I was tempted to write “domaining” in the title but it doesn’t fully describe what I want to say. By domaining we mean. the process of selling or buying domain names. But issue here is choosing how to choose the right domain for a highly successful blog, so I called it domain-naming.

Now that you know domain names matter, it’s time to learn how to identify a good domain name when you see one. Daniel Scocco writes about the 7 Characterics of Good Names and here they are:

1. They are short. The shorter the domain name the better.

2. They are easy to remember.    People tend to just memorize domains.

3. They are easy to spell.  Do not give them reason to misspell your domain names.

4. They have a .com extension   .Go with the most popular extension

5. They are descriptive. Give your visitors idea what your website is about at a glance.

6. They are brandable .  People will associate your website with the brand and with the content, product, or service.

7. They don’t contain hyphens or numbers.  Such are cheaper for a reason.

Daniel said that “a good domain name will be the corner stone of your website’s success” and I agree. Why do you think Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, or Multiply made it big in the Web 2.0 era?

Blogging for some has become a hobby. They blog wherever and whenever they have access to the Internet. And for others like me, blogging has become a career that earns good money..and for some, really really good money.

While setting up a blog can be done in just a few minutes, what with free blogging platforms such as WordPress, Blogger, or TypePad, blogs found in their own domains have more impact.

Usual URL syntax can be www.blog.com or www.website.com/blog or as a sub-domain , www.blog.website.com . Your own domain is better than blogs on free servers because they make you look like you have authority and are seriously established.

Own domains give an impression that you are professional enough to pay for a hosting service. This means you are credible and can be trusted because you didn’t get some free sub-domains that you share with millions of people.

If you seriously want to make money with your website or blog, having your own domain is the first step to people trusting you. You can even assign different e-mail addresses to different people who matter to your website.

Domain names matter because they also help in having your website get indexed. Rumor has it that most search engines give emphasis on own domains rather than those free hosting services.

So in choosing a domain name, make sure that it’ll be something that is easy to remember. Your company name is the most obvious choice but others find it more effective if they use domains that reflect your product or service.

Other helpful tips in choosing a domain name include :
> avoid using hyphens because a person’s natural behavior is to type a phrase as is
> use plurals or add ‘my’ or ‘the’ to your domain name if website.com is already taken
> if you can’t get the .com , you may try the .org or .net , or your country domain
> you may opt to choose a popular keyword that represent your company for effective SEO

Christmas is just around the corner and yetand you are wondering why your website traffic is dropping. It’s either people are leaving and going away for early holiday vacation or they’re simply losing interest in reading your blog. But for the life of you who’s addicted to blogging even if you’re blogging for a very corporate and serious blog (think: anti-virus or microbiology) , you can always create a buzz and have people visiting your website over and over again via blog contests and giveaways.

Ahh, blog contests. Better, giveaways. Since it’s that time of the year, you might as well think of coming up with a contest. You can keep your loyal readers and you can have more people linking to you since blog contents are always hyped and talked about. Oftentimes, they become too successful that your readers clamor for more.

So instead of talking about PPC Marketing or some obscure type of bacteria on your scientific blog, launch a Christmas contest instead. Or if you’re generous or simply feeling generous, you may offer a new gadget as a prize, offer free versions of your service or product, codes, or whatever.

Point is, giving stuff through your blog for free will always excite. Not only your readers will benefit from this blog breather. Other bloggers will definitely give you more “link love” this holiday season.

Check out some ongoing blog contests so you’ll have an idea:
Prince John Blog Contest
Christmas Giveaway with NeverBlueAds
Freezing Hot’s Win an amazing SEO package for your blog
Not Entirely British’s Compact DVD Player
Nintendo Wii from Contest Beat
Spoiled Pretty’s Clarisonic Skin Care System Giveaway
Million Dollar Journey’s First Birthday Giveaway

Michael Stelzner recently came out with his list of 2007/2008’s Top 10 Blogs for Writers. I told you, lists as blog entries always work. I am not really sure how he ranked the blogs but I agree with some of his choice. Copyblogger for one, is a personal favorite because it presents timely writing tips in this age of Web 2.0 gearing to Web 3.0.

