Blogging Tools I Used

We all know that for some reasons, on daily basis, blogging tools are just like utensils, we need on our daily life, at our own appliances or gadget can you go without your phone? Or can you explore internet without connection, or simply can you write without your pen? It just answer the fact that your blog is nothing if blogging tools aren't present in any way.

The appearance of my blogs are almost the same, on the center are my posts, on the left and right, are the gadgets I thought are must-have's of any blog.

The 'must-have' blogging tools I used.

1. Easy Access 'Share Tools'

When readers find something interesting to share, they split it on social networking sites they enlisted. And that's a plus factor for bloggers to add for traffic. That's even another chance for shared allocation like on Facebook and Twitter.

2. Search Box

A way of looking for something on your blog is through 'searching'. It does expand the time a reader can spend on your blog and that's another plus factor for traffic.

3. Blog Archive, Labels and Popular Posts List

This is also another way for an easy access of the entire blog, also to navigate blog according to dates, titles or the popular posts enlisted.

4. Comment Box

Comments are important part of a blog. Bloggers do tend to communicate to readers through this. Another tip I read is that bloggers should encourage readers to reply or comment to whatever post they interact or engage.

5. Linking Older Posts to Latest Post

Linking your posts to each other will add a positive reputation to your blog and for traffic. Here's I wrote about How to use LinkedWithin to your posts.


These are just my top list blogging tools I used but I also experimented on exploring other tools that I thought are really quite usefull and effective for my blogs. So, for you, what are the tools you used and brought effectiveness on the improvement of your blog? Feel free to share us your thoughts.

How to Make Blogging Offline: Writing Through Office OneNote

It does sometimes helps when you're offline and you have the chance to explore the things you have back without being online. And my recent exploration and another way of blogging offline is through writing on Office OneNote.

Imagine this notebook and this bookmarks are the pages for your notes.

Here's some steps on how to make blogging offline through Office OneNote:

1.       Open Office OneNote.

2.       Set a new Notebook. Go to File, New and Notebook.

3.       Specify the notebook's name, color and template.

4.       Add the Sections in your notes.

5.       In each section, you can add a lot of Pages.

Start making your articles then. And opppssss… Saving is not an action anymore, it does automatically.

Connect It To Your Blog

The best thing about Office OneNote is that it helps you make blogging offline. You can connect it to your blog when the time your online. See? It does manage the time and money you are going to spend because as a blogger, we prefer a manageable time to spend in each activity or job we do for such specific time. Just make a lot of articles so that you can send them when at a time when your online. So here's how you can connect your written articles to your blog when your online already.


     

1.  Go to File, Send To, Blog
2. Connects it directly in Microsoft Word.
3. Register your blog now or later.
4. Then start publishing.
5. 
   

Try TypePad FREE for 14 days! Sign up for your new blog today!

Writing on Squidoo

Have you ever heard about Squidoo? We recently scanned our old notes about our blogging lessons and found out that our mentor had a list about writing on Squidoo and other get-paid-to-write-articles websites.

Squidoo

We tried it, as we usually do. Anyways, the ambiance on this site was quite kiddie and funny but still with the essence of being serious. Funny in a way that they use cartoon characters as a representation. They give points for leveling and trophies for everything you do with your dashboard as an achievement.

What was really amazing with it is that you can serve ads with Google Adsense and E-bay without even applying for it. As we all know that the standards of Adsense are really much hard to achieve. We had tried it once and we failed.

The only TOS(Terms of Service) we really remembered about them is that the article you wrote should be G-Rated because if you tried even once an X-rated article, you will automatically be deleted as member of them. So keep that in mind and we won't even try it.

Anyway, here's a step by step on how to work with Squidoo.

How to Publish Articles on Squidoo:

My Lens

1. Go to Squidoo.com and sign-up.
2. Start making your lens(Articles). Just be sure that you fill-up everything to make sure that it is ready for publish.
3. Set-up the ads for Amazon and E-bay (which in a way has auto fill also).

So start making your lens and discover what's really behind the squidoo smile!And when you're done, tell me how had it helped you too?

Writing offline by Windows Live Writer

The technology as of today really embeds itself into modernization for a better life like for a new blogger like me, Windows Live Writer is really a great help.

I was really glad when I first discovered this tool. A great way on working offline with your blogs. These also features a theme from your blog so it does really look like your working on your blog online.

