Blog Content Provider .com

by Chris McElroy

You know, normally you can find a definition of a word or phrase by typing “define: your phrase here” into google and come up with a lot of results. Currently there are millions of blogs and there are hundreds of people who call themselves “Blog or Blogging Consultants”, yet when you type “define: Blogging Consultant or Blogging Consultant” into google you get no definition.

That is probably a good thing for most blogging consultants because without a definition, there is no standard to hold them to. I’m not claiming to be the blogging guru of all time or anything of the sort. So before you “blogging consultants” out there start getting defensive about this, think before you write. If you get too nasty about the post I may ask you to define “blogging consultant” and without google many of you couldn’t do it.

Now that is out of the way, lets talk business. Every business should have a blog. There are so many reasons for your business to have a blog it would be hard to write them all in one blog post, so lets assume you know your company needs a blog.

So do you hire a blogging consultant? What qualifications do you look for in a blogging consultant? What does a blogging consultant look like? How much should I pay a blogging consultant?

Lets start with “Should you hire a blogging consultant?”

The quick answer is yes, but lets go into why first. There are a lot of things that go into making a blog popular. Technorati tags, submissions and pings to bloglists and blogsearch websites, learning how to get on the right blogrolls, etc.

If you are new to blogging it takes awhile to catch on to most of these things and most blogging consultants say that all of the above is necessary if you are going to have a successful blog.

There are more things to add to the list but this article isn’t about how to run a successful blog, it’s about blogging consultants. Hiring a blogging consultant can save you from making a lot of early mistakes and get your blog found a lot quicker than trying to do it on your own.

Now all the blogging consultants are liking me again. I can tell. But will it last?

What qualifications do you look for in a blogging consultant?

Here is where things get ugly between me and the blogging consultants. Most blogging consultants are . . . well . . . bloggers. Many of them have what they think is a successful blog although many bloggers have different ideas for what success is.

Some think it’s defined as how much they made on google adnonsense last month. Others count success by number of visitors to their website or the number of comments that appear on their blog. Still others measure their success by what the other bloggers think about them.

What do all of those bloggers who are blogging consultants have in common? They all think that having a successful blog automatically makes you a qualified blogging consultant. I told you it was going to get nasty. After this article if I measured my success by what the other bloggers think of me then I’m doomed!

Fortunately I don’t measure my success in terms of what the other bloggers and blogging consultants think. Lets get back to those qualifications for a blogging consultant.

First of all a blog is a website. It is a website that is updated often in most cases, but it is still a website. Each blogpost becomes a page of that website. So with a blog you are creating more webpages to your website as often as you post to your blog.

Now I have a question for you. Would you first look to hire a blogger to do search engine optimization for your website? Would you first look to hire a blogger to handle your AdWords campaign? Would you first look for a blogger to build your website for you?

The answer to all of the above is probably no, unless the blogger also has experience in those fields and not just for their blog. Actual websites they have built, optimized, and marketed for themselves and for clients.

A blogging consultant should not just be a blogger. They should also have all of the skills necessary to run a website. Now the blogging consultants are all mad at me again. But think about it. Many bloggers know how to write. They know how to get into the right circle of blogger friends who will link to them. They know about blogging.

So if all you need to know is how to write a blog, then hiring a blogger who knows how to write is the answer, but if you need someone who is going to manage your blog for you including posting to the blog, search engine optimization, link popularity, (and not just from blogrolls), and marketing, then you need to hire a webmaster who also blogs.

Okay, How much should I pay a blogging consultant?

How much do you have? Just kidding. A lot depends on the type of blog you want or have. A corporation blog has to pay more, not because they have more, but because there are all kinds of legal and policy matters that have to be considered with every single blog post and every single link to or from another blog or website. A small business blog doesn’t have many of the same issues as the corporate blog, but still has certain standards that need to be met.

If you have ever hired a webmaster, not a web designer, a webmaster, (Thats another article), or a Search Engine Optimization Company, or a Search Engine Marketer, or even just a Marketing Consultant, (The just was in there just so I could make consultants mad again.), then you have an idea of what a blogging consultant should cost.

Now keep in mind, if you are hiring a blogging consultant to strictly teach you how to blog, then it’s not worth as much money as when you hire a blogging consultant who is also going to perform all of the services a Webmaster and Internet Marketer would provide plus search engine optimization.

Ha ha! I still didn’t say how much it costs. It’s coming. Read on.

What does a Blogging Consultant look like?

He or she looks like someone who has more than just a blog or blogs. Someone who also owns and manages several websites for themselves and for clients. As I said before a blog is still a website.