With or without SEO or linkbuilding in mind, blog writing is somewhat different from journalistic. Now thanks to these talented writers who share the same passion in blogging as I do.

Top 10 Blogs for Writers by Michael Stelzner:
1. Copyblogger, by Brian Clark: Holding the number-one spot for the second year running, this site excels at teaching the art of writing.
2. Freelance Writing Jobs, by Deborah Ng: For writers seeking new work, this site is your sole destination and maintains a top spot in our contest from last year.
3. The Renegade Writer, by Linda Formichelli and Dianna Burell: Are you a freelance journalist looking for inspiration? Look no further.
4. Web Content Writer Tips, by James Chartrand and Harrison McLeod: With a focus on making more money as a writer, this blog is full of helpful how-to articles.
5. Web Writing Info, by Courtney Ramirez: This excellent blog looks at social networking and emerging web-based opportunities for writers.
6. The Golden Pencil, by Anne Wayman: Wayman, a second-year winner, examines how to go for the gold as a freelance writer.
7. Catalystblogger, by Jennifer Williamson: Williamson writes about the pains and trials writers face.
8. Freelance Parent, by Lorna Doone Brewer and Tamara Berry: Two moms provide excellent perspective on writing with a dash of parenting.
9. Write from Home, by Amy Derby: Derby provides fresh commentary and advice on writing.
10. Copywriter Underground, by Tom Chandler: This site, a second-year winner, provides regular doses of inspiration for copywriters.

Now there, this for me is a comprehensive list already for those who wish to improve their writing and problogging career. Notice that 6 out of 10 are women? Does this mean that women are the greater bloggers? Hmmm…quite a good topic for discussion.

Anyway, congratulations to the winners! And here’s to hoping that someday, blogmarketingjournal.com will land somebody else’s Top 10s.

One of the biggest challenges of blogging AND maintaining a blog is perhaps thinking of what topic to blog about especially when you are expected to write every day. In the modern Internet times when bloggers and more Internet savvy people are hungry for news and new ideas, sometimes, you can just run out of things to say.

Ah, the writer’s block you say. Blogging, like traditional journalism or creative writing can sometimes be exhausting. You think of a topic, write about it, but sometimes your readers won’t react the way you want them to. Oftentimes, you’ll receive no comment at all.

Chris Garrett of chrisg.com, suggests 10 Killer Post Ideas for writers who are fast running out of topics to write on. The list has already been around for some 2 years now and I’d like to share to you the list that helped me further my problogging and writing career:

10 Killer Post Ideas:

1. How to. Posts as such bring information to your readers. Anything that can be helpful to them such as How to’s, guidelines, and tips would be a good start. Think of the benefits it would bring your readers. Especially if you are doing niche blogging, how to’s are usually common.

2. Lists. Top 10, Top 5, or even Top 130. My entry Top 130 Ways to Get Links to Your Blog is a perfect example. Lists always work because you give something to the reader.

3. Campaign. Blogs for a cause can be funny according to Chris because you’ll never know what your audience wants to rally around. You may think of a good cause but launching such campaign entails a lot of hard work. It’s either the outcome is good or bad. But usually, campaigns whether good or bad, can create a buzz and always leave other people blogging about it.

4. Interview. I did this awhile back for a start up blog and it has helped me big time. Their answers are already full of information and are worth posting on the blog as is. However, there is the right way to interview people. Whether through e-mail, IM, or over the phone, make sure that you do your research first and prepare questions beforehand. Give the impression that you know at least some about your interviewee. Don’t ask him about things you already know. Ask him about the things you and your readers would want to know.

5. Review. Reviews are usually done on products or services. Most professional bloggers are sent stuff they usually don’t know about. Make sure though that you don’t review a product that has already been reviewed by a gazillion of bloggers out there.