I am using Windows 7, so it has a more modern programs that really is very much useful. You could even make a draft and set a date to when it would be published. At least, you could make a progress out of your blog, working on writing more with a less expense on being online. It is also a way of making, using and developing your blog on a much lesser effort on finance, although wifi’s are everywhere, but not at all free.

So, try discovering and adding your blogs on Windows Live Writer and start enjoying your blogging today.

Project Boards while making blogs

I would like to share this kind of affiliate program I just recently added on my blogs. I found this project board when I visited the Online Jobs Philippines website to find what's new. My eyes was caught with this project board which a lot of jobs are listed from time to time.

So I started visiting the site and sign-up for it as a member. On seconds, I became one. As I noticed, there are six free apps given to members namely:

• Job Finder
• My Site Stats
• Free to choose
• Free to choose
• Free to choose

And you can choose between:

Free Apps

1. Base CRM - which easily manage clients relations and track new leads [CRM]
2. Docracy - lets you save legal expenses by using and e-signing documents with clients
3. Fanzilla(which I also added in my free app) - helps you improve your facebook page to get more likes and leads.
4. Itweetlive - automatically target new  relevant costumers on twitter.
5. Billgrid.com - lets you send invoices, track payments and manage online expenses.
6. Clockodo - track your working times quickly, simply and reliably online.
7. Bookingbug - lets you take online booking inquiries from new and existing customers.
8. Kashflow - intuitive, easy to use online accounting softwares for free lancers.

But what really made me involve in this site is that aside from giving you these free apps, it does also allow publishers like us bloggers to earn while posting some built-in project boards or listed-related-jobs.

Project Board

They offer a widget type to display listed jobs. And these was really a helpful kind of affiliate I've ever discover since the day I blog :).

To visit my project board, just click here and start finding jobs for you.

Get paid to chat

Update: We are sorry to inform that the said get paid to chat site mentioned in this post is already not available as of the moment. The said domain is for sale at this time. We no longer wish to endorse the said site.

We, however, are on search for sites to share and wish to review it first before endorsing. We will give you update on what we are working for on the said 'get to paid chat'. Thank you.

How to put links widget within your blog from your own posts?

Today, I had a visitor named GB, so I tried to visit his blog also. So, as I examined his blog, it was really wonderful. The whole is in a white background and that its clean and amazing. But what really amaze me more was the LinkWithin widget he had. It is the automated links within your blog. This was all I've been looking for months now and thanks to him.

Anyways, I hurriedly and excitedly signed-up for it.

1. First, you open the website LinkWithin.

    2.    Then install the widget within your blog. Just follow the instructions given in LinkWithin.

Installing the widget within your blog.

    3.     Put it under your blog post. Then save. :)

Putting it under blog posts.

And that's it. But it will took hours for LinkWithin to set post related to each other. It's just ok anyway. The important about it is that you won't put link posts within your blog manually, right? Let's start enjoying it!Start making your blog.Set Up Your Blog Now!

Affiliate Links

What is good about blogging is a chance of earning through affiliate links or publishing an online ads. Yes, a lot of ways to earn by putting some advertisements on it. Your blog is just like a TV network who needs also to earn to maintain and continue to innovates its appearance and credibility as a website. And financially, that's quite hard especially for a new blogger like me who pays for an internet access.

Anyways, as I learned and go through with my journey to continue learning, gaining and clustering my knowledge  about blogging, I also continue to discover sites that I can earn as an affiliate, a publisher, a reseller or a contractor.

I listed most of I had encountered and some of them I used as my aff:

• Google AdSense
• Commission Junction(myaff)
• Chitika(myaff)
• Wordlinx
• Adhitz
• Linkshare
• Fastclick
• Tribal Fushion
• AdBrite
• Text Link Ads
• Bidvertiser
• Adzaar
• AdGenta
• Clicksor
• BlogAds
• TextAds

How I joined Commission Junction

Commision Junction is a website compounding a lot of advertisers with different products. It is really a great opportunity for publishers to be a member of it. Recently is know as cj.com.

Just today, I signed for an account on CJ:

1. First, go to Commission Junction website 
2. Click the Get Started
3. Click the Publisher and an explanation of its function appears. You may also be an Advertiser, making your own Agency or Network.
4. Then, click the Get Started Now.
5. Complete all the necessary information needed for the registration as a publisher. And that's it.

To started on publishing ads with your blog:

1. Go to Get Links.
2. Choose your preferred categories for advertisers.
3. Tip: Select all Advertisers so that you can find as many as you can at a time.
4. Click the Apply to Program and see how many approvals you get.

