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I have written several posts about blogging. In blogging you will always encounter a basic question -”Which blogging platform should I use?” In this post, I would try to answer that question and let you know about the issues that you need to think through regarding choosing a blog platform.

Following are some of the questions that I received after writing the first few posts on blogging. Bloggers who are starting out and trying to make a decision on the basic question often ask these questions.

• ‘Which Blog Platform Should I use?’
• ‘Should I use a free Blogger.com blog or a WordPress blog or get my own hosted blog on my own Domain?’
• ‘Which Blog Platform is best?’
• ‘What are the Pros and Cons of using Typepad instead of WordPress as a blog platform?’
• ‘Should I start blogging on a free Blogging Platform and then upgrade later?’

But let me clarify one thing here- the choice of the blog platform depends on the goal of your blog as every blogging platform has its good and bad points. You choose the blogging platform based on your blogging goals.

I have been blogging for quite some time now and besides this blog I also write for http://www.takeaplunge.com. For both the blogs we have been using WordPress because we find few advantages in it.

Below I will try to show you few points about all types of blogging platforms. All these information, factors come from the experience of years of blogging. Feel free to share what you think about the various blogging platforms.

Before You Decide on a Blog Platform

Before you decide on the blogging platform to use, you need to consider a few points. There are many blogging platforms are available today. You can always change the blogging platform at a later stage but it MAY have some negative implications on your blog. Such negative effects may be on the search engine value, domain name change and traffic. You need to pay money for the transfer if you want to move to own paid hosted blog from a free blog hosting service. But ore important is the traffic issue. So I would advise that you do not take a hurried decision here. Do some research, read my posts and then think about it.

The following questions might help you to find the answer

Your Goals - What are your goals?

This is the most important goal you need to decide while choosing the blog platform. Think about the aspiration or goals you have in mind. Even though you have just started out, try to answer the questions with best of your ability.

• What is the main purpose of my blog?
• Do I want it to do for a long time?
• Do I want to monetize?
• Do I want to do it professionally?

These questions will help you to sort out the probable options in blogging platforms. These questions will help you because some of the blogging platforms are better suited to hobby bloggers and some others are suited to professional bloggers.

What is Your Budget?

Different blogging platforms come with different prices. You will find free blog platforms and you will find blog platforms with different prices. What is the cost associated with blogging?

• The blog platform
• Hosting for your blog
• Domain Name

Different blogging platforms have different levels of service.

Blogger.com - the platform, domain name and hosting for free

WordPress.com - the platform, domain name and hosting for free

Wordpress.org (Not WordPress.com) - Free platform but you will have to pay for your own hosting and domain name.

MovableType -They charge a fee for a license for the platform (However it depends on number of blogs you have and whether the blogs are commercial, personal, educational or not-for-profit.) It also has a free version and you need to pay for your own domain name and hosting.

There may be some other costs associated with blogging, which you may need or may not need.

• Design - All the blogging platforms come with free templates. But if you want a customized template for your blog, you will need to design it yourself or get it designed from someone by paying a fee.
• Blog tools/metrics - There are different metrics and tools in blogging which can be really helpful. You need to pay for some of these tools. As a beginner these tools and metrics may not be necessary but in future, you may need to have them.  

How Technology friendly are you?

While choosing a blogging platform, make sure you understand the technological aspects of it. In some platforms, you will need to have a good technology understanding. If you are like me, a less technical person (I don’t know any coding or programming), then you should stick to a platform that needs lesser technical knowledge. Some blog platforms offer set ups which do not need much technical and technology knowledge.

However, you can also find someone else to do your job by paying a fee for setting up the necessary things. But then you become dependent on others for everything technical. However you will find in the form of community and forums where you can get answers to your technical questions.

What Blog Platforms are others using?

Ok this is something which also has got some importance. Peer pressure, forums, communities put pressure on you to adopt some things. Find out what others are using and what advantages and disadvantages they are having. Their answers and information will help you in deciding the right blogging platform.

In the next post we will discuss about free blogs, hosted and Stand alone blogging platforms. Stay tuned.

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Would you like to be a top Internet marketer in 2009? IF the answer is yes then do you know what it takes to be a top Internet Marketer? Recently I saw the list of the most influential online marketers of 2008. If you carefully look at the list, you will find out that the list is actually a popularity list and include names which are popular. The list has names of marketers who have strong personal brands. It does not matter how much money they’re making. The ranking is more dependent on how well they’re known by the masses.

Actual credentials and earning do not determine the ranking in the list. Some people are ranking better because they are more connected than others. (I think actual earnings and credentials should be of more value while determining the most influential or successful Internet marketers). These marketers rank better because they know how to market themselves and they have a higher perceived value.

Now let’s see how you can be a top 100 Internet marketer in 2009? It’s for sure that you will need success in selling, building exposure, and making money but there is one more important aspect - building a strong personal brand for yourself and then make sure people believe that you are more valuable than what you actually are.

You will need a strong positive image in the eyes of the people you want to influence. Following are the 7 strategies that will help you to build your brand and reputation

1. Get the right credentials first

First of all you will need right credentials. With just a few subscribers, you cannot become a top Internet marketer. For that you will need to have successful past Internet Marketing campaigns. If you do not have a past successful marketing campaign, then you will not be able to become one of the top 100 online marketers any time soon.