6. Case study. Case studies can be very powerful. However, such entails comprehensive research. You can’t just write about something serious you just read on other blogs. Do your research.

7. Research results. On to the more serious stuff, research results can bring you a lot of good publicity especially if you did the research on your own. Surveys are pretty popular but there are other research methods. Work like your working on a serious school paper.

8. What’s new, trends. Write on what’s new with your niche( or what’s new with you). Blog on the trends in the Internet world. Everyday brings a lot of “news” so you’re sure you’ll always have something to write about.

9. Attack! Risky but often effective. It can bring you a lot of traffic and if you’re not careful enough, a lawsuit. It can also be a smart linkbait technique because you expect other websites linking to the controversial post.

10. Ask the audience. You may ask your readers questions. Leave them thinking and get them to send their feedback One reply can be a blog post in its own but of course, you still have to filter and present it in a worthy blog manner.

I am sure there are more that can be added to the list but these are tried and tested killer ideas. Now go. Write that “How Not to Gain Extra Christmas Pounds” entry and expect more incoming links.

Now that you’ve decided to to start a blog for your business or even for your own personal reasons, you need to learn that blogging about a topic is just one part. There is still the dreaded yet highly effective linkbuilding. While there is really no guarantee that YOUR link building efforts will be rewarded the way you want it, it is good to be noticed. I have compiled a list of how to get links to your blog written by successful SEO’s and bloggers like Seth Godin, Aaron Wall, Andy Hagans, and more.

WAYS TO GET LINKS TO YOUR BLOG

1. Provide content in English.
2. Link or comment to niche blogs:
3. Out link a lot
4. Identify your “link-niche”
5. Always verify you pinged or tracked-back.
6. Use StumbleUpon.
7. Submit to blog directories
8. Build a “101 list”
9. Create 10 easy tips to help you
10. Create extensive resource lists for a specific topic
11. Create a list of the top 10 myths for a specific category
12. Create a list of gurus/experts.
13. Make your content easy to understand so many people can understand and spread your message.
14. Put some effort in to minimize grammatical or spelling errors.
15. Have an easily accessible privacy policy and about section so your site seems more trustworthy
16. Buy relevant traffic with a pay per click campaign
17. Syndicate an article at EzineArticles, GoArticles, iSnare, etc.
18. Submit an article to industry news site.
19. Syndicate a press release.
20. Track who picks up your articles or press releases. 21. Trade articles with other webmasters.
22. Email a few friends when you have important relevant news asking them for their feedback and/or if they would mind referencing it if they find your information useful.
23. Write about, and link to, companies with “in the news” pages.
24. Perform surveys and studies that make people feel important.
25. Submit your site to DMOZ and other directories that allow free submissions. (Read more…)

Gone are the days when blogs are regarded as personal online diaries. Its power and magic has turned millions of bloggers to instant celebrities and some, millionaires. Almost anyone can make a blog in a few minutes. Sign up at some blogging platform, log in, and then type your way to blogosphere.

Gaining more popularity and achieving success are corporate blogs. Why a certain company should blog…the list is endless. Why, it’s what this blog has been campaigning for since day one.

I’d like to make a recap of why companies should blog:
> blogs are more popular within the business world
> blogs are easily customizable and editable
> blogs are cheaper alternative to traditional offline marketing
> blogs are designed to rank well in search engines
> blogs make your clients and customers feel like your company is open
> blogs can make bring you unwanted attention that may someday bring more business opportunities

…and the list goes on and on. Not all companies are doing this smart marketing tactic because they simply don’t have time to write, However, there are companies offering business blog services that further increase the online popularity of a brand or company.

Corporate blogs for me are important because they help shape the reputation of a company. It’s giving prospective clients or customers a sense of familiarity with the company right away. While it requires effort, the results can be mind-blowing.

But remember, not all companies can and should blog. There are right ways to achieving a successful blogging career.