To see how many advertisers approved you being their publisher:

1. Click By Relationship, still under Get Links.
2. Click on your preferred Advertiser.
3. Click on Get Links. A series of products or services they offered are shown.
4. On the right end corner of the table, click on Get HTML.
5. Then post it on your blog!

Here's mine:

My Commission Junction Ad

Let's see how these works with me. I'll have an updated post with these soon.

Monetizing your blog through Chitika

Chitika Email

Finally, after a  month of waiting for the approval of being a publisher of Chitika, we can now finally enjoy it. It is said that Chitika is one of the most popular advertisement here in the blogosphere, so I tried to apply for the publisher's side. This is also one way of monetizing your blog, a good start being it successful.

The registration was easy, you just have to :

1. Click the Publisher's Overview and then click the Get Started.
2. Fill-out the Publisher Program-Apply

But, it doesn't mean that when your done with the registration, you can use it immediately. For we thought that after the registration it was then approved, but we were just disappointed for we can't even open my account. There was a reason, after a month of forgetting about, we were just surprised that on March 8,we received an e-mail from Chitika for the approval of our ads :). 

Thank God, we are using it for the moment together with my local ads.

How to put a Chatbox within your blog

I recently discovered a chat box from my follower Ms. Juicekodai, thanks to her. And I credit this post to her.

I just followed some simple steps to put up this widget.

Sign up

1. Sign-up - for the registration.
2. Create your Cbox - 

3.  To change the colors or fonts, go to Look & Feel page. 

4.  Get code - for the HTML widgets. Go to Publish! to get the code for your Cbox to embed it on your blog.   

HTML Codes

And that's it. View your bog and start the conversation with your readers.

Posting my blogs to Pinoy Blogger's Directory

I accidentally discover from Google research the top Pinoy Blogger Directory. I was excited that there is this website for Pinoy bloggers and I wish I found it earlier. But anyway, it's better be late than never.

Here's the steps I follow to submit my blogs:

1. Copy an HTML code to your blog theme. This is a requirement for them to add your blog, because if you don't, your blog will be deleted. The code will look like this.

PinoyBlogger

2. Fill out the registration form they provide after the code has embedded to your blog.

Registration Form

3. And the last step submit. After submission, they will recognize your submission by this.

That's it. As simple as that.

I hoping that I could meet a lot of Pinoy bloggers in the blogosphere and looking forward to have a good reationship with them

Learning to Blog

How are you guys? Me, still learning and getting to absorb my lessons.

New bloggers are really aggressive. I did join the blogging lessons I was offered for the reason of money-making blogs. I was astonished and sparkled by the thought that I could even make money in this easy way of just putting my personal diary to online writing through weblogs or blogging.

But as a new blogger, not to compare to the 'big rivers' or top blogs as Yaro Starak described, reality sinks in. Blogging is not really an easy task to do. I almost spend 8-18 hours a day facing the computer and revising, editing my blogs. And all I get is disappointments(sometimes) and downsides of my blogs. I am maintaining three blogs at the most.

When do I disappointed?

• I get disappointed when page views of my blogs are just increased by three or five.

Blog Page Views

• When my advertisements never worked.

How do I cope up with it?

     I cope up with the downside of my blogs by:

• discovering related blogs
• researching a lot
• finding inspirations to successful bloggers

Hope, to the new bloggers, this will also be a lesson for you. I never quit with this and I did put my heart on it. But funny, why would I expect something when I'm just new anyway. :)

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How hard it is for a new blogger

Fortunately, I am just a month-old blogger. And honestly, it is very hard job to maintain my three blogs and a lot of must have gadgets I don't have like:

    

Laptop

1.  Personal Computer - although not really a requirement and no one really required me to have one, yet it very much important and practically having it as your own rather than just going to an internet cafe doing your work. Today, internet is an easy access for a lot of establishments are WIFI already although, here in the Philippines, net cafe's are everywhere and are affordable yet the only the only disadvantage is that you shared in one room with a lot of noises to distract you. 
2. Digital Camera - to show a more attractive and effective ideas to achieve reality of the articles, a picture or image will tell the truth. It will help catch more attention and a more easy way of connecting to my audience.

Pink Sony Digital Camera

But how I put it on a positive side?

1. Although, I don't have my own p.c., I just borrow my brother's netbook when times he doesn't use it.
2. I still work offline.