Like when you apply for a course in any prestigious university or technical colleges you need to have a standard qualification to apply for it. Only if you have the qualification, you can apply for the course. Likewise, you need to have a standard qualification before you can try to be the top Internet marketing.

2. Find a specialty and stick to it - be known for something

It is always better to be expert at something rather than trying everything. It is easier to be known as expert in one field. For example, you know Seth Godin when we talk about Blogging, Aaron Wall for SEO, Michael Arrington for tech and so on. They are known for a niche or a particular field. They are not jack-of-all-trades but are specialist in one particular field.

While you try to become an expert why not tell the world your personal story because people love to hear personal stories about how you have done it.

3. Be confident - fake it ’til you make it

This advice is not from me but from people who are already in the top Internet marketers list. You need to fake it till you make it. Do you think people will follow the guidance and advice of a newbie? They won’t. But if you can portray yourself as an expert, then people will flock to your site or blog to know amore about your guidance. People will think of you as an authoritarian and will help you build your personal brand.

You should exude confidence in everything you do. A good impression is very much necessary for your online business. Read an excellent article by Rebecca Kelley about how you can fake it and make it.

4. Associate with successful people

This is helpful in many ways- people begin to know you and see your name around, you learn lot many things from the experts, and people believe you because they see you with successful people. You can learn the business secret from them and apply them in your own business. Have you heard of Neil Patel? Read more on why Neil is successful, and you are not.

5. Help people out - make friends and build relationships

Making friendship and building relationship has its own benefits. You need help in different aspects of your online business and people can help you here. If you have a good relationship with someone, then he/she will help you when you need.

One easy way to become friends is to help others. When you help others, you become friends easily and early.

6. Think and act like the person you want to be

Psychology has a great role to play in your success. If your psychology is right, then you will definitely become successful. When you think and act like a person you want to be, you become that person. So act and think like a successful person and you too become successful .For becoming one of the top 100 internet marketers, you need to read good books. Start reading leadership books. You can start with Dale Carnegie’s books or Napoleon Hill books. Try out Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (free on the public domain). You need to start thinking like a top marketer if you want to be one. Slowly your mindset will change to that of a top marketer and you will win.

7. Put yourself everywhere

This is again marketing and promotion. Even if you are an expert in your niche but if nobody knows you then there is no use of it. You need to market yourself, put yourself everywhere, so that people know you. You need to build exposure. How do you do that?

1. Build a Wikipedia page for yourself

2. Take active part on social media sites and forums. While doing that, use a profile name and avatar that is same everywhere.

3. If possible speak at conferences

4. Create your video and post them on YouTube

5. Put pictures in Flickr

6. Write frequently on your blog

7. Spread a few press releases.

Let more people see you and remember you.

Do you think you are worthy of becoming a Top Internet Marketer in 2009? If yes, then start working towards it now.

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There are millions of blogs present today that cater to different niches. All the time new blogs are coming up with different content. Had all blogs have the necessary success element, they would all have succeeded. About 60-70% of the blogs do not make it. One main reason for not becoming successful is lack of traffic.

Like most bloggers you may also think that simply writing and publishing will get you the necessary traffic. But this is not true. Just by writing and publishing the content, you cannot get the necessary traffic. If no body visits your blog and read what you have written, then nobody will know about the good posts that you have written. You need to make sure that people know you are there. For that you will need to spread your content. How do you distribute your content?

• Social Networking - Social networking can be the resort when you are tired of social bookmarking space. You can have your account in social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Hi5, Bebo, Friendstar and others. You can have hundreds of friends in these social networking sites. If you spread your blog content among these people in your friends’ list, then think about the number of people who can come and visit your blog.
• Your Article into Podcast - Now this is what a new way of marketing. Podcasts are much more important and interesting today. People listen to the podcasts and download them for listening t later. If you have time, create your own podcasts. If not there are different online applications that can help you to create podcasts from your own posts. One such service is Odiogo. It can turn your posts into podcasts and have them downloadable. If you have a WordPress blog then you can use the WordPress plug-in and can easily integrate it in your blog.
• Your Article into PDF’s - If you visit the blogs of most popular bloggers, for example Yaro Starak of Entrepreneurs Journey, you will find that they use podcast and also offer pdf version of their articles and interviews. Why don’t you try it? Try Post2PDF which is a little WordPress plug-in which will turn your posts into PDF formats. Then you can use these pdf ebooks, reports, articles to spread awareness about your blog by visiting forums and offering them as freebies.
• Your Article into Video Posts - Videos like podcasts are very interesting to people and so attract lots of people. This is a technique that can help you to get immediate attention from your readers. It also familiarizes your face in the blogging world. Create videos of your killer posts and then post it to the Internet. If you want to distribute it easily, then use a service like TubeMogul. It is service that will submit your video to famous video directories like YouTube, Vimeo and others. This is a way to go viral.
• Tweet It! - Twitter is a phenomenon now. More and ore people are joining the bandwagon everyday. Use twitter to talk about your blog, blog posts and let people know what you are talking about. There are different Twitter applications and plug-ins which makes it easier to use and integrate twitter with your blog. Twitterfeed, Tweetlater, Twitthis are some of the applications and plug-ins which will help you to post your latest article to Twitter.  Your readers can also tweet the posts for you.  

The main thing is to go viral so that you just start the process and it keeps going endlessly. You need to promote yourself in as many places you can and with different ways you can. Use the techniques mentioned so as to find more traffic to your blog and become successful in blogging.

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