering your mind to elsewhere.  But hey, if it’s a good conversation, why not document it later on on your blog in a different format?  After I talked to a friend about Google’s potential enemies in 2010, I  created these posts:

“Google’s Ten Biggest Enemies in 2010 (Part I)”

“Google’s Ten Biggest Enemies in 2010 (Part II)”

4. “While you’re drafting ideas for a seminar…”

At NY Entrepreneurs Business Network, a business community that I created back in 2009, we give seminars regularly for our attendees to learn.  One of the seminars we did at the beginning of March was called “Business Talk (Panel): Debunking The Myths Of Twitter, LinkedIn, And Facebook.”  The idea then prompted me to write this post – “Debunking Ten Social Media Myths.”

5. “While you’re actively thinking of solutions to solve a real world problem…”

Take the Haiti earthquake that has happened recently for example.  I’ve written a post titled “10 Ways You Can Use Social Media to Help Haiti” to help raise the awareness and relieve the actual problems in Haiti.

 
As Albert Einstein said, “Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.“  Young people usually create great companies because they are naive enough to imagine, dream and take action! As a blogger, we should not be limited either.  Whatever you can imagine, you can write!

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A good site design is one critical element that makes a website rock. For a blog to stand out from the crowd, it also needs to have attractive look and feel.

Since I started out blogging at WebStudio13, I have been consistently learning new tricks everyday that enable me to make my blog look better on a consistent basis.  You can Google for good web design tutorials, but I guarantee you the search results will be overwhelming.  To make things simple, I decided to write a post that summarizes the most useful 20 design blogs available today. Personally, I’ve benefited tremendously from their tips on how to make a site attractive.  Enjoy!

1. SmashingMagazine

Smashing Magazine

2. PSD.TutsPlus

PSD TutsPlus

3. Design Reviver

Design Reviver

4. CSS Tricks

CSS Tricks

5. Web Designer Wall

Web Designer Wall

6. Core77

Core77

7. Inspiredology – Design Inspiration Lab

Inspiredology

8. Six Revisions

Six Revisions

9. Outlaw Design Blog

Outlaw Design Blog

10. Noupe

Noupe

11. Abduzeedo

Abduzeedo

12. Spoon Graphics

Spoon Graphics

13. DesignM

DesignM

14. Bartelme Design

Bartelme Design

15. Fuel Your Creativity

Fuel Your Creativity

16. Just Creative Design

Just Creative Design

17. Knowtebook

Knowtebook

18. Logo Design Love

LogoDesignLove

19. Pearsonified

Pearsonified

20. Web Resources Depot

Web Resources Depot

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Best Bloggers to Watch in 2010

As a social media blogger, I am constantly learning about new startup companies and freshing features of different social networking sites. Twitter is one of the major news sources for me.  Because it is such a great news aggregator, I try to add the most brilliant folks to my Social Media List on Twitter.

This is an article that summarizes the best 40 social media bloggers you can find on Twitter in 2009.  These blogs are the ones you should keep an eye on if you are a fan of social media.

1. @socialmedia2day (Blog: socialmediatoday.com/)

2. @JasonFall (Blog: socialmediaexplorer.com/)

3. @GrayWolf (Blog: wolf-howl.com/)

4. @louisgray (Blog: blog.louisgray.com/)

5. @IncomeDiary (Blog: incomediary.com/)

6. @TheNextWeb (Blog: thenextweb.com/)

7. @cshirky (Blog: shirky.com/weblog/)

8. @bitrebels (Blog: bitrebels.com/)

9. @SocialGuide (Blog: thesocialmediaguide.com.au/)

10. @dmscott (Blog: davidmeermanscott.com/)

11. @marshallk (Blog: readwriteweb.com/)

12. @arrington (Blog: techcrunch.com/)

13. @andybeal (Blog: andybeal.com/)

14. @alleyinsider (Blog: businessinsider.com/alleyinsider/)

15. @Lifehacker (Blog: lifehacker.com/)

16. @yarostarak (Blog: entrepreneurs-journey.com/)

17. @Stammy (Blog: paulstamatiou.com/)

18. @anildash (Blog: dashes.com/)

19. @photomatt (Blog: ma.tt/)

20. @chrisgarrett (Blog: chrisg.com/)

21. @jeffjarvis (Blog: buzzmachine.com/)

22. @ginatrapani (Blog: smarterware.org/)

23. @copyblogger (Blog: copyblogger.com/)

24. @mattcutts (Blog: mattcutts.com/blog/)

25. @danschawbel (Blog: personalbrandingblog.com/)

26. @MariSmith (Blog: marismith.com/blog/)

27. @jowyang (Blog: web-strategist.com/blog/)

28. @tferriss (Blog: fourhourworkweek.com/blog/)

29. @JohnChow (Blog: johnchow.com/)

30. @problogger (Blog: problogger.net/)

31. @Scobleizer (Blog: scobleizer.com/)

32. @smashingmag (Blog: smashingmagazine.com/)

33. @chrisbrogan (Blog: chrisbrogan.com/)

34. @shoemoney (Blog: shoemoney.com/)

35. @mashable (Blog: mashable.com/)

36. @TechCrunch (Blog: techcrunch.com/)

37. @garyvee (Blog: garyvaynerchuk.com/)

38. @timoreilly (Blog: radar.oreilly.com/)

39. @GuyKawasaki (Blog: blog.guykawasaki.com/)

40. @DoshDosh (Blog: doshdosh.com/)

If you think your blog can help our readers, feel free to add your own blog and Twitter name in the comment area.