• Thank God, there is a free access to social networking through mobile. That's where I could promote and market my blogs.
• I download free lessons, on how to blogs profitably. I made a copy of them, reviewing, studying, understanding and putting actions to them when I get online.
• I wrote on my notebooks. I'm on my second notebook and have written my topics, my lessons and my should-posts topics on it.

I may have limited resources but not with limited perseverance on focusing my goals for my blogs. Hope you can have a hint from me, a blogger.

Why is Blogger.com recommended for a new blogger?

Being a new blogger, we are fumble about the practical methods to have to build and start a successful blog. We need to see what a new blogger needed to have as a first method to follow.

In this post, the information we need to understand are simple and yet what we needed it the long run. In the case that we used Blogger as our platform for the blog, Gmail is needed.

If you are a new blogger and is starting to make it successful, then Blogger is recommended mostly.

Why Blogger.com?

Blogger Dashboard

• Blogger-friendly - easy to understand the options it offers. The navigation throughout comes in easy access. 
• No need of knowledge in HTML codes - Well, unless we wanted a much complicated professional blogs, then we probably need to understand coding of basic HTML and CSS.
• Customization of domain names - as a new blogger, we can start with the domainname.blogspot.com if the desired domain name is available.

What kind of lay out have you tried? How was the experience using this platform?

Try creating your own and discover things. You will see and amaze by what it offers you like we do. 

What Is Blogging?

Blogging is a way of expressing your thoughts, sharing opinions or information, or everyday discussions or topics under the sun through writing about it online. Spreading through cyber space crawling the web effectively.

Blogging

In starting a blog and making it successful, you must first understand what does it need to be, what kind of topic you would like to share and what thoughts you would want others to know about you.

We would like to share that blogging has been known to us when someone offered services about it. The opportunity we grabbed as our interest had spark to it.

We listed some key points about blogging industry:

• Blogging does not need your expertise. As long as you write your interest and that you survive hot topics about it for a longer period of time, then you can do blogging.
• Blogging is also learning. Yes, need not to be expert but is also willing to learn and explore new things about it to improve your blog.
• Blogging is sharing. You blog because you wanted something to share and that you wanted other to learn a value of facts about the topic you are into. Sharing is then caring.
• Blogging is fun. You meet other people outside your box. You learn while gaining skills.
• Blogging can be also an earning. Yes, that is really true but not effective to all. You must do a little hard work for you to earn. This can be also a motivation to continue blogging.

We, as a newbie in the blogosphere, continue to acquire and discover the knowledge to motivating not just others but also ourselves to pursue a positive outlook on blogging. 

How to Make Your First Blog

One of the much excited experience you will ever made is starting your own blog and hoping it become successful in the future. Blogging is making your own site lining among lists of sites over the internet. You write your own blog posts and allowing search engines to crawl about it delivering to your audience.

The opportunities a blog can give are a learning process. It will take a lot of time and will took a lot of your dedication to continuously support a series of articles for your readers and for the blog itself to survive among other existing blogs.

Blogs can boost your confidence, can improve your skills like writing and layout designing and can even make give you earnings in the future. Yes, read it right. It can even make your dreams come true when earning like a pro that you can give up your recent job and concentrate on your blogs.

But we are not saying that it will make you rich in an instant. It needs a lot of effort to do it. There is no easy way to do a good earning that cannot make it hard. 

How to start your First Blog?

Blogger Options

1. Do it with Blogger. It is much easier to do with it being user-friendly. You just have to sign-in with your Google account.
2. In the upper-right side is the New Blog. Start with your own domain name and lay-out.
3. Make your first blog post. Be it topic related.

Notes:

• On your first blog post, make it hobbit of 500-word count, 
• Be sure to have related-topic images with caption so that Google will understand what the picture is.
• Post daily but in any case, try posting twice a week, then thrice until you get a minimum of 1 post a day. 
• Be consistent on your topic.

The basic understanding of making  blog is to precisely voice out what you wanted others to see about you in a form of writing. It maybe a personal interactions within what you see some things and between what you have for others to see. Sharing is what it is. 

For you, how would you like to start your first blog? 

How should it connect with your readers? 

Whatever your niche or topic to be, the important is you started it. You made the first step towards your own like others have but none of your friends had. Be proud that you started something that may be a great blog in the future and may lead you into stardom. But remember, it comes with consistent connection between you and your niche.

Try now and see what it can do to you. Cheers!