<A TITLE=”blog writer” HREF=”http://www.blogcontentprovider.com” TARGET=”NEW”><STRONG>Professional Management for Business Blogs</STRONG></A>

Seriously, that’s my whole blog post. I have nothing more to add about page rank other than I can’t believe so many people are still writing about page rank. I even created a new category called page rank just so I could ask why anyone still cares about page rank.

There are two posts that stand out today and both reinforce our message that content, regular content, is one of the surest ways of gaining a decent rank in organic search results. Blogs and blog content is one of the easiest ways of publishing that content. Hiring a blog writer makes the task even easier. So what are those two posts?

The first one almost screamed the message – The Most Amazing Sentence On The Internet. And it was. What was the sentence?

No other marketing piece can do what adding fresh content to your web site can.

Do you view content as a marketing tool? It is, in fact, almost everything you do to a website or blog has some sort of marketing effect. Adding fresh content, particularly content that users find helpful is very definitely marketing. I repeat my earlier statement – blog content is one of the fastest and easiest ways to add that content. You don’t need any special programming skills; if you can open a word-processor then you can open a blog and create content. If you don’t have the skills or talent to create content, think again. Almost everyone can. Of course, if quality is your benchmark, then by all means hire a professional content creator.

That leads me to the second post that stood out today – Do you need a website content writer? This type of post is starting to appear quite frequently across the net as more and more people realize they have writing skills and can sell their services. As a website or blog owner, the key is to weed out those who are not as skilled as they profess and to find writers who are skilled. This is where a professional blog content service comes into play. They have proven track records and experience in not only providing the content, they can also provide a range of blog services such as comment moderation and blog maintenance.

If you’re running a business, can you afford to not use the services of a professional blog management team.

If you are a good writer and you’re looking to make a little extra online, or perhaps or looking to boost your inbound links, becoming a blog content provider could be the answer. Blog content providers, as the name suggests, provide content for blogs – blogs that they don’t own. There are several ways to approach this. If you are approaching this from a business perspective, then you need to ask, How Big Does Your Online Business Need To Be?

I suggest starting of as a small player and letting your reputation help you grow your business. There are several good articles around that can advise you on How To Be A Web Content Provider! Essentially, you can:

Be a ghost writer for other blogs. As a ghost writer, you remain anonymous to the world. The blog content appears as if the blog owner had written it themselves.

Be a guest writer for other blogs. Ghost writers are generally paid while guest writer provide blog content for free, apart from a link at the end of the post. Guest writing is a good way to gain inbound links, traffic, and to develop your reputation.

Be an ebook creator. Perhaps the hardest is to write ebooks. You can often use content that has been compiled from your own website and put it all together as an ebook. Alternatively, you can create fresh content. You will need to learn how to put together an ebook including Ebook Design (PDF). You can then use other blogs to promote your ebook gaining both links and income. Using other blogs to sell your ebook on a commission or affiliate basis has become very popular.

Transcription services. Whilst not proving blog content, becoming a transcriptionist is another area where those good at English can excel. It’s not for everyone, however if you know What Differentiates a Good Home-Based Medical Transcriptionist From a Bad One? and you fit into the mold of a good one, then there is certainly a good living to be made.

If you can write content such as this, Private Schools and Education Itself a Luxury for Some then you should consider a career as an online writer. Being a blog content writer is just one area that you may find lucrative.

Search engine optimization is a slow process, a process that can take months to see results. You can speed that process up by adding a blog to your website. You can speed the process up even further by creating a self hosted blog on a separate server to your website. The one argument we frequently hear is that time is a big issue. It needn’t be. Get someone else to do the ghostwriting and you can get on with building your business.

If you are going to build your business’s online profile then you need to invest in your future. The small cost you pay today to create a blog and have a ghostwriter create the content will pay huge dividends in the future when your main business website starts to rank highly in search results. More importantly, a blog can help you add hundreds of long tail keywords, long tails that individually only provide a small amount of traffic, but collectively account for a large amount – and it is often more targeted.

What makes a website popular? Why does one online entrepreneur make more money than another? What Makes Home-Based Medical Transcription Lucrative? They all have one thing in common. They promote what they do well. For a business, a blog is the start. Add a social bookmarking and social media marketing regime to your regular posting and your blog will rapidly climb the search rankings. I read where one blog wondered “Is Social Search Just Getting Its Diapers?” It probably is – however the future is bright for social search and if you can take advantage of it now, you will be well placed when social search does advance.

If you are wondering where to start when it comes to creating a blog, I suggest you read Why Develop Your Own Blog Platform? first. There are plenty of good blog platforms around so don’t try and reinvent the wheel – go with what works. A post that reinforces everything we have said in the past describes How writing for the web differs from writing for print. There is a big difference between the two.