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What Makes A Blogger Likeable?

Have you ever wondered what unique characteristics truly separate the rockstar bloggers from the just so-so ones? What types of blog posts tend to get most people’s attention? And what makes your readers want to come back to your blog repeatedly? These questions may shed some new light for you if you haven’t thought about it before. However, they are the three most fundamental questions I ask myself with daily. So the final question we should ask is this: What makes a blogger likeable? Is it their informative posts, (like problogger Daren Rowse), or their excellent writing skills (like copyblogger Brian Clark)? Let’s examine this final question by going through 50 items in the following. Here they are.

10 things to listen to

Being a good listener is critically important. It shows that you know that you don’t know everything.  Most importantly, it indicates your willingness to adapt your blogging styles to your readers’ needs.

1. Look for cues in the comment area, because your readers tend to leave you their sincere feedback or opinions in that section

2. Do a Google search periodically about you or your blog, and see what results come up. If you are a blogger, other people will talk about you either on their blogs or different forums.  Make sure you watch out for your own reputation (I use Google Alert for this reason)

3. Do a search on Twitter about you or your blog for the same purpose mentioned above

4. Look for the trackback links you received and follow those links to read the articles that mentioned you

5.  Ask your friends and family members to check out your blog and have them offer you sincere feedback

6. Read the trending topics on Twitter, which should give you an idea about the popular topics to blog about

7. Be aware of mistakes other bloggers have made and don’t reinvent the wheel. Bloggers usually write posts about lessons they’ve learned

8. Read news, and constantly be in the know of what’s happening both domestically and internationally. This may lead to the next big idea on your blog

9. Sign up for the bloggers’ Meetup groups and learn from other bloggers

10. Listen to yourself and follow your gut instincts

10 things to tweet about

If you haven’t integrated Twitter with your own blog, you are making a big mistake. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to promote your blog posts on Twitter.  After all, it’s free advertising.  So why not? Pay attention to these 10 ideas that help you become a marketing-savvy blogger everybody likes.

1. Retweet other people’s blog links that are educational and informative. This increases your own credibility over time because it shows that you are in the know zone

2. Tweet about local events such as Web 2.0 Expo or Blogging Expo. Again it shows that you care

3. Try to answer all the “@” questions that are addressed to you. It is important to be responsive as a quality blogger

4. Before you RT an article, make sure you check whether the links work. Broken links hurt your credibility

5. Tweet every blog post you published, which increases people’s brand recognition about your blog

6. Ask your followers questions about possible topics they prefer to see on your blog. Make sure your next blog post is in demand

7. Tweet about your thoughts about your future posts, which should lead to some feedback before you start the writing process. A smart move

8. Offer free prizes on Twitter to ask your followers to subscribe to your blog. For example, you can give out ten Google Wave invites for free

9. Create a professional blogger list on Twitter.  And encourage people to follow this list

10. Encourage people to send you feedback on your blog posts because you are a good listener

10 things to think about

Good bloggers are usually good thinkers. In my opinion, creative bloggers tend to overshadow the not-so-creative ones. Therefore, here are 10 skills to help you become a better thinker.

1. Think about your own blogging style. Does it work for your target audience?

2. Think about the categories you have on your blog. Do you need to create more categories or just stay within the current ones already created?

3. Think about your own creativity. Give it a score from 1-10, 10 being the best. Where are you at and how can you improve your own score?

4. Think about the most commented blog post you’ve written before. Is there any way you can expand on that topic and write a new blog post about it?

5. Think about the good skills you’ve learn in the past several days? Can you implement at least three of them in your next blog post?

6. Think about your current promotional mix for your blog.  Does it make people feel you are spammy?

7. Think about the last most retweeted blog post. What were the characteristics of that post that made it so popular?

8. Think about your current time commitment with your blog? Do you need to spend more time with it because your audience needs more materials?

9. Think about the 10 biggest lessons you’ve learned in your past blogging experience. Can you make a post out of that to educate people?

10. Think about the above 9 questions. Always try to come up with more thoughts that make you more productive.

10 things to blog about

These are 10 possible topics you can blog about which further connect you with your readers. Here they are, with examples.

1. Tricks and tips on how to use a particular social network (How to Grow Your Twitter Followers – 5 Ways That Work for Me)

2. Lessons you’ve learned in the past that could help other people succeed without reinventing the wheel (The 7 Great Lies of Internet Marketing)

3. A list of your favorite tools that help others be more productive (15 Essential Google Tools for Successful Business People)

4. Your own success stories that you want to share with others (How to Run a Successful Business/Entrepreneur Meetup Group?)