If you write content for your blog and syndicate to other blogs as well I would suggest that you do all that you can do to ensure that your articles don’t run on two separate blogs on the same day. I subscribe to a lot of RSS feeds and you’ll likely have your content read by many people on each blog. If they appear on the same day then you’ll lose effectiveness.

A recent example from a writer that I admire can serve as the example. Janet Meiners writes for Marketing Pilgrim, one of my favorite blogs. Today, she wrote a dynamite article about PRLeap ending its free press release policy. The same article ran on WebProNews. I read the first one I came to, but I didn’t read the other. Why bother?

I am not alone. The same article on two blogs in the same industry on the same day will result in one of them not getting noticed. But I’m assuming that since you write a blog that you want people to read it. Do everything you can to entice them to do so.

When it comes to blog marketing, there is more than one way to make it happen. The tools in your blog marketing arsenal should all work together and to be successful at blog marketing is essentially to be successful in marketing your business. Your blog really needs a business plan of its own, separate from your overall business plan, but the two do need to fit together.

Blog marketing consists partly of the content and how you package it, but it’s more than just content. You’ve got to actively drive targeted customers to your blog so that you can sell them on your services. Here’s a list of blog marketing tools that you can use to be more successful in driving traffic to your blog:

• SEO
• Social bookmarking
• Social networking (Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace)
• Forum posting
• Blog trackbacks
• Commenting on other blogs
• Blog directories
• Articles
• Search engine marketing
• Banner advertising
• E-mail marketing

As you can see, there are a lot of options when it comes to blog marketing. You can use any of these tools to drive traffic to your blog, but using multiple tools in tandem will produce the best results. Once you get people to your blog, however, it’s up to you to close the sale and/or get them to your website.

A friend approached me last week and asked me to help her get her very first blog started. She had found a niche she felt she could fill, she wanted to monetize from day one, and she wanted my advice on how to get the ball rolling. Well, seeing as I have known her for 10 years, I jumped in with both feet, and did it in my spare time.

Oof… I had forgotten how hard this can be when your doing everything on your own. Just finding her a theme was rough enough, then getting set up with affiliate programs, ads, getting all the plugins set up, tweaking this, tweaking that… it’s a lot of work when you’re doing it on your own. Then on top of all that, we still have the marketing to do.

If you’re just getting set up, may I suggest you leave at least some of the work, such as the services we offer? Leave that marketing to the professionals… and you can handle those days of tweaking. Doing it all by yourself can be a bit overwhelming!

Buying cost-per-click advertising should be a part of any blog marketing plan. People tend to get scared off because they think they will rank up huge bills, but there’s a strategy to it: Bid the lowest possible amount you can. Sure, you may not get many clicks due to so-so placement, but you’ll get impressions which are, technically, free.

The whole idea is just to get the name of your blog out there, so if you bid low, you will at least be getting an increased number of impressions. Here or there you will get a click, which will cost, but you will also get numerous impressions. Some folks will remember you, some won’t. It’s a tricky game, but it’s worth a shot.

My recommendation is trying Yahoo Search Marketing. It’s not as popular as Google’s ads, which will actually work to your advantage in the form of less competition for the better words. Give it a go, bid a $.01 if need be on certain keywords, but remember it’s all about gathering impressions, not clicks, in the early days of your marketing.

Starting a new blog is no different than starting a new magazine if you plan on running with the big dogs. So why shouldn’t you get a press release out about it? If positioned correctly, and you hopefully have found an under serviced niche, you stand a chance of getting picked up by other sites as a news item.

The question is, once you’ve written your press release, how do you get it out there? And that’s when you really should leave the work to the professionals at sites like PR Web Direct. Writing your press release is one thing, knowing how to properly distribute it is a whole ‘nother matter. A PR distribution site can help you get on to places like Google News and Yahoo News, both of which will make any amount you spend on the distribution worth it.

I know in this day and age of the Internet that everyone thinks they can handle everything themselves, but there are some times where it truly is best to leave it to the pros.