Blogs are an important tool for any business if they want to build their profile and increase visitor numbers. If you need a ghostwriter to get your blog off the ground and sending traffic to your website, contact a professional blog manager. They can develop your blog while you develop your business.

With reports that Global Search Grew By 46% In 2009 you know people are looking for something. If you are wanting to make money blogging then the trick of course is to tap into the topics that people are searching for. Easier said than done but there are ways to succeed.

First, making money through a blog requires a commitment. I won’t say it’s hard work, but it does take that daily commitment to develop your blog and to work at ways of delivering traffic. How do you find what people are searching for? If you’re a first time blogger then let me suggest you start by looking at yourself. What do you have a passion for? What do can you write about right at this very minute with very little in the way of research? That should be your starting point.

If you have a passion for clothing, and you are a plus size, then think about what you can write about that area. Clothing covers such a wide range from pants to tops to dresses and that’s just the outer layer. Do you like capris? Can you write a post such as – Plus Size Capris are Hot. More importantly, can you monetize it? You can even if it is through ads such as Adsense or similar.

Adsense is just one method of monetizing a blog. Other sources of income include affiliate earnings and selling your own products. Can you teach others how to do something? Could you teach something like – How to Excel in Medical Transcription? If you can, take the time to create a first class ebook – they are becoming popular again.

There are many different ways to monetize a blog. Start with areas that you have a passion for. Do a search for affiliate programs that match that niche or settle for straight out pay-per-click advertising. the choice is yours. Write to your blog everyday using keywords that you want to target. Use social media to promote your blog together with article marketing to gain inbound links. You can make money blogging - just read through some of the posts on this blog for more in-depth information on each area.

If you listen to some people on the internet you would start to believe that blogs had gone past their ‘use by date”. I rather think they are missing the point when it comes to business blogs. Blogs in general are communication tools. They provide a pathway for businesses to communicate information to the public while providing a means with which the public can communicate with a business – in a very public way – comments are open to all to read. From an SEO perspective, blogs are still valuable tools when it comes to link building, particularly if the content is of value to someone. That last is the most important. You may not find this content valuable, but others may. Here are a couple of examples of where blog content is providing useful information to others.

Taker the The Plus Size Clothing Blog. Okay, so you are as skinny as a rake. But half of the western world’s population is said to be overweight and a great many of them require plus size clothing. A blog like this is in a position to provide information to these people whilst, hopefully, leading readers through to purchase plus size clothing. Since blogs are easier to rank in search results than, say, a sales site, it makes good business sense to create this blog. The latest post (at the time of writing) – Plus Size Style for the Apple Figure – looks at a particular body shape. Do you know about apple figures (not Apple Corp sales figures) and where to buy clothing to match? Probably not but a search may show this blog in the results – that is the aim.

Blogs go beyond sales. They are also valuable for distributing information. Are you parent considering sending your child to a private school? Are you in the New York area? The NYC Private Schools blog publishes information on private schools in the New York area. As a parent, you may find this blog a valuable resource when trying to determine which private school (if any) you want to send your child too. Their latest post – NYC Private School Focus on Beekman School - provides valuable information on the Beekman School, information parents will find useful before making any final decisions.

Is the business blog dead? No, it’s far from it. Providing good quality content over an extended period of time can help a business achieve their goals much faster than if they ignored the power of blogs. Add social marketing to the mix and you have a very powerful tool.

Need help establishing a powerful business blog? Ask a professional blog management team for more information.

All you blog marketers need to come together right now and join the IM 365 Club. I’m looking for 365 joint venture partners and you could be one of them. You’ll get all the details by clicking the link. Great value and great marketing for pro Internet marketers. Check it out!

I’m amazed at the number of real estate agents who still don’t have a blog. This is the one tool I think every business owner should have, but a real estate agent especially.

I recently found an article that promised to discuss the benefits of real estate blogging. I was sorely disappointed.

To start with, the articles has no meat in it for about five paragraphs. Then, when you do find the substance, the author recommends a third-party website for blogging, quizzes, and polling. While that in and of itself isn’t bad, the community the author recommends is a second-rate site at best. If you’re going to take his advice and start a blog on a third-party site such as the one he suggests, you’d be better off going to one of these three as a real estate agent:

• Blogger
• WordPress
• ActiveRain

Both Blogger and WordPress.com offer free blog hosting for any niche. ActiveRain is a real estate community that offers free blog hosting for real estate professionals. But, honestly, a better solution than any of these three is to own your own domain name and to set up your real estate blog there. It’s much better to own the real estate than to rent it, even if renting for free. Don’t you agree?

Learn more about setting up your own real estate blog from a blog management professional now.