5. Ranking of popular items in a particular category that is in demand (30 Top LinkedIn Groups for Entrepreneurs, eMarketers, and Social Media Enthusiasts)

6. A collection of inspiring videos or audios (13 Most Inspiring YouTube Videos of All-Time)

7. Creative ideas that work with contemporary timing and situations (HOW TO: Use Social Media to Its Fullest During The Holiday Season)

8. Offering tips and suggestions on the good products you are using yourself (Thesis Wordpress Theme for Professional Bloggers)

9. Your opinions on controversial issues (Why Email Still Rules?)

10. Promotion of a meaningful and valuable event (AdTech Content Revenue Strategies Conference)

10 things to leave yourself with

Here are the ultimate 10 questions you should frequently ask yourself to improve your popularity perceived by the general public

1. Have I done my best to tailor to the needs of my target market?

2. Is my blog updated often enough to keep my subscribers coming back repeatedly?

3. What are some criticisms I’ve been getting lately?

4. Do I have a list of topics for my next blog post that my audiences prefer?

5. Have I maximized the design potential of my blog to make it look more attractive?

6. Have I put out enough valuable content for my readers?

7. Are there any needs from my readers left unaddressed?

8. What have I done today to improve the relationship between me and my audiences?

9. How can I do better with my blog?

10. Have I gone through this 50-item list today so I know what weak spots I need to work on to become a likeable blogger?

What is your take on this topic? How do you perceive whether a blogger is likeable or not?  Your comments are always welcome.

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Social media has become more and more important in our daily lives.  To keep up with its rapid evolvement, it is critical to get updates from authoritative sources. Via a simple Google search, you can discover an overwhelming number of blogs and websites in the social media niche.  Due to this reason, I wanted to share 11 of my most frequently visited social media blogs where I get my daily news and updates in the social media industry. In a nutshell, if you could keep up with these 11 blogs, you would be in the know of what’s happening in the social media blogosphere.  Here they are.

1. Mashable

Mashable

Mashable covers news in the social media industry, and tracks startup launches. You can get comprehensive updates on all Mashable news by following the Mashable crew on Twitter.

2. TechCrunch

TechCrunch

TechCrunch is currently one of the most widely read technology blogs on the internet. It reports up-to-date news in the social media industry.

3. CNET News

CNET News

CNET reports everything tech-related, from electronic gadgets, to social media, to quality new startups.

4. ReadWriteWeb

ReadWriteWeb

ReadWriteWeb provides in-depth analysis of web products and trends about social media and new technology.

5. AllTop

AllTop

The purpose of Alltop is to help you answer the question, “What’s happening?”  Although this site covers a broad range of topics, I particularly like its selection of social media topics, informative and comprehensive.

6. The Next Web

The Next Web

The Next Web is a technology blog that brings news and views from an international perspective.

7. TwiTip

TwiTip

TwiTip covers everything you need to know about Twitter. It’s your A-Z guide on how to make quality tweets and increase you followings.

8. DoshDosh

Dosh Dosh

Dosh Dosh is a blog offering internet marketing and blogging tips, alongside social media strategies.

9. PR 2.0

PR 2.0

PR 2.0 offers tips and strategies on  how to develop innovative PR and marketing campaigns by leveraging social media and new tech.

10. Web Strategy

Web Strategy

Web Strategy is owned by Jeremy Owyang, a thought leader who knows how to use social media to innovate and deliver long term successful web programs for companies.

11. Bit Rebels

Bit Rebels

Bit Rebels is a site I just discovered recently. Most of its content is related to social media.  It’s a rising star in the social media blogosphere.

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Need More Ideas for Your Blog?

Do you have a blog? Have you ever spent hours trying to come up with a blog topic? Indeed, it’s nice to have a list.   This article enlists 6 most commonly used techniques to brainstorm for innovative blog ideas.  With each technique, there are case studies that will explain it accordingly.

Here are the 6 ways you can use to make your next blog post sparky and special!

1. Write a tutorial

How-to tutorials pretty much dominate today’s blogosphere. For example, the ability to write great how-to articles can position you correctly as a go-to expert. If you are knowledgeable in the niche you are writing about, your readers are more likely to subscribe to your blog to get future updates as well.

Case Studies:

HOW TO: Measure Social Media ROI – by Mashable

“For social media to fully work (for everyone), businesses and brands need to be able to evaluate the impact their social media use is having, both positive and negative. Measuring social media ROI isn’t impossible, but it can be difficult because many of the pieces that need to be evaluated are difficult to track. This guide is designed to help you track down those pieces and determine the ROI you’re getting on social media.”

6 Ways to Use Ning for Business – by Mashable

“There is an almost overwhelming number of options on the social web for businesses to create and participate in communities. You hear a lot about Facebook Fan Pages, Twitter communities, and even LinkedIn Groups; but businesses have another option when looking to build a community online that’s often overlooked despite having nearly 40 million users: Ning. Ning allows businesses to create their own off-site social network for their brand’s community, and participate in existing conversations with the communities they are looking to engage. Here are 6 ways businesses can put Ning to work.”

How to Grow Your Twitter Followers – 5 Ways That Work for Me – byWebStudio13

“How do you gain more followers on Twitter?  This is the question asked by countless people.  Since I’ve read many blog posts that reveal the secrets of getting mass followers, I decide not to bore you with those general techniques that you can find via a single Google search.  Instead, I want to point out 5 unique methods that have worked particularly well for me.  Even better, if you can apply these 5 techniques to your unique background and the situations you face at this point of your life, you will get amazing results.  Without further ado, let’s see if these 5 tips make sense to you.”

How To Completely Clean Your Hacked WordPress Installation – bySmackDown

“Getting hacked sucks, plain and simple. It can affect your rankings, cause your readership to be exposed to virus and trojan attacks, make you an unwilling promoter to subject material you may not actually endorse, and in many cases cause the loss of valuable content. However, once it happens it is usually best to not procrastinate on the clean up process, since a speedy restore will most times minimize the damage that was caused.”

How To: Use LinkedIn to Build a Professional Network – byWebStudio13

“LinkedIn has become a major resource for majority of business people who want to develop their professional networks online. On Oct. 14th, 2009, the LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner announced on the LinkedIn blog that the site has reached 50 million members, and it’s roughly growing one member per second. This article teaches you how to use LinkedIn to build your network.”

2. Make a list

If you are knowledgeable in certain niche, you can rank the top players by making a list. “List” posts are usually popular because people are interested in finding out who is the best and the most popular. It is a very effective way to attract more readers to your blog.

Case Studies:

100 Amazing Free Wordpress Themes for 2009 – by Smashing Magazine

“High quality free Wordpress Themes have become harder and harder to find in the past year, with the influx of premium themes, more and more designers and developers are selling themes (and rightly so, they do amazing work). But, that aside, the quality is certainly there, and we are sure you will be impressed with this Wordpress theme compilation for 2009.”

25 Best Blogs 2009 – by TIME

“TIME makes its second annual list of the best blogs in the world, spanning politics, housekeeping, astronomy and everything in between.”

13 Most Inspiring YouTube Videos of All-Time – by WebStudio13

“YouTube has been a great place for posting and sharing video content. Personally, I like to keep an eye out for popular and new inspirational videos on YouTube. As a matter of fact, I have made a habit of watching inspiring videos for at least 15 minutes every morning after I return from the gym. It really helps me get the day started right and keep the positive energy flowing. Here let me share the top 13 of my favorite videos (plus 2 bonuses).”

30 Top LinkedIn Groups for Entrepreneurs, eMarketers, and Social Media Enthusiasts – by WebStudio13

“LinkedIn Groups is your destination to find and join communities of professionals based on common interest, experience, affiliation, and goals. Stay in touch with organizations, schools, and companies that you are and were a part of, network with professionals with similar interests and goals, and collaborate in a professional community online.  In this post, I will sort through 30 top LinkedIn groups that allow great efficiency for all entrepreneurs, marketing professionals, and social media enthusiasts.”

The 15 Best Technology Podcasts – by WebStudio13

“Living in New York City, one thing I have got used to is listen to my favorite tech podcast shows on the subway.  Lots of people have approached me asking what’s the best podcast to subscribe to.  Well, I used to ponder the same question.  Now I can speak from my heart.  Here I will share the top 15 of my favorite podcasts (all can be found on iTune) to satisfy your cravings about high tech news and tips.”

3. Interview somebody

Find someone well known in your industry and interview them. You can then write a blog post about it, which usually adds more credibility to your blog.

Case Studies:

Darren Rowse Interview: Brand Yourself Like a ProBlogger – byPersonal Branding Blog

“Darren Rowse is the guy behind ProBlogger.net, which has become one of the leading places on the web for information about making money from blogs. He is a full-time blogger himself, making a six-figure income from blogging now since 2005.”

The Seth Godin Interview: How to Become a Leader – by Copyblogger

“Seth Godin needs no introduction to this crowd. And there’s a good chance many of you already have a copy of his latest book, Tribes.  If not, Tribes is all about leadership in a post-geography world. The Internet allows anyone to become a leader of a tribe big or small, with members from across the planet. And people want you to lead them in all sorts of contexts.“

Interview With Digg’s Kevin Rose: The State of The Union – byTechCrunch

“Last week I sat down with Digg founder Kevin Rose to get the Digg “State of the Union.” The company, now more than four years old, has continued to grow incredibly since launching in late 2004 and regularly innovates with new products…..”

Interview With Pete Cashmore – Founder of Mashable – by Retire@21

“Pete Cashmore is just 22 years old and is the founder of Mashable, one of the most visited blogs in the world. Mashable offers news on social networking and social software and attracts millions of visitors every month.”

Personal Branding Interview: Robert Scoble – by Personal Branding Blog

“Today, I spoke to Robert Scoble, who is an author, tech evangelist, blogger and fully employed worker.  Wearing many hats, Robert has some great advice and insights to share in this interview.  He talks about his career, his favorite interview, the future of branding, blogging and more.”

4. Post a viral video

With Youtube and hundreds of other video sharing sites, it is easy to find and post a viral video which could then drive people to your blog in droves. Posting viral videos on your site doesn’t require a lot of efforts from your end since most videos are already produced and uploaded.  The key is to post it first before anyone else does it. And do a good job explaining its relevancy to the theme of your blog.  Otherwise, it loses its novelty.

Case Studies:

Videos: Google Wave Acts Out Pulp Fiction And Good Will Hunting -by TechCrunch

“Everyone is still searching for what exactly Google Wave’s role will be in the web going forward. We think it’s still too early to tell, but one man, Joe Sabia, has put together maybe the most impressive Wave demonstration yet. Is he doing something extremely useful? No. He’s using it to reenact scenes from Pulp Fiction and Good Will Hunting. The result is brilliant.”

Jim and Pam Office Episode Pays Tribute to JK Wedding Dance [Video] – by Mashable

“The fusion of social and mainstream media is finally complete: not only did Thursday night’s “Jim and Pam wedding” episode of The Office feature the meme-tastic 3 Wolf Moon t-shirt, but it also paid tribute to the YouTube hit JK Wedding Dance.”

Virology: 31 Top YouTube Viral Videos of All-Time – by WebStudio13

“YouTube is known for its ability to massively and rapidly spread video content in the cyberspace. I have been a long-timeYouTube fan. I know what truly makes a YouTube video tick. I will share 31 top YouTube clips to help you understand the essence of YouTube video marketing. While watching these clips, try to identify their unique selling points.  Most importantly, learn to implement these elements in your own marketing campaigns.”

The 10 Hottest Viral Video Ad Campaigns Right Now – by Mashable

“We’re living in the YouTube generation, where not only are you consuming video at massive rates, but also uploading boat loads of it. However, only a select few of these videos ever go viral and achieve Internet meme status.”

The Top Internet Memes of 2009 – by Mashable

“The instantaneous and shareable nature of the Internet is one of the things that separates it from other mediums. Viral videos andInternet memes can take hold and spread quickly. Thanks to social networking, the speed in which the latest phenomena can spread is lightning fast. More and more frequently, Internet memes are making appearances in other more traditional media like TV and film.”

5. Have someone guest post on your blog

If your blog has a fair amount of traffic, people will come to you, offering to write articles for your blog in exchange for the exposure your site provides. We just had our first guest post yesterday on WebStudio13, check it out. Having guests regularly contribute to your blog is a great way to churn out extra content for your blog, which automatically leads to more traffic. Here are a few examples.

Case Studies:

How I Tweet – by Guy Kawasaki on American Express Open Forum

“Way back in July of 2009, I explained how I used Twitter. Lots has changed since then, so this is an update to explain how I tweet. As a small business owner, you can adopt my techniques to use Twitter as a marketing tool.“

HOW TO: Build the Ultimate Social Media Resume – by Dan Schawbelon Mashable

“Social media resumes are important for attracting hiring managers directly to you, without you having to submit your resume, blindly, to them. The problem with submitting your resume online to job postings is that most job postings aren’t even vacant, might not exist, and 80% of jobs offers are received through networking.”

Why Traditional Article Marketing Should Be Dead! – by RIC GRUBERon WebStudio13

“Article marketing is one of the best ways to gain instant credibility, increase website traffic, build your list and get more sales. But, the only way you’ll experience these results is if you stop doing article marketing the traditional way!”

6. Write a post like this one

You can also write a blog post helping people brainstorm for potential blog ideas. There are many formats you can go for. If you want to include case studies like this one, that is fine. Or if you prefer to just give out a list, you can refer to the following examples for more inspiration.

Case Studies:

100 Blog Topics I Hope YOU Write – by ChrisBrogan.com

“People often ask me how I come up with things to blog about, and I find the question strange, because my problem is the opposite. I have too much to blog about. Why? Because there’s a whole fast revolution rolling through, and right now – today – is our time to make it all work for us……”

101 Great Posting Ideas That Will Make Your Blog Sizzle – byIhelpyoublog.com

“Great posts are hard to do consistently on a day-to-day basis. Probloggers really have to work at it. I thought about all the different ways and angles a blogger can approach choosing posting topics. Here are 101 different ideas that I think are great to stimulate your mind and jumpstart your blogging.“

100 Ways To Find Ideas For Your Blog Posts – by Steve  Aitchison on LifeSnips

“There are times when blogging can be tough and it feels like we have just run out of ideas for our blog posts or as a freelancer we sometimes think there’s nothing else to write about.  Where does the muse go when we are feeling like this, and how can we get it back?”

So what advice do you have to help other bloggers generate valuable ideas?

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Best Blogs

As an entrepreneur, I understand the importance of personal development. I learn things in different ways – reading, watching and listening. Everyday, I dedicate 1-2 hours in the morning just to read my favorite blogs to get updates on tech news and take notes on good tutorials. Personally, there are 10 – 20 blogs that I visit daily. This repeated process has enabled me to make progress with my internet business. If you are eager to get tips on how to succeed online, read my favorite 10 blogs that help me become a better entrepreneur.

1. TechCrunch

TechCrunch is my daily power “breakfast.” When I get out of bed in the morning, first thing after brushing my teeth is to read TechCrunch news. I have found that TechCrunch has almost become the authority in the tech industry. For example, since I am a big podcast fan as well and I listen to Leo Laporte’s TWiT podcasts all the time, I have noticed that Leo particularly likes to mention Mike Arrington (TechCrunch founder) during his podcast. Seems like TechCrunch has now become a prevailing news resource for tech professionals.

2. Mashable

I am actually very impressed with Mashable. I applaud the work that Pete Cashmore (Mashable CEO) has done to develop the Mashable community.  In my opinion, Mashable is similar to TechCrunch, but it has more “How To” tutorials. For example, the latest Mashable tutorial is called “How To: Use Twitter Lists”.  They’ve put a lot of meats and potatoes in their tutorial so even rookies know what they are talking about.  Mashable seems to be more popular than TechCrunch on Twitter. However, there is no doubt that TechCrunch beats Mashable on RSS subscribers.

3. Smashing Magazine

I have to admit I was not a web designer when I first started out with my blog. Thanks to the design community from Smashing Magazine, now site design is no longer a headache for me anymore.  Smashing Magazine delivers useful and innovative information to Web designers and developers. As an web entrepreneur, I have found their content extremely valuable.

4. Lifehacker

Efficiency is important for every entrepreneur. Lifehacker is an award-winning daily blog, featuring tips, shortcuts, and downloads that help you get things done smarter and more efficiently.  Lifehacker now ranks as one of the top-linked blogs on the internet according to Technorati.  One of my favorite blogs.

5. Zenhabits

Zen Habits features three powerful articles a week on: simplicity, health & fitness, motivation and inspiration, frugality, family life, happiness, goals, getting great things done, and living in the moment.  I check out this blog everyday because its content is inspiring and positive.

6. Copyblogger

When I first started out with my blog, I was not a writer. Luckily, I discovered Copyblogger, a blog that teaches you how to write strategic, persuasive, compelling content to get traffic, gain subscribers, attract links, or sell something.  I couldn’t have improved my writing skills so fast without its help.

7. Problogger

Darren Rowse is the person behind Problogger.  I get more of his blog updates through Twitter everyday. Unlike the news blogs, Darren’s blog is intended to teach people how to blog.  Its content mostly includes tips, lessons, or tutorials.  If you want to make a name for yourself in the blogosphere, make sure you follow his site.

8. ReadWriteWeb

Just like TechCrunch and Mashable, I value the content from ReadWriteWeb. This blog provides analysis of web products and trends. It’s a must read if you are a web 2.0 enthusiast.

9. Seth’s Blog

I am a staunch fan of Seth Godin. I almost bought all of his books. By reading his blog, I get to know more about his trivial thoughts as well as how they evolve day by day. As a marketing professional, I often times feel inspired by his imagination and creativity that you can detect from his blog posts.

10. John Chow’s Blog

For me, John Chow’s blog makes a perfect combination with Seth’s blog. John’s blog lets me learn more about the money side of the business.  For instance, I’ve learned numerous tips on how to better position myself to sell online affiliate products and other innovative ways to make money online.  If monetizing your blog is part of your strategy, it’s a no-brainer to subscribe to John’s blog here.

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I have heard of a lot of great things about the New Media Expo 2009 which took place between Oct. 15th and 17th. After reviewing a slew of blog posts and videos about the Expo, I’ve found these 4 videos to be quite insightful and informative if you are a web geek like me and eager to learn about new technology. I’ve listed them here and, of course, you can always find out more about the 280+ speakers at blogworldexpo.com.

Video #1 – Internet Marketing for Smart People

John Chow has uploaded this great video. Three of my favorite bloggers, Darren Rowse, Brian Clark and Chris Brogan, are talking about the role of new media and Internet marketing. What’s great about this 55 minute video is the fact that each blogger was able to talk about their own blogging experience and elaborate on how they’ve got to where they are today. It’s quite insightful and helpful information. You can visit John Chow’s original post here.

Video #2 – CNN iReport about Blog World Expo

This is a great video posted by Chris Morrow. I like the fact that this video features a number of renowned bloggers.

Order of Appearance:

• Don Lemon – CNN
• Rick Calvert – Founder – Blog World Expo
• LT. Col. Kevin Arata – Army.mil
• Stephanie Agresta – Porternovelli.com
• Alan Underkofler – Squaremartinimedia.com
• Mari Smith – marismith.com
• Darren Rowse – Problogger.net
• Jim Kukral – jimkukral.com
• Ellen Rowan – Todaysellen.com
• Liz Strauss – Successful-blog.com
• Michael Martine – remarkablogger.com
• Dave Taylor – askdavetaylor.com
• Denise Wakeman – masterbusinessblogging.com
• Robert Scoble – building43.com
• Mark Ostrick – eguiders.com
• Dan Gray – mpgomatic.com
• Jen Vangrove – Mashable.com
• Warren Whitlock – Twitterhandbook.com
• Jason Falls – jasonfalls.com

Read the original post here.

Video #3 & #4 – Leo Laporte Keynote at Blog Expo 2009

Actually, I’ve heard Leo talking about his wonderful experience at Blog World Expo in his Twit podcast. I’ve written a few posts about Leo Laporte and his podcasts in the past. You can read them here and here. I continue to follow Leo and his Podcast series today. He has given a great talk, although the video quality is inferior.

Are you a blogger or Internet professional? Were you there at Blog Expo? Would love to hear your opinions on this.

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As you may know, my blog was hacked during the past week.  On Thursday morning, I started to see my site kept getting redirected to other domains.  Initially, I thought it was my own mistakes setting up those redirections at cPanel by myself.  But after further examination, I had come to new conclusions that the site was under attack.  Later that day, there were AdBrite ads installed throughout my posts.  Just as an example, you can see, in below graph, the ad the hacker installed in my footer area.

After going through all the fixes, this hack now is just water under the bridge.  Having experienced a hack myself however, I do realize how damaging it could be if not managed properly. It took me a long time to clean up those nasty ads, not mention to the downtime and damaged relationships it caused between me and my readers. There you go. I want to share some lessons that I have learned the hard way.  Here are 8 things you should NOT DO when your site is getting hacked.

1. Do not assume it is a false alarm

Do not assume everything is OK while, in fact, somebody else is taking over the control of your site.  If you’ve seen anything abnormal, such as domain redirections or random ad installations, take necessary actions and pinpoint the real causes behind the problem.

2. Do not hesitate to ask questions

When I first saw what happened on my blog, I had no idea it was a hack.  But intuitively, I knew there must be something going wrong.  What I did is that I posted the “symptoms” I see in different places where I can get help, including forums, other related blogs, etc.  Fortunately, somebody immediately spotted my question and responded me in a timely manner.  The following conversation took place on DIYthemes Forum:

WebStudio13: My blog keeps getting redirected to sendptp.com/ramk2.html. I use thesis theme. Could anybody help?

Pbarron (from philipbarron.net): I’m afraid that your site has been hacked. If you start to load your site in the browser but stop the loading before the redirection, then view your home page’s source, you can see three iframe links at the very bottom of the page, each of them linking to this sendptp.com site.  Hard to say how malicious the hack is; I don’t see much on it in Google. Tell your webhost, run a virus scan on whatever computers you use to access your site, change your WP and FTP passwords. You may find some more guidance at this thread.

Mr. Barron’s response is very specific and helpful.  We’ve had succeeding discussions after that.  As you can see, asking the right questions is the key to resolving the problem.  After all, isn’t that what Internet is all about?  Give to receive…

3. Do not hold off contacting your host

Contacting your host and letting them know about your problem is necessary and crucial.  Most times, they should be able to tell you what is going wrong and what to do next.

4. Do not overly rely on your host

I made a mistake wasting too much time with my host, which is Just Host. After I contacted them initially to notify them about my problem, they first sent somebody to chat with me via their IM system.  Then I was suggested to send an email to their support team to further investigate the root of the problem. After getting a helpless email back from Just Host Support team, I resolved to call their support department.  But I finally gave up after waiting on hold for 15 minutes with the annoying music playing in the background.

5. Do not wait, hoping things will get better themselves

As humans, we have a tendency to put off things that we are uncertain of.  My blog was hacked in Thursday morning, but I didn’t take rescue action until the following day.  What happened then? When I visited my blog in Friday morning, not only was it inserted with AdBrite ads everywhere, it also got audio played automatically upon my visit (I hate sites that have audios or videos turned on automatically when I visit). Anyway, you get my point. Take immediate and massive action to get rid of the “intruders.” The longer you wait, the more damage they can do on your site.

6. Do not fix your site completely on your own if you are new

Make a habit of doing sufficient research before you do something that could potentially have huge impact on something you care so much about. In my case, I first Googled “What next when your blog is hacked,” and got an overwhelming amount of resources.  Fortunately, I then used Delicious to set the good articles apart from the mediocre ones.  Based on my collection of resources, I finally backed up all the images, plugins, and templates on my blog before I wiped out all the content and reinstalled  my site.  It was a painful experience.  But it’s worth your time to learn every bit of the information.  I’ve previously written a post about how to use Delicious to bookmark interesting articles, check it out here.

7. Do not ever leave your Wordpress blog un-upgraded again

Upgrading your Wordpress blog to the newest version does not guarantee that you don’t get hacked, but it is a necessary step toward building a more secure blog.  Wordpress has released the newest version 2.8.5. Now it’s beta testing version 2.9.  As you can see, there are plenty of security holes with the current version of Wordpress.   That is exactly why Wordpress is frequently rolling out new versions.  If you do not keep up with updating your Wordpress blog, bad things will happen.  It’s just a matter of time.

8.  Do not get discouraged

As it goes in my favorite Rocky movie dialogue, “It ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” It is important to look at the hack from a positive angel.  In my case, I’ve redesigned my blog that I couldn’t have got time to do otherwise.   Now the look and feel of my blog is better than ever before.  I’ve also learned several crucial lessons which I am sharing with you now.  There is no bad experience, everything you experience is for a reason.  Believe it or not, you will figure out something valuable from everything you experience in your life, good or bad.

Have your blog been hacked before?  Feel free to share your experiences with us.

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Blogging has gained huge popularity in the Web 2.0 era.  Especially with Google’s “Adsense” program, there is no lack of options to monetize your blog.  Besides, more and more companies start to encourage their employees and PR departments to leverage the social media tools.  However, bloggers are a dime a dozen.  How can you differentiate yourself?  How can you increase your credibility ranking?  In this post, I will share 5 of my tips that have worked well for me in the past (Disclaimer: depending on the main topics of your blog and the target audience you serve, the techniques may vary).

1. Write something of your own, not necessarily original, but if you take other people’s ideas, make sure you add your own thoughts/perspectives to it.

Content is king.  The world knows this.  No matter how search engine optimized your blogs are, it doesn’t matter unless you have valuable information.  People will leave you if they feel your blog is stuffed with useless junks. I can speak from my own experience.  See my most popular blog posts as follows and the reasons why they are popular:

Most Tweeted Post: How to Grow Your Twitter Followers – 5 Ways That Work for Me

Why Is It Popular: In this post, I introduced five unique ways to help increase your Twitter followers. Some of them I’ve never read from other blogs.  Speaking with my unique voice makes this post stand out even more.

Most Read Post: 211 Power Twitter Users Who Will Follow You Back

Why Is It Popular: You can probably tell from the title. To write this post, I spent four hours digging through different Twitter directories and sorting through those prevailing profiles. Some of these power Twitter users are also very informative in terms of what they tweet (See another post for informative users). So there is definitely huge value coming with this post.

If you follow me on Twitter, you may also know that I am a fan of personal development.  So I’ve written a couple of posts about this topic, such as 13 Most Inspiring YouTube Videos of All-Time, and 10 Tips on Self-Empowerment/Personal Development with Web 2.0 Tools. These two posts are relatively successful as well.

I hope you get the idea.  If you look at those hugely successful blogs, such as the Huffington Post and CopyBlogger, you may realize they actually provide something either educational or newsworthy.  In essence, good content is a hugh credibility booster.

2. Get enough quality incoming links

Content and links are the two key elements for the success of any blogs.  We’ve covered the importance of content.  Links can also serve to increase your credibility ranking due to the following reasons:

• If you can get sufficient incoming links from other highly ranked blogs, it will naturally increase your credibility,  resulting in even more traffic flowing to your blog.
• Based on my observation, it seems that a higher Google Page Rank (PR) number has a lot to do with the number of quality links pointing to your blog. Don’t we just all love a 7 or 8 Google Page Rank?  It means more likelihood to be found by Google.  We all know that’s a huge DEAL! The conventional wisdom says if your blog is on the first Google Keyword Search Result Page, you have a pretty decent and reputable blog.

3. Build a community that lasts

One thing that I have done to enhance my credibility is to build a few communities where like-minded people gather and share ideas.  For example, I am organizing an entrepreneur group in New York City.  Often times, the group will have Internet marketing experts speak at our events.  This type of event further enhances my credibility since my blog is high-tech focused.  If you look at the right hand column on this page, you will find other community building widgets there, such as Google Friend Connect and WebStudio13 Facebook Community.  Leveraging these tools early on while you are building your blog traffic can really prepare you for long-term prosperity.  Meanwhile, you will become an authoritative figure as the person leading the group.  Isn’t this exactly the idea that Seth Godin conveys in his book “Tribes?”

4. Be Responsive to your “followers”

No one wants to follow somebody who is ignorant.  In order to increase your online credibility ranking, the #1 thing we should keep in mind is BEING RESPONSIVE.  This is important because it shows people that you are listening.  Personally, I try to answer 99% of the messages geared toward me on Twitter, Facebook, and comments on WebStudio13 and NYEBN,.  Remember that all bloggers live in public.  Hence, we must respond to our readers well, making this process as interactive as possible.

5. Don’t promote something you barely know just to make a few extra bucks

On my blog, I never promote something I never used.  In fact, I just wrote a post two days ago about Thesis Wordpress Theme, which is the theme I installed on this blog.  You can read about that post to get a feeling why I am so excited about it.  If people bought something you recommended but then they realized it’s just crappy below-the-average commodity, your credibility will be permanently damaged.  It’s really not worth it considering the long-term loss you face.

A final word

Just be yourself, do your best, and deliver more than you promise.  Become a trusted advisor before you should even think about monetizing your blog.  If you can do all these, traffic will come.  You will be the next rising star in the Web 2.0 age.  How do you enhance your online credibility?  Please feel free to share your perspectives